ASUS Doubts on Win 7

ASUS and other PC makers local to Taiwan have expressed doubts today that Windows 7 is likely to turn around flagging PC sales. The former company's chairman Jonney Shih and president Jerry Shen have both said that it will take special combinations of hardware and software designed around the OS to get users to upgrade with Windows 7 in mind. The economy also renders it less likely for people to make non-essential PC purchases, the ASUS officials said.

Separate, anonymous vendors also warn that Windows 7's system requirements won't drive users to buy upgrades as earlier Windows versions have. The software is consciously designed to lighten the performance load compared to Vista and can run smoothly even on processor- and memory-limited netbooks.

If they become reality, such estimated results would be dangerous to Microsoft's financial health. The Redmond, Washington-based developer's client division that handles Windows fell 8 percent in revenue at the end of 2008 as not only the economy but resistance to Vista affected its sales. The rise of netbooks has pushed many PC builders to use Windows XP on these systems, while both home and work buyers are sometimes deliberately avoiding upgrading old systems due to compatibility and performance issues.

By Electronista Staff