Windows 7 RTM is finally here! It feels like it’s taken a long time to get here and yet all the effort made time pass by quickly since we started working with Microsoft in early 2007. Our Lenovo teams from around the world have been engaged with Microsoft to help bring Windows 7 to this milestone. Since Microsoft will tell you about Windows 7 features, I wanted to share a snapshot of how Lenovo and Microsoft have worked together on Windows 7.

Beginning with the Basics

Our collaboration between software and hardware began with many meetings over many months to discuss technology strategies, customer needs, priorities and schedules. Testing started early with Lenovo PCs in the Microsoft labs from the start of development ensuring Lenovo PCs work well with Windows 7. We started our testing with the beta in the first half of 2008, providing ongoing feedback as we received each new version of code.

Technology Deep Dives

We identified several technology areas for joint focus, and we spent many months collaborating on – performance, touch, WWAN, Fingerprint , XP Mode, Device Stage, Display Connectivity and more:

• Performance: PC performance will be a significant measure of the success of Windows 7. This means not just the performance of Windows 7, but all the pieces that make up a PC: BIOS, device drivers, applications and how they are configured to work together. We worked with Microsoft to improve Windows 7 and all of these components. Our developers have kept performance a key measurement in their work and requirements to our suppliers. As a result, Windows 7 runs significantly faster, especially on solid state drives making the new ThinkPad T400s the fastest Lenovo laptop yet.
• Touch: Multi touch has created a “buzz” in technology circles, and we’ve been working with Microsoft to bring you not only great hardware but software solutions that offer expanded usability. We’ve worked together since the prototype stages and soon we can show it off.

Quality – Testing and More Testing!

No matter how great the technology is, it doesn’t matter unless it is a quality solution. We start with a quality design and then test every part of the solution, every step of the way during the development phase of both Windows and Lenovo PCs. Our testing includes not only the new PCs you haven’t seen yet, but PCs customers already own to so they can be seamlessly upgraded to Windows 7. We test the hardware, every piece of software and how they work together. And we do this for 25 languages!

Applications are Important Too

As part of a Windows 7 Lenovo PC, you’ll not only get a great new operating system but a set of applications designed to embrace and extend the new technologies. Lenovo developers have redesigned our ThinkVantage solutions to bring you enhanced functions, improved usability and improved performance on Windows 7. We also work with our software suppliers to ensure their solutions are ready and perform well on Windows 7.

Enterprise Customers

Enterprise customers bring a unique expertise to testing a new operating system because of their requirements for manageability and mass deployment. Lenovo has been working with enterprise customers who started testing Windows 7 early, providing technical assistance along with device drivers and applications for use in their corporate environments.

Finishing Touches – More work yet to do

As we receive the RTM version of Windows 7, we now begin the finishing touches to bring a new operating system to customers as part of Lenovo PCs. We’ll add the applications and drivers to Windows 7 and run the final performance, compatibility and Windows logo testing on our PCs.

This RTM milestone marks the final phase to launch a new set of products across the PC industry. Lenovo still has a lot to finish before the Windows 7 launch on October 22, but we will be ready to bring you significantly better performance and great new functions on day one. Our manufacturing team is ready to produce Windows 7 on all our product lines: ThinkPad business laptops, ThinkCentre business desktops, ThinkStation workstation PCs, IdeaPad consumer laptops and netbooks and IdeaCentre consumer desktops.

Debra Kobs-Fortner
Director of Software Strategy, Lenovo

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Posted By: z3r010
23 Jul 2009