Microsoft's Windows 7 aims to simplify

By Daisuke Wakabayashi

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp is betting its next Windows operating system will be faster and easier to use and avoid the missteps from the introduction of Windows Vista, which alienated many users of the software that powers 90 percent of the world's PCs.

Windows 7, which was previewed on Tuesday, is set to be introduced in a test version early next year with features including touch screen technology and the ability to more easily personalize the system.

Windows Vista was so heavily criticized due to poor compatibility with devices and slow start speeds that it became the target of an effective marketing campaign by rival Apple Inc.

In addition, the usefulness of a traditional Windows desktop operating system, the world's largest software maker's most profitable product, is being challenged as more software applications move online, highlighting the central role of Internet browsers in a world centred on the Web.

Microsoft decided to measure success by a positive user experience versus technical superiority -- often overlooked by ordinary consumers.

Julie Larson-Green, a Microsoft corporate vice president in charge of overseeing the design of Windows 7, noted, "It's fine to have the best technical solution. But just like VHS and beta. The best technical solution doesn't always matter," referring to the video format battles in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

SUCCESS DEFINED BY USERS

Microsoft plans to introduce more user-friendly features, such as a new taskbar that previews all the open windows from a single application by hovering over the program's icon.