Windows 7 outsells Harry Potter

By Ben Hurst on Oct 24, 09 07:32 PM

New operating system Windows 7 is outselling Harry Potter according to online retailer Amazon.

Computer enthusiasts ignored cautious warnings over Microsoft's latest Windows operating system today as high street electronics stores celebrated bumper sales.

More than 500 people queued outside a PC World store in central London to be among the first Britons to get their hands on Windows 7 as it was released to positive reviews.

The operating system aims to improve on its predecessor Vista by simplifying everyday tasks. Microsoft says it has listened to feedback from billions of customers around the world.

Despite advice from consumer watchdog Which? urging computer users to wait a year before switching to Windows 7, online and high street stores recorded sales surges.

Cameron McMillan, manager of PC World on Tottenham Court Road which began selling the system after a specially arranged opening at midnight, said: "We were expecting it to be busy but this was something else.

"We had to stay open an extra hour than planned because of the sheer numbers of people trying to get hold of a copy and take advantage of these deals."

Online retailer Amazon.co.uk said the operating system was now its "biggest grossing pre-order product of all time", having overtaken the likes of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Nintendo Wii.

The latest features include a redesigned taskbar with less clutter, a tool showing the status of connected devices including cameras and mobile phones, and quicker, slicker previews of an application's open windows.

James Gorbold, deputy editor of Custom PC, said: "It's a massive step forward from Vista."
He said Vista was annoying, frustrating, and came at too high a price while Windows 7 "sorts out these problems and adds lots of useful features".

"It's a lot faster and much more responsive," he said.

But Matthew Bath, technology editor at Which?, said there was a lot of confusion around the pricing, adding that Microsoft "hasn't helped itself" by having six different editions.

"Microsoft is certainly betting a lot on the release of Windows 7," he said.

He suggested it would be best for customers to wait before buying in order that early teething problems were ironed out.

The versions PC users are most likely to see for sale are the Home Premium and Professional editions.

A Home Premium software upgrade will cost £79.99 until January 1, at which point it will go up to £99.99. The full version costs £149.99.

The Professional edition upgrade will be on sale for £189.99, while the full version costs £219.99.