The University of Idaho Argonaut

That all may be changing, though. If the early reception is any indication, Windows 7, released in October, could represent the first time in two decades Microsoft has surpassed its competition.
Slate.com’s technology writer, Farhad Manjoo, has asserted just that.

“It is arguably the fastest, most intuitive, and most useful consumer desktop OS on the market today,” Manjoo said of Windows 7 in an online column.

With such lofty praise, University of Idaho students may wonder where they can get ahold of the software and for what price. The answers, according to Thomas Dalton of the UI Bookstore, are “on campus” and “$10.”

The OS version on offer, Windows 7 Ultimate, comes in 32- and 64-bit variations and includes enterprise-level features. Dalton called the price a steal while clarifying the software will allow students to upgrade from earlier versions of Windows only.

Chuck Lanham, director of enterprise computing support, said students should be aware older computers may not be able to run the new operating system.

“In our estimation, if you have a computer that’s older than three years old, you may not meet the minimum requirements,” Lanham said.

To find out for sure, students can visit http://www.support.uidaho.edu/faq/win7/, which includes a link to Microsoft’s upgrade advisor.

Students with under-equipped computers may be able to use the new OS in campus computer labs as soon as mid-2010. ITS will soon begin testing Windows 7 to see if upgrading university-wide would be appropriate.

“We are starting to test Windows 7 in the student computer labs. If that testing goes well it would be our intent to upgrade starting in the summer,” Lanham said.

In the mean time, copies of Windows 7 are available at the main bookstore and the Commons bookstore.

“We have lots at the main store, so if I’m temporarily out, we have the ability to get more quickly,” said Claudia Wohlfeil, operating coordinator for the Commons store.