October 21, 2009, 2:49 PM — If you're not afraid of your users, you should be, concludes a study by iYogi. No, wait, that's what I concluded after reading the press release about iYogi's Windows 7 research project.
According to the press release, iYogi tracked "tens of thousands of online conversations around the subject of Microsoft Windows 7" to determine what issues users were facing leading up to the Windows 7 launch. iYogi reviewed discussions in ten widely used online forums, including MSDN, Yahoo Groups, Google Groups, and Google blog search; 25 review sites like Amazon, BestBuy, epinions, and newegg; and social networking sites Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, and Twitter.
What gems did all this tracking reveal?
iYogi says that their tracking efforts found that "application compatibility, migration and new features,' were the most-duscussed topics. I say it revealed that users really don't know much about Windows 7.
Here, without further ado, are the top 10 issues, along with actual user quotes:
1. Application compatibility, portability and migration
"Do I need to re-install Microsoft Office when I upgrade to Windows 7?"
2. New Features
"Does Windows 7 have the functionality of XP and appearance of Vista?” and “What’s new with the Windows 7 task bar?"
3. Performance
"Is Windows 7 faster that XP or Vista?"
4. Getting ready for windows 7
"Is my computer ready for Windows 7 and is it good for running games?"
5. User interface
"Does Windows 7 look and feel like Mac?"
6. Windows 7 Networking
"Can I connect with my second computer that runs XP and also share my printer?"
7. Windows 7 hardware compatibility
"Will I need to re-install software again for my camera and phone?"
8. Windows 7 Installation, setup and deployment
"How much time will it take me to install Windows 7?"
9. Price
"Will the price for Windows 7 drop in the future?"
10. Media center
"Can I make videos and does 7 have movie maker like XP?"
Oh, and one more tidbit from the press release:
Polls conducted by iYogi have indicated that nearly 70 percent of users are not entirely comfortable that they will be able to easily move their favorite applications over to the new Windows 7 platform, and nearly half expect to need more tech support help in order to do so.
Think your users are smarter than this? Or more informed than this? Don't be so sure.
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