Microsoft unveils Windows 7 to plaudits, ending Vista 'nightmare'

After intense anticipation and buildup, Microsoft (MSFT) on Thursday unveiled its new operating system, Windows 7, ending what New York Times gadget guru David Pogue called a "three year Windows Vista nightmare." The critical response was generally positive -- perhaps not particularly surprising given that Vista had become so reviled for its bad performance, bugs and crashes.

"Today is an important day for the computer industry; certainly for Microsoft," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said at a Windows 7 launch event in New York. Reviewing the product, Pogue wrote: "Windows 7 means that Microsoft employees can show up in public without avoiding eye contact."