Microsoft Tweaked the Windows 7 Logo Program

Article by George Norman (Cybersecurity Editor)

on 01 Oct 2009

How do you know if your current hardware configuration can support the soon to be released Windows 7 operating system? A simple answer to this question can be provided by a free piece of software: Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. How do you know if hardware you plan to purchase in the future is compatible with Windows 7? The answer to this one is even simpler: compatible hardware will bear a Windows 7 logo.

“The Compatible With Windows 7 Logo is designed to help customers make better purchase decisions by identifying products that have passed Microsoft designed tests for compatibility and reliability with Windows 7. Since we designed Windows 7 to be compatible with the products you use every day, many of these products will just work and thousands of partners are committing to meeting an even higher quality bar,” commented Senior Director with the Windows Product Strategy Group and Windows Ecosystem Team Lead, Mark Relph.

There are numerous hardware developers that collaborate with Microsoft, but out of this ecosystem of partners, not all are allowed to put the Compatible with Windows logo on their products. There are certain criteria that must be met in order to earn that sticker. In the case of Windows 7, Microsoft has tweaked the logo program in an effort to ensure the user will definitely be satisfied with the hardware product he gets.

Mark Relph again: “For Windows 7, we’ve made a number of changes to the Logo criteria and the process for granting Logo status. Our goal is to make the “Compatible with Windows 7 Logo” about the customer and ensuring them the best experience possible with Windows.”

Here are some of the changes Microsoft made to the Windows 7 logo program:
- Robust testing requirements to ensure optimal Windows 7 experience. Hardware is checked for common problems that cause crashes, hangs and reboots.
- All products must work with 32-bit as well as 64-bit versions of Windows 7. This change had to be implemented due to the ever-increasing popularity of 65-bit systems.
- The testing process has been changed: less paperwork, less money spent on trying to achieve the logo.
- Partners have been contacted early on so they had plenty of time to test the compatibility between their products and Windows 7.

The main benefit of getting a product that carries the Compatible with Windows 7 logo is this: it will work seamless with your Windows 7 computer. Digital cameras will automatically transfer photos to your PC, wireless routers will take but a moment to be set up, software installation will go without a hitch (safely too, since applications and drivers are signed, a guarantee that they do not come bundled with spyware or malware).

Please note that the Compatible with Windows 7 Logo applies to hardware products as well as software applications.


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