The answer to that question changes quickly and often but for this week the answer is 7 as in Windows® 7. In conjunction with the general availability of Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) this week, AMD will talking about Windows 7 and what are doing about it.

First off we think Microsoft has done a great job on Windows 7 and not only because to experience a truly dynamic visual computing experience like Windows 7 you need AMD on AMD on AMD. (That’s our CPU plus our Chipset plus our ATI Graphics). But also because it’s a great piece of code. I am writing this blog on Office on the RC on my AMD-powered HP dv2. It’s really the perfect mix of style and substance – especially when I travel.

Some of this is due to the great A3 platform and part of it is thanks to Microsoft, who has been working with AMD and other partners, and is focusing on customers’ top computing priorities. Together the industry is and evolving usage scenarios designed to deliver a better and more robust operating system for consumers and businesses. 

Back in March, AMD launched the industry’s first Windows 7 unified graphics driver with ATI Catalyst^TM 9.4 software suite. The driver, and every subsequent ATI Catalyst driver update, delivers a unified driver installation packaged to incorporate Windows 7 support, including Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 1.1 compliance. Ready for Windows 7 today, feedback from developers testing applications using the Windows 7 beta release helps ensure the ATI Catalyst unified driver continues to deliver industry-leading stability and performance.

We will continue to work closely with Microsoft to ensure broad availability of optimized hardware and software solutions for Windows 7 at launch. In the end I believe AMD’s mainstream multi-core and 64-bit microprocessor technology and advanced graphics solutions provide consumers with superior performance, stability and compatibility for Windows 7, along with a stunning visual experience for the Windows 7 Aero desktop. 

So, for the moment Windows 7 may be bigger than OS X in the market. Is it better? Well that’s an interesting question, full of emotion and maybe for another blog.

Nigel Dessau is senior vice president and chief marketing officer at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such links sites and no endorsement is implied.