I was wrong. The leaked images posted yesterday on CentrumXP.pl portraying to be the Windows 7 retail box art and packaging are indeed real. The undeniable evidence ironically comes from no other than Microsoft employees, on a Facebook group they’ve set up.
The group “Windows Lounge” is a private Facebook group reserved for Microsoft employees to learn and discuss Windows 7. Understandably, the group admins have uploaded a banner to formalize the group but probably did not realize that even non-group-members can too see the image. An image that gave a little too much away.
In the spirit of hitting two birds with one stone however, not only is the box art now confirmed but the official Windows 7 mark or logo is also revealed and confirmed to be an artistic-variant of the Arabic numeral “7″ with a not-so-subtle lens flare effect. The internet will now judge.
Update: There is some speculation that the images may be just concepts in an ongoing design process, which I certainly hope is true. However, rumors of where these images leaked from is usually not a place where you would find unfinalized concepts.
37 Comments
Fred
Cockup of cockups. Both the box art itself (that laptop! the text!), and the previous newspost not only unnecessarily declaring that some random box shot is fake, but also being wrong.
Alright, back to the regular schedule.
Bhavishya Kanjhan
Actually the arabic numeral 7 looks something like a ‘V’
Image Link http://danielschereck.com/wp2002arabia/arabicimages2/text-arabic-numbe rs0-9.jpg
Geof Harries
If that’s the actual product box, then I’m shocked. An operating system as great as Windows 7 needs a packaging design that compliments the product, not one that makes it look lousy. Talk about marketing injustice.
Long Zheng
@Bhavishya: Apparently they’re technically called Eastern Arabic numerals http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Arabic_numerals
Dileepa Prabhakar
Funny — The Arabs refer to the numerals as “Indian numerals” and you guys still refuse to give credit to the Indians
.
Long Zheng
@Dileepa: I am purely referring to their technical name which I understand to the best of my knowledge is “Arabic numerals”.
oVan
Actually, I’m pretty sure that strange 7 is the top right corner of the Windows-flag-logo. You’ve heard it here first
billerr
I agree with oVan, the curve of the 7 is too similar to the curve at the upper-right corner of the Windows Logo. It makes for nice visual integrity.
Andre Da Costa
Seriously, who would pass this as not being real? Anybody who would waste that much time designing a product box is either Steve Jobs or has no time on their hands. I think they look great, simple design that’s informative (especially the Anytime Upgrade) packages.
oVan
To me they looked fake, for the simple fact that the lettering on some screenshots has the wrong angle and distortion. Since they are not fake apparently, I can only assume the boxes are still virtual and the designer did a sloppy job.
Victor Vasconcelos
I think they look nice too. And the Ultimate one actually looks great.
Tonev
Cool box design much bether than the vista ones
GoodBytes
I prefer the Vista box by far,
Win7 box looks amateurish, like a starting company software. If they remove the stupid laptop and of course re-align everything to not have a void there, it would be 100 times better. S
Rom
I’m not digging the kerning on the “Get More Now”. Could have been better. The 7 is also not looking good, hope this gets change in the final retail box. (it’s just me)
GoodBytes
I think it was purposely leaked, because Microsoft wants to see people opinion on the design. Or have a ugly box to stir the media up to have Win7 related articles.
Mark
I still thinking the box is fake, only because there is a picture of a different Win7 box on the labtop screen. Who makes box art with a picture of another box on it?
Mark
I do however think that the logo is real.
Rsr
@mark:
It supposed to look like you can upgreade from lets say “home premium” to “ultimate”
@ontopic
I like the things they did with the big windows flag.. But the other things i have to say 2 It looks to amateurish
(sorry for my bad english i’m dutch XD)
Jake
the windows lounge website is fake. it was registered on a yahoo server.
Proof:
whois.domaintools.com/windowslounge.net or any other whois
Long Zheng
@Jake: No it’s real
The domain and hosting is most likely done off-site by a third party digital media agency which Microsoft frequently uses for mini-sites such as this.
tom
begs the question how many people will get suckered in once again paying for the Ultimate version…
I still wonder why I paid the extra money for Vista ultimate. Hell, I actually wonder why I need to pay for Windows 7 at all. Having had a good play around with the Windows 7 RC I have come to the conclusion that Windows 7 is Vista with all the problems fixed… while that’s great I does make me wonder why I should pay for yet another upgrade for something that should be a service pack fix.
devo
maybe this is obvious or someone has pointed this out, but the 7 looks like the top right corner of the red-blue-yellow-green ‘window’ logo
GoodBytes
@Tom, you actually have quiet some things in Win7
– Screen magnification and lens magnification
– Sticky Notes
– Windows Media Player 12
– New Remote Desktop, with slight performance increase, I noticed.
– New task bar
– More optimized and faster OS
– Improved instant search with control panel search
– XPS viewer
– Xvid codec
– New Windows Media Center
– New paint and word pad
– Network HomeGroup system
– Libraries
– Math input panel
– Most consistent OS since Windows 95, from what I noticed
– Ability to create a system repair disk
– Sharing files/folder improvement
– XP Mode
– Improved compatibility system
– Easy connect wireless system with on system tray wireless signal status
– Improved Volume Mixer
– Media Center update system
– Improved on screen keyboard
– Resource Monitor panel
– Private character editor
– new calculator
– improved theme loader system
– new wallpaper
– auto-switch wallpaper
– new system sounds
– Improved tablet PC hand recognition system and text converter
– multi-touch system.
– Added games
– Device Center
– bit-locker driver encryption for any drive
– bit-locker drive to go (for USB sticks)
– credential manager with file encryption
– auto-screen dim
– remote application
– screen calibration tool
– improved backup and restore system
– ability to uninstall IE8
– Improved Windows setup
– Improved Disk defragmentation tool
– UAC tweak
– Aero peek and windows gestures.
– A little more power efficient
– access your music anywhere
– Improved Windows update panel
– DVD codec on all editions starting Home Premium
and some few other things…
You got what you paid for Windows ultimate. You had, Media Center and all Home Premium software, all with the ability to connect your system to a domain and have a domain account, encryption system, advance backuping feature including system image (Complete PC backup) and Bitlock drive encryption. And let’s not forget, 2 extra games, dreamscene, Windows scan and fax, remote desktop, DVD codec in 32 and 64-bit, and support for 128GB and more of RAM.
You truely had Windows Home Premium with Buisness edition + bit-lock drive encryption and more
If you picked a version of Windows that did not match your needs, or took it just for “extras” which you knew what was coming as Microsoft did say it. Then Microsoft is at fault but you.
In my case I have Vista Ultimate 64-bit, and I am ready to get Windows 7.
GoodBytes
Correction:
“Then Microsoft is at fault but you.” should be:
Then, it’s not Microsoft fault, but rather yours.
cleverclogs
YES, that 7 DOES work when you look at it as the corner of a windows logo. I like
oVan
@devo: you didn’t look much into these comments, did you?
mike
Box art is stil fake. So is the Facebook group. Just because there is a facebook group, does not make it a viable source for legit information.
Sorry. It’s all fake.
Long Zheng
@mike: And the Microsoft website with the Windows 7 logo?
AveragePro
Very nice – modern and simple.
overstressed admin
Lame. Sorry, but lame. Hope it is fake because it looks like someone trying to make M$ look bad.
brian.shapiro
I think the full version boxes are cool… not the upgrade boxes; I don’t think photos of things on boxes look good.
anjelo
I personally don’t like that artistic 7 look. Its better if its a simple segoe UI. I do also wish its just a concept art.
Windows 7 Arena
Well I thought it to be fake. But seems legit..
Windows 7 Wallpapers
Its totally lame it looks so unprofessional and uncool. I hope its fake and MS remake it more awesome!!!
real
confirmed it’s real
Brent Vermilyea
I actually think the design is pretty damn good.
mojo
“Get More Now”? is that mean i got nothing with vista? lol
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