Microsoft Windows 7 'bigger than Harry Potter', says Amazon - Telegraph

Windows 7, which goes on sale at midnight tonight, brings better touch-screen support and home network management to PCs. It's Microsoft's first new operating system since Windows Vista in 2007, which received poor reviews from users and critics.

Online retailer Amazon says it has received more pre-orders for Windows 7 than it did for 2008's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final instalment in JK Rowling's seven-book series, and for Nintendo's popular games console, the Wii.

"The launch of Windows 7 has exceeded everyone's expectations, storming ahead of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as the biggest grossing pre-order product of all time at Amazon.co.uk," said Brian McBride, Amazon's managing director. "Demand is still going strong. Over the past three months, only Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol has sold more copies than Windows 7, which is an incredible achievement for a software product.

Amazon also confirmed that it had received more pre-orders for Windows 7 in the first eight hours that in did for its predecessor, Windows Vista, throughout its entire pre-order period.

Microsoft's operating systems are used on an estimated one billion computers around the world. Test versions of Windows 7 have received excellent reviews from industry analysts, and Microsoft says it has worked closely with third-party manufacturers to ensure that many of the compatibility issues that blighted the release of Windows Vista are not repeated with this launch.