You have no idea how excited I am to be able to say this: Windows 7 is now available worldwide!

Windows 7 reflects the input from millions of customers from around the world. Many of you helped us by testing and providing feedback on Windows 7 since its initial introduction about a year ago. Thanks to all of you for your input along the way. Windows 7 is the PC, simplified.

Today, Windows 7 is available in more than 45,000 retailers worldwide on new PCs and packaged product in 14 different languages: English, Spanish, Japanese, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Chinese (Hong Kong). Some of the many retailers offering Windows 7 include Best Buy, Staples, and Wal-Mart. It is also available at online retailers such as Amazon and our own Microsoft Store. The remaining languages will be available starting October 31st.

Speaking of retail stores - today we are also officially opening Microsoft’s first retail store in Scottsdale, Arizona. And the online Microsoft Store also got a refresh too!

Today, PC manufacturers will be offering a range of new sleek and stylish new Windows 7 PCs. I’ll be taking a look at a number of these cool PCs shortly. Also, yesterday we announced several very cool new offers for Windows 7 too. Click here for the “7 Days of Windows 7” offers on Windows.com.

One question I get quite a bit is from people is about how they can move to Windows 7 without a DVD drive. Some PCs including most netbooks don’t come with one. We have a solution we think will work great for more technical users who want to upgrade their Windows XP machines. When people purchase Windows 7 through our online Microsoft Store, they are given 2 options:

• Have the copy of Windows 7 packaged retail product (boxed product) shipped to them.
• Download a digital copy as an ISO image.

The Microsoft Store will be providing a tool called the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool (rolls right off the tongue doesn’t it?) – or WUDT for short. For netbook users without DVD drives, the WUDT will take an ISO image and create a bootable USB device that can be used to install Windows 7. The WUDT can also create a Windows 7 installation DVD from the ISO file as well.

Please note that in order to boot off of a USB device (or external DVD player), you will need to configure your BIOS to boot off of that device. If you are not comfortable making this type of BIOS change I recommend you seek some assistance from your favorite “tech geek”. WUDT will run on Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7. We’re working with partners now to deliver similar tools through their sites and hope to have more news to share in this regard soon.

Whether you are upgrading existing PCs or buying hot new PCs – there are lots of awesome deals, offers and options for you. Go get Windows 7 today!

The latest evolution in the Windows brand campaign also kicks off today, and stays true to our core theme of spotlighting customers in a fun and light-hearted manner. “My Idea” captures the spirit of the development of Windows 7 and celebrates the millions of people who tested Windows 7 and gave input which ultimately shaped the product. See the ads for yourself at here!

Want to check out many of Windows 7’s newest features and see for yourself how simple they are to use? No Problem. Click here to see a series of online videos showcasing some of the newest features in Windows 7.

Windows 7 is also now available and ready for businesses large and small. You can read more about how Window 7 meets the needs of companies of all sizes through the customer case studies located here. The PressPass folks put the case studies on a worldwide map using Bing Maps based on customer location.

For the latest Windows 7 launch videos, photos, new ads and more check out the Windows 7 Virtual Presskit!

I’m probably not going to make it a habit to blog about each and every TV ad we do but I thought it would be nice to highlight the next ad in our Laptop Hunters series. This time we’re introduced to Giampaolo, a recent college grad and engineer. Giampaolo is looking for a laptop that has portability, battery life, and is powerful – for under $1,500. Here’s how his “hunt” went:

Laptop Hunters #2 - Giampaolo

In case you missed my introduction to Laptop Hunters (and the first Laptop Hunters ad with Lauren) – you can read my post here. 

Today we’re introducing the next chapter in the ongoing Windows Brand Campaign - an exciting new series of ads called Laptop Hunters. These new ads trace real people as they go on a hunt for a new laptop. For many people looking to buy a new computer today, it is likely that if they make purchase it will be a laptop. Laptop sales increased more than 20% last year.

The Laptop Hunters are not told they are taking part in an ad campaign by Microsoft. Instead, they think they are participating in market research. Each participant set their own budget for a laptop to meet their own unique needs. We then provide the participant with cash and sent them out to find and purchase a laptop – all in a single day. We followed them with a camera crew throughout the course of their hunt and recorded their experiences. Everything is completely unscripted. Once the participant finds and purchases their perfect laptop – we inform them out in the parking lot that it’s actually Microsoft and this was part of our Windows brand campaign. The participant can of course decline to be part of the ad series if they so wish.

In the ad making its debut today, we’re introduced to Lauren who is on the hunt for a new laptop under $1,000, a budget she set herself. She is out to find a laptop that has “speed”, a comfortable keyboard and a 17” screen. Here is Lauren’s hunt:

Laptop Hunters #1 - Lauren

Lauren’s hunt is a good example of real people finding Windows PCs a better fit for their whole lives with the right value.

We define the right value as simply benefits + cost. Windows PCs offer more “bang for the buck”. Competitors offer laptops that often cost quite a bit more, even though they have less powerful hardware, and can’t offer technologies such as Blu-ray, HDMI, eSATA, and 3G wireless broadband connectivity. When buying a laptop, after all, purchasing a laptop is an investment right?

The current state of the economy is forcing people to cut costs and save as much as they can, which means that people are looking for laptops with the most value at the lowest cost possible. According to NPD data as of February 2009, 74% of people looking at buying a new computer rated price as their most important purchasing factor.

Windows PCs have the benefits people want at the price point they like. They also offer choice and flexibility. If a person is a gamer, they can get a gaming PC for example.

In the coming weeks, you can expect to see more from Laptop Hunters as we follow real people on the hunt for a laptop.

Be sure to check out the Laptop Hunters website on Windows.com too!