Windows 7 launch day: what you might have missed

OK, so it wasn't as exciting as, say, the possible extradition of Viktor Bout, but today was the first official day of Windows 7 availability.

We've already rounded up the best of the Windows 7 reviews, and reports from the New York unveiling were lukewarm at best. (PC World said the tone of the event seemed to "reflect an effort not to overhype Windows 7 but to let it float or sink on its own merits.") Here's a rundown of this launch day's notable mentions:

New hardware Those not gullible fortunate enough to have already reserved a $299 Best Buy-exclusive Nokia Booklet now have many more Windows 7-equipped machines to choose from. A host of manufacturers rolled out new equipment to coincide with Windows 7's release Thursday, and the folks over at Engadget collected many of them in a handy guide.

Release parties Sure, Microsoft wanted groups of friends to put together their own parties (check out the truly cringe-worthy video below – not since Songsmith have we seen a worse one), but some folks had a better idea: a Windows 7 illegal downloading party. Mashable points out the parody video from Funny or Die (warning: harsh language), and it's good for a few laughs.

Right from the source Windows devotees can now get their Windows 7 goodness right from the feet of Ballmer himself. Besides a new operating system, Microsoft on Thursday released an online store. Offering "great hardware paired with a finely tuned selection of Microsoft Signature software," the marketplace sells a mix of machines from the big manufacturers – including Dell, Lenovo, HP, Acer, Sony, Gateway, Fujitsu, Alienware, Toshiba, Samsung, and Asus. The online store was joined by the opening of Microsoft's Scottsdale store, the first in a line of brick-and-mortar outlets that we first told you about in July.

Got a Windows 7 launch day story of your own? Hit the comments below, or find us on Twitter.

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