October 22nd, 2008

Posted by Mary Jo Foley

As I’ve mentioned a couple of times on this blog, Microsoft privately is telling some of its customers that Windows 7 will be out in the latter half of 2009.

It’s true, as Microsoft’s spokespeople contend, that the “public guidance” around Windows 7 hasn’t changed; Microsoft marketeers continue to state that Windows 7 is on track to ship three years after Windows Vista was released to market (and cite that target date as January 2010). As a number of Microsoft watchers, yours truly included, have noted, Microsoft is NOT going to release another version of Windows client in January again unless there’s a awfully compelling reason to do so. cheapest cialis prices The best time to RTM a new Windows release is summer if you hope to get it preloaded on back-to-school and holiday PCs.

With all this as a given, it’s not surprising that OEMs are starting to admit that they expect to ship Windows 7 on new machines in the latter half of 2009.

I’m also not surprised that Microsoft is dropping hints about Windows 7 being ready sooner rather than later. As blogger Long Zheng noted, text on the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) 2008 site currently states that Windows 7 will ship before the next WinHEC is held. The exact wording:

“Be one of the first to see what’s new in Windows 7 and be among a select few to receive a pre-beta build of Windows 7.  Join us as WinHEC 2008 – Register today. WinHEC is the only chance for you to engage with the team at this level – there is not another WinHEC planned before Windows 7 is released.”

The plot thickens further. When I searched the Web for “WinHEC 2009,” it looks like the next WinHEC seems to be slated for New Orleans from May 3-7, 2009 (although Microsoft potentially could postpone next year’s WinHEC to late fall, like it did this year).