Windows 7 to launch October 22
Microsoft confirmed on Tuesday that it is planning for Windows 7 to hit retail shelves and start showing up on new PCs on October 22.
To reach that milestone, Microsoft plans to wrap up development of the operating system by the middle or end of next month, Senior Vice President Bill Veghte said in an interview.
"The feedback from the release candidate has been good," Veghte said.
Microsoft made the near-final release candidate version available last month. Shortly after its release, Microsoft finally confirmed that it was aiming Windows 7 for a holiday 2009 release, something that was widely anticipated, but not confirmed by those in Redmond.
In an interview, Phil McKinney, chief technology officer of Hewlett-Packard's computer unit, said that he feels good about Microsoft's launch date.
"We're locked and loaded for the launch," McKinney said. "The quality of code is just absolutely stellar."
The software maker also confirmed, without giving details, that it plans to offer some sort of "technology guarantee" giving those who buy Vista machines close to the Windows 7 launch a free or discounted copy of the new operating system. As with past similar programs, details on pricing will be up to individual computer makers, although Microsoft did say the upgrade program will apply to Vista Home Premium and higher-priced editions (meaning not Windows Vista Basic).
The tech guarantee program is not beginning immediately, but Microsoft did raise the possibility it will offer some sort of lower-cost upgrade to those who are already using Windows Vista.
I've gotten a lot of e-mails suggesting Microsoft do something along those lines, but its comments this week were the first time I had heard it acknowledge that it was considering such a move.
As for the technology guarantee program, it likely means that Microsoft will do some deferring of Vista-related revenue, though Microsoft again did not spell out details.
"Depending on when we do it there will be the associated accounting for it," Veghte said.
Microsoft has said that Windows 7 will come in five different editions in most markets--Starter, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate. A "Windows 7 Basic" will also be sold in emerging markets, Microsoft said.
The software maker has yet to announce pricing for the product.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
hopefully apple loses their capital the first winter!
Also: LOL @ Perry ;)
"A".
HTH :p
Of course we did, but we were also smart enough to play with the statement.
However, it isn't recommended. All the baggage and issues you had with Win 7 may end up being carried over and you won't have a clean installation. It's always best to do a clean install of any OS, regardless if it is OS X, Linux, Windows or even OS 2/Warp.
I can pretty much say that you haven't, so save the comments until you have used it
You know, I have the same opinion of cars. I saw a TV ad for a Ford F150 and I thought- Gee, that has four wheels just like a Fiat. They must be the same thing and should be compared to each other then. There is no possibility that two products that happen to both have the same number of wheels could possibly be any different from each other or offer any options / features to make them unique.
@Vegaman_Dan: People say 7 is like Vista, not because it has Windows and a start bar, but because, inside it is basically the same. I have run it several times and have seen it "run". But who hasn't seen Windows "run" in newer PC's, even Vista does that at first. Then the Registry gets all crammed and buggy, and the something happens to the HD that starts taking dozens, and tons and tons of useless apps get loaded and the performance starts creeping.
Say what you say, but in the end Windows 7 was supposed to be Service Pack 3 or 4 for Vista, and ended up being a new release in part due to sub par reception Vista got. Going back to the car analogy, this maneuver has a name.... it's called "badge engineering". Remember the first Cadillac Escalade. Yep it looked like a Chevrolet Avalanche, cause it was an Avalanche. Geezh... guess I didn't noticed cause all cars have 4 wheels.
I'm using Win7 RC on my work PC. There are some differences in appearance from Vista, and it's a lot more stable and a little faster.
I am no MS fanboi (I'd probably cheer if I heard that Steve Ballmer got hit by a flying chair). That said, I really like Win 7, and will consider buying the 64-bit version for my home gaming PC.
I don't recall you ever asking anyone why they think Mac OS X or Linux is better over Windows. So why should anyone entertain your ridiculous request to give you detailed information or explain in detail what makes Windows 7 better?
The market speaks for itself and consumers will vote with their dollars. Lets see how long it takes Windows 7 to completely surpass Mac OS X and Linux market share combined? 3 weeks? Maybe 6 weeks? Definitely by years end, Windows 7 will have surpassed Mac OS X and Linux market share combined. Don't cry.
PS.. I do have a Windows XP system, solely for the purpose of opening MS Publisher files (you know, that wannabe design program that wannabe graphic designer use...) so I can convert them to PDF files.
One more thing... did you know there is already malware and viruses out there ready and waiting for W7?
@ Maxwell"FUD"ly...how about reading the post I replied to before you drop your pants and show the world what an a** you are. "Windows 7 has prove to be the best os i have used from xp to vista to ubuntu to os x." was the comment I was responding to. And I really hope your dreams of a MS controlled world come true for you. You seem to live for it. But reality tells me that you're spewing useless FUD and not facts. I can't WAIT to see the "crying" going on after W7 is finally released. How good can an operating system be when it's user base skips an entire version because of "issues"?
Frankly once Synaptics get decent touchpad drivers out for Vista on the Macbook OS X is for the bin.
YMMV.
All of them!
@ the rest of you... I asked a simple question... your answers tell me you have simple minds. LOL
i find vista a lot more reassuring and secure than XP, and if it weren't for a few third-party compatibility issues and vista's some-what heavier memory usage, i'd have no reason to complain at all.
that said, from all reports, windows 7 sounds faster, lighter and more functional. i just hope they give us vista users a decent deal on the upgrade.
Silly rabbit. They've got you tricked.
If you are trying to demonstrate a position in ignorance without any actual content value, then you have succeeded.
Your comments indicate that you do not have a basis for your claim beyond what you were told your opinion will be insteaed of find out for yourself. You heard/were told product X sucks, it's popular to hate product X, therefore you will tell everyone you know that product X is horrible. At no time would you actually *use* the product yourself however, and would never know if it was good or bad.
Think indpendently.
I'm skipping vista and will be going to windows 7. So, did I try vista? If you can't answer that with 100% certainty, then I suggest you stop posting about things you don't know.
RIGHT.... ON...
@Vegaman... isn't that the pot calling the kettle black? Would you like me to copy some of your recent blatherings of little or no value? Sheesh. Talk about hypocrisy.
@ Seaspray. You answered your own question. You skipped it, so you obviously didn't try it. DUH!
do you kiss your mother with that filthy mouth?
I don't care how many copies of W7 they sell. I don't give a hoot about Windows. I just like watching all of you FUDmongers get your shorts in a knot over a bunch of little words. It really highlights the core of your mentality.
Guess what. I DID skip Vista, because I'm uncomfortable with the way it works. But I've used Win 3.1, Win95, 98, ME, and XP, and I enjoyed these operating systems.
However. I skipped OS X because it made me uncomfortable, as well as Mac OS, OS/2, Solaris, and any of the Linux/Unix distributions.
See the irony? I've skipped one Windows OS, but plenty of non-Windows OS's.
"@Vegaman... isn't that the pot calling the kettle black? Would you like me to copy some of your recent blatherings of little or no value? Sheesh. Talk about hypocrisy."
Say what you will, it doesn't change reality.
Here's a silly little factoid for you- I'm typing this in on my 15" MacBookPro in Safari. My day job is fixing Windows systems. I have Linux file servers at home. I SSH into them from other locations. I still have a couple of SGI systems running Irix and a Sun with BSD on it.
I use whatever OS is best for the job at hand. People who are prejudiced like you are blind to the possibility of learning anything beyond the dogma you have lived under all this time. It's a lot easier to go through life with an open mind.
That said, Windows 7 may be built on the platform of Windows Vista, but Vista it is not. The kernal, from my reading is MinWin and user interface may look a little like Vista, but the speed and scalability makes Windows 7 a much better OS. My main difficulty with Windows 7 is the network icon in the system tray. I wish that Microsoft would give the option for using the older Vista that let's you more easily monitor the network traffic at a glance. The new one just sits there, but that's really a minor problem.
Finally, I wish that all of you Apple fans would just can it. Your insulting behaviour makes me wretch and drives me further from ever wanting to buy an Apple... ever.
I have reduced the Mac OS X partition to 10G's and maximized the W7 partition and guess what... I use W7 as the primary OS on my Macbook OS X.
Honestly, Apple knows its community is stupid enough to save up ungodly amounts of money for a machine that offers very little if not less over a normal machine.
Keep saving... you're going to need it.
It depends on what you want to do as to whether a Mac is right for you. Given this it seems that you either don't know what a Mac can do or you choose a system that was unsuitable for your needs. I choose a Mac simply because it offers more for what I want to do, which these days is predominantly photography, something at which the platform excels.
Regardless, the Mac hardware itself is excellent. You certainly can get higher specifications for less but I have yet to find a laptop that I like more, particularly when compared to the current unibody range and the fabulous trackpads.
windows 7 = Vista renamed... um if im not mistaken XP is built on Windows 2000 NT kernel so your first five words made you look like an idiot before you went anywhere if i continue they have taken parts of the NT Kernel moved it from NT to XP in to parts of Vista into Seven. Vista was never a total rewrite of code this is only a few OS out their that have been TOTAL rewrites of code, even Mac OS have been built on old code you went no where only repeating what you read in Blogs of people that never see the light of day.
I think of both operating systems as taking the best of their direct predecessors and doing better speed/memory optimizations and some interface cleanup for better ease of use. Will MacOS X 10.6 offer major performance improvements over MacOS X 10.5.x like Windows 7 over Windows Vista?
Yet I can go to the Mac blogs and find little or no dissatisfied comments from Apple users, but HUNDREDS of derogatory comments by people who have NEVER used them.
It's no secret that Vista was a pink elephant made of swiss cheese, lots of flash but no substance, and full of holes. There... I bashed Windows. NOW you have a legitimate reason for that statement.
LOL you know, there is a world out there that doesn't require the use of a joystick... have you checked it out lately?
The way I see it, I don't mind a bit if Apple ALWAYS has only 11% of the market share. Then there will be 11% of us who really enjoy using our computers, and 89% who will be busy trying to keep hackers out of theirs while also trying to figure out how to turn off those stupid prompts that treat you like an idiot.
Apple = innovation and quality
PC = cheaper price
http://macblips.dailyradar.com/story/apple_s_us_market_share_slips_in_1q_2009/
NUF SAID.
Time to get back to reality. Global Mac OS X market share is under 10% and is steadily decreasing again. Windows global market share is over 90%. Don't cry.
If the beta and release candidates are any indicator, my PC may be getting an upgrade this year.
My primary PC is running Windows XP and my primary Mac is running OS X 10.4. Neither Vista or OS X 10.5 really offered enough reason to upgrade with the increasing bloat and compatibility issues. (Yes, OS X 10.5 did have some issues with software...) Both Windows 7 and OS X 10.6 seem to be worth upgrading to.
Of course on the other hand as kelmon mentioned, if Windows 7 is what it seems than people might not be as quick to switch to Mac OS X. Vista seemed to drive a number of people in that direction.
and we call you a troll
"@ Vegaman_Dan and we call you stinky poo :)"
Hey now, treat me with a little respect, okay? That's MISTER Stinky Poo to you, buddy. :)
Serisouly, Win7 is a huge improvement, and I find myself surprised
I'm waiting for 10.6 and I'll upgrade then. No point in paying $129 for 10.5 and then again for 10.6.
Now, all that's needed is a tool to find a Mac fan on CNET with critical analysis abilities. So many just don't seem to have any conception that there's a flaw until Apple does something about it. Like the keyboard. Now, many of us knew it was spongey as... for years but reading a review of the new keyboard saying 'going back to the old keyboard felt spongey' was just mind boggling. Like, what, you didn't know already? Haven't you ever used other keyboards? You live in isolation or something?
OK, since I'm sure the Linux zealots are feeling left out: it's not perfect, there are flaws and the user is not stupid. get over it.
Anyone using BSD? Solaris?
The biggest problem Microsoft has right now is people not upgrading. "I have an idea, let's make it even harder for them to do so!"
I don't know why people are spreading this rumor thats you'll lose all your data by switching.
Cool!
MS hood winked IBM...and pretty much got away with it...deal with it.
Or promote a really great OS...like CPM.
Btw, who ever said it was all about the OS anyway; and, let's hope that you are not drinking the same "cocktails" that were being consumed at Chrysler, General Motors..... so much so they appear not to know in which direction they are suppose to go as once enterprising American companies.
It is definately a good OS though, and thats looking from Beta and RC1.
Personally, I find Windows 7 to be much better than Windows XP but it is not sufficiently good enough that I'd consider switching back to Windows from the Mac. So far it just seems to have achieve parity and there isn't really anything in the current Mac platform that is bothering me, whereas Windows XP drove me sufficiently nuts to prompt the original switch.
- by Nakarou June 2, 2009 1:40 PM PDT
- I have high hopes for Windows 7, especially since I'm getting a computer or labtop in the fall
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- by pithenumber June 2, 2009 4:27 PM PDT
- install the RC now
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- by Nakarou June 3, 2009 12:19 PM PDT
- I would but the computer I'm using is just under a year old, I don't want to screw it up yet
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Showing 1 of 4 pages (189 Comments)it still has bugs, but it is very stable for and RC though