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Windows 7 Launch Date Leaked — 23 Oct. 2009
Sockatume writes "Yesterday, two Acer executives in Europe separately let slip details that give us a good date for the release of Windows 7. First, Acer's vice-president for Europe discussed a new product, launching this September, that will support Windows 7's touch features. Asked whether this confirmed the Windows 7 release date as September 2009, he coyly remarked that 'when it's in store it won't have Windows 7 pre-loaded.' Microsoft would probably prefer that he had stopped there, but he added: 'We won't be actually selling [Windows 7] a day before the 23rd October.' Then, Acer's Managing Director for the UK helpfully clarified that while their product will ship with Windows Vista at launch, because it is on sale less than 30 days before the Windows 7 release date, it will be eligible for the 'upgrade program' to get a free upgrade to the new OS."
'We won't be actually selling [Windows 7] a day before the 23rd October.'
I hate to break it to you but that merely means the earliest possible date they could get Windows 7 is October 23rd. I'll bet that if everything goes on track perfectly according to schedule with the release candidate from now until October 23rd, that will be the release date. I'm going to bet--like with 90% of multi-million lines of code projects--that there will be at least some slipping in the schedule.
It's simply too far out there to be a solid date. I'm not sold, I feel this is a good hint but still just speculation. Vendors asked Microsoft when the earliest possible date is and they mistakenly relayed that to customers setting an expectation for their product.
My work here is dung.
What gets me about this sort of leak is that we all treat it as some sort of big news when in reality we are leaked information in this way all the time. Notice that it is always someone high up in the foodchain talking to someone in the media.
A real accidental leak would be something overheard at a bar where the speaker didn't know a reporter was listening. But when the guy says it straight out to a reporter, that isn't leaking, that's just an unofficial announcement.
Remember when Adam Osborne announced that the next version of his PC would be better than his current one and everyone stopped buying in anticipation? Leaks are always carefully planned but don't always have the effect you're looking for.
We shouldn't expect Wnidows 7 until at least May 2010?!
You do realise only idiots and people with an agenda tend to call Windows 7 'Vista SP3', don't you?
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If Vista is the greatest selling OS, why is a successor launched so soon?
Since when is 3 years soon? Looking back at Windows releases they had 1995, 1998, 2000, 2001. One of the biggest problems Microsoft had with Vista was the fact that they went over 5 years before releasing it. This led to the compatibility issues, the significant change in hardware requirements, and most of Vista's other problems.
They said they would never again go 5 years between OS releases and it's probably one of their better ideas.
Uh yeah. When I saw the headline, the first thing I thought was, "why is every piece of information about 7 coming out as a leak?"
I wouldn't install Vista with a ten foot pole. Now, maybe I'm an idiot for buying into the "Vista: bad" hype, but, well, I bought into it already, and so did lots of other people.
MS is working on 7 *because* Vista sucks (or is widely perceived to suck). We all know this. No need to try to hide anything. Just tell us what you're doing so we can prepare for 7.
I almost don't believe that every single tidbit of info on 7 genuinely leaking out. It just has to be deliberate. Lots of mundane details are coming out as "leaks" and I think it's because "leak" sounds more interesting than "announcement".
I still believe that Windows 7 should be a free upgrade to Windows Vista buyers...It's been a very short run for Vista and with people having forked out for Vista I think that Microsoft may have a difficult time charging again for Windows 7.
When all is said and done, nothing changes...
You'll probably be off by a day. The shipped product will invariably be older than a daily snapshot from the 23rd, so it is very likely that Win7 will have to download the most recent Windows Defender definitions if nothing else.