A lot of sites are pelting this topic. When will Windows 7 become available to everyone.

I never really wanted to get into the "Windows 7 when its coming mix up" debate, but I guess I just can't resist. Anyway, just before Vista had RTMed, someone gave me a spreadsheet listing the development cycle of Windows XP which was developed over a 21 month period. Taking into account XP was a minor release version wise (5.1) and its major focus was to bring the NT codebase into the mainstream.

Looking at Windows 7, its a full point release (7.0), yet its being touted as minor in some circles. I assume its how you put it, its not a radical change codebase wise as 2000 (5.0), or Vista (6.0) architecturally, but there is a chance there will be some significant effort put into its development. This is where I would like to make a comparison between the development period for XP and possibly for Windows 7.

Windows XP Windows 7
Developer Preview (PDC) July 2000 October 2008

BETA 1 October '00 Feb. 2009

BETA 2 March '01 Sept. 2009

RC1 June '01 May 2010 Please note Vista had an RC0 instead of RC1

RC2 July '01 July 2010

RTM August '01 Oct. 2010

So a 21 month development cycle starting at PDC 2008 in October. Still, I'm forgetting about something, Vista's own development cycle, which was 16 month and that was a major release, but the PDC was within that development period. You could choose two development periods to compare Windows 7 to, Vista's or XP's. This possibly suggest that Windows 7's development cycle will be much shorter. 21 (XP) - 16 (Vista) = 5 months. If you look at the fact that Microsoft's own development processes have improved and might improve even more for Win7, it would suggest then that 16 - 5 = 11, Windows 7 could be developed in 11 months.

Using a more realistic development cycle, I would conclude that, at the end of October 2008, we will see a public developer preview of Windows 7, then starting February 2009 will be 11 long months of development resulting with RTM in December 2009 and world wide availability in February 2010. Also, this would be the 10th anniversary of Windows 2000's release world wide.

Well, if I was to choose an 'exact' date for Windows 7's general availability, I have to go back in time again and look at past major releases of Windows.

Windows Vista - Tuesday - January 30th 2007
Windows XP - Thursday - October 25th 2001
Windows 2000 - Monday - February 21st 2000
Windows NT 4 - Monday - July 29th 1996
Windows 95 - Thursday - August 24th 1995

I have noticed some trends here with Windows release days and time of the months.
- Microsoft loves Thursdays and Mondays

Taking into account that Windows NT 4 and 2000 were specifically business releases, thats probably why they chose Monday, signifying the start of the business week.

Windows 95 and XP are consumer focused, they were released on a Thursday. With Vista Microsoft took a different day and released Vista on a Tuesday. I am not confident it will be the same for Windows 7 but I'm going to choose Tuesday again in February 2010.

Another thing is the day, Microsoft likes to choose the later parts of the month, 21, 24, 25, 29, 30. I assume it will be the same again. Looking into my Outlook calendar for February 2010, I see the exact release date for Windows 7 being on:

Tuesday - February 23rd 2010

If Microsoft were to start the Beta program with PDC 2008 in October 2008 under a 11 month development cycle, then it could bring the RTM around August 2009 with general availability around October 2009.

That's about when I heard it will be released. Well actually I heard 4th Quarter 2009.

we will have to see, they can either do it fast and have it out for christmas 2009 or they can actually spend some real time on it and have it come out in christmas 2010. either one is fine tbh.

The truth is, its all speculation. Microsoft has not mentioned anything concrete yet. Even Bill Gates own thoughts on availability have been dismissed. Microsoft has not confirmed either if we will see a developer preview at PDC 2008 although it seems like the most likely start and opportunity to officially discuss where the Company goes next with Windows.

Microsoft did say that Windows 7 will be available 3 years after the general availability of Windows Vista which was launched world wide January 30th 2007. Again, the inevitable can happen and its never a guarantee, in fact the Company is basing the release on customer feedback and development quality.

So the invite to the beta should be imminent?

I hope so.

Invites for Longhorn started in late July 2005, the beta started in August 2005. So, Microsoft won't start handing out invitations for Windows 7 beta probably until a month before. To be honest, I think they might just reuse the existing pool of testers who tested Vista and possibly make it smaller.

I think Microsoft is realizing that the large pool of beta testers is becoming unwieldy, hard to manage and really gauge feedback from. Also, the fact that leaks are a number one problem, they might want to cut it down and make it more intimate. Also, some persons are joining the beta program simply for a complimentary copy of the software at the end of testing instead of genuinely joining to help test and improve the software. The fact that some persons only submitted 1 bug and got a copy is insulting, I submitted over 400! (I did get a copy, but it was not my focus) The Windows Team better look on who were dormant between beta 1 and 2 and disqualify them for Windows 7. I still agree the program needs fresh blood to bring new ideas and new eyes for bugs.

You should have read the whining in the newsgroups the evening the Windows Team decided to give persons a complimentary copy of Vista RTM who submitted bugs using the Microsoft Beta Tool. Persons who just submitted Auto Errors assumed those were considered, but they were not. I think Microsoft should not add any additional testers during the beta program until at lease RC0.

I'm saying Technet for Developers is going to announce Windows 7 and will start signups etc..

Nope, any beta announcement and sign up will be by email and Microsoft Connect.

So it'll come out on my 25th birthday. Nice.

Hmm, well I was right on the first beta not reaching us until 2009. Lets see if it happens in January or February like I predicted.

Windows 7 doesn't translate to the 7th Incarnation of Windows, no matter how you try and work it.

Holy thread reviving batman!

I heard Windows 7 was going to be released sometime between mid 2009 and January 2010.

The only way I could think of the 7 and 7th version of windows thing working is if you go by the number of NT releases

1. NT 3.1
2. NT 3.5
3. NT 4
4. 2000
5. XP
6. Vista
7. 7

or just starting from 95

1. 95
2. 98
3. Me
4. 2000
5. XP
6. Vista
7. 7

Well, Microsoft says it is. NT 3.1 (1), NT 3.5 (2), NT 4.0 (3), NT 5.0 or 2000 (4), NT 5.1 or XP (5), NT 6.0 (6) and NT 6.1 (7)



Its called the NeoWin voodoo.


Not according to Steven Sinofsky, the current status is 3 years from the General Availability of Vista which was released in January 2007.



Thats what I say.


Uh, Windows 95, 98 and ME share the same version number. The only difference is build numbers.
So, its not logical.