Windows 7 moves toward August 2009 RTM

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Cnet has come up with a report saying that Microsoft is set to release Windows 7 by the end of this year's holiday shopping season based on PC industry sources in Asia and the U.S. According to the ZDNet Taiwan site, Taiwan hardware vendors are certain about Windows 7's final official release in 2009.

As pointed out by some computer manufacturers, the official version of Windows 7 will be available ahead of the planned schedule, that is before October this year. The English version of the OS will be available to system operators in August, and the Chinese version in October. Microsoft will officially pre-market Windows 7 now by labeling Windows Vista computers with Windows 7 ready stickers.

Even though Microsoft has denied any such rumors on an early release, it still sticks to its original schedule of Windows 7 official release, which is January 2010. Hardware vendors interpret that Microsoft does not want Windows 7 listed ahead of the schedule due to the economy downturn.

Microsoft's senior VP Bill Veghte cautioned in CES 2009 that the release still could be pushed into 2010, depending on customer feedback. Microsoft will ship Windows 7 when the quality is right, and earlier is always better, but not at the cost of ecosystem support and not at the cost of quality.

Microsoft has already said that there is no Windows 7 beta anymore and will go ahead with the RC build for Windows 7. Microsoft stopped offering the Windows 7 beta downloads this week. According to an official hint we could be seeing the Windows 7 RC build in early April but nothing has been confirmed yet. And not to forget that the company is also planning on allowing users who purchase new PC/laptop hardware (with Vista) from 1st July 2009 onwards, a free upgrade to Windows 7.

(1 reply) #1 Beastage on 12 Feb 2009 - 23:16

Well with RC1 just around the corner, I'm pretty sure win7 is summer 2009 release., unless something catastrophic is discovered with RC1

#1.1 Lord Ba'al on 13 Feb 2009 - 01:00

Yes, I'd say that feels about right, too. Build 7000 is already running very smooth, and the RC in April will probably run even better, so there should be nothing to stand in the way of a summer 2009 release.

#2 ZeroSkyX on 12 Feb 2009 - 23:25

Awesome, can't wait for it!

(1 reply) #3 Obry on 12 Feb 2009 - 23:28

Really excited about that. Been enjoying the beta to it's full potential and except one blue screen at the beginning caused by buggy NVidia drivers that didn't like my 8400M GS (fixed in 30 seconds by installing 180.50 for Vista x64) I have had zaro problems with it. I absolutely love IIS7 with FastCGI built-in and installing PHP on it was a breeze (unlike Vista where I could not get it to work right to save my life so I had to use Crapache for PHP stuff but PHP is not my main thing anyways). Waiting for RC1 before I give IE8B2 a more in-depth try which is the only thing that sucks about it currently but I've never really been an IE fan ever since Phoenix 0.3 became my main browser of choice.

Only thing that I am missing is being able to run IE7 standalone rather than inside a VM but haven't really tried that hard either. If anyone has done that or knows how (links, etc) please do share. I know IE8 has that compatibility mode but I can't really trust it 100% and again - IE8B2 kinda sucks - hope IE8RC is better.

Good stuff.

#3.1 blunden on 21 Feb 2009 - 03:02

Have you tried unpacking the contents of the IE7 installer and then creating an empty file in the same folder as the iexplore.exe namned iexplore.exe.local? That used to work at least back to IE5 or so if I'm not mistaken.

(1 reply) #4 Digix on 12 Feb 2009 - 23:46

Still a bit too early imo october would be more ideal. but quite honestly i think they should run a 12 month parallel testing and development period so they actually make a decent step up in the OS market and not only make something better but also make new useful stuff.

#4.1 smooth_criminal1990 on 12 Feb 2009 - 23:52

wouldn't worry, it'll probably get delayed

(1 reply) #5 mls67 on 12 Feb 2009 - 23:50

I hope it is release then. I have been using the beta since its release and I like it very much. I am not looking forward to putting XP back on till the full release. For the record, I never really liked Vista much even though 7 is a lot like it. It just seems so much more refined now.

#5.1 non.sequitur2 on 13 Feb 2009 - 04:55

mls67 said,

I hope it is release then.

Me too hope it is release.

#6 +majortom1981 on 12 Feb 2009 - 23:52

I am actually excited about windows 7. I will be buying windows 7 when ever it fully releases. Plus a new laptop whenever the new intel mobile processors with inergrated gpus get released (saw an article that stated last half of this year).

(2 replies) #7 michael.dobrofsky on 12 Feb 2009 - 23:56

A few months after the release of Win7, it'll be like Vista never even existed

#7.1 ThaCrip on 13 Feb 2009 - 00:44

i doubt it... cause even though mainstream opinion seems to have killed Vista (which in my honest opinion i dont think Vista is bad at all if your PC is fast enough to run it as after i used it i would rather not go back to XP cause of mainly the little things and Vista does seem to be a little more stable (i.e.less EXPLORER crashes) i dont think Vista will be totally dead that fast.... i just think alot of the reason new versions of windows aint being accepted in general as fast as past vesions is cause there's no drastic boosts in windows major stuff like stability etc etc cause XP is not to far from perfect already cause it's stable and stuff generally 'just works' which is all most people really care about.... cause going from Windows98 to Windows2k/XP was a pretty big boost to 'stability'... but going from XP to say Vista/Windows7, even though they might be a little better in some ways, i dont think there's any big boosts anymore.

either way though if i can somehow get a (free) CD KEY for Windows7 when it comes out (like i did for Vista around SP1 time) i might eventually install it but im happy enough with Vista since it's more mature now.

does anyone know if there will be issues with software support with Windows 7 when it comes out like there was with Vista when it first came out? ... cause i sure hope not cause if there is im waiting til atleast SP1 before i even try it especially since i already got Vista and am overall happy with it.

also anyone who used Windows 7... how is it vs Vista in terms of general performance etc etc? ... cause from what little screenshots i seen it seems pretty much the same as Vista with maybe a little more tweaked OS etc.

#7.2 rakeshishere on 13 Feb 2009 - 08:26

oh... really? Give the people a choice- Vista/7 ... and they will decide. I am sure Vista will be obsolete quick and even Microsoft wants people to make sure they forget Vista

#8 Kevin. on 13 Feb 2009 - 00:23

I wouldn't be surprised if Window 7 was released in 2009. I can't wait for the RC!

(2 replies) #9 Caveman-ugh on 13 Feb 2009 - 00:50

There two reasons I feel that August is around the right time but not quite !
Paul Thurrott has right in all of his prediction so far ..... and he said 1st of July !!!
Second reason is right in front of our eyes ..... the Beta Version of Windows 7 expires ....yes ...you guessed it JULY !!!!
Why have the beta expire and there be no product to directly go to as people will be used to using Windows 7, it doesn't make any sense to me to go back to Xp or Vista and then have Windows 7 released after having to go back.

#9.1 xendrome on 13 Feb 2009 - 01:30

RC build will be out by then, thats why, and it will probably have an expire date of like 12-31-2009 or later. It's always been done like that for the builds..

#9.2 Caveman-ugh on 13 Feb 2009 - 01:58

Maybe ...Maybe not, we will just have to wait and see.
But I still think July is THE month rather than later as microsoft virtually has ths thing down pat pretty much. Remember the campaign of releasing Windows 7 NOW !
Why would microsoft want to wait that long, as everyone knows they have a winner on their hands, when it is ready microsoft will be swimming in money. And this time they deserve it !

#10 Caveman-ugh on 13 Feb 2009 - 02:01

Oh ! I almost forgot one other reason for Windows coming real soon ..... the Eeepc they will be using Windows 7 on the new models coming out soon.
Read the past headlines here at neowin and you will see that I am right.

(1 reply) #11 Toppler on 13 Feb 2009 - 03:24

Ok that awesome cant wait.... how about this... maybe all those people (including me) who thought Microsoft was a company who released good product and bought vista earlier get some kinda of free upgrade???

I would love to see that happen.

#11.1 +xiphi on 13 Feb 2009 - 04:44

Free upgrade? Get real. It's not MS's fault you think Vista isn't a "good product". I, on the other hand, think it was a great OS, but now I'm spoiled by 7.

#12 P1R4T3 on 13 Feb 2009 - 04:26

7 is great but there's no need to rush things.

#13 Mav Phoenix on 13 Feb 2009 - 04:44

I hope pricing is considerate, especially upgrade pricing.

#14 TC17 on 13 Feb 2009 - 07:53

Considering the very bad recession we are in, which might get worse, along with high unemployment. And the insane prices Microsoft wants for their software, I would expect very low sales.

#15 WAR-DOG on 13 Feb 2009 - 08:23

They rushed with Vista, altough it was far away from ready. Now they hold back with Windows 7...

#16 rakeshishere on 13 Feb 2009 - 08:29

i'll wait even if its 2010 .... coz i dont want it to become another Vista which made me wait to start using it after SP1 which took almost 1yr after RTM of Vista

#17 Raa on 13 Feb 2009 - 08:36

I'd bank on october/november, not earlier.

#18 ufis on 13 Feb 2009 - 08:45

They wont want people running the beta if the RC is out. It wouldn't make sense. I do believe that it will be out by August. Why let anyone who wants it install the beta then have it expire and not have the retail product ready. That will lose them sales. People don't want to go back.

#19 jjrambo on 13 Feb 2009 - 17:00

Don't really care, can't find any benefits Vista offer leave alone Windows 7.

#20 gtxvortex on 17 Feb 2009 - 21:23

Wo00ot !!!! Cool

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