Windows 7 to arrive by 2009 holiday season
Expect to see Windows 7 right around this time next year.
Also see: New signs point to Windows 7 debuting earlier than expected
"Definitely the holiday focus is going to be on 7," Howe told CNET following his presentation during a technical session about Velocity, a program designed to improve PC quality. It has been widely speculated, though never confirmed by Microsoft, that Windows 7 will ship around mid-year, in time to be on machines that ship for the 2009 holiday season.
Microsoft has avoided a public commitment on a shipping date for Windows 7, trying to avoid the PR hit that would come from missing a deadline. The official word from the company is that Windows will ship within three years of the January 2007 consumer release of Windows Vista. The company has said that it will ship a beta version early next year.