It's official: Windows 7 to launch October 22nd

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David Flynn03 June 2009, 2:06 PM

Microsoft has confirmed a late October lift-off for Windows 7, confirming the date leaked last month by a loose-lipped Acer executive.


The clock is set at 141 days and counting for the official debut of Windows 7. Microsoft overnight confirmed its Vista-done-right operating system would be released on October 22nd.

The relatively robust state of the Beta 1 and subsequent Release Candidate editions have helped Microsoft deliver the OS ahead of the originally slated “early 2010” timeframe.

The code itself is expected to hit RTM (Release To Manufacture) status sometime in August, at which time copies will fly out to PC builders and DVD duplication centres.

This will ensure that come October 22nd the floors and shelves of PC stores will be populated with Windows 7 retail boxes – for which Microsoft has yet to disclose pricing – as well as new desktops, notebooks and netbooks all pre-loaded with Windows 7.

A program to provide free Windows 7 updates to people who buy a new Vista PC in the interim is expected to begin on June 26th, provided the system runs Windows Vista Home Premium, Business and Ultimate.

These will all qualify for a free copy of the equivalent edition of Windows 7, although budget-priced systems running Vista Home Basic will not qualify.

Microsoft’s deal will however extend to PCs which have ‘downgraded’ at the factory to XP, because they were still sold carrying a Vista licence, although there’s confusion over if Windows XP Home will be considered as the equivalent to Vista Home Basic or Vista Home Premium because XP had only one home-tagged edition.

The decreed launch date is one day earlier than the October 23rd release accidentally revealed by the UK marketing director of Acer last month.


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CBR1100XX (Advanced member):

Yay ! Can't wait !
And this time the peripheral OEM drivers seem to be pretty robust too !
Thanks AMD/ATI :)

03 June 2009, 2:28 PM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

todd_h86 (Cornerstone member):

Quote APC - "Microsoft’s deal will however extend to PCs which have ‘downgraded’ at the factory to XP, because they were still sold carrying a Vista licence, although there’s confusion over if Windows XP Home will be considered as the equivalent to Vista Home Basic or Vista Home Premium because XP had only one home-tagged edition."


I would assume it would be XP Pro only as I'm under the assumption that you cannot 'downgrade' to XP Home from a Vista license but you can legally downgrade to XP Pro with a Vista Business license, correct me if I'm wrong though please!

03 June 2009, 3:09 PM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Tin (Senior Forumologist):

You are correct...
Also incorrect is APC's statement that XP means it was sold as Vista. XP OEM is still very available both via generic OEM licenses and in the Netbook flavouring. Only Royalty OEM XP has stopped.

03 June 2009, 3:36 PM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

djsflynn (APC staff):

Not sure what you mean, Tin... netbooks are indeed sold as XP OEM, but as we said, PCs sold running XP as a factory 'downgrade' from a Vista licence qualify for the upgrade to Windows 7.

03 June 2009, 5:05 PM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Halcon (Advanced member):

Ladies and Gentlemen!
Hear the latest PR stunt from Microsoft.
Get your wallets ready to succumb to the hype and buying frenzy.
If there is any problems with the latest offering you will regret to know there is NO Money Back warranty, so please choose carefuly.
Get ready your paper tissues in case you experience crocodile tears if something goes wrong.
This is not a paid advertisement as Microsoft is a freeloader trying to get cheap promotion from all computer publications around the world.
This is not any better than MacDonalds Mini Board games sold with the purchase of a happy meal.
Good luck to all of you suckers.

03 June 2009, 4:30 PM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Phred (Regular user):

Great, now how much is this new offering going to cost us poor consumers?

03 June 2009, 5:36 PM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

McBanjo (User):

Wow, people are offering to pay 'something' for this. I would recommend whatever you're willing to spend on W7, you put towards subsidising your new Mac. This is of course 'my' opinion though, and you should evaluate your own personal circumstances before making a decision.

EDIT: Oh, and while we're in my opinion you should pirate W7 to install on your Mac's Boot Camp. Just to spite Microsoft, of course. Everyone knows no one actually uses Boot Camp.

03 June 2009, 7:12 PM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Sp33d d3mon (Cornerstone member):

@McBanjo:

I use Boot Camp and it runs Windows 7 RC better than my old pirated version of Vista. So Vista sucks so much I actaully USE windows 7 on my MacBook!

03 June 2009, 7:19 PM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

McBanjo (User):

True, I have used Windows 7 RC1 in Boot Camp once (straight after installing it, not since) and it is a great OS by Windows' standard. But compare it to Leopard, and there's little to persuade anyone to actually use it, especially with Snow Leopard around the corner.

WWDC's only a week away people! "One year later, Light-Years ahead." Couldn't be more true...

03 June 2009, 7:34 PM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Sp33d d3mon (Cornerstone member):

Yeah, of course there's no competition to leoprd, but considering my school locked down my Mac OS partition, Win7 is my only choice for freedom.

06 June 2009, 1:06 AM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

rjsquires (User):

The countdown begins!!! The only thing remaining...Pricing!!! (the possible threat of M$ tax looms. If this is the case I'll stick with Vista...it's not that bad!!!)

03 June 2009, 9:04 PM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Chris A (New user):

David,
In this blog you say:
"A program to provide free Windows 7 updates to people who buy a new Vista PC in the interim is expected to begin on June 26th, provided the system runs Windows Vista Home Premium, Business and Ultimate."

Can you confirm this or tell me where this information comes from? I want to buy a computer this financial year to claim the federal government's eduction rebate, but I don't want to get stuck with Vista.

Thanks

17 June 2009, 10:33 AM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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