Microsoft have stated publicly that Windows 7 will launch 3 years after Windows Vista, which places the launch date for Windows 7 at January 2010. However, the beta trials of Windows 7 are going so well that speculation has started that Microsoft will launch Windows 7 earlier.
In a poll run on a site asking ‘When Will Windows 7 Launch?‘, over 30,000 readers voted and 48% of users voted for 2009, and 16% of readers voted for Q1 2010.
Personally, I don’t think the launch will be brought forward significantly. Bringing forward such a major launch such as Windows 7 would be a massive undertaking. There are so many moving parts involved in bringing Windows to market Everything from agreeing the box design, to printing CDs, to getting promotional materials in the hands of retailers etc takes time, and I doubt Microsoft will be able to shift the date forward by more than a month to say December 2009. This of course though will allow Microsoft to capitalise on the vital Christmas market.
The progress that Microsoft are showing during the beta program and the positive feedback that testers are giving the product will feed through to a very strong release, whenever it happens. I still have many friends who are nervous about upgrading to Vista because of the nightmare stories they have heard. I don’t think these friends will be as nervous about upgrading to Windows 7, because most early adopters are giving it a good write up.
Whatever happens, hopefully Windows 7 will give a much needed economic boost to the PC market!
