Windows 7 moving toward a 2009 release

Microsoft is moving forward with plans to launch Windows 7 this year, although the company still refuses to publicly commit to that goal.PC industry sources in Asia told that they have heard things are on track to launch by this year’s holiday shopping season, which has been Microsoft’s internal target for some time. Microsoft is also putting the finishing touches on a program to offer Vista buyers a free or low-cost update to Windows 7. The company has run such “technology guarantee” programs in the past, typically allowing each PC maker to set the exact rules, but essentially offering buyers after a certain time to get a free upgrade to the next version. In an interview at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, Microsoft senior VP Bill Veghte cautioned that the release still could be pushed into 2010, depending on customer feedback.

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The next version of Microsoft Windows : “7”

Microsoft is planning to ship its next major version of Windows–known internally as version “7”–within roughly three years.

The next client version of the operating system, will be among the steps taken by Microsoft to establish a more predictable release schedule .

Windows 7 will ship in consumer and business versions, and in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. The company also confirmed that it is considering a subscription model to complement Windows, but did not provide specifics or a time frame.

Windows 7 was previously known by the code name Vienna. A Microsoft representative confirmed that Windows 7 is the internal code name for the next client release of Windows. The details were released “as part of our ongoing outreach to enterprise customers and partners.

Microsoft is scoping Windows 7 development to a three-year time frame, and then the specific release date will ultimately be determined by meeting the quality bar.

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