Bill Gates: New Windows 7 To Be Released in 2009? Or 2010?

Windows customers waited 5 years for an upgrade to Windows XP, i.e. Windows Vista, with several dateline delay, to be released to manufacturing (RTM) and available in retail and OEM channel, so how long would we have to wait for the next version of Windows series, successor of Windows Vista which codenamed Windows 7 to publish in final version?

Bill Gates, co-founder and chairman of Microsoft, is certainly confident of the release schedule for Windows 7, which originally has schedule targeted sometime in 2010, 3 years after official release of Windows Vista. Indeed, according to Bill Gates, Windows 7 will be available sooner rather than later, and the date can be as earlier as next year, 2009.

When speaking at the Inter-American Development Bank in Miami, Bill Gates answered “the next version is supposed to be Windows 7, sometime in the next year or so we will have a new version” in response a question on Friday. What unclear from his statement, is whether if Gates referred to a Windows 7 beta test version or a widespread final RTM release. If indeed the availability date of Windows 7 is brought forward by a year, Windows Vista which is notorious for its incompatibility and stability issue will probably become very short life.

However, when asked by CNNMoney, a Microsoft spokesman said Gates was alluding to a test version of the new software, and not the full-on commercial version. Actually, a very early build Windows 7 Milestone 1 has been released.

“As is standard with the release of a new product, we will be releasing early builds of Windows 7 prior to its General Availability as a means to gain tester feedback,” according to Microsoft’s statement. “We’re not sharing additional information at this time.”

So, probably Windows 7 scheduled release is still firmly set in 2010, and from experience of Windows Vista, it’s possible that consumer will have to hope that it won’t be postponed. But development of Windows 7 probably will be faster as it can start off from the base of Windows Vista.

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