A technical session conducted yesterday at the 2008 WinHEC has provided the most convincing evidence to date that Windows 7 is on track for 2009.
During the presentation centered around Microsoft’s Velocity program, Microsoft director Doug Howe revealed slides that more or less confirmed the 2009 timetable. When asked about the slides after the presentation, Howe said that Windows 7 was targeted at the holiday season. “Definitely the holiday focus is going to be on 7,” he said.
Hoping to avoid a repeat of Vista’s numerous missed deadlines, Microsoft has been loathe to pin an official timeline to Windows 7. “When it’s done” has been Redmond’s motto and, more importantly, the approach their engineers have taken in baking a product that is already very stable in alpha.
To date, there has been significant speculation regarding the release date for Windows 7. While the company line has pegged the new OS for a 2010 birthday, Microsoft has damningly tipped its hand to show a 2009 card on more than one occasion.
The session also went into greater detail on the Velocity program designed to reform OEM addiction to crapware. While the firm remains mum on the specifics of its tests and successful candidates, the program was instrumental in discovering that OEM software was the leading cause of sluggish Vista performance. Microsoft has pledged to continue their Velocity program with Windows 7.
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