Windows 7 RC in May – so when will we see the final version?
Windows 7 is almost finished. The news that the Release Candidate (RC) would be published in May came as a result of an accidentally-on-purpose slip-up by the company itself. So with the RC due in May, when will we be able to get our hands on the final, ready-to-use, bug-free (uh-huh) version of Windows 7?
Expectant Microsoft fans have been able to try out Windows 7 for a few months now, with the builds improving in stability and usability as the weeks go by. During this time, there has been much debate as to when the actual final product will be released and available to buy.
It was first thought 2011 would be when Microsoft unleashed its new operating system on the world. Then 2010 became more viable as the company sped up development on Seven in order to try and put the abject disappointment of Vista behind it. And then 2009 became a real possibility. It’s now more a question of which month in 2009 we can expect to see it in the wild. At least that seems to be the plan.
On March 26, 2009, an update occurred on the TechNet section of the Microsoft site. Windows 7 appeared to carry a publish date of May, 2009, with the Release Candidate being available to everyone until the end of June. This version of Windows 7 on June 1, 2010. The page was quickly removed from the site but was up just long enough for Web sites to notice and report it. Coincidence or deliberate mistake in order to drive publicity?
A May rather than April publication of the RC would mean that that long-rumored June 30 aim for the manufacturer version of Windows 7 is unlikely. And even if it is achieved, then OEMs would likely want and need a good number of weeks, if not months, testing the OS with their PCs before finally shipping them.
A final release to the public, both for PCs shipping with Windows 7 installed and the retail version, is looking touch-and-go before the 2009 holiday season. If Microsoft misses this target then it’s a key part of the year when only Vista will be available to buy, and who will bother buying the soon-to-be defunct OS when the brand spanking new Seven is just around the corner?
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