We say doubtful, late November for retail
Just recently, an Acer UK marketing director told Pocket-Lint.com that the final genuine version of Windows 7 will be available pre-loaded on the new all-in-one Acer Z5600 PC starting Friday, October 23, 2009.
If that isn’t enough information to stare at, Acer also confirmed that any Vista-loaded models purchased within 30 days prior to October 23rd will be eligible for Microsoft's free upgrade program.
Microsoft’s current Windows 7 schedule has maintained a 3-years-after-Vista timescale, and from this arises speculation that the new OS might not be due until the end of January 2010. While this analysis is valid, it seems unlikely because the Release to Manufacturer build is officially scheduled for September. This would give OEM partners the benefit of the “back to school†season if launched earlier in the month, and we expect most manufacturers to follow Acer’s 30-day Vista upgrade policy for those eager parents prepping their kids with summer hardware.
On the other hand, there is still no confirmed date or even month for the retail versions of Windows 7. History tells us that Windows Vista RTM was released in early November 2006 while the retail editions hit store shelves in late January 2007. If this twelve week gap were to also happen with the new OS, we are convinced that Microsoft could be planning the RTM release in early September and the retail release in late November.
All in all, just remember to download Windows 7 Release Candidate starting next Tuesday.
