Could Windows 7 Ship Sooner than Expected?

Think Microsoft is unfazed by the criticism of the now one-year-old Windows Vista? Doesn't look like it, given recent rumblings that the company is speedily working towards the release of a completely new operating system (OS), tentatively titled 'Windows 7' perhaps as early as next year.

Those rumblings are coming straight from the the lips of company chairman Bill Gates, who recently hinted to Reuters that Windows 7 might ship as soon as 2009. That's a huge jump forward for an OS originally dated for the year following.

In response to Gates' alleged quote to Reuters starting all the rumors, Microsoft recently sent Information Week an update on its plans. The Redmond-based company said in a statement that Windows 7 is "scoped to three years from Windows Vista Consumer GA. 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." In other words, you'll know when the betas are ready. (Source: itwire.com)

Already insiders are linking the new rumors with a tempered response in both home and business environments to Vista. The problem has been two-fold, with some consumers complaining that the OS requires too much of the hardware profile, while others argue that Vista's flaws stem from poor software compatibility. These issues have already led to the prolonged life of previous OS Windows XP.

Meanwhile, some sites remain unconvinced that Reuters has discovered anything of value in Gates' quote. Given that the chairman has been wrong about many launches in the past, it's not yet time to let the sun go down on Vista. (Source: arstechnica.com)