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Windows Operating Systems Software

Windows 7 Launch Date Leaked — 23 Oct. 2009 127

Posted by kdawson from the loose-lips-sink-software dept.
Sockatume writes "Yesterday, two Acer executives in Europe separately let slip details that give us a good date for the release of Windows 7. First, Acer's vice-president for Europe discussed a new product, launching this September, that will support Windows 7's touch features. Asked whether this confirmed the Windows 7 release date as September 2009, he coyly remarked that 'when it's in store it won't have Windows 7 pre-loaded.' Microsoft would probably prefer that he had stopped there, but he added: 'We won't be actually selling [Windows 7] a day before the 23rd October.' Then, Acer's Managing Director for the UK helpfully clarified that while their product will ship with Windows Vista at launch, because it is on sale less than 30 days before the Windows 7 release date, it will be eligible for the 'upgrade program' to get a free upgrade to the new OS."
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Windows 7 Launch Date Leaked — 23 Oct. 2009 More

Windows 7 Launch Date Leaked — 23 Oct. 2009

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  • Verbage is Not Final (Score:5, Insightful)

    by eldavojohn ( 898314 ) * <eldavojohn@gma[ ]com ['il.' in gap]> on Friday May 01, 2009 @08:29AM (#27786049) Journal

    'We won't be actually selling [Windows 7] a day before the 23rd October.'

    I hate to break it to you but that merely means the earliest possible date they could get Windows 7 is October 23rd. I'll bet that if everything goes on track perfectly according to schedule with the release candidate from now until October 23rd, that will be the release date. I'm going to bet--like with 90% of multi-million lines of code projects--that there will be at least some slipping in the schedule.

    It's simply too far out there to be a solid date. I'm not sold, I feel this is a good hint but still just speculation. Vendors asked Microsoft when the earliest possible date is and they mistakenly relayed that to customers setting an expectation for their product.

    • Re:Verbage is Not Final (Score:5, Funny)

      by pzs ( 857406 ) on Friday May 01, 2009 @08:55AM (#27786365)

      It's a bit like delays on trains. If your train is just about due to arrive and they schedule a 15 minute delay, there is a reasonable chance that it will actually be delayed by 15 minutes. If your train is not due to leave for an hour and they put up a 15 minute delay, it will clearly be delayed by a lot more than 15 minutes. The delay will gradually increase during the next hour according to some complex non-linear formula I've never been quite able to derive.

      Sometimes, the delay time is listed as "unknown". This is the Duke Nukem Forever of train delays. At this point, it's usually quicker just to walk, even if your journey is several hundred miles.

      (for context, I live in the UK)

      • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

        by xaxa ( 988988 )

        Off-topic: Live departure and arrival times for British trains [nationalrail.co.uk] -- type in a station, e.g. Clapham Junction [livedepart...ards.co.uk]. Then click "Details" for one of the listed trains, and you can see the times it passed through all the preceding stations on its route, and if it was late, and the predicted time it will arrive at the rest of the stations on its route (depending on why the train is delayed, it might make up the time). This is the same information as is displayed in the station (actually, more information). Also availa

      • It's a bit like delays on trains. If your train is just about due to arrive and they schedule a 15 minute delay, there is a reasonable chance that it will actually be delayed by 15 minutes. If your train is not due to leave for an hour and they put up a 15 minute delay, it will clearly be delayed by a lot more than 15 minutes. The delay will gradually increase during the next hour according to some complex non-linear formula I've never been quite able to derive.

        Sometimes, the delay time is listed as "unknown". This is the Duke Nukem Forever of train delays. At this point, it's usually quicker just to walk, even if your journey is several hundred miles.

        (for context, I live in the UK)

        I had to take your trains last summer when I studied abroad.

        My heart goes out to all you poor blokes.

        (ok ok, actually, it wasn't that bad, but it was just as expensive as flying (in the states).)

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by GauteL ( 29207 )

      "It's simply too far out there to be a solid date. I'm not sold, I feel this is a good hint but still just speculation. "

      Let me just state the obvious: it is trivial to release exactly on time if the completeness and the quality of your product is secondary.

    • Technically, it could also mean that they're going to be closed on the 22nd.

    • On no uncertain terms, Microsoft has to deliver in October.

      Why? OEM's and Microsoft have already sold it into retailers like Worst Buy. Do you think Exec's at Worst Buy want to miss their golden revenue generator in Q4? Acer clearly has been working with Microsoft to deliver #7 for the holiday. I'm sure HP has stuff in the pipe for the holidays too.

      If the date slips. It will be an ugly couple of weeks inside Microsoft Retail Sales.

    • Re: (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward

      I feel this is a good hint but still just speculation

      Good point. I agree... there is no way that someone from ACER can know what's going to happen, especially considering that Microsoft likely doesn't know.

      However there may be contracts in place that does make "October 23rd" a magic date in terms of "free W7 upgrades", etc. Given the precision of the data provided by the ACER execs, it seems reasonable that those dates ARE special.

      As a consumer looking forward to a new consumer OS, I think I can walk away with the idea that if I need a new PC, and if I can

    • Re:Verbage is Not Final (Score:4, Interesting)

      by bobcat7677 ( 561727 ) on Friday May 01, 2009 @10:16AM (#27787313) Homepage
      According to the official email I got from Microsoft this morning announcing the Win 7 RC1 download, the RTM schedule "might be as short as 3 months" if things go well. Which would put the RTM in the July-August time frame.

      Personally, I think October is more realistic. Just mentioning what the "official" Microsoft email said.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by et764 ( 837202 )
        Keep in mind that RTM means "Released To Manufacturing." In other words, it's the date the developers stop working on it and they hand the final product off to the people that stamp millions of pretty CDs, put them in boxes and ship them out to all the distribution channels. It takes a little while after RTM before you can actually buy a product in stores.

  • A sure thing (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 01, 2009 @08:30AM (#27786075)
    Bet the farm Ma... Because Microsoft always hits their release dates.

    • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

      by downix ( 84795 )

      Like when Windows 4 hit the shelves in October 1993 as promised!

      (the irony with Windows 4 being retitled "Windows 95" here folk)

    • Or, like with Vista, they'll simply release the OS before it's actually ready for public consumption.

  • Planned leak (Score:5, Insightful)

    by BadAnalogyGuy ( 945258 ) <BadAnalogyGuy@gmail.com> on Friday May 01, 2009 @08:34AM (#27786119)

    What gets me about this sort of leak is that we all treat it as some sort of big news when in reality we are leaked information in this way all the time. Notice that it is always someone high up in the foodchain talking to someone in the media.

    A real accidental leak would be something overheard at a bar where the speaker didn't know a reporter was listening. But when the guy says it straight out to a reporter, that isn't leaking, that's just an unofficial announcement.

    Remember when Adam Osborne announced that the next version of his PC would be better than his current one and everyone stopped buying in anticipation? Leaks are always carefully planned but don't always have the effect you're looking for.

    • A real accidental leak would be something overheard at a bar where the speaker didn't know a reporter was listening.

      That would qualify as a rumor, not a leak. Rumors come from unknown sources with unknown provenance - leaks come from known sources with a known provenance.

      But when the guy says it straight out to a reporter, that isn't leaking, that's just an unofficial announcement.

      A leak is something that is let slip, while an unofficial announcement is something done deliberately. Telling the dif

    • I don't think you know your leaks very well. If it were planned, it would have been a leaked internal document/email.

      What is happening here is an exec betting that Microsoft won't retaliate against this leak - and likely they won't. Acer is an important OEM to Microsoft.

      Meanwhile, Acer gets free publicity.

    • What gets me about this sort of leak is that we all treat it as some sort of big news when in reality we are leaked information in this way all the time. Notice that it is always someone high up in the foodchain talking to someone in the media.

      A real accidental leak would be something overheard at a bar where the speaker didn't know a reporter was listening. But when the guy says it straight out to a reporter, that isn't leaking, that's just an unofficial announcement.

      Remember when Adam Osborne announced that the next version of his PC would be better than his current one and everyone stopped buying in anticipation? Leaks are always carefully planned but don't always have the effect you're looking for.

      It's no surprise they're doing this on purpose.

      What gets me is how great this viral marketing is working. Even I've got 7 fever-- I just want to get rid of XP (supposedly 7 is faster than Vista at games; I'm CPU limited in Vista but not as much in XP).

    • For what it's worth, I didn't call this a "leak" in the original title. It was "Acer Bosses: Windows 7 launches 23rd October 2009". Clearly I should be a Slashdot editor. :) Sorry for the late reply, I had no idea this story was posted until right now because I'd unchecked kdawson in some sort of fit of pissiness.

  • My birthday is the release data and I rather it not be dragged down by another depressing version of Windows.

  • Even if it be final I'm very hopeful for the new release and knowing that it will be before the winter holiday season (most likely) gives me great hope that I'll be able to get a final version by the end of the year. I've been running several linked versions and am currently running version 7100 and it's at least on par with XP for gaming, multitasking, and general use without the bugs and bloats of Vista.

    You never know though, we could get a leaked final version a month early! Let's just hope Microsoft

  • So basically... (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Shivinski ( 1053538 )
    We shouldn't expect Wnidows 7 until at least May 2010?!

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by sharkey ( 16670 )
      Maybe, maybe not. It shouldn't be too long after Windows 7 is released before Wnidows 7 is out. It's not like anyone could mistake the cheap knock-off for the real thing.

      For example, I know that I recognize a genuine Panaphonics when I see one.

  • Good (Score:5, Funny)

    by Hal_Porter ( 817932 ) on Friday May 01, 2009 @08:47AM (#27786247)

    Finally the Empire will crush the rebel scum and bring order to the galaxy.

  • Why is everything about Windows 7 leaky? Or leak is now considered as an acceptable replacement for the word announce
    • Because it wasn't announced by Microsoft. It was leaked by Acer's European vice president.

      • Because it wasn't announced by Microsoft. It was leaked by Acer's European vice president.

        Stunning. I think you missed the point there by a good 34 light years. May be a new record.

  • Help me get with the program... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 01, 2009 @08:54AM (#27786347)

    Hi, I'm looking for a list of talking points about why Windows 7 is horrible. They must be emotionally charged, unfounded, and repeated often enough that people start to believe. Preferably, I would like the opinion of people who think they know things about operating systems offering technical reasons why it is bad. That way my opinion seems more real, like the kids say.

    Also, please leave things like facts out of this...they are unamerican and unnecessary in most of life.

    • Re: (Score:1, Troll)

      by shutdown -p now ( 807394 )

      1. DRM
      2. BSOD
      3. IE

      • What's with all the pro MS modding in this thread?

        XP was ok - not as good as 2000, IMHO, and Vista was shocking, why mod the parent troll?

        (NB: too tired for full post)

        • Frankly, I don't know, but my post wasn't really a criticism of Windows. It was a (perhaps, lame) attempt at a joke, listing the reasons that are most frequently given on /. as to why Windows sucks (and which are also mostly absurd when applied to Vista in particular).

          • Fair point, I was just annoyed at the stupid modding your post certainly didn't deserve a Troll mod though.

            And DRM certainly applies to vista (+5 corporatism!)

  • For the zombies in the code to rise on the 31st.

  • Mole Day!! (Score:2, Interesting)

    by elton ( 5651 )

    Thanks to my high school chemistry teacher Mr. Weisbrook, 10/23 will forever be known as Mole Day.
    http://chemistry.about.com/od/dictionariesglossaries/g/defmole.htm [about.com]
    6.022 x 10^23

    • Re:Mole Day!! (Score:5, Funny)

      by MyLongNickName ( 822545 ) on Friday May 01, 2009 @09:04AM (#27786475) Journal

      Greetings. Clearly you are new to Slashdot. I think you will fit in better if you would stop linking to about.com instead of Wikipedia. Wikipedia is the only authoritative source for scientific information, popular culture and anything else.

      Also, it is important to note that all posts must contain at least one mispelling.

      Abide by these rules and one day you will be an accepted member of Slashdot.

      • Even better than mispelling is a well crafted ambigious use of 'lose' and 'loose'.

        For example: "The Acer leak of the Win7 launch date caused Microsoft to loose this secret information."

        This will cause many readers to reparse your sentence a couple of times trying to figure out what you really mean.

    • Actually on an unfunny note, the about.com article incorrectly states that a mole is 6.022 * 10^23. That is only an approximation. It was presented to me as an exact as well when I was in H.S., but that is not correct.

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by oodaloop ( 1229816 )
      23 Oct already is. The Marine Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon was bombed on this day in 1983.

  • I want to read this year's Halloween memo.

  • 3:1 says it launches on Halloween with a default skin featuring The Poltergeist. Any takers?
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • Only MS software can leak before being released.
    Or did I read that wrong?
    </sarcasm>

  • Ubuntu 9.10 is currently slated to be released six days later [ubuntu.com].

    Could it possibly be worth advancing Ubuntu's release date by about 10 days, just to steel Microsoft's thunder?

    • I'd be happy if they just take their time and release proper updates. Last update to Jaunty broke my system so badly I could not run anything xorg related. I did fix it. However, it shouldn't have happened.

      Technically, it occurred because an old xorg directory was stored in /usr/local/lib in addition to the newer one in /usr/lib, and the older one was first in the path for root. The solution [launchpad.net] to delete the older files (from some previous Ubuntu version) shouldn't have been necessary.

      To reiterate -- I'd be ha

  • I'm no IE fan but I just installed it and it didn't override my settings. It did however change it's default search engine to yahoo, and when I went to change it back to Google the option wasn't there. I actually had to do a little work to get Google added back, which was annoying. Doesn't really matter, I'm sticking with Firefox...

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by blazerw ( 47739 )

      I think you posted to the wrong story. This story is about the next Ubuntu release in late October, Karmic Koala.

  • This release will come eight years almost to the day after the release of Windows XP. I'm using the beta of 7 at home, just like I used all the betas and RCs of XP at home. Looking at Windows then and Windows now, I see a huge missed opportunity. I am pleased with Windows 7, and I think Microsoft has made a lot of smart decisions in their design, production, and marketing of the OS, but it still feels like more of a mea culpa than a solid, polished OS.

    If Microsoft's management had been on top of their sh
  • The first security update for Windows 7 will be sent out.

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by memristance ( 1285036 )
      You'll probably be off by a day. The shipped product will invariably be older than a daily snapshot from the 23rd, so it is very likely that Win7 will have to download the most recent Windows Defender definitions if nothing else.
  • I am amazed at the fact that anybody visiting this site even cares.

  • I still believe that Windows 7 should be a free upgrade to Windows Vista buyers...It's been a very short run for Vista and with people having forked out for Vista I think that Microsoft may have a difficult time charging again for Windows 7.

    • I still believe that Windows 7 should be a free upgrade to Windows Vista buyers...It's been a very short run for Vista and with people having forked out for Vista I think that Microsoft may have a difficult time charging again for Windows 7.

      3 years is not short.

    • October 25th 2001 - XP Release date
      20th January 2007 - Vista RTM

      XP->Vista 5.3 Years
      Vista->Windows 7 2.5/3 Years

      People who didn't upgrade from XP - 8 years.

      It should be significantly cheaper to upgrade Vista to Windows 7 than XP to windows 7...Otherwise you are hurting your most loyal base of users...And making the people that suffered the Vista upgrade suffer again needlessly.

  • According to the release schedule https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KarmicReleaseSchedule [ubuntu.com] that is a day after the Karmic release candidate. Karmic will be released on October 29th and I don't expect slippage on that. Mark was talking about distros getting release dates aligned, I didn't expect Microsoft to be the first to respond.

  • Even though it's almost 6 mo. away, I don't think I will jump on the bandwagon right then. When the time comes, I will extend a warm welcome to our Windows 7 overlords.

    But how much can Windows be worth these days if a new computer can be purchased for $300 - $400? Surely most of this price is for the hardware. If Windows was priced according to this math, I'll willing to buy an upgrade.

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