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Microsoft: Windows 7 development on track

Ina Fried CNET News.com

Published: 25 Jul 2008 08:36 BST

At Microsoft's financial analysts meeting on Thursday, Windows unit head Bill Veghte said that Windows 7 development remains on track.

The company has officially said Windows 7 will ship by January 2010, but top executives have also said on occasion that it will ship by the end of 2009.

"The product is tracking very, very well," Veghte said. "We are committed and looking good, relative to our commitment — [shipping Windows 7] three years from general availability of Windows Vista."

Microsoft has released few details on the product, assuring customers, however, that it would be making substantial architectural changes and that Windows 7 will have a new multitouch user interface.

Veghte also discussed Windows Vista.

Veghte showcased the 'Mojave' marketing project, in which Vista sceptics reacted favourably when shown the operating system presented under the guise of being a new version of Windows, code-named Mojave.

^{What we know about Windows 7}

^{Microsoft's mysterious Windows 7 missive}

^{Windows 7 due Jan 2010}

^{Windows 7 to include multitouch interface}

^{Windows 7? No arm in it}

^{Windows 7: Microsoft's information blackout}

Veghte said that not only are customers buying the operating system but more are liking it, pointing to recent internal figures showing that 89 percent of users said they were 'satisfied' or 'very satisfied' with the product. Some 83 percent said they would recommend Vista to a friend or family member, Veghte said.

He also demonstrated Internet Explorer 8, saying that it would be released in final form later this year. An early beta was shown off at the Mix 08 trade show in the spring.

In the closing stages of the meeting, when asked what Windows 7 would look like, chief executive Steve Ballmer declined to offer any new details, saying that to do so would be a "no-win" situation.

"It's going to look great. It's going to be quite compatible," he said, meeting with some laughter. "If I wanted to start selling Windows 7 today, we'd start selling Windows 7 today. Then you'd complain."

Ballmer reiterated that Windows 7 is designed to avoid making big changes. "The design point is compatible from the get-go in large measure," he said.

Credit: Microsoft: Windows 7 on track from CNET News.com