Microsoft won't be drawn on Windows 7 release date gaffe

Microsoft has refused to confirm rumours that its next operating system, Windows 7, will be released in October.

At a press conference in London yesterday Massimo D’Angelo, vice president for Europe of computer maker Acer, let slip that the next version of the world’s most popular operating system will be available by October 23.

When Computeractive contacted Microsoft for comment, the company’s representative would not be drawn, saying only that Windows 7 was “entering the final phases of development”, adding: “as we have said for some time, we are committed to making Windows 7 available within three years of the release of Windows Vista.”

Mr D’Angelo told the press conference that Acer’s forthcoming Z5600 computer would be capable of running Windows 7 and that the computer would be available at the end of September.

Responding to a question about whether that indicated that Windows 7 would be released in September, he replied that the Z5600 would be available with Windows 7 on October 23, “and not a day before”.

A so-called Release Candidate (RC1) of the new operating system is already in circulation, with users able to download it to try it out and make sure that their programs work with it. The RC1 edition is not a final version and may differ from what is released fully later this year.

Acer’s UK representative was not available for comment.