It’s official. The final Windows 7 bits have been set in stone. With today’s Release to Manufacturing, Microsoft can finally close its sorry Windows Vista chapter. Along with the global consumer launch on 22nd October, Microsoft is planning a business launch for the new versions of both the Windows client and server operating systems on 9th November.
This will be the first time the new server software is launched at the same time as a new client, says Bill Laing, head of the Windows server division. Expect some heavy “better together” marketing later this year as Microsoft tries to convince IT departments of the cost savings and greater manageability from upgrading both client and server at the same time.
The consumer launch should at least be free of some of the mishaps that bedevilled Vista – such as the decision to label some PCs “Vista-capable” when they weren’t up to handling the operating system. While earlier versions of Windows came with roughly double the system requirements of their predecessors, 7 makes no extra demands than Vista before it, says Mike Angiulo, leader of the Windows ecosystem and planning team.
