Windows 7 to launch in October; netbooks with Google Android OS also coming

Windows 7, the next version of Microsoft's operating system for desktops, laptops, and netbooks, will be released on October 22, Microsoft announced yesterday. The company also announced that, as with past upgrades to Windows, those buying Windows Vista close to the Windows 7 launch would get a free copy of the new OS when it is ready. No date for that program was announced.

Meantime, Acer has announced that it will begin selling netbooks this fall that will carry Google's Android operating system, now used exclusively on smart phones.

The takeaway: The Windows 7 release date, earlier than many analysts expected, means you'll be able to get a PC that runs Windows 7 for the holiday season, though students won't be able to get the OS in time to have it on their new back-to-school machines, at least when classes begin.

If you're on the fence about when to buy a new PC, it might be worth holding off until Windows 7 arrives. Some pundits have dubbed the new OS "Vista done right." It's similar in many respects to Vista, but with some rough edges smoothed over and some performance gains. It should be faster, require less processing power and memory, and have fewer application crashes than was the case with Vista.

Our first look at the "public beta" release (available to subscribers) found many of the built-in programs and system utilities more effective and simpler to use than with Vista. At the same time, it's easier to replace some Windows 7 features, such as Media Player 12 and Internet Explorer 8, with non-Microsoft alternatives. Windows 7 can more easily integrate with Microsoft's Windows Live cloud-computing services, which run applications installed on remote computers called servers, rather than on the user's PC. A new feature called HomeGroup provides an easier way to network computers in your household. And there are lots of visual and navigational enhancements to the desktop and Windows Explorer functions.

The date after which buyers would get a free Windows 7 upgrade is likely to be sometime this summer. If you can't wait until October to get a new computer, at least consider holding off until the date that the free Windows 7 upgrade kicks in. However, as we pointed out in our guide to upgrading from Windows XP to Vista, it’s not always easy to upgrade to a new operating system. You might need to resolve software incompatibilities, upgrade security software, or install drivers.

Microsoft says netbooks sold today will be able to run all versions of Windows 7, but netbook vendors haven't released upgrade plans yet. We expect some version of Windows 7 to be pre-installed on netbooks.

Indeed, the timing of the Windows 7 launch, some three months earlier than originally expected, may have been influenced by the expected arrival of the Acer netbooks that will use Android, a free operating system from Google that is expected to result in cheaper netbooks than those running Windows. Other manufacturers, including Asus, are also poised to launch Android netbooks. —Paul Reynolds

Comments

[Sarah]

Economically, would it be better if I went ahead and bought a vista laptop for a low price, then upgrade later to Windows 7, or should I just wait until the 22nd and get a Windows 7 laptop?

[Anthony Chiappa]

I own Vista Windows Home Basic And it is Sucks . Can't get into pages It frozes up and up dates all the time. I hope that windows 7 will not do those things as vista is . i hope it will be a better computer and will do the job for people.

[Nina from Mauritius]

We all hope that this new OS is not another Windows Vista, which was not meeting the expectations of PC users, as there were many incompatibilities in it.