Softpedia >News >Microsoft >Windows
Softpedia Homepage   

Windows 8 and Windows 7 Will Overlap for as Much as 2 Years

In terms of market availability

Jul 13, 2010 15:05 GMT  ·  By
Windows
   Windows

With each new Windows client release, it is only natural that the focus shift away from older versions of Microsoft’s operating system, in more ways than one. Of course, an important move from the software giant is related to how much it allows its products to overlap in terms of market availability. With the start of its Worldwide Partner Conference 2010, Microsoft also announced changes to the retail and OEM availability of older Windows platforms in relation to new releases. In this context, Windows 8 and Windows 7 will overlap as much as 2 years.

“In the interest of providing more consistency and predictability with how we manage the Windows lifecycle, we are confirming our current policy of allowing retailers to sell the boxed version of the previous OS for up to 1 year after release of a new OS, and that OEMs can sell PCs with the previous OS pre-loaded for up to 2 years after, the launch date of the new OS. This means that since Windows 7 launched on October 22, 2009, retailers will be able to sell the boxed version of Windows Vista until October 22, 2010, and OEMs will be able to sell PCs with Windows Vista preinstalled until October 22, 2011,” revealed Brandon LeBlanc, Windows Communications Manager on the Windows Client Communications Team.

This means that OEMs could still selling new PCs preinstalled with Windows 7 even in 2014, if Windows 8 will indeed be released in mid-2012. At the same time, retailers will be able to offer end users boxed copies of Windows 8 along those of Windows 7 until mid-2013, considering the same GA deadline for Win8, a date which has yet to be confirmed by Microsoft.

“This lifecycle policy has been in effect since before the launch of Windows 7, and it has very little impact on most customers, as many retailers and OEMs have already discontinued sales of Windows Vista in favor of Windows 7. But it does ensure that our OEM and retail partners can discontinue sales of earlier versions of Windows within a predictable timeline,” LeBlanc added.

Follow me on Twitter @MariusOiaga.