Win7: Release Date Confirmed, SE App Limit Dropped

Microsoft has confirmed Windows 7 will get its official release on 22 October. It's also updated some of the details about the Starter edition which will appear on low-spec machines such as netbooks.

The October release date had been widely expected since the head of Acer in the UK revealed one of his firm's new models would be on sale running Windows 7 on the 23rd -- one day out from the confirmed release date.

October Release a Pre-Emptive Strike

The release is three months before the earliest date Microsoft had previously hinted at (January 2010, three years after Vista's release).

The most likely motivation for getting Win7 out early is to make the most of the Christmas gift market. However, the National Business Review in New Zealand speculates that it's an attempt to get Windows netbooks on sale before recently-announced plans for Google's Android system to jump from smartphones to netbooks can take hold in the market. (Source: nbr.co.nz)

Special Upgrade Deals for Windows 7

Microsoft has also confirmed plans for a scheme to allow manufacturers and retailers to offer special upgrade deals to customers who buy a Vista PC in the run-up to the Windows 7 release, though the dates and financial details are still under wraps.

Some suggest the upgrade is aimed at parents interested in buying their children a new machine for the start of the school year.

Microsoft: No App Limit on Windows 7 Starter

Microsoft also announced that the Starter edition of Windows 7 will, as rumored, not be limited to running three applications at once.

However, some limitations will still be in place, such as not being able to change wallpaper or color schemes, and not being able to play DVDs. The latter could be a major issue for users of netbooks, which are inherently designed to be ultra-portable and thus useful for killing time on long journeys. (Source: windowsteamblog.com)

It appears Microsoft is caught in an awkward situation. It needs the Starter edition to be unattractive enough that users upgrade to more expensive editions. But it needs it to be an attractive enough last resort that netbook manufacturers install it (at the lower price) rather than power their machines with free Linux-based systems.