Windows 7 goes “RTM”

It’s true. Windows 7 was just released … to manufacturers.

Of course, this differs from that other “RTM” — released to manufacturing — but hey, it sounds good!

Seriously, it appears that Microsoft has just released what is being dubbed “Milestone 1” of the Windows 7 code base to its key vendor partners. And while this doesn’t mean we’ll be booting Windows 7 anytime soon (current projections put the real RTM in the second half of 2009), it does show that a Windows 7 product currently exists and is “alive and kicking” on some hardware, somewhere outside of Microsoft (albeit behind several layers of locked doors and mean looking security guard-types).

What this also shows is that we’re likely a scant 12-14 months away from a beta program for Windows 7 — and perhaps as little as 18 months away from a really usable product. Given that most IT shops are only now starting to consider their Windows Vista migration plans, the not-so-distant arrival of “Version 7” gives further credence to the idea that these shops could actually skip Vista altogether. Add to this the generally tepid response to “Windows 6” — plus efforts like the “Save XP” campaign here at InfoWorld — and it seems clear that the XP option will remain viable for some time.

Frankly, this is a good thing. Microsoft needs to be shown that, at least in enterprise computing circles, they can’t simply force-feed their customer base a new version. Release software that provides no compelling reason for us to upgrade and we’ll ignore it. Period. However, lest we become overconfident, it’s important to remember that this may very well be a one-time deal. It’s unlikely that IT shops will choose to fall more than one generation behind the state of the art, so skipping Windows 7 is not really an option.

Here’s hoping that Microsoft gets smart and makes this next version more appealing to its enterprise base — and that Ubuntu and others keep improving Linux so we always have a viable alternative to keep the 800lb gorilla honest!