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Ballmer's Windows Promise

There will never be another delay between Windows versions like the one between Windows XP and Windows Vista, Steve Ballmer promised partners today at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference.

"We will never have a gap in Windows releases as long as the one we had between Windows Vista and XP. Count on it," Ballmer said. Microsoft's CEO said he could go into all the factors that led to the delay but wouldn't. Then he reiterated his "count on it" pledge for no more five-year-and-counting gaps between OS releases. As for timing, Ballmer's comments meshed with Microsoft's most recent dates – "turn of the year" – for both Vista and Office 2007. Meanwhile, Ballmer also vowed a massive consumer launch of Windows Vista and argued that the consumer launch will reinforce the business launch.

"If we have a strong consumer launch, it creates the air cover where people are coming in and saying, 'I want this stuff at work.'"

Posted by Scott Bekker on July 11, 2006


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