Microsoft Corp. expects to release the much-awaited Vista in January 2007. However, Bill Gates in an interview at a Cape Town Technology conference said that he was only 80 percent sure for the broad release in January.
Microsoft said that it plans to release Windows Vista in November to business customers, before a wider release in January.
There are speculations that the operating system, which was due for release around the same time as Vista, could also be delayed. According to a Dow Jones Newswires report, Gates told Microsoft software partners that the operating system could be delayed yet again if beta testers turn up problems.
Microsoft had targeted a 2005 launch for Windows Vista, and then it was pushed to end 2006 that later on was extended till January citing quality issues.
Chief Executive Steve Ballmer, speaking to business partners and clients at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference in Boston, called the upgrade to Windows XP a blockbuster product for the software company and added, "We'll never have a gap between Windows releases as long as the one between XP and Vista."
Windows Vista has reached Beta 2 public testing phase and is available for download in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. It is available in English, Germany and Japanese.
