My sources at the software giant confirmed this weekend that Microsoft is set to finalize Windows Vista as early as Monday and release the product to manufacturing. The final build number is expected to be 6000.16386.061101-2205, I'm told. (Readers may recall that WinInfo broke the news that Microsoft would iterate Vista to build 6000 for the final release way back on August 25.)
In its quest to finalize Windows Vista, Microsoft has faced two hurdles in recent days, one technical and one a bit more unusual. The proposed final build was marred by a few late breaking bugs, which the company expects to squash over the weekend. Meanwhile, a power outage in the Windows build lab Friday night prevented Microsoft from creating a new Vista build that night.
As I've related in my "Road to Gold: The Long Road to Windows Vista" series on the SuperSite for Windows, Microsoft was angered earlier this year when analysts at Gartner were granted unprecedented access to Vista's bug database but published an opinion stating that the company would delay Vista past its January launch. This week, however, Michael Silver, the Research VP at Gartner finally admitted that his firm's repeated predictions about further Vista delays were wrong, delighting those on the Vista team.
"It appears that Microsoft will beat our prediction," Silver wrote in a Gartner blog. "We will congratulate Microsoft as they hit their dates." Prepare to issue that congratulations, Mr. Silver: Microsoft is set to release Windows Vista this very week.
I'll begin publishing a massive, multi-part review of Windows Vista on the SuperSite for Windows as soon as Microsoft OK's its publication. This is expected to happen when the company announces it has finalized development of the product. Stay tuned.
.... Awesome
