Microsoft will likely ship Release Candidate 1 (RC1) of its upcoming Windows Vista operating system as early as next week, according to Macworld UK. Jupiter Research analyst Joe Wilcox told the Web site that it will likely issue at last two Release Candidates as it strives to get the final version in business customersi hands in November and consumersi hands in January.
Mr. Wilcox recalled that it took Microsoft two months to release the final version of Windows XP after RC1 of that OS came out. "No way" will the company make its current milestones if a third Release Candidate of Vista is needed. With six weeks needed for OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to get Vista installed on computers and tested, Microsoft canit go beyond the end of November if it wants consumers to have the OS in January.