Leaked footage of Windows 7 may have hit the internet last week, but the rumor that it's going to be released ahead of schedule in 2009 seems very unlikely, according to a Microsoft email. WinVistaClub, being the Windows fans that they are, asked Microsoft for clarification on Windows 7 being moved up due to poor Vista sales. Here's the response:

Q. What is the expected timeline for the availability of Windows 7?

A. We are currently in the planning stages for Windows 7 and expect it will take approximately 3 years to develop. The specific release date will be determined once the company meets its quality bar for release.

Assuming that it doesn't hit any major roadblocks and testing blunders, that means the soonest we'll see Windows 7 is somewhere around 2010/2011. If it does hit Vista-esque snags in development, that means it could even be pushed back to 2012/2013, which wouldn't pretty at all. [WinVistaClub via Inquirer]

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