What's For Launch?

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Do you hear that big collective gasp (no exhaling yet!)? That's the Apple faithful. This week opens with opening day at Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference. Rumors, of course, are running rampant of what will or will not happen over the next few days at San Francisco's Moscone Center.

Here are some of the most likely rumors to come true:

1. Steve Jobs is expected to be back on the job by the end of the month. We could see the man in black(turtleneck) this week, however. Let's hope so. It will be good to see him well, again.

2. With Palm Pre hot on it's iTail, we are likely to see a cheaper, stripped down iPhone launched at the show this week.

3. We will likely get a look at the new iPhone 3GS (That "s" is the new part). It won't go on sale until next month. But, we can start salivating now.

Faded rumors include:

1. A Mac netbook?
2. A Mac tablet?

Nah!

Speaking of launch...

Microsoft has a set a finally set a date for the launch of Windows 7. It's October 22nd.

According to a leaked corporate memo, Best Buy plans on offering free upgrades to Windows 7 to any poor schnook that buys a PC after June 26th with the Vista O/S (the free upgrade doesn't apply to Windows XP; then again if you are buying XP you likely aren't in as big a hurry for that upgrade - Meow!).

Do click on the link to that memo. It's a fun read. I especially enjoyed this part:

"Microsoft is launching Windows 7 in mid-October 2009. This new operating system isn't just a "Vista that works" program - it's a new operating system with improved productivity, functionality and creativity that uses less computer resources."

- Best Buy Internal Memo, June 4th, 2009

One other Vista story...

Further evidence that government intelligence is an oxymoron:

The Army has committed itself to a full Vista upgrade by the end of the year. That's right; the military is switching all of its 744,000 PC's to Vista after Windows 7 is released.

Someone please tell the Joint Chiefs of Staff about that Best Buy memo, please. Our men and women in uniform have enough to deal with and shouldn't be subjected to Vista, too.

What will I have to write about when Vista finally takes the long walk into that good night?

Renee Oricchio

Renee Oricchio is a technology writer and former supervising news producer for CNN Financial News. She has been covering the computer industry since 1987.