Microsoft Talks More About Windows 7…and XP, Too

Microsoft has been talking about bundling Windows 7 with mobile broadband, and the fact the new OS might compete with XP on netbooks.

Microsoft has been talking up its forthcoming Windows 7 operating system a lot lately, even before it has a release date. The latest round came at Microsoft’s Growth and Innovation Day in Brussels yesterday.

There, Neil Holloway, vice president for business strategy at Microsoft International, told ZDNet that the company was talking to service providers and telecoms companies about bundling netbooks running a stripped-down Windows 7 (announced last month) with other services and hardware, including mobile broadband.

"Microsoft is working with telcos as a specific channel," said Holloway. "The way that Carphone Warehouse bundles phones, PCs and laptops is phenomenal. We will do something slightly similar, and make some offer which includes Windows 7 and Windows Live."

Meanwhile, Windows 7 will find itself in competition with XP on netbooks. The success of netbooks has meant that Microsoft has been forced to continually extend the life of XP. Holloway said:

"Let’s see what the market does. As we introduce Windows 7 for netbooks, the availability of XP will be less and less. I think, on this one, the market will decide on Windows 7."