Microsoft revealed this week that it expects to deliver Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 to manufacturing in the first week of August, with general availability of the products due in late October and September, respectively. This schedule closely follows that of these products' predecessors, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, which were similarly hurtling towards completion three years ago this month. And given the way Microsoft does things these days, it is perhaps instructive to look back on that time to gain some insights on what might happen this year.
