Windows 10 to debut in late July, says AMD chief

Windows 10 to debut in late July, says AMD chief

An apparent slip during an Advanced Micro Devices conference call on Friday may have spilled the beans on the launch date for the next generation of Windows.

Windows 10 will hit the market in late July, according to a comment from the CEO of Advanced Micro Devices.

During a conference call on Friday to discuss AMD's first-quarter earnings, CEO Lisa Su was asked about guidance for the second quarter. After answering that question, Su injected this comment, asposted in a transcript by Seeking Alpha:

What we also are factoring in is, you know, with the Windows 10 launch at the end of July, we are watching sort of the impact of that on the back-to-school season, and expect that it might have a bit of a delay to the normal back-to-school season inventory build-up.

Lisa Su, CEO of AMD, expects the launch of Windows 10 in late July to affect back-to-school sales.AMD

Based on the transcript, no one followed up on Su's mention of Windows 10, and the conversation simply moved onto other topics. Su's comment didn't sound like any attempt to steer the audience with false information since she was responding to a question from an analyst. And as one of Microsoft's hardware partners, AMD would be abreast of the specific time frame for launching Windows 10.

Microsoft has previously stated that Windows 10 would roll out in the summer, so a late July date sounds feasible. The company has been working to produce a new version of Windows designed to avoid the mistakes of Windows 8. That version was criticized by PC users for its tablet-focused approach and its dual personality Start screen and desktop environment. As such, Microsoft is attempting to fashion a more user-friendly OS with a more cohesive environment for PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones.

The company has also been eager to seek the feedback of users as it tweaks Windows 10. In October, Microsoft released the Windows 10 Technical Preview, a work-in-progress of the new OS that gave people a chance to sample it and offer opinions. Since then, Microsoft has rolled out new builds of the OS on a regular basis as it incorporates suggestions from testers and tries to fine-tune the new version to win over users soured by Windows 8.

Windows 10 brings back the Start menu that was jettisoned in Windows 8, this time providing quick access to both Windows apps and traditional desktop programs. The new version takes a cue from Windows Phone by incorporating Cortana, Microsoft's voice assistant. A new browser code-namedSpartan promises a different approach to Web browsing beyond that of Internet Explorer. Further, the OS sports a host of tweaks and enhancements to its menus, screens and other features.

Microsoft will host its annual Build developers conference later this month. That's when the company is expected to reveal more details about Windows 10 and possibly announce an official launch date.

At least one question remains regarding Windows 10: does Microsoft have enough time to get it right? As a participant in the Windows Insider program, which lets people download and install Windows 10 and then give feedback on the new OS, I've seen improvement and finesse in the OS since the Windows 10 Technical Preview launched in October. But in certain ways, the OS still feels like a work in progress. Assuming the late July date is accurate, Microsoft has just three more months to wrap it up.