Windows 7's release schedule is starting to look a lot more like Windows Vista's, despite Microsoft's efforts to distance Windows 7 from Vista.  With the first beta slipping from October to December, some nervous whispers have begun to swirl.

Now there's more fuel for uncertainty as Microsoft has delayed the release of Windows 7's companion OS:  Windows 7 Mobile.  Windows 7 Mobile, which aims to conquer a broader share of the smart phone market and compete against Symbian's offerings and Google's Android OS, is as highly anticipated in many circles as Windows 7 itself.  Hardware partners were originally told they would receive a final version of the OS in early 2009.  That has now slipped to the second half of 2009.

The delay is disappointing to Microsoft as it had also hoped to use the new highly-functional OS as a tool to combat its arch-nemesis Apple's iPhone.  With Google releasing live Android phones and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion about to update its own offerings, the delay puts Microsoft in an uncomfortable position of playing catch-up.

Microsoft would not comment on the delay.  Group product manager Scott Rockfeld did note that CEO Steve Ballmer met with 17 of the company's largest cell phone maker and carrier partners recently.  Mr. Rockfield tried to cast a positive light on these events. "They all expressed their excitement of what we are doing in the short term and the long term."

While the delay of Windows 7 Mobile may open doors for competitors, Windows does have a few tricks in the meantime to try to keep its aging Windows Mobile fresh.  It plans to debut its Internet Explorer 6 rendering engine to the OS by the end of the year.  This engine will provide support for richer web pages on phones, including Flash and Ajax.  This would give the current iteration of Windows Mobile a one-up in some respects to the iPhone.

Hardware partners are also adding touch interfaces and other features to the current Windows Mobile OS.  Among the first products to showcase this was the T-Mobile Shadow.  HTC also has several similar products in the works.  Windows 7 Mobile is expected to integrate similar touch features directly into the OS, saving developers time and expense.  Thus, with the delay developers are left to choose between spending extra to getting the features now or wait and possibly lose potential business.

Still Mr. Rockfeld says there's lots of good stuff on the way. "Customers don't have to sit back and wait.  There's tons of stuff coming from us and our partners."

He lavished praise on the Microsoft business model, which he claims is friendlier than Google's in its interactions with hardware partners.  Mr. Rockfeld addressed his perception of hardware partner's desires and said, "The thing that they are trying to do is they are trying to own the services.  They don't want to sit there and just become a dumb pipe.  We're happy sharing the limelight."

He claimed Microsoft is more willing than Google to work on custom services.

Remarkably little has been said about the upcoming Windows 7 Mobile OS.  It is thought to possibly incorporate touch features such as Windows 7 for PC.  Thus far, the only significant description came from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer who in an April speech announced, "I think that certainly this should be a good year for us for sales, but the work we're doing on Windows Mobile 7, which is the next major release of Windows Mobile, not just in the Windows Mobile team, but across Windows Mobile, in Silverlight, the development platform, the e-mail, the back-end, I think you'll continue to see that as an area of major excitement and innovation for the company as we move forward.."