Microsoft’s Bill Laing said in an interview that the server version of Windows 7 will ship this calendar year. Using a little bit of deduction, I'd say that means Windows 7 continues to be tracking ahead of schedule. Although Laing's comments referred to Windows Server 2008 R2 and not to the desktop version, server products traditionally ship after desktop operating systems based on the same code base, owing to greater testing needs. "We've really been executing," Laing said.