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Microsoft confirmed on Tuesday that it is planning for Windows 7 to hit retail shelves and start showing up on new PCs on October 22. Windows 7 will be released to manufacturing at the end of July, with the actual release date being set for October 22 – 2009, that is.

As with past similar programs, details on pricing will be up to individual computer makers, although Microsoft did say the upgrade program will apply to Vista Home Premium and higher-priced editions (meaning not Windows Vista Basic). Microsoft’s initial target release date was in January 2010, but the company did confirm last month that Windows 7 would make its debut this year, before the holiday shopping season.

This date, which is referred to as General Availability (GA), is in line with Microsoft’s previous statement saying that it would have Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 ready by the holidays. Windows 7 will come roughly 33 months after Windows Vista’s January 2007 release. If you can’t wait to get your hands on Windows 7, Microsoft has the Windows 7 Release Candidate you can test.

Fun fact: Windows 7 will be released almost exactly 8 years after Windows XP, which was released October 25, 2001. This probably makes it the first Windows version to be released ahead of schedule, putting an end (for now) to the various jokes about new Windows versions always being released behind schedule.

Microsoft also confirmed that there will be a guarantee program under which people who buy computers with Windows Vista close to the launch date will be eligible for a free or discounted copy of Windows 7.

Microsoft’s original plan was to release Windows 7 three years after Windows Vista, which would put the release date somewhere in January of 2010.

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