Those waiting to buy a new PC until Windows 7 ships could have a shorter wait than they thought. A small computer maker in the Seattle area said recently that Microsoft gave them the go ahead to ship Windows 7 PCs as soon as they get their license keys. That could happen as early as October 13. The OS doesn’t officially ship until October 22.

Puget Systems Inc. President, Jon Bach, said, "I don't think I've ever been more prepared for an operating system launch than I have been with Windows 7." Bach says that Microsoft informed him of the early release policy after he made an inquiry. Apparently, the rule applies to system builders that get the OS through distribution channels.  This excludes the big PC makers like Dell and HP.

Bach indicated that Microsoft even confirmed this policy in writing. These builders can even preconfigure PCs and just enter product keys as soon as they receive them. Unfortunately, if you’ve purchased an upgrade, you probably won’t be getting your software early. So, if you’ve been holding off, maybe a call to your small local system builder is in order.