60% of companies to skip Windows 7 to save money

Concerns over compatibility and costs will lead six in 10 companies to skip the purchase of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system, according to a new survey.

Windows 7 will be released 22 October, but has already garnered good reviews, in contrast to its disappointing current version, Windows Vista. Many of the more than 1,000 companies that responded to a survey by ScriptLogic said they have economised by cutting back on software updates and lack the resources to deploy Microsoft's latest offering.

Many companies have rejected Windows Vista as unstable. For example, the chip maker Intel, Microsoft's long-time partner in producing personal computers, has stayed with the older XP system.