Microsoft is now backing off comments by chairman Bill Gates that the next version of Windows could be available as early as next year. "We are currently in the planning stages for Windows 7 and development is scoped to three years from Windows Vista consumer" general availability, a Microsoft spokesman said in an e-mail Friday to InformationWeek. Windows Vista was released to consumers in late January 2007. That means Windows 7 would not be released until January 2010, regardless of the fact that Bill Gates told Windows 7 may be released "sometime in the next year [2009] or so". Microsoft said Gates may have been referring to trial versions of Windows 7. "As is standard with the release of a new product, we will be releasing early builds of Windows 7 prior to its general availability as a means to gain tester feedback," the spokesman said. "We're not sharing additional information at this time," the spokesman added.