Windows hardware conference delayed until fall

With Windows Vista SP1 not set to land until sometime in the first quarter, Microsoft has announced it will delay its annual springtime WinHEC conference until fall, presumably to give SP1 more time to reach users. The company says it rescheduled the event in response to industry feedback.

WinHEC, or Windows Hardware Engineering Conference, is devoted to engineers and driver developers. Although it sounds mundane, the event plays a critical role in connecting Microsoft to the hardware vendors that actually distribute its software. It's not clear how the delay will affect Microsoft's Professional Developers Conference, which it canceled this year because the company's new wave of developer tools won't launch until next February.