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At an internal meeting for its sales force this week, Microsoft confirmed the code name and approximate timing for Windows Vista's successor. The details, such as they are, aren't a huge surprise, but given the dearth of information from Microsoft on its next PC operating system, any confirmation seems notable.
According to a series of PowerPoint slides presented at the company's internal "MGX" global sales meeting this week, the new version is, as expected, known by the internal name "Windows 7," and it's due out in approximately three years.
But no big features were revealed, and overall, the slides don't reveal much that most people tracking Windows wouldn't have guessed. For example, one slide says Windows 7 will be "A full OS release," available for businesses and consumers, in both 32- and 64-bit versions. Another slide says the "development philosophy" for future Windows versions includes establishing a "more predictable release schedule," and expanding the "Windows product family" to "deliver value beyond the OS including subscription offerings."
Another slide carries the intriguing title, "Internal Planning Process Detail," but contains mostly generic statements, such as, "Identify and articulate key dev pillars and potential scenarios internally." Elsewhere in the deck, another slide references Windows Vista Service Pack 1 but doesn't give any timing beyond saying it's "next" on the roadmap.
The company's reason for releasing those details, limited as they are, is to give its sales force information to pass along to customers.
If it sounds like an attempt to appease the company's corporate customers, that seems about right. Whether or not this will be enough information to accomplish that goal remains to be seen. But the presentation comes two weeks after a Forrester Research report cited past product delays and "the lack of a detailed product roadmap" as two reasons some companies are reluctant to lock themselves into Software Assurance contracts.
In a statement today, Microsoft described the presentation as part of an "ongoing outreach to enterprise customers and partners ... including Software Assurance customers in particular." The statement confirmed that the company "is scoping Windows '7' development to a three-year timeframe, and then the specific release date will ultimately be determined by meeting the quality bar."
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I think taking a larger share of Facebook would be a good move. Facebook is preparing itself to be the platform of the web and this is exactly what MS needs. Also incorporating facebook services with outlook and hotmail could be extremely useful. Unfortunately, a complete buyout would put MS's name behind the service which could turn users away (as fickle as young people are) so, like the previous 250 million investment, it would need to be quiet."
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Posted by 8bitjoystick at 7/20/07 2:27 p.m.
And Windows Vista was originally expected to be out in 2004. http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/longhorn_preview_2004.asp
A game that I've been waiting for project Gotham Racing 4 just got moved from September to "We will ship it when it's done".
Until the gold master disks start to be handed off to the manufacturing plants I wouldn't fall in love with any specific dates shipping a couple years off in the future.