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Well I guess it was only a matter of time. Microsoft has already shipped the first testing builds of Windows 7, the successor of Windows Vista, to key partners. The Redmond company will not of course, under any conditions confirm this detail, or breathe a single word about the early testing development milestone of Windows 7, but various third parties were not as shy as Microsoft when it came down to sharing details about the next iteration of Windows. But despite the deafening silence from Microsoft around the next version of the Windows operating system, Windows

7 Milestone 1 Build 6.1.6519.1 indeed shipped outside of Redmond.

Included in this article are the first leaked screenshots of Windows 7, courtesy of ThinkNext. As you can see from the image at the top of this article Microsoft has dropped Windows 7 ULTIMATE into the laps of its selected pool of partner testers. Windows 7 Ultimate is version 6.1 (Build 6519.1.x86fre.winmain.071220-1525).
Windows 7 features support for multiple video cards from different manufacturers running simultaneously and comes with a new Windows Media Center. With Windows 7 M1 already available, Microsoft is now planning to drop M2 in April/May 2008 as well as M3 in the third quarter. At the same time the Beta, Release Candidates and RTM dates are yet to be set. However, Microsoft did indicate to its partners that it is looking to the second half of 2009 for the release to manufacturing of Windows 7.

Source: The Hotfix

Microsoft has again confirmed that the “big release” approach to software development is alive and well at Microsoft. Ballmer said as much earlier this year in advance of the retail Vista launch, but the company is reiterating the point now as it ramps up preparation for the next version of Windows and a renewed push for software subscriptions.

2 + 2 = the OS cycle

Recently, Microsoft’s COO Kevin Turner used the Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) in Denver to confirm that the company still believes in rolling out its “big dogs” (monumental releases of Windows and Office) every few years, staged with interim releases of the OS. Turner told attendees that Microsoft would aim for major OS releases every four years and would resume positioning minor interim updates in between those major releases. For all intents and purposes, this means a new version of Windows every 2 years, with every other release being an architecturally significant one.

At a closed door session Thursday at Microsoft’s Global Exchange Conference in Orlando, Microsoft got a little more specific. Sources tell Ars Technica (and CNET, Mary Jo Foley, and Todd Bishop) that Microsoft confirmed a 2010 target for the next version of Windows, but this was already somewhat obvious; when you add 4 years to 2006—the year Vista was released—you get 2010. Microsoft has also confirmed that the working name of the next release is “Windows 7″ (no real surprise there, as Vista is Windows 6, XP Windows 5.1, etc.). Notably, there is no interim release planned between now and then. (I speculate that announcing such an interim, 2008 release would kill Vista sales to businesses.)

Microsoft didn’t reveal much else about Windows 7, other than it would have multiple SKUs (just like Vista), come in 32-bit and 64-bit flavors (let’s hope they change their mind on this), and that the company was planning to offer subscription services built around it. This latter point is quite important and is a major reason the company is talking openly about the next version of Windows now. It’s my view that the company is beginning what is essentially a four-year crypto-marketing effort for software subscriptions. 

Subscribing to Windows may become necessary

Microsoft desperately needs to reassure its partners that it won’t repeat another Vista-like development cycle. Love it or hate it, Vista’s tardy arrival has damaged the company’s reputation for putting out frequent, usually upgrade-worthy releases. This hurts the company in ways not obvious to end users.

Microsoft’s pie-in-the-sky, dream-come-true version of the future is one in which both businesses and consumers subscribe to Microsoft products rather than buy them. As I wrote way back in 2002, this is ultimately about annualizing software revenue for Microsoft (IT shops don’t mind it either, in theory). Obviously Microsoft’s big focus is on subscriptions for businesses, but the company is already testing “pay as you go” consumer subscriptions in developing countries.

It’s likely no coincidence that Microsoft is out reassuring everyone about their development cycle in the wake of a stinging Forrester study of Microsoft’s business-oriented subscription program (Software Assurance). That study found that customers who are subscribing to Microsoft’s OS are getting an especially bad deal right now because the time between releases is too long. More than a quarter of SA subscribers told Forrester that they did not plan to renew. This is bad news for a program that Microsoft would like to extend to as many customers as possible.

Indeed, the Gartner Group now predicts that Microsoft is positioning itself to make software subscriptions mandatory for future versions of Windows. A new report by Gartner notes that Microsoft is already making several business tools available only via Software Assurance, and Gartner expects to see this trend continue, according to ComputerWeekly. Gartner could be completely wrong, but if so, they are probably only wrong with regards to the mandatory angle. It is likely that Microsoft will continue to expand its practice of making important features available only to subscribers.

Windows 7 must be on time

When one thinks of “Windows 7,” one might be inclined to make all manner of jokes about it being 7 years out or some such. Windows 7 will, I dare say, be different. It has to be. If Windows 7 is significantly late, it will all but destroy anyone taking Microsoft’s subscription programs seriously.

Can Microsoft really hit this target? Microsoft has already said via its public relations face that while Windows 7 is targeted for 2010, “the specific release date will ultimately be determined by meeting the quality bar.”

I believe that’s only half the story. By returning to its vision of a new OS every 2 years, Microsoft has built a kind of escape hatch into the Windows development process. In this post-Vista era, Microsoft will need to aggressively cut features on upcoming OSes if it appears that they have any chance of causing a significant delay. If the company can carry through on its vision of a new OS every 2 years, cutting such features may mean nothing more than delaying them two years, or rolling them into service packs. As Vista has shown, this is the kind of discipline Microsoft needs. They need it to restore faith in the company’s development cycle, and they absolutely need it if Software Assurance is to become anything but a bad deal.

Source: Ars Technica

With Windows still managing to find its way to over 95 percent of the desktop computers sold each year, it’s not surprising that one can find plenty of people interested in giving their feedback about what future versions of Windows should be able to do. A few years ago, before Windows Vista had even shipped, Microsoft sent out a wish list form asking people what features they would like to see in the next version of Windows, currently code-named Windows 7. The top wished-for features in this list were recently leaked to the public and have popped up at various sites (e.g., Neowin). While anonymous sources at Microsoft tell us that they bear no relationship to the actual feature set Microsoft is currently writing for Windows 7, the list does provide interesting insight into what the Windows-using public most wants from Windows.

The features are listed in no particular order, but they break down into various categories depending on what part of Windows the feature request falls under. Many requests for improvements in Internet Explorer, such as a session restore function, are fairly obvious wishes for features that already exist in competitive products such as Firefox and Opera. Other suggestions, such as a tabbed Windows Explorer, look for features from web browsers to migrate into the general user interface.

Some of the feature requests are clearly unrealistic, such as the desire to “back up” Xbox 360 games to the PC (yeah, I don’t think Microsoft will be doing that one). Others are minor user interface enhancements that would be nice additions but wouldn’t really change the Windows experience, such as a progress bar when hibernating the system. However, there are a few that make good sense and would be welcome additions to the operating system, such as a built-in video and audio codec manager. 

                                                   Excerpt from the leaked list.

A Windows 7 insider who wishes to remain anonymous told Ars that the leaked feature list was gathered before any real development on Windows 7 was started, and readers should not expect to see requests from the list necessarily implemented in Microsoft’s next major Windows release.

The Windows 7 team was directed to look at all major desktop operating systems, including the latest Linux distributions and Apple’s OS X Leopard, but this was more for general impressions than to look for specific features to implement. Development of Windows 7, which is being built off the Windows Vista code base, is apparently proceeding at a fairly brisk pace, with about half of the desired features already implemented. Unlike the tortuous development process for Windows Vista, the Windows 7 team is actually ahead of schedule at this point, although as with all major software projects, this may not last.

One thing that Windows 7 is likely to contain is a new look for the user interface. The same Microsoft insider told Ars that several options are currently being considered, with the general goal being a cleaner look rather than adding on more gloss and shine. Of course, this too could change before Windows 7 hits the shelves. Microsoft has not committed to a firm release date for Windows 7, but a target date of somewhere between late 2009 and early 2010 is the current goal.

By Jeremy Reimer

Source: Ars Technica

Excited and whimsical speculation about future versions of Windows is a popular pastime, almost as much as complaining that newly-released versions are too different from the “old reliable” releases that everybody knows and (sometimes) loves. With Windows Vista recently celebrating its first birthday and preparing for the release of Service Pack 1, a team of developers at Microsoft is already busy working on its successor. While Microsoft has been pretty good about keeping the details of “Windows 7″ under wraps, a few enthusiastic employees have leaked out a few details. As is usually the case in these situations, people have taken these tiny tidbits and added their own—often highly improbable—speculation. In this brief report, we’ll review what we know, what we expect, and what we’re calling bunk on, all based on our knowledge of Windows 7 from inside sources at Microsoft.

Separating the wheat from the chaff

One thing we all know about Windows 7 is the management team that will be leading the project. Jim Allchin—the veteran who led the Windows XP and Vista teams—is gone, and in his place is Steven Sinofsky, who previously headed up the Office 2007 project. This has raised all sorts of speculation that the Windows user interface will be getting a similar sort of “face lift” as the venerable Office suite did in its last release. Some have even gone so far as to say it would be “Ribbon-based.”

Windows 7 will get a facelift, but the extent of the UI changes are not yet known at Microsoft: current Windows 7 builds, which we have seen in person, use the Vista interface. Final designs for the UI have not yet been decided, and likely will not be for several months. If someone shows you any leaked screenshots of Windows 7, you can tell them that they have almost certainly been duped by enthusiastic fakers with a copy of Photoshop. Humans are visual creatures, and for most people the user interface is the only way to know that something has changed with a new release of the operating system. Unfortunately, the UI is typically the last thing to be finalized. Those of you who have watched the development of previous versions of Windows know that even once you start seeing concept UIs, nothing is set in stone.

With Windows 7, even the boot screen hasn’t been designed yet. Currently, when Windows 7 boots, it displays a stylized “7″ taking up most of the screen, drawn like an artist’s quick sketch with thin lines using the Windows logo colors.

Don’t throw away those Win32 apps just yet

Another common prediction is that Windows 7 will do away with backwards compatibility, and instead, run all previous Win32 applications in a built-in virtual machine. This rumor is false. The theme of “throwing it all away” and starting over with something fresh and new is a common desire in computer enthusiast circles. Typically, people will reference Apple’s decision to virtualize the “Classic” Mac OS when the company released OS X, and assume that Microsoft is eager to do the same.

However, this argument completely ignores the reasons why Apple went the virtualization route in the first place: “Classic” applications were written to run on an OS with no memory protection and assumed that they could address any piece of memory they wanted. Such applications could only run in a virtual sandbox on a modern OS with full memory protection, such as Mac OS X.

Microsoft has no such limitation with Win32 applications, which ran natively on Windows NT ever since its first release in 1993. The Win32 subsystem has worked well ever since. Why would Microsoft throw away years of working, tested code to run Win32 apps in a VM sandbox, with all the attendant extra RAM requirements and barriers to inter-application communication?

We believe that Microsoft will be bundling the ability to run older applications in virtual machines if desired as part of the base Windows 7 product. Microsoft has been on this track for a while now: it released an older version of Virtual PC as a free download last year, and included a stripped-down version as part of Windows Vista Ultimate and Enterprise. Building a VM into Windows 7 will be the ultimate way of handling older applications that misbehave on modern versions of Windows. It will not be required, however.

The kernel gets smaller, but don’t expect MinWin miracles

Some technology journalists who read about the “MinWin” demonstration immediately thought that the Windows 7 core would magically shrink to MinWin’s specs of 25MB of disk and 40MB of RAM. Unfortunately, that excitement is a little misguided: MinWin is missing the entire graphical interface of Windows, as well as 90 percent of its functionality. Much of the bulk of Windows 7 will be due to the operating system supporting extra features that are not part of MinWin. However, the point of the exercise was to show that the Windows NT kernel continues to be developed and optimized.

Still, you can expect the trend of modularizing Windows to continue with Windows 7—Windows Server 2008 can already be run without the GUI, and this feature might eventually find itself in the consumer versions of Windows as well.

Multitouch? Multitouch.

The Internet was abuzz when a Microsoft employee in the Tablet PC division posted an excited message on his blog. Pulling no punches, he boasted that “if you are impressed by the “touch features” in the iPhone, you’ll be blown away by what’s coming in Windows 7.”

Microsoft has been working on multitouch technology with its Surface technology, and parts of this technology are indeed coming to Tablet PCs and laptops—Microsoft Research’s Steve Hodges demonstrated one possible way this transition could happen. Multitouch is definitely the future, and it looks like Windows 7 will be ready.

But when will Windows 7 be ready for the public? Microsoft isn’t saying, but my source tells me it is farther along than most people think: most of the features have been locked down, and work is proceeding at a steady pace. Longhorn this isn’t: Windows 7 is unlikely to fall into the tar pits of multiple, interlocking dependencies that plagued the Vista development team. Current estimates are for Windows 7 to appear in 2010, but it could arrive in late 2009 if all continues to go well.

Source: Ars Technica

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Its no secret that Microsoft has already begun work on the next version of Windows, Windows 7 (formerly, Windows Vienna). Little is known about, since Microsoft is keeping mum on it, lest it should repeat the disaster that was Vista (or rather Longhorn’s) development cycle. Let’s take a look at what we know so far about Windows 7.

1. It will be released in late 2009 - This is perhaps the only solid fact that we know about Windows 7. Other than Windows Vista, all previous Windows versions have been released within at least 3 years of each other, so with Vista’s debut in January 2007 we can safely assume Windows 7 so be in stores by late 2009 (or at the latest early 2010).

2. It will be a minor release: According to Microsoft, every other release of Windows will be a major update, therefore, since Windows Vista was a major release, Windows 7 is set to be  minor update. However there is still some chance that Windows 7 will be a major release. Firstly it bears a whole new version number, secondly since Windows Vista was largely a disappointing release, Microsoft might be compelled to make the next version much more interesting.

3. There will be both 32-bit and 64-bit versions: Although the official word so far is that Windows 7 will be 64 bit, it should be noted that when Windows XP was released, Windows Longhorn was planned to be a 64-bit version only. Since most of the PCs in existence today are 32-bit, with so signs of a radical shift to 64-bit anytime soon, Windows 7 should be released in both 32-bit versions.

4. There will be a new UI component: When Microsoft first drew up plans for Windows 7 (back when it was codenamed Blackcomb), there were rumors that the current UI will be replaced with an entirely new one, with some reference to a sort of radial-dial. Where are no chances for a complete overhaul of the current interface, MIcrosoft has been working on several new UI ideas, some of which may slip into Windows 7. Indeed, this might be a way to transition us from the current UI to the new one in future WIndows releases.

5. Hypervisor: Microsoft is currently working on a new hypervisor system codenamed “Viridian” with OS integration at the lowest level, and already Windows Vista includes extensions to boost performance when running on top of the Viridian hypervisor. We can expect Windows 7 to have a higher level of interaction with Viridian.

Now, those are the only tidbits, that we know of yet, or have heard rumors about, but there are some other minor specifics that we can easily guess. We can safely assume that all current bundled applications will be updated, some more than others, below are some speculations.

1. Internet Explorer 9: This is an easy guess, IE7 is out already and IE8 is set to be released in mid-2008, so we can fully expect IE9 to ship with Windows 7. Internet Explorer 7 was a rather rushed release, as Microsoft tried to stem the growth of Mozilla Firefox, and most of its new additions (such as tabs) seem flaky at times. Therefore we can expect IE8 to be a solid release, which, rather than introducing new features, improves the current feature-set, and makes the UI much more responsive. This seems to make Internet Explorer 9 a prime candidate for new and innovative features.

2.Windows Media Player/Windows Media Center: Its a given that new versions of WMP always make it into new Windows releases, and Windows Media Center are also expected to be a regular bundled application with all new versions of Windows. We can expect WMP12 and WMC Fiji with Windows Vista Service Pack 1, and future versions to be included in Windows 7.

3. Virtual Desktops: Mac OSX already has it, and Linux had it for a long time, so it would only make sense that Microsoft will be implementing virtual desktops into Windows 7.

4. System Restore: With OSX Leopard’s Time Machine making such an impression with the general public, it can be expected that Windows 7 will improve upon its own backup tool.

5. Paint.NET: So far this has been an independent project that was under the guidance of Microsoft, but Microsoft has always acknowledged that Paint.NET with one day replace the current ‘Paint’ application in Windows.

There is also a slight possibility that Microsoft will be integrating Windows Live services much more strongly into Windows 7, although it might raise allegations of anti-competitive business strategies. But there might be certain unique Live services that make it into Windows 7, such as Live Drive. Other Microsoft services such as MSN Soapbox might also be a significant part of applications such as Windows Media Center.

It is still too early to tell what shape Windows 7 may take, but we can hope that the recent wave of innovations we have been seeing from Microsoft will carry on into the next two years.

Source: Tech the blog

Windows Seven now has an official ship target — 2010.

At Microsoft’s Global Exchange (MGX) annual sales conference in Orlando this week, Microsoft shared a bit more — albeit at a high level — on Windows Seven, according to a copy of a slide deck I saw that was distributed to the field sales force during the conference. Among the information shared was that Microsoft is anticipating it will take at least three years from now to get the next version of Windows client out the door.

Last time anyone got Microsoft to talk dates about Windows Seven, the next big Windows client release, a Windows exec slipped up and said something about 2009.

Microsoft officials told MGX attendees that the company is currently internally planning Windows Seven. So far, the company has determined Windows Seven will come in both 32- and 64-bit flavors. No word on how many SKUs or any kind of guidance on features was provided, but Microsoft did say it would address both consumer and business segments with Windows Seven. Microsoft is mulling the concept of how to extend Windows Seven with subscription-based services, according to the deck — more like Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP), which Microsoft currently offers to its Software Assurance customers, than Windows Live, however.

(MDOP builds on top of the Windows Vista Enterprise Centralized Desktop SKU — also only available to Software Assurance volume licensees. It includes: asset inventory, SoftGrid application virtualization, diagnostics and recovery toolset, advanced group-policy management and desktop error-monitoring capabilities.)

Maybe this talk of extending Windows with certain Software Assurance-only subscription services is what spurred the Gartner Group to predict this week that Microsoft plans to make Software Assurance mandatory? Not sure….

Before Microsoft delivers Windows Seven, it plans to roll out an update to its current MDOP offering, Vista Service Pack 1 and then another MDOP update, according to the deck. Microsoft made no dates — tentative or otherwise — available for these planned releases via the deck.

Microsoft officials confirmed the veracity of this Windows Seven information. (I know! Shocking! Right after I spent the week dinging them for increasing opacity!)

The long version of Microsoft’s statement, courtesy of a Windows client spokesperson:

“As part of our ongoing outreach to enterprise customers and partners, Microsoft has begun sharing plans for how they will continue to deliver value to businesses in the future, including Software Assurance customers in particular. As part of this, we are sharing some preliminary information on Windows ‘7’ — the internal name for the next version of the Windows Client OS — as well as updates on other future Windows-related releases such as the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack. Microsoft 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. In the meantime, Microsoft is dedicated to helping customers deploy and get the most business value from their PCs using Windows Vista and related technologies like the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack, and we’re encouraged by the response and adoption of these products so far.”

Short answer: Yes, it is going to take us at least three years to release Windows Seven. Longer if it’s buggy and doesn’t hit the “quality bar.”

The Windows teams a while back set themselves the goal of releasing new versions of Windows client and Windows server every two years, alternating between major and minor releases. Microsoft’s Office team has prided itself on releasing like clockwork new versions every 24 to 36 months.

Source: ZDNET

Chicago (IL) - Several industry sources have confirmed to TG Daily that a very early version of Windows 7, previously code-named Blackcomb Vienna, already has been shipped to “key partners” as a “Milestone 1” (M1) code drop for validation purposes. A roadmap received by TG Daily indicates that the new operating system will be introduced in the second half of 2009.

While it has generally been believed that Windows 7 was scheduled for a 2010 debut, Microsoft has revised the roadmap and apparently moved up the release date by a few months: A recently distributed roadmap of the OS lists a release to manufacturing in H2 2009. Microsoft declined to comment on this date.

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The first phones with Windows Mobile 7 will go on sale in 2009 but already now you can learn (almost) everything about it (including hint that it will support multi-touch!):
Windows Mobile 7 will use touch gestures, similar to how the iPhone does. You will be able to flick through lists, pan, swipe sideway, draw on the screen. A lot of emphasis has been put on making navigation easier and doing away with scrollbars, including a new scroll handle that allows for multiple ways of finding items extremely fast.
Windows Mobile 7 will use motion gestures, something the iPhone does not. It will not use an intricate and complicated series of gyroscopes and accelerometers. Instead, it will use the camera on the phone to detect motions and create appropriate actions. You will be able to shake, twist and otherwise manipulate the phone and get things done. The phone will be able to perform actions when placed face down on a surface, and it will know when it is in your pocket or bag.
To learn more, including screenshots and detailed description of the Windows Mobile 7, click HERE.

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