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They are likely going to end up supporting Windows XP until 2014 so I guess if people don't like the next version after Vista they can still wait. lol.

Guess they're putting the pedal to the metal, all right.

MIAMI--Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates on Friday indicated that Windows 7, the next major version of Windows, could come within the next year, far ahead of the development schedule previously indicated by the software maker.

In response to a question about Windows Vista, Gates, speaking before the Inter-American Development Bank here, said: "Sometime in the next year or so we will have a new version." Referring to Windows 7, the code name for the next full release of Windows client software, Gates said: "I'm super-enthused about what it will do in lots of ways."

...

Windows 7 and its intended feature list have been the topic of speculation since Microsoft discussed some details of the new software last summer.

At that time, Microsoft said little except that Windows 7 will ship in consumer and business versions, and in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. The company also confirmed that it is considering a subscription model to complement Windows, but did not provide specifics or a time frame.

Less than 24 hours ago, a Microsoft representative told CNET News.com that the company expects to ship the successor to Vista roughly three years from Vista's January 2007 debut.

Gates: Windows 7 may come 'in the next year'

2010... or sooner? 7 will be an iteration of Vista & Server '08, and MS is pushing now for driver writing to start early (i.e. on time).

Last week, after months of tight-lipped silence, Microsoft debuted Windows 7 to the press in a keynote at the Californian D6 conference.  The new operating system was clearly explained not to be a new architecture from Windows Vista, but rather an iterative improvement on Windows Server 2008 and Vista code.

...

As Microsoft's top leaders, Chairman and founder Bill Gates and Chief Executive Steve Ballmer, have publicly committed to moving the release date up from 2010 to 2009, Microsoft has begun an early drive to urge hardware manufacturers to begin developing their drivers and testing them on upcoming beta versions of the OS.

By testing the beta versions of the OS, Microsoft hopes to avoid one of the major problems that plagued Windows Vista's early days, particularly those of the 64-bit version -- driver incompatibility.  Microsoft is adopting a carrot and stick approach for driver testing.  Hardware manufacturers who fail to heed Microsoft's bidding won't qualify for Microsoft's Windows Logo certified compatibility program for Windows 7 or Vista.  In a bulletin (PDF) Microsoft states, "Beginning with the first beta of Windows 7 all Windows Vista submissions must include a complete CPK with tests logs from Windows 7."

When Microsoft mentions CPK, they are talking about the electronics testing process.

My bold. http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=11954

Last edited by Bat (2008-06-04 12:03 am)

Don't quite know how to respond here...

sturner wrote:

Does this mean it will spam itself?

Does what mean it will 'spam itself?'

I find updates from MS to be often and large. I hate doing the updates, because they seem to execute only a part of them and require me to update again and again.

That's not been my experience. Aside from the occasional urgent security patch, most updates occur first Tuesday of the month, and almost all take on the first try.

Could well be. Anyway, here's what to expect this Tuesday.

Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification for June 2008
Published: June 5, 2008

Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification issued: June 5, 2008
Microsoft Security Bulletins to be issued: June 10, 2008

This is an advance notification of security bulletins that Microsoft is intending to release on June 10, 2008.

[etc]