Windows Vista successor scheduled for a H2 2009 release?

[Fergie]

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.

The current M1 drop is available to Microsoft partners in English only and has shipped in x86 and x64 versions. An interesting feature that has been highlighted by Microsoft is the ability of the M1 software to handle a heterogeneous graphics system consisting of multiple graphics cards from different vendors. A new version of the Media center is already integrated in this software, but supports PC speakers only at this time.

If Microsoft will be able to keep the H2 2009 RTM (and most likely) release date in place, the company will have two busy. The M2 code drop is currently scheduled for April/May 2008, M3 will follow in the third quarter. The dates for the first Beta and the release candidate are still listed as ?To be determined? but it doesn?t take much to see that the first beta versions could become available a year from now.

We will have more clarity on when we could see Windows 7 going into production will when Microsoft announces Windows Logo Program Changes for Windows 7. According to the policy of the firm, these changes will be announced 18 months prior to the scheduled RTM.

There are very few pieces of information about Windows 7 and the features it will bring available at this time. So far, we have heard only about new touchscreen features as well as ? and probably most interesting ? MinWin, a much smaller kernel of the operating system that takes up only 40 MB of memory.

http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/35641/118/

If this is true, I hope it leaks soon.

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

Such a roadmap would state that dates are estimates or not even that strong!

[ahhell]

Q2 2009 is way too soon.

[Steven P. Administrators]

Q2 2009 is way too soon.

Not if it is like a Vista R2 though? (with the new kernel)

[insomniac9]

If this is true, I hope it leaks soon.

I hope it's true as well. There may be a lot of annoyed Vista users though.

[Boeing 787]

Wasn't Longhorn suppose to be out in 2004....and finally made it out in 2007 only half done.

It's Microsoft don't set your schedule to their release dates.

[Xerxes]

Q2 2009 is way too soon.

Not really, it's about what it should be. It just feels too soon cause of how long XP stayed out. I'm not sure how well accepted Windows 7 will be, Vista isn't doing so well and isn't exactly been welcomed with open arms, drivers are only starting to get better and well it still has a while to go before it is on par with XP (I still like Vista and use it almost exclusively), considering that, throwing yet another version of Windows into the mix is going to make for some interesting times I think.

Wasn't Longhorn suppose to be out in 2004....and finally made it out in 2007 only half done.

It's Microsoft don't set your schedule to their release dates.

Very true, however, Microsoft can't afford to do that again with Windows 7. Look at the backlash they got with Vista over it! they need to ensure it is out on a timely manner this time.

[Iian K]

Ooohh... News on Vienna. :)

I'd like to see the progress..

[Cloud02]

i searched on flickr just see if i could find a logo of windows seven

and then i found this guy who apparently has posted screendump of the alpha build. No way of knowing if they're real or not, but it sure looks interesting.

http://flickr.com/photos/xazac/

[Xerxes]

i searched on flickr just see if i could find a logo of windows seven

and then i found this guy who apparently has posted screendump of the alpha build. No way of knowing if they're real or not, but it sure looks interesting.

http://flickr.com/photos/xazac/

I'm betting on fake, from what I've heard the current Windows 7 builds look like Vista, as most of the changes (currently) are under the hood. The GUI etc doesn't come to much later in the development (I think).

[NoneAvail]

1+ for Fake, Plus it looks as if he is using a tablet pc or some sort touch screen device.

[Martyn]

Q2 2009? No way.

Vista was a timescale disaster for Microsoft. I remember playing with the Alpha version of Longhorn way back in 2004, and it was over three years later than "Vista" was released.

I don't expect the next version of Windows until 2011/2012. Besides, I do not think consumers are ready for a new version of Windows. They where forced to use XP for so long, and it was almost a new thing for them when Vista was released...so a new release of Windows so soon after Vista will confuse consumers and I don't think they will be motivated to upgrade.

[JiveMasterT]

1+ for Fake, Plus it looks as if he is using a tablet pc or some sort touch screen device.

...although that would make sense since it is supposed to have a number of new touch screen related features.

[1Frothy]

I believe that Microsoft is planning Windows 7 for a late 2009 release. But I also think that Beta 1 will be delivered by Q4 this year.

(Y)

[Cloud02]

I'm betting on fake, from what I've heard the current Windows 7 builds look like Vista, as most of the changes (currently) are under the hood.

and right after

The GUI etc doesn't come to much later in the development (I think).

So.. you've heard the Windows 7 builds look like Vista, yet you believe that the GUI is first implemented later on in the process ...

Anyways, someone basically just has to confirm that the Messenger 9 preview is legit, then the rest might very well be as well.

[DigitalE]

They say 2009; they really mean late 2011.

[Draconian Guppy]

way off topic, that fake would make a nice skin :p

[1Frothy]

They say 2009; they really mean late 2011.

I think with Sinofsky at the helm you might just be surprised.

[Xerxes]

and right after

So.. you've heard the Windows 7 builds look like Vista, yet you believe that the GUI is first implemented later on in the process ...

Anyways, someone basically just has to confirm that the Messenger 9 preview is legit, then the rest might very well be as well.

What is wrong with that? it's currently just a modified build of Vista (they are not building it from scratch, well I don't think so anyway?), so why wouldn't it look like it? I was referring to the new GUI for Windows 7 that won't be done till later on. Guess I wasn't very clear :p

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

i searched on flickr just see if i could find a logo of windows seven

and then i found this guy who apparently has posted screendump of the alpha build. No way of knowing if they're real or not, but it sure looks interesting.

http://flickr.com/photos/xazac/

Those two 1075 shots actually look pretty real.

1+ for Fake, Plus it looks as if he is using a tablet pc or some sort touch screen device.

On December 11, 2007, Hilton Locke, who worked on the Tablet PC team at Microsoft reported that Windows 7 will have new touch features.

? I will say that if you are impressed by the "touch features" in the iPhone, you'll be blown away by what's coming in Windows 7. Now if only we could convince more OEMs that Windows Touch Technology is going to drive their sales.

[Farchord]

Those two 1075 shots actually look pretty real.

Look at the down shots, the comments, it's only a prototype. Anyway, even if it was even real, there's no way that's even close to what the end build will look like.

[ShaneSparky_YYZ]

I'm betting on fake, from what I've heard the current Windows 7 builds look like Vista, as most of the changes (currently) are under the hood. The GUI etc doesn't come to much later in the development (I think).

Yup, the GUI doesn't change much until Beta period. However, MS did mention there is a circle thingy in the middle of the screen and no start button in the next OS. I'm sure the screens are fake too but if they want it like that they gotta change it earlier on.

[tiagosilva29]

Look at the down shots, the comments, it's only a prototype. Anyway, even if it was even real, there's no way that's even close to what the end build will look like.

They're just mockups from that fellow... There's even a Windows Vista - The Buggest Operative System wallpaper (that I will add to my collection, mind you).

[y_notm]

However, MS did mention there is a circle thingy in the middle of the screen and no start button in the next OS.

No they didn't. Thats a fanboy dream that has somehow become accepted as legit. MS hasn't stated anything about 7's UI, other than it will include more natural language and touch interaction.

And the UI is undoubtably being worked on, it just hasn't reached the main build lab.

The report seems pretty accurate, as does the date (I've read in several places that Windows 7 was ahead of schedule), and the little tidbits like heterogenous video cards (vista is limited to working with only one model of graphics card in a system at a time) and the audio problems with MCE lead me to believe that 1. WDDM 2.0 is coming along nicely and 2. the audio stack is being overhauled again, probably to deal with the many complaints that hardware vendors and customers alike have with the current Vista stack.

So yes, what we're looking at is low level stuff, but at M1, that makes sense.

The only thing that doesn't make sense is that we're hearing about this. I've never heard of a vendor leaking that M1 was released for any prior windows version.

[Fonze]

From what Microsoft had said previously about what is now Windows 7, it would be more of a revolutionary release and not an evolutionary one. I think Vista ended up being a revolutionary release on the backend, with all of the network, audio, and video component changes, but only had some evolutionary changes to the actual UI of the OS.

Windows 7 will probably end up having a more revolutionary change to the UI and less drastic changes of the underlying components of the OS. I forget his name, but I read recently that one of the people that played a major part in the development of the UI for OS X is actually working for Microsoft and is going to be working on Windows 7.