Mr. Dee Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 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.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. 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. Interesting read here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNay Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Cool, thx for the post ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Frothy Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Wow. That is really exciting. I wonder when the Beta for Windows 7 will start then? Good to hear Windows 7 at least has a boot screen with a logo, that's 1 better than Vista already. :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenser.d Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 I would imagine that they're very hard at work and that it's quite far along, considering Steve Ballmer promised no more 5-year waits. Good news! -Spenser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rvbfan Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 No ****, you think they start a week before RTM? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
y_notm Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 No ****, you think they start a week before RTM? Seriously. Did anyone really think they weren't working on it at this point? How about the MinWin demonstration, where do you think that came from? They've been working on 7 for months. And I'm sure they are working on the UI as well. It just hasn't made it into any builds that source has seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BajiRav Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Wow. That is really exciting. I wonder when the Beta for Windows 7 will start then?Good to hear Windows 7 at least has a boot screen with a logo, that's 1 better than Vista already. :p touche! :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randomnut Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Good to hear. After using Vista on both my work and home machines, i'm going to be skipping it alltogether now i've gone back to XP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Frothy Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 touche! :p ;) I just couldn't resist. Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NienorGT Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Well... they didn't say that the Next OS from MS would be in 2009? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurmoth Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 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. Interesting read here I find it hard to believe that "most of the features have been locked down." Considering that the Windows team is really focusing on Vista SP1 and XP SP3, I suspect that statement is a bit premature. I could be wrong though, hopefully I am, but I doubt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malisk Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 If they're planning for a shorter timeline this time, the only thing that surprise me is that they call it Windows 7, as in a major milestone release, unlike what XP was to 2000. I'm not sure that the Windows crowd needs after the major changes in Vista is another release just like that... again. But maybe it's just version inflation. However, that would in that case be the first time in Microsoft's history of Windows releases since 1.0. They usually never version inflate Windows releases. What I think Vista needs is a major evolutionary update, not a another revolutionary one. That's in part a major reason companies still haven't switched to Vista. It's too expensive to change processes within the company for the gained benefits. I think MS should aim for many smaller releases over time instead, that gives a nice transition path for their end users, rather than what this is looking like and what they did with Vista. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impact Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Sounds good. I agree with Frothy though, I mean it's freaking annoying not having a boot screen with vista. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurmoth Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 If they're planning for a shorter timeline this time, the only thing that surprise me is that they call it Windows 7, as in a major milestone release, unlike what XP was to 2000. I'm not sure that the Windows crowd needs after the major changes in Vista is another release just like that... again. But maybe it's just version inflation. However, that would in that case be the first time in Microsoft's history of Windows releases since 1.0. They usually never version inflate Windows releases. What I think Vista needs is a major evolutionary update, not a another revolutionary one. That's in part a major reason companies still haven't switched to Vista. It's too expensive to change processes within the company for the gained benefits. I think MS should aim for many smaller releases over time instead, that gives a nice transition path for their end users, rather than what this is looking like and what they did with Vista. From what I've read and heard, the development time is suppose to be three years for Windows 7. And Vista wasn't as major of a milestone as what they had originally said. I have a feeling we'll get enough features and change in Win7 that were suppose to be in Vista to justify jumping from 6.1 to 7.0. It is still to early though to say what Win7 will be like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilbert Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 I have to agree it is way to early for any features to be locked down, except major core ones, but even then they would be spending months testing new features and how they worked with the core OS. Vista has only been out 1 year, I would guess we would really not start to hear anything about Windows 7 until mid to late next year with a limited beta in late 08, or early 09 with release in late 2009. But that is ALL speculation Bigger things I will be looking forward to will be Vista SP1 RTM and the next version of Media Center due in '08. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurmoth Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 ^ Agreed. The earliest I think we'll truly start hearing about Win7 features is PDC 08. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenser.d Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 I'm willing to bet a lot of features are locked down. What you guys don't seem to be taking into account is that, while they did just release Vista, they were probably already working on Windows 7 well before Vista hit RTM, and while they're working on SP's for Vista and XP, there's probably way more people working on Windows 7. It's pretty easy to see how it could be feature locked (or at least very close to it). -Spenser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Des429 Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 regarding UI, they should have a total revamp of what windows looks like. they've had the same general UI for the past 14 years (click the little button in the bottom left corner, etc). all they've done in the last 14 yeras is change the look of that button, and the bars that make up the windows. They need to start thinking of some more creative ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goji Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Pictures or its not happening ;) Had to say it. I'm reserving judgment on this one. Following Longhorn/Vista development led me to beleive that Win 6 was to be the kitchen sinks of all OS's. I hope this one lives up to full expectations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riceboyler Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Sounds good. I agree with Frothy though, I mean it's freaking annoying not having a boot screen with vista. I'm sorry, but are you kidding? Is that really the most important part of the operating system to you? No wonder Microsoft can't get any credit for Vista whatsoever. It kills me how people were about to die because Microsoft didn't have a "pretty" OS that used the video card for rendering like the holy Macs. Now, those same pundits complain because it's slower than XP. In my personal experience, using Vista has been more a pleasure than a chore. For the hardware I have (which is certainly not the newest), it runs quite well, and there are things about Vista that really miss in XP when I have to use it. To me, that's the mark of a good OS. I'm sure Windows 7 won't catch any slack either. Last point: if it's (apparently) so easy to build a world-class Operating System for the masses, why hasn't anybody else really been able to do it? (And don't try to tell me that OS X is for the masses. There is FAR more software it's entirely incompatible with than it's compatible with, and it's only in use on approximately 10% of systems worldwide. Very good OS, on very limited hardware.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreadBoat89 Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 they did remove things from vista's "supposed to be included" feature list... i guess they placed those in win7's list... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huleboeren Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Sounds good. I agree with Frothy though, I mean it's freaking annoying not having a boot screen with vista. bootscreen right? Why is it annoying NOT having one? :s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurmoth Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 I'm willing to bet a lot of features are locked down. What you guys don't seem to be taking into account is that, while they did just release Vista, they were probably already working on Windows 7 well before Vista hit RTM, and while they're working on SP's for Vista and XP, there's probably way more people working on Windows 7. It's pretty easy to see how it could be feature locked (or at least very close to it).-Spenser You have to remember though that Steven Sinofsky just recently took over the Windows team. He took over right after Vista was released, so nothing had probably been done until he took over. Jim Allchin only just retired Dec. 31, 2006, and I doubt he did anything with Win7 besides giving it the name Vienna. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Frothy Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 bootscreen right?Why is it annoying NOT having one? :s I don't know exactly what it is but it makes a product feel incomplete if badging is missing. Can't imagine Ford shipping a new model of vehicle or Apple shipping a new product without their respective logo's. You have to remember though that Steven Sinofsky just recently took over the Windows team. He took over right after Vista was released, so nothing had probably been done until he took over. Jim Allchin only just retired Dec. 31, 2006, and I doubt he did anything with Win7 besides giving it the name Vienna. And I'm so glad that Allchin's codename for the 'next windows' is changed to Windows 7. Too many disappointments associated with 'Allchin' for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilbert Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 From what I've read and heard, the development time is suppose to be three years for Windows 7. And Vista wasn't as major of a milestone as what they had originally said. I have a feeling we'll get enough features and change in Win7 that were suppose to be in Vista to justify jumping from 6.1 to 7.0.It is still to early though to say what Win7 will be like. Vista was a major release that did not go as well as planned, correct. Windows 7 was, and I say was, supposed to be a R2 release. I do believe Microsoft may take lessons learned from Vista and create a new major release that is slimmer at the core Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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