RSSMicrosoft Not Discussing Windows 7, Office 14
By Nate Mook | Published February 15, 2007, 8:29 PM
Now that Vista and Office 2007 are officially out the door, Windows enthusiasts have been busy scrounging up what they can about the next versions of both products. Not much has turned up besides code-names and potential features, but a number of blog posts prompted Microsoft to say publicly that it's not saying anything.
The commotion largely began at the RSA Security conference last week, where Windows Core Operating System Division Corporate Vice President Ben Fathi told an audience that the next major release of Windows is about two to two-and-a-half years out, indicating a 2009 timeframe.
Reports also surfaced that Microsoft was already calling the next-generation release "Windows 7," dropping the code-name "Vienna" it had used previously. Microsoft watcher Mary Jo Foley, who first broke the news, proposed the reason was likely because the update will follow NT 6.0, the code-name used to refer to the core that powers Windows XP and Vista.
Microsoft attempted to quash the rumors late Tuesday, issuing a terse press release "in response to recent speculation."
"The launch of Windows Vista was an incredibly exciting moment for our customers and partners around the world, and the company is focused on the value Windows Vista will bring to people today. We are not giving official guidance to the public yet about the next version of Windows, other than that we’re working on it," said Windows Client Director Kevin Kutz.
"When we are ready, we will provide updates."
But the response seemingly did more to provoke than appease. "People, like myself, have been dissecting Vista for a very long time. To us, Vista is old news, and we've talked it to death. It needs millions of people using it to judge it's full effect on the market, which will take time. What are we supposed to do in the meantime?" asked Microsoft MVP Robert McLaws.
"So Microsoft, instead of getting annoyed because we need something to do, you guys need to chalk it up as an unwanted side effect of taking 5 years to get your last product out the door," McLaws added.
"Customers want and need to know roughly what's coming when in order to plan their corporate and consumer PC purchases," said Foley. "There's a big difference between 2009 (the supposed current target for Windows 7) and 2011 (the possible target given Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates' two-to-four year time window for the next version of Windows)."
The next release of Office has heated up the rumor mill as well. Slides from a presentation on Office System given in Denmark leaked to the site AeroXperience, leaking out a couple of interesting tidbits that bloggers jumped on.
First, Microsoft is skipping over the Office 13 code-name due to its unlucky connotation and moving forward with "Office 14." Second, Office 14 is targeted to the first half of 2009, 26 to 36 months after the release of Office 2007, the slides indicated.
But Microsoft says the presentation was simply designed to start a discussion on the next release of Office, and everything was still up in the air. "It's common for Microsoft to be planning and having conversations around the next version of Office, and while it is typical for the Office team to deliver a new version every 2 to 3 years there is nothing to disclose at this time," the company said in a statement.
While it's clear that it's too early to speculate on next-generation products, Foley says Microsoft is simply going to create more confusion by saying one thing in private and another in public.
I think Microsoft's biggest fear is the evolution of the operating systems, like linux and IBM OS/Warp.
And I think it is loosing lots of sleep over the evolution of open source softwares for these platforms.
It seems that the days are near that most roads no longer lead to Rome, eg Microsoft. One wonders if Bill Gates can play a fiddle...
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|Haha! And the masses of knowledgeable technoids are perplexed!
They just launched Vista! Even a MS hater should realize that it makes no sense to divert attention away from the launch by discussing future developments!
MS's entire focus should be on Vista. First and last! That is their job and their function. Only a fool would expect otherwise! After all, despite the fact that it seems to confuse so many, it is a BUSINESS! And their job is to promote and sell Vista!
And the crowd wanders around bewildered...
And to think that some have suggested that there are some on this site who are knowledgeable in both the technical and in the business aspects of IT...If that's so, it would be a nice time to make an appearance!
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|Sinofsky is 180 degrees opposite of Allchin. The W7 team is being formed by a mix of "some" people from Vista/Longhorn, Office2007, Live and new hires. It's going to be a vastly different world between Q2/07 and when W7 ships.
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|Reading between lines: They announced so many features for longhorn and most of them were crippled for Vi$ta RTM that may be wise for them to shut up.
Another reading: Microsoft doesn't really know what to do after the lack of success of Vi$ta and Office 2007. Sales are not what they expected. That's a great thing for the rest of mortals, but they should be scratching their heads on how to f*ck us better next time. Sorry, I can't find backspace here... I mean, on how to produce better dividends next time (other than rising prices for nothing, again, like Vista or Office 2007).
Yet another reading is that Apple still didn't release Leopard, so they still have to wait to see where the real thing is going to, to start "developing"
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|If only I had said that. Linux keeps encroaching, however incrementally, more and more defect to Apple (why I don't know), but as with Office 2007 and OXML, Microsoft is its own worst enemy. I bought Vista and trust me, it's going to need a awful big Service Pack 1 to fix some of its problems.
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|We've BEEN talking about Office 2007 and Vista for years (hello...beta/s?). Now we're bored with it. What's next, and let's hope it's better then this year's offerings.
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|Can we not worry about it for a little bit, please? It feels like the 2006 elections: As soon as they were over, people were going on about the 2008 presidential election. Can we please just let it be for like a year or so?
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|Agreed.
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|Doesn't matter if they keep a lid on it or not. Information will leak. Plus, when the beta comes out for developers, everyone will know anyway... followed by Apple not being able to finish Windows drivers for whatever hardware they have on that platform, even though they would have had plenty of time.
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|They will do like they always do.
Wait for everyone else to release new os and then "start the photocopy machine..."
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|that's funny...only because it's a stupid statement...there there...pats head
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|Well if you consider that it's a photocopier that takes black-and-white prints and makes them color...
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|HEllo!
> It forced people to leave behind DOS.
DOS and 16-bit Windows applications still work
in 32-bit Windows Vista x86!
Regards, Roman
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|And it's because of people like you who want to test it that we still have to have the backwards compatibility, and thus bloated installer size.
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|So the big story here is - in a few years from now there will be new versions of Office and Windows.
Duh!
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|Windows 7 will most likely only come in 64 bit version. Vista was originally supposed to be primarily 64 bit, with the 32 bit version available for older computers but it hasn't worked out that way.
People now should only be buying the 64 bit version of Vista with new computers. The only downside is a lack of support by some devices in regards to drivers. This is a moot point, as 64 bit version of windows (XP x64 edition) has been available for 1 1/2 years, so they have had plenty of time to port the drivers over. It is only the driver itself, not the control applications that need to be 64 bit. If the companies don't support 64 bit operating system now the simple thing is not to buy their products, as it shows the lack of commitment to compatibility. That is, if you have a problem with a device they're hardly likely to give you support if they don't even have the support for 64 bit versions of Windows.
Windows 7 will also most likely scrap some backward compatibility, so although many older programmes would not work on it, it means less code and a more stable platform. It will therefore be more efficient coding and unlikely to be any more taxing on the computer system as Vista is currently.
Office 14 will most likely be only 64 bit version as well. This would most likely be based on say, Net Framework 4 (since 3 is already out) or later.
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|Ya know one thing I hate? How companies force you to upgrade... who says I want to use 64 bit? I'm fine with 32 bit windows XP.
That said, I can understand why microsoft is keeping the lid on it's plans for Windows 7. But I do not under the skipping number 13... 13 has always been lucky to me... can someone explain?
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|Ya know one thing I hate? How companies force you to upgrade... who says I want to use 64 bit? I'm fine with 32 bit windows XP.
And what's the deal with these damn telephones, eh? I was just fine with my morse-code and smoke signals, dammit.
/sarcasm
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|it's only because the industry was split with 64bit computing...the logic is that we will advance and advance. But they wanted to apply business and profits instead of just moving forward at the cost of profits.
Lack of faith in consumers. They only think consumers adopt tech if it's a game console.
So they made the rest of the industry wait as well as the consumers.
I'm guessing 3 years and we will be comfortably in 64bits. Total guess though.
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|I am still using 32 bit and have no problem with it. It's fast enough for my needs. Not like I'm compiling applications for the 2040 Space Shuttle or something.
I'm surfing the web, emailing, and playing Team Fortress (yes that old game).
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|Ya know one thing I hate? How companies force you to upgrade... who says I want to use 64 bit? I'm fine with 32 bit windows XP.
So 32bit XP is going to magically stop working? Is that how you are going to be forced to upgrade?
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|I've never been "forced" to upgrade... I do so, because I like technology and have chosen to make a career out of it. Therefore, it's only sensible that I would upgrade to keep up with it.
If you want to use 32bit XP, do it... but don't you dare open your mouth about how you can't use the latest fixes or a company says, "we're not going to support you."
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|See, thats the problem...
The way I see it, technology is pretty much perfect... I don't see a thing that can't be done with a 32bit processor that I want to be able to do...
Unless they plan to make computers where you can smell or taste (the air of) the zombies you are blowing up, I don't really see much point to upgrade.
Can someone give me a logical reason why 64bit is better then 32bit OTHER then it's newer... what can it do that 32bit can't? Don't tell me it can run more of this or it's more secure with that... what can it DO?
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|Do you see 16bit operating systems these days? I mean, what was wrong with those processors? Why didn't DOS stay as the main OS?
(PS: okay, that last line is deliberately stupid, but you get my point... your forced to change cause the companies stop making them)
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|Thats exactly my view on things.
and you think team fortress is old? I still play Doom95 from time to time :P
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|Ya know, thats not as stupid as you were trying to make it sound...
Today we have a digital mobile phone network as well as 3G and whatever... and their discreetly trying to encourage we use the 3G one... but why...? and why do I want a phone that has all the latest MP3, wall paper, video phone, etc? Isn't a phone about calling someone? If I wanted to see them, I'd go around to their house or goto their work or whatever.
Yet today, I don't know of a mobile phone that is purely about talking to someone.
64 is not better then 32 bit either if thats what your implying.
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|You change because technology progresses and you either progress with it, or lag behind.
If DOS is good enough for you? Great!
It's not good enough for me.
Below you suggest that 64bit is not an improvement on 32bit. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to go back to 16bit now. I highly doubt, 5 years down the road, I'll want to go back to 32bit.
Keep in mind, 32-bit adoption took a bit as well, though it *was* helped by the fact that they didn't release a 32bit win95 and a 16bit win95.
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|The "soft" in "software" is why. It was conceived as a means for allowing future change with less effort and pain. Software is intended to change. Otherwise, it would all be burned into firmware and NEVER change. If you would prefer "surfing" the net with Lynx, and typing your resume in EDLIN or VI, fine. Have fun.
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|And people said that throughout the whole of history when something new was invented.
Who needs to go faster than 11 MPH?
Who needs more than 640KB of memory?
Explanation of the difference between 32bit and 64bit processors, which should give you a reasonable idea why everything will move to them:
http://www.softwaretipsa...4-and-32-bit-processors
*Where we're going, we don't need roads.*
/BTTF
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|You just don't get it, do you.
Why did we need the telephone over morse code?
In theory, we didn't.
In *fact*, however, we wanted our lives to be easier; quicker if you will.
With 3G mobiles you can access information quicker than having to run home or get caught looking it up at work etc. etc.
With 64bit processing things get done quicker, which inevitably is what people want.
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|I didn't expect a company as big as MS to succumb to the whole #13 nonsense. As if that would honestly affect business enough to even make mention of *rolls eyes*
The OCDs are gonna have a fit :D
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|Well, mega hotel chains don't have 13 floor.
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|well i just hope that they build a nice, new core you know, i dont want my computer to crash or to have many bugs you know and if they modifi the NT core then i will not buy the "new" windows "vienna"
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|What kind of logic is that? The NT "core" has been a major part of 2000, XP, and Vista... why would they not continue to use it?
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|Because everything gets old eventually.
It needs to be killed off and a newer and more effective one made.
If you don't change in business, you die.
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|How the hell can MS release the next OS in two years if they don't even know what they're gonna put in it? Either they are planning for Vista SE (AKA Vista SP3) or the OS will not be out until Aug 2010.
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|It's not about not knowing what will be in it, it's about not confirming what will be in it. Maybe you didn't pay attention to the whole Vista situation, but it's what got them in trouble... they bit off more than they could chew and had to make a LOT of cutbacks.
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|"NT 6.0, the code-name used to refer to the core that powers Windows XP and Vista."
Wrong; XP is NT 5.1. Just run "winver" and see for yourself.
7 just refers to the internal version number, which Windows stopped using publically starting with Windows 95/NT.
Singularity isn't intended to replace Windows. It can't. It is not designed to be backwards compatible with Windows applications, thus it can never replace Windows because the #1 needed feature of Windows is continued compatibility with old applications.
And skipping version 13 is just silly. Although I suppose it's more legitimate than Nullsoft jumping from Winamp 3 to Winamp 5.
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|I partially agree with you on the unwillingness of MS to drop their backwards compatability. It would be suicide, no one would upgrade. That said it is worth noting that MS did try this with the releas of the first version of win kernal 4 (95/NT 4). MS got all of the soft ware publishers to solely, or nearly solely, release their titles on that version of windows. This act had a two fold effect:
1. It effectivly killed OS/2.
2. It forced people to leave behind DOS.
It would not surprise me to similar tactics used to "encurage" people to upgrade to vista.
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|The name Winamp 5 came from this idea:
Winamp 2 + Winamp 3 = Winamp 5.
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|And who wants to see Winamp 4 skins?
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|I was a huge OS/2 fan. IBM killed OS/2 without any help from anyone else. DOS killed itself.
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|I think the Windows 7 kernal will be replaced with Singulariy, a Microsoft Reasearch project. I also think everything will be moved to Windows Presentation Foundation. It's going to be interesting!
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