Paul Thurrott updated his Windows 7 FAQ today. Information below. Again note his beliefs that Microsoft will ship Windows 7 as 64 bit only.
Q: Is Microsoft working on an operating system after Windows Vista?
A: Yes. The next client version of Windows was originally codenamed “Blackcomb,” though the company renamed it to “Windows Vienna” in early 2006 and to “Windows Seven” or “Windows 7″ more recently. I prefer Vienna, so I’ll continue to refer to it by that name here.
Q: Why Windows 7?
Since Windows Vista is really Windows 6.0, Vienna will presumably be version 7.0.
Q: I heard that Windows Vista will be the last major OS release from Microsoft. Is that true?
A: No. Windows-based PCs will continue to form the center of our digital lifestyles, and as Microsoft executives have noted in recent days, there are still plenty of areas in which Microsoft can improveWindows. Some obvious examples include voice recognition and storage.
Q: So is Vienna going to be a major Windows version?
A: No. Windows Vista was a major release, and Vienna will be a relatively minor, or interim, update. Microsoft is currently on a development path where every otherWindows version is a major release.
Q: When will Vienna ship?
A: Microsoft currently plans to ship Vienna in 2009, about two to two and a half years after Vista. The next major release of Windows is expected two years after Vienna, in 2011. (Windows Server updates are on a similar cycle.)
Q: What features will be included in Windows Vienna?
A: Microsoft hasn’t publicly committed to any features for Vienna and the company is currently still deciding what this next Windows release will look like. We do know a few things about Vienna, however: It will include a new version of Windows Explorer that is being built by the same team that designed the Ribbon user interface in Office 2007. It will likely include some form of the “Hypervisor” (Windows Virtualization) technologies that will ship shortly after Windows Server “Longhorn”. It will also likely include the WinFS (Windows Future Storage) technologies, though they won’t be packaged or branded as WinFS.
Q: That’s it?
A: Remember, it’s early yet and Microsoft is being very secretive about future Windows versions. However, the company has publicly issued a bit of information about the broad capabilities it intends to include in Vienna. This information comes from a publicly-available Microsoft slide deck:
Easier. Vienna will make it easier for users to find and use information. Local, network and Internet search functionality will converge. Intuitive user experiences will be further advanced. Automated application provisioning and cross-application data transparency will be integrated.
More secure. Vienna will include improved security and legislative compliance functionality. Data protection and management will be extended to peripheral devices. Vienna will advance role-based computing scenarios and user-account management, and bridge the inherent conflicts between data protection and robust collaboration. It will also enable enterprise-wide data protection and permissions.
Better connected. Vienna will further enable the mobile workforce. It will deliver anywhere, anytime, any device access to data and applications. It will enable a robust ad-hoc collaboration experience. Wireless connectivity, management and security functionality will be expanded. The performance and functionality of current and emerging mobile hardware will be optimized. The multiple device sync, management and data protection capabilities inWindows will be extended. Finally, Vienna will enable flexible computing infrastructures including rich, thin and network-centric models.
Lower cost. Vienna will help businesses optimize their desktop infrastructure. It will enable seamless OS, application and data migration, and simplified PC provisioning and upgrading. It will further efforts towards non-disruptive application updating and patching. Vienna will include improved hardware- and software-based virtualization experiences. And it will expand the PC self-help and IT Pro problem resolution diagnostics inWindows.
Q: Will Windows Vienna be available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions like Vista?
A: Vienna will almost certainly ship only in 64-bit versions. This is in keeping with Microsoft’s x64 migration schedule.
Q: Will Microsoft release any Windows updates between now and Vienna?
A: Yes. Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1, codenamed “Fiji”) will ship simultaneously with Windows Server “Longhorn” and will include a new kernel version that makes that release up to date with the kernel version in Longhorn. Fiji will almost certainly include a revision to the Media Center software inWindows Vista as well. For these reasons, we might consider Fiji a major release for a service pack. Certainly, no previous service pack has ever included a major
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