Windows 7 'released in the next year or so'

[Grumpmeister]

Well why doesnt this surprise me, Vista has had a lukewarm reception and shown to be buggy as hell even by Microsoft standards so they start talking about the next OS.

Microsoft boss Bill Gates has dropped a hint about the next version of Windows.

He said Windows 7 could be released "sometime in the next year or so" during a Q&A session at a meeting of the Inter-American Development Bank.

After the event a Microsoft spokeswoman said the new version was scheduled for 2010 - three years after the January 2007 release of Vista for consumers.

But industry experts warned that Microsoft's estimates about delivery dates have often proved optimistic.

Long wait

Mr Gates made his comments in response to a question from the audience gathered to hear him talk about corporate philanthropy during IADB's annual meeting.

Said Mr Gates: "That'll be sometime in the next year or so that we'll have a new version."

He added: "I'm super-enthused about what it will do in lots of ways." However, Mr Gates did not detail what changes or novel features are being lined up to appear in Windows 7.

Microsoft has started the developer program for Windows 7 and there are reports that a test version, of it, called Milestone 1, have been given to some of the software giant's biggest customers.

Afterwards a spokesperson for the company said Mr Gates was talking about pre-release versions of Windows and not the finished product.

In an analysis of the development history of Windows XP and Vista, news site Ars Technica said that both took at least a year to get from final test version to the one that went on sale.

"We're likely closer to two years away from a release, not one," wrote Ken Fisher from Ars Technica.

[Barman]

Well why doesnt this surprise me, Vista has had a lukewarm reception and shown to be buggy as hell even by Microsoft standards so they start talking about the next OS.

Microsoft boss Bill Gates has dropped a hint about the next version of Windows.

He said Windows 7 could be released "sometime in the next year or so" during a Q&A session at a meeting of the Inter-American Development Bank.

After the event a Microsoft spokeswoman said the new version was scheduled for 2010 - three years after the January 2007 release of Vista for consumers.

But industry experts warned that Microsoft's estimates about delivery dates have often proved optimistic.

Long wait

Mr Gates made his comments in response to a question from the audience gathered to hear him talk about corporate philanthropy during IADB's annual meeting.

Said Mr Gates: "That'll be sometime in the next year or so that we'll have a new version."

He added: "I'm super-enthused about what it will do in lots of ways." However, Mr Gates did not detail what changes or novel features are being lined up to appear in Windows 7.

Microsoft has started the developer program for Windows 7 and there are reports that a test version, of it, called Milestone 1, have been given to some of the software giant's biggest customers.

Afterwards a spokesperson for the company said Mr Gates was talking about pre-release versions of Windows and not the finished product.

In an analysis of the development history of Windows XP and Vista, news site Ars Technica said that both took at least a year to get from final test version to the one that went on sale.

"We're likely closer to two years away from a release, not one," wrote Ken Fisher from Ars Technica.

Start saving for your Cray Supercomputer now... 

[Snoopy]

I have to say that thus far, having now got used to the quirks, that vi$ta is working better for me that Xp ever did. Question now is what is the difference? Is it the OP or the new Hewlett Packard PC against the old Dell that had XP on it.
In other words would I be as pleased with XP on the Hewlett ~ we'll never know now.

[Grumpmeister]

I think it depends on your background Snoop. Most of the people I know who have come from a techie background 'wouldnt pi$$ on vista if it was on fire' (actual quote). Developers, hardcore gamers, modders in the main cant stand it leading to smaller sales than originally predicted. Their trick with DirectX 10 only added to that feeling.

If you havent got to do too much with the settings or are not using anything that needs any real resources then its probably going to give you a decent experience though.

[Snoopy]

I suspect you are right.
I use it mainly for;
(i) Being on here
(ii) Writing (Word Processing)
(iii) Editing a magazine
(iv) Researching family tree and other projects

Gaming and such are outwith my desires and capabilities

[Grumpmeister]

I temd to use mine for

Some gaming and game modding
multimedia editing and conversion
word processing and spreadsheet work depending on how busy work is at the time
General tinkering
And as a media center

So my one experience with installing Vista on my machine as an experiment wasnt a completely satisfying experience (see folks, I can be diplomatic when I want to be). 

[Snoopy]

Yes ... we do some of the same things but the gaming etc is not my scene. Far too old I 'spect.

Funny enough I don't tend to do spreadsheets either, not a lot of call for that really tho' I s'pose I could do the magazine invoices on one but I tend to produce them on screen as Word Doc invoice, print as many as I need and put the addresses and amounts owing in by hand each month.

Media Centre? Nope .... lost me on that one. I do sometimes use it to receive Five Live which I cannot get on the wireless here (Tho' I can do that through the Sky TV in the lounge or via the Freeview box in the sitting room)

Digi Camera downloads of course and sometimes I have burned the odd CD for use in the car.

Pro'lly not using the thing to its full potential but I really don't want to do the other stuff.

[Grumpmeister]

Media center basically means that you use your computer for music, films and tv if you are set up for it Snoop.

Just read another article on the big Windows 7 hint and this caught my eye:

Gates, who is due to leave his day-to-day functions at Microsoft and dedicate himself to the philanthropic efforts of the Gates Foundation in June, said the company aims, through its $6bn annual research and development budget, to take the products running on its software to "the next level".

6 BILLION DOLLARS on research???? And going on their past performance it will be buggy as hell.

  No I think I've figured out the development ethos. If you put enough monkeys in a room with enough caffiene and enough computers they will eventially turn out an operating system. 

[Darwins Selection]

If you put enough monkeys in a room with enough caffiene and enough computers they will eventially turn out an operating system.

. . . . or an Internet forum. 

[Grumpmeister]

Careful Darwin or BM may start relieving himself into your bottle of talisker. 

[Snoopy]

Careful Darwin or BM may start relieving himself into your bottle of talisker. 

Again 

[Grumpmeister]

Darwin hasnt complained about the taste so far so he may get away with it Snoop. 

[Darwins Selection]

Careful Darwin or BM may start relieving himself into your bottle of talisker. 

You mean the bottle of cold tea?

You don't think I pay his prices when I can just keep my hip-flask topped up from those bottles he 'donated' when I looked after the place last year? 

[Grumpmeister]

Was that around the time he needed to get a bigger colostomy bad Darwin............ 

[Barman]

If you put enough monkeys in a room with enough caffiene and enough computers they will eventially turn out an operating system.

. . . . or an Internet forum.