Windows 7 is Microsoft's next Windows client operating system, formerly known by its code-name(s) "Blackcomb" and "Vienna".
The first questions users ask when they hear about Windows 7 are usually:
- Does it look like Windows Vista?
- Is it a major Windows Version?
The first question is easy to answer: Yes. It does look a lot like Windows Vista, but from my early (and still limited) usage, it also looks, feels and acts the way Vista should have been.
The second question is a bit more difficult to answer. According to Microsoft Windows 7 is a major Windows release, but if you read the white-papers and other statements released by Microsoft that describe the technical aspects of Windows 7 it reads more that it will be a minor release.
In a post on the Engineering Windows 7 blog last August, Microsoft corporate vice president Steven Sinofsky wrote: "When we started planning the release, the first thing some might think we have to decide is if Windows 7 (client) would be a "major release" or not. I put that in quotes because it turns out this isn't really something you decide nor is it something with a single answer. The magnitude of a release is as much about your perspective on the features as it is about the features themselves. One could even ask if being declared a major release is a compliment or not. As engineers planning a product we decide up front the percentage of our development team will that work on the release and the extent of our schedule-with the result in hand customers each decide for themselves if the release is "major", though of course we like to have an opinion. On the server blog we talked about the schedule and we shared our opinion of the scale of the releases of Windows 7 client and server. Our goal is about building an awesome release of Windows 7."
I will update this page regularly with information on Windows 7.
December 12, 2008 - 20:15 GMT
There have been several reports that indicate that a public beta of Windows 7 would be available in early January. What's more, according to several sources (ZDNet's Ed Bott, Internet News.com Andy Patrizio and last week WinInfo's Paul Thurrott) Windows 7 will ship this summer (a June 2009 shipping date is being mentioned) - way earlier than Microsoft has (so far) indicated.
November 28, 2008 - 19:00 GMT
Microsoft did a lot of work on the new taskbar for Windows 7. They looked extensively how people where using their computers and started making improvements based on those observations.
Windows 7 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
November 11, 2008 - 09:25 GMT
Frequently asked questions and general information about Windows 7.
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