Windows Vienna/Seven/7 Windows Vista 2

With Windows Vista finally behind us, it's time to turn our attention to the next Windows client release, which is alternatively codenamed "Vienna," "Windows Seven," or "Windows 7," depending on who you talk to. Despite an almost complete lack of verifiable information about the next Windows, there are at least two excellent reasons to begin discussing this project now:

1.iVirtua follows the latest developments in the Industry, which is the reason we wish to e at the forefront of Microsoft developments such as this.

2. Microsoft isn't particularly interested in discussing Vienna yet. "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," Kevin Kutz, a Director in the Windows Client group at Microsoft said on February 13, 2007. "We are not giving official guidance to the public yet about the next version of Windows, other than that we're working on it. When we are ready, we will provide updates." This quote was provided after I wrote a WinInfo article denouncing recent news reports about Vienna, all of which provided absolutely no new information at all.

Clearly, what's needed is a central location for accurate information about Vienna. This is it.

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 improve Windows. 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 other Windows 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: Will Windows Vienna be available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions like Vista?
A: No, 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. As such, we might consider Fiji a major release for a service pack: No previous service pack has ever included a major kernel update.