Windows 8 possible July 2011 release?
Question marks line up on Microsoft roadmap revelations (maybe)
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An ex-Microsoft employee has let the cat out of the bag about when the software giant might release Windows 8.
MSFTKitchen reports that in early December last year, Chris Green wrote a post on his MSDN blog, which appeared to reveal that Microsoft might-possibly-maybe release the next iteration of its operating system in July 2011, perhaps.
Meanwhile, he also suggested that Windows Server 2012 (presumably based on the same Windows 8 tech) and Office 2012 would be shipped in July 2012.
Of course, the MS developer - who has since moved on from Redmond - was one lonely voice in the Microsoft machine. So the dates should be taken with a very large dose of white flaky sea salt crystals.
Importantly, he did slap big fat question marks at the end of each suggested new release.
If the estimated roadmap is correct, however, then Microsoft may be attempting to speed up the frequency of its OS updates. That’s a suggestion that many Windows customers might balk at, given Redmond’s tendency to miss its self-imposed deadlines.
Is you is, or is you ain't, my software roadmap baby?
All of this could be interpreted as a company running scared of the competition. After all, Mountain View wonks are currently adding some spit and polish to their own take on the operating system - Google Chrome OS, which may rock up at some point this year.
Then there’s Apple, which yesterday announced its iPadded cell. But Microsoft for its part hasn’t gone on record and officially confirmed roadmap dates yet.
Still, a big hint that MS execs might soon have something to say about Windows 8 did bob its head above the water earlier this week. The company has already setup a URL for its Engineering Windows 8 blog, but the content is yet "to be determined". ®
COMMENTS
Microsoft's problem
Their basic problem is that XP does everything needed by virtually every business that uses PCs. It also does everything needed by virtually every consumer.
The average person wants a super fast web browser that will play/run any content anybody, anywhere puts on a web server. Unexpectedly, microsoft does not have a browser that satisfies this need. The average business's needs aren't even that robust.
They really do have a very serious problem. So far they have not been hit too hard because of their lock in deals with PC manufacturers. But it wouldn't take much, action from the EC competition commission for example, to level that playing field very quickly.
When I wanted to become a programmer, my father couldn't understand it. He said: "But once you write a program you're done. Why are they going to keep you around". Fortunately that has rarely been a problem for me. But microsoft really is a victim of their own success. They have nothing new to offer and most of the world had rather buy a 3D TV than a 6 GHz computer to run the latest microsoft attempt to clone the KDE desktop.
@Alistair
It's not that Linux "get's people to do it" it's that Linux both incrementally improves and doesn't cause you to have to throw out older versions in order to interoperate with newer versions. You're free to take them if you have need of the new features or you can stay with what you've got.
True of the entire software stack, too.
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