Report: Microsoft Windows 8 Coming In 2012
By Kevin McLaughlin, ChannelWeb
6:10 PM EST Mon. Nov. 23, 2009
The dust has yet to settle from last month’s Windows 7 launch, but Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT) may already have set a 2012 target for releasing Windows 8.

Last week, the Microsoft Kitchen blog posted a pair of Windows Server roadmap slides that list 2012 as the timeframe for Windows 8′s release. Microsoft showed the slides to attendees of last week’s Professional Developer Conference in Los Angeles, the blog suggests.

The slides offer no additional information other than a reiteration of Microsoft’s practice of launching ‘major’ releases about four years and ‘updates’ about every two years, which means Windows 8 will be a major release.

Microsoft hasn’t said anything about its plans to develop a Windows 8, but there are signs that it’s already begun recruiting the talent to help build it. Earlier this month, a job listing on Microsoft’s careers site indicated that Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Group would begin focusing on Windows 8 in the software giant’s 2011 fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2010.

Meanwhile, published reports suggest Microsoft is currently working on the first service pack for Windows 7 and plans to release a beta in January 2010, with release to OEMs slated for the summer and public availability in the fall.

Microsoft claims to have sold twice as many units of Windows 7 as any other OS in its history in a comparable time period, and last week at Microsoft’s annual shareholder meeting, CEO Steve Ballmer said Microsoft is off to a “fantastic start” with Windows 7.

Hello all,

We have been asked by many of our clients “What do you think of Windows 7?”  To that we answer that we LIKE Windows 7.  To put it simply, “IT works” (IT is also the accronym for Information Technology – what we do – so pun intended).

Would we purchase new computers with Windows 7 for our customers – yes probably by early 2010 (January/Febrary)

Would we suggest you upgrade to Windows 7 – probably NOT.

• For one – if it works, why change it?
• Secondly – it is not worth the expense (software and labor) to reinstall everything onto an existing machine.
• If you machine needs to have the operating system reinstalled anyway – then there is a tool we can run to determine if windows 7 would be a good fit

If you have a question about Windows 7, let us know.

Adam

I read with interest and nostalgia and article today titled ‘XP Will Never Die’.  The article spoke about IT companies that are stockpiling Windows XP so that their customer will still be able to get windows XP after October 22 – the launch of Windows 7.

All I can say is WOW.

I guess that other IT company is not nearly as connected or in touch as we are.  Microsoft has already committed to offering a two level downgrade to Windows XP.  That is #1.  XP will most likely be available for another 12 months -but we wont need it.

We recieved advanced copies of Windows 7 a month or so ago – and we are incredibly impreseed with how stable it is and how friendly it is with older devices. There isnt a reason why companies will need to stokopile Windows XP.  Did i mention that Windows 7 is also as fast if not faster than Windows XP?

We exist to be experts in our field and to guide our customers with technology.  We are human and sometimes the recommendation is the #2 choice – but at least we are not stuck with technology that is 8+ years old now that there is a decent alternative.