Microsoft Now Recruiting for Windows 8

64-bit only please, for got sake.

That should read because of course - the old version is done so the majority of the team moves to the next version. In fact, this team migration has probably started a while ago...

amen!

wow this is getting ridiculous, I hate constantly having to change my OS. Please just let me live a while with windows 7.

Cool, I guess they better start working on it. They only have four years.

Takes a long time to develop an OS. Of course they're gonna start now. A majority moves on to the next thing. Others will update 7 until 8 comes out. Same with anything else. Car manufacturers crank out new models every year.

Why don't they give it a cool name, instead of just a number?

Its not like they force you to update

Why not jump to 128-bit? It'll give CPU maufacturers something new to aim for.

Hopefully there will be a 128bit version, and am sure AMD will be the 1st out with a 128bit cpu just like they were with the 64bit.

Hopefully there will be a 128bit version, and am sure AMD will be the 1st out with a 128bit cpu just like they were with the 64bit.

I doubt 8 will have a 128bit version. The only application for such a high memory bandwidth would be in the server sector which I would expect in Windows Server 2012 (the windows that will divide by zero and end the world).

we are many years (even several decades) away from needing a 128-bit OS. the only applications of such software today is in supercomputers. an OS like that will only give home computers a loss of performance due to an increase of instruction size. realize that a jump from 32 bit to 64 bit is nothing like 64 to 128.

by the way, a 32bit OS can take a maximum of 3.3 gigs of ram and a 64 bit takes a maximum of 16.8 million terabytes (16 exabytes). because the motherboard RAM limit is currently 12 gigs, i don't think microsoft is planning to release a PC 128bit OS any time soon.

I think they want to get back to the normal windows development cycle instead of the one they had between vista and xp.

Windows 7 cant use all of the theoretical maximum RAM 64-bit can address. There is still lots (and I mean LOTS) of headroom, why make a jump so prematurely? Lets let 64-bit become standard first.

128 bit would be useful for DAW's a higher bit rate means more headroom, but a 128 bit CPU and OS probably won't come for quite awhile seeing as 64 bit is really just now transitioning into mainstream acceptance

do they accept physicists? i wanna rail gun with my next windows

There was already an article linking to comments made by a Windows developer about him working on 128bit parts of Windows 8. 128 bit is a good possibility for Windows 8.

Honestly I think we will hit 128 bit hardware sooner than people think, and you do not need to max out a few terabytes of ram to take advantage of 128bit computing power.

So much faith in W7 they are already planning its successor?

Windows 7 is OK. Believe it or not, there's an instance or two I found which I prefer Windows Vista. Maybe I just need to make a theme change or something. Microsoft should just stop while they're ahead for now. Windows 7 is great. Maybe offer DX12 compatibility when it comes out as an update.

I second that amen

Knowing what you're talking about... FAIL

There are still areas where a 32-bit version of Windows is needed and justified, with netbooks being the most obvious example. This will likely be the case even by the time Windows 8 is ready for release. It makes sense that they would develop both 32 and 64 bit versions if they can sell both.

What we need is not for Microsoft to stop developing 32-bit platforms, but for OEMs to stop selling 32-bit Windows on desktops and laptops. We're starting to see that now, with many home systems utilizing four gigabytes or more, but there are still many manufacturers that seem to be resisting.

We're four years behind schedule, but it looks like we may finally be getting there.

Actually on top of the 64 bit which should be sufficient on the CPU side I would like to see something address the 32 bit GPU memory addressability issue. Current versions of DirectX(that includes 11) can only support 4 gigabytes of GPU memory. We are very close to reaching that maximum.

... if i understand right, there is gonna be a 128Bit version... the question is... who gonna build a 128Bit CPU first...

Motherboard RAM limit 12GB? How about all those workstation and server motherboards that support 32, 64, 96, 128 144, 256GB of RAM? Yes the 256GB one is a specialty server board with a riser board for the extra memory. The extra registers to support the added memory space is highly important in scientific computing in the HPC sector, supercomputers, computing clusters, etc. However, think about having a 100+ GB RAMDISK that works at a few tens of GB/s? Wouldn't that make your apps scream.

I just wish they could make Libraries an optional feature instead of using it as default. Even if Libraries is very useful in some situations, I prefer to stick with regular folders for most situations.

Nothing to see here... they aren't going to put their dev team on hiatus, and it doesn't take just a year to code a new OS. The next product should be already planned out and development underway by the time the current product hits the consumer market.

You know, your folders are still there, you can... you know... just use them.

Moving to 64-bit is not just about supporting more RAM. If you think it is, perhaps you should go read some Wikipedia. The move to 128-bit purely for more RAM is pointless, as not even the largest supercomputers can utilise the full address range of a 64-bit processor yet, especially if they are using x86-64 CPUs since those only have 48-bit memory address ranges anyway. Even a processor with a full 64-bit memory address range supports far too much memory to physically fit in a current computer system smaller than a city block.

Goes to show that there is never a slow moment as MS. 128-bit will probably make an appearance at the server level first at some point in the future; who knows when though. I'd be curious to eventually see what MS's plans are for in regard to the planned release of W8. My guess is that they'll see how W7 does over the next few years and take it from there.