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Microsoft Already Starting on Windows 8

by - source: Tom's Hardware US

There's no doubt that many enthusiasts are waiting to see what the final version of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system will look like when shipped.

How will Windows 7 perform? Will it be faster and more stable than Vista? Will it address all of Vista's shortcomings? Of course, we all know that Windows 7 is an evolution on Vista. Despite lingering doubts, those who have tried the public beta of Windows 7 already claim that it's one of Microsoft's best operating systems yet.

That's a great thing to hear because Microsoft is actually already starting to work on Windows 8.

According to a job posting on Microsoft's site, the company is starting to put its engineering team together for designing the successor to Windows 7. The job posting details of a storage related position with focus in the enterprise:

"For the upcoming version of Windows, new critical features are being worked on including cluster support and support for one way replication. The core engine is also being reworked to provide dramatic performance improvements. We will also soon be starting major improvements for Windows 8 where we will be including innovative features which will revolutionize file access in branch offices."

If you've got what it takes to be the "Lead Software Development Engineer in Test," apply right here. Or you can sit back and wait to see how Windows  8 will develop.

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kyeana 04/18/2009 1:11 AM
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I think they are doing this just because they don't want people getting too comfortable with one OS, like with what happened to XP.

Not that i will complain. I tend to enjoy shiny new things

Mr_Man 04/18/2009 1:30 AM
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ailgatrat 04/18/2009 1:31 AM
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Nope...you start planning the next version as soon as the newest version hits the field. Depending on how long all the innovation takes to develop will more than likely determine how long windows 7 will stay around. Doesn't matter which OS you like, they all have to innovate and improve over what's currently available, or noone will want it. Time for some COD5! :)

ailgatrat 04/18/2009 1:33 AM
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salsoolo 04/18/2009 1:40 AM
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man they should give it a rest for like 1 year between os's :D

eddieroolz 04/18/2009 1:46 AM
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solymnar 04/18/2009 1:53 AM
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[citation][nom]Tuan Nguyen[/nom]That's a great thing to hear because Microsoft is actually already starting to work on Windows 7 Service Pack 1. [citation]

Fixed. =D

deltatux 04/18/2009 2:06 AM
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eddieroolz 04/18/2009 2:10 AM
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deltatux :
Actually, Pentium D and Core are part of the Netburst architecture, so it'll be i886 while Core 2 is i986 and Core i7 would be i1086 if we were to put it this way.



Shhhh, you can't reveal Intel's secrets!

Cryogenic 04/18/2009 2:10 AM
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solymnar :
[citation][nom]Tuan Nguyen[/nom]That's a great thing to hear because Microsoft is actually already starting to work on Windows 7 Service Pack 1. [citation]Fixed. =D



Since when rewriting the OS core is called a service pack?


> The core engine is also being reworked to provide dramatic performance improvements

michaelahess 04/18/2009 2:23 AM
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LATTEH 04/18/2009 2:25 AM
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eddieroolz 04/18/2009 3:01 AM
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thomaseron 04/18/2009 3:02 AM
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Windows 7 is the seventh gen 32-bit windows, just like core i7 is seventh gen 32-bit processor.

arvedui 04/18/2009 3:26 AM
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One of the main things I want is pure x64 versions, no more of this "Do you want 32 bit or 64 bit - oh, 64 bit isn't available, too bad! Now you can't use the full 6 GB of RAM you have!"

battousai831 04/18/2009 3:33 AM
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"Mr_Man

One small complaint: I'm pretty sure Windows 7 isn't the 7th edition of Windows (1.0, 3.1, 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista make 8 already, not counting other point releases or Server/mobile types), so the next one will not necessarily be Windows 8."

No its not, but it is NT 7.0, Vista was either 6.1 or 6.0 with server2008 being 6.0 too. XP was 5.1, 2k was 5.0, NT was 4.0 and so on.
Windows 98 and 95 were some variation of the 3.something or 4. something, not sure TBH. In this light the naming DOES make sense, but I understand that it is a rather confusing system. By all rights 7 should be NT6.5 because its so evolutionary instead of revolutionary, but they wanted to start anew with the naming scheme.

talys 04/18/2009 3:38 AM
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arvedui :
One of the main things I want is pure x64 versions, no more of this "Do you want 32 bit or 64 bit - oh, 64 bit isn't available, too bad! Now you can't use the full 6 GB of RAM you have!"



What I want is: 64-bit only OS with virtual/sandbox/whatever-you-want-to-call-it 32-bit legacy PRINTER driver support and 32-bit legacy software support.

I can live without 64-bit only drivers for everything except printers. Sometimes, you end up with an office scenario where the cool $50,000 photocopier with 15 paper trays, scanning, binding, stapling, envelope stuffing and automatic coffeemaker is missing a 64-bit print driver.

Anonymous 04/18/2009 3:55 AM
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Dudes the version of 7 in Windows 7 represents the kernel versions that was traversed since the 1st Microsoft OS. So Windows 7 has the 7th kernel version.

jsloan 04/18/2009 3:57 AM
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thats normal, hope they start from scratchm, but i fear it will be just another tweak on windows vista...

Dyseman 04/18/2009 4:04 AM
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FlayerSlayer 04/18/2009 4:09 AM
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There are two lines of version numbering, the Home line and the NT line. For the Home line:
Windows 3.1 (3.1), Windows 95 (4.0), Windows 98 (4.1), Windows Me (4.9)

For the NT line:
Windows NT 3.51 (3.51), Windows NT 4 (4.0), Windows 2000 (5.0), Windows XP (5.1), Windows 2003 (5.2), Windows Vista (6.0), Windows 7 (6.1)

So if anything, Windows 8 will either be v6.2 or v7.0

kewl munky 04/18/2009 5:00 AM
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This time I'll wait for the second windows to be used on the new kernel so I don't get fucked over like with Vista >_>

Herbert_HA 04/18/2009 5:07 AM
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If Microsoft charged less for their OSs, than I would consider a good thing to have a new one every 2 years, but I don't believe it's going to happen, so I would prefer them to focus on bringing a Win7 bug-free, offer good updates when necessary and then go to a new one.

And don't tell me I could buy any less than the best home version, because it would be cheaper. Yeah, it would be cheaper AND crappier. God, I hate those millions versions of Windows...

IzzyCraft 04/18/2009 5:13 AM
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Mr_Man :
One small complaint: I'm pretty sure Windows 7 isn't the 7th edition of Windows (1.0, 3.1, 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista make 8 already, not counting other point releases or Server/mobile types), so the next one will not necessarily be Windows 8.


Who cares microsoft just figured out a way not to spend jack loads of money on tring to make an attarctive naming scheme for every release Windows _insert number_ :D

Anonymous 04/18/2009 7:20 AM
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Dman7 wrote:
"Dudes the version of 7 in Windows 7 represents the kernel versions that was traversed since the 1st Microsoft OS. So Windows 7 has the 7th kernel version."

This is correct. There is even a video of the first demonstration of Windows 7 where they explained it.

LuxZg 04/18/2009 9:28 AM
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arvedui :
One of the main things I want is pure x64 versions, no more of this "Do you want 32 bit or 64 bit - oh, 64 bit isn't available, too bad! Now you can't use the full 6 GB of RAM you have!"



I agree, and they should have done it with Windows 7 already. But they ARE doing it with Windows Server 2008 R2 - it is 64bit only. 32bit apps mostly run just fine on those PCs, and by the time Win8 is out application virtualization will be common enough to be included in base OS (I hope).. So it won't matter if you're running 64bit Windows 8 - any application from older version of Windows will work just fine.

But let's first wait and see what RTM Windows 7 brings us, shall we? :)

ossie 04/18/2009 10:29 AM
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bpogdowz 04/18/2009 11:29 AM
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project greed

neiroatopelcc 04/18/2009 11:59 AM
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I hope win7 will have a built in dosbox like thing - but for running 16bit windows applications. I've recently realized that despite most of my older games being 32bit, many of the installation programs are still 16 bit, so I can't actually install the games.

Good thing there's vmware - but not everything works in vmware. Heroes of might and magic 4 works just fine, but need for speed 3 only works in software mode, and quite a few games not at all.

MDillenbeck 04/18/2009 1:24 PM
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If you built a light bulb that lasted 1000 years, how long would light bulb companies be in business? If you build an OS that does everything you need it to for the next 1000 years, how long would OS manufacturers be in business?

Planned obsolescence is the nature of commercial enterprise. Do they want to make something that lasts a life time? Heck no - they only want to make something that will barely outlast the competition.

This is why open source software is becoming more and more appealing to me. They step out of the traditional closed commercial enterprise that dominates software. Also, doesn't open source represent the ideal that people want - free, modifiable, customizable, anti-DRM, and utilitarian? (Yet everyone still wants to play their DRM loaded games and movies, so they stick with funding what they are opposed to rather than telling manufacturers to make content for the platform they want or go without the sales income...)

videogamerign 04/18/2009 3:24 PM
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Most of the stuff that they are talking about in terms of Windows 8 seem to be things that the normal consumer would never use. It seems to me that people are getting in a fuss about the next Windows OS when it is pretty clear that what they are working on is the successor to windows server 2008. How many in home customers will have the need to replicate one way. The article even said that it would revolutionise file access in BRANCH OFFICES. That alone screams server edition.


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