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Microsoft to follow Vista with Vienna in 2009
I'll believe it when I see it, but Microsoft is planning a late 2009 release date for the next version of Windows, codenamed Vienna. That would be just two and a half years after the launch of Vista, which in turn was released more than 5 years after Windows XP. Many of the upgrades that were planned for Vista had been put on hold when it became clear that the most important item for Microsoft to focus on was security. Therefore Vienna will feature a new file system and a new user interface (no more start menus or toolbars), which had originally been intended for Vista.
Most significantly, Vienna will break backward compatibility with many existing Windows programs. While that will probably make it easier for Microsoft to hit it's projected release date, I can't imagine too many folks will be happy about the need to upgrade almost all of their existing software. That said, it's possible that Vienna could include some sort of virtualization layer that would allow you to run older programs. Heck, if you can run Windows applications on Linux using Wine, why not run Windows programs on Windows?
[via Engadget]
Comments
9
Subscribe to commentsKat2Feb 11th 2007 7:44PM
Well, if it does end up being released in 2009, why bother changing from XP to Vista? Why not just wait for Vienna? Making people relearn an OS every 2-3 years is going to get annoying.
kobewanFeb 11th 2007 11:16PM
That's an excellent point. I had no plans of switching to Vista soon anyways, and now I'm pretty sure that I'm never going use it.
On the other hand, I'm pretty happy with the whole breaking compatibility thing. That should hopefully go a long way in terms reliability and performance, and most good programs should update themselves pretty quickly anyways.
RichieFeb 12th 2007 7:31AM
Ok, so we're going to wait 2 and a half years for backward compatability? Do they not think we will have bought the upgrade on our software that didn't work before then?
Olubi EzraFeb 12th 2007 7:32AM
that's really crazy. microsoft should do wit vista what they did with xp. no use switching to another operating system just after the realease of one. maybe mac users are used to that tho, but we xp users are comfortable using one system for a long time as long as it works for us. maybe vienna should be delayed till 2010 or 2011.
recFeb 12th 2007 12:29PM
Windows on Windows has been around for a looooooooong time already
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_on_Windows
RickFeb 12th 2007 9:24AM
Lovely, an excuse to make business customers rebuy everything in 2 years instead of 4. Look for this to go over like a lead balloon. Linux, your window of opportunity is calling...
Dave ChartierFeb 13th 2007 7:30AM
This just further reinforces the fact that Vista has been and will remain to be a colossal blunder. Barely two weeks after launching and they're already talking about the new hotness which lands within two years *and* breaks compatibility? Don't get me wrong, I've been saying Microsoft needed to do that centuries ago, but... man, this just keeps geting worse.
John TrudeauMar 7th 2007 7:38AM
Microsoft has been good for my career in IT, but I really have to question Vista. I installed it, tried it, and wow, system stability is poor, compatibility with relatively new hardware and software is poor, the security warnings are a nuisance, Aero's blurred text is pointless, and to top it off, their licensing is locked down tight, limiting the discovery and learning of the OS to the workplace. Who has time to play with Vista at work? MS really missed the mark on all levels with Vista. When combined with MS's expectation of a new desktop OS, Vienna, in 2-2.5 years, what's the point? IMO, this is MS's first significant blunder. A great opportunity for the Linux OS.
JT
a.shaikhMar 8th 2007 7:36AM
windows vista is no different than windows xp , eventually its embedded with graphics n multimedia. microsoft should have released windows vienna in 2007 instead of vista which is just another crap coding from the earlier operating system. microsoft been focusing about sandbox technology in windows vienna should be implmented in the windows vista.. its just how they are making up the money and providing something which aint worth paying.. microsoft blows.