PDC attendees will get pre-beta Windows 7

Microsoft confirmed on Wednesday that developers attending a Microsoft conference next month will get an early version of Windows 7 to take home.

(Credit: Microsoft)

In a blog posting, Microsoft said that those at the Professional Developers Conference, scheduled for Oct. 27-30 in Los Angeles, will get a pre-beta version of Windows 7.

"With Windows 7 at PDC2008 you will see advances across the full range of Windows--including the kernel, networking, hardware and devices, and user-interface," Microsoft said.

One thing that won't be part of Windows 7--as first confirmed by CNET News earlier this week--are the e-mail, photo-editing and movie-making applications that were part of Windows Vista. Microsoft plans to make those available as downloadable Windows Live applications.

Late 2009 is the tentative target date for a general release of Windows 7.

The blog posting as well as several new Windows 7-related sessions were noted earlier on Wednesday by ZDNet blogger Mary Jo Foley. Screenshots of recent internal builds of Windows 7 have also been making the rounds on various enthusiast sites.

[ajnauron]

...And I'm thinking at least one of them will post it to a torrent site.

[dimitrisouza]

So now we are hearing more and more about Windows 7. So why should anyone buy Windows Vista? I have a suggestion to Microsoft: MS could give a free upgrade to all Windows Vista owners (regardless if it is OEM or retail). This would both stimulate the selling of Windows Vista, and also would make customers happy because they would have a guaranteed upgrade to Windows 7 when it becomes available.

Just my 2 end-user cents...

[justdaven]

Standard MS practice is to give free upgrade to those who purchase in the last 6 mo b4 release date...

[Jonnygthedrummer]

AMEN , we should start a thing an get people to sign it to get MS to give free upgrades for anyone who has visat

[Imalittleteapot]

What, like a petition? Ah Windows 7 will probably take 32 gigs of ram anyway. I don't know how that would be possible, but I'm sure they'll find a way. I'll have to buy another computer and it'll come with Windows 7 on it anyway and the cycle begins again.

[happyholycow]

Makes sense, although they micht be a bit wary of windows 7 doesn't work out. Mojave ftw >.>

[ashishv]

Or Simply Switch to MAC:
you get basic/professional/ultimate for same price...

i got fed up with Win desktops; late last year and switched to MAC; there are some challenges but then it is SWEEEET.
and i think next version of MAC Snow Leopard will be a Free upgrade..(NOT SURE yet).

[t26l]

Apple doesn't offer upgrades to new versions of OS X unless you purchase it six months before a release date.

Which is funny, because (and don't take this as a pro-Windows comment) an upgrade from 10.4 to 10.5 is roughly equivalent to upgrading from one Windows Service Pack to the next, except the latter is universally free.

[Someone-else]

I really hope this one is good, or else I'll either continue with XP until the next Windows, or just move to Linux.

[AndyPagin]

I switched to Linux a couple of years back, does everything Windows did, does it faster, and at zero cost including the applications, I mean if I tried to replace my current Linux setup with Windows compliant products I would be about £10,000 out of pocket.

Admittedly our office Linux server was more expensive, cost us £4, or at least that's what the magazine with the install disk glued to the front cover cost. Sigh! unnecessary corporate overspending, gotta love it.

[kaibelf]

Didn't they have that step-up situation a few years back? Maybe giving it to Vista owners for, say, 20 bucks would be workable for them? I think they'd balk at a free product altogether though.

[dadsgravy]

The only thing microsoft is going to do, is tweak vista, call it windows 7 (or whatever), and then come out and say it was windows vista the whole time.

You wait and see. dadsgravy = primo in the cabasa!

[timber2005]

It would be rrreeeaaalllllllyyyyy easy to tell if it was the Vista innards if they released that. I don't think Microsoft would waste 3 years, millions of dollars in production, 3-4 major confrences....... just to say April Fools.

[AndyPagin]

Looks to me like it'll be more chrome, bigger tail-fins and the same geriatric V8 straining against the 3 tons of flashy ironmongery. Maybe they'll christen it Windows Edsel.


http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/print.php/3771391

"I know they've been working on it feverishly, and the codebase is not all that far from Vista, so it's not a complete development project like they had to undertake between Windows XP and Vista," said Roger Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies.

[mtoc]

what MS should do with WIN7 is allow a basic stripped down version download on a CD for non techs to try.
they would learn a lot from the common users that can be applied to beta x and beyond. although they are reworking Vista, they may make changes that dont sit well with the masses. better to adjust before beta. also, Win 7 should come in "blocks" so that whole OS cannot be corrupted and parts can be fixed or reinstalled. wish they would make it more straight-forward to adjust using phrases that most people can understand! is that too much to ask????.

[timber2005]

Looking at it that way... you're talking about making it "modular" (with blocks).
Well it's kind of that way already. But the block that keeps getting messed up is the "registry" and pretty mucht there isn't rebuilding of that without installing all your apps again so... yeah.

[Imalittleteapot]

I was reading something yesterday that says basically, unless they change their mind, they've basically given up on making 7 modular. It was a rumor, but in the end they just decided to take Vista and add some fixes, remove some programs, rearrange some stuff, smack it on the butt and ship it. So basically Windows 7 is just a service pack for Vista that you have to pay for. Worse, they've even decided to remove some programs like Windows mail and photo viewer. You can download the Windows live equivalents for free, but in the end you're just buying a version of Vista that comes with even less useful features than Vista does.

I'll bet you ten bucks though they haven't removed a single background service which slows the computer down. I bet they added even more. Well I guess they're adding the ribbon interface to more programs and since I like the ribbon interface that's cool. I don't know if that's worth paying $200 or more though.

[AndyPagin]

When I started in the IT industry CPM was THE pc operating system, the idea of it being replaced seemed laughable, then the IBM pc appeared with Dos and CPM disappeared like a lead balloon. Then Window came along & Dos plummeted out of sight. So what next? Linux uptake is happening at a meteoric rate, and once a critical mass of businesses realise Linux gives them for free everything Microsoft charge a fortune for.... well, what future for MS?

Vista seems to me more akin to a home entertainment system than an operating system, and I suspect that's where Microsofts' long term future lies. Every new MS release of everything seems to be the same elderly, patched, buggy code with more chrome & bigger tailfins than before.

I'll make a prediction, whatever Windows 7 turns out to be, ten years from now we (business IT people) will look back and laugh with incredulity at the notion that we actually used to pay money for desktop operating systems and standard office-automation type software, and 'Microsoft Windows application development experience' on a developers' resume' will carry about as much weight as 'experience maintaining steam engines' would carry on a motor mechanics'.

[ny2nv]

I have Vista, XP and Linux.
Vista and Linux are my favorites, over the past months I have used my friend's new iMac. No compelling reason to switch. I have over 75+ programs on my Vista PC all run smooth.
On a side note don't care for "i" aplications that come with a mac, iPhoto in particullar.