A computer tech just told me that Microsoft will shortly abandon Vista. Anyone know if this is true

[DuaneBidoux]

[hobbit709]

Kind of doubt it.

they got way too much money in it. But it may go the way of ME when the new Windoze comes out.

[Zuiderelle]

1. Just any old random computer tech or one who works for Microsoft?

Because in my experience, computer techs can often sound like they know what they're talking about when it's just really their personal opinion. (Speaking as a technical person myself, so leave me alone any computer techs who take offense at that.)

[DuaneBidoux]

2. He was on the help desk at Logitech. And he does understand computers and networking.

that I could make out. I was thinking about buying a new laptop and mentioned it to him. He said he would hold off on buying a new computer until Microsoft rolled out its next os, but I had (have) heard nothing to the effect that anything new is coming anytime soon.

[Zuiderelle]

6. Unless you want to wait a couple of years or more for a new laptop...

you should go ahead an buy one. You can always upgrade the operating system later.

[Xithras]

3. Only if he defines "shortly" as 2010

Windows 7 has been under development for a few years as the successor to Vista, and will have some of the gadgets that MS couldn't get into Vista (the Vista project was actually split in two, and Windows 7 would be more appropriately titled Vista II).

There's rumor that MS is accellerating the development of Windows 7 to target a late 2009 launch date, but that's unconfirmed, still over a year away, and we ALL know that MS never hits their launch targets anyway.

So no, your support guy is spreading nonsense.

On edit: You know, I tried to simplify the history there, and I did so to the point of incorrectness. Before anyone calls me out on it, here's the more complete version. Microsoft started developing a successor to XP way back in 2001 that was supposed to be a fundamental rewrite of the system and repair some longstanding structural issues. It was to have a new filesystem and do all sorts of neat new things. Once development got underway, they pinned a date on its release...2009. The beancounters at MS freaked out. A 2009 release date would put EIGHT YEARS between the release of XP and the new operating system and, more importantly, would leave the server group without a new client OS to go along with the new 2003 Server OS. To make everyone happy (except for the users, it turned out), MS skimmed a bunch of features off of its new operating system and created an "interim release". Windows Me is another example of MS doing an "interim release" for this same reason...it was basically Windows 98 with some early versions of features from the unreleased Windows XP. Similarly, Vista is, at its heart, a copy of XP with an assorted collection of features from Windows 7.

The thing is, if history is any indicator, Windows 7 should be decent. Windows 95 had tons of issues, but Windows 98 matured the platform and is still used by a lot of people today. Windows Me was a lousy implementation, but the matured XP is still considered by many to be the best desktop OS Microsoft has ever produced. Vista, similarly, is a buggy hybrid meant to bridge major releases. Windows 7, if precedent holds, should refine the Vista concept into something more palatable (and with a bit of luck, stable).

[Deja Q]

4. Rumor only.

They've already cut XP.

If 'Windows 7' comes out in 2009, they might. If they do, Vista adopters should get a juicy coupon off.

I do like some of Vista's features, in some ways is faster, will make 64-adoption much faster (long overdue too!!!!!), and it was designed more as a front-end because more and more actual computing is done on actual servers (e.g. on a 1GB system, XP used half of it and just sat there).

On a recent, multi-core system, people would notice no difference, if they had 2GB (32-bit Windows' sweet spot) and didn't do more than rudimentary photo taking, web browsing, word processing, basic stuff. (virtual machines, big databases, CAD, et al, people would get more RAM and move the 64-bit anyway...)

It is underrated, but MS should take note of its flaws. SP1 was monumental, and SP2 should cure anything remaining, I'd hope.


Besides, each new release of Windows (or even service pack) will incorporate incompatibilities. Never mind "DLL Hell", which is not the sole fault of Microsoft - I've read up that other companies (even Adaptec) fudge around with DLLs, and that's where those problems began...

[Crabby Appleton]

5. Windows 7

also formerly known as Blackcomb and Vienna is the working name for the next major version of Microsoft Windows as the successor to Windows Vista, is expected to be released by 2009 or near January 2010. Considering schedule slips common at Ms it will probably be 2nd or 3rd quarter 2010.

http://www.winsupersite.com/faq/windows_7.asp

[TrogL]

7. I've heard suggestions to install Server 2008

There's more to it than that, but it's cleaner, lacks the idiotic bells and whistles of XP and requires less resources.

[bigwillq]

8. I can't stand Vista.

I hope they do away with it but I doubt it.

[begin_within]

9. If so, they would simply be following the millions of users who have already abandoned Vista