Windows 7 is no service pack

Microsoft is attempting a arduous assignment with its accession of Windows 7. The aggregation is aggravating to accomplish the case that the artefact won't breach things that plan with Vista, but at the aforementioned time aggravating to argue users its a aces upgrade.

Bill Veghte, the chief carnality admiral of the Windows business put it this way in a accent to investors on Wednesday:

Bill Veghte

Bill Veghte, Microsoft's chief carnality admiral for the Windows Business



"It's a accessory absolution if it comes to incompatibilities," he said, abacus that a lot of applications and accouterments that formed with Vista should plan just accomplished in Windows 7. At the aforementioned time, Veghte approved to accomplish the case that Windows 7 will nonetheless be a cogent footfall forward.

"There are affluence of abundant things in there that accomplish it abundant added cogent than a account pack," Veghte said. In accession to convalescent some of the annoyances of accomplished releases, such as apathetic cossack time, Veghte acicular to new appearance that accomplish it easier to affix to both home and business networks.

"In Windows 7 there's a adequacy alleged Direct Access," Veghte said, that allows users to added calmly affix to their accumulated network. "You no best accept to VPN in," he said.

Windows 7 aswell adds an bigger taskbar for managing assorted windows as able-bodied as abutment for multitouch--assuming one buys a touch-screen computer. But it is bright that one of Microsoft's better challenges with Windows 7 will be to argue users that it is an important upgrade.

Windows 7 multitouch

With Windows 7, Microsoft is abacus abutment for multitouch, approved endure ages at the WinHEC conference.



One adumbration of just how neatly Microsoft is aggravating to cilia this aggravate is the actuality that the server assemblage is adage its adaptation of Windows 7 will be a accessory release. The artefact that had been code-named "Windows 7 Server" is accepting the appellation Windows Server 2008 R2. The "R2" appellation has in the accomplished been acclimated for actual accessory updates to Microsoft products.

Veghte was asked about things like how abounding versions of Windows 7 there will be and about pricing, but offered no new detail there. The aggregation appear a pre-beta adaptation of Windows 7 for developers at two conferences beforehand this year, with a broader beta appointed for aboriginal next year, followed by a absolution candidate. There are some break that January may be the timing for the beta.

As for the final release, Microsoft's centralized ambition has been to get it out next year, although its accessible ambition has been for absolution aural three years of Vista's January 2007 boilerplate launch. Veghte appeared to accord even added jerk allowance on Wednesday, though, adage its ambition was a absolution to accomplishment (as against to a academic launch) by January 2010.

Note: The dates in the endure branch were off by a year if I aboriginal acquaint but accept back been corrected.