Windows 7 is slowly but surely moving to center stage to the detriment of products such as Windows Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3. Microsoft is in fact preparing the next iteration of the Windows client for its debut into the spotlight, a move which could potentially coincide with the release of the first Beta build of the operating system. A series of events and conferences in the October-November timeframe are focused on Windows 7, including the Professional Developers Conference 2008, TechEd EMEA 2008, and the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference 2008. In this regard, the content associated with WinHEC 2008 has been refreshed, with Microsoft claiming that “Windows 7 is coming soon!”

“It’s time for you to learn all you need to know to build great hardware products that work with Windows 7 and take advantage of the new capabilities we're building into the platform. There's only one place for you to be this November: at WinHEC 2008, the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference 2008,” reads a message posted on the WinHEC 2008 homepage.

If Microsoft has taught Windows users and consumers in general anything is that “soon” is nothing more than an abstract temporal reference that could in fact be synonymous with any period of time from a day to a year. One illustrative example of how “coming soon” stretched beyond the limits of the absurd was the deadline for the delivery of the Windows Vista Ultimate Extras, one of Microsoft's most visible failures when it comes down to the current Windows operating system. As such, the promise that Windows 7 is coming soon should be taken with a grain of salt, while the initial release date delivered by the company, sometime at the end of 2009 or at the start of 2010 should not be ignored.

But as far as WinHEC 2008 is concerned, Microsoft has also updated the information available on the upcoming sessions (via Long Zheng). Participants will be able to enjoy events such as: Building a Communication Device in Windows 7, PC and Device IDs in Windows 7: What You Need to Know, Windows 7 Device Experience Overview; Windows 7 Logo Program and Design Considerations for Network Infrastructure Devices; Windows 7 Power Management Overview; DirectX: Core Graphics for Windows 7; Video Improvements in Windows 7; Windows 7 Logo Program for TV Tuners and Remotes; Working with the Windows 7 Graphics Architecture; Connecting Projectors and Using Docking Stations with Windows 7 and Multi-touch in Windows 7 Overview.

“WinHEC is the only Microsoft conference that focuses on designing PCs, servers, and devices that run and interface with Windows. Now in its 17th year, this event brings industry professionals together each year to partner with Microsoft in driving future engineering and business directions for PC and device hardware. This year the focus will be on Windows 7, but you’ll find keynotes, sessions, chalk-talks, and more that cover just about any topic of interest to a Windows hardware developer or business professional,” Microsoft added.