14 DAY TRIAL // The second upgrade for Windows 7 is already cooking over in Redmond, at least according to one third-party source close to Microsoft.
This even though the software giant has yet to confirm the finalization of Windows 7 Service Pack 1, let alone to reveal any information about the release of the service pack.
In this context, users should not expect Microsoft to make public any of its plans for Windows 7 Service Pack 2 anytime soon.
The same source that claims Windows 8 / Windows vNext is planned for general availability in January 2013, and RTM sometime in the second half of 2012, also indicates that Windows 7 is already being developed.
Wzor already leaked Build 7601.17514.101119-1850 of Windows 7 SP1 claiming that it’s the RTM development milestone.
Microsoft has yet to confirm officially that it has released Windows 7 SP1 to manufacturing, although in one instance the company did indicate that the upgrade has been finalized.
It appears that the software giant has started work on Windows 7 SP2 in the autumn of 2010, although at this point in time it’s hard to tell whether the actual development efforts have been kicked off or if the upgrade is still in the planning stages.
According to Wzor, it will be quite some time before Microsoft offers Windows 7 SP2 to the public, with the service pack being planned for delivery in mid-2012, by which time Windows 8 should already be in the final phases of building.
Microsoft still has to offer users Windows 7 SP1, which it will do sometime between now and the end of March 2011.
This is the only piece of information that the company is ready to confirm about the general availability of Windows 7 SP1 RTM at this point in time, that it’s due in Q1 2011.