Windows Fiji, the official Microsoft code-name for the upcoming edition of Windows Media Center, will most likely be available toward the end of 2008. The connection between Windows Media Center and Windows Fiji was first confirmed by Charlie Owen, a product manager on the Media Center team, earlier this year. Owen managed in this manner to clarify speculations that tied Fiji to the first service pack for Windows Vista. But with the exception of a few crumbs from the Microsoft feast, there are little details about the next version of Windows Media Center available. Microsoft's Windows Omerta is functioning to perfection.

In mid April 2007, the Redmond Company debuted the registration process for the Windows Fiji beta program. Back then, Jessica Zahn, program manager for Windows Media Center, pointed to a luxuriant beta participation survey for the next version of Media Center that doubled as an application. Zahn made sure to specify that the survey was designed deliberately broad, and that not all the features would end up in Windows Fiji. But of course one of the topics that is also off limit along with the future features is the availability date.

Charlie Owen inadvertently revealed that Windows Fiji would drop either in 2007 or in 2008, giving Microsoft's pace when releasing Windows Media Center versions: Freestyle - 2002, Harmony - 2003, Symphony - 2004, Emerald - 2005, and Diamond (in Windows Vista) - 2006. Now, Chris Lanier, Microsoft MVP, revealed on his blog that Windows Fiji will most likely drop in 2008. "Don't expect Fiji this year. Don't expect Fiji early next year. Based on water-cooler talk I've heard, I wouldn't expect to see it released until around Q3-Q4 2008 which would bring the platform back to Sep/Oct releases as has been customary since 2002," Lanier said.

Offering an explanation for this scenario, Lanier commented on the typical duration of a beta program, and the fact that the Windows Media Center team has not yet shipped the first bits to participants on May 31 as Zahn initially promised.

"Fiji, the suspected codename for the next version/upgrade of Media Center might be held up by a lack of frequent flyer miles. The beta program, which many of you may have registered for isn't exactly moving along. The invites that were supposed to be sent out on May 31th have gone no where fast. This leads me to think that the target ship date for Fiji is no where close. Typically, a beta program for a product as large as Media Center is going to last for at least eight months to a year, and depending on the features included even longer," Lanier added.