14 DAY TRIAL // Mum's the official word from Microsoft when it comes down to Windows 7. The Redmond company is terribly careful not to share any details on the next iteration of the Windows client. And yet, with Windows 7 Milestone 1 out and about since the end of 2007, with Milestone 2 on the horizon, and even with talk of M3, the successor of Windows Vista is bound to get a tad more, and continually more play. This in the detriment of both Vista SP1 and XP SP3. Microsoft's position on the matter is rather simple, the company would rather prefer that end users pretended there is no Windows 7, and just get on with either Windows XP SP3 or Windows Vista SP1.
"Why people spend so much time trying to find out what's coming next is beyond me. Okay so people like to get the scoop but really does anyone care *that* much about a product that is quite a way off? I have access to a tonne of information inside Microsoft using our corporate intranet search but how many times have a I searched for details on Windows 7? Precisely zero. I just have better things to do. Doesn't everyone else?" asked Steve Clayton, working in Microsoft International on Software + Services.
Of course, Clayton's position is not synonymous with the official Microsoft stand on Windows 7, but it does offer an insight into how the company expects users to deal with Windows 7. Just get a life already and stop referencing, digging up, mentioning, speculating, blogging about Windows 7. Now, it is clear that Microsoft will not get its wish, the Redmond company needs to reach some sort of compromise on this matter.
Case in point, Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows, and the most recent Windows 7 Ultimate Milestone 1 Build 6519 screenshot galleries. This is the Windows 7 build which still installs on top of Windows Vista SP1. The past week Bill Gates hinted that the final version of Windows 7 might drop as early as 2009.