14 DAY TRIAL // Yes, the silence around Windows 7 is certainly deafening, disconcerting and certainly a source of frustration for end users, but Microsoft is building the next iteration of Windows. Dubbed Windows 7 after Steven Sinofsky, Senior Vice President, Windows and Windows Live Engineering Group, dropped codenames for product numbers, as a part of his translucency strategy over the development of Windows, the successor of Vista is very much in the works. Furthermore, Microsoft managed to let a small piece of information slip through its tight grip about the performance boosting features that will be integrated into Windows 7.
In this context, the next version of the Windows client is not diverging that much from Windows Vista. In fact, the "same old" Super Fetch, ReadyBoost and ReadyDrive Vista native features will survive into Windows 7. Since the beginning of the year, the Redmond company has been looking to fill several job positions, all of them designed to enhance the performance of Windows 7.
"Do you want to solve hard problems and develop a new generation of cutting edge performance analysis tools used to make Windows faster and more efficient? Do you want to work on a long term project that ships externally and regularly?" Microsoft asks in a job posting. "The Windows Client Performance Team in the Core Operating System Division is searching for a top notch developer to help Microsoft design and build the next generation of performance tools necessary to take the performance of Windows and applications to the next level."
Microsoft's focus on the performance of Windows 7 is intense, and right it should be, after what Windows Vista went through, taking into consideration the inherent comparisons with Windows XP. It is no wonder that the Redmond company is looking to "develop the next generation of tools and features necessary to drive performance improvements directly into key Microsoft OS components and applications."
Another job is addressed at people who "want to improve the quality of the Windows experience for customers by working closely with OEM, IHV and ISV partners, and developing performance diagnostic tools to improve the performance and battery life of Windows as it exists in the real world". This job is focused on tailoring Windows 7 to mobile computers, and striking a balance between performance and battery life.
And just in case there is any doubt about what performance boosting technologies will be implemented in Windows 7, Microsoft reveals in yet another job listing: "The Windows Client Performance Team is looking for a highly technical PM to own the next generation of PCAccelerator technologies including SuperFetch, ReadyBoost and other features to make Windows more responsive."
Essentially, the Windows Client Performance Team will focus on the development of the next generation of the current performance enhancement features that ship as components of Windows Vista. In this regard, Windows 7 will also feature Super Fetch, ReadyBoost, ReadyDrive run-time performance diagnostics and even the Windows Experience Index, according to Microsoft. One thing is clear, Windows 7 will feature evolved versions of what the Redmond company refers to as PC Accelerator technologies.