Windows 7 Hits Milestone 3

[Computer Head]

I have seen the future — specifically Windows 7 Milestone 3 (Build 6780).

I got a gander at the latest test build of Windows 7 briefly (courtesy of a source of mine) and was not allowed to take any screenshots. But it is real, it does exist and it is, indeed, in certain testers' hands inside and outside the company.

From the quick glimpse I got of Milestone 3, it sounds like Bryant of AeroXperience was right on the money with his hypotheses about what's changed in the latest internal test builds. The latest build seems quite stable. The Ribbon user interface from Office 2007 is now part of WordPad and Paint. Home Groups — the functionality formerly known in “Longhorn”/Vista as “Castle” — is part of the new Windows 7 build.

I also noticed that the “Graphical Console,” a k a PowerShell Version 2, seems to be part of the latest pre-release Windows 7 build.

(Looks like Stephen Chapman over at the UX Evangelist site got to see Build 6780, too, and has a lot more to say on Windows 7's Paint and WordPad.)

From what admittedly little I had a chance to see, Windows 7 does not look or feel like a major departure from Windows Vista.

Sources say there isn't an “M4″ currently on Microsoft's Windows 7 schedule. Next up is likely some kind of preview build (which may or may not be distributed to those attending the Professional Developers Conference and/or Windows Hardware Engineering Conference in October and November, respectively.) After that, a broadscale Beta 1, which should be feature-complete and pretty much set in stone, is expected for mid-December.

Like my ZDNet blogging colleague Ed Bott said, it's not impossible for Microsoft to hit a 2009 release for Windows 7 if the first true beta doesn't go out until December. Such a move would not be unprecedented.

Do you think the Softies are going to get Windows 7 out the door in 2009, as they are hoping — and maybe even early enough to make it onto new machines in time for Holiday 2009 sales?

Source

 

[Teny]

really want Windows 7 eh?
haha, i hope i wont a have slow computer when it comes out like what happened with Vista. Pretty much everybody that wanted to run Vista had to buy a new computer or upgrade.

 

[Computer Head]

I do because I like Vista but can't stand the problems with it, including slowness. I was doing some other reading and there's a beta release expected to come out Mid-December. There's some debate whether it's anything more than a "Vista R2" , so to speak. Microsoft calls it a major release, but I also watched a video that said that it more resembles a minor release and said that it's being dubbed a major release because it took 2.5 years from the release for this crap to get fixed.

 

[CrackerJacker1]

I think its going to be more like a FIXED version of vista.

 

[Teny]

this december or next december?
I like Vista so far, just wished that i dont drop 10-20FPS when i play games, though i could fix it if i get another 2GB (2x1GB) of ram.

 

[Computer Head]

I think its going to be more like a FIXED version of vista.

I agree. That's what I am hearing from the people who have seen it.

this december or next december?
I like Vista so far, just wished that i dont drop 10-20FPS when i play games, though i could fix it if i get another 2GB (2x1GB) of ram.

This december for Beta 1. They are hoping to have the official release in the latter part of 2009.

 

[Cabbs]

I'm pretty happy with Vista so far. The only slowness I ever encounter is during startup, but I leave my computer on 24/7 normally so it's not an issue for me.

 

[01001010]

You should really turn it off to conserve energy.

 

[Teny]

thats cool, so if its this december, then we wont really need high end PCs.
Do you know if we have to register for it or do you think it will be open beta like what they did with vista? (though you had to supply an email to get a key)
My vista takes about 2 (from turning on) to fully start up i think.

 

[Cabbs]

You should really turn it off to conserve energy.

I leave it crunching when I'm not gaming, so it's not really a waste.