Too funny…
I love predicting this stuff early.
You might remember that in an earlier blog post , I had said that Windows 8 will come out in 2013/2014.
Well, now others are coming around…
From v3.co.uk:
Microsoft’s announcement that it would be supporting ARM processors could cause the company serious problems with Windows 8 deployment analysts have warned.
In a webcast three analysts from Directions on Microsoft, all former Microsoft employees said that the ARM integration of Windows 8 would take until at least 2013. Furthermore the move would leave companies and manufacturers facing tough choices in the next two years.
“Even if they are a year into development we have reason to believe they have a long road ahead of them,” Wes Miller, lead analyst on server applications told V3.co.uk.
“This is a completely new platform, with new device drivers and issues for OEMs.”
I am actually more convinced that Windows 8 will be released in 2014 at this rate.
I had made the 2013/2014 caclculation before ARM was even a factor. With ARM to contend with, it makes 2014 more of a date certain if you ask me…
Let me be clear though.. THIS IS NOT A BAD THING.
They need to take their time and figure out what is missing from Operating Systems today and give that to us. There is no reason at all to stick to a schedule just because…
Well, it is clear that it will not be an easy task to add the support of ARM CPU to Windows.
Why people think that Ballmer stated that Windows 8 will be the most risked project of Microsoft for the coming years ?
Moreover it seems to me that some people are thinking that Microsoft intended to release an equivalent of Windows 7 for the ARM architecture certainly because of the CES demo .
What will happen according to me is clearly shown currently by both Windows 7 and WP7.
I think that Windows 8 will be natively backward compatible with previous versions of Windows 7 only for .Net and especially Silverlight applications.
If a more extensive backward compatibility is needed then this could be achieved via virtualization technologies especially App-V and Med-V in case of ARM devices. People should not underestimate the work Microsoft has been doing those last years in this domain. I had been wondering for months why Microsoft is putting so much efforts in this domain. The answer i come to is that Microsoft certainly intends to offer those as backward compatibility solutions in local network first but also in a close future via the web.
ARM based server and x86 devices will certainly rely also on Hyper-V, whom the third version will be available for both the client and the server versions of Windows 8, for backward compatibility.
This backward compatibility could be optional and shut down by default on weaker devices or in slate mode.
Moreover the sudden massive support of Microsoft for html5, (ie9 anyone ?) show that Microsoft will heavily rely on this technology to offer cross platform solutions. I will not be surprised if the next version of SharePoint relies a lot on this standard for example.
So all in all, the situation is much less dramatic that some seem to think.
And i said in a previous post, i would be worried if Steven Sinofsky and Julia Larson Green were not in charge of the Windows department. However as long as those two are there i am confident. Though even for them it will not be an easy task. Though i am optimistic to see Windows 8 for both ARM and x86 available in 2012.
Sinofsky would never let them go more than three years between Windows releases again, they learned that lesson with Vista. The ARM port has been in the works since before 7’s release, it’s not something they just started. Barring some unforeseen calamity, it will be released in 2012.
It’s still unclear what the “lesson” was. I am a firm believer that you need to release versions based on their ability to solve business problems and add value and not just because.
Vista clearly did not do that and as a result should not have been released.
I have stated and continue to state that if they “rush” to meet some artificial deadline, that is the beginning of the end. Having said that, if 2012 happens, I’ll be thrilled.
Hey! They forgot yo watch the movie 2012 before planning for Windows 8. At least give us some flavor of the new sweet before 21Dec2012 :-).
Well I think Windows 8 should come out along side Mac OS Lion but it looks like it wont.
Hey! They forgot yo watch the movie 2012 before planning for Windows 8. At least give us some flavor of the new sweet before 21Dec2012 :-).
Well I think Windows 8 should come out along side Mac OS Lion but it looks like it wont.
TWO CHOICES for Microsoft POP UP just when they are two years behind Google and Apple.
CHOICE A: Release cheap Win7 ARM tablets NOW, release expensive Win8 X86 tablets
in mid-2012, and release cheaper Win8 ARM Tablets in 2013. CHOICE B: Do not release cheap Win7 ARM tablets, release expensive Win8 X86 tablets in mid-2012, and release cheaper Win8 ARM Tablets in 2013.