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Published on: August 18th, 2008 @ 10:58 PM PDT by William Johnson
Microsoft today confirmed that the upcoming server version for Windows 7″ will not be a major release, but instead will be a minor release.
This move is somewhat surprising, given that in the past, Microsoft has used the R2 moniker to signify a product with a few new features, as opposed to major changes to a product.
According to a Microsoft spokesman the server version of Windows 7″ is scheduled for release sometime in 2010.
This move also brings the question of just how different Windows 7″ will be from Windows Vista on client side. Steven Sinofsky, the head of development for the desktop version of Windows, has said that Microsoft will not make major changes to things like the kernel and driver model, but insists that the client version of Windows 7″ will be a major release of Windows.
Microsoft has said that the client version of Windows 7″ would include a new multi-touch platform, but has not talked about any other features.
Microsoft describes its minor, or update releases on its server roadmap page this way:
Update releases integrate the previous major release with the latest service pack, selected feature packs, and new functionality. Because an update release is based on the previous major release, customers can incorporate it into their environment without any additional testing beyond what would be required for a typical service pack. Any additional functionality provided by an update would be optional and thus not affect application compatibility or require customers to recertify or retest applications.
One of the biggest questions is, if Windows 7″ Server needs no more testing than a service pack, is it really possible to add enough features to the client versions of Windows 7″ to make Windows 7″ a big improvement upon Windows Vista?
I guess all we can do is wait until Microsoft shares more details at its Professional Developers Conference in late October in Los Angeles.
Source: The Windows Pulse
