Win 7, I'm Confused: Can PDC Help?
There's a lot of talk these days about Windows 7. Users are interested because
many are trying to figure out if they're going to go with Vista, skip it for
Windows 7 or go in an entirely different direction. And Microsoft isn't entirely
shy about it, either, as it hopes to keep the world excited about Windows.
I became instantly less excited about Windows 7 when Microsoft seemed to say
it would be based on Vista. That means a big client using an old kernel. Recent
rumors (fueled at least in part by Microsoft itself) point to a new, much smaller
kernel based
on something called Midori, which may or may not be based on Singularity
(a new kernel coming out of Microsoft Research).
Microsoft should end this confusion. The underlying architecture of Windows
7 is critically important for IT planning. Another big issue: If Windows 7 has
an all-new kernel, no matter how small, it could dramatically lengthen the wait
for this OS.
Of course, the big question is: For how long will PC operating systems be a
cause of excitement? Here, there are two countervailing trends. One, client
OSes are getting richer. With media extensions and add-ins, we can actually
spend more and more time using what comes already installed on our machines.
On the other hand, more processing is moving to the Web, the cloud, Software
as a Service and all the other terms we use for big-time remote computing. Here,
all we need is a browser and enough local CPU to drive our displays and networks.
Next week, Microsoft is hosting its Professional Developers Conference and
will give attendees some pre-release Windows 7 code. Maybe then we'll have our
answer!
Posted by Doug Barney on October 23, 2008