Windows 8 will be the next Windows OS after 2012

As in a regular Microsoft Windows product cycle, after one Windows version is released, the work on next version gets the attention. Now, that after Windows 7 has been released, the work on Windows 8 development has already started. Although there are no official information regarding Windows 8 and there won’t be any for 1 year or more, here are a few tidbits I collected from the internet.

How the buzz about Windows 8 started.

Some say....

A technology site, Ars Technica discovered the job listings in the Microsoft's official careers page. Some of the listings have since been edited or removed, but Ars Technica still has the original listings available on their site.

Here is one of the several job listings found in Microsoft’s website:

    Job Category: Software Engineering: Program Management
    Location: United States, WA, Redmond
    Job ID: 706807 9435
    Product: Windows
    Division: Windows Division


    Are you ready to get closer to Microsoft’s best customers and biggest partners while staying in a highly technical role? The new Ecosystem Fundamentals team in Windows is hiring a Senior PM to work closely with OEMs driving continued increases in performance and reliability while providing tools, testing, training and telemetry. The successful candidate for this critical role will ride the Windows 7 wave of success to enabling continued improvements into the ecosystem. This work includes Windows 8 planning, OEM tool and kit ownership, performance testing and analysis focused on improving the hardware/software ecosystem while working closely with OEMs, ODMs, ISVs, and IHVs in order to strengthen Windows partnerships. Now is the time to move into a great role centered in the Windows group and focused on customer satisfaction improvements based on solid engineering. Source: Windows 8 Jobs-Microsoft Careers Site

Some others say….

It was just an accidental ignorance that caused the info about Windows 8 to be leaked via one of Microsoft employee’s LinkedIn profile. According to Robert Murdon’s LinkedIn profile, which seems to have had many of its details removed, he has been working at Microsoft since January 2002. Following are some of the information about Windows 8 found on his profile: (Source: http://www.windows8news.com)

    “Robert Morgan is working to get IA-128 working backwards with full binary compatibility on the existing IA-64 instructions in the hardware simulation to work for Windows 8 and definitely Windows 9.”

    “Robert Morgan is using Hestia (custom software package) for experimenting with the processor for scientific analysis and 3D graphics. Error: Memory Latency? Always gotta be a challenge barrier, it’s gotta be a bug in Hestia. right?!”

    “Robert Morgan is frustrated with process standards and regulations! Delays Delays!”

So, everything we know comes from job ads and profiles.

What else is known about Windows 8?
While the above two “buzzs” should convince you that Windows 8 is actually “IN PROGRESS”, I have found some more info about Windows 8.

1. Windows 8 might be released by 2012.
In at least two slides apparently shown at the Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles this week, Microsoft suggests that a major release update to Windows Server is due around 2012, with one of the slides confirming the Windows 8 code name. One of them is shown below:

So watch out because,it's likely that Microsoft will announce the later date and retail on an earlier date.

2. Windows 8 may support 128-bit platform.
In Murdon’s LinkedIn profile,he seems certain that we will see 128-bit compatibility with Windows 9, while it appears that whether we will see it in Windows 8 or not is still uncertain.
But,if the rumoured 128-bit support is true, then it's 128-bit registers for processing data in Itanium servers.

3. Windows 8 might have newer networking and security features
Changes in network security, authentication and encryption detailed in a Software Design Engineer's profile are again probably related to Windows Server, but there is a possibility that it will added into Windows 8. Another online resume mentions a possible "follow-on" to the PatchGuard system that stops viruses changing system files that was delayed from Windows 7, to be introduced in the next version of Windows.

4. Windows 8 will have improved multi-monitor support
Steven Sinofsky has already said there wasn't time to do more work on the user interface with multiple monitors, so it's on the list for Windows 8, not least because "we all use it at Microsoft". Expect scenarios for handling three or more screens, in various arrangements.

5. Hibernate and resume may have a new engine
According to the profile of an intern on the Windows team, there's going to be a new Hibernate/Resume Integration API using what he calls "the new TLZ file compression engine". That could mean even faster hibernation and resume times, if it makes it into the final code of Windows 8.

That’s all for now.

What would you like to see in Windows 8?