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Despite an almost complete lack of verifiable information about this next major Windows release, there are at least two excellent reasons to begin discussing this project now:

1. This Web site, the SuperSite for Windows, is dedicated to discussing upcoming Microsoft products, so it's only natural that I'd post a FAQ like this as soon as possible.

2. Microsoft isn't particularly interested in discussing Vienna yet. "The launch of Windows Vista was an incredibly exciting moment for our customers and partners around the world, and the company is focused on the value Windows Vista will bring to people today," Kevin Kutz, a Director in the Windows Client group at Microsoft said on February 13, 2007. "We are not giving official guidance to the public yet about the next version of Windows, other than that we're working on it. When we are ready, we will provide updates." This quote was provided after I wrote a WinInfo article denouncing recent news reports about Vienna, all of which provided absolutely no new information at all.

Clearly, what's needed is a central location for accurate information about Vienna. This is it.

Q: Is Microsoft working on an operating system after Windows Vista?

A: Yes. The next client version of Windows was originally codenamed "Blackcomb," though the company renamed it to "Windows Vienna" in early 2006 and to "Windows Seven" or "Windows 7" more recently.

Q: Why Windows 7?

Since Windows Vista is really Windows 6.0, Windows 7 will presumably be version 7.0.

Q: Is Windows 7 the final name?

No. Like Vienna, Windows 7 is just a codename and will likely change prior to the OS' official release.

Q: I heard that Windows Vista will be the last major OS release from Microsoft. Is that true?

A: No. Windows-based PCs will continue to form the center of our digital lifestyles, and as Microsoft executives have noted in recent days, there are still plenty of areas in which Microsoft can improve Windows. Some obvious examples include voice recognition and storage.

Q: So is Windows 7 going to be a major Windows version?

A: Yes. Windows Vista was a major release, and Windows 7 will be also be a major update. Microsoft is currently on a development path where every other Windows version is a major release, so it's possible we'll see a minor OS update between Vista and Windows 7.

Q: When will Windows 7 ship?

A: Microsoft currently plans to ship Windows 7 in 2010, about four years after Vista. (Windows Server updates are on a similar cycle.)

Q: What features will be included in Windows 7?

A: Microsoft hasn't publicly committed to any features for Windows 7 and the company is currently still deciding what this next Windows release will look like. We do know a few things about Windows 7, however: It will include a new version of Windows Explorer that is being built by the same team that designed the Ribbon user interface in Office 2007. It will likely include some form of the "Hypervisor" (Windows Virtualization) technologies that will ship shortly after Windows Server 2008. It will also likely include the WinFS (Windows Future Storage) technologies, though they won't be packaged or branded as WinFS. Microsoft says it might also make a subscription-based version of the OS available to consumers, but that's still in flux.