Rumor: Microsoft to Launch Windows 8 in 2013.

[Kaotika]

Agreed, there is little chance Microsoft will allow another "XP" again where it competes against its own newer products. Windows Longhorn (Vista) was to arrive in 2003, instead we got it in 2007 and it was basically a test product for Windows Blackcomb/Vienna (7) in 2009. Far too long of a wait, companies are reluctant to switch because "if it ain't broke don't fix it" and the comfort level of a heavily refined Windows eXPerience.

Expect Windows 8 pre-releases and betas throughout 2011 & 2012, and Microsoft might use it as big test for Windows 9 in the process.

To go more detailed
- First there was Windows Blackcomb, scheduled for 2003
- It got delayed, got renamed to Vienna and split off to Longhorn and Vienna to get something out in more or less planned schedule
- Longhorn got delayed and incorporated more and more of Blackcomb/Vienna
- Longhorn delayed even more
- And then some more
- And then got finally released as Windows Vista
- Vienna got named Windows 7

[Zoolook]

There was little reason for those to upgrade from NT4.0 or Win2000 too, yet it happened

Well now that's not true, any more than your crass 3.1 comparison. Win2000 to XP was a pointless upgrade (until the former was no longer supported) but NT4 to Win2000/XP was well worth doing if only for native USB, ACPI and other 'plug 'n play' support - not to mention encryption and other disk management improvements.

XPs big userbase is mostly thanks to MS's delays on newer OSes, other than that, it's just the natural growth of computer systems sold, and home users now being bundled under same OS as business users.

You say that almost as though it's an afterthought, but it's hugely influential. Many businesses in the 1990s used Win95 rather than NT, partly for cost reasons and partly for compatibility reasons. I remember at Bankers Trust and Deutsche Bank seeing Win95 machines across continental Europe, running ancient DOS software that couldn't run on the NT machines around 2000 and 2001.

NT5.x was and still is the most important OS MS have ever built (take your pick as to whether that was XP or Win2000).

[terrannova]

Windows 8 beta may be right around the corner. [thumbup]

http://www.dailytech.com/Windows+8+B...ticle21591.htm

Softpedia reported last week that it received "Windows 8 Build 6.2.7959.0 Milestone 3 (M3)", an important preliminary build. Compiled March 7, 2011 (based on the name string of the full build of the release), if authentic the build indicates that Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) is closing in on Build 8000 -- typically the build at which it launches a beta.

[Ripcord47]

All microsoft OS's have been **** since win 98se. they dropped the ball when they stopped making seprate home opperating systems. wont matter anyway in 30 years we wont be using microsoft OS anyways or x86. will all be arm and whatever os there using

[will_perdikakis]

All microsoft OS's have been **** since win 98se. they dropped the ball when they stopped making seprate home opperating systems. wont matter anyway in 30 years we wont be using microsoft OS anyways or x86. will all be arm and whatever os there using

I have never seen so much stupidity so conveniently compacted.

[harlequin]

08/04/2014 is the end date for winxp (all versions) - will have had a life of 12 1/2 years by then.

as of now the only support for XP is `Extended Support` which means security fixes only and an up to date knowledge base.

[powerarmour]

Interested in the ARM edition...

[Warrior1]

All microsoft OS's have been **** since win 98se. they dropped the ball when they stopped making seprate home opperating systems. wont matter anyway in 30 years we wont be using microsoft OS anyways or x86. will all be arm and whatever os there using

wtf......[rofl]