Exclusive: Windows 7 and Windows 8 Windows 7 Starter Edition: The Windows Low-Cost PC team is currently assembling its crew to develop “the Starter Edition version of Windows 7, targeted towards consumers in emerging markets. We want to provide the best Windows experience for children in schools and beginner users in their homes.”
Windows 7 Business: There is nothing more than the mere mention of the successor SKU to Vista Business as being that of Windows 7. In combination with the mention of Windows 7 Starter Edition, suffice it to say, I think we have discovered that Windows 7 will continue where Vista started with the multitude of SKU’s (Shelf Keeping Unit). This SKU was mentioned in an extended write-up of an internal initiative to create added value of Vista Business for small businesses.
Component Delivery Platform: Also known as CBS, this is the core infrastructure utilized for defining Windows SKUs, optional components and for the setup and servicing of Windows. The current plan of the CBS team for Windows 7 is to provide aggregation, installation, and servicing constructs for Windows elements (components, drivers, etc.), including a set of interfaces that can be used by internal and external customers for a wide variety of operations ranging from SKU construction to install, uninstall and servicing of Windows features. This infrastructure will be leveraged by Windows partners to build their features and optional components for Windows 7.
Data Protection and Encryption: In Windows 7, substantial investments are being made in Bitlocker and EFS to drive toward Microsoft’s vision of data being encrypted all the time, everywhere, so that customers know their data is always secure regardless of said data being located on a local hard drive, company server, or portable device.
ClickOnce: Microsoft is working to solve core problems in network application deployment and declarative system extensibility by designing the next generation application deployment framework required to advance smart, “friction free” client application deployment to the next level. The technologies focused on by the Windows Application Deployment team are packaging, management, installation and servicing for applications in both online and offline environments.
Application Compatibility: Application Compatibility is the biggest barrier to adopting new releases of Windows. Addressing the compatibility problem is one of the hardest and most important problems in the Windows Division for Windows 7 and beyond. The Windows Application Experience team is currently developing a new set of OS components to ensure that critical enterprise applications will continue to work seamlessly on new Windows releases. A key objective of theirs is to ensure that Windows 7 and beyond are released with high application compatibility without inhibiting innovation.
Windows 7 Wireless Platform: An extensible media framework that will allow for seamless roaming between various wireless technologies (WiFi, WWAN, WIMAX, etc.) is currently being developed. How Windows users will experience the finished product is currently yet to be defined.
Windows 7 Code Security: As is always a focus, the WinSA (Security Assurance) team is putting together efforts to help secure the Windows 7 COSD (Core Operating System Division) and Server releases in attempts to make Windows 7 “the most secure operating system in the world.”
Windows Serviceability: Some of the areas the terminal services (Remote Desktop) team is focusing on improving are the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), Application Publishing, client and Redirection.
]Windows Update: Microsoft is currently looking for a project manager to “drive the Windows Update Client technologies to support new Windows 7 scenarios around ISV updating and integrating of the platform aspects with the new management SaaS (Software as a Service) services initiative.”
Windows 7 Parent Control Features: “Family Safety” services are being developed for both Windows Live and Windows 7 Parent Control. Not much was expanded on this but Microsoft’s goal is “to help keep millions of kids safe in our connected world…by helping protect them from undesirable content and strangers on the internet.”
StrongBox: One of the biggest challenges is the impact of all the different kinds of applications on each other and the Windows platform itself. The results are growing frustration with desktop applications, higher cost of ownership, and customers’ apathy to try new applications. Microsoft has assembled a small team in the Core of the Windows Division whose primary task is to gain control of this problem and, over a series of releases, begin to alleviate it. The evolution of the application platform - deployment, configuration, state management, and servicing - all fall under this team’s focus.
(Internal Only Link):
http://team/sites/StrongBox/default.aspx Windows Firewall Technologies, Network Security and Internet Protocols: Microsoft is looking to innovate and improve upon its key firewall technologies and internet protocols such as Windows Firewall Engine (Windows Firewall and Windows Firewall with Advanced Security), Firewall Policy Management, IPsec Policy Management, OneCare Firewall, Windows Filtering Platform, Server/Domain Isolation, IPv6, TCP/IP, IPv6 Transition Technologies such as “Toredo,” IKE V2, AuthIP, etc. A couple of Microsoft’s strategic goals are firewall coexistence and interoperability as well as the ability to protect core Windows experiences. To help achieve those goals, a Unified Firewall Platform is being built.
Next-Gen Plug-and-Play Architecture: A multi-release plan is in the works with the immediate deliverable being a set of features targeted at Windows 7 to “enable Windows to be able to create an accurate representation of the physical device world, which means properly associating the functionality of multi-function and multi-transport devices with a ‘piece of plastic’ abstraction.” Also noted, “A key feature of Windows 7 will be the ability for users to easily see their devices in a realistic and easy-to-understand way.” In addition, a strategy for core PnP functionality will be generated for future releases such as Windows 8 and beyond.
UI and UX (Of course): Currently, the Windows Experience (WEX) Project Management team is searching for a project manager who will “create and lead the Windows 7 DCR plan and process; in addition to Windows 7 milestone entry/exit criteria.” Windows 8 is so far out (2012+, according to the current release timeline for Windows client) that there does not appear to be much planning in terms of user experience at this point but in the words of Microsoft, said project manager “will also be on the forefront for what and how we plan for Windows 8.”
Find and Organize: The current focus of the Windows team where finding and organizing data is concerned is a visually exciting, seamless experience around user data, regardless of where said data may reside; local, intranet, internet, or portable devices. The goal of the UI is to help people navigate and manage their digital content in a unified manner.
Windows Fundamentals Diagnosis: This team’s vision is to provide the next generation infrastructure for instrumentation, self-healing assisted healing as well as an intuitive user experience for diagnosis in Windows. Key technology areas owned by the Windows Core OS division - fundamentals diagnosis team are Event Tracing for Windows (ETW), Performance Counters (Perfmon), Remote Assistance (MSRA), and Windows Diagnostic Infrastructure (WDI).
One focus that Microsoft has slated for Windows 8 in particular (yes, skipping right over mention of Windows 7) is a total revamp of WTT (Windows Test Technologies), which are the technologies leveraged to test Windows. The WTT team “is looking to make significant changes to it’s infrastructure for Windows 8. We want to address all the major problems [testers and test managers] have faced over the last few years by developing a truly scalable and reliable testing infrastructure.” The current projected timeframe for the WTT architecture and UI overhaul is 18 months.
Will Windows 8 attain the same cult-like excitement and pre-mature “concept screenshots” as the once fabled “Blackcomb” (now Windows 7)? Something is pounding on my noggin like a KPA soldier being tossed at it by a nanosuit-wearing… guy that the “concept screenshots” thing is a definite sooner rather than later. (Sorry for that horrible analogy. Too much Crysis SP Demo playing) Anyway, I know that very little of this blog entry had to do with UX in particular but in between the UX posts will hopefully be content similar to the aforementioned.
Вот еще скрины: 
. Это десктопная, которая планируется на смену Висте. 