
The first Beta of Windows 7 is on the horizon, and in this context it's right about time to look beyond Windows XP Service Pack 3 and Windows Vista Service Pack 1.
The next iteration of the Windows client has been a palpable presence only through the Milestone 1 build dropped at the end of 2007, with the Redmond company gagging all details on the operating system and its development process. At the same time, with the evolution of Vista's successor toward the first Beta stage, Microsoft is increasingly focusing on Windows 7.
The not so distant future and the near future sound as abstract as possible, and are by no means reliable deadlines. But taken into consideration that Microsoft is already starting to prepare Windows 7 Client drivers and updates, and will do the same for Windows 7 Server/Windows Server 2008 R2, the actual Betas are closer than ever. Come October-November 2008, the Redmond company will green light the Windows 7 conference road-show, with events such as PDC2008, WinHEC2008 and Tech-Ed EMEA. In this regard, there have already been speculations pointing to the first Beta of Windows 7 going live around PDC2008, at the end of October.