Windows 8 Release Due 2012 on Microsoft Roadmap

[Dermot]

It's somewhat hard to believe that we're already talking about Windows 8 given that Windows 7 just hit the shelves two months ago, but you know the engineers at Microsoft are already planning ahead. According to a roadmap constructed over at Microsoft Kitchen -- based around whispers heard through the grapevine on the eventual release of the next Windows Server -- the next iteration of Windows is tentatively pegged for release in the year 2012. Of course, a three-year window between Windows 7 and the next version is totally believable, but we wouldn't go planning your end of the world party with the assumption that a new OS will be the main attraction. Or you could, but then you might be disappointed, which would be a sucky way to go out.

Source: Microsoft Kitchen

[DJDOG]

I don't think I will be using Windows 8 as of yet, I will definitely beta test it - but don't think I run it.

I'm on Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit and I'm happy with.

I've read Windows 8 will be supporting 64bit and 128bit. 128bit isn't even a factor now or don't think it will be for few years; In a way I think 128bit would be waste of time; Unless the 128bit would be supported with backwards compatibility as Windows 7 is with 32bit/64bit. I could mainly see running it for more 'MAX MEMORY' possibilities.

Windows 7 supports 128 GB of Memory. - The idea of Windows 8 offering 'Double' if not maybe triple the RAM?

Think we would be on DDR10 by then? Lol

[Dermot]

I'd say if anything servers will be running 128bit a lot longer before home based computers will be just due to the memory capacity but i would say it will have backwards compatibility, as if anything m$ have learned that lesson the hard way and they could possibly have a xp/vista/win7 mode as an additional vm addon like win7 has for the XP Mode.

The way memory is updating it wouldn't surprize me if were a couple of versions of DDR up by that stage, i was actually thinking about switching from win7 32bit to 64bit with 12gb DDR3, but might wait for the new year before i take that step.