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It’s true, as Microsoft’s spokespeople contend, that the “public guidance” around Windows 7 hasn’t changed; Microsoft marketeers continue to state that Windows 7 is on track to ship three years after Windows Vista was released to market (and cite that target date as January 2010). As a number of Microsoft watchers, yours truly included, have noted, Microsoft is NOT going to release another version of Windows client in January again unless there’s a awfully compelling reason to do so. cheapest cialis prices The best time to RTM a new Windows release is summer if you hope to get it preloaded on back-to-school and holiday PCs.
With all this as a given, it’s not surprising that OEMs are starting to admit that they expect to ship Windows 7 on new machines in the latter half of 2009.
I’m also not surprised that Microsoft is dropping hints about Windows 7 being ready sooner rather than later. As blogger Long Zheng noted, text on the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) 2008 site currently states that Windows 7 will ship before the next WinHEC is held. The exact wording:
“Be one of the first to see what’s new in Windows 7 and be among a select few to receive a pre-beta build of Windows 7. Join us as WinHEC 2008 – Register today. WinHEC is the only chance for you to engage with the team at this level – there is not another WinHEC planned before Windows 7 is released.”
The plot thickens further. When I searched the Web for “WinHEC 2009,” it looks like the next WinHEC seems to be slated for New Orleans from May 3-7, 2009 (although Microsoft potentially could postpone next year’s WinHEC to late fall, like it did this year).
Lock up your Windows and children!
In what sounds like the plot of 28 Days Later — computer “rage,” anyone? – the Times reports that botnets are alive and strong, according to shadowserver.org, a site that tracks such things:
“The mean time to infection is less than five minutes,” said Richie Lai, who is part of Microsoft’s Internet Safety Enforcement Team, a group of about 20 researchers and investigators. The team is tackling a menace that in the last five years has grown from a computer hacker pastime to a dark business that is threatening the commercial viability of the Internet.
Great Scot! The simple reality of these bots is terrifying to the security-minded: Any computer connected to the Internet can be vulnerable. Botnet attacks can come with their own antivirus software, permitting the programs to take over a computer and then effectively remove other malware competitors.
According to the article, Microsoft investigators “were amazed recently to find a botnet that turned on the Microsoft Windows Update feature after taking over a computer, to defend its host from an invasion of competing infections.”
Good lord. What’s more, botnets have evolved quickly to make detection more difficult, recently using “fast-flux,” a technique that generates a rapidly changing set of Internet addresses to make the botnet more difficult to locate and disrupt.
Yikes. So what’s a user to do?
First, take Microsoft’s Malicious Software Removal Tool out for a ride. Then make sure your firewall is up and you’re up to date with all security patches.
Then pray. Because these zombies are hard to find, much less kill. Just last week, Secunia, a computer security firm, tested a dozen leading PC security suites and found that the best one detected only 64 out of 300 software vulnerabilities.
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The Windows team is readying second service packs (SP2) for Vista — and for its server complement, Windows Server 2008 — and is aiming to deliver these SP2s before it releases Windows 7, according to my sources.
I’m hearing that Microsoft already has delivered a beta of at least Vista SP2 to select hardware and software partners, the same way that it has been providing a hand-chosen few with early builds of Windows 7. I noticed that Microsoft has put up a place holder Knowledge Base article on October 2 regarding the forthcoming SP2 betas. (I see a couple of other bloggers saw this, as well.)
I haven’t heard details from any testers regarding any of the features due in Vista SP2 or Windows Server 2008 SP2. But here are some tidbits of what I cheap cialis professional have heard from my sources:
(I’ve asked the Windows client and server teams for comment on their respective SP2 features/timing and will update this post if and when I hear back. Given how tough it was to get info out of Microsoft on Vista SP1, I am not holding my breath….)
Update: Here’s all the Vista team will say, courtesy of a spokesperson: “Microsoft is working on a second Windows Vista service pack (Windows Vista SP2) and will share more details in the coming months.”
Update No. 2: From the server team, via a spokesperson: “(T)he comment (above) serves for Windows Server as well; Microsoft is not commenting further on the timing/release plans for the WS08 SP2 at this time, but will share more details in the coming months.”
Microsoft is expected to release a public Beta 1 of Windows 7 in mid-December, according to internal schedule information from sources. I haven’t yet heard when Beta 1 of Windows Server 2008 R2 is due, but I would bet it will be in the next month or two, as well. If Microsoft really is hoping to get Vista SP2 and Win Server 2008 SP2 out first, that doesn’t give the Redmondans a whole lot of time to test and deliver its pair of SP2s.
Given the timing, I’m wondering whether Microsoft might decide to deliver any of the tweaks or features it is building into Windows 7 via Vista SP2. Are there any fixes or tweaks you are hoping Microsoft delivers as part of Vista/Win Server 2008 SP2?
