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just recieved an email from the tech team at Microsoft adviseing of the new Windows roadmap
thought it might be of some help to user's of this forum
An Update on the Windows Client Roadmap
You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to the TechNet newsletter
A significant date has recently been announced for Windows XP end of sales, and the TechNet UK team wanted to ensure that you have all the facts. We want to update you on the following areas:
1. Our plans for Windows XP
2. Our progress with Windows Vista
3. Our view on Windows 7
You can read the complete version of the customer notification from Bill Veghte Here
Windows XP
The "end of sales" date for Windows XP is officially June 30th 2008. What does this mean for support?
1) Mainstream support will continue until April 2009
2) We will continue to provide security updates and other critical fixes for Windows XP until April, 2014
For full details go to Here
Will I be able to buy PCs with Windows XP after June 30?
We will stop selling Windows XP as a retail packaged product and licensing it directly through major PC manufacturers on 30th June 2008. You will still be able to purchase through partners but only until the stock diminishes.
The other question is about customers that have Windows Vista but want to exercise downgrade rights due to keeping a consistent estate or due to compatibility issues. The options here are:
1. If you are a larger business customer buying Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise or Windows Vista Ultimate, you have the right to use Windows XP Professional through a customer benefit known as "downgrade rights." These downgrade rights are also available to all our business customers that license Windows through volume licensing. However if you choose to downgrade, you will need to have access to a copy of Windows XP media with its product key in order to be able to do this. This is great value because it lets you use Windows XP today if you need it and then make the move to Windows Vista when you are ready without having to pay for an upgrade.
2. If you are a home or small business customer, you can also purchase Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate and then use downgrade rights (as above) until you are ready to upgrade to Windows Vista. When you are ready, you are "future proofed" since you already have a license for Windows Vista.
3. If you are a customer looking to buy a low-end system (often refered to as a "NetBook" or "Ultra-Low Cost PC") that uses very low-end hardware that won't run Windows Vista, then we are making Windows XP available for some time on these systems. In addition, we have programs to make Windows XP available in low volumes from local PC manufactures-and of course major OEMs have the option of offering these "low volume" offers as well.
Emma Healey, our UK licensing expert, has done a very thorough write up of this here
Important Progress with Windows Vista
Windows Vista was a very ambitious release. It contains significant advances in many areas, ranging from enhanced security and lower total cost of ownership to support for the next generation of hardware. We have made significant progress is specific areas highlighted by customers and partners with the release of SP1
Security
- During 2007, Windows Vista had half the number of critical vulnerabilities as Windows XP Service Pack 2 did during the same time period.
- PCs running Windows Vista were 60 percent less likely to be infected by malware than those running Windows XP Service Pack 2.
Compatibility
- Windows Vista supports about 77,000 components and devices
- Today, 49 out of the top 50 selling consumer applications are either known compatible with Windows Vista, or have a Windows Vista specific version.
Quality and performance improvements to Windows Vista
- There are hundreds of little things that you might not notice individually, but collectively they deliver a significant improvement in the overall experience.
- A few examples of improvement included in Windows Vista SP 1 include an improvement of 41% to 50% file copy performance depending on the configuration and scenario, improvements in the time it takes to read large images by as much as 50% and some improvements in our diagnostic system that make Windows Vista easier for IT organisations to support it.
Partnering to deliver great Windows Vista PC configurations
- By improving driver quality, we helped OEM partners who worked with us improve battery life by an average of 10 percent and in some instances by as much as 30%.
To find out more, visit the Windows Vista TechCentre on the TechNet website
Beyond Windows Vista
There are also some questions about what comes next for Windows. Our plan is to deliver Windows 7 approximately 3 years after the January 2007 general availability launch date of Windows Vista.
Our approach is to build off the same core architecture as Windows Vista, so that the investments that Microsoft, our partners and our customers have made in Windows Vista, will continue to pay off with Windows 7. The result is that the migration process from Windows Vista to Windows 7 should be much more straightforward.
As a reminder, you can read the complete version of the customer notification from Bill Veghte here
If you have any questions or need further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us
Thanks
The UK TechNet Team
[email protected]
thought it might be of some help to user's of this forum
An Update on the Windows Client Roadmap
You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to the TechNet newsletter
A significant date has recently been announced for Windows XP end of sales, and the TechNet UK team wanted to ensure that you have all the facts. We want to update you on the following areas:
1. Our plans for Windows XP
2. Our progress with Windows Vista
3. Our view on Windows 7
You can read the complete version of the customer notification from Bill Veghte Here
Windows XP
The "end of sales" date for Windows XP is officially June 30th 2008. What does this mean for support?
1) Mainstream support will continue until April 2009
2) We will continue to provide security updates and other critical fixes for Windows XP until April, 2014
For full details go to Here
Will I be able to buy PCs with Windows XP after June 30?
We will stop selling Windows XP as a retail packaged product and licensing it directly through major PC manufacturers on 30th June 2008. You will still be able to purchase through partners but only until the stock diminishes.
The other question is about customers that have Windows Vista but want to exercise downgrade rights due to keeping a consistent estate or due to compatibility issues. The options here are:
1. If you are a larger business customer buying Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise or Windows Vista Ultimate, you have the right to use Windows XP Professional through a customer benefit known as "downgrade rights." These downgrade rights are also available to all our business customers that license Windows through volume licensing. However if you choose to downgrade, you will need to have access to a copy of Windows XP media with its product key in order to be able to do this. This is great value because it lets you use Windows XP today if you need it and then make the move to Windows Vista when you are ready without having to pay for an upgrade.
2. If you are a home or small business customer, you can also purchase Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate and then use downgrade rights (as above) until you are ready to upgrade to Windows Vista. When you are ready, you are "future proofed" since you already have a license for Windows Vista.
3. If you are a customer looking to buy a low-end system (often refered to as a "NetBook" or "Ultra-Low Cost PC") that uses very low-end hardware that won't run Windows Vista, then we are making Windows XP available for some time on these systems. In addition, we have programs to make Windows XP available in low volumes from local PC manufactures-and of course major OEMs have the option of offering these "low volume" offers as well.
Emma Healey, our UK licensing expert, has done a very thorough write up of this here
Important Progress with Windows Vista
Windows Vista was a very ambitious release. It contains significant advances in many areas, ranging from enhanced security and lower total cost of ownership to support for the next generation of hardware. We have made significant progress is specific areas highlighted by customers and partners with the release of SP1
Security
- During 2007, Windows Vista had half the number of critical vulnerabilities as Windows XP Service Pack 2 did during the same time period.
- PCs running Windows Vista were 60 percent less likely to be infected by malware than those running Windows XP Service Pack 2.
Compatibility
- Windows Vista supports about 77,000 components and devices
- Today, 49 out of the top 50 selling consumer applications are either known compatible with Windows Vista, or have a Windows Vista specific version.
Quality and performance improvements to Windows Vista
- There are hundreds of little things that you might not notice individually, but collectively they deliver a significant improvement in the overall experience.
- A few examples of improvement included in Windows Vista SP 1 include an improvement of 41% to 50% file copy performance depending on the configuration and scenario, improvements in the time it takes to read large images by as much as 50% and some improvements in our diagnostic system that make Windows Vista easier for IT organisations to support it.
Partnering to deliver great Windows Vista PC configurations
- By improving driver quality, we helped OEM partners who worked with us improve battery life by an average of 10 percent and in some instances by as much as 30%.
To find out more, visit the Windows Vista TechCentre on the TechNet website
Beyond Windows Vista
There are also some questions about what comes next for Windows. Our plan is to deliver Windows 7 approximately 3 years after the January 2007 general availability launch date of Windows Vista.
Our approach is to build off the same core architecture as Windows Vista, so that the investments that Microsoft, our partners and our customers have made in Windows Vista, will continue to pay off with Windows 7. The result is that the migration process from Windows Vista to Windows 7 should be much more straightforward.
As a reminder, you can read the complete version of the customer notification from Bill Veghte here
If you have any questions or need further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us
Thanks
The UK TechNet Team
[email protected]
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