[Frylock86]

Paul Thurrott has reported in his blog that a new build (Build M3) has shipped internally to Microsoft employees and close partners of the company. If all goes well, Microsoft hopes to ship it to attendees of its PDC conference next month....

Quote

While Microsoft is busy trying to overcome consumer opinions of its current operating system, Windows Vista, the software giant is also undergoing an internal effort to beta test the next version, called Windows 7. Last week, the company began testing an internal version of the software that it hopes to ship to attendees of its Professional Developers Conference (PDC) in late October. This build has shipped to Microsoft employees and, reportedly, close partners of the company.

The build, which is referred to internally as M3 for "milestone 3," reveals a product that is very much like Windows Vista both visually and functionally. Microsoft has ported the "ribbon" user interface from Office 2007 to a number of bundled applications. As previously reported, Microsoft has tasked the team that created the ribbon UI with updating the Windows shell as well.

External reports have suggested that Microsoft will begin de-bundling certain applications--like Windows Mail and Windows Movie Maker--from Windows 7 and will instead make them available as separate downloads from Windows Live. Also, some have suggested that Microsoft will ship a Beta 1 version of Windows 7 by the end of the year.

I can't confirm those rumors. But I have talked to people with access to the M3 build, or build 6780, and they've reported that this version of Windows 7 is surprisingly stable and usable, and well ahead of where Windows Vista was at this point in its development cycle.

More information as it comes in.

And so it begins. I'm guessing we're going to see a deluge of build 6780 info in the days ahead, if not the hours.

Source: WinSuperSite


If this is true, I can't wait to see the screens and see how far Se7en has come since the M1 build...

PS: does this ever take me back to the days Vista was in development...

This post has been edited by Frylock86: 15 September 2008 - 08:10 PM

[pakistanipower]

well its going to look same, i think with that ribbon interface, but ya waiting for it as well.

[fediaFedia]

Interesting... can't wait for a leak

[pm_41]

One of my friends who works for MS told me that 7 will have the Ribbon UI (along with a 3D animated Start button).

[Razor VinT]

Quote

If this is true, I can't wait to see the screens and see how far Se7en has come since the M1 build...

I've read somewhere that it still looks same like Vista. Nothing has been change except for the ribbon UI.

[pakistanipower]

winlover_41, on Sep 15 2008, 06:34 PM, said:

One of my friends who works for MS told me that 7 will have the Ribbon UI (along with a 3D animated Start button).

wow reallly? lol i am ganan add u as my friend hahaha

[Ultimate John]

Preliminary Windows 7 WinHEC 2008 sessions (Only the interesting ones):

Connected PCs and Devices
* Audio Design for Unified Communications
* Building a Communication Device in Windows 7
* Building a Windows Certified Electronic Picture Frame
* PC and Device IDs in Windows 7: What You Need to Know
* USB Technology Update and Windows Strategy
* Windows 7 Device Experience Overview
* Windows 7 Logo Program and Design Considerations for Network Infrastructure Devices
* Windows SideShow: Building Better Devices and PCs

Core Platform & Fundamentals
* Distributing Drivers on Windows Update
* Leveraging Solid-State Drives in Windows
* System Integrated Flash Storage
* Windows 7 Power Management Overview
* Windows Logo Program Future Strategy

Enterprise Computing
* Windows Presentation Virtualization

High Fidelity Graphics and Media
* DirectX: Core Graphics for Windows 7
* Video Improvements in Windows 7
* Windows 7 Logo Program for TV Tuners and Remotes
* Working with the Windows 7 Graphics Architecture

Mobile Computing
* Connecting Projectors and Using Docking Stations with Windows 7
* Multi-touch in Windows 7 Overview

Source

[Frylock86]

Mary Jo Foley has apparently been able to get a glance at the latest build and talks about it on her blog:

http://blogs.zdnet.c...crosoft/?p=1590


And the UX Evangelist writes about the new wordpad and paint interfaces featuring the new ribbon interface included in the build:

http://uxevangelist.blogspot.com/2008/09/w...new-ui-new.html

This post has been edited by Frylock86: 16 September 2008 - 08:34 PM

[Freka]

That is really interesting. I really really hope they get it out by next year summer when I will be buying a laptop for my college.

[endrit10]

That is WAY too early, Freka.

It's aimed to be out by Febuary 2010.
And you know Microsoft and there AIMS

[Laguna]

Ribbon interface sucks. =(

[Frylock86]

Laguna, on Sep 17 2008, 12:06 AM, said:

Ribbon interface sucks. =(

I love it

@Freka: I think you might be in luck. Ed Bott has a post in his blog wondering if Microsoft might be able to release 7 Sometime in July based on a hint from a calendar. However the only problem here is it would have an extremely short beta cycle. To counter that, most 7's underlying work was done with Vista, so it might be possible.