Is a modular Windows 7 in 2010 really such a good idea? No.

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 24 March 2008 22:32

Opinion and Analysis

Look, if Microsoft really can modularise Windows 7, then great. But so far, early builds of Windows 7 look like versions of Vista with a few changes here and there.

This whole modularisation thing might turn out to be one of those grand Microsoft ideas that doesn’t get implemented for a decade.

After all, we’re still waiting for Windows to offer features that Bill Gates talked about 10 years ago.

I think Microsoft’s best plan, for now, is to keep working on Vista’s successor using the now SP1 Windows Vista and Windows 2008 code base.

2010 isn’t that far away, and Microsoft really needs to start issuing real beta versions no later than this time next year, so they can get it out the door well in time for Christmas 2009, after which comes 2010. Microsoft shouldn’t try to sell an OS in January again, it’s the worst possible time to sell an OS and new computers. Christmas 2009 is the go-to date as far as I’m concerned.

For Microsoft to go off on grand experiments right now isn’t the right path. Sure, put some programmers onto it, get them working on it for Windows 8 - but not Windows 7 itself.

For the love of God, and the sanity of all your users, please Microsoft do not try to modularise Windows 7 and then stuff it up, forcing us to wait until 2012 or something for the next version of Windows.

No-one wants a repeat of the 6 year wait between XP and Vista, and Microsoft promised this wouldn’t happen for the next Windows, hence this 2010 deadline.

Given the fact they couldn’t program SP1 to be trouble free for what appears to be a large chunk of their user base, and many people STILL can't get it, I don’t hold out much hope that Microsoft will totally re-engineer and modularise Windows 7 by 2010. I really don’t.

But an upgrade to Vista as it currently stands? Sure. That’s doable, even for Microsoft. They'll have the next year and a half to get it right before launching to retail.

That's not much time at all! And Microsoft have worked to these short timescales before without making huge leaps - think Windows 95 to Windows 98 to Windows ME.

Even Windows 2000 to Windows XP was done fast, without introducing huge new changes that caused the 6 year gap between XP and Vista.

I’m sure Windows will be properly modular one day. But if there is any move towards it for Windows 7 in 2010, it’ll only be baby steps.

A modular Windows 7 in 2010? Well, it's a bit like a Windows version of Humpty Dumpty. Microsoft can make him fall off the wall, but can Microsoft put him back together again? By 2012 or later maybe, but I seriously doubt by 2010.