Vista, Longhorn, Fiji, Vienna

Even though Windows Vista is many months away from hitting the shelves, interest is already turning to what's coming afterwards. Microsoft have recently announced that 'Vienna' is the codename for the next major home Operating System after Vista, and "Longhorn Server" is set for release next year, but there is still a lot of confusion as to what is what and when they should come out.

So here's a step-by-step guide to what we believe to be the Operating System launch schedule, but beware it is equally based on fact, speculation and a few educated guesses.

Windows Vista - January 2007

Vista, originally codenamed 'Longhorn', has been in creation for several years, and has been delayed again and again, and at one point even completely restarted development. It's based on the Windows Server 2003 architecture, and sports many new features such as the Windows Sidebar, a redesigned start menu, parental controls and Windows Defender. It is still pretty similar to Windows XP, so isn't hard to use. It is finally due for release in early 2007, but some manufacturers will begin selling it with PCs before the end of 2006.

'Fiji' - 2009

Very little is known about 'Fiji', which will be Vista's successor. After analysing what we know about Fiji, Vista and Vienna, it would appear that Fiji is set to be a small in-between release. Fiji should be like XP Service Pack 2 - some new tools and features, a few security updates, and a codebase upgrade. We could be wrong, but this is exactly what happens with Windows Server releases: Microsoft release a new Server Operating System every 4 years, and halfway in between they release an R2 of the release which is a new operating system, but is just a few changes rather than anything brand new. This would make sense for Fiji, and would keep Microsoft's eyes firmly on Vienna.

'Vienna' - 2011

'Vienna' is the codename for the next major, full blown version of Windows. It will sport a brand new interface and many changes from what we've known about operating systems in the past. It makes more sense for this to be the next major thing we see, with Fiji a smaller release in between.


Go back a few years, and Vienna (originally codenamed 'Blackcomb') was the next new Windows release, with Longhorn (Vista) just being a small stepping stone after XP. The smaller features from Longhorn worked their way into XP Service Packs, and Viennas major features were being moved into Longhorn. Eventually Microsoft changed tack and made Vista a major release on its own, and Vienna to come after that. Fiji was then born to be a stepping stone in between them. It doesn't make sense for Fiji to be brand new and Vienna to also be brand new also, that is planning too far into the future.


Vista, Fiji and Vienna can not all be brand new total operating systems:

• Vista is new but still based on XP and Server 2003
  
• Fiji is a small stepping stone between Vista and Vienna
  
• Vienna is brand new, and completely different to anything before
  

Please note that this is my interpretation of what Microsoft and other sites have said. It is based on fact, yet may not be totally correct.