Microsoft has made big sales with Windows 7 and hopes to do even better with a new 64bit ground up built OS – Windows 8.

Windows 8 would get architectural changes, lots of new Features, improvements.

WinRumors claims that Microsoft’s Windows 8 Milestone 2 build has been finalized, and Milestone 3 is on the horizon. After Milestone 3 is done, its just matter of days that we would start seeing Windows 8 beta being seeded to BETA testers and floating on torrents, just like windows 7. The windows 8 beta could arrive as early as summer 2011.

Microsoft compiled 6.2.7947.0.winmain_win8m2_escrow.110218-1608 on Friday, 18th feb 2011. Things are progressing secretly, even inside the company. So far, the leaked information states some recent Windows 8 builds:

6.2.7925.0.winmain_win8m2.110207-1736
6.2.7926.0.winmain_win8m2.110209-1755
6.2.7927.0.winmain_win8m2.110210-1740
6.2.7928.0.winmain_win8m2.110214-1825
6.2.7929.0.winmain_win8m2.110215-1802
6.2.7930.0.winmain_win8m2.110217-1825

Microsoft is also working on an ARM-compatible version of Windows (for tablets), its is actually possible that we might get to see a Tablet version first followed by desktop version. Its evident that Microsoft is struggling to enter the Tablet market, and so far every attempt looks vague.

Windows 8 Milestones, Timelines



What’s interesting to me is how closely this roadmap snippet seems to be mirroring the timelines and build information from a few sites and sources claiming access to leaked Win 8 builds. On February 21, there were reports that Microsoft was just about done with Win 8 Milestone 2. On the roadmap above, final M2 build candidate is slated to arrive on February 23. And according to the roadmap above, the coding for Milestone 3 (M3) is due to start a week from today, on February 28.

There has been evidence that supports “Windows 8 on Tablets“, and we hope to see them floating in the market as early as early 2012. Again, they will be entering the Tablet market late (just like WP7 in smartphones), but we’ve to see how good it gets.

In any case, if Microsoft does follow history and deliver a Win 8 Beta 1, Beta 2 and Release Candidate before RTMing, Windows 8 is looking like a mid-2012 RTM.

Windows 8 has more love for the Cloud, better user interface, more virtualization & networking improvements, core performance improvements.