Microsoft Discusses Next OS Release

By Digital Trends Staff July 23, 2007

Microsoft Discusses Next OS Release You’re just beginning to get used to Windows Vista, and hoping the first service pack will solve all theproblems, the way it did with XP. Maybe the last thing you want to think about is the next version of Windows. Guesswhat? It’s there, on the horizon. Windows 7, as it’s currently known, was discussed at Microsoft’s annual sales conference lastweek, and the company has already been talking to some partners and customers. There are no details about the new OS yet, but one thing we do know is that this release won’t takeforever. Microsoft had been promising less time between Vista and its new system than there was between XP and Vista. “Microsoft is scoping Windows 7 development to a three-year timeframe, and then the specific release date will ultimately be determined by meeting the quality bar,” the company said in a statement. According to that, we can look for a 2010 delivery. Customers of Microsoft’s Software Assurance plan have been given early information on Windows 7.

Digital Trends Staff

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Deals

Best Microsoft Office deals: Get Word, PowerPoint, and Excel for free

Students using Microsoft Office software on their laptops outside.

While there are comparable options for office-based tools, none are so well-known as Microsoft's Office Suite. In fact, Microsoft Office is so ubiquitous these days that it's practically a necessity for anyone who writes, manages spreadsheets or gives presentations for a living. By now, you've most likely used one of the Office tools for work, play, or something in between, or maybe you used an alternative. In any case, the Office suite has a lot more to offer than just Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and recent variants of the suite have moved over to allow for cloud access. There are a lot of options at your disposal, so if you need help finding the right package, our roundup of the best Microsoft Office deals can make things a bit easier -- and hopefully save you some cash.
Today's best Microsoft Office deals
Microsoft 365 free trial

If you're looking for a Microsoft Word free trial, you should know that the popular word processor is now synonymous, and rolled up into, Microsoft Office 365, the latest version of Microsoft's Office Suite. But the good news is that you can take advantage of an Office 365 free trial to give the suite a good ol' college try. New subscribers can sign up totally free, no credit card required, and cancel anytime. That will give you access to all of the apps in the suite, including Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more.

Computing

Yet another disappointment about Intel’s next chips may be true

Intel Core i3-12100F box sitting in front of a gaming computer.

Intel’s successor for its existing 13th-gen Raptor Lake desktop processors is expected to launch later this year, and as far as the rumors go, it's not going to be a particularly exciting release.

It's already reportedly going to be a fairly minor upgrade -- but now, counter to previous reports, a new piece of information suggests that Intel will continue using the same quad-core configuration for its Core i3 SKUs under the 14th-gen Raptor Lake Refresh series.

Computing

Buy a Microsoft Surface Pro 9 and get a free Signature keyboard

The Surface Pro 9 in laptop mode on a table.

There’s a great deal taking place at Best Buy today, particularly if you’d like to land one of the best tablets on the market. When you purchase a select Microsoft Surface Pro 9 device Best Buy is throwing in a Surface Pro Signature keyboard for free. You can purchase a Surface Pro 9 from prices ranging from $1,000 to $1,500, and the free Signature keyboard is a $180 value. Free shipping and one month of free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate access are also included with a purchase.

Why you should get the Microsoft Surface Pro 9
The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is a powerful device made for working professionals, content creators, and anyone who wants many of the capabilities of a laptop in the form factor of a tablet. It’s been the flagship of the Surface lineup since is launch, and it remains the newest Surface Pro model in the lineup. It has a lot in common with its predecessor, the Microsoft Surface Pro 8, but manages to improve upon many of the things people loved about the previous generation. The Surface Pro 9 manages to pack impressive performance capabilities without sacrificing portability, as it has a laptop-grade processor in it but is able to maximize battery performance for a full day of work on a single charge.