I don't know. I'm pretty much sick of having to upgrade or install a new OS often. Just so noone is disappointed I'm making this announcement ahead of schedule.
"Microsoft is ceasing support of Windows 7 in the near future. hehe. So you can buy the latest and greatest Mindows 8. Plastic dog whistle & cat bell included. rofl. - Realistic Joke as I check my wallet for next year(s) expense to buy a supported OS and considering whether or not I really need the support or a new OS."
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Anyways, according to NetworkWorld, Windows 7 (couple hundred bucks) based on the Vista Core, is meant to be a compliment to Microsoft's Server 2008 (few thousand bucks), and some other 'virtual backup system software' (MLSP - Multiple Layered Server Protection or something; $12k+) geared toward corporate systems. (Approximate cost for the three packages $24k - $32K). Microsoft is also selling their own server unit (approx. cost $200k - $300k).
The Windows XP mode is meant to ease transition to Windows 7 for current XP users, so they can use some software that work with Windows XP. The Windows 7 upgrade unfortunately will not work well from Windows XP to Windows 7. So don't buy the upgrade if you're using Windows XP (unless you really want to - noone's going to stop you). There hasn't been much of a success story for upgrading Windows XP to Windows 7 (too many bugs and other problems), accept from clean installs of a full version.
The Windows XP mode support will eventually be phased out after the transition of Windows 7. There's another transitional software package (TSP) that must be purchased separately (more money) if you want to convert multiple corporate computers over to Windows 7 quick (full version install, not upgrade).
Computers that already have Vista installed can use the Windows 7 Upgrade with little to no problems. Software and hardware that already work with Vista will have no problems working with Windows 7.
The MLSP virtual backup side, runs dual computers with one on standby as a backup in the event of a system or computer crash (shutdown/whatever). The corporate server automatically switches from the crashed systems to the backup systems without having to reboot or without requiring a boot to keep the corporate services up and running seemlessly.
The advent of keeping a corporate server system up without having to reboot and doing a complete system transfer while Windows is active and live -- is a significant breakthrough that Microsoft came up with. As far as keeping Microsoft in the business game of servers and backup systems.
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Also, Microsoft may be jumping on the band wagon of free Office Software through 'cloud computing' by offering the Microsoft Live Package (free installs) in order to retain their customer base (online office crap - various companies).
I'm not going to go on about cloud computing. The concept of 'cloud computing' is to alleviate the software & hardware requirements at the user end. Such as no need for the user to have the physical computer storage and other devices - True Mobile Computing via telephony method and/or freeing up office/corporate/business building space, cutting rent costs, hardware purchase costs, etc.
I personally doubt this would really happen on a large scale, unless personal vehicles disappear from all major highways, and we're stuck with mass transport systems only. The only side I can see this happening with are some business', but not all, especially government systems and major corporations. Easier to downsize, liquidate, and/or move around.
There's also talk of who owns the virtual information and who controls it or how to control personal information from individual perspective of data ownership. From ownership control of online data (cloud computing) via encryption control, etc., where the physical storage device is no longer relevant to individual users. There currently aren't much laws covering virtual properties, so who knows where this stuff is going.
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The best example that comes to mind (comparison to cloud computing thing) is Second Life, which has a gross transfers of 15 million (U.S. Currency value 2008) per month between all participants and growing. The U.S. Congress has been trying to figure out how to create a law to tax this money, but the Second Life owners said they would just cross over the border and re-set up their servers within 72 hours if Congress attempts to pass such a law to tax Virtual Money. Even though Second Life's virtual money can be converted directly through the Corporate business for real currency when ever individual users want it.
The best joke that came to mind is Virtual Property Insurance, and considering how a person would go about making an insurance claim, in an event the servers crashed or whatever. Hi, I'd like to make an insurance claim for the loss of my imagination.
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Anyways, the rest of the tech world information only covers who bought whom out, market dominance by company/by tech devices, market share in competitive areas, all that other business stuff, security issues (internet explorer core & root-domain name probems with sub-domain name being treated as root-domain; IPv4 & IPv6 problems with tunnel embedding within each other bypassing firewalls & security; SSL middleman problems and fraud bank site), etcetera.
