Windows 7 likely to become Vista clone

Windows 7 uses Vista kernel with similar requirements.

Microsoft Corp released details on its upcoming Windows 7 operating system which is due for launch in early 2010.

Windows 7 will be an evolutionary step over the Windows Server 2008 kernel, which is based on the Windows Vista kernel.

Steven Sinofsky, senior vice president of Microsoft's Windows and Windows Live Engineering Group, stated that the the kernel, which contains both 32-bit and 64-bit support, will be related to today's Vista kernel.

"We're very clear that drivers and software that work on Windows Vista are going to work really well on Windows 7; in fact, they'll work the same," Sinofsky said.

Sinofsky described the "64-bit ecosystem" as still catching up in a market that is controlled by enthusiasts in particular. However, the company has concerns over available drivers and Sinofsky noted that "a lot of drivers haven't been written yet, and we expect that they're available now with new hardware, and we expect that library will be built up over time."

Windows 7 launch date remains at January 2010. However, industry analysts suggest that Windows 7 could be available for the Christmas 2009 season.