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More Windows 7 Leaks Sprout
Microsoft's strategy for keeping recent builds of its latest operating system tightly under wraps sprang a few holes last week.
Microsoft's strategy for keeping recent builds of its latest operating system tightly under wraps sprang a few holes last week.
On Friday, longtime Microsoft watcher Mary Jo Foley reported
that new pictures and videos (here
and here)
of the "M3" build have been leaked online, to Redmond's chagrin. The
images show various Windows 7 functions, including the Start button, calculator
and WordPad, plus sticky notes and ribbon functionality.
Foley, who saw a preview of the build last week from an non-official source, said on her All About Microsoft blog that Microsoft won't confirm or deny the legitimacy of the images leaked, nor will it comment directly on any Windows 7 rumors.
Microsoft has said it will reveal much of Windows 7 at its upcoming Professional Developers Conference in late October and/or its Hardware Engineering Conference (subtitled "Windows 7 Unveiled") in early November -- and may, as reported last week, launch an early public beta of Windows 7 at one or both of the shows.
While Microsoft may not be speaking out on the leaks, it appears to be trying to stop them: Foley also reported that Microsoft has attempted to identify the sources of the leaks and -- depending on who is telling the truth -- either some site owners hosting leaks have asked for spots on the beta team/copies of the beta in return for revealing their sources, or Microsoft is offering the beta spots/copies as rewards for those who do.
Read Foley's full report on these leaks here.
About the Author
Becky Nagel serves as vice president of AI for 1105 Media specializing in developing media, events and training for companies around AI and generative AI technology. She also regularly writes and reports on AI news, and is the founding editor of PureAI.com. She's the author of "ChatGPT Prompt 101 Guide for Business Users" and other popular AI resources with a real-world business perspective. She regularly speaks, writes and develops content around AI, generative AI and other business tech. Find her on X/Twitter @beckynagel.