Trilight Zone

[tricore]

In an Apple-like response to recent product rumors, Microsoft today officially issued a no comment on Windows Vista's successor.

The statement is highly unusual for Microsoft, whose Windows client group is typically more transparent and more typically leaks like a sieve.

From the tersely worded press release:

"Microsoft released the following statement today from Kevin Kutz, Director, Windows Client, in response to recent speculation on the next version of the Microsoft Windows operating system:

"'The launch of Windows Vista was an incredibly exciting moment for our customers and partners around the world, and the company is focused on the value Windows Vista will bring to people today. We are not giving official guidance to the public yet about the next version of Windows, other than that we're working on it. When we are ready, we will provide updates.'"

There certainly have been rampant rumors lately, about "nine" code names and 2009 release dates. "Windows 9 in two-thousand nine!" would make a great cheer for somebody.

What's so unusual here is that Microsoft felt enough urgency to issue a statement--and one asserting, "We're working on it." Well, of course, Microsoft is working on Windows Next, which is my code name. It's not as classy as Vienna, but it's a lot better than the Beatles-like "Number Nine, Number Nine."

I can understand that Microsoft might think that it's a wee bit early to talk about Windows Next when Windows Now--or Wow--is barely out the door. Loose Windows Longhorn talk caused Microsoft all kinds of grief in 2003 and 2004.

The cynic in me also wonders about the rule of Steven Sinofsky, senior vice president of Windows and Windows Live Engineering. He ran a tight-lipped ship over at Office.

Microsoft can issue all the no comments it wants about Windows Next, but people will talk and blog. Not all that talk is bad. Apple stole huge amounts of news coverage and blog posts from the Consumer Electronics Show with rumors about the iPhone. If Microsoft is going to say nothing, it should do so in a way that keeps the rumors alight and burning the fires of speculation.

Some people have accused Microsoft of lifting concepts from Mac OS X and applying them to Windows Vista. If Microsoft is going to copy Apple, do so in the marketing, starting with not commenting in such a way that the world buzzes over what's not said.