Updated: July 9, 2020 (July 30, 2012)

Windows Client and IE Overview

As managing vice president, Rob Helm covers Microsoft collaboration and content management. His 25-plus years of experience analyzing Microsoft’s technology... more

The current Windows client release is Windows 7 SP1, which became generally available in Feb. 2011. This first service pack for Windows 7 is a common service pack shared with Windows Server 2008 R2.

The next version of the Windows client OS, Windows 8, is currently under development and will be available for the AMD and Intel x86 and x64 processor architectures and the ARM system on a chip (SoC) architecture. Windows 8 will release to manufacturing by Aug. 2012 and begin to be available to customers under volume licensing agreements in Sept. 2012. Windows 8 and Windows RT will be generally available for purchase preinstalled on hardware from OEMs in Oct. 2012.

A new member of the Windows family, Windows RT, will be available for devices based on the ARM architecture; therefore, this new member of the Windows family has no predecessor. Because it will only be available preinstalled on devices and be updatable only through the Windows Store and Windows Update this edition will probably not have traditional service packs.

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