News

Rumor: Windows 8 Will Be 128-Bit

• By Kurt Mackie
• 10/08/2009

Microsoft's next operating system in development, Windows 8, might be designed to run on 128-bit hardware, according to accounts cobbled together by blog sleuths.

Microsoft has released little to no information about Windows 8. What is known derives from descriptions in Microsoft's job listings, with the Microsoft Kitchen Web site leading the charge in tracking them down. The latest rumor purportedly comes from a posting on LinkedIn, a social networking Web site.

Supposedly, a Microsoft employee named Robert Morgan spilled the beans about Windows 8 in a LinkedIn entry that has since been removed. The entry describes Morgan's job title as "Senior Research & Development at Microsoft." A cached version of the LinkedIn entry describes Morgan as working on 128-bit architecture for Windows 8 and 9:

"Research & Development projects including 128bit architecture compatibility with the Windows 8 kernel and Windows 9 project plan. Forming relationships with major partners: Intel, AMD, HP and IBM."

Morgan purportedly made reference to "IA-128," according to the Windows 8 News Web site. Possibly, IA-128 refers to a 128-bit Intel Itanium architecture -- something not described by Intel's literature. Other observers flatly say that IA-128 just doesn't exist.

On Tuesday, the Windows 8 News site claimed it will obtain an "exclusive interview with Robert Morgan." The announcement included an invitation for readers to submit their questions, which can be posted here.

All of this is pure speculation so far, although it is true that Microsoft is working on Windows 8. For its part, Microsoft remained mum on whether it is working on a 128-bit version of Windows 8.

"We have nothing to share about Windows 8 at this point as we are super focused on delivering Windows 7 and sharing the value it offers to our customers," a Microsoft spokesperson explained by e-mail.

Microsoft plans to release Windows 7 to the public on Oct. 22. Windows 7 will support both 32-bit and 64-bit hardware.

Microsoft also would not confirm whether someone named Robert Morgan is working on the Windows 8 project, although there apparently is a Microsoft partner who goes by that name. He provides help as an expert at a Microsoft Dynamics Web page.

If Microsoft follows its general three-year release pattern for operating systems (a pattern that has been broken in the past), Windows 8 might be expected to appear in late 2012. However, no such release schedule for Windows 8 has yet been publicized.