An updated roadmap from Microsoft has come about which reveals the successor to Windows 7 to be released in 2012 (as long as we're all still alive... ).

Tentatively dubbed Windows 8, the 3 year schedule for release stays in rhythm with Microsoft's usual major release development period, albeit Vista was a disaster both during and even after its release (at least for a while 'till enough patches and fixes did away with most of the headaches), not seeing light of day for three years past the original 2004 target date.