Microsoft today held online chats with both Beta Testers and the Media to discuss the future of the Windows Vista Testing Program after questions came up after TAP Testers received Windows Vista Build 5259 to test - a build which seemed to be problematic at best. Being a Technical Beta Test for Windows Vista, I'm not sure what group I fall into and what group Microsoft invited for their online chat today as I did not receive any information about attending the online chat. But thankfully other websites were able to fill me in on the details I missed.

This is what we know from today's developments:

• There will not be a November Community Technology Preview (CTP).
  
• There will be a December CTP to be released before Christmas.
  
• The December CTP will be "very close" to feature complete.
  
• Microsoft hopes to have all of Windows Vista's features locked in by the end of December.
  
• Windows Vista Beta 2 will be released sometime in early 2006.
  
• Build 5259 will not be a CTP and released to Technical Beta Testers. Only TAP Testers received the build.
  
• Microsoft is no longer committed to a monthly CTP release schedule.
  

By Microsoft not committing to a monthly CTP release schedule, they now have the ability to be flexible with their releases to testers and taking alot less negative feedback from the technology community if they were to committ to the release schedule and miss a CTP or put out a buggy CTP. While I am disappointed I may not be receiving a new Windows Vista build every month - I can look to the bright side of not having to install a new build every month instead focusing more time in one build taking notes and blogging about it.

I also find it interesting to take a look at Microsoft's goal of having Vista feature complete and locked down by December. This gives Microsoft 7 months of testing out bugs in the features it intends to ship in Windows Vista - that's going by if we see a Release Candidate or Preview Release by July 2006. 7 months of stabilizing features and working out all the bugs should give us a pretty stable and secure Windows release when it ships toward the end of 2006.

I look forward to the December CTP and where the future of Windows is heading.