The signs all point to Microsoft abandoning Vista and moving on to Windows 7. Watching Microsoft these days is like trying to read the “rolling bones” from some bizarre voodoo ritual. Just when you think you’ve figured out the message, along comes a stray piece of debris to muddy the spiritual undercurrents.First there were the cryptic hints about Windows 7. Then came the tantalizing rumors about Windows Midori. Now we hear that Microsoft will finally start opening up about Vista’s successor via a recently launched blog, penned by none other than the Windows 7 chief himself (Steve Sinofsky) and one of his uber-underlings. What does it all mean?Simple: Microsoft is finally “throwing in the towel” on Vista. With most enterprise IT organizations taking a pass, and with more than a third of customers ripping the OS from their new PCs in favor of XP or Server 2003/2008, the Redmond giant is facing facts and leaving its failed OS behind in anticipation of the long, slow buildup to Windows 7. Mark your calendars: Summer, 2008, will go down in history as the beginning of Vista’s swan song. After threatening its customers with a Vista-centric migration strategy, and after insulting their intelligence with the disastrous Windows Mojave nonsense, Microsoft is finally owning up to the reality that nobody wants what it’s currently pitching.The solution? Come up with something new, and fast! Hence the sudden deluge of Windows 7 chatter (and the decidedly Windows 7-centric session catalog for the upcoming Professional Developers Conference). Heck, even the Windows Server team is jumping on the bandwagon – rumor has it that the next version of Microsoft’s back-office OS will be dubbed “Windows 7 Server,” not “Windows Server 2008 R2” as had been previously announced (though the company has since denied this).Frankly, I’m happy to see Microsoft moving on. This whole Vista misadventure has been painful to watch – not only because I’m a huge Windows NT fan and unrepentant OS purist, but also because it’s monopolized my time spent with this blog. I’d much rather be writing about something new and exciting – like a streamlined core software stack or increased modularity. Instead, I find myself having to repeatedly beat down Vista’s undead corpse as Microsoft tries in vain to resuscitate its zombie of an OS. Time to put those Vista bones to rest once and for all… Software DevelopmentSmall and Medium Business