"In the face of strong competition, Evangelism's focus may shift immediately to the next version of the same technology, however. Indeed, Phase 1 (Evangelism Starts) for version x+1 may start as soon as this Final Release of version X."

--Microsoft, internal document [PDF]

Summary: Microsoft is escaping to imaginary products more quickly than before

WHAT many people tend to forget is that it took at least a year before Microsoft detailed a technical successor for Windows Vista. Microsoft did speak about the need for future operating systems, but did not refer to them by name or enumerated a list of prospective/desired features. With Vista 7, the vapourware (release after Vista 7) began 6 months before Vista 7 was even released. Yes, Microsoft knew that Vista 7 was just another Vista/Mojave with new deskbar, marketing and minor tweaks, so it began talking about vapourware long before Vista 7 was even released and we have this documented.

The latest distractions that we witness in the news were never the same with Vista because they start it so early this time around. ⬆

"The purpose of announcing early like this is to freeze the market at the OEM and ISV level. In this respect it is JUST like the original Windows announcement...

"One might worry that this will help Sun because we will just have vaporware, that people will stop buying 486 machines, that we will have endorsed RISC but not delivered... So, Scott, do you really think you can fight that avalanche?"

--Nathan Myhrvold, Microsoft