An 8 SP1 release is definitely a strong possibility (but not as fun to theorize!). I'd say that the largest hole in my theory is that Microsoft has fairly high

An 8 SP1 release is definitely a strong possibility (but not as fun to theorize!). I'd say that the largest hole in my theory is that Microsoft has fairly high support standards- something like supporting the OS for 10 years after release. If they release a new version every year then that makes patching and support an absolute nightmare. Service Packs since they are free do not (AFAIK) extend the support life of the product. I disagree with the developer aspect- you target what customers have, but keep an eye on what's coming up. Same thing goes for iOS and OSX developers. As it is now with the Windows ecosystem, it takes eons after the OS is released to actually have enough traction to make sense targeting it.