Windows 7: Charting Windows 7 Development

The development of Windows 7 has been exciting and, lately, brimming with confusion; this confusion is pegged at eleven with Windows 7’s entry into code escrow and the appearance of Windows 7 build 7106. Build 7106, which first appeared strictly in Chinese, is something of a spanner in the works for people who have followed development closely. It’s the second build to deviate from a two-year succession of builds following the familiar 6xxx and 70xx pattern. Build 7106 has understandably triggered a rush of questions: What has changed from 7077? When is the English build coming? Why does it have a higher number?