I dunno...
The Gimp could have made it on the *nix plat. Then again, I'm not into graphix, so don't get me to lying.
Doing bad things to bad people...
Posted on 05/18/2003 4:28:09 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SEATTLE (Reuters) -
Upgraded to Windows XP (news - web sites) yet? If not, you might miss your chance, because Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT - news)is already working on the newest version of its operating system, code-named Longhorn, due for release in 2005.
Although Windows XP, the most current version of Windows, is just 20 months old, the world's largest software maker is betting that users will be ready to upgrade within the next couple of years as personal computers become more powerful, faster and affordable.
Details about the new operating system remain scant, but Microsoft has already started soliciting feedback from hardware makers and software developers on key features of Longhorn, such as its graphics and security capabilities.
The challenge for Microsoft is to ensure that Windows, the software that runs on nearly all of the world's personal computers, will show enough of an improvement to convince users to upgrade, while fending off growing competition from Linux (news - web sites), the free operating system.
Although Microsoft previewed some of Longhorn's features at a hardware engineering conference last week, the software giant is holding its cards close to the chest.
"Microsoft is pleased with the progress to date on the development of the next version of Windows, code-named Longhorn," said Greg Sullivan, lead product manager for Windows, but added that "it's important to realize the product is still under development and evolving each day. As a result, it's too early to talk about specifics for the final version."
Still, technophiles eager to get their hands on this nascent version of Windows have already circulated "alpha," or early working versions, on the Internet and are buzzing over some of Longhorn's newest features.
NEW PLUMBING
Much of Longhorn's most significant improvements will be in its basic design and inner workings.
Microsoft is also developing a new security technology, code-named Palladium, which is widely expected to be a part of Longhorn.
Palladium will allow Microsoft to secure information passing through software and, more significantly, hardware.
For example, Microsoft could encrypt keyboard strokes passing through the cable connecting the keyboard and the PC, making it difficult to find out a secret password or eavesdrop on sensitive information.
Since Palladium also makes it easier for Microsoft to track users and locate illegal copies of its software, some consumer groups and Microsoft's competitors have voiced alarm over giving the Redmond, Washington-based software maker too much control.
A new file system allowing the operating system to store data more efficiently will also be a core part of Longhorn's design, Microsoft has said.
That system, based on database technology, is aimed at facilitating storage of different types of files, which are automatically categorized, and also making it easier to manage files without using folders.
The new file system will also make it easier to store and retrieve data in different locations, such as on a server or another computer in a different location.
NEW LOOK
The most dramatic change for most users, however, will be in the design of the Windows desktop.
Recent demonstrations by Microsoft hint the software maker is aiming to make Windows behave more like, well, Windows.
The individual windows in Longhorn will be semi-translucent, making it possible to discern the contents of one window hidden behind another.
The trick is in the degree of opacity -- completely transparent windows atop one another would turn information into a jumble of letters and graphics, while more opaque ones might defeat their own purpose.
The operating system's windows would ripple when moved and shrink or expand their content automatically, effects that require a significant amount of graphics power, the kind usually reserved for high-action 3D games.
What this means is that the new software will most likely require new hardware or upgrades to work well. PC Makers welcome the opportunity to make new sales, but users are becoming increasingly reluctant to buy new hardware to go along with software every few years.
"Longhorn sort of continues Microsoft's insistence and belief that the desktop personal computer is best served by a fully high-powered device," said Dwight Davis, a strategist at Summit Strategies.
Will it be true 64-bit, or will it really just be 32-bit with the ability to use 64-bith memory adresses. It's going to be important really soon to have 64-bit memory adressing. The 4 GB memory limit of 32-bit processors is about to reached. I know a friend of mine who runs technical applications on a Dell laptop with 2 GB of memory.
I dunno...
The Gimp could have made it on the *nix plat. Then again, I'm not into graphix, so don't get me to lying.
Doing bad things to bad people...
Yes. One thing I do have complaints about Windows 2K is how difficult it is to use high resolution monitors. Sure Windows 2K will run a 1600 x 1200, but it can be difficult to read full some of the text in dialog boxes and messages from the operating system even on a 21-inch monitor. The size of menus and text is not really indepedent of the screen resolution. Windows XP seems to have the ability to scale them up without having to change "themes".
If I took out all the hardware upgrades in that machine and went back to the factory configuration, it probably would work a couple of months without reboots. The problem was that after all the upgrades in memory, processors, graphics cards, hard disks, CD-RW writers, etc. it got less reliable. The whole menagerie of hardware started performing as if it had been preloaded at a factory with Windows 2000 when I upgraded the machine.
Maybe if you go and by the latest and greatest Dell, you will spend 3k. If you go to a local computer store and have them build you a mid range computer for gaming, you will pay less than 1k and have a very decent gaming PC. Remember, you don't have to go out and buy a monitor, speakers, printer, mouse, keyboard, USB devices every time you want to get a new PC. You could build it yourself and save even more money than from a local computer store. I used to do this. These days , I would rather pay a few extra bucks to have someone else build me a PC with the parts that I want.
So what. I have had a Western Digital and a Maxtor hard drive crashes. All hardrives have the potential to have a head crash or other failure.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.