Microsoft Offers Peek Into Newest Windows

Yahoo! News Technology ^ | 5/18/03 | Reed Stevenson - Reuters

[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.

[Charles H. (The_r0nin)]

My machine is primarily used as a DAW but I do some gaming and movie watching as well as basic surfing.

Hmmm. Do you ever have any "incompatibilities" with 2000 and games? While most of the newer games list Win98/ME/2000/XP on the box, I seem to recall a while back that 2000 had some problems with games and drivers. That's the only reason that I haven't upgraded from ME to Win2k...

[Shanty Shaker]

I am really amazed that nobody here is in the longhorn beta programs. I installed one of the earlier betas several months ago. Not all of the features were filled in but it looks to have potential to have some great improvments.

Running: Windows XP Professional, Service Pack 1 (5.1 - 2600)
CPU: 1-Intel Pentium 4, 3067MHz, 512KB (0% Load)
RAM Usage: 307/480MB (63.96%)
Uptime: 2hrs 17mins
BestUp: 2wks 3days 21hrs 13mins On: 11/17/2002
Total HD Space: 229.1G Total Free HD Space: 78.18G


Got that from dell for 599.00 So a 3k$ would be one massive machine.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Sorry, no more upgrade money from me.

What's funny is that I am running windows ME and never had a problem one. No more upgrades for me either..

[jammer]

They DID pay the US government. With backdoors into the OS for gov snooping.

[babaloo999]

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind when I'm buying my next Seagate drive.

[delapaz]

The issue is within the business community. Most larger corporations lease their computers w/ 3 year leases, and rarely, if ever, buy out the lease. So every 3 years, they get new computers. When MS phases out Win2K, like they did with Win9x, there simply won't be a choice. They'll be forced into either XP or the later versions, just like now, they're offering Win2K on business machines as a special order.

When I was in charge of corporate desktops, first thing I would do when getting a new piece of hardware was get a good installation of Win2k Pro, burn an image of it, and use that image for loading the rest of the hardware just like it. I'm betting that most corporate IT departments do the same thing and wipe the preloaded OS, no matter what it is.

[Petronski]

Oh yes, I understand WinXP to be extremely stable. It's just that for my tastes, it's larded down with too many needless 'features.' I tried it about a day or two and found it slower on 1ghz than win98 on a 200mhz. Now, 98SE on my 1.7ghz, that's been delightful AND stable.

[oceanview]

we do exactly the same thing. but the question is, when will MSFT "outlaw" that practice?

[Petronski]

What's funny is that I am running windows ME and never had a problem one. No more upgrades for me either..

Hey, I just completely misread your post. You're running ME okay? That might be a first!

[snooker]

Wonder when this joke ends.

Upgrade this upgrade that. Bloat makes for the need for you guessed it, upgrade that computer so it will run the latest upgraded windows which still crashes like the previous upgrade.

I just got my Win2003 server. And I have to sat it sure looks like it is worth all of the $4000 for the base version. $4k. Red Hat9 $69 and no additional charges for more users, no license spys. Just works.

sigh

[dennisw]

All I can say is with 1.7ghz/512mb XP seems to run slower than Win2000. It was so irritating I stripped away unneeded MS services and other services and fluff that were bogging it down. Used these tweak guides:

WinXP Tweaking: From Reformat to Relax
WinXP Tweaking: From Relax to Righteous

[Cicero]

I deal with Pop-ups, and Banner ads too, with AdMuncher.

[George W. Bush]

But PC games are the dominant market in the gaming industry.

You're wrong. Over 80% of the games market is the console market. It's sheer numbers. Mom & Pop buy 'em for the family room and keep the kids off their computer and they don't have to constantly upgrade. The finest game performance is on the PC's but you have to spend a lot of money to get the equipment to run Quake at 100fps at 1600x1200. That's a very limited market. Take a look at most of these games on, say, Xbox and high-end PC. What's striking is that with about 5x as much computational and graphics power, the PC only looks and plays somewhat better. And quite often, the PC versions aren't adequately tested and tuned for real playing satisfaction. Very few PC games ever reach maturity in the way that the console games do where the titles are tested to exhaustion. Why? Because the console market makes or breaks a big production game.

It's a console world. Whether you like it or not. Simple economics. To play high-end games, you have to spend at least $1000 p/year on hardware plus buy games. Make that $1500 a year for anything close to state of the art. Most game sites that recommend deluxe gaming systems are still pricing top of the line gaming systems at $2500-$3000. Assume you can keep your monitor for two years and you can knock the price below $2000. That's pretty steep money for gaming. And a very limited market.

[xrp]

You hit the nail on the head. The console is replacing the PC for the casual gamer. $300 every couple of years vs $1500. It is a no brainer. Casual gamers will just keep their Pentium 2 or 3 PC for email and web browsing. You don't need a Pentium 4/3.06Ghz to do email and look at web pages. The Xbox with XBox Live is truly something. Excellent console with a superb gaming network to support it. Those that want to play Quake/Doom/Half Life/CounterStrike/ETC at 1600x1200 and get half a million frames per second can continue to spend thousands a year to have the latest processor and video card. I'll just go with whatever my 53" HDTV spits out ;) and my $179 Xbox.

[rdb3]

Here is a larger one.

Doing bad things to bad people...

[dennisw]

Desktop

right click to

display properties

appearance tab

drop down menu that says item--> desktop

drop it down and

you will see other items you can modify such as active title bar and menus

you can vary font size of menu text, color of menu and menu size

[Paleo Conservative]

Yes. And if you want to use a different theme, you have to apply all those changes manually to that theme also.

[Jhoffa_]

I have still got Windows ME.

It's just what I wanted, a decent, stable Windows 95.

I am happy with that and I can't afford to keep up on all these latest releases. I follow on the heels of technology and buy what was hot yesterday..

[dennisw]

Right. New theme or scheme and you have to start over. IIRC XP allows you change size and text size on "3-D objects" while 2000 doesn't.

[TechJunkYard]

.. lets see...did Microsoft force businesses and consumers into buying something you didn't want to buy? The answer is NO!!!. So to me there was always a choice...just because MS didn't behave like you think they should've doesn't make them anti competitive.

Uhhh... screwing the consumers is only part of the problem. Microsoft has a nasty habit of stealing technology, and when they get sued for it, either settling with an NDA (if the competitor is big enough) or appealing the ruling (if the competitor is small enough) until the competitor is out of business.

Microsoft just can't seem to follow the law, and that's why they're an anti-competitive menace.