Teching It Easy: Windows Vista & 7: Windows Longhorn

Hi-Res pics of Windows Server 2008 Box and Logo

Wed, 16 May 2007 17:51:23 GMT

Yesterday I posted a picture of the Windows Server 2008 product box which was a bit blurry, but was a first glimpse. Here is a much better image of it, front and back:

Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition

Note the new slogan: "Easy-to-Use Server Operating System"

Resources:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/default.mspx

Technorati tags: Windows Server 2008, Windows Longhorn Server, Longhorn, Windows Vista, Network, Product Box, WinHEC 2007, Linda Epstein, Windows Home Server, BETA, Viridian, Virtualization, Enterprise

Windows Server 2008 Box Shot - formerly Windows Server codename "Longhorn"

Tue, 15 May 2007 20:08:23 GMT

From Tabletpc2.com

Linda Epstein gives us a glimpse of Microsoft's Windows Server 2008 product box. The network operating system is expected to be finalized in the second half of 2007.

Windows Server 2008 retail product box

As you can clearly see the product design is no different from the Windows Vista packaging.

Check out Linda's photo gallery for more scenes from this years WinHEC 2007 here

Technorati tags: Windows Server 2008, Windows Longhorn Server, Longhorn, Windows Vista, Network, Product Box, WinHEC 2007, Linda Epstein, Windows Home Server, BETA, Viridian, Virtualization

Bringing Back Longhorn Alpha 4074 from the Dead

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 18:22:32 GMT

From All About Microsoft

Quote:
"Should old, abandonned operating systems just fade away? Or is there some way to breathe new life into them – without running afoul of the copyright police?

A handful of members of the Joejoe.Org Windows enthusiast site may soon find out. A self-selected group of site members have begun building a Longhorn-client-based, community-developed product they currently are calling “Longhorn Reloaded.”

Read the rest here

I can understand this from a enthusiast point of view and nothing else. Early alpha builds from the Longhorn Project were ambitious and promised to revolutionize the way we interact with out PC's. But the project itself took on too much and ended up disbanding anticipated features such as WinFS which was a new SQL like indexing service running on top of the NTFS file system. A vectorized user interface was suspected to be a part of Longhorn. The Sidebar was also a System Service in the early alphas and was known for memory leaks and instability, its very different in Vista using a Gadget (small application) approach instead of the tile based layout first introduced in Longhorn Alpha.

Eventually the project was scrapped in August of 2004 and started from a clean slate on the SP1 code base for Server 2003. I did get a chance to try build 4074 and was mostly disappointed by the horrible performance and stability and in comparison to Vista today would definitely call it a dud. The interface layout was not as logical and convenient as what we are experiencing today in Vista and XP. Longhorn 4074 took 12 hours to install in Virtual PC compared to an hour for Vista. It was a great time back in 2003 to 2004, but do I miss it, no way!

Technorati tags: Windows Longhorn, Alpha, Vista, XP, PDC 2003, WinHEC 2004

Microsoft To Ship Longhorn Server In Second Half Of 2007

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 22:14:17 GMT

From CRN

Quote:

"The next Longhorn server beta is due "shortly" but the final product won't ship until the second half of 2007.

During his keynote at the Microsoft Management Summit 2006, Bob Muglia, senior vice president of servers and tools at Microsoft, told the audience that the next major Windows server upgrade, code named Longhorn and informally referred to as the Vista server, will likely ship during the second half of 2007.

The company has said it would ship in 2007 but did not provide this guidance in the past.

The company is expected to release the next "near feature complete" beta in the very near future, Muglia said, and will release the next major server beta that incorporates all necessary Vista client changes this fall."

Read the rest here

I noticed when I launched Windows Longhorn Server build 5308 setup from within Windows XP Professional, a notification on the setup dialog said, upgrading from Vista Enterprise Server is not supported.

The Future Of Windows - Windows Blackcomb

Mon, 28 Nov 2005 00:05:05 GMT

From Information Week

Qoute:

"Not many concrete details about the next next-generation version of Windows have been made public. Code-named Windows Blackcomb, this OS will replace Windows Vista.

Blackcomb (also named after that Canadian ski resort) was originally scheduled to be the successor to Windows XP, but the company decided to release Windows Vista in the interim while they focus on more ambitious changes for Blackcomb.

According to Internet rumors, Microsoft sources have indicated that Blackcomb's goal will be nothing short of a radical rethinking of the way users interact with their PCs. This will probably entail a complete replacement of the Start menu and Taskbar, as well as the entire Explorer shell.

Blackcomb should feature two technologies originally planned for Vista but removed because of time constraints: the WinFS file storage system, and a new command-line scripting language known as the Microsoft Command Shell (code name Monad). Not surprisingly, the OS will also include bolstered security features.

The current release date for Blackcomb is thought to be somewhere around 2011 or 2012, but Microsoft isn't saying for sure."

Read more about the 20 years of Windows here

Yes, its immature and fannatical to even be posting about this version of Windows especially with Windows Vista/Longhorn Server still in early development, I can't help it, thats just me.

Here's how to get Longhorn beta 1

Thu, 21 Jul 2005 20:42:43 GMT

From Channel9

Here is an interesting way to apply for the Windows Longhorn BETA 1 Program:

Jim Allchin just sent out this picture of the efforts of an unnamed customer who's really keen to get Longhorn beta 1.

----
I need to get those creative juices rolling, unfortunately, the person still did not get in.

ActiveWin.com at Microsoft Longhorn Lab

Thu, 21 Jul 2005 16:27:30 GMT

From ActiveWin

Quote

" ActiveWin.com will be attending the Longhorn Lab summit in Redmond on Thursday and Friday to discuss the new Longhorn OS with other key influencers and the Windows product group. Most, if not all, of the information will be under wraps, but we will share what we are able to. Stay Tuned!"

------

I can't wait!

Microsoft Makes Longhorn Performance Promises

Mon, 18 Jul 2005 23:18:21 GMT

From Microsoft-Watch

Quote:
"For the past several years, Microsoft has been promising that Longhorn would deliver some substantial security, reliability and performance improvements.

But until the worldwide partner conference in Minneapolis in mid-July, company officials had not quantified the benefits that Longhorn — the version of the Windows client operating system, due in 2006 — would deliver.

Amy Stephan, a senior product manager with the Windows client unit, outlined some of the various Longhorn "fundamentals," including systems management and deployment features, which Microsoft is readying.

Read the rest here

Microsoft to give sign of demand for new Windows

Mon, 18 Jul 2005 22:04:26 GMT

From Reuters
Quote:

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft expects to show that it will recover from a recent sales slump when the world's largest software maker reports details of early orders this week for its next Windows version set to launch next year

Along with quarterly results, Microsoft on Thursday will report unearned revenue, which reflects long-term contracts on the balance sheet that have been signed but not recognized as income.

"This will be first quarter where the unearned revenue sees a meaningful impact from the prospect of significant new products," said Jamie Friedman, analyst at Fulcrum Global Partners.

Wall Street began focusing more closely on unearned revenue after Microsoft began encouraging customers to sign long-term contracts for products in its pipeline.

Friedman said that contract renewals for the next version of Windows, as well as new database software and the next-generation Xbox 360, are also driving expectations for Microsoft fiscal year to June 2006.

Read the rest here

They are confident, aren't they?

Microsoft Lays Out Enterprise Roadmap

Sat, 16 Jul 2005 18:16:29 GMT

From Information Week

Quote

"For many companies, buying Microsoft products is more a duty than a choice. That sense of duty will be tested as Microsoft prepares to launch Longhorn, its next-generation operating system, and with it the next generation of server and productivity applications.

We talked with several Microsoft executives and heard a great deal about the company's obligation to its customers and how that responsibility will be met through the products introduced around Longhorn. The OS is scheduled to ship for workstations in the 2006 holiday period, with the server software to follow in early 2007. Jim Allchin, Microsoft's group vice president and OS expert, has made it clear that hitting the ship date is critical--more crucial, in fact, than any particular feature. WinFS, the new file system for Windows, has already been jettisoned from the initial Longhorn feature list, and other features could follow if difficulties are found. Some features, such as the new Web services package Indigo and a new graphics feature set called Avalon, are no longer slated for Longhorn, but will be made available for Windows XP."

Read the rest here

The Clicker: Microsoft’s OPM for the masses

Sat, 16 Jul 2005 18:09:10 GMT

From Engadget

Quote

"A lifetime of computing has taught me one thing: shortly after a new operating system hits the shelves, I end up upgrading my computer.

Oh sure… I do my best to limp along with the “antiquated” hardware. After all, my computer is always well within the minimum specs. However, despite my best efforts, the story always unfolds the same way: I begin to crave the speed. I drool over the new features. I want the latest and greatest. In short, I fold like a cheap suit, and I upgrade.

The one bright spot in the upgrade process has always been the monitor. Like the North Star, the monitor is always there to ease the transition. I look to it for comfort, and it stares back at me as if to say, “It’s OK, Buddy; I’m here for you. You’ll always have me.” Sure, monitors can get a big dated (think dirty beige 14-inch CRT), but when have you had to upgrade your monitor to avoid functional problems in the new OS?

That all changes with Longhorn.

Why? With Longhorn, Microsoft will begin pushing opium. Well, technically it’s OPM. However, opium might be a good option for those livid that the video content being sent to their pristine 24-inch Dell LCD monitors is purposefully being “fuzzied” (more on that later).

So what is OPM? The successor to Microsoft’s rarely-mentioned COPP (Certified Output Protection Protocol), PVP-OPM (Protected Video Path – Output Protection Management) is the first play in Microsoft’s game plan to ensure that protected content stays protected. PVP-OPM performs two main functions. First, it detects the capabilities of the display devices attached to the computer. For instance, does the DVI LCD monitor that you’re using have HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection)? Second, it manages what, if anything, gets sent to those devices.

If you’re one of those rare people whose display is equipped with HDCP, you’re fine. However, in the world of computers, those users are few and far between. While HDCP has become the de facto standard for display copy-protection in televisions, its penetration in the computer display market would be pleased to merely be called anemic. Whether you’re plunking down money for one of the new ultra-fast LCD displays with 4ms response times or you’re becoming the envy of neighborhood with Dell’s UltraSharp 2405FPW widescreen display, you’re buying a monitor that won’t play nice with premium content in Longhorn.

So what will happen when you try to play premium content on your incompatible monitor? If you’re “lucky”, the content will go through a resolution constrictor. The purpose of this constrictor is to down-sample high-resolution content to below a certain number of pixels. The newly down-sampled content is then blown back up to match the resolution of your monitor. This is much like when you shrink a JPEG and then zoom into it. Much of the clarity is lost. The result is a picture far fuzzier than it need be."

Read the rest here

I still can't understand it, but what I get from it is this ridiculous idea that Longhorn is going to make your monitor what you are watching to find out if its copy protected or not.

Longhorn beta will have near-complete Indigo

Sat, 16 Jul 2005 17:42:59 GMT

From InfoWorld

Quote

"When Microsoft releases the first beta of its Longhorn version of Windows, it will include a nearly complete version of the product's Web services-based communication framework, code-named Indigo, a Microsoft product manager confirmed this week.

A Microsoft partner familiar with Indigo's product development cycle told the IDG News Service at the recent Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) that engineers working on Indigo, which Microsoft promises will simplify the creation of Web services, had nearly finished their work.

"They're not doing a lot of work with new features at this point," said Andrew Brust, chief of new technology at Citigate Cunningham, a New York-based consulting company and Microsoft partner.

This week Ari Bixhorn, director of Web services strategy for Microsoft's platform strategy group, said that the version of Indigo included in beta 1 of Longhorn will closely resemble what Microsoft will release to manufacturing with Longhorn, giving developers an opportunity to start building applications using the Indigo programming model. Longhorn is expected to ship at the end of next year."

Read the rest here

Microsoft Unleashes Longhorn

Fri, 15 Jul 2005 19:36:52 GMT

From PC Magazine

Quote
"Microsoft has been talking about Longhorn for so long that it's almost surprising the new OS hasn't already come and gone. Longhorn is arguably Microsoft's most ambitious software release since Windows 95. But as with many Microsoft OS development efforts, the schedule has slipped, and the company has scaled back its aspirations.

One of the central components originally promised for Longhorn, WinFS (Windows Future Storage), the database-backed file system, won't ship as part of the OS. Another component, the secure computing environment dubbed NGSCB (Next-Generation Secure Computing Base), has been scaled back dramatically."

Read the rest here
An amazing write up that gets me excited about Longhorn, definitely worth the read.

Longhorn ATOM Support

Wed, 13 Jul 2005 21:59:19 GMT

Longhorn 's Atom, too

Yes, we love Atom, too. :)

For the past couple weeks, we've been working full-time on implementing the RSS platform features in Longhorn. Of the many interesting features the development team has been checking in, I thought this one might be found interesting: last week, Atom support was checked in by John Lueders (one of the developers on the team). That's both 0.3 and 1.0 (based on the -09 spec) support.

That check-in completes Longhorn support for the different syndication formats. The grand total is: RSS 0.9x, RSS 1.0, RSS 2.0, Atom 0.3 and Atom 1.0.

However, just to set expectations, we locked down on Beta 1 of Longhorn about a month ago, so the release of Longhorn that will be public soon won't have Atom support, but the bits we'll have at PDC in September, and in Beta 2 will have it.

- Sean

Longhorn RSS Team Blog

Is Longhorn Build 5203 a BETA 2 Branch?

Tue, 12 Jul 2005 15:50:15 GMT

From the WinFX Newsgroups

Lots of persons have been claiming including Paul Thurrott that Longhorn Build 5203 is a forked branch that will continue on the path to BETA 2, but this is not true. Here is is an update from Mike Brannigan:

Quote:

"That is not strictly true. It has everything to do with Beta 1. That build is now old and close the point where we forked prior to the drive to final Beta 1. We have done more work on the Beta 1 build with regards to bug hunting and stability on that build when compared to the fact that 5203 is just a daily build (features come and go, app compat and stability may not be the primary concern for that build etc) and now already past. Remember Beta 2 is months away so that build will bare little relation to Beta 2."
--
Regards,
Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

ActiveWin.com: Microsoft Windows "Longhorn" Infocenter - Posted

Tue, 12 Jul 2005 15:39:00 GMT

From ActiveWin

Quote

All of us at ActiveWin are pleased to announce the release of our Longhorn section. The section includes new content on about longhorn, its components, faq, etc. and a bunch of key links to other Microsoft content. Since the OS is the very preliminary stage, this section will of course grow like the others. But in the meantime, check it out!

Check out the ActiveWin Longhorn InfoCenter here

Exclusive: Longhorn Beta 1 Schedule Revealed

Tue, 12 Jul 2005 15:10:35 GMT

From WinInformant

Quote
"According to my sources at Microsoft, the software giant has set its sights on July 27, 2005 as the release date for Longhorn Beta 1, though obviously that date could slip if the company is unable to hit internal bug requirements. The current escrow build for Longhorn Beta 1 is 5101, a few builds older than build 5103, the current internal build in the Beta 1 fork.

As reported previously, Microsoft recently forked the Longhorn build process to segregate Beta 1 code check-ins from the post-Beta 1 (or what we can think of as the Beta 2) code path. Recent leaks of Longhorn builds are from the Beta 2 code path, but we can expect them to be quickly eclipsed by the Beta 1 code base as Microsoft makes that milestone widely available."

Read the rest here

Very interesting stuff, but my understanding is Longhorn Build 5203 is a post BETA build that could eventually be used as an interim update to the initial BETA 1 or the PDC Developer preview.

Longhorn To Ship In Fall 2006

Mon, 11 Jul 2005 18:25:34 GMT

From InformationWeek

Quote

"Microsoft plans to ship its next version of Windows, code-named Longhorn, in the fall of 2006, but executives acknowledged that it could slip into the following year.

At the company's annual Worldwide Partner Conference, one Microsoft executive said the company will provide the first beta of Longhorn aimed at IT professionals this summer, but the "cool new UI" with visualization, organization and search capabilities won't be included in the Longhorn code until beta 2, which is due next year.

"I'm very confident we're going to make next year," Sanjay Parthasarathy, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Developer & Platform Evangelism Group, said about making the fall 2006 ship date for Longhorn. "Keep your fingers crossed for us."

Read the rest here

Yikes, 2007 looks awfully far for the Longhorn client. I feel confident though Microsoft will make the release date by fall 2006.

Longhorn following Unix on security?

Mon, 11 Jul 2005 18:13:37 GMT

From The Register

Quote:
"Microsoft's delayed Longhorn operating system appears to be taking a page from the Unix management book by curbing user's administration rights.

Mike Nash, Microsoft's security business and technology unit corporate vice president, has said Longhorn would accord end-users certain rights and privileges apparently ending the concept that everyone using their PC is also the PC's administrator.

Speaking at Microsoft's Worldwide partner conference on Sunday, Nash indicated the architectural change is part of a move to improve security of desktop systems by limiting the ability for end-users to install applications or for malware to take control of a machine, turning it into a zombie."

Read the rest here

Resources:
Common LUA Bugs - Making Your Code LUA Ready

Ballmer To Partners: Don't Wait For Longhorn

Mon, 11 Jul 2005 17:46:55 GMT

From CRN

Quote:
"Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says there is more-than-ample business opportunity in the pre-Longhorn era for partners to profit. He cited migrations from IBM Notes/Domino, SAP, Novell and Oracle products, as well as upgrading Windows NT 4.0 as huge green field.

In a partner panel at its worldwide partner conference, one VAR stated concern that the bulk of migration work is done and wondered what opportunities could help partners bridge the gap between now and the much-anticipated Longhorn release, starting next year."

Read the rest here

Well, I agree that there are a lot of businesses and customers still not on XP because they are just happy with their current invest and don't see the justified cost in upgrading to use back basically the same functionality they might be getting from Windows 2000 already.

But could this "don't wait for Longhorn" idea suggest that Microsoft is looking to delay Windows Longhorn release again? Lets hope not.

Longhorn's Secret Modder Surprises

Mon, 11 Jul 2005 16:38:36 GMT

From TomsHardware

Quote:
The Stealth Feature for Modders

I'm not even allowed to reveal the code name for this feature, and the final name doesn't apparently exist yet, so I'm just calling it "Mod1". During the boot process, this tool looks for significant hardware changes; if it finds any, it restarts the hardware configuration process. This is the process you generally observe when you first install the operating system, which allows the system to initially boot so you can install the proper drivers. This should eliminate the need to start from scratch every time you change a motherboard, while still avoiding the dreaded "blue screen of death."

Read the rest here

Exclusive: First Longhorn Beta Invites Go Out [Updated!]

Mon, 11 Jul 2005 16:31:00 GMT

From WinInformant.com

Quote:
"You've waited and waited, but the day has finally arrived: On Friday afternoon, Microsoft began sending out invitations for private beta test for Longhorn, the next major version of Windows. The Longhorn beta includes both the client and server versions of the product, according to the invite, as well as related development tools for those programmers who elect to participate. Additionally, testers can optionally beta test Internet Explorer (IE) 7 for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

"The next version of Windows, Code-Name 'Longhorn,' promises to be the most secure and intuitive Windows release to date," the invite reads. "It delivers on the promise of allowing people to use their computers more effectively and confidently to achieve their goals and pursue their passions. It offers new tools to help protect the integrity of your system and your information, easier ways to find, visualize and organize your information, and provides better integration across applications, devices and systems."

Read the rest here

It seems these invitations were sent out to attendees of recent Microsoft Conferences such as WinHEC 2005 and TechEd 2005, where they got the opportunity to sign up for Longhorn BETA 1. Also, testers who submitted quality bugs and participated thoroughly in the Windows Server 2003 R2 Beta 1 and 2 programs have also received invitations.
Congratulations to all those who got in!

Common LUA Bugs - Making your code LUA Ready

Sun, 10 Jul 2005 17:23:48 GMT

From YourTechConnect

What is LUA?
LUA is short for "Least-privileged User Account" (or alternatively "Limited User Account"), and is generally pronounced "loo-ah".

What are LUA Bugs?
LUA bugs are when software developers code software in such a way that a non-admin is unable to use that software.

Why LUA?
In an effort to help reduce the Total Cost of Ownership with our Longhorn deployment we are looking at running users as "user". While this might not be a fully attainable goal we are making every effort to get there.

Read the rest here

Great introduction to just one of the great fundamentals in Longhorn, great site also. Thanks Josh

Microsoft Reveals New Longhorn, Office 12 Features

Sun, 10 Jul 2005 16:56:10 GMT

From Microsoft-Watch

MINNEAPOLIS—Longhorn Beta 1 is still a few weeks away from release. And Office 12 Beta 1 isn't slated to debut until this fall. But that isn't stopping Microsoft from peeling back the covers on some of the new features slated for the pair of products due to ship in the latter half of 2006.

Here at the annual worldwide partner conference on Friday, Microsoft showed off a new Longhorn feature, called Meeting Space, and what seems to be the InfoPath Forms Server expected to be part of the Office 12 family.

Microsoft Windows client executives put through its paces a recent pre-beta build of Longhorn, number 5086.

Microsoft distributed build 5086 to selected Technology Adoption Program partners last week, according to sources.

While Windows officials did not discuss what has changed between the alpha build Microsoft released this spring at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (Build 5048) and 5086, they did demonstrate a feature known as "Meeting Space" that officials are touting as one of the major new Longhorn components.

Read the rest here

Longhorn Build 5203

Sat, 09 Jul 2005 22:06:20 GMT

It seems that someone leaked a new build of Longhorn, currently at Build 5203. It really syncs up with the recent post I made about Parallel Builds.

Quote:

"I will make a comment about this build number thing. We are not at Build 5200 - we are actually past that and yet not! What Paul does not mention is that we are now currently developing 2 parallel build branches- the 509x upwards to 51xx and the 52xx."

The Beta 1 interface I have to say is just superb, Microsoft is really producing an awesome experience for a BETA 1 release of Windows Longhorn. I can't even imagine what the Windows Team has in store for us at PDC 2005, BETA 2 release of Longhorn and there after.

Check out the following forum post on Neowin for more information and screenshots here

Resources:

Longhorn Development Information - Parallel Builds

Microsoft Reconfirms Longhorn Targets

Fri, 08 Jul 2005 18:23:37 GMT

From Microsoft-Watch

Beta 1 of Longhorn is still on track for this summer, Microsoft corporate VP of developer and platform evangelism told attendees of Microsoft's worldwide partner conference during a Friday morning keynote address. Sanjay Parthasarathy reiterated that Longhorn Beta 1, which will not include the new user interface bits, is due this summer. Beta 2, which will showcase the new interface, is due out some time in the first part of 2006. The final Longhorn client release is still, as of now, due out in the latter half of 2006. "I am very comfortable we are going to make that date," Partharsarathy said, though he added, as Microsoft execs always do, that they won't ship the final release until it is ready.

Read the rest here

Boy, oh Boy, I just keep on proving Paul Thurrott wrong. There you have it, Longhorn BETA 2 ain't coming until the first half of 2006 and I confirmed this in a recent article I posted a few days ago. Here's an excerpt from it:

Beta 2 is up for grabs; the same “wrong date person” has been suggesting November 2005 for Beta 2 code of Longhorn to be distributed and RC0, RC1, and RC2 sometime in 2006. But that would not give people enough time to submit feedback and get accustomed to using the OS in various scenarios.

I believe its possible with my schedule you probably won’t see BETA 2 until around March 2006, we must also take into account the interim builds of Longhorn Microsoft plans on releasing between BETA 1 and BETA 2, which makes the need for BETA 2 right away, not a detriment.

There you have it, you can't say I was not telling the truth. As for Longhorn Beta 1, well Microsoft says Summer 2005, I am placing all bets on late August 2005 as the target for the BETA 1 release.

Resources:
Paul Thurrott's WinSupersite - Releases I'm Tracking

My Articles:
The Progress of Windows Longhorn

TECHED UPDATE: MS announces new AD features in Longhorn Server

Thu, 07 Jul 2005 16:53:23 GMT

From Bink.nu

Microsoft's Andreas Luther confirmed Microsoft is planning to release a new major release of Windows Server every 4 years with an R2 release in between.

He also revealed some of the new features for Active Directory in Longhorn Server.

1. Read only DC. At first this sounds like the comeback of the BDC. It is indeed a read only copy of a read/write DC that does a one way copy.

The read-only DC is designed with a branch office model in mind. The read only DC will only authenticate clients from its own site and is less vulnerable for a physical attack.

Read the rest here

Major release of Windows Server every four years, hmm, that works out to Longhorn Server R2 in 2009 and Blackcomb Server in 2010.

Longhorn locked down to fight hackers

Wed, 06 Jul 2005 22:28:41 GMT

From Vnunet.com
Microsoft's forthcoming Longhorn operating system places great emphasis on locking down PCs to prevent unauthorised access to hardware and software, the software giant revealed today.

According to Detlef Echert, Microsoft's chief security advisor in Europe, there are several key elements designed to boost security in its next OS.

Read the rest here

Longhorn Development Information - Parallel Builds

Sun, 03 Jul 2005 19:42:29 GMT

Well everyone, here is some tid bits on the Longhorn development process from the "cows" mouth, extracted from the WinFX newsgroups:

OK - after I withdrew my previous post I'll clear up a couple of things.

Paul is incorrect in his statement about the Longhorn devs all having shipped the Beta 1 code. We are still working on the Beta 1 code to ready it for shipment this summer. (no, I'm not going to discuss dates). I will also not comment on his date for Beta 2 - plans are subject to change as you have all seen with the Beta 1 etc.

I will make a comment about this build number thing. We are not at Build 5200 - we are actually past that and yet not! What Paul does not mention is that we are now currently developing 2 parallel build branches- the 509x upwards to 51xx and the 52xx.

This is because what we do when we get close to a milestone build such as Beta 1 is we fork the development tree. This allows us to focus one team on finishing off the Beta 1 code - so bug hunting etc but not adding any additional features to it; while we continue to develop towards Beta 2 on the other branch taking the bug fixes coming from the Beta 1 branch and continuing to add features etc as we build to Beta 2. This allows for the most efficient way to get a stable Beta 1 and not hold up the complete development cycle.

As regards my pulling my post - it was a matter of timing in that the post from Paul happened almost in parallel with the fork etc and this was just reflected in the build trees I was working against, after my post was made.

I hope this clears all this up.
--
Regards,
Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

And they are past build 5200, woohoo, Longhorn development is rocking!

How Microsoft Will Die

Fri, 01 Jul 2005 19:32:33 GMT

From Apple Matters

WFS: Cut
.NET Framework: Cut
MONAD: Cut
Integrated Search: Cut
Avalon: Who knows?
Indigo: Who knows?
IE7: You can repaint a Kia, lower it down, put rims on it and think you are cool, but at the end of the day it is still a Kia.

And so it goes, on and on. Feature after feature is cut, promise after promise is broken, and what do we have at the end of the day? XP SP3. If Microsoft fails to deliver something approaching decent with Longhorn then they will be in trouble. Big trouble. And most people haven’t even realized this yet. But they will soon enough.

Why are they in trouble?

Momentum. It all boils down to momentum. Google has it. Sony has it. Apple has it pouring out of its orifices, Microsoft though. . .not so much.

You see momentum is what pushes that reluctant manager to go ahead and upgrade his system instead of waiting for something better or (very scary music plays in the background) switching to Linux. Momentum is what gets a word of mouth campaign going that convinces your everyday user to go out and buy the latest OS. Momentum is what keeps the media friendly, sort of.

But lately MS has been getting all of the wrong types of momentum. They aren’t getting that “battering ram” momentum no, it’s more like at sinking ship momentum. You see the ram is going through, but the ship is going down. Big difference.

Right now Microsoft can’t even hold a press release about Longhorn without either saying its going to be delayed again or that they are cutting even more features. This really makes them look incompetent. I mean, I know they are incompetent but this really lets the rest of the world in on the joke as well.

And no matter how they spin it they have now reached the point where it’s impossible to make the situation sound any better than it is. Three years ago they could have made these announcements from a position of strength. Two years ago they could have made these announcements and then lied heavily in hopes of saving face. One year ago they made these announcements and it started looking really scary for anyone whose business depended on Longhorn. And now this year these announcements make them look like a company that is adrift, with no real vision, desperately trying not to drown. Congratulations Bill you have officially lost any momentum you thought you might have had.

Read the rest here

What a stupid article from a dumb idiot, huh? First of all, by separating and downleveling the core pillars, Avalon and Indigo to XP and Server 2003, Microsoft has strengthened the Windows developer base even more by exposing Developers to these core pillars on a familiar platform while making it much easier for them to transition their applications to Longhorn when the time comes at their own pace.

Next up, I can't wait to see the day when all 730 million Windows users migrate to an alternative platforms one time. Yes, Apple has momentum, but they only got a 2% decreasing market share.

Exclusive: Has Microsoft Found a New Longhorn Shell in Project M?

Fri, 01 Jul 2005 17:55:02 GMT

From WinInformant

Sources close to Microsoft told me this week that the software giant has started a mysterious new software project, called Project M, which might be a replacement for the Windows shell in Longhorn. Heading Project M is none other than Hillel Cooperman, the user experience (UE) guru that presented Longhorn's UI ideas to developers at the Professional Developers Conference (PDC) in October 2003. Cooperman is reporting directly to Chris Jones, who has recently returned to the Windows client team. Jones, in turn, reports directly to Will Poole, the Microsoft senior vice president in charge of the Windows client. Project M is described internally only as Windows "shell enhancements," a mysteriously vague description. The project is secret even from most people at Microsoft and won't likely be added to Longhorn until the Beta 2 or even Release Candidate 0 (RC0) release. One source theorized that Project M is to Longhorn as is Luna to Windows XP: Early Windows XP (then known as "Whistler") betas utilized a UI called Watercolor that was eventually dropped. The UI we see today in the Longhorn pre-Betas, and will soon see in Beta 1, could likewise be pushed aside for something more visually impressive.

Read the rest here

My Say
Interesting, I have to say what I saw presented at PDC 2003 by Hillel Cooperman was breathtaking and I hope to be awed again at this years PDC 2005. Paul confused the post though, first he said Project M replacement for the Longhorn shell, then he said "add-on" to the Windows Longhorn shell. For all we know, it could be a bunch of themes or a Longhorn based version of Plus!

As for the Watercolor theme introduced in Windows Whistler, I think it has a more high quality and professional look compared to Luna, the Windows Team should have retained it as an additional optional theme for Windows XP users. As for testing Longhorn, its a bit strange to know the amount of persons who are desperate (including myself) to test BETA 1, yet all the nice user experience stuff we have all are craving for won't be seen until PDC and BETA 2.

Longhorn Beta 1: Late July 5200-series builds (post-Beta 1)

Fri, 01 Jul 2005 16:02:52 GMT

From WinInformant

As for Longhorn Beta 1, that milestone release is still on track for "this summer" though Microsoft this week officially missed their original internal release date of June 30. My sources say that Microsoft now plans to ship Longhorn Beta 1 in late July. The Beta 2 release is still scheduled for November. Internally, most Longhorn product groups have already shipped their Beta 1 code to the Windows team and Microsoft is now prepping various 5200-series builds (post-Beta 1) for internal rollout and testing. My sources describe Longhorn Beta 1 as being one of the most stable Beta 1 OS releases in Microsoft history, though it will lack most of the UI niceties the company plans for future releases. Beta 2, I'm told, is going to be "incredible" and "far more impressive than people now realize." We shall see.

Read the rest here

The Longhorn Team is definitely on a role. 5200 series is very far in the build process (farther than I had expected), so its possible that the OS will make it into the 6000 series by RTM.

Windows Media Player 11: Calling All Feature Request!

Thu, 30 Jun 2005 23:35:42 GMT

From MakesYouGoHmm

Ok, there is no direct link to this post, well I can't find the post on Scobles site where he talked about feature request for Windows Media Player 11, so linked to it from TDavids http://www.makesyougohmm.com site I discovered through http://chris.pirillo.com.

So what should be in Windows Media Player 11?

- What does Apple do that Microsoft doesn’t do (often)? Make aesthetically pleasing stuff. Time to redesign the Media Player. It’s about as interesting looking as a pet rock. Open the M$ vaults and pay for some really cool looking default design. And get rid of the standard gray tabbed option boxes, please. Those things are 1995. Yes, I realize WMP can be skinned without too much trouble, but the default skin shouldn’t be the plain design, it should be something slick and cool looking. The first look should be “wow!” instead of “oh.”
- Quit with the default checked page take overs on installation. If users have to uncheck a bunch of boxes to stop their homepage and default search from being changed that’s irritating.
- Encourage more third party plugin / APIs development. Hire some developers who are bloggers and have their sole job to build cool stuff to plugin to the Windows Media Player. New free tools every week! Do a better job answering the question: why should developers develop/write plugins for Windows Media Player?

Read the rest here

Here are my personal request, minor, but I want them:

* I would like to see syncronization between the Windows OS and Media Player volume Controls.
* Support for more codecs of course, I downloaded a song and had to convert to MP3 in Itunes to play it in Media Player 10.
* More modern updated themes.More visualizations like Energy Bliss, at least 50.
* Easier CD-Burning.
* The music and video guide takes longer to load than if than if were loading in a web browser.
* Access to my music library with album art, so when click on an album, it just list the contents of the album in a right pane.
* Album art gets blurry and does not match the correct album when you select another album or song to play.
* Better use of meta data about a song or album, it still does not find appropriate album art even after a few months with enough information in a song file properties.
* Better file integrity tools to know if a song is corrupted or damaged.
...and a lot more I can't think of right now.

Longhorn RSS Support - WinSupersite Technology Showcase

Thu, 30 Jun 2005 21:44:36 GMT

From WinSupersite

On Friday, June 24, 2005, Microsoft announced that it was adding deep platform support for a technology called RSS to Longhorn. RSS, or Real Simple Syndication, is an XML data format that's used to publish Web content to which people can subscribe. RSS solves a problem that Microsoft and Netscape tried to solve a decade ago with so-called "push" technologies: Rather than force people to manually navigate to Web sites to see when content has been updated, they should be able to subscribe to that content and receive notifications when updates are made.

Read the rest here

Microsoft Shuffles the Longhorn Management Deck

Wed, 29 Jun 2005 23:38:05 GMT

From Microsoft-Watch

Chris Jones, one of Microsoft's Windows allstars, is back on the Windows client team. His mission? To get the next version of Windows out the door. As part of its ongoing push to get Longhorn out the door, Microsoft is shuffling its Windows client management deck, according to sources close to the company.

In the latest reorg, Joe Peterson, vice president of Windows product development, is being removed from day-to-day Longhorn product responsibilities. He will be replaced by Chris Jones, who has been serving as corporate vice president in the Core Operating Systems Division (COSD), according to sources claiming familiarity with Microsoft's strategy.

Interesting part:

Recent Longhorn pre- Beta 1 builds are now set to expire in December 2006, said one Microsoft partner, who requested anonymity. The partner said he took that as a sign that Longhorn is running late.

The December 2006 date "is embedded in the new beta code that is now downloadable," said the partner. "It will not expire until December 2006.

Microsoft could be extending the beta date beyond the final ship date, as it has done with other products, to cover testers experimenting with the beta code. But Microsoft also could be hedging its bets.

Read the rest here

Windows Longhorn Milestone End of This Week

Wed, 29 Jun 2005 19:52:50 GMT

From the WinFX General Newsgroups

We should enter our final drive to the final build of Beta 1 of the Windows Longhorn client at the end of this week. This drive is scheduled to run for a small number of weeks - however it may be shorter if the quality of the build we are trying to get accepted/signed off is high enough or lengthened if not.

It would be fair to say that pretty much "anything could happen in the next few weeks". I would be personally surprised if we had the Beta 1 code ready in 8 days including a weekend to make the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference. (also note that announcement of product does not equal availability).

I was saying that it is possible that Microsoft could announce the launch of Longhorn at the World Wide Developers Conference, Friday July 8, 2005. Its good to know the Longhorn Team is reaching a milestone at the end of this week.

This is a first for me, but I do hope I get to test Windows Longhorn, I would be so happy to be a part of this experience to both be part of the development of a revolutionary product and also to provide feedback to make it the best release of Windows to date.

RSS in Longhorn: The Security Question

Wed, 29 Jun 2005 19:24:58 GMT

From eWeek

Microsoft Corp.'s ambitious plan to bake RSS deep into the belly of Longhorn will open new attack vectors for spammers, phishers and malicious hackers, security experts say.

"It is inevitable, without a doubt. When Longhorn comes out, attackers will pounce on every new thing to see if Microsoft did it correctly. You can bet RSS integration will be one of those things attackers will want to exploit," said John Pescatore, senior vice president of research at Gartner Inc.

Looking to introduce the fast-growing content syndication technology to a mass audience, Microsoft plans to embed an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) platform to automatically distribute feeds into Windows applications, both its own and those from developers.

The plan is for Longhorn to provide a common feed list of subscriptions and a common feed store of data in Longhorn, which will be available to applications through Windows APIs. The Redmond, Wash., company's vision also includes RSS discovery and easy-to-subscribe options in the upcoming Internet Explorer 7 browser refresh.

Read the rest here

Thats exactly what I'm saying, look at what has happened by integrating Internet Explorer at the heart of Windows? Why can't the same bad stuff that plagued IE, also plague RSS? I really, really do hope Microsoft is thinking ahead.

DirectX, Longhorn and the Future of Windows Gaming

Wed, 29 Jun 2005 15:32:36 GMT

From GameDaily

It's the tenth anniversary of DirectX. In honor of this occasion we spoke with Chris Donahue, the group manager for Windows gaming and graphics. Chris discusses the evolution of DirectX, the impact of the next Windows (Longhorn) and 64-bit gaming, how XNA will help developers on Windows and Xbox, where Windows gaming is headed and much more.

Read the rest here

Java eyes Longhorn look

Tue, 28 Jun 2005 16:20:57 GMT

From Builderau
Sun Microsystems announced today the next version of Java will be Longhorn-ready.

While outlining the future of Java, executives at the annual JavaOne software developers conference in San Francisco told delegates the next release, code-named "Mustang", will have native support for Longhorn in its graphical user interface (GUI) toolkit, dubbed Swing.

"We know many Java developers need to target Windows because that is important so we're making sure Java Mustang runs really well and looks great on Longhorn," Graham Hamilton, VP and fellow in the Java platform team at Sun, said.

With the release of Microsoft's next generation operating system next year, Graham said Sun is already looking at the Longhorn build, to ensure "Swing applications will look good in Longhorn from day one".

Read the rest here

I would like to borrow a few words from Paul Thurrott:
Java virtual machine is extremely uninteresting on the desktop and always will be.

Microsoft Plays Russian Roulette with Longhorn

Mon, 27 Jun 2005 17:05:26 GMT

From Softpedia-News
Every time I hear another announcement on what Longhorn will implement or what new tricks it will learn to perform, I have the feeling that I’m watching a show where the magician pulls rabbits out of a hat.

Microsoft’s strategy of releasing bits of information on Longhorn is understandable considering that December 2006 is far away and that hardware producers, software developers and users must be kept alert.

This strategy’s downside is that at some point Microsoft might give the impression of being unsure of what exactly is expecting from the software.

If you read all the announcements made by Microsoft so far regarding the functionalities implemented in Longhorn, you’ll start thinking that somewhere in one of the laboratories from Redmond, someone is constantly looking for the coolest technologies on the market and is integrating them in the next operating system, whether they were in the plan or not.

Microsoft’s ambition of developing an operating system that will last as long as Windows XP and even more is normal, but the way in which it will achieve this is somehow uncertain.

Read the rest here

My Say
I was saying the same thing myself. The company keeps on adding and separating certain technologies from Longhorn. The 3 pillars, WinFS, Indigo and Avalong plus the new API, were all expected to be Longhorn features only, but are downleveled to support Windows XP and Server 2003. RSS, IE 7 and Longhorn is another example of Microsoft adding, yes its wonderful, but why wasn't this figured out as a top priority making it a core feature of Longhorn at the platform level? Basically, this is telling me the feature set for Longhorn has not been frozen or whatever they are targetting for Longhorn will actually be add-ons after it is released.

Longhorn Build 5087

Sun, 26 Jun 2005 00:16:37 GMT

Well, it looks like Longhorn is currently moving up the progress bar in terms of build numbers. This recent build number taken at the Gnomedex 5.0 shows what seems to be a user experience build of Longhorn, the OS build number is probably farther than this.

Longhorn Build 5087

Internet Explorer 7 Screenshots

Fri, 24 Jun 2005 22:02:38 GMT

From Bink
I was randomly browsing Flickr, and I typed in "microsoft" as a tag to search. I was amazed to find IE7 pictures running on Longhorn that were uploaded today!

I found the images on Niall Kennedy's Flickr Images. According to his website, Niall is a community manager at Technorati.

Check out the screenshots here

Internet Explorer 7 looks a lot like Apples Safari interms of the layout of the Address Bar and Search Box. But I say its for the better, it looks really awesome. Well, with IE 7, RSS and Longhorn, we all know it will make it much easier for you to subscribe to all the relevant tech news concerning Windows Longhorn at Andre: Teching It Easy.