Based on the polls I've seen, especially around here, Windows Vista, as a name, is not terribly liked.  I am in the minority, I think it's a fine name.  One of the reasons why I like how Microsoft names their OSes is that every few years, would-be web entrepreneurs get a fresh start.  Programs that include the words "XP" in them (or websites) have to be quick on their feet to get a Vista based domain or program name.  No resting on ones laurels.

Name aside, a lot of people around here are probably wondering, what is going to be so great about Windows Vista and how will it affect your favorite programs and desktop enhancements?

I've written up two articles that explore those two questions:

• Windows Vista Pre-Beta Preview
• Stardock & Windows Vista

 

Very shortly Longhorn Beta 1 will be coming out.  The current expected date is August 3, 2005.  So what's in it? What can we expect?  Microsoft was kind to inform a group of us what beta 1 would be like.  Because of our NDA, I can only recap what is already known with a bit more detail.  Once beta 1 ships, we'll be free to write more. And hopefully I'll be able to show some cool screenshots.

First off, as many already have heard, Longhorn has been christened "Windows Vista".  It will probably come out in August 2006.  In my view, Windows Vista has 3 goals:

1) Security.  Microsoft wants to make sure Windows Vista is very secure. It will hopefully bring an end spy ware and malware and the like.

2) Developer Flexibility.  A great deal of work in Windows Vista appears to be setting the stage for the future.  Long ago, there was a second Microsoft OS code-named "Blackcomb" which was to be the follow-on to Longhorn.  In my opinion, Longhorn is setting the stage for what comes next.  It is doing this through the creation of several new, and more effective ways of creating content and software.  For example, Avalon is a development platform that is designed to make it much easier to create visually exciting applications.  It's a whole new presentation sub-system. Avalon applications are typically written in a new mark-up language called XAML.  There is another mode called Avalon-Express applications which I think are particularly exciting -- Avalon apps can be run as part of a web page.  Naturally,  some Macintosh users will claim that this is like "Dashboard".  And indeed there are similarities here.  But Microsoft has been working on Avalon a lot longer than Apple was working on Dashboard.  And Avalon Express applications are designed to be very secure from day 1.  Another new development platform is called Indigo.  It's .NET based and is designed to make it much easer to create network-based programs.  And then there's the integration of RSS into the OS.  Microsoft seems to believe that RSS is going to be a dominant way of making use of data in all kinds of interesting applications.  We think the same thing.  For example, when IE 7 starts coming close to release, we plan to make WinCustomize's skin galleries support RSS.

3) Polish.  Microsoft had little more than a year to take Windows 2000 and turn it into Windows XP.  This time, Microsoft has put a lot of effort into figuring out how to make Windows easier to use and have better "fit and finish" to it.   Much of this is provided by the new user experience called Aero.  And it really kicks ass.  Early on, there were screenshots of concepts for Aero. They were bulky, ugly, and over-kill.  Aero has come a long way though and Microsoft seems to be intent on making this version of Windows the most polished, cleanest, best OS they've made yet.   We're not just talking about being pretty, which it is.  But also being far more responsive to user input, booting up faster, better memory management. 

When beta 1 comes out, bear in mind that the "good" stuff won't really show up until beta 2  Beta 1, I believe, is primarily designed to knock out compatibility bugs and put what's there through the ringer to make sure they've got a solid foundation in which to take care of the rest.

When you put all the pieces together, you have a pretty significant improvement over Windows XP.  It should be a secure, fast, visually appealing OS that lends itself to new and innovative software development opportunities.

When Beta 1 is released, I can go into much more detail and with a lot more specifics.  Stay tuned.

Related Articles:

Stardock & Windows Vista

Windows Vista may be the most extensible version of Windows yet.  With its rich new set of APIs that allow users to create unique applications quickly and that the interface has been moved away from GDI (the old drawing method) to a whole presentation system that makes use of 3D hardware acceleration, developers will be able to make Longhorn shine very so brightly.

Stardock's goal on Windows Vista will be much the same as it was on Windows XP -- to enhance and expand the feature set of the OS.  The difference this time is that Microsoft is giving us a lot more tools to play with.

Object Desktop, Stardock's premier suite of desktop enhancement programs will be getting a host of new features in order to enhance the Windows Vista experience through customization and new abilities.  At the same time, Stardock will continue to enhance its support for Windows XP users as well. 

For example, WindowBlinds 5, which goes into beta this Fall, can support Aero-Glass type effects on Windows XP (see screenshot, that's Windows XP).  DesktopX will take widget and gadget making to the next level on Windows Vista.  DesktopX allows users to visually create mini-applications using an object-oriented interface.  But under the covers, DesktopX creates XML and Javascript/VB Script files.  In Windows Vista, our goal will be have DesktopX generate XAML code and hence, on a Avalon-enabled system to make use of everything Avalon has to offer.  And on systems in which Avalon isn't, on, DesktopX can use its own internal DirectGUI engine.

Windows Vista, so far, looks to have more potential for enhancement and extension by third-parties than any Microsoft OS before it.  It's built on a solid foundation and Microsoft really does seem to have taken the view of trying to create the OS as a platform as opposed to the OS as a application bundling opportunity (ala Apple).  We'll keep you posted.

I'm here in Redmond this week and one of the cool things that I saw (that i can talk about) is the Windows XP Media Edition integration with the upcoming XBox 360 game console.

The Xbox 360 is a high definition Media Center extender that allows Media Center to be displayed on your Xbox 360.  Hence, your Xbox can double as a Tive-type device as well with it.  Of course, it means you have to have Media Center somewhere first.  But that's what one would call "synergy".

The XBox 360 looks incredibly slick. It's "blade" menu is easy to navigate and with its synergy with Media Center it's likely to be a big hit.

On the bottom left on the home page of WinCustomize.com there is a poll being taken.  If you're a registered user of WinCustomize.com, please tell us what you think of the name, Windows Vista.  Windows Vista is the name Microsoft has given to its next version of Windows (previously called Longhorn).

Microsoft's new website for Windows Vista can be found at the link below. 

The advertising tagline for Vista is "Clear, Confident, Connected: Bringing clarity to your world," according to a video of the announcement posted by Microsoft.

The company also said Friday that the first beta, or test release, of Vista is slated for release on Aug. 3. That release will be targeted at developers and IT professionals, said Brad Goldberg, general manager of Windows product development.

The Vista moniker breaks with the company's tradition of using version numbers or acronyms for new Windows releases. The current version of the operating system, Windows XP--short for "experience," according to Microsoft--debuted in October 2001.

Vista's three design goals include better security, new ways to organize information, and seamless connectivity to external devices, the company said. Microsoft will provide more detail on Vista features Aug. 3, Goldberg said.

Longhorn has a product name.  Windows Vista.

I suspect like many of you, I've been very frustrated with JoeUser's unreliability and downtime recently.  It's just one of the downsides of increasing popularity and not having the resources to address it.

Last week, it really came to a head and we literlaly had to take the site down in ordre for any of our sites to stay up.  So while it was down, we started cleaning things up where we could.  We're still not happy where things rae but right now, we're up.

I am really sorry about the downtime.  It has been like going through withdrawal not being able to come on and check out what people have written.

The Neowin Gadget was a collaboration of Timan, who designed it and Stardock who did the scripting.  It is designed to make it easy to keep up with the latest happenings on the popular technology news site, Neowin.net.  If you click on the the headline it opens up the actual article.  If you click on the sub-header, it'll open the mini-browser that lets you read the full article within the gadgets.

Gadget creation is a feature of DesktopX 3.1 Pro.  Stardock has been creating rich mini-application content on the desktop (what are generally called "widgets" today) since 1999 when DesktopX 1.0 first went into public beta.  As much as we like widgets, the problem with them is that they require the user to go out and download a "mother" program (i.e. a DesktopX widget requires a user to have DesktopX installed, a Kapsules widget requires the user to have Kapsules installed, a Konfabulator widget requires the user to have Konfabulator installed).   Gadgets don't have this limitation, they are stand-alone programs but maintain the advantages of widgets (small file size, light on memory use, cool looking).

Screenshot of the Neowin gadget.

Screenshot of how little memory the Neowin gadget uses.

Neowin Gadget (850K)