Windows

Microsoft over the weekend made available an updated build of Windows Vista, but only to a limited subset of testers in its Technology Adoption Partner (TAP) program. The interim release, numbered 5342, includes minor fixes and user interface tweaks, and is labeled an EDW build.

EDW, or External Developer Workstation, builds are made available more frequently than Community Technology Previews and have not gone through the same level of quality control. Typically such releases are designed to provide partners with changes they have requested during the beta process. The next public Vista release, the "Consumer CTP," is expected in late April or May.

Microsoft slammed an article by Australian technology publication Smart House on Friday, calling it "speculation." The retort came as a result of a story that cited sources within the company saying as much as 60 percent of Vista code needs to be rewritten.

The article claimed that the Redmond company had to transfer developers from the Xbox team to the Windows division in order to ensure the Vista makes it to a CES 2007 release. Much of the article centered on issues with the Media Center and multimedia functionality, and claimed Intel was assisting Microsoft in rushing out the new code.

Microsoft delivered some not-so-shocking news Tuesday: there will be no Vista until 2007. While many had expected this, the company had been steadfast in its assurance that the next generation operating system would ship this year, even up until days before the announcement.

Here's what pundits and bloggers alike had to say about Vista's seemingly neverending delays. What do you think?

UPDATED Microsoft revealed Tuesday afternoon what many had expected for months -- consumer availability of Windows Vista has been delayed until 2007.

While businesses would be able to get their hands on the finished product in November, consumers will not find the operating system on new machines until January. The delay also throws a wrench into the holiday marketing plans of many PC manufacturers this season.

While Windows XP won't natively boot on Apple's new Intel based Macs due to lack of EFI support and Microsoft has no plans to change that in Vista, one hacker has found a way around the limitation and snagged a $13,854 prize in the process. But the approach requires heavy editing of an XP install disc.

Colin Nederkoorn launched a contest to encourage the technically savvy to get Windows XP installed on an Intel iMac, Mac mini or MacBook Pro. Donations were collected from a number of companies and individuals, with the sum going to the first person that discovered a reproducible method for booting Windows on a Mac.

Despite claims that it has "paused" development on the product, Microsoft delivered an updated CTP of Expression Graphic Designer -- formerly known as Acrylic -- over the weekend, along with a refreshed build of its Interactive Designer tool.

Expression Graphic Designer has been hyped as a rival to Adobe's Photoshop, but Microsoft has designed the product to specifically take advantage of the new display capabilities in Windows Vista. Graphic Designer outputs into the XAML file format that is natively supported by Vista's Presentation Foundation.

Microsoft confirmed reports that at least the initial Intel Macs from Apple would not support Windows Vista, telling BetaNews Friday that its next generation operating system would not support the EFI boot process being used by the new systems.

Apple decided to use Intel's new Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) over the older Basic Input Output System (BIOS). As previously reported by BetaNews, Windows XP cannot run on the Macs due to its lack of EFI support, however Windows Vista was expected to change that.

Microsoft late last week began to publicly deny reports that it was building a backdoor into Windows Vista in order for governments to gain access to private files. Calling it "simply not acceptable," Microsoft System Integrity Team developer and cryptographer Niels Ferguson said the official line is that the company does not, and would not, create backdoors.

Reports of such an issue within the next generation Windows release surfaced in mid-February following a report by BBC News. The story claimed the British government feared that new encryption technologies, specifically BitLocker in Vista, could set back terrorism investigations.

Echoing the information that leaked out last week, Microsoft early Monday confirmed it will ship six different editions of Windows Vista. Two versions will be designed for businesses, three for consumers, and one for emerging markets. But will consumers welcome choice or simply be intimidated by the number of options?

As previously reported, at the bottom of the list is Windows Starter 2007, which will likely replace the current Windows XP Starter Edition SKU. This slimmed down version of Windows does not carry the Vista branding as it is designed purely as a low-cost option in specific countries.

Microsoft has announced the arrival of the February Windows Vista CTP, which was renamed to "Enterprise CTP" as the company moves from monthly to audience specific naming. The release means Windows Vista is now "feature complete," offering the first glimpse at the Windows Sidebar.

In a conference call Wednesday, General Manager of Windows Client Product Management Brad Goldberg heralded the Enterprise CTP -- numbered build 5308 -- as a "call to action for businesses." Microsoft is encouraging enterprises to begin testing out new features starting today.

Microsoft on Wednesday is expected to make available the third CTP, or Community Technology Preview, of Windows Vista. The February release has been scheduled to be the first feature-complete build of Microsoft's next-generation operating system and will showcase for the first time the Windows Sidebar.

Redmond officials are hosting a conference call early Wednesday to discuss the status of Vista development. Microsoft has held two previous calls: one if November to announce that no public CTP would be release, and another before Christmas to herald the arrival of the December CTP. A broader Beta 2 release of Windows Vista is still expected in the first half of 2006.

A Windows Vista help page has provided some insight into Microsoft's packaging plans for the next-generation Windows release due out later this year. While the company has yet to make any official announcement, Microsoft is ostensibly preparing six different editions of Windows Vista.

At the bottom of the list is Windows Starter 2007, which will likely replace the current Windows XP Starter Edition SKU. This slimmed down version of Windows does not carry the Vista branding because it will not feature the new Aero Glass interface, and is designed purely as a low-cost option for emerging markets.

British officials are concerned about encryption in Microsoft's forthcoming Windows Vista release, saying the technology could prevent law enforcement from reading suspects' computer files. They claim certain new features within Vista, while intended to do good, may actually set back terrorism investigations.

The comments came as part of a larger House of Commons home affairs select committee meeting on holding terrorism suspects. Ross Anderson, professor of security engineering at Cambridge University, said, "from later this year, the encryption landscape is going to change with the release of Microsoft Vista."

Sun Microsystems on Wednesday issued a beta release of Java Platform Standard Edition 6, the company's next-generation development language targeted at so-called Web 2.0 programmers. Perhaps most enticing for those new to Java, the update adds a framework for supporting popular scripting languages such as PHP.

Java SE 6 -- previously known by the code-name "Mustang" -- also leverages JavaScript and includes a full "Web services client stack," along with support for recent Web services specifications like JAX-WS 2.0 and JAXB 2.0. In addition, the release will bring support for Windows Vista.

Microsoft has made available prerelease versions of the Windows Communication Foundation and Windows Workflow Foundation, which comprise two of the core building blocks within Windows Vista. The company has also issued a Go-Live license for each, signifying the products' state of readiness.

The idea of the releases is to enable developers to build applications and solutions on the new technology and be ready by the time Vista reaches store shelves. The two foundations are part of the new WinFX programming model, which Microsoft has backported to Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.