Vista Beta Offers Peek at Aero Interface
Following what many viewed as an unimpressive first showing of the then "Longhorn" OS at this year's WinHEC, Wednesday's release of Windows Vista Beta 1 began to show hints of the Aero interface that will play a large role in the new operating system.
Microsoft also confirmed Wednesday that a feature complete version of the interface will not be included until Beta 2, not due until early 2006.
Windows Vista Improves 'Fundementals'
Microsoft officially released the first beta of Windows Vista on Wednesday as expected, ending what seemed like a never-ending series of delays and moving the Redmond company closer to the release of its long awaited next generation operating system.
Over 10,000 testers will get first dibs at the OS, with thousands more gaining access to the beta through the MSDN program and Microsoft TechNet.
Windows Vista Beta Set for Wednesday
Sources are reporting that Microsoft will beat its August 3 deadline for delivering Beta 1 of Longhorn, now known as Windows Vista, with a release to testers on Wednesday. Beta 1 is not expected to include the operating system's new name, which will likely be added for a beta refresh due in September for Microsoft's PDC 2005 conference.
Windows Vista Beta 1 will initially be available to a small group of testers via Microsoft's new Connect beta portal. MSDN subscribers will receive access to the first beta bits on August 3. Build 5112 will carry the official Beta 1 label, according to Windows Enthusiast site WinBeta.
'Vista' Name May Have Trademark Issues
The Seattle Times reported over the weekend that Microsoft might need to jump through some legal hurdles in order to keep the new name for its next generation operating system. The paper uncovered Saturday that a fellow Redmond-based company, Vista, Inc., owns the trademark to the name "Vista."
Vista specializes in e-business infrastructure applications for the small-to-medium enterprise market, and its CEO John Wall is not happy with Microsoft. Wall told the paper that his company is currently investigating whether or not the name violates trademark laws.
Microsoft Explains Windows Vista Name
With the announcement of Longhorn's official name, Microsoft has left many users asking: Why Windows Vista? Company representatives told BetaNews that Microsoft felt the new version of Windows "deserved a name that was more representative of what it specifically brings to customers."
"Today, we live in a world of 'more' -- more information, more ways to communicate, more things to do, more opportunities -- and at the same time, more responsibilities. Increasingly, we all turn to our PCs to help us with that," a Microsoft spokesperson said. "At the end of the day, what you're after is a way to break through all the clutter to focus on what you want to focus on, what you need to do. What you're trying to get to is your own personal Vista -- whether that is trying to organize photos, or trying to find a file or trying to connect and collaborate with a number of people electronically."
Microsoft: No 'Vista' for Windows Server
Microsoft on Friday told BetaNews it had no plans to use the "Vista" moniker for its next generation Windows Server product line, despite choosing the name for its Longhorn client. For now, Microsoft will continue using Longhorn Server for a Beta 1 release, which is due in the coming weeks.
"While we are not announcing the name for Longhorn Server at this time, we can tell you that the current plan is to follow the existing naming convention of Windows Server 2003," a Microsoft spokesperson told BetaNews. Windows Vista was announced Friday, alongside a video promoting the name.
Longhorn Gets a Name: Windows Vista
The folks at Redmond have long pointed to the user interface of the next generation Windows release as one of its major selling points. Now, Microsoft has chosen an official name for Longhorn with just that in mind. Enter: Windows Vista.
Word of the new name leaked out late Thursday after Microsoft tipped off journalists and enthusiast sites of an impending Longhorn-related announcement due Friday morning. "Windows Vista" was first mentioned at a Microsoft sales conference in Atlanta, according to reports.
Windows XP Adoption Rates Slow
Although many are eagerly awaiting Microsoft next version of Windows, known as Longhorn, a recent study by AssetMetrix shows that many companies have not even upgraded to Windows XP, a full four years after its release.
The study reports that Windows 2000 is installed on 48 percent of all corporate PCs as of the first quarter of this year, only falling four percent since the last quarter of 2003. In comparison, usage of Windows XP rose from 6.6 to 38 percent during the same period.
June 15 Release Set for Windows XP 'N'
Microsoft announced on Wednesday the release timetable for its version of Windows XP without Windows Media Player, simply branded with the additional moniker: N. The slimmed down OS will be available to European computer makers on June 15, with a retail launch slated for July 1.
It's not clear, however, if computer manufacturers will even be interested in the N editions, which carry the same price tag as versions with Windows Media Player.
Windows XP SP2 Grace Period Expires
The April 12, 2005 deadline passed Tuesday and Microsoft has followed through with its pledge to revoke the grace period that provided enterprise customers the option to postpone the adoption of Windows XP Service Pack 2. The update, which fortifies Windows with a variety of new security enhancements, will now be pushed to customers and has become a requirement to receive future upgrades.
In response to a chorus of widespread customer feedback insisting that SP2 could prove disruptive to mission critical applications, Microsoft made several support tools available that temporarily blocked the delivery of SP2 via Automatic Updates and forestalled Windows Update installations.
Windows XP Media Center Goes Global
Microsoft says it will bring Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 to 20 new markets this year, broadening the company's digital media experience to a total of 33 countries and 17 languages. Currently, 90 of the top computer manufacturers and over 7,000 system builders are shipping Windows Media Center based PCs.
"We're continuing to see unprecedented demand for Windows XP Media Center Edition worldwide," said Will Poole, senior vice president the Windows Client. "Now, together with our partners, we are answering that demand by delivering our best version of Windows ever with new ways to experience digital photos, music, TV and more."
Windows XP, 2003 Vulnerable to Attack
A Serbian systems engineer alerted users of the Web site Security Focus over the weekend to a possible denial of service attack using MS-DOS. The problem affects those using Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP SP2 without a firewall activated.
Called a LAND attack, the 8 year-old denial of service involves a packet of information being sent to a computer where the source computer makes it look like the origin of the packet is the destination computer itself.
Windows XP SP2 Delay Deadline Looms
Microsoft has given notice to Service Pack 2 laggards that "time is running out." A notice is now emblazoned on a Knowledge Base article for a tool that temporarily blocks the delivery of SP2, reminding customers that the April 12 deadline is approaching.
After the deadline passes, the service pack will be delivered to all Windows XP systems through the automatic updates mechanism.
Windows XP x64 Edition Reaches RC2
Closing in on a scheduled April release, Microsoft has delivered to beta testers Release Candidate 2 of Windows XP x64 Edition, along with RC2 of Windows Server 2003 SP1. A new addition to the Windows family, x64 is designed to operate with the AMD Athlon 64 and Opteron processors, as well as the Intel processors with EM64T.
"This is our second major milestone and highest quality release to date
for the beta," Microsoft beta coordinators wrote in an e-mail to testers. "However, please keep in mind that it is not final release quality and you should limit your installations to test machines."
Windows XP Embedded Finally Gets SP2
A full two years after the last major update to Microsoft's embedded version of Windows XP was released, Service Pack 2 is available to developers wishing to embed features of Windows into their electronic devices, such as point-of-sale terminals, medical systems and thin-client devices.
Windows XP Embedded SP2 has much in common with its desktop counterpart released earlier this year, such as improved security and bug fixes. However, new features in this embedded update include support for Bluetooth devices, as well as a reworked version of the original Windows Firewall.
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