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Microsoft

Windows 'Longhorn' Kicks Off (On Paper) 480

Posted by timothy from the feature-envy-can-be-healthy dept.
gdeciantis writes: "NeoWin.net posted an article which outlines some of the new features that are currently planned for the the next version of Windows (codenamed Longhorn). With new features like seamless content transfer across devices, it looks like Longhorn will not just be Windows XP SE."
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Windows 'Longhorn' Kicks Off (On Paper) More

Windows 'Longhorn' Kicks Off (On Paper)

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  • proposed requirements for the next Windows (Score:4, Informative)

    by 56ker ( 566853 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @12:58PM (#3324190) Homepage Journal
    Here's the link to it Just click here! [microsoft.com]
  • Thanks to xStainDx for the heads up in BPN on our forums.
    He has found some documentation on Windows Codenamed Longhorn, the new Windows planned to follow XP. Microsoft have been keeping mum about this, not letting on if Longhorn will be XPSE (read: Second Edition) or a major upgrade and advancement.

    We can reveal today that there will be some major advancements in compliance and driver support for Longhorn with an addition to securing the OS and making it more central to the home PC. For example: Taken from h3-longhorn_preview_winhec.doc
    ADVANCES: Broadcast and video components meet reliability and stability requirements
    New built-in driver support is being planned for Windows Longhorn. Support planned at this time includes a new class driver for USB video cameras.
    Proposed requirements include the following:

    For any device that provides end-user capabilities for transfer of digital content, expose the device schema so that Windows can support seamless content transfer.

    The device and driver must ensure a minimum level of propagation and persistence of device or content metadata.

    The DirectX Video Acceleration (DirectX VA) API must be used if the hardware supports acceleration of MPEG-2 decode with motion compensation, iDCT, or VLD.

    Video that is interlaced must be de-interlaced using the DirectX VA and Direct3D 9 APIs for video.

    The components must be capable of rendering video with the Microsoft DirectShow Video Mixing Renderer using DirectX 9 Direct3D.
    and also discussed is:
    NEW: "Mira" device, if implemented, meets stability, reliability, and compatibility requirements

    Proposed requirements for "Mira" devices are TBD

  • Oh joy. (Score:5, Funny)

    by Kenja ( 541830 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @01:00PM (#3324208)
    I guess this means we get to see another video clip of the Microsoft CEO stamping around on stage screaming. This time in a cowboy hat and boots of course. I wonder if they'll hand out temp tattoos that look like cow brands with the MS logo?

    • Re:Oh joy. (Score:2, Funny)

      by bonzoesc ( 155812 )
      As long as he's trying to round up Developers, Developers, Developers, Developers, Developers, Developers, Developers, Developers, I LOOOOVE THIS COMPANY! Developers, Developers, Developers...

  • woohoo (Score:2, Insightful)

    by SnAzBaZ ( 572456 )
    yay! another oportunity to have a whole bunch of threads bashing microsoft...

  • The much anticipated... (Score:3, Funny)

    by swagr ( 244747 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @01:01PM (#3324211) Homepage
    Notepad upgrade.
    Will we ever see a better text editor come with the os?

    • Re:The much anticipated... (Score:4, Funny)

      by Quill_28 ( 553921 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @01:16PM (#3324327) Journal
      If they come out with a better notepad wouldn't they be using their monopoly power to crush the competition?

    • Re:The much anticipated... (Score:5, Funny)

      by x0n ( 120596 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @01:24PM (#3324377) Homepage Journal
      Ah, you know about the secret .LOG function too? Open notepad, make the first line .LOG -- save it, and voila, everytime you open it, it inserts a timestamp! beat that EMACS in under 85 lines of lisp!

      - Ois

      • Re:The much anticipated... (Score:3, Informative)

        by Anonymous Coward
        (add-hook write-file-hooks time-stamp)

        Then put

        Time-stamp:

        anywhere in the first 8 lines of your file.

        Of course, unlike the Notepad version, this is fully customisable and documented.
    • I'd love to see Textpad [textpad.com] come with win*. It's free as in annoyware (popup every 5th save?) though it's only $30 to register (to support more plugins).

      You can get plugins to do syntax highlighting for pretty much anything immaginable. Reads/saves pc or unix, built in spellchecker, nice and light. What wordpad would be if you actually had to use it.
    • I like notepad. It does basic text editing very well and very fast. If you need something with better capabilities use Wordpad, or get a real word processor.

    • Sometimes I see this as a downfall of Linux. The software for Linux seems to always try to be everything to everyone. There is no supper basic notepad for Linux, ok gedit and i am sure that kde has one too, but windows always seems to have kind of a 3 teir application base. sort of a notepad->wordpad->msword or paint->image editor->photopaint depending on how many features you may want.

      Linux seems to do well on the full featured version stuff but not so well on the very basic straight forward applications. (except for the command line. There they do it right.)

      • Do you know what Notepad is? It's essentially the multiline edit control of MFC with a frame around it. Do you know what KEdit is? It's essentially the multiline edit widget of Qt with a frame around it. The example Visual Studio editor and the sample Qt editor are virtually indistinguishable from Notepad and KEdit but for a bit of polish.

        Why doesn't KEdit qualify as a super basic text editor? You can't get much simpler than that.
      • There is no supper basic notepad for Linux

        Notepad works in Wine. How's that for ya?

      • Re:The much anticipated... (Score:4, Informative)

        by JabberWokky ( 19442 ) <slashdot.com@timewarp.org> on Thursday April 11, 2002 @02:42PM (#3324945) Homepage Journal
        notepad->wordpad->msword

        For KDE:

        KWrite -> Kate -> KWord

        KWrite is just like notepad. No frills, just text, and you click and type. Kate is a serious powerhouse text editor, similar to TextPad for Windows. It allows plugins, and can be used as a simple IDE, or XML document manager. KWord is like MS Word lite. It has a good chunk of the features needed to handle most office needs. It's biggest problem (bugs in WYSIWYG code) is fixed in CVS and there will be a new release soon (KOffice releases follow KDE releases).

        paint->image editor->photopaint

        For KDE:

        KPaint -> Krita

        KPaint is just like paint - suitable for kids to scribble with or JeffK to make dumb art. Krita (formerly Krayon) is the KOffice photo program, a la Photoshop. It's new, and will be in the upcoming release (probably, if now, the one after that). If you want a vector drawing app, there's the very stable and powerful Kontour.

        Basically, you get the "simple" version in the basic install of KDE, and add the "advanced" verion when you install KOffice. There ya go... problem solved.

        --
        Evan --
        Evan

    • Emacs is his baby, and I doubt very much whether either party wants it included with Windows.

    • Will we ever see a better text editor come with the os?

      Me, I use Notepad+ [mypeecee.org], it's never steered me wrong. And when I'm feeling frisky, there's GVim [vim.org].

    • Notepad needs to support using the key to switch modes. It is frustraing to keep hitting and not be put into command mode....

  • Note the softened code name... (Score:4, Funny)

    by GeneralEmergency ( 240687 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @01:02PM (#3324214) Journal


    ..No more code names like HailStorm for these guys. Expect names like PuppyTail, SnuggleBear and ComfyHat from now on.

  • Interesting... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by toupsie ( 88295 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @01:02PM (#3324215) Homepage
    Though the article is incredibly brief for such a large project there was not one mention of security. An oversight? I think not! :)

  • XP SE? (Score:5, Funny)

    by InterruptDescriptorT ( 531083 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @01:02PM (#3324216) Homepage
    Actually, this is only part of the final name. Microsoft, it has been reported, will add a lower-case, italicized 'e' to represent the e-commerce-enabling focus of the OS, as well as 'EN' for the new Enhanced Networking features.

    That leaves us with the final name of Microsoft e XP EN SE. ;-)

  • er (Score:2, Funny)

    by sugrshack ( 519761 )
    does it come with a neural interface?

    i'd hate to have to register my thought patterns with microsoft...
  • Of course, they'll have to release Windows (and Office) XP SE in the meantime to force the OEM channel, and the corporate market, to give them another infusion of cash.

    Only after that will they release 'Longhorn'. Maybe.

  • Security Initative? (Score:3, Funny)

    by sterno ( 16320 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @01:04PM (#3324230) Homepage
    Oh, so I guess this means that they are done pouring through all their code and making sure there aren't any problems. I mean they did say they were making a big security initative right? So I'm assuming that before they go add more code they are going to make sure the old code is secure... right? RIGHT?

    • Re:Security Initative? (Score:3, Interesting)

      by rmadmin ( 532701 )
      OpenBSD did a full code audit.. Took them quit a while if I remember correctly too... but look at how that turned out? So, A full install of OBSD takes 300 meg...and it took them a year or so(?) to do a full code audit.. Windows 2k gobbled a gig of my hard drive, and they did a "full" audit of their security (Adv server, and Prof?) in a matter of months? *Wimper* Then again.. when you got the general public by the balls, why try any harder than you have to.

  • As a University of Texas Graduate (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Deacon Jones ( 572246 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @01:04PM (#3324234)
    I really, really hate that they are using that name.

  • FYI: Windows "Longhorn" Platform Goals (Score:5, Informative)

    by nherc ( 530930 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @01:05PM (#3324246) Journal
    From: http://www.microsoft.com/winlogo/hardware/HWrequir ements.asp

    Windows "Longhorn" Platform Goals
    This section summarizes Microsoft's key goals for the combination of operating system and hardware platform advances with Windows Longhorn.
    Client Hardware Initiatives for Windows Longhorn
    In early planning for the Windows "Longhorn" client, Microsoft has identified following core areas for advancing the platform for the client PC:
    PC as a trusted, secure platform.
    These goals include core hardware changes to ensure security, plus support for smart cards and biometric input devices.
    PC fundamentals.
    These goals continue to improve the Plug and Play, startup, and manageability characteristics of the system.
    PC has appliance-like simplicity
    These goals includes advancing OnNow performance with "instant on" improvements, predictable power button behavior, and unified interaction between software and hardware controls. This also includes advancing "quiet PC' goals for targeted markets.
    For PC/device interaction, the goals include advancing standards for physical device connections and for discovery and authentication through Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) and Microsoft .NET Passport.
    PC as a primary form of integrated communications
    These goals include advances in voice quality for real-time communications, and advances to operating system support and hardware integration of digital video and voice input capabilities.
    PC as the center of home entertainment
    This set of initiatives focused on audio/video (A/v) streaming and encoding, by advancing a completely digital audio path and reducing system latencies. These goals also include dramatic advances for usability through easy access connectors, new media support, and graphics support for both two-foot and ten-foot user interfaces.
    PC is the preferred mobile device.
    These goals include advancing support for "ink as input" by commoditizing support for Tablet PC input capabilities for laptops and new form factors. These goals also work to expanding the reach of wireless computing, through advances related to IEEE 802.11, mobile IPv6, Remote NDIS, UPnP discovery, and Microsoft .NET authentication. In addition, these initiatives seek to advance scenarios and capabilities for hot docking and longer battery life.
    • This also includes advancing "quiet PC' goals for targeted markets. what has 'longhorn' got todo with how quiet we, or computer manufacturers, decide to build our PC's?

    • Re:FYI: Windows "Longhorn" Platform Goals (Score:5, Funny)

      by mickwd ( 196449 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @01:34PM (#3324450)
      "...predictable power button behaviour..."

      ????

      You mean like a power button that turns the power on, and then off again ?

      Us open-source folks had better give up now - there's no way we can catch up with advances like this...

      • Re:FYI: Windows "Longhorn" Platform Goals (Score:5, Funny)

        by Colz Grigor ( 126123 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @02:11PM (#3324723) Homepage
        No, this means that Windows Longhorn will predict when the user really wanted to hit the power button and will turn off instantly.

        The heuristics for determining shutdown times have been improving since Windows 3.1. Remember the advent of the Blue Screen of Death in NT 4.0? That was really just a message telling the user "we think it's time for you to shut off the computer".

        ::Colz Grigor

      • Re:FYI: Windows "Longhorn" Platform Goals (Score:4, Insightful)

        by Waffle Iron ( 339739 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @02:25PM (#3324829)
        Us open-source folks had better give up now - there's no way we can catch up with advances like this...

        That's very funny. But that doesn't alter the fact that since the first soft-powered boxes came out a decade ago, I have never seen any OS, open source or closed, that consistently does the right thing on all machines by default when I push the button. Nor have I seen one that has power control settings that are both understandable and functional on all machines.

        I don't think that the problem is as simple as you imply; otherwise somebody would have fixed this mess by now.

      • You mean like a power button that turns the power on, and then off again ?

        I know it sounds silly, but this really is an issue. The general public wants to be able to use a computer like they do any other appliance. The power button is a simple thing, but across different computers the physical power button maps to different behavior. For instance, on notebooks, will it shutdown, hibernate, or go on standby?

        In XP on my desktop, when I hit "Turn off Computer" (under Start, I might add) it asks me if I want to standby, turn off, or restart. But I just told the computer I wanted it to turn off. It was a lot simpler on older machines where if I hit the switch it would cut the power and I'd be done (with a defragmented hard drive).

        Pretty much general users want to be able to use the computer like a TV: sit down, press a button, and have things immediately available. When the user's done, hit the button again and walk away. Not everyone leaves their computer on 24/7.

      • OK, I've had a few serious responses to this (and some funny ones :), so here goes.

        The points you're making are exactly what I was making fun of. A computer power button should work like every other power button on virtually every other piece of electrical equipment (and on most people's walls, too). It does a simple function that *everybody* understands. Why on earth did computer makers feel the need to start pissing about with it ?

        TVs often have a standby button (usually on the remote control) and a separate power button. If computer makers want a "power" button to do something other than turn the power on and off, they should put another button there, and use it instead for the extra functions.
    • You missed one :D

      - To make more money.

    • PC has appliance-like simplicity

      And what does this mean for those who still can't program their VCR? Good one MS!

  • Features I'd like to see in the next Windows (Score:5, Funny)

    by Ubergrendle ( 531719 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @01:05PM (#3324247) Journal
    - Everything configurable via the command line for power users
    - Non-integrated browser
    - Non-integrated media player
    - Drivers for USB 2.0, Bluetooth, and Firewire
    - 100% documented APIs
    - No WPA

    I would also like the ability to fly, bend metal objects with my mind, and understand women.
    • I would also like the ability to fly, bend metal objects with my mind, and understand women.

      Previous attempts [bbspot.com] at adding flight functionality haven't had less than stellar results...so it'll probably be a while before we see it again.

      However, I can assure you that when you choose to bang your head against after using Microsoft's new operating system against some metal object, it will end up dented.

      As for your third request, it simply isn't possible. I recommend that you request that Microsoft add the "cooking", "laundry", "dishes", "sex" and "stop bugging me and leave me alone" features. That should solve your problem.
    • - Everything configurable via the command line for power users
      > Everything is already configurable from the registry. For power admins they can just make a .reg file to apply the necessary changes to all PCs. Though in all seriousness do you have any idea how much work it would take to also make everything configurable from the command line. Almost as much work as it would take to make things configurable in a GUI for *nix.

      - Non-integrated browser
      > There are a lot of integrated components I want out of the OS (like fucking windows messenger) but the browser isn't one of them. I would argue that surfing the web is one of the core features of the computer and thus should be part of the OS. Since IE happens to be the best browser on the market you can't really complain. Its not like they are keeping you from using a different browser.

      - Non-integrated media player
      > Again, playing media is now a core feature of the computer. Users expect this functionality out of the box, thus it belongs in a desktop OS (server OS is a different matter). Moreover it should be as feature rich as possible, which will cause some intermingling with the OS. If you want to use a different media player, feel free, there isn't anything stopping you.

      - Drivers for USB 2.0, Bluetooth, and Firewire
      > USB 2.0 and Firewire are expected in a service pack to XP. Bluetooth would be cool though.

      - 100% documented APIs
      > I honestly don't believe that microsoft gains suppremissy by using special APIs. The reason MS products tend to be better then the compitition is that MS puts more people on the team, and hires brighter people. If someone from the office team came and asked someone on the platform dev team to add a special API to make their life easier I think the platform dev would tell the office guy to fuck off.

      - No WPA
      > Agreed. Of course the corperate version doesn't have it...

      Honestly, there is a lot I would like to see change in windows. For example I don't want to pay for Windows Movie Maker or any of the other extranious applications MS has decided to bundle. Some stuff should be with the OS, internet and media integration is a good thing. It provides a richer user experience that most people will use.

    • Re:Features I'd like to see in the next Windows (Score:5, Funny)

      by kzinti ( 9651 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @04:25PM (#3325727) Homepage Journal
      I would also like the ability to fly, bend metal objects with my mind, and understand women.

      To bastardize the words of the late great Douglas Adams:

      There is a theory which states that if men ever succeed in understanding women, they will instantly disappear and be replaced with something even more bizarre inexplicable.

      There is another theory which states that this has already happened.

      --Jim
  • I wonder if this will force region coding of DVDs somehow?
    • This will force Macrovision for TV out and make sure that noone gets to the unencrypted picture, i.e. grabbing the screen. Region coding will be enforced through the DVD drivers.
      Face it, they will try to button up any way to get to the content. Too bad you can still see it on your screen.

  • MS Drops Longhorn (Score:4, Funny)

    by ajs ( 35943 ) <ajs AT ajs DOT com> on Thursday April 11, 2002 @01:07PM (#3324261) Homepage Journal
    Redmond -- Due to lack of commercial interest in a new version of Windows, Microsoft has dropped the project and is instead planning on releasing an ASP version which can be used as an embeded frame from any Web site via AOL's popular Mozilla browser.

    Ok, so maybe earlier articles on /. today got me a little riled ;-)

  • Using 3D API's for 2D? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by bravehamster ( 44836 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @01:08PM (#3324265) Homepage Journal
    Following the links led me to Microsofts Longhorn website and another document entitled "Windows "Longhorn" Graphics Bandwidth Requirements". The part I found most interesting is:
    Windows Longhorn will expose new APIs for accelerated 2D drawing. These new APIs will not use existing GDI acceleration but will instead use the Microsoft Direct3D® DDI. New applications, therefore, will make use of the 3D pipeline of the graphics adapter for their 2D / productivity graphics requirements.
    So does this mean that in 2005 my new Geforce8MX will speed up my porn-browsing? Bring it on, Microsoft!

  • "New" features? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by sphealey ( 2855 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @01:10PM (#3324281)
    New features, eh? The only thing that saves Microsoft here is how short everyone's memory is in the tech industry. "Seamless file transfer across devices" sounds very similar to the "object oriented files system", which was first promised for the version of Windows that was going to follow NT 3.5 and was announced in 1991 or so. Of course the follow on to NT 3.5 was NT 4, which was released in 1996 and contained few to none of the promised wizz-bangs.

    But now it will be XP 2.0 (dare we call it 3.11?) that will have the good stuff. I am holding my breath, I am.

    sPh

    • Re:"New" features? (Score:3, Interesting)

      by swordboy ( 472941 )
      But now it will be XP 2.0 (dare we call it 3.11?) that will have the good stuff. I am holding my breath, I am.

      Somewhat unrelated but along the same thought:

      Will Intel create a 4.77Ghz "Pentium XT" to celebrate the 1000 fold increase in operating speed over the 4.77Mhz 8086 XT processor?

      I'm actually serious. I think it would be appropriate considering AMD's use of the XP trademark...

  • no analog output ? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by tandr ( 108948 )
    Removal of the analog signal path for CD audio.

    wth?
  • will probably be a 3.2Ghz uP, 1Gb memory and 120Gb disk - and that's just to boot up. More RAM recommended for actually running applications, altho there probably won't be anything left that's NOT already integrated into the "operating system" that comes pre-installed with your new PC.
  • This does not by any stretch of the imagination mean that this is the next OS to come from Microsoft. Remember how 2000 was supposed to replace 98 and how it wasn't ready for primetime when Microsoft needed to fluff their coffers? Remember what we got out of that? Microsoft Me!!! It's goning to be near impossible for MS to mess up the NT line, but I wouldn't put it past them to slather on some new features on top of XP Home making it a useless POC and call it their new OS.
  • Anyone else follow the link to the microsoft page from one of the first posts?

    http://www.microsoft.com/winlogo/hardware/HWrequir ements.asp [microsoft.com]

    The document entitled "Requirements for Client PCs" states that several new devices must be present for the Windows Logo program, they include:

    Audio device that supports DRM

    From the TV and Video section:
    Video device that supports DRM

    And a more vague listing in the "Home Entertainment " section that calls for a "Digital Media device that supports DRM".

    On a side note, they are calling for BIOS makers to setup for being flashed from within the Win32 env, does anyone else see this as a way to open a hole for virus writers?
    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • "TBD" (Score:2)

      by sulli ( 195030 )
      Interesting, though, that the details are listed as "TBD" in all three of these categories. Hardware vendors who attend WinHEC may wish to object to this sort of thing.

      But what do I care? i use a Mac.

  • But judging from the information duplicated on slashdot, this is a big hoax. Dta transfer across devices? Umm... gee, that sounds new. All this garbage about using 3D acceleraters for 2D operations? Blatantly stupid, video cards can do 2D acceleration faster than 3D. The extraordinarily absurd description of how video content would reach the screen? And the little one slipped in about analog path for CD being eliminated, that just sounds like prodding people to believe they are doign this for DRM.
  • With new features like digital rights management, it looks like Longhorn will not just be Windows XP LE (Limited Edition)."
  • http://slashdotted.neowin.net (this is a valid URL, any name before neowin.net shows their statistics :D)

    Here is the graph :D

    http://mrtg.datacolo.com/switch1/?log=neowin.htw eb server.com&png=daily

  • What the... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by shades66 ( 571498 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @02:08PM (#3324690)

    Just read through the requirements and the following caught my eye..

    1) USB always full power. It looks like they must have shares in battery spares!?!?.. Why should they dictate how power management works. Shouldn't they be working around the hardware instead of expecting to dictate how the hardware works...

    2) Memory requirements.. Why are they asking this? They should make a system that can run in 64Mb MAX so that we can use the rest of the memory for the applications. It annoys me that with every new version of windows it takes up all the base level memory (ie when XP was released 256Mb was starting to become the norm. But XP needed that as a base just to load smoothly..)

    3) Win32 Flashable BIOS .. This worries me A LOT!!. With the past realiability of Microsoft products the last thing I want them doing is playing with the BIOS. I can imagine now all the queue's in PCWORLD at the service desk because they tried installing Windows X and now their computer won't even switch on..

    oh well. got to laugh at Microsoft trying once more to try and take over the world (They may get the hint one day that they can't)..

    I do wonder how many people will want this version of windows with all its anti-theft rubbish. Personally when I use my computer I want to use it the way I want not they way Billy Gates want's me to. That is why I use Linux. It is fairly simple to use, The applications I need are as good (if not better) than their windows counterparts. It allows me to experiment and learn without annoying restrictions. I know what is running on my machine, I can use what I want to access my machine, I know what the machine is logging behind the scenes, I can customise what I want without voiding my licence, I don't have to pay for bug-fixes (The patches from 95 to 98 to ME to 2k to XP cost a fortune...).

    Anyway rant over...

    Mark.

  • Longhorn? (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Sounds like more Microsoft bull.
  • features like seamless content transfer across devices

    it looks like MS sees that apple has gotten it right.
  • A beta copy of Windows Longhorn has just been made available. Check it out here:
    http://ftp.die.net/mirror/humor/microsoft/w inrg.sw f

  • Nice name (Score:5, Funny)

    by DotComVictim ( 454236 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @02:17PM (#3324776)
    I think it's quite funny that the codename "longhorn" refers to the beetle family, cerambycidae, well known pests of forests and ornamental plants. The larvae consist of worms that bore into the host, making it more susceptible to future infestation and disease.

    The analogy between this and the Windows operating system invasion of the corporate desktop is quite amusing.

  • Competition (Score:3, Interesting)

    by papasui ( 567265 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @02:17PM (#3324779) Homepage
    Say what you want about Microsoft but the fact is that each time they release a new operating system. They are encouraging growth in the market. Open source groups have more reasons to make something thats a free equal (or better than) to Windows, while they are also imposing higher system requirements forcing hardware companies to sell more hardware and make faster parts. The fast parts yield more complex applications do to the fact that since Windows has higher minimum requirements the software users will already have faster systems that can run the software quicker. I don't know about you guys but I can do a lot more with my PC now than I could back when it was a 486dx2 with 8 megs of ram.

  • Uh Oh (Score:5, Funny)

    by kick_in_the_eye ( 539123 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @02:20PM (#3324798) Homepage
    Don't confuse this with the new Lindows Wonghorn release.

  • How appropriately named. (Score:5, Funny)

    by MongooseCN ( 139203 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @02:24PM (#3324822) Homepage
    Bend over so MS can give you the Longhorn..

  • No Analog path for CDs (Score:4, Interesting)

    by jparker ( 105202 ) on Thursday April 11, 2002 @02:53PM (#3325018) Homepage
    From the doc:

    Proposed requirements for advancing audio capabilities include:
    Removal of the analog signal path for CD audio.

  • seamless content transfer

    Sure, a great idea, technically sound from the standpoint of making device API's easier to deal with and make the consumer experience easier, too. Kinda like the UNIX concept of "everything is a file", except maybe, everything is "copyrighted digital content".

    So look for inserted technology in the way of DRM or, as I prefer to name it, CUR (Content Use Restriction).

    Yep, I can see it now: seamless nice setup of interdevice PKI after the device keys and your VISA card number (embedded into the Longhorn Authorization process) are verifed over .NET.

    Michael Eisner will be giving plaudits to Microsoft for "achieving what Intel and the hardware manufacturers said was too difficult".

  • Longhorn? (Score:3, Funny)

    by r_j_prahad ( 309298 ) <r_j_prahad@hotm a i l .com> on Thursday April 11, 2002 @03:01PM (#3325073)
    What a cheesey sounding name.
  • That sounds to me, like it'll have lots of drivers for PDAs and Digital Cameras and just auto-mount them as if they were a HDD. Of course the site is /.'ed so I can't read the story, but I hope MS found something else to add other than just that.

  • trolling (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 11, 2002 @07:34PM (#3326847)
    flaming grits, M$, linux, hope this fails,BSD, conspiracy, and f you all because my obscure ___ is better.

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