Vendor Spotlight:

MICROSOFT UNVEILS LONGHORN FEATURES

Microsoft gave developers a glimpse of their new Windows program which includes a new look and updated features on Monday.

Longhorn, the new version of Windows, allows new connections among networks and programs previously thought to be unrelated. For example, users will be able to find files across numerous programs through a universal keyword search. Along with new features, Microsoft has updated the Windows look with fresh graphics and customizable sidebars.

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates is hailing Longhorn's release as the biggest release of Windows since Windows 95, the company's establishing operation system.

Longhorn is supposed to take advantage of hardware improvements as well, including a larger storage capacity and faster microprocessors.

WinFx, a new programming model designed to simplify the process of creating graphics-rich programs for Windows, is also to be included in the release.

Microsoft hopes to blur the line between Windows-based and Web-based applications as well. Ideally, they want to create traditional programs with the look and feel of an Internet browser.

The company plans to release a formal beta, or preliminary, version of the operating system in the summer of 2004.

Though the company will not commit to a Longhorn final release date, previous estimates have indicated it could take three years or so.

At the same time, it's important for the company to get software developers on board early in the process to ensure that, by the time Longhorn is made final, there is a large collection of software designed to take advantage of its capabilities.

Some software developers are already interested. Executives from other companies showed ways they plan to use or could conceive of using Longhorn and its new capabilities as part of their businesses.

One was Amazon.com, which recently created prototype software that displays products from its site in a slick, Longhorn-style interface, using Amazon's existing Web services, small pieces of software that let programs on separate systems interact and share information. The prototype takes advantage of the new connections Longhorn allows between different programs. For example, it lets a user easily meld a product-release schedule from Amazon with a personal calendar from Microsoft Outlook.

The prototype, entirely functional except for its lack of ability to actually complete a purchase, was created in about a month using the new Longhorn programming model --considerably less time than it would have taken otherwise, said Allan Vermeulen, Amazon's chief technology officer.

Software development advances aside, others wondered how useful the operating system would ultimately be for ordinary users. There's a lot of new things for users to learn, including new keywords and programs.

Microsoft is releasing information early so that it can improve upon Longhorn based on developer response.

ELEMENTS OF THE NEXT WINDOWS

A new storage system will allow users to search for files across various programs, rather than searching within each program individually, as is the case now.

A sidebar on the Windows desktop can be customized with a range of information, including a clock, a buddy list and feeds from weblogs or news sites.

Users will be able to download programs from Web sites by clicking only once.

Translucent windows will let users see open windows beneath other windows on the screen.

Peer-to-peer sharing will allow, for example, a real-time video of one computer screen to be viewable on another computer screen.

A new programming model will let software developers create graphics-rich applications for Longhorn in a fraction of the previous time.

New Windows vocabulary:

• Longhorn: the code name for the next version of Windows.
• Avalon: Longhorn's graphics subsystem.
• WinFS: Longhorn's storage system, which allows for searching across different programs.
• WinFX: The Longhorn programming model, which simplifies the process of creating software for Windows.
• Indigo: Longhorn's communications subsystem, incorporating Web services, small programs that let disparate computers and systems share data