"According to a new report, there are as many as 6,000 references to MinWin in an internal Windows 8 client build. This may provide more clues and validation of Microsoft's virtualization plans for the coming operating system release."
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Member since:2006-07-14
Yes, it does sound familiar... That's how almost every operating system except windows has worked. People get way too worked up about min win. Its an internal ongoing refactoring of the windows kernel. Its major feature for end users is that it will be easier and faster for Microsoft to add new features to windows with less problems. If Microsoft actually releases windows 8 on time with the crazy new metro ui interface with programs written in html 5, that will be the testament of winmin's success.
Member since:2005-07-08
Well WindowsCE is also modular like you are describing.
Usually OEM vendors combine WindowsCE components the way it fits their devices.
As for the Windows kernel, the userland might have the problems we all know, but the kernel is quite good and it really shows the VMS heritage.
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2007-11-11
Exactly, this is just a case of "everything old is new again". Dave cutler originally designed the WinNT kernel to be portable and modular but the machines of the time simply weren't powerful enough and it caused performance issues, especially with graphics, so they moved more and more into the kernel.
Now that machines have gotten powerful enough that even a handset can afford the overhead they will be able to build a version of Windows for any arch and role they desire, simply by adding or removing modules.
let me say while the IDEA is sound from the looks of things the execution will be a giant FAIL. Why is that? Simple...right now on my local Craigslist there are plenty of ARM netbooks being sold cheap, because the shady dealer sold them with "Windows compact Edition" aka WinCE. Now folks see the XP desktop and they don't know that WinCE will NOT run Win32, they just see the word Windows. When they found it wouldn't run their stuff? they dumped.
Sadly you watch MSFT is gonna try to yet again take a page from the Apple playbook and use the minWin concept to push Windows onto ARM where it will fail horribly. Folks will see "Windows 8" think they can run their Win32, and when they find out they can't they'll be returning these things en masse.
Why they would want to damage the Windows brand like that is beyond me, but if it is one thing we've learned it is Ballmer isn't qualified to shine Bill Gates' shoes. They should stick with WinPhone on ARM, just as Apple uses iOS and NOT OSX on tablets. if Ballmer thinks magically using the word Windows will get him anything but a po'd consumer base when he puts it on ARM he has another thing coming. The only upside I see to MinWin is maybe Ballmer will finally be forced to 'pursue other interests' and they can bring in someone with skills (maybe Ozzie) as CEO.
Member since:2005-07-06
For that matter, Windows Phone 7 not only exhibits the same incompatibility with Win32, it also... doesn't seem to actually have any windows ;p (as in, GUI concept)
Maybe MS should hijack more completely generic, kinda concept-related, words. Considering all the panning action, Microsoft Curtains (too bad the roll-down ones don't seem to have a "singular" word in EN), or Shutters / Blinds (likewise, both roller ones) might fit. Maybe MS Awnings having less "wrong" connotations (Sudare could be decent, too). And for ARM netbooks - relatively small, portable, always moving windows - MS Porthole / Windscreen / Sunroof?
So, the Xbox One disaster continues. Microsoft's policy for dealing with the used games market has reportedly leaked - and it's a clear and direct attack to destroy the used games market. Prices for used games will be set at the retail value of a new game, and retailers have to hook into Microsoft's computer systems and comply with Microsoft's terms and conditions.At an event earlier today, Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox - the third model, but confusingly named Xbox One. The big focus was TV, integrated Kinect, and all the other stuff we all expected to be forced down our throats. I think it took them 25 minutes to actually come to what should be the core of the story: gaming. Nothing groundbreaking in the gaming department, except for how Microsoft intends to handle the used games market and borrowing games from friends: pay up, buddy!
The day has finally come! Jolla has finally announced the launch device for its Sailfish operating system - and by god this is a looker. It's decidedly different from other phones out there, but it has good specifications and carries a relatively reasonably price tag - EUR 399, and it's up for pre-order today, shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.
Why does Google get so much credit in the technology industry? Why, despite the company's many obvious failings, do many geeks and enthusiasts still hold a somewhat positive view on the all-knowing technology giant? A specific talk at Google I/O this week provides the answer.
OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN.""Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.
Member since:
2005-07-06
Anyone remember the original BeOS design. Have a hybrid kernel, with a bunch of servers / kits which can be used as required instead of being initialised all at once. Sounds exactly like what MinWin is trying to accomplish. To use a quote from the internet:
MinWin contains the bootloader, HAL (processor & chipset initialization, memory manager, etc), scheduler, most of the kernel infrastructure (sans most drivers, filesystems, etc) and some of the core Win32 subsystem upon which essential apps can be run.
To MinWin you can then configure an OS build by choosing which OS components you want to include from a catalog of items - NTFS, (ex)FAT, etc., TCP/IP & NETBIOS, SCSI/RAID, video, audio, printers, .NET, etc.