Windows Archive

Mike Nash, Microsoft's security business and technology unit corporate vice president, has said Longhorn would accord end-users certain rights and privileges apparently ending the concept that everyone using their PC is also the PC's administrator. Update: More on new Longhorn features here.

Various sources are posting screenshots of the upcoming beta release of Longhorn, Microsoft's succesor to Windows XP. IE7 shots are also included. Due to the Slashdot-effect, mirrors are already available. Original source | mirror 1 | mirror 2. My take: Too much transparency.

Today the Web Standards Project announced (Editor Note: Actual announcement date 5th July 2005) it has formed a task force with Microsoft Corp. to provide support as the company increases Web standards support in its products including Microsoft Visual Studio and ASP.NET. The group will work together to better understand and execute on Web standards as defined by standards bodies such as the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

Media reports that Microsoft Corp is working to integrate RFID programs into the Windows operating system were inaccurate, Microsoft said yesterday.

Microsoft's forthcoming Longhorn operating system places great emphasis on locking down PCs to prevent unauthorised access to hardware and software, the software giant revealed today.

Bink.nu has some interesting information on Windows Server 2003 Compute Cluster Edition. It is 64bit only, and consists of 2 CD's. They also posted a set of screenshots.

Microsoft is planning to make RFID applications and tag-readers compatible with Windows. According to Scott Woodgate, group product manager of business processes for Microsoft, the company is trying to integrate RFID programs with the operating system and make the majority of devices work with plug-and-play functionality.

The head of research for Microsoft's Windows Mobile software for handheld computers, Ya-Qin Zhang, was in Taipei last week talking up the company's latest major operating system release, Windows Mobile 5.0.

NeoWin reports that Longhorn Beta 1, after missing the internal date of June 30th, now is scheduled to be released late July. Most Longhorn product groups have already delivered their beta 1 code.

Even as Microsoft's low-cost version of Windows reaches more corners of the globe, some analysts are wondering whether it is hitting the mark. Especially the fact that this version can only open three windows at a time, amazes analysts. Elsewhere, MS has quietly released its Desktop Search APIs.

With just two days to go before the expiration of mainstream support for Microsoft's Windows 2000 operating system, the software giant has provided an update rollup with more than 50 security patches and system reliability fixes. The Microsoft knowledgebase article provides more info.

"Every time I hear another announcement on what Longhorn will implement or what new tricks it will learn to perform, I have the feeling that I’m watching a show where the magician pulls rabbits out of a hat." Softpedia has a lengthy piece discussing what Longhorn means to Redmond.

Not everyone is cheering about RSS integration into Windows Longhorn and Internet Explorer 7. With the event of making RSS a native format for Longhorn, many software developers whom make stand-alone feed readers are crying out that Microsoft is once again shutting down a sector of business which in all respects is somewhat true. With the complete integration of the format within the OS, there is no need of stand-alone feed readers. Flexbeta has a nice write up about what MS is trying to accomplish with RSS integration into the OS.

Apart from showing off IE7 at Gnomedex this year, spy-shots of Longhorn also show its current build: 5087. It is not known whether this build will be the Beta build that will be released to testers this summer.