Windows Archive

ActiveWin reports that Microsoft has updated the Windows Platform SDK to include documentation, header files, and libraries for new APIs in Windows XP SP1 and Windows .NET Server. This edition of the SDK supports development for the following platforms: Windows .NET Server family and Advanced Server, Limited Edition, Windows XP, Windows XP 64-bit Edition, Windows 2000, Windows NT versions 3.51 and 4.0, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 95/98/98SE, .NET Enterprise Servers.

From ActiveWin: "Windows 2000 Service Pack 2 users can now access the brand new and convenient Windows Update version 4 website after they download an update on the actual Windows Update website. Windows Automatic Updating feature notifies you when critical updates are available for your computer. This feature replaces Critical Update Notification if it is already installed. Critical Update Notification will no longer offer critical updates."

"Microsoft is finalizing a major makeover for Windows XP that makes it easier for consumers to choose third-party software over Microsoft's own products. The software giant plans to begin testing within a few weeks Service Pack 1 for Windows XP, the first major update to the operating system, which was launched in October. Some of the more significant changes to the operating system, such as those allowing consumers and PC makers to override Microsoft's default products, are a direct response to the continuing antitrust case against the Redmond company." Read the the story at News.com.

"XP Embedded is designed to identify dependencies, not remove them. What if a binary you remove is depended upon by other parts of the system? During Bill Gates' recent testimony in the antitrust lawsuit being pursued by nine U.S. states, he insisted that Windows could not be easily split into modular pieces. On the other hand, during cross-examination government lawyers pointed out that Windows XP Embedded seems to consist precisely of Windows split into modular pieces. So, who is right?" Read the editorial at OSOpinion. Update: ZDNews also features an editorial on the subject.

According to a leaked video, two documents and a PowerPoint presentation at MsBetas.com, the next generation of Windows, codenamed Longhorn, scheduled to be released sometime in 2005, is introducing a number of new features. Most notably, as seen in the video is the "task shelf" concept and the replication of a window. In the documents you will also find information about the 3D-based technology to render the desktop (please do not confuse the 3D composition rendering technique with a "3D desktop/interface" - different things) and its formula. According to the bandwidth formula including in the docs, for 1024x768x32bpp (refreshing at 60Hz and composing at 30Hz), the required bandwidth is, 0.93Gb per second in the local graphics card memory. Please note that this information has not been officially confirmed by Microsoft, and until then should be treated as you would any other rumour. Notice: This happened to be our 1000th news story at OSNews! Thank you for all your support during this second "birth" of OSNews since August 2001. We started serving less than 700 pages per day back then. Six months later, we were already serving more than 30,000 page views per day, with an average of 15,5 comments per story! Thank you everyone!

After two months of being offline, Microsoft releases new versions for the famous PowerToys for WindowsXP. You can now download the new versions for Open Command Window Here, Alt-Tab Replacement, Tweak UI, Power Calculator, Image Resizer, CD Slide Show Generator, Virtual Desktop Manager, Taskbar Magnifier, HTML Slide Show Wizard and the Webcam Timershot. In this release, Microsoft did not include some other popular PowerToys like the "Desk Menu tool" and "Extra Send to menu" and the Shell Audio player and ISO Burner.

"Jim Allchin, Microsoft group vice president for the platforms group, confirmed at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) in Seattle this week that the "Longhorn" release will come later than originally planned. Longhorn first emerged as an interim operating system release between Whistler, which later became Windows XP and the Windows .NET Server family, and Blackcomb, a major rev of the operating system that is supposed to revolutionize the user interface and fully embrace XML Web services." Read the report at ENT-News.

From Tom's Hardware: "At WinHEC details are emerging of the graphics infrastructure for Longhorn, Microsoft's next generation Windows. The graphics interface at the driver level is going to be all DirectX 9.0, and the door is being left wide open for moving the Windows UI completely 3D. Microsoft has already started to tax the GPU on the PC with all its plans for "media rich experiences," as company execs like to call anything loud and colorful, but Longhorn is going to be a field day for the graphics industry. As one Microsoft developer told us, there's going to be no let up on the GPU with Longhorn."

The first release candidate for Microsoft's Windows .Net Server software family will be released this quarter, with a final release of the product set for the end of the year. Microsoft released the third beta for the product in late October and has been receiving extensive feed back from testers since then. The release of this server family has been pushed back twice, with the last delay being attributed to Microsoft's "Trustworthy Computing" initiative, which resulted in development being halted and all code being reviewed.

Princeton professor Andrew Appel testified that WindowsXP Embedded is living proof that middleware can be safely removed from Microsoft's Windows operating system. Read more in the ZDNet Focus.

"You might still be wrestling with your Windows 2000 deployment. You don't have the time or inclination to consider a migration to Windows .NET Server (Win.NET Server). But you might want to take a moment to see what Win.NET Server has to offer: Although Win.NET Server isn't a momentous release, as Win2K was, it offers some serious new features and significant improvements that smooth out some of Win2K's rough edges. The complete list of Win.NET Server's new and improved features is long, but the product's key infrastructure improvements—such as Active Directory (AD) modifications—can present compelling business reasons to consider the new platform." Read the exclusive report on the next major Widnows version at WinNetMag.

"Microsoft Windows XP Embedded offers developers a componentized version of the Windows XP operating system. Developers can pick and choose exactly those components required to fulfill their design requirements, resulting in a reduced footprint that is specifically tailored for their design. This article presents a technical overview of security considerations in the componentized environment offered by Windows XP Embedded." Read the article at MSDN. "A component, the most basic element of a Microsoft Windows XP Embedded configuration, is an indivisible unit of functionality that can be included in an embedded run-time image. The next level of complexity is a macro component, which bundles several individual components. Macro components make it possible for multiple components to be included, or instantiated, in the configuration by instantiating only the macro component." Read the article at MSDN."

"Microsoft has reshuffled its roadmaps once again, and begun briefing partners and customers to expect an interim upgrade to Windows XP, dubbed XP "SE", in the first quarter of next year. This buys more time for the Longhorn team to complete the complex task of implementing a native database file store, which Jon Honeyball first revealed to the world at The Register here, last August. In January we exclusively confirmed that the native, SQL Server-derived database would go in Longhorn, with the Blackcomb release - originally earmarked for the transition - pushed out to 2004." Read the exclusive report at TheRegister.

Two months ago a lot of online magazines and "tip" web sites reported that WindowsXP reserves 20% of your network bandwidth so in case of a crash, debug information can be sent to Microsoft. InfoWorld says that this is not the case exactly and that there is a good reason behind the limitation.