Windows Archive

Just One More Release Before Vista Goes Gold

Thom Holwerda 2006-09-29 Windows 80 Comments

Microsoft will release just one more build of Windows Vista for testing before the code goes gold, said Brad Goldberg, the general manager for the Windows client business group. That build will be made available to a limited group of between 50000 and 100000 testers in October, and follows the interim Vista build that Microsoft released on Sept. 22. Elsewhere, people noticed that Java applications use the standard (effect-less) Aero interface, instead of the finacy shiny bling-bling Aero Glass.

Vista Scoots to New Boot But It’s Still Kinda Rooted

Submitted by Dan Warne 2006-09-29 Windows 65 Comments

"One of the more questionable tactics that Microsoft has implemented in Vista is to automatically overwrite any existing MBR during the installation process without asking if you mind or giving you an option to back up. Microsoft says that the Windows installation system can’t intelligently interrogate an existing non-MS MBR, although such features are quite common in the install routine for other OSes."

Hands On: A Mac Fan Takes on Vista

Eugenia Loli 2006-09-28 Windows 43 Comments

"Earlier this month, when I found I could install Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 (RC1) on my MacBook Pro, I quickly took the plunge, practically chortling at the thought that my dual-core laptop could run Microsoft's next operating system. What better way to show that when you buy a Mac you get two computers in one? I've been using Vista off and on for a couple of weeks now, but I'm not chortling as much." More here.

A Look Into the Feature Design Process in the Windows Team

Thom Holwerda 2006-09-27 Windows 3 Comments

"My favorite part of the product cycle is right before we start the development phase. For me it's extremely exciting to work with all of the different disciplines to build a feature that will affect millions of people across the world. At this point, I spend almost all of my time working with my 'feature team' composed of dev, test, design, and usability to map out how the features that I work on are going to look and behave. Today I'd like to give you some insight into the process of designing a feature inside the Windows organization."

If Only We Knew Then What We Know Now About Windows XP

Eugenia Loli 2006-09-25 Windows 54 Comments

Windows XP is turning five years old, but will anybody want to celebrate the occasion? Microsoft's long-anticipated replacement for 'Win 9x' - the series of releases that began with Windows 95 and ended with Windows Millennium Edition - was never supposed to stick around this long. But half a decade after it began shipping on new computers (followed a month later by its retail debut), XP lingers.

Submitted by danwarne 2006-09-23 Windows 40 Comments

Build 5728 of Vista, which got released yesterday, has been released to the general public today, as an update to Vista RC1. Neosmart provides some more details concerning build 5728. APC Magazine takes a look at the various different themes Microsoft has included in Vista, which will be applied in accordance with system performance.

Writing Windows CE Device Drivers: Principle to Practice

Eugenia Loli 2006-09-23 Windows 1 Comment

Device driver writers possess a special blend of software and hardware skills (among other things). They need to write highly structured and elegant code as well as debug down to the register level of the hardware. They have to do their tasks with less then optimal debug hardware. They often make do without JTAG or Ethernet debug tools and fix tough problems with just their wit and a GPIO line. If you have the tenacity to write device drivers read on.

Microsoft Delivers Yet Another New Vista Build

Thom Holwerda 2006-09-22 Windows 21 Comments

Microsoft posted yet another new Vista test build on September 22. The newest - build 5728 - is only available (so far, at least) to technical beta testers and participants in Microsoft’s Technology Adoption Program, testers said. The build follows on the heels of Vista Release Candidate 1, which Microsoft began distributing exactly three weeks ago, on September 1.

Microsoft Taking Vista UI Feedback

Thom Holwerda 2006-09-22 Windows 17 Comments

With Release Candidate 1 now out the door, Microsoft is putting what it calls the 'fit-and-finish' on Windows Vista's user interface, and the company is looking for feedback from users testing out the beta release. Dave Vronay, a research manager with the Windows User Experience Compliance team, says Microsoft is taking a lot of time to track down minor UI glitches - something it has never done before. "You can actually participate in this process by providing your feedback on the various pre-release versions of Vista we are putting out," says Vronay. The company is hosting a forum in which users can offer their rants and raves. Also, Microsoft has confirmed all versions of Vista will ship on the same disk.

What Happened to the Menu Bars in Vista?

Thom Holwerda 2006-09-22 Windows 52 Comments

The Windows Client team explains the reasoning behind an important change in Vista's user interface. "One of the first things people notice when they start using Vista is the absence of menu bars. Explorer, photo gallery, media player, and IE all don't show menus by default and just use the so-called 'command module'. What is up with that? Do we hate menu bars? And more importantly - what is the guidance that third-party developers are supposed to follow? Let me break it down for you." And on a slightly related note: Mary Jo Foley has left MicrosoftWatch to start working at ZDNet.

Windows Vista RC1 Mega Review, Security, and More

Submitted by Anonymous 2006-09-22 Windows 89 Comments

NeoSmart has published their Windows Vista RC1 Monster Review, which tries a kind of "thorough overview" of everything Vista will ship with this close to RTM. Especially interesting is the brief security run-down. And of course, there are screenshots as always.

Analyst: Vista Might Be Delayed Until Easter

Thom Holwerda 2006-09-20 Windows 48 Comments

The launch of Microsoft's new Vista operating system has been a long time coming. Missing the important pre-Christmas slot earned the software company a lot of criticism from partners and customers but Microsoft has committed to shipping the OS in January. But now some analysts claim that a number of 'events' in the IT industry have made it more likely that Microsoft may delay the launch of Vista again until at least May next year. The reservations hinge around a research note, 'Events aligning to make Vista delay more likely', published by analyst Gartner late last week, and take in market, political and industry issues that the researcher believes are beginning to stack up.

Experiences with Vista RC1 – a Brief Report

Thom Holwerda 2006-09-19 Windows 58 Comments

Ars takes a quick look at Vista RC1, and concludes: "Using it as my daily workhorse for two weeks has taught me a lot of things, the first of which is that Vista is doing better than many of its critics are claiming. A day after RC1 was available to select partners, the wires lit up with story after story about how 'Vista isn't ready'. No, it's not ready. It's a release candidate, at best, a late-stage beta at worst. Having actually used the OS for a while, I'm not so sure that the sky is falling claims have much merit."

Rivals Skirmish with Microsoft Over Vista Security

Thom Holwerda 2006-09-19 Windows 17 Comments

Microsoft and its security rivals are feuding over a key piece of Windows Vista real estate. The fight is over the display of technology that helps Vista owners manage the security tools on their PC. Symantec, McAfee, Check Point Software Technologies and other companies want Microsoft to change Vista so their products can easily replace the operating system's built-in Windows Security Center on the desktop. But Microsoft is resisting the call.

Microsoft’s Allchin Tells Developers to Get Ready for Vista

Thom Holwerda 2006-09-18 Windows 66 Comments

Jim Allchin, co-president of Microsoft's Platforms and Services Division, has sent an open letter to developers citing the 'tremendous opportunity' that Windows Vista gives them, adding that the time is now to get ready for the operating system. "If you want to ride the wave we're creating with Windows Vista, the best way is to have your application ready by the time we ship," Allchin said in the open letter, which appeared Sept. 15 on the Windows Vista Developer Center site. "And that is very soon." Meanwhile, Microsoft and the EU keep tiptoeing around each other when it comes to Vista and possible antitrust consequences. And if that wasn't enough, a Cisco exec says Vista is scary.

Window Vista Customer Preview Program Reopens

Submitted by David Pitt 2006-09-17 Windows 26 Comments

The Customer Preview Program for Windows Vista has reopened. Release Candidate 1 can be ordered on DVD from Microsoft or can be downloaded directly. The site is issuing new evaluation serial numbers as well, so that new testers, who do not have previously handed-out keys, can also download this release candidate. You can obviously post your experiences in the comments.

Submitted by mikemuch 2006-09-13 Windows 27 Comments

Now that Microsoft has issued the first release canditate of Vista to testers, ExtremeTech has decided to build its own high-performance Vista machine. The article details component choices that will make for a machine that can attain a 'Windows Experience Score' of over 5. The build parts total over USD 2500, so fast Vista performance won't come cheap.

Microsoft Posts a New Longhorn Server Build

Thom Holwerda 2006-09-12 Windows 16 Comments

The August Community Technology Preview build of Longhorn Server is available for download. It's still not an RC1, but it does include performance, reliability and UI changes, according to Microsoft. On a related note, The Inq reviewed Vista RC1, and concludes "Vista's still a mess." And that's not all: Microsoft is worried that the EU might interfere with Vista's security plans.

Submitted by Tyr. 2006-09-12 Windows 38 Comments

"Any computer user that's owned and installed software onto their computer knows that the more you install, the slower the beast runs. Most also know that it's not just quantity and that what you install plays a large factor in how slowly your computer runs. The aim of this article is to find out what types of application slow down a computer the most. I'm going to be measuring the 'speed' as the time it takes to shutdown, restart and get back to desktop (with auto-login) and start an application in the computer's start-up settings."

Submitted by Tyr. 2006-09-12 Windows 31 Comments

"The difficulties in developing Vista stemmed from its monolithic structure and the need for 'backwards compatibility', ie ensuring that software used by customers on older versions of Windows will work under Vista. This vast accumulation of legacy applications acts like an anchor on innovation. The Vista trauma has convinced some Microsoft engineers that they will have to adopt a radically different approach." I said something similar months ago.