Thanks Charles and Activewin for this news. Microsoft has posted it's Beta 1 version of Microsoft J#.Net Version 7.0 Beta 1 for download, it hasn't been posted on Download Center yet and the file is dated October 11, so it is unclear if this is a leak or not. However, it is on Microsoft's public servers and it is available for download. Here are some of the details:
"Introduction Welcome to Beta 1 of Microsoft Visual J# .NET. Microsoft Visual J# .NET is a development tool that developers who are familiar with the java-language syntax can use to build applications and services on the .NET Framework. It integrates the java-language syntax into the Visual Studio .NET shell. Microsoft Visual J# .NET also supports the functionality found in VJ++ 6.0 including Microsoft extensions. Microsoft Visual J# .NET is not a tool for developing applications intended to run on a Java Virtual Machine. Applications and services built with Visual J# .NET will run only in the .NET Framework. Visual J# .NET has been independently developed by Microsoft. It is not endorsed or approved by Sun Microsystems, Inc."
System Requirements:
Visual Studio .NET Beta2 (7.0.9254.0) English (US)
Windows 2000 or Windows XP Professional
Download: Microsoft J#.Net Version 7.0 Beta 1 (7.0MB)
"Introduction Welcome to Beta 1 of Microsoft Visual J# .NET. Microsoft Visual J# .NET is a development tool that developers who are familiar with the java-language syntax can use to build applications and services on the .NET Framework. It integrates the java-language syntax into the Visual Studio .NET shell. Microsoft Visual J# .NET also supports the functionality found in VJ++ 6.0 including Microsoft extensions. Microsoft Visual J# .NET is not a tool for developing applications intended to run on a Java Virtual Machine. Applications and services built with Visual J# .NET will run only in the .NET Framework. Visual J# .NET has been independently developed by Microsoft. It is not endorsed or approved by Sun Microsystems, Inc."
System Requirements:
Download: Microsoft J#.Net Version 7.0 Beta 1 (7.0MB)
``We're big supporters of the creative concept on a console and that people can have a broad range of content, but we also believe that parents should have the right tools to be able to keep track of and manage what their kids are playing,'' Bach said.
Xbox developers have been working on the control for months, and it was not adopted because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, he said, although he and others in the gaming industry have made slight modifications to their combat-oriented games following the attacks.
Neither of Microsoft's chief competitors, Sony and Nintendo (news - web sites), offer parental controls on their game consoles, although Sony's PlayStation 2 (news - web sites) has a password-controlled parental block on the DVD player add-on.
Microsoft initially is marketing its system at 15- to 25-year-old ``hard-core gamers'' - those who will be wowed by realistic graphics and are old enough to deal with violent content. Bach said some of Xbox's games will be violent enough to warrant a ``mature'' rating.
But P.J. McNealy, an analyst with Gartner G2, said the parental control may help Microsoft compete with Nintendo when it tries to appeal to a younger audience.
``Nintendo has traditional been the family friendly console,'' McNealy said. ``They used to be the safe choice: no matter what kids bought for Nintendo, parents didn't have to worry. And this helps (Microsoft) set up to battle for that space.''
Microsoft may also be trying to reassure parents concerned about Xbox's realistic graphics, McNealy said.
``Given the fact that graphics around these games are getting much more realistic and things like the violence levels could be much more graphically portrayed, it's not a huge surprise that they're doing this,'' he said.
Commenting has either been disabled on this article or you are not logged in. Click here to login or register, its free!
Note: Anonymous commenting is disabled in order to keep the quality of responses to a high standard.