As Microsoft approaches a major milestone in the development of Longhorn, company executives are talking more about the features of the Windows XP successor, which they say will be easier to use, more secure, and less costly to manage than earlier versions of Windows. Microsoft unveiled the Longhorn operating system in late 2003 at a conference for developers but then reigned in its ambitions for the operating system last year, aiming to make possible a release in late 2006.
To meet that shipment date, Microsoft clipped some of Longhorn's key features, most notably the unified storage system called WinFS that Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates had called the "Holy Grail." Now, after several months of relative silence on the Longhorn front, Microsoft executives have once again started to talk up the operating system's features.
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News source: PCWorld
To meet that shipment date, Microsoft clipped some of Longhorn's key features, most notably the unified storage system called WinFS that Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates had called the "Holy Grail." Now, after several months of relative silence on the Longhorn front, Microsoft executives have once again started to talk up the operating system's features.
What's New in This Release:
· Added Opera folder profile directory
· Fixed default value handling in registry entry recovery
· Fixed always opening on settings page
· Fixed localization of IncludeServices checkbox
· Fixed status bar text after SysInternals scan
· Fixed Host Redirect fix result for duplicates
· Fixed another selection bug
· Added Save/Load View Report settings
· Improved proxy handling to allow @'s in username
· Protection of exclude lists against tampering
· Main app now can detect changes to itself
· New /unimmunize CLP
· Updated system startup database usage
· Made settings password dialog to masked
· Changed Immunization to use encrypted file
· Updated ActiveX & BHO icons
· Implemented immunize undo value
· Added uninstall confirmation dialog
· Added shredder confirmation dialog
· Update result icon for cache
· Updated availability of SysInts excludes remove option
· Now uses better server for first update contact
· Added button to stop update downloads
· Added VeriSign certificate (for additional contents check)

It will run like a real browser.
Filevault
Piles
Spolight(ish) / Finder
I don't think Secure Startup is anything like FileVault. It's more of a BIOS technology than anything else.
Actually what he's talking about is a feature of IE7 where, even if you're logged in as an Administrator, IE will run with reduced privileges.
Ideally, Longhorn will enable users to always run as Limited user accounts - as they should. I'm guessing that's where you make your Mac/"real browser" reference, since most Mac and *nix users work in just that way.
However, the idea of the user running as an Admin with just the browser being "demoted" to least-privilege access is actually a good one (for compatability/ease-of-use purposes) on Windows XP.
Are they finally catching on? .. now lets see if it actually works that way on release.
Wow, MS is really having to play catch up on their feature set. I know their new search is really similar to Beagle/Dashboard in Linux. Most major file browsers already show thumbnails of images and other types of documents also. BTW, Beagle/Dashboard was first shown in '03 (judging by the images I've found of OSX Spotlight, it was probably built on Dashboard.. note this program not to be confused with OSX Dashboard, which reminds me of Superkaramba or Gdesklets), so lets just wait until '06 when LH is slated to release to see how far behind they are by then hehe.
Explorer already shows thumbnails for images (and videos) by default (although it changes depending on what "View" you're using).
Word 2003 supports saving a thumbnail image of the document when you save the file, which Explorer will also display.
They are enchancing those abilities in Longhorn, but they aren't new.
piles, or search folders have been around at least in application form on windows for a couple of years in the outlook 2003. so again, it's not anything new on microsoft's front. iirc the technology being used in LH was shown off around the same time that LH was first shown. microsoft's new more open stance is coming back to bite them in the bum when the likes of apple and google come along and pilfer the rewards.
WinFS is a whole different ball game.
Be happy that 2 major consumer OSes have adopted this new search and organisation system (instant, virtual and otherwise) there really is no need to moan about who copied who. Because in the end - We all benefit - Faster and better ways to organise
Sorry to burst your bubble but Spotlight is way more advanced than MSN Desktop Search is.
And I'm sure the relatively small fraction of users that use a Mac OS will be grateful for that.
BTW, this is a Longhorn article. I seem to recall several children throwing temper tantrums when Longhorn was mentioned in the Tiger thread. Follow your own advice.
That's not true at all. In fact the products are nearly identical.
Spotlight holds some advantages in UI as well as developer support/APIs. But remember, MSN Desktop Search is still a beta. I expect improvements in those areas soon.
Um, it seems that nobody mentions Dashboard for Linux, which came to light in '03.
MSN Desktop Search doesn't index nowhere near the same level als Spotlight does, with Spotlight it doesn't matter if you have 5 GB or 500 GB of data on your disk it will give you near instant search results (not 1 by 1 file but all instantly), it works together with the Finder so you can make Smart Folders that will show all .doc documents in a folder for example (like the new Longhorn feature mentioned above), it's highly integrated in the OS and it's applications including future 3rd party apps, you can search almost by any criteria you can think of: color labels, red eye fix on photos, date, dimensions, size the list goes on and on and it searches within documents like excel, word and .pdf documents. I'm sure there's much more I'm forgetting, but you can always check the Apple site.
Since there is no way to REALLY measure Linux's penetration into the marketplace (ever try to herd cats?) we can't with any authority say an exact number of users, this is a widely known fact. Another widely known fact is that it is a WHOLE lot of people. Some estimates I have seen put the number very close (and in some cases larger) to those enjoyed by Apple. There is no way to prove or disprove this, but one peek around at some of the larger Linux community sites and it should be blindingly obvious that it takes a WHOLE lot of people to generate that kind of traffic. Those people *are* consumers (some commercial, some not), and their numbers are not trivial.
MSN Desktop search allows developers to extend filetype metadata?
MSN Desktop search enables DB-like features like Smart Folders?
MSN Desktop search can query non-file objects (that are also non-MS) like emails, addressbook entries, users, etc...?
MSN Desktop search is integrated in the system and can be built into any application?
No, they are not nearly identical.
I'd also love this new search technology for when I'm working on other peoples' computers. Most people just dump their files where ever the program defaults to and it would be so much easier if I could just search for the files (to back them up before a reformat, to delete a virus infected file, etc.) then to go through every program folder to find some obscure files.
Not that I ever had a problem with Outlook's built-in search. In fact Outlook's search was always quick and accurate for me and I still use it from time to time. But with the Deskbar I don't even need to open Outlook to find what I want.
And it's even more useful when searching through the immense collection of RSS feeds that I keep in Outlook/Exchange.
I also frequently use it for finding files. If I want to play a song, I just start typing the track or artist or album title. Same for videos.
It's great for searching through source code files as well.
Search Folders/Shortcuts are excellent and I think the potential there is incredible.
You sir, have no idea the power or use of these searches. It's not a FILE search, it searches (at least Dashboard does) not only for files, but for instances of words within things like emails and chat logs. To use an example taken straight from the Dashboard wiki... "For example, if a friend IMs you and says "I can't wait for our camping trip this weekend!" the dashboard will show things like your recent emails about the camping trip, your camping bookmarks, and any files or notes you've got on your hard drive about camping."
Like So.
So in that screenshot above, you could right-click on the "The-Massacre" folder and click "Play All" or "Enqueue" or whatever and it will do the whole album.
Well done.
here's an example
But I rarely use it...
Which is not even *close* to in the same league or functionality as the kind of search wer're talking about.
Specifically the ones of us that already have many of those features in our OS hehe.
big mistake not to inlcude it in final release...although I read somewhere that it may come in a service pack....
Also Palladium will be introducted in a Preview Build this month.
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,...,1786571,00.asp
Last edited by 17178 on 15 Apr 2005 - 19:19
I wouldn't be surprised if we see extended Widget support in the taskbar and/or sidebar, and possibly elsewhere, though.
I also have a Mac, but seriously I'm not all that impressed by Tiger. Dashboard is in my opinion (MY VERY OWN) useless just like Desktop X. It's nice to show to your friends at home, but really useless for work purposes.
And the new search... handy but it's not like you'll be using every day.
And all the fuss about RSS support in Safari... They must be desperate or something. OSX kicks ass just as it is and that fine enough for me. Don't know if I'll spend money upgrading.
I hope Longhorn will be able to replace Win2k, which for me is still the best from Microsoft.
It's typical M$: bloatware is king over there.
And we don't even know the ultimate name for the next generation os since "Longhorn" is only a code name.
So basically we have to wait till 2007... meaning they brought the date back a year.... again.
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