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Microsoft Details More Longhorn Features

Daniel Fleshbourne   on 15 April 2005 - 17:13 · 59 comments & 2730 views

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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.

View: The full story
News source: PCWorld


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)

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(7 replies) #1 betasp on 15 Apr 2005 - 17:23
So Mac people can relate...

QUOTE
When it comes to security and safety, Microsoft will give users features like parental controls for Web surfing, Allchin said. And when browsing the Web, Internet Explorer will run in a "protected space" so it can't impact the rest of the system, while those guards can be dropped when connected to a corporate intranet, he said.


It will run like a real browser.


QUOTE
Longhorn will also have a feature designed to protect data on a PC. "We will have something called secure startup where if you lose your laptop it won't make a difference because somebody can't load another system on there to analyze your hard disk," Allchin said.


Filevault



QUOTE
In a demonstration, a Microsoft employee showed how the Windows Explorer in Longhorn will display virtual folders with, for example, Word documents located anywhere on the hard drive.


Piles


QUOTE
Microsoft has added a search bar in the upper right-hand corner of Windows Explorer to help users find files. Also, in Longhorn images are shown as thumbnails instead of standard icons in Windows Explorer. The file manager will also display thumbnail sized versions of Word documents and Excel spreadsheets.


Spolight(ish) / Finder



#1.1 roadwarrior on 15 Apr 2005 - 17:45
Actually, the feature you referred to as "Piles" is really the Smart Folders part of Spotlight.
#1.2 PureLogic on 15 Apr 2005 - 18:17
Original layout they're giving to explorer. Is it really that hard to come up with an own design?
#1.3 threedaysdwn on 15 Apr 2005 - 18:21
Isn't File Vault encryption like EFS (Which has been around a while on NT)?

I don't think Secure Startup is anything like FileVault. It's more of a BIOS technology than anything else.
#1.4 threedaysdwn on 15 Apr 2005 - 19:48
QUOTE
It will run like a real browser.


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.
#1.5 Treefrog on 15 Apr 2005 - 20:04
So Linux people can relate...

QUOTE
when browsing the Web, Internet Explorer will run in a "protected space" so it can't impact the rest of the system


Are they finally catching on? .. now lets see if it actually works that way on release.

QUOTE
Microsoft has added a search bar in the upper right-hand corner of Windows Explorer to help users find files. Also, in Longhorn images are shown as thumbnails instead of standard icons in Windows Explorer. The file manager will also display thumbnail sized versions of Word documents and Excel spreadsheets.


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.
#1.6 threedaysdwn on 15 Apr 2005 - 20:31
The article is misleading.

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.
#1.7 shao on 18 Apr 2005 - 09:27
indeed, other documents also support saving thumbnails, photoshop springs to mind. it's also worth noting that as far back as win95 (or maybe 9 you could 'tweak' the registry to display thumbnails of certain windows support image types.

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.
(2 replies) #2 hotdog963al on 15 Apr 2005 - 17:40
Oh yes, I can see how winFS is JUST LIKE a holy grail!! ... :sarc:
#2.1 betasp on 15 Apr 2005 - 19:52
Just like the holy grail, it will never materialize.... JK.
#2.2 rogerroger on 18 Apr 2005 - 17:58
What are you talking about. I have two, err one now. Putting one up on eBay.
(12 replies) #3 gizmostripe on 15 Apr 2005 - 17:48
Im actually impressed that they offer spotlight style functionality, within the same timeframe that apple developed it Those MS devs sure work fast when the heat is on.
#3.1 Jason on 15 Apr 2005 - 17:52
The Spotlight equivalent is MSN desktop search and thats out in beta form and completely usable already.

WinFS is a whole different ball game.
#3.2 gizmostripe on 15 Apr 2005 - 17:59
Ah, ok im not that brushed up on either. But a note to the trolls;

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
#3.3 PureLogic on 15 Apr 2005 - 18:58
@Jason
Sorry to burst your bubble but Spotlight is way more advanced than MSN Desktop Search is.
#3.4 Fonze on 15 Apr 2005 - 19:03
care to explain that PureLogic?
#3.5 joseph- on 15 Apr 2005 - 19:29
QUOTE
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.
#3.6 threedaysdwn on 15 Apr 2005 - 19:45
QUOTE
Sorry to burst your bubble but Spotlight is way more advanced than MSN Desktop Search is.


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.
#3.7 Treefrog on 15 Apr 2005 - 20:10
QUOTE
Be happy that 2 major consumer OSes have adopted this new search and organisation system


Um, it seems that nobody mentions Dashboard for Linux, which came to light in '03.
#3.8 threedaysdwn on 15 Apr 2005 - 20:31
Key words being: "major" and "consumer"
#3.9 PureLogic on 15 Apr 2005 - 20:35
@threedaysdwn
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.
#3.10 Treefrog on 15 Apr 2005 - 21:15
QUOTE
Key words being: "major" and "consumer"


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.
#3.11 dp123 on 15 Apr 2005 - 22:04
QUOTE
In fact the products are nearly identical.


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.
#3.12 gizmostripe on 15 Apr 2005 - 23:06
I apologise about not mentioning linux, i havent seen or used linux enough to know. Make that 3 widely used OSes (linux must have a fair few million by now) rather short sighted of me
(10 replies) #4 ripgut on 15 Apr 2005 - 18:05
IMHO desktop search software is for morons, If you cant remember where your files are ( especially if there work related) then you don't deserve to use a pc and or work for your company.
#4.1 Vannos on 15 Apr 2005 - 18:31
There is going to be a move away from where files are actually stored (folders etc), and more towards a simple "its on my PC, i dont really care where because i can easily get it without navigating a folder heirarchy" approach.
#4.2 MegaManXcalibur on 15 Apr 2005 - 18:42
Personally I'm just going to stick with my folder heirarchy way of organizing files. But I must say saying "desktop search software is for morons," isn't right. There are a lot of times when you might need to find some obscure file on your system (lets say you need to find a system file but don't know its location) and it would be much quicker to just run a search then to manually go folder diving.

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.
#4.3 threedaysdwn on 15 Apr 2005 - 19:42
I find my desktop search tool immensely useful. If I want to find an e-mail from John about a customer's SBS Transition Pack order, I can just type "john transition" into the deskbar and get results before I even finished typing it.

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.
#4.4 Treefrog on 15 Apr 2005 - 20:14
QUOTE
If you cant remember where your files are ( especially if there work related) then you don't deserve to use a pc


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."
#4.5 dilema on 15 Apr 2005 - 20:17
I have 25GB's of music. All sorted by Artist/Album/Songs. I find MSN desktop search extremely useful for finding MP3's really quick. That and certain email messages from certain people. Photes from certain dates. It's all about Metadata man. If you don't use Metadata then you won;'t get the most out of it. I Love it.

Like So.
#4.6 threedaysdwn on 15 Apr 2005 - 20:34
One of my favorite things about the MSN search app (vs. Google in particular) is that the results are all Explorer shell objects.

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.
#4.7 Help on 15 Apr 2005 - 20:46
everyone uses their meta-data, just in differnet ways. (It's not like they have a choice.)
QUOTE
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."

Well done.
here's an example
#4.8 threedaysdwn on 16 Apr 2005 - 02:11
That's a good looking interface there. That's cool how it searches the iTunes music library. Will it find music files and group them properly if you don't use iTunes?
#4.9 tiagosilva29 on 16 Apr 2005 - 09:21
Start > Search > File or Folders

But I rarely use it...
#4.10 Treefrog on 16 Apr 2005 - 17:09
QUOTE
Start > Search > File or Folders


Which is not even *close* to in the same league or functionality as the kind of search wer're talking about.
#5 WinMacLin on 15 Apr 2005 - 18:07
They speak about some very interesting things there. I am really looking forward to Longhorn even more so now
(1 reply) #6 lester_kun on 15 Apr 2005 - 18:22
Nothing too amazing... doesn't impress me. And I don't think it will impress a lot of people.
#6.1 Treefrog on 15 Apr 2005 - 20:16
QUOTE
I don't think it will impress a lot of people.


Specifically the ones of us that already have many of those features in our OS hehe.
#7 bangbang023 on 15 Apr 2005 - 18:39
I like how IE will run in that so called "protected space". Isolating it when connected to the internet makes a hell of a lot more sense than the current implementation.
#8 Tech001101 on 15 Apr 2005 - 19:02
I'm still going to miss the WinFS...
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
(2 replies) #9 blu3Fusion on 15 Apr 2005 - 19:32
hope they will get dashboard in longhorn...
#9.1 joseph- on 15 Apr 2005 - 19:36
I think Microsoft would just buy the rights to Konfabulator out right instead of just ripping someone off and playing innocent.
#9.2 threedaysdwn on 15 Apr 2005 - 19:43
I think they'd be more likely to buy/license DesktopX. Though I don't really see them doing that.

I wouldn't be surprised if we see extended Widget support in the taskbar and/or sidebar, and possibly elsewhere, though.
(1 reply) #10 PGHammer on 15 Apr 2005 - 19:54
WinFS relies heavily on the upcoming Yukon SQL engine, which will launch in SQL Server 2005 later this year. This same engine will also power Microsoft Index Server 2006, which Longhorn will include (and XP will gain as part of the same Service Pack that includes WinFS). The reason that WinFS was largely scrapped is because the SQL engine behind it needs more tuning. While there is lots of data on how efficient SQL is when the datasets are large, the jury is still largely out when dealing with SQL datasets that are considerably *smaller* than are typical (even in the land of open source, where MySQL and Postgres live, it isn't exactly typical to use either for a dataset of mere hundreds of *megabytes* in size). Yet that is the typical dataset size that WinFS is being asked to deal with.
#10.1 threedaysdwn on 15 Apr 2005 - 20:36
Actually the main reason it was cut from Longhorn is that they didn't feel comfortable shipping WinFS without the kind of network support they want. Unfortunately, they can't finish WinFS with proper network/server support before Longhorn's release. I'm betting we'll see WinFS with the Longhorn Server release.
#11 AminoSC on 15 Apr 2005 - 20:01
MSN Desktop Search beta is actually already a VERY good product. It's solid. This is actually the first time I've been impressed by Microsoft. I don't know how I did without it.
#12 hodgear on 15 Apr 2005 - 20:24
Anyone have any of the new fonts or new sounds yet?
#13 mtdlabs on 15 Apr 2005 - 21:23
I've used win2k indexing service to find files for many years now and it worked nice. They are improving it I guess.

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.
(2 replies) #14 shafi on 15 Apr 2005 - 23:28
will blackcomb come out in 2009/11 ?
#14.1 Cubiz on 15 Apr 2005 - 23:39
That's Microsoft's plan - but don't be suprised if you don't see it before 2012.
#14.2 TheSarge on 15 Apr 2005 - 23:52
If M$ would just release a little user-friendly GUI shell for the Indexing Service... MSN desktop search is fine, but it's a little much if all you want to do is search local drives in a way that's integrated with Windows Explorer. (Not that I don't like MSn desktop).
It's typical M$: bloatware is king over there.
(1 reply) #15 Angel Blue01 on 16 Apr 2005 - 00:02
Longhorn is great. Too bad no one i know will see for like five years.
#15.1 Staind on 16 Apr 2005 - 01:51
QUOTE
Microsoft sees Longhorn as the basis of Windows releases for the next ten years.

And we don't even know the ultimate name for the next generation os since "Longhorn" is only a code name.
#16 Ely on 16 Apr 2005 - 01:23
LongHorn will rule them all, Cant wait, Forget what the trolls here say, LongHorn will be sweet.
#17 jerry on 16 Apr 2005 - 05:08
All the useless arguments/predictions aside, does anybody know what new features does this article mention ? I mean is there a list or do I have to read the damn article looking for clues, eggs ?
(1 reply) #18 mattm591 on 16 Apr 2005 - 07:58
QUOTE
The final version of Longhorn is scheduled to be broadly available in December 2006.


So basically we have to wait till 2007... meaning they brought the date back a year.... again.
#18.1 brianshapiro on 16 Apr 2005 - 08:04
matt according to the schedule the RTM version is a while before december, and the december date is so its out for the holidays. so who knows. a while ago i think it was steve ballmer joking that they'd have it out december 31, 2006
#19 TruckWEB on 16 Apr 2005 - 22:37
April 25.... WinHEC 2005... MSDN Download!!! Cool, a new Longhorn build to play with. I hope it will be better (a little more complete) than the one available right now.
#20 icat on 17 Apr 2005 - 08:16
Well...I think if they make it even more easier to use than it will be for complete numbs who only know how to turn on a pc by pressin a 'power on' button...And about that privilegies: why the hell should an admin run his account with limitation if he/she is an admin??? And that windows-like-a-browser system is the same we have know, explorer that opens our folders, etc. is also a browser...

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