WinHEC 2006 Brings New Office, Vista

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates kicked off the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference in Seattle Tuesday, heralding the arrival of the Beta 2 releases of Windows VIsta, Office 2007 and Longhorn Server. Both Office and Vista betas will be available for public download in order to garner more feedback as the products near completion.

The announcement marked the first time Microsoft has simultaneously released test versions of its flagship products. The Redmond company says it has focused on four main areas with the new releases: simplifying how people work together, better content protection and management, improved search and more robust security.

Office 2007 brings to the table the biggest change to Microsoft's ubiquitous productivity suite to date, including a completely revamped task-based user interface. A "Ribbon" replaces the standard Office toolbars with options that change depending on the what the user is doing with a document.

WinHEC also marks the first time the general public, which has counted 5 years since Windows XP made its debut, will get a peek at the next-generation version of Windows. A "Customer Preview Program" will be available in the "coming weeks," providing users with access to Windows Vista Beta 2. Testers and MSDN subscribers can download the build starting today.

“The release of these three betas is a significant milestone for Microsoft and a major step toward delivering the platforms that will drive the next decade of computing,” Gates said. "The combination of these innovative platform technologies and the new hardware and software being developed by our partners will make PCs and other devices more powerful, more useful and more intelligent for businesses today and into the future.”

Delays have plagued Vista's development, although Microsoft says it remains on track to deliver the final bits by October. Volume licensing and business customers will receive Windows Vista in November, with a public launch slated for January. Microsoft will hold launch events around the world to celebrate Vista's arrival.

"Office and Windows public betas are sure to increase pressure on Microsoft, particularly given shifting release dates. The Blogsphere is sure to illuminate every possible problem with the products. The bright lights might ultimately make for better products, but the process will publicly unfold," commented Jupiter Research senior analyst Joe Wilcox.

Beta 2 of Office 2007 is openly available beginning Tuesday. Customers can download the release or choose to receive it on DVD for a small shipping fee. Microsoft is making available all of the Office 2007 bits, including the full range of client and server applications. The primary Office applications weigh in at 550MB, with the full suite at 2GB.

Microsoft will not provide technical support for Beta 2, and the build will expire on February 1, 2007.

"Public betas turn on the glaring lights and turn up the definition. But any bad buzz should dispel as Microsoft fixes problems and customers find product benefits," Wilcox added.

At WinHEC, Microsoft also announced a partnership with Motorola to create a phone that supports Windows Live services. The dual-mode handset works as a traditional phone as well as the Internet through a service provided by Verizon. A beta Windows Live SDK will be available this summer to encourage other partners to build compatible solutions.

Gates additionally shared details on Microsoft's virtualization efforts. The technology will ship within six months after Windows Server Longhorn is released to manufacturing, and an initial beta release is expected by the end of 2006. Microsoft's "hypervisor" software runs atop the hardware and enables multiple versions of Windows to be running simultaneously on a single machine.

Office 2007 Beta 2 is available for download via FileForum.