RSSLonghorn and More: BetaNews PDC 2003 Wrap-Up
By Nate Mook | Published October 31, 2003, 9:05 AM
The semi-annual Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles serves as an opportunity for Microsoft to showcase its latest and upcoming wares to eager developers and pundits alike. PDC 2003 was no exception, bringing together a record number of attendees for more than 120 technical sessions.
Longhorn was the star of PDC 2003, as Microsoft gave developers their first official taste of the next-generation Windows. In his Monday morning keynote to kick off the conference, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates outlined the new platform on which Longhorn will be built, calling it the company’s largest effort since Windows 95.
Potential final release dates for Longhorn were not discussed at PDC 2003, but current timelines place the operating system's likely launch in 2006. "It's very clear we're at the very beginning of this process," said Gates.
A special Longhorn preview -- build 4051 -- was distributed to PDC attendees to tide developers over until a Beta 1 release in summer 2004. Included in the preview is a Longhorn SDK, as well as sample code and whitepapers.
Perhaps most interesting about Longhorn is what developers did not see. Build 4051 has been stripped of many features Redmond deems "unstable," and is confusingly older than internal Longhorn build 4050, which Microsoft ran on PDC demo machines.
Because this initial Longhorn release is aimed at developers, Microsoft says it wanted to ensure a usable environment that focused on the core platform rather than functionality. For example, many components from the Longhorn sidebar -- including contact integration with Windows Messenger -- have been removed.
Microsoft representatives told BetaNews that a "PDC Refresh" build may follow in the coming months, replenishing Longhorn with features that have had a chance to mature.
Notably missing from even the PDC demo machines was a slick new user interface only displayed during Gates’ keynote and kept under lock and key in Redmond labs. Referred to by Microsoft employees as "glass," the theme utilizes Longhorn’s advanced graphics layer to support transparent window effects and embedded video.
Aero, the new Windows "user experience" concept, will serve as the foundation for Longhorn's user interface. Contrary to early reports, Aero is not an interface design itself, simply a development model and guidelines for creating customer-friendly applications.
Beneath Aero lies a new graphics subsystem dubbed "Avalon." Avalon powers the Longhorn interface, as well as the display of documents and media. Developers will take advantage of a new markup language based on XML – appropriately dubbed "XAML" – to create Avalon interfaces.
Longhorn communicates using "Indigo," the second generation Web services platform that improves security and reliability.
WinFS, first uncovered in leaked alpha builds of Longhorn, was demoed in great detail at PDC 2003. Microsoft clarified to developers the new Windows storage system that sits atop NTFS and utilizes a SQL database to store metadata on files. The goal of WinFS is to give a Windows user more flexibility when searching for and displaying content on their PC.
The SQL engine powering WinFS finds its roots in "Yukon," the next version of Microsoft SQL Server. PDC attendees received an interim beta of Yukon, but the larger public Beta 2 release is not slated until the first half of next year. Microsoft executives said the company is shooting for a final launch of Yukon by the end of 2004.
Whidbey, the forthcoming update to Visual Studio .NET, will also arrive in late 2004 if all goes as planned. Whidbey will play an important role allowing developers to transition to writing applications for Longhorn come 2006.
To additionally help guide developers on the road to Longhorn, Microsoft has created an all-encompassing programming model called WinFX. Mostly theory at this point, WinFX will eventually form the APIs that define Windows.
"Beneath Aero lies a new graphics subsystem dubbed "Avalon." Avalon powers the Longhorn interface, as well as the display of documents and media. Developers will take advantage of a new markup language based on XML – appropriately dubbed "XAML" – to create Avalon interfaces."
This sounds like XUL which is used in Mozilla/Firebird/Thunderbird...
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|I am not an interface programmer, but from what I understand (and have asked Microsoft) the concept is similar. However, XAML will be a native part of WinFX (and therefore Windows). XUL relies on an API layer running atop the operating system and is not native to Windows. This separation allows XUL to be cross-platform, but also likely slower and less powerful than interfaces coded for Avalon.
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|"To additionally help guide developers on the road to Longhorn, Microsoft has created an all-encompassing programming model called WinFX. Mostly theory at this point, WinFX will eventually form the APIs that define Windows."
Gee, WinFX sounds like WindowFX which is part of ObjectDesktop!
http://www.objectdesktop.com
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|Sure, exactly the same thing, except for just a few tiny differences.
WindowFX is an application to unlock some of the features in the OS, such as transparency, shadows, etc..
WinFX is an API set.
Two VERY similar things.
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|Sarcasm doesn't work too well on the Internet ;)
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|Microsoft and StarDock (Makers of WindowFX) have teamed up.
You can read all about it in this post on OSNews and in the chatlog:
OSNews Post: http://www.osnews.com/comment.php?news_id=4997
Chat Log: http://www.joeuser.com/index.asp?AID=653
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|Did I read it correctly that the AMD64 functionality is integrated into Longhorn? So it infact supports all the extra AMD64 things available?
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|Why even bother ? Microsoft always says it's new software will do this that and the other. Then when you install the new os, yes it looks visually impressive but then after one small driver "mistake" its error's blue screens and the pc never runs the same again. If i was Microsoft i would be working on what seams to be a pc's biggest flaw the more you use it the slower it becomes. We hear it will be brilliant for developers ? So what who cares about developer's shouldnt the main focus be the home user leave developer's to sort their own problems out. And as for nice graphics and windows i mean what the hell how foolish would you have to be to buy a os at the price Microsoft charges just because its eye candy. A os that will use the graphics card to be more flashy ? Yet another way to drain money out of us having to have bigger graphics cards. As im sure most people agree all they want is a pc they can turn on as easy as they turn the tv on and a clear and simple interface that wont take a months to understand. Why should the only people who get the most out of pc's be people whos lifes are devoted to them such as those in the it industry or who live on their pc. ALSO a pc were you put the game disc in and it works like on a ps2 would be nice Mr billy. :-)
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|What on earth are you talking about? Developers are the ones that make the applications you use, and those applications are the things that cause problems with Windows. If you build a better foundation for developers, the OS will have less problems. Longhorn is not just about nify graphics.
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|As exciting as Longhorn looks with it's new features I would hope Microsoft doesn't rush it too quickly. I am encouraged by the 2006 release as it does show perhaps that taking a bit longer and allowing for tighter QA will ensure we avoid another Win95 rush to market even after it toio was delayed
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|Well i had a chance to see the longhorn.. got to tellya its nothing to bright..
if you have below 256 its imposiblle to wirk with.. but the graphicks rulez =)
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|Will Microsoft release build 4051 to download from their site??? I would like to try it NOW. Microsoft should let the full public have a pre-beta copy (ex. build 4051).
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|Its on DVD... about 5.4 GB for the full CD (i386, ia64 and AMD64.)
I doubt it will be released to the standard consumer for beta testing at this point, but probably will be when it hits Release Canidate.
BTW, it rocks ;)........
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|The GUI is what holds it back from OSX. I'm glad they seem to be heading in the right direction - Simplyfying and fixing the GUI, while maintaining the same power that makes Windows remotely appealing to power users. Of course, this version will be even more stable than the last.
WinFS looks good. I wonder what features will grow off this.
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|I want to see more about the glass theme. I want to see what Aero capable of!
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|Glass looks very interesting...
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|its friggen transparency people! its been in the base OS since win2k. *sigh*
The exciting part looks to be what's underneath. They've done lots of CLI work and the indexing of folders by running an SQL like backend is an awesome idea. I like the individual folder art / theme looks as well. It will be nice to escape the mundane silver XP theme with unchangably green start bar.
Not that saying this will ever be taken in consideration by MS but if there were to be a real change from the home version to the professional version of windows where the focus of the home version was on entertaining the end user with themes created by anyone, not just MS Plus partners to be bought from MS and some really cool features that would challenge the effects of the genie bar from apple in terms of animation in everyday common use items they'd have a really kick a** and enjoyable home product they could mark up worth buying just as an alternative style OS and not just something thats been tuned down as if it werent as "robust" as windows xp pro.
maybe do something like a 3d rollout for the autohide feature or movable 3d environment for stackable windows and such. now THAT would be a cool feature. transparency is weak!
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|The whole deal with Glass is that now Windows will use transparency with the new compositing engine, so that it actually works decently.
Right now, with GDI+, it tends to lag and is not a decent transparency effect.
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|>>maybe do something like a 3d rollout for the autohide feature or movable 3d environment for stackable windows and such
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|--maybe do something like a 3d rollout for the autohide feature or movable 3d environment for stackable windows and such--
Um, that is exactly what will be happening in Longhorn. It is NOT just transparency. The entire display will be rendered using 3D acceleration technology, and windows, controls, etc can and will be animated with no CPU performance hit, instead - taking advantage of the 3D technology in the Video Adapters.
So you will see animations technology - FAR beyond what is capable in OSX, as the UI model with have a real 3D structure for rendering and interfacing.
Where OSX is a 2D model UI that uses only an off screen buffer for window effects. Longhorn will also use an external off screen buffer, but add the ability of 3D coordinates to take the 'glass' to higher dimensions in Interface capabilities.
Why do you think Microsoft is keeping the basics of what they are going to be doing with Glass under wraps? Most of what is planned for the UI has not even been show publicly, even at the PDC. They have only demonstrated the basis of capabilities, not WHAT they intend on doing with them.
Prepare to be surprised. Not only will the UI provide more ease of use, it will add dimensions of use not even considered in computing today - and using the Video Adapter's GPU instead of the CPU, it will be doing all of this without a performance hit for basic business and regular user applications. (i.e. the same performance you are used to, with nice animations for people that like them, and also animations that are actually functional to using the computer and are not just lame 'pretty' gimmicks to wow newbies.)
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|The true question is this...
Microsoft has said that the DCE will draw objects even if they aren't onscreen (ie, being covered up by another application) which will reduce things like tearing and what have you.
Now, what happens when you start a game, is the DCE still going to be rendering the Windows UI despite the fact that it's not in use?
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