A first look at Windows Vista

[MarineCorps]

Microsoft has more work to do on its new operating system, but this first beta suggests that Windows Vista will be on a par with Linux and Apple Mac OS X.

Microsoft has released Windows Vista Beta 1 (formerly known as Windows Longhorn) to a select group of testers. Microsoft's mantra (or advertising line) for Windows Vista is 'Confidence, clarity, and connection'. For you and me, that means a promise of greater stability and security within the OS, better graphics throughout, and an enhanced ability to share documents and files, including built-in P2P services.

The Beta 1 build is a programmers' build -- that is, Microsoft wants to make sure that developers know how the new OS works before they put the finishing touches on the overall look and feel of Windows Vista. A second beta is expected by the end of 2005. Final shipping of the new Windows operating system won't occur until the second half of 2006.

In Windows Vista, Microsoft borrows a lot of clever ideas from its competitors.

Borrowing from Linux, Windows Vista runs all users at a Standard user level and creates a separate Administrator login, so even if you are the only user of the OS, you will still need to log in with Administrator privileges to do high-level work, such as changing the status of hidden or read-only files. Standard users should still be able to install and uninstall applications, provided they know the password for Administrator privileges. This extra effort should minimise the occurrence of spyware installing without your knowledge and remote-access exploits from taking control of your computer.

Borrowing from Apple Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, Windows Vista incorporates enhanced desktop search features throughout its new OS. You can search from the Windows Start menu or within applications, and you can also search within the new version of Internet Explorer 7.0. Also borrowing from Apple, Windows Vista does away with traditional file folders and allows you to 'stack' related documents together. These virtual files can exist independent of where the actual file resides on the hard drive.


When you open or save a file, you can also change its metadata on the fly. Note the file path at the top
-- no more slashes.

We especially like the fact that you can both see and alter a file's metadata whenever you open or save a document. The metadata is important because Windows Vista uses metadata to index files. Better yet, say you want to drag and drop a file from one stack (pictures of France) to another (pictures of me); the metadata is automatically changed once the file is relocated.

Addressing its own past mistakes, Microsoft has changed the way some drivers operate within the new OS. For example, a leading cause of the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (system crash) is printer drivers, which have historically been installed at the kernel level of the OS. With Windows Vista, printers will be installed only at the user level -- thus, if a printer driver has a problem, you will be informed, but the system won't crash as a result.

Microsoft also swears that it is scanning every line of code within Windows Vista, aiming to reduce the number of patches by 50 percent within the first 90 days of release, compared to the XP release.

Unfortunately, the new ability for the Windows Vista firewall to stop malicious activity both inbound and outbound will not be enabled by default. We don't understand this decision, although Microsoft insists that it's better not to enable two-way firewall protection right out of the box. So, to protect yourself from aggressive spyware, we recommend you either go into the Control Panel and activate the two-way firewall option yourself or disable the Windows Vista firewall entirely and install a third-party firewall. Another option is to enroll in the new OneCare service from Microsoft (also in beta at this writing); subscribers to OneCare will automatically have two-way firewall protection enabled.

We'd like to see several interface changes, as well. For example, right now, if you have more than two applications open on the desktop, the status bar shows only one, with up and down arrows. Instead of chaining icons for the various open programs across the bottom of the desktop, you'll have to scroll. In informal testing, we found ourselves opening several instances of Internet Explorer and Notepad because it was easy to forget they were already open.

It's too early to say how successful Microsoft Windows Vista will be. Windows XP hasn't swept the world after four years (there are millions of people still using Windows 98 SE, for example), and in the corporate space, Windows 2000 remains the preferred environment, despite Microsoft's many attempts to discontinue support of Windows 2000. Check back at the end of 2005 to read about how the second beta performs.

http://reviews.zdnet.co.uk/0,39023100,39210991,00.htm

Cool.

I can't belive millions are using Win 98SE

 

[vbraun]

We'd like to see several interface changes, as well. For example, right now, if you have more than two applications open on the desktop, the status bar shows only one, with up and down arrows. Instead of chaining icons for the various open programs across the bottom of the desktop, you'll have to scroll.

Now thats just stupid.

 

[Lozzy_Ozzy]

Now thats just stupid.

I totally agree.

 

[Chairman Meow]

I can't belive millions are using Win 98SE

Probably because,
1) It works on their computer. There are lots and lots of old computers out there that don't run XP, and you can bet they won't run Longhorn when it comes out, which means that getting Longhorn would require a new computer.
2) They see no reason to upgrade. All the software they want to run (i.e. web browser, email client, word processor, etc.), runs on Windows 98. If your computer does all you need it to do as is, then why throw away a perfectly good computer to buy another computer with Longhorn?

On a complete tangent...

Borrowing from Linux, Windows Vista runs all users at a Standard user level and creates a separate Administrator login, so even if you are the only user of the OS, you will still need to log in with Administrator privileges to do high-level work, such as changing the status of hidden or read-only files. Standard users should still be able to install and uninstall applications, provided they know the password for Administrator privileges. This extra effort should minimise the occurrence of spyware installing without your knowledge and remote-access exploits from taking control of your computer.

I just wonder... will RunAs actually work in Longhorn? It sure doesn't in XP. If RunAs works as well as su in Unix, then that will be a plus for Longhorn. Also, RunAs should automatically come up when I try to do something from a limited account that requires admin access. Click on "Set Clock" and you should get a password prompt, not an error message telling you that you do not have access. Linux has no problem with that, and since Windows is supposed to be easy to use, it shouldn't have any problem with it either.

 

[Mise]

One thing I'd REALLY like to see is the ability to run any program just by typing its name in the run menu. Like I wanted to run winamp to help bozo out in the other thread, but I couldn't find it in the start menu, and I tried typing 'winamp' in the run dialogue box, but it didnt work!

I know it runs things in the PATH="xxx" setting (or whatever the XP equivalent is), but I'd like it to run anything I want. I'd upgrade just for that feature tbh.

Are there any screenshots of the new OS ?

 

[vbraun]

Here 3 more pictures of it, and also another preview:
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,121990,00.asp

One thing I'd REALLY like to see is the ability to run any program just by typing its name in the run menu. Like I wanted to run winamp to help bozo out in the other thread, but I couldn't find it in the start menu, and I tried typing 'winamp' in the run dialogue box, but it didnt work!

It works like that in Linux. I think this can be done like this because all Linux binaries are in one or two directories, Unlike Windows where they're everywhere.

 

[Chairman Meow]

One thing I'd REALLY like to see is the ability to run any program just by typing its name in the run menu. Like I wanted to run winamp to help bozo out in the other thread, but I couldn't find it in the start menu, and I tried typing 'winamp' in the run dialogue box, but it didnt work!

I know it runs things in the PATH="xxx" setting (or whatever the XP equivalent is), but I'd like it to run anything I want. I'd upgrade just for that feature tbh.

Are there any screenshots of the new OS ?

One way that works in Windows to do that is to go into the \Windows directory and create a shortcut there for any program that you want to be able to do that for. Thus, since \Windows is in PATH, typing the name will cause the shortcut to be executed, which loads the program it points to.

 

[Mise]

Hmm, so perhaps developers (or maybe the OS if it's clever enough) could put a shortcut there by default when it installs? It would save a lot of hassle, and add an extra "feature" to Windows.

Thanks for the info guys! I found some more screenshots: http://news.com.com/2300-1016_3-5805994-1.html - I think that these extra features coupled with the lack of an admin login by default might make this worth an upgrade, or at least the next computer I buy will have the new OS. I wont have to worry about my mum using it anymore...

 

[stormbind]

Borrowing from Linux, Windows Vista runs all users at a Standard user level and creates a separate Administrator login, so even if you are the only user of the OS, you will still need to log in with Administrator privileges to do high-level work, such as changing the status of hidden or read-only files.

Don't they mean low-level?

Unfortunately, the new ability for the Windows Vista firewall to stop malicious activity both inbound and outbound will not be enabled by default. We don't understand this decision, although Microsoft insists that it's better not to enable two-way firewall protection right out of the box.

It is important that third-party software works for everyone. It would cause a backlash if the firewall prevented legitimate installations from working.

we recommend you either go into the Control Panel and activate the two-way firewall option yourself or disable the Windows Vista firewall entirely and install a third-party firewall.

I am sorry but whoever wrote this is missing a few too many neurons