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Gates demos 'more secure' Windows

Bill Gates said the top priority for Longhorn was better security
Microsoft boss Bill Gates has demonstrated key features of the next Windows operating system, code-named Longhorn, at a developers' conference.
The revamp is promised to be the biggest update to the operating system since Windows 95 launched in 1995.

The preview showed a new desktop design, more visual ways to organise information, and faster searching.

The full version is expected in December 2006, but a preview, or beta, could be out in the summer, he said.

"We just gave people a glimpse to show them it's an awfully big deal," Mr Gates said in an interview after his speech at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference in Seattle.

Longhorn, whose December 2006 release could still shift after previous delays, should offer users more security features, much richer graphics technology, and faster performance.

The way people can switch from window to window and the way files are presented on a PC with Longhorn is reminiscent of Apple's operating system, according to analysts.

More security

"Our key goal in terms of Longhorn is that it be the highest-quality release we've ever done," Mr Gates said.

"At every stage of the way we're going to listen to feedback, so it's possible some of these milestones will change and we'll choose to put more time into things."

During his speech, Mr Gates added that the Microsoft developers had concentrated a great deal on making sure people's data was safer on PCs.

Previous versions of Windows have been criticised for being too vulnerable.

Longhorn will make use of cryptographic keys stored in chips built into a PC for the first time. Such encryption features are usually kept as data on a hard drive.

Having encryption keys actually on a chip makes it harder for data to be compromised through hack attacks.

Some PC manufacturers have been offering computers with security chips for some time.

The last version of Windows operating system, Windows XP, was released late 2001.

Microsoft's operating system runs on more than 90% of desktop PCs in the world.

Mr Gates announced that a more powerful, advanced version of the current Windows system, called Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, would also be available for business users, from next month.

Memo

Some new screen shots of Longhorn can be found here:

http://www.flexbeta.net/main/comment...shownews=12884

Personally, I don't like the look all that much. I wish they'd really make something as nice looking as OS X.

Jeffbx

I don't think they're going for a huge change in the look & feel, but more changes at the back end. From what I've been hearing, it's a completely new platform, right down to the file system. Not only should it be more secure, but the stability will (hopefully) rival UNIX on large mission critical platforms.

Bires

At the expense of speed?

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Cantacuzene

I agree Memo, but recall that this is just an Alpha build you see in the screen shots, not even beta.

Microsoft has promised a 3d accelerated desktop a la OS X and a "radical" change in the way the desktop looks. I hope their definition of radical is the elimnation of the taskbar/start menu system and the creation of a user friendly left-click program/control panel thing. All 3d accelerated in some attractive and elegant way. Then again, they could just define "radical" as changing the colors and making the clock 3d accelerated.

Jeffbx

Not necessarily... that's more dependent on the hardware, anyway. 32 vs 64 bit has always been the limiting factor with Wintel vs. large UNIX, but even that barrier has now been eliminated. I don't think this will eliminate UNIX by any stretch of the imagination, but it'll certainly force the big guns like IBM, HP & Sun to make some serious price cuts in their hardware.

nate el bueno

hehe i set one of those as my desktop

eSDee

It doesn't look too impressive but that's no big deal. Is it really going to be out in December 2006? That's pretty crappy. Mac will be on OS11 by then most likely, although OSX in itself is pretty incredible. I wouldn't upgrade my machines to Longhorn unless there was some pretty incredible things about it to, and not just that the browser was more secure

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shocky123

"Highest Quality Release Ever" ???????????

Does that mean we get to go a whole week w/out a new patch that requires a reboot?

*gasps in disbelief*

~Kyle

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Showtime

Windows without a patch is like cornflakes without the milk.

-j

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