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SPECIAL REPORT: Windows Vista arrives (in beta)
Jul. 27, 2005

[Updated July 28] -- Windows Vista (formerly codenamed Longhorn), the long awaited successor to Windows XP, is finally in the hands of beta testers as of today. Although Microsoft has previously released "technology builds" of Longhorn, this is the first official release of the newly renamed Longhorn desktop client OS.

WindowsForDevices.com's sister publications PC Magazine, Microsoft Watch, and eWeek are chock full of news, reviews, analysis, and opinions about Windows Vista and its Beta 1 release. Here's a look at some of the more interesting stories:
  • Hands On with Windows Vista Beta 1 -- PC Magazine contributing editor Michael J. Miller puts an early version of Beta 1 through its paces and reports that while it lacks many features that the final Windows Vista will have, it has all the basics and "displays Microsoft's new emphasis on making a system that will be more stable and secure." The accompanying slide show reveals the new look and feel.

  • The Beta Program -- Ever wonder who gets to be a beta tester? According to Cade Metz, its "several thousand software developers, hardware manufacturers, and IT professionals with close ties to Microsoft -- not to mention a few lucky members of the media." Metz offers some insights into how Microsoft beta programs operate.

  • What Are the Hardware Requirements for Vista? -- So what does it take to run Vista? Microsoft has been rather vague about that.

  • Windows Security: This Time for Sure! -- "For years Microsoft has promised true security -- in the next version of Windows." Neil Rubenking reviews the security features in Vista Beta 1 and reports that Microsoft intends to beef up security as much as it can "without driving users crazy."

  • Performance and Reliability -- Not much can be said with certainty about Vista performance today since its feature set has not yet been finalized. This article looks at Microsoft's goals and strategy for improving performance and reliability in Vista.

  • Vista as a Platform -- While most of the attention is going to Vista's user-visible aspects, an equally important element is the new application programming interfaces that will give developers entirely new ways of constructing sophisticated, visually striking applications. Avalon, the new graphics API, and Indigo, the communications API, are key elements of Vista application development.

  • At First Glance, Vista Looks Like a Winner -- eWeek's David Coursey opines that Vista "has a sleek interface to rival Apple's Tiger, and its search capabilities look promising." Coursey discusses the three "C's" that have driven Vista's top level design goals: Confident, Clear, Connected. And while Beta 1 doesn't do a very good job of illustrating these goals, Coursey nevertheless declares himself "enchanted."

  • Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda -- Mary Jo Foley offers a brief glimpse of what might have been.

  • I'm So Excited by Microsoft Vista. Not. -- OK, so not everyone is "enchanted" by Vista. Self-proclaimed Linux devotee Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols "declares his enthusiasm for Microsoft's self-serving and unremarkable new features."

  • Microsoft Delivers the 'Other' Longhorn Beta -- While Vista Beta 1 is stealing most of the headlines this week, Microsoft is also delivering simultaneously on Wednesday to a select group of private testers the first beta of its Longhorn Server product, which does not yet have an official name. Microsoft Watch editor Mary Jo Foley reviews the features and progress of Longhorn Server, scheduled to ship sometime in 2007.

  • Internet Explorer 7 -- Vista Beta 1 also provided the first look at the long awaited successor to Internet Explorer 6. Among the most notable new features of IE7 is a tabbed interface similar to the Mozilla and Foxfire browers.

  • Glossary: The Long and Short of It -- Every new operating system requires new jargon. Here's a quick look at the terminology surrounding Vista


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