WindowsVista

Last edit September 11, 2014
Someone asked a forum how to run X on Vista. A couple months after MicrosoftCorporation's rollout.

Someone answered "X on what??"

"Vista" is Microsoft's latest desktop OS. It features lots of "JigglingBaloney", such as translucent window frames, and "customize" renamed to "personalize".

I have heard it will refuse to play music if it suspects you could possibly have "borrowed"* it.

In some circles, it's considered the greatest thing that ever happened to UbuntuLinux. Due to customer reaction, Dell started shipping U as an alternative OS.

--PhlIp

-> * It may also disable your hardware if it can't degrade it to DRM policy: http://davisfreeberg.com/2008/01/03/bad-copp-no-netflix/ (Vista? The round corners give it away.)

That DigitalRightsManagement implementation "will potentially remove playback licenses from your computer, including those from companies other than Netflix or Microsoft..."

I have since switched my notebook from Ubuntu to its original Vista installation, because I like trivial details like Midi, Sleep mode, and VPN at least working, albeit slowly.

If there is a hell, eternity will be spent by...

  • SteveJobs using a Mac without a mouse
  • BillGates browsing MS's tech support system (without dropping his name)
  • SteveBalmer running Vista on commercial grade hardware.

--PhlIp (...working for a boss who hates UnitTests!)

A few months ago, we purchased a new Dell laptop with Vista Home Premium for my daughter who is in medical school, because her old Gateway XP Pro machine was plain worn out. I spent a bunch of time tweaking it, and I must say that I am very pleased with the outcome. I really like it, and am looking for a good deal on one to purchase for myself. Hers is running on 3 gigs of ram and performs very nicely, and of course it works well "it's a Dell"! I have a 7 year old Dell laptop that runs XP Home (max hacked) like a dream, and it is older then the hills. Anyway, she has found very few problems with music (she is a music copy queen) and with other applications. Mainly the problems we have encountered are do to software developers ignoring Vista issues and wanting to keep their heads buried in the sand. I have helped some authors diagnose and fix their products with good results. I figured out in a hurry, before we ever purchased that laptop, that you need at least 3 gigs for good performance, and a bit of good tweaking too. So far, I prefer Vista over, 98, ME, and XP. I'm hoping that one day, Linux will come out with something that will win me over, they are coming close, but not quite there yet...

Conversely, I've been using almost exclusively Linux on the desktop (including various notebooks) since 2000. This includes using it for music composition, editing movies, etc., for the past few years. There have been issues with hardware compatibilities, software infrastructure changes, etc., but almost all of them were quickly resolved and the power of free software like Ardour is worth the occasional hassle.

WindowsVista, formerly named WindowsLonghorn, is the next milestone after WindowsXp in the series of MicroSoft WindowsOperatingSystems. It will have a new Plex theme along with the Luna Theme from XP, and sexy "Glass effects" to entice user upgrades. It has an additional sidebar added onto its task bar; the sidebar can easily be removed. The sidebar can hold numerous components, including custom ones. It's currently on Build 4029 Milestone 5. It is scheduled to be released in 2006.

For TabletPcs, Windows magazine has provided a list of tentative upgrades in conjunction with WindowsVista. See http://www.winnetmag.com/windowspaulthurrott/Article/ArticleID/42587/windowspaulthurrott_42587.html

WindowsVista name was officiated in mid 05 and dissenters come out with this derogatory expansion(Viruses, Infections, Spyware, Trojans, Adware.) See http://news.com.com/Windows+Vista/2100-1016_3-5801300.html
WindowsVista Official Site http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/default.mspx

Strategic Issues

Back to fat client and end of browser? see Nov04 article at http://www.zdnet.co.uk/print/?TYPE=story&AT=39117746-39020478t-20000003c
  • Note the 2003 article mentioned the key role of WindowsFx which we knew by end 2004 had a major delay
    • "Windows became the dominant OS for PCs by controlling the underlying APIs and file formats. The Internet shifted that balance of power away from the desktop by performing functions on Web servers and related technologies" -- dl reread the above old link and find new insights in SeptemberZeroFive
  • See also RichInternetApplication

News items

Jul05 the product is now named Vista and expected to ship in late 2006. See http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/07/23/BUGKMDSAQE1.DTL&type=printable

Jun05 info on server components in upcoming beta. Include confirmation that MicrosoftIndigo will be separated from IIS and DCOM technologies. More at http://www.tomshardware.com/hardnews/20050621_182439.html
  • Other reports said MS plans for a "home server", and that server beta is due for Aug05. Also MsVirtualPc replacement which will be part of WindowsVista, will not be available until 2009.

Jun05 Windows Shell (Monad) is to be taken away from initial release.

WindowsFileSystem is now (Aug04) taken out of the WindowsVista. A previous report said it "might" be present in retail edition of the client version. This decision is made to enable a 2006 delivery of client version of this OS. See http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/0,39023165,39157667,00.htm

The upcoming (May2004 release expectations to be 2007) product will have this MicrosoftIndigo technology that will displace ComponentObjectModel through the ExtensibleMarkupLanguage based MsManagedServices. DonBox, of SimpleObjectAccessProtocol fame, is attributed to these remarks in article at http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2004Jan/gee20040128023630.htm.

What happened to IFS?

The operating system features three major upgrades, Avalon, Indigo, and WinFS. From: http://asia.cnet.com/newstech/applications/0,39001094,39174177,00.htm

Note Aug04 APIs for Avalon and MicrosoftIndigo were both branded under WindowsFx.

A new MicrosoftXml is available for WindowsVista, by the name of XaMl. Its reasons for existence is the extensions adopted to enable it to interact with WinFS. See http://www.gotdotnet.com/team/dbox/default.aspx?month=2003-11 for DonBox explanation.

MicrosoftWindowsServer version of WindowsVista

Note: WindowsBlackcomb/WindowsVienna is the NextBigThing after WindowsVista.

The server version of this OS is expected to be released around two years after the desktop version. The company still admits only to a one year lag as recent as May2004. Additional inclusions would parallel what WindowsServerTwoThousandThree had added to WindowsXp, like MicrosoftSmallBusinessServer, specialized processor support, specialized device support, etc.

MicrosoftSecurity aspects

Apr05 MS confirmed withdrawal of most of its Next-Generation Secure Computing Base (NGSCB) security plan. As originally conceived, it has DigitalRightsManagement provisions that had unresolved issues. See http://www.computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/story/0,10801,101332,00.html

Has integrated NetworkAccessProtection. And if the built-in IPV6 is used exclusively, additional security provisions will be available through IpSec. "User account control" features, formerly known as UAP (User Access Protection) in WindowsVista triggered some debate in mid06 and big names like Paul Thurott got entangled. See more details at http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/?p=209

A late 2006 overview of security changes can be found at http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/silverman/4425731.html

WindowsVista-related Resources

Check these out
Tragic, but True

Programming in perl using VoiceRecognition and WindowsVista:
  • Pretty Amazing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeNM3qNWCSc

Its a GoodThing he is paid by the hour and not by the lines of code!
Also see: MicrosoftWindows
CategoryOperatingSystem CategoryMicrosoft CategoryMicrosoftTechnology CategoryHumor