Gates offers glimpse of Longhorn
Gates offers glimpse of Longhorn
Apr 26, 2005: Microsoft has offered a glimpse of what users can expect from Longhorn to computer makers at the Microsoft Windows Hardware Engineering Conference 2005, to wet the appetite of those looking forward to getting their hands on the new system.
Some of the new features promised in Longhorn include better security, richer graphics and improved search facilities for finding information on PCs, but many of Longhorn's features will not be released with the first beta version due out between June-August.
However, Gates said at the conference: "The next decade will bring about a new wave of innovation in the technology industry through the increased security, greater reliability and faster performance enabled by 64-bit computing and continued advances in Windows.
"'Longhorn' and the new x64-bit versions of Windows are the best foundation for a new generation of faster, more powerful hardware and software that expands the possibilities for computing and transforms the way we work and play."
In terms of security, Microsoft has said that Longhorn will take advantage of 64-bit architecture advances that help block some of the most destructive worms and exploits of recent years.
"Integrated anti-malware will help shield PCs and their users from adware, spyware, "phishing" scams and others threats. Protected user accounts will greatly reduce the threat to users' systems without affecting user productivity, while the more-secure startup process will help protect data and ensure that a PC running "Longhorn" hasn't been tampered with."
Gates also talked about the easier deployment of Longhorn. He said it would be easier for organisations to deploy the system to desktops, even those with different configurations and languages.
As for manageability, Gates said that integrating hot-patching technology would enable systems administrators to update systems without rebooting the PC. These features, along with better automation and remote administration tools, will let administrators better handle daily desktop management tasks.
In addition, folders and icons will depict the actual content, providing a snapshot of the document to help users instinctively understand the state of the content. Documents will be created and organised with metadata in terms of authors, subjects or keywords.
Microsoft is now calling on hardware-makers to develop products that take advantage of these new features.
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