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• March 26, 2003 •
Many of you may already have heard some news about Microsoft's future Windows plans, currently under the code-name "Longhorn".
The project is currently still in its infancy (read Alpha stage), and a first Beta of Longhorn isn't expected before this fall.
Therefore I haven't spent too much time writing about it. There are some Web sites, which seem to get their hands on every leaked Alpha build, and "review" it like there is no tomorrow.
Well, that's all fine and dandy, but Microsoft's plans for the OS are only just now taking some shape. Major changes will take place before the first Beta build is released, so there's not much point looking at (leaked) Alpha builds in too much detail.
The main focus for Longhorn seems to be a change in file system, and the Graphical User Interface (GUI).
The file system used in Longhorn will change to a database type storage called WinFS (Windows Future Storage), which is based on the next version of Windows SQL Server 2003 (currently code-named Yukon). This new file system has some capabilities designed to improve searches for certain files on ever increasing storage media. To this end two new features called Windows Future Storage Services and Windows Storage Full-Text Index are part of the new file system. In Longhorn you will just answer a simple question "What are you looking for?" in order to find files. You'd just search for "Music from Pete", or "Pictures from Julia".
The GUI will use more 3D like objects, taking full advantage of 3D video hardware to add more depth and photo-realism, and will take a more task-based approach, expanding on current Windows XP design. The code name for the new user interface is "Avelon".
Longhorn is also reported to include a new setup routine, designed to install the OS in under 20 minutes.
Now, originally it was thought that Longhorn would just be the next "Client" version of Windows, and the Windows release after Longhorn (currently code-named Blackcomb), would be a Server-only release.
But this week, Microsoft Senior Vice President Brian Valentine revealed that plans for Longhorn and Blackcomb are very much in flux. Valentine said that Microsoft is reevaluating its plans and could well ship both client and server components of each release.
So it seems clear that the plans for the next Windows version are far from being set, and we'll just have to wait and see for the first Longhorn beta near the end of this year, which will probably shed some light about the future Windows versions.
