News about a potential delay in Windows Longhorn, the next major update to Windows XP, has quickly evolved from mindless analysts predictions to so-called fact, with several major tech news outlets reporting on Microsoft's supposed setbacks. But Microsoft has never really announced a Longhorn release date, opting instead to refer to dates that are usually a few years out, owing to the complexity of what the company hopes to achieve with the Longhorn release. But that doesn't stop half the tech industry from reporting on a delay, and if this is how the next two years are going to go, it's going to feel like an eternity.
As digital media publishers scramble to devise a foolproof method of copy protection, Microsoft is ready to push digital rights management into a whole new arena--your desktop.
Office 2003, the upcoming update of the company's market-dominating productivity package, for the first time will include tools for restricting access to documents created with the software. Office workers can specify who can read or alter a spreadsheet, block it from copying or printing, and set an expiration date.
The technology is one of the first major steps in Microsoft's plan to popularize Windows Rights Management Services, a wide-ranging plan to make restricted access to information a standard part of business processes.
Intel plans to describe a new high-end Itanium chip code-named Tanglewood at its Developer Forum conference next month, sources close to the company said. The chip will include as many as 16 processors on a single slice of silicon.
So-called multicore designs that include several processors on the same chip are an increasingly popular way to use the ever-larger amounts of circuitry that advanced manufacturing processes permit, but other companies are slightly ahead of Intel in the multicore business. IBM's Power4 chip uses two cores as will new high-end chips from Sun Microsystems and Hewlett-Packard, but the Tanglewood design appears to have room for growth well beyond that.
A car that can park itself without the driver having to touch the steering wheel, said by maker Toyota Motor Corp. to be a world first, went on sale in Japan on Monday.
Toyota's new hybrid gasoline-electric Prius sedan uses electrically operated power steering and sensors that help guide the car when reversing into parking spaces.
Toyota President Fujio Cho sat in the driver's seat at a demonstration laid on for the press, surprising reporters by holding his hands up as the car quickly parked itself.
Oct. 21 promises to be a bit anticlimactic. That's when Microsoft plans to formally introduce Office 2003. What this really means is, after the 21st, the 600,000 people who've been testing the product will actually have to start paying for it. That's way different than the good ol' days, when most people didn't even know a product was coming until it was about to ship.
While we'll see some new features in Office 2003, they're not really the point here. The really important changes are happening behind the scenes. Office is becoming less and less a collection of individual apps, and more and more part of a much larger platform encompassing collaboration and online content and services.
Microsoft has won federal approval for a wireless adapter for its Xbox video game console that allows players to connect to the Internet without cabling, according to a posting on a regulatory Web site. The site for the Office of Engineering and Technology of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission shows that approval for the unit was granted late on Thursday.
A Microsoft spokeswoman said the FCC posted the information about the device in error, but she confirmed the adapter had been approved. She said the government office had agreed to a request to keep product details confidential ahead of a planned product launch.
As with desktop OS upgrades, server OS upgrades tend to lag Microsoft announcements by a year or two; again, at least one service pack helps lend a feeling of security. When Microsoft launched Windows Server 2003 in April of the year indicated in the name, it characterised the new operating system as a major event. After all, there were more than half a dozen flavours of the new operating system, including Microsoft's first 64-bit Windows, which will be able to scale to 64-way servers.
Microsoft hopes that 2003 will be the version that will persuade companies still using Windows NT4 to finally upgrade. Support for Windows NT 4 was due to be cancelled early in 2003, but pressure from customers forced Microsoft to put the date back to January 2005. According to ZDNet UK readers, Windows 2003 does indeed appear to be the watershed that will finally see Windows NT upgraded.
But you're probably not ready to give up Windows NT4 altogether just yet. In the accompanying Toolkit you'll find out how to evaluate and prepare for a migration to Windows Server 2003, but also how to make sure it will coexist with your exiting NT4 servers.
Whenever Microsoft brings out a new operating system there is typically a lag of up to two years before companies feel confident enough to upgrade. Many will not make the leap until at least the first service pack release. Even though Windows XP was widely considered to be the most compelling Windows upgrade since Windows 95, it had its share of criticism.
The operating system took some stick for omissions such as the lack of support for USB 2.0 and Bluetooth (Wi-Fi and FireWire were the favoured options), and while this would be more likely to deter consumers than business buyers, the new product activation mechanism, trialled on a mass scale for the first in Windows XP, was seen as a potential administrative headache for IT managers. Despite the continued unpopularity of product activation, the headache appears to have been kept to a manageable level, and many companies are now in the process of migrating to Windows XP. Plus, of course, that first service pack is now available. Move over Windows 2000.
In the accompanying toolkit you'll find features showing you how to make the best of Windows XP in your company, and how to deal with issues such as migration from previous versions. We also have some very good reasons why you might want to think twice before making the upgrade.
SQL Server 2000 64-bit and Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition 64-bit had a great run, but it looks like Microsoft's challenge to Unix and Oracle on scalability is over for now. Ever since the April launch of Windows Server 2003, every major benchmark run by Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition and SQL Server 2000 64-bit set a new record for raw performance.
Microsoft's basic problem moving forward on the benchmark is that it has run out of hardware headroom. First off, it has nowhere else to go. HP's big Integrity Superdome box represents the top of the line for the current generation of Microsoft software. Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition, 64-bit edition, is rated for 64 processors and 512 GB of RAM, exactly what the HP Integrity Superdome carries. At the moment, no other hardware vendor offers more than 32-processor scalability on an Itanium-based system.
Thanks again to Ditto, our beta insider, for passing along this note on how to sign-up for MSN beta program, if you are interested, here is how...
You are cordially invited to join the MSN(R) Beta Program. We use beta programs to help define features for future products and services.
This is your chance to make a difference! Participation lets you share your ideas and plays a key role in the development process. And together, we will build a better MSN!
What is a beta program?
A beta program is a group of key customers who have agreed to test a new, unreleased version of a product. Through testing, these customers provide valuable feedback that we utilize to make MSN Internet Services easier to use and better meet your communication needs. The beta program is your chance to make a difference in MSN products!
If you are selected as a participant, you will need to:
- Install and run the MSN client beta software (beta software is free) on your PC.
- Enable the Customer Experience feature in the MSN client during the beta period (it collects the usage data).
- Submit feedback and problem reports to the MSN beta support team in a timely fashion.
- Complete any surveys that are sent out during the beta period.
We are looking for a group of participants that are excited about the program and are willing to provide useful feedback throughout the entire beta period. The beta period is currently expected to run from September through January and will require you to log onto MSN at least once a week. Please make your decision carefully. Your feedback is crucial to the success of our product, and therefore, regular and consistent participation throughout the entire program will be needed.
How do I sign up?
If you would like to participate in the program, please take our beta survey. We will use this information to select program participants.
Please note: you must follow these directions. Using a personal or previously assigned BetaID will NOT grant you access to this survey.
- Go to http://www.betaplace.com.
- Sign in with your .NET Passport.
- Enter Guest ID: MSNBeta1 (Note: the Guest ID is case sensitive).
- Complete the beta survey.
If you are selected as a participant, you will be sent a Welcome e-mail including information on how to download the software. You will also be sent a CD containing the software. It should arrive 7-10 days after the Welcome e-mail.
Due to the high volume of responses, we will only be able to contact those customers who have been chosen for the program.
Thank you for taking the time to review this information. We greatly appreciate your consideration of the MSN Beta Program and hope you decide to make a difference in MSN products.
Regards,
MSN Beta Program Team