More news on Longhorn

http://news.com.com/Gates+offers+Longhorn+appetizer/2100-1016_3-5683686.html?tag=html.alert
from WinCustomize Forums
Just read this article at CNET. Found a few things mentioned quite interesting:

Microsoft's effort to reduce the number of people who run with administrator privileges is one example of the features that are still being ironed out. Today, almost all users run with such privileges because they are needed to make even basic changes, but the company is reworking the operating system so that various settings can be altered while running as a standard user.

The company demonstrated a new XML-based document format, code-named "Metro," that it will use in Longhorn to both print and share documents. Printers that build in Metro support will be able to more quickly and faithfully render documents created in Longhorn, while users will be able to share files without needing the application that created them, Microsoft said.

Longhorn will come in a single binary for all the different language editions. Apple Computer has done that in Mac OS X, but it's a first for Windows.


Not a feature, but something I nodded when I read it:
In Longhorn, the folder that was once "My Documents" will become simply "Documents," While "My Photos" and "My Videos" will become "Photos" and "Videos."

I've allready renamed those items like that. Not to fond of My This and My That. I know it's mine!

But anyways, I like the sound of Metro. And I really like that the different languages will be in one binary.
3,441 views 3 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
lol I agree on the "my" thing. Sounded rather stupid since who elses would they be. If they were someone else's they would be labeled as such or in a different folder.
Interesting some of the changes coming out so far for Longhorn. ALthough to be sure some things aren't finalized, nor are they definitely parts of the OS yet.
I saw a screenshot of a scrollable Start Menu, with a bar to type in the shortcut you are looking for, and it would find relevant links with each letter typed... I suppose its easier than folding out menus, which can get rather cumbersome. I reorganize mine after installing new software, so mine don't get out of hand, but I have seen many that are just unruly. So this might be a help for some.

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Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I find the all programs in XP slowing me down. I normally use a tabbed dock with most of my programs.
Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
More interesting stuff from Paul Thurrot:
Longhorn will run fine on a 1 GHz computer with 256 MB of RAM, according to Microsoft corporate vice president Joe Peterson at the blogger lunch today. This is good news for today's PC users, some of whom are concerned that they won't have the PC muscle needed to run the next Windows. Of course, those people won't get the full-blown Aero Glass experience, but it will still work fine.

Microsoft builds 32-bit and 64-bit builds of Longhorn every single day now. Neither takes precedence over the other. The two versions are co-developed and will be launched simultaneously. There will only be one version: During install, you can choose between the 32-bit and 64-bit version if you have a 64-bit PC. Nice.

It looks like the Sidebar is gone from Longhorn, which is a sore loss.


The MSN Messenger server farm handles over 70 million concurrent sessions every single day. Until recently, they were using 250 32-bit servers to manage that load. When they switched to Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition running on x64 hardware, they reduced the size of the farm to just 25 servers. Yikes.