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The Ideas Behind Longhorn

An anonymous reader writes: "Fortune magazine is carrying an interesting article on the new and improved Bill Gates, as well as some details on Longhorn: 'Because Gates' geeks are completely overhauling the operating system, they'll also have to redesign most of the company's other software products and services to take full advantage, including the MSN online service, its server applications, and especially Microsoft Office, the productivity suite that accounts for nearly a third of the company's sales and profits. If this enormous undertaking succeeds, it will make computers more personal than ever. Equipped with Longhorn, your PC will keep track of how you work, whom you talk to, what sites you look at, how you make documents and whom you share them with, which data on the network are yours--making all those things easier.'"

17 of 671 comments (clear)

  1. amazing by tps12 · · Score: 1, Funny

    Wow, I can't believe how far we've come. Are there any plans to put these kind of features into Linux? I would love bash to know that I usually start the day with "pine; cd pron; ee *" and anticipate it for me.

    --

    Karma: Good (despite my invention of the Karma: sig)
    1. Re:amazing by tim_uk · · Score: 4, Funny
      I've been looking at tieing up nural nets/ heristics and systems components for 4 to 5 years on-and-off.

      And in all that time you never learned to spell properly?

    2. Re:amazing by carlos_benj · · Score: 1, Funny

      2: You need a common dictionary/gramma

      My gramma was anything but common, although she did like to read through the dictionary.

      All you applications will look and behive the same....

      And she did wear her hair in that behive look for awhile.

      --

      --

      As a matter of fact, I am a lawyer. But I play an actor on TV.

  2. Mmmm An All Inclusive OS by idfrsr · · Score: 2, Funny

    I would suspect that the Open-Source troops can beat 2005 for something similiar...

    I am also curious that the article didn't seem bothered that MS broke the law to get to its current dominance.... and of course I couldn't really resist this:

    "In 27 years he [B.G] claims he has never called in sick or missed work. Not even once."

    Certainly now its proven by science: THERE IS NO REST FOR THE WICKED!

    --
    "The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away" -Tom Waits
  3. Yay. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Equipped with Longhorn, your PC will keep track of how you work, whom you talk to, what sites you look at, how you make documents and whom you share them with, which data on the network are yours...

    Your Visa Card Number, your politically incorrect jokes, your passwords, the contents of your bank account, your pr0n tastes and preferences...

    Big Brother is Big Brother.

    Zoober

  4. let him speak for himself by mansoft · · Score: 2, Funny

    his new Bill is ... well, let him speak for himself, as he did in his office one day in June: "I've always liked multitasking (...)

    Billy, Billy... you deserve a +1 funny there, but we all know that is not true :)

    --

    Engage!

  5. Re:This has to be an all-time record.... by telstar · · Score: 5, Funny
    "This has to be an all-time record...
    Pre-announcing a product and starting the hype five years before it's expected to be released..."
    • Apparently you haven't been following the Duke Nukem saga.
  6. Microsoft re-branding "Windows" by D0wnsp0ut · · Score: 5, Funny

    Starting with the "Longhorn" release, Microsoft will unveil a new naming scheme to enhance the "Windows" brand name. No longer will versions numbers or years be tacked onto the Windows name, instead, Microsoft is shifting towards a more descriptive naming convention.

    When Longhorn finally hits the shelves, it will come in 3 flavors, a 'personal' edition for home users, a 'corporate' edition for businesses and a government release.

    • "Orwell Personal" for home use
    • "Big Brother" for corporate use
    • "The Ministry of Truth" for government use

    Pricing has not been set but early speculation would indicate that licensing fees will be rolled into federal taxes to ensure everyone is paying for their license and not using a pirated copy.

    --
    "Those who would sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither!"
  7. Re:Privacy by JUSTONEMORELATTE · · Score: 5, Funny

    You say that like it's a bad thing! Really, if my computer could figure out that X10 popunders don't work on me, that I neither need larger breasts or a longer penis, and that I don't need to MAKE MONEY FAST, that might be worth something!

  8. What's all this talk about OS's? by Ass-Gas-Istan · · Score: 2, Funny

    I thought the whole idea of Longhorn was a really good steak.

    Fillets With Flair!

  9. you gotta admit by ceswiedler · · Score: 3, Funny

    Even the most die-hard /.ers have to admit...the guy is good. Good at what he does. He made Windows, and it wasn't luck. I don't know if his run is over, don't know whether Longhorn will succeed--but I wouldn't bet against it.

  10. Re:Wow - where do I sign up. by WebMasterJoe · · Score: 5, Funny
    MSNBC really will be a high class newsfeed - nothing but two alternating commercials:
    The leader is good,
    The leader is great,
    We surrender our will,
    As of this date!
    And,

    na na na na na na na na Leader!
    --
    I really hate signatures, but go to my website.
  11. Re:What it really means by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Admit it. Longhorn is new and innovative.

    Damn straight. Longhorn will shoehorn old evil tricks into the deep reaches of your once private computer. Then they will tighten the screws to your wallet and squeeze it with affection. Say goodbye to your soul, you muppetfucker.

  12. I really hope it will go like that by kipple · · Score: 3, Funny

    I really hope people will have their data managed, and they'll be checked, double-checked, controlled, sniffed, parsed, re-checked and managed again. I really hope The System will know who you have talked to, and when, and what you said. I really hope all the website someone checks will be saved.

    Then I want that everything blows up. I want every website, every file, every private information made public by a flaw in the system.

    Since such a system is TOO complex not to have flaws (that's Chaos Theory, plain), even the smallest flaw could be exploited and will eventually crush the system.

    And I want to see that.
    Being a lawyer in that time will be like being a VC during the dot-com boom..

    and the best part will be...? that microsoft windows 'longhorn' will be made illegal by the DMCA :)

    have fun!

    --
    -- There are two kind of sysadmins: Paranoids and Losers. (adapted from D. Bach)
  13. Re:Heh. Nice Troll. by 4of12 · · Score: 3, Funny

    You got me thinking....here's another troll for you.

    If federal antitrust settlements require opening up the interfaces into Microsoft's software to a greater degree, then do they not have grounds to sue the government on the basis of the DMCA for circumventing a copyright protection scheme?


    --
    "Provided by the management for your protection."
  14. Re:What's in a name? by Reziac · · Score: 3, Funny

    No, a Longhorn is two tons of superbly well-armed bad temper. If you can ride one for as little as eight seconds and dismount without being killed, you win a shiny prize!

    Whoops, still sounds like the right product...

    --
    ~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
  15. Re:What it really means by Conspiracy+Theorist · · Score: 2, Funny

    Oh, there'll be a check box alright, and it'll say "Enable User Monitoring" or something like that, but all unchecking it will really do is set a flag in the weekly upload to MS that says "User is paranoid and probably doing something illegal. Notify the BSA, the FBI and local law enforcement for additional monitoring."

    What? You didn't think MS got out of it's trouble with the government over the "monopoly abuse" issue that easily, did you?