"Longhorn" Alpha Preview

An anonymous reader submitted an actual review of the leaked Longhorn Alpha. Finally someone has provided us with more than a few screenshots. Here's your chance to see what the future of the microsoft desktop is gonna look like!

Comments

What Paul Thurott has to say about this leak

[Drestin]

Taken from his > Friday website post:

Notes on the Longhorn Alpha

It's always humorous seeing other news agencies pick up stories days after they've first run in WinInfo or the SuperSite, and my Longhorn alpha build preview is one perfect example, with a variety of legitimate news Web sites suddenly discovering Longhorn build 3683 after I wrote about it ten days ago. Two items arose in the aftermath of this event. First, this build is old, and doesn't even slightly resemble the Longhorn we'll be using years down the road (heck, it barely works), let alone more recent builds. Second, much of the email I've gotten about this and other leaked alpha builds revolves around where I got it and whether I can distribute it. I won't generally answer email of that nature, sorry, but to answer to one bizarre query, no; I wasn't responsible for the leak either. There's something about leaked Windows builds that gets people in a tizzy, but remember: We're on the XP train now and will be for some time. This Longhorn stuff is really just a shell for technology tests at this point. It isn't something anyone would actually use day-to-day.

So, as anyone who actually thought about it (hint: ALPHA release, strictly internal), this isn't what Longhorn is about. This is some internal MS messing about with ideas for a UI - that's all. Might be twenty more variations on taskbars and quickstarts and what-have-yous. And, besides, who cares about changes to the UI. You'll get used to them, as you got used to going from W3.1 to W9x to W2K to XP. They are small changes, progressive improvments/refinements. Why get so hung up on some screenshots.

Instead, read about some of the new features and improvements to Windows that Longhorn introducts by reading Paul's Longhorn FAQ. I especially like the SQL Server .NET-based file system - "Originally slated for Blackcomb, I've now verified that Longhorn will ship with a new SQL Server .NET-based file system, originally code-named "Storage+". Based on the "Yukon" release of SQL Server, this file system will let Microsoft's search tools work across a wider range of storage devices, including the file system, Active Directory, SQL Server databases, and Exchange Server data stores." Sweet!

Re:Wow, those are some pretty pictures

[Twirlip of the Mists]

I have stopped counting the times that I've had to reboot my Jaguar workstation in the school's art lab after it failed to handle some bizarre error in Classic environment. It just gets worse with every release

I really, seriously don't mean any offense by this, but... what the fuck is wrong with you, dude?

I've been using Jaguar every day since before it was actually released; I bought a new G4 back in August, and it came with 10.2 on it about ten days before the retail boxes hit the shelves. I have never had to reboot my machine for any reason than an OS update. I shut it down once to move it to another room, and then one reboot for each of the updates since (most recently yesterday's security update). And that's all.

I'm pushing a pretty wide range of apps, too, including Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Quark (although less and less lately because it's my only OS 9 application, and InDesign is better), and sometimes Maya for doing weekly menus and signage for the restaurant. I push my machine pretty hard, and I never have the kinds of problems you're talking about.

I don't know what your deal is, but I think it's important for people to know that your experience is definitely not typical.

Re:Yawn

[TheGreek]

Windows XP volume licensing is identical to Windows 2000 volume licensing, because you're buying the same thing: Windows Pro. My company's Windows Pro license allows us to have either all Win2k, all WinXP, or some mixture of the two.

Oh, and the copy of Windows XP Pro on the Volume License media kit doesn't require activation.

Thank you, come again.

Re:Faked?

[Jugalator]

Why should I believe this are not faked like they rest?

Because an ISO of the alpha has been leaked as well and a spokeswoman of Microsoft has commented the issue.

Visit #Betas @ irc.betasonline.com for more information. Also see xbetas.com. This is the .nfo.

Also, here's a guide to fix certain boot problems with Longhorn.

Re:Keep all the eye candy, thank you.

[Jugalator]

Yeah, but Windows is designed to allow a mnimimalist desktop for those who wish so. I can make XP look like Windows 2000 anytime by selecting the Windows Classic theme (which actually disables part of the theme system of XP so it consume less memory). You can disable menu/window/combobox/listbox/whatever animations, set menu open delays to zero milliseconds and a whole lot more.

And in XP there are even Visual Styles you can download to get an even more minimalistic desktop than the one you find in Windows 2000.

Granted, for each new release of Windows there are usually more settings to turn off, but most of the time, the new features in new releases of Windows can be turned off. I have yet to see a visual features of Windows that can't, actually.

Re:Keep all the eye candy, thank you.

[Virus1984]

It get's worse because Max OS X 10.2 requires 32mb of video card ram or it wont run

Wrong, this could be the requirement for the (optional) Quartz Extreme technology, but in fact Quartz Extreme requires only 16 MB VRAM.

Re:no drive letters ;-)

[Jugalator]

Yes, remarkably like that funny concept of `mount points`?

Maybe Microsoft is replacing UNIX by BECOMING UNIX?

Virtual desktops, mount points - what next, /bin/sh?

Even Windows 2000 support mount points. Not sure if even earlier Windows NT-based OS'es do since I haven't checked. Anyway, you can easily mount your CD-ROM to a cdrom directory if that's what you wish.