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Windows Vista Leaks ... Again!

10101001011 writes "The latest build of Windows Vista (5231) has been leaked to the public, again. This latest build includes some major revamping of Windows Media Player, including a smart interface. Also, IE 7 now sports tabs a la Firefox, under the address bar. Are these leaks accidental, or is Microsoft actually trying to pull a 360?"

424 comments

  1. WMP11 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Redundant

    That actually looks very nice. Hopefully it'll be able to get the correct song titles for CDs I rip :-/

    1. Re:WMP11 by The+Slashdotted · · Score: 4, Interesting
      Hopefully, it won't sneak DRM in, when ripping from non-DRM source.

      Hopefully, it'll support Ogg Vorbis.

      Hopefully, some OSS developers will bring life back into CDex.

      Hopefully, it won't report that I'm infringing on Paris Hilton's copywrite.

      Hopefully, if you want a vision of the future, you'll imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever.

    2. Re:WMP11 by Silvrmane · · Score: 1, Informative

      I hope that some day people will use the word "hopefully" correctly.

    3. Re:WMP11 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And "copyright"

    4. Re:WMP11 by erroneous · · Score: 3, Funny

      The complaint is that a word that originally meant "with hope" is instead being used as a substitute for "I hope".

      There becomes a confusion when I write:
      "Hopefully, he left on Tuesday"

      Do I mean that I hope he left on Tuesday, or that he had hope when he left on Tuesday? It should mean the latter but in common use it's starting to instead mean the former.

      I wouldn't worry about it too much as languages have always been fluid and the relatively new usage isn't entirely unintuitive except in very rare circumstances like the one I outline above.

      Hopefully, you understand what I mean.

      --
      erroneous: look me up in a dictionary
    5. Re:WMP11 by j-cloth · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Hopefully they trimmed some of the bloat from it too. Why should a media player be the heaviest app on the system? It's gone nowhere but downhill since 6.4.

    6. Re:WMP11 by heinousjay · · Score: 2, Funny

      Seriously. I'm so damn tired of developers adding features to software. If I wanted my computer to do things for me... wait, I forgot my point.

      --
      Slashdot - where whining about luck is the new way to make the world you want.
    7. Re:WMP11 by Lumpy · · Score: 1

      Hopefully a Dual G5 2.5ghz will come down to a somewhat affordable price when it's released so I can jump ship and get the hell away from my last requirement for needing windows in my home... video editing.

      I just cant afford to spend $5000.00 on what is needed to replace my XP/wintel hardware and software. as soon as I can get everything I need for $2500.00 I'm there!

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    8. Re:WMP11 by R.D.Olivaw · · Score: 1

      Thanks for the explanation. I did understand what the ccomplaint was about. I wanted to point out that the way it was used is now accepted enough to appear in a dictionary. Hopefully, I will explain myself better in the future.

    9. Re:WMP11 by Haeleth · · Score: 3, Informative

      There becomes a confusion when I write:
      "Hopefully, he left on Tuesday"


      That sentence is not ambiguous.

      Do I mean that I hope he left on Tuesday, or that he had hope when he left on Tuesday?

      The former. It would not be natural English to use it in the latter sense.

      It should mean the latter but in common use it's starting to instead mean the former.

      "It's starting" is a rather funny way of describing a usage that has been standard for about a century, and "in common use" is a bit strange given that the form has been predominant even in formal, literary, and technical English for at least 40 years.

      And I'm surprised to see you say that a word "should" mean something, when you go on to acknowledge, quite correctly, that language is a fluid thing. It's safe to assume you don't believe treacle "should" mean an antidote to snake venom, so why do you believe hopefully "should" mean "the subject acts with hope" rather than "I speak with hope"?

      (I like the subtle split infinitive, incidentally. Nice way to emphasise the fact that most "rules" are arbitrary stylistic decisions, rather than being founded in usage or convenience.)

    10. Re:WMP11 by farrellj · · Score: 1

      Of course the leaked it! How else will the non-megacorp developers had software ready for it when it comes out?

      Besides, that is their marketing strategy...You give it away so that it becomes a defacto standard, then make money by calling the Lawman on their users, and then charging big money to be legit...funny how the recording industry has finally clued into this marketing strategy.

      ttyl
                Farrell

      --
      CAN-CON 2019 - Ottawa's only book oriented Science Fiction Convention! October 18-20, Sheraton Hotel, Ottawa, Canada h
    11. Re:WMP11 by malsdavis · · Score: 2, Informative

      My biggest critisim of WMP 10 was the way the internet retrieved information about the currently playing song was removed and replaced with song-selling websites which don't provide nearly as much info (i.e. no bio's, lyrics etc.) and only seem to be interested in selling other songs (or even the song you are already listening to, why you would want to repay for something you have probably already brought is beyond me).

    12. Re:WMP11 by CameraChimera · · Score: 1

      It should mean the latter but in common use it's starting to instead mean the former. As much as you'd like to, you can't control the direction a language takes. A language is its common usage.

    13. Re:WMP11 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, it'll most likely not sneak in DRM from non-DRM sources, and probably support Ogg via DirectShow at least, as it has used to do that before.

    14. Re:WMP11 by grahamlee · · Score: 1

      If we were talking German or Old English then there wouldn't be a problem, but this is English so the problem with your example sentence is the placement of the nouns. "Hopefully, he left on Tuesday" suggests the implicit "I am hopeful that he..." whereas "he left hopefully, on Tuesday" means what you intend.

    15. Re:WMP11 by Overly+Critical+Guy · · Score: 1

      The former. It would not be natural English to use it in the latter sense.

      Why not? Hopefully means "with hope." It's an adverb describing an action. If Joe hopefully went to the store, you're describing his action of going to the store as being hopeful.

      I guess people are too busy spelling Microsoft with dollar signs to recognize how silly they look when they use poor English.

      --
      "Sufferin' succotash."
    16. Re:WMP11 by Overly+Critical+Guy · · Score: 1

      That's like saying "Stupidly, he left on Tuesday" suggests an implicit "I am stupid."

      --
      "Sufferin' succotash."
    17. Re:WMP11 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ya, talk about bloated software. I mean the video player uses a whole 10MB of RAM.....

      Go back to your poorly written blog that no one reads.

    18. Re:WMP11 by lgw · · Score: 1

      "Hopefully", "thankfully", and "shortly" are perhaps the most abused words in English. "I hope" or "one hopes" can be used where "hopefully" is ususally misused, and "soon" or "presently" can be used where "shortly" is usually misused, but "one is thankful" is so awkward that it seems better to just give in and use "thankfully".

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    19. Re:WMP11 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh, joy. The Microsoft troll is back.

    20. Re:WMP11 by lgw · · Score: 1

      The "you know what I mean" argument is fine for casual speech (which, arguably, includes Slashdot), if you don't mind accepting "U R FUNY!" as well. It's worth being mindful of pendantic style rules in formal writing however.

      Following pedantic style rules when writing the cover letter for your resume, for example, is like wearing a suit to a job interview. It may not be necessary, it may not even help (depending on your reader), but it's almost certain not to hurt.
        In other formal contexts, it's often wise to avoid ambiguity at all costs, because even though someone knows what you mean, it's in their interest to *deliberately* misinterpret what you said.

      If you keep a "CYA" email folder at work, but write sloppily enough that someone could twist your words, you still have a problem, despite the fact that everyone involved in the original conversation understood.

      Get in the habit of writing correctly, for you never know when it will save your ass!

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    21. Re:WMP11 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's like saying "Stupidly, he left on Tuesday" suggests an implicit "I am stupid."

      For some people, every sentence does.

    22. Re:WMP11 by grahamlee · · Score: 1

      No it's not, because that would imply a consistency which the English language does not have. In many other languages, an observation of your type would be correct.

    23. Re:WMP11 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Generally, you would clear up the misunderstanding by saying something like
      he left, hopefull.

      that's my guess. what do I know about language. more than that, what do any of you know about language. this place is just a bunch of sheep bleeting about anything to sound smarter.

      why do idiots start complaining about somethign totally irrelevant to the original post. are you that smart and still don't understand the simple fact that nobody's gives a flying hoot about your little issue with people abusing the word, "hopefully". As long as you understood what the poster said, it's ok. And if you really didn't understand the poster, you got other issues. And

      CAN YOU PLEASE GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE, YOU IDIOT!

    24. Re:WMP11 by WMD_88 · · Score: 1
      I just cant afford to spend $5000.00 on what is needed to replace my XP/wintel hardware and software. as soon as I can get everything I need for $2500.00 I'm there!

      Um...a dual 2GHz G5 is $2000. And there are refurbished G5 towers out there (macofalltrades.com, for example) that work just as good as new yet cost a lot less. Look around.

    25. Re:WMP11 by freeweed · · Score: 1

      Well, his nickname is erroneous, after all...

      --
      Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.
    26. Re:WMP11 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Hopefully, he left on Tuesday" could have either meaning. It is much more common usage for it to mean that I hope he left on Tuesday, and not he had hope when he left on Tuesday. The latter would more clearly be written "He left on Tuesday hopefully," (even though the distance between the adjective and the pronoun makes that form somewhat awkward) or explicitly as "He was hopeful when he left on Tuesday."

    27. Re:WMP11 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Cool the dual G5's come with all the software needed for vieo editing as well as flat panel monitors??? shweet!

      Oh wait, you were talking out your butt again and missed the $3000.00+ for buying the software and monitor or to go cheap pair of 17" lcd monitors you need to do what lumpy said?

      how about you revise your "quote" and give us real numbers. If I seem jaded it's because I am in the same boat as lumpy. it costs $5000.00 to get a working video editing platform with MAC.

    28. Re:WMP11 by WMD_88 · · Score: 1
      Oh wait, you were talking out your butt again and missed the $3000.00+ for buying the software and monitor or to go cheap pair of 17" lcd monitors you need to do what lumpy said?

      Apple offers Final Cut Express for $300 with the machine. The all-inclusive Final Cut Studio (or at leat quite comprehensive, I don't know everything he does) is $1300, not $3000. And he's probably already got monitors he can use.

      how about you revise your "quote" and give us real numbers. If I seem jaded it's because I am in the same boat as lumpy. it costs $5000.00 to get a working video editing platform with MAC.

      Numbers revised, see above. And it's "Mac."

  2. Subverting the release of Ubuntu 5.10? by 3dWarlord · · Score: 5, Funny

    I find it interesting that it is "leaked" the same day as Ubuntu "Breezy Badger" 5.10. Is MS trying to subvert its toughest FOSS competitor?

    1. Re:Subverting the release of Ubuntu 5.10? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Redundant


      Incredibly lame thing said by Linux zealot #310.

      I mean, come on. Microsoft probably doesn't even know what Ubuntu is. Wait until Ubuntu grabs at least 2-3% of the OS market then you can go hog wild with conspiracy theories.

    2. Re:Subverting the release of Ubuntu 5.10? by 3dWarlord · · Score: 0

      I bet this same month in 1998 some slashdot troll said the same thing about Linux. We all know what came next. Ever hear of the Halloween Documents?

    3. Re:Subverting the release of Ubuntu 5.10? by essdodson · · Score: 2, Informative
      I find it interesting that it is "leaked" the same day as Ubuntu "Breezy Badger" 5.10. Is MS trying to subvert its toughest FOSS competitor?
      This actually happened 4 days ago. Slashdot is just typically a week behind reporting anything other than news favorable to Linux and the opensource community.
      --
      scott
    4. Re:Subverting the release of Ubuntu 5.10? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It wasn't leaked on the same day. It's been on the groups since at least Monday this week.

    5. Re:Subverting the release of Ubuntu 5.10? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It got on the main page of Slashdot even and Ubuntu's breezy badger didn't.

      Doh! Spoke too soon!!!

    6. Re:Subverting the release of Ubuntu 5.10? by strider44 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Oh my god, you mean that a site run by the Open Source Technology Group brings to the front page a story about the release of a major open source Linux distribution quicker than three leaked screenshots of an alpha that look exactly the same as what we've already seen? Bloody hell this is a catastrophe!

    7. Re:Subverting the release of Ubuntu 5.10? by xtracto · · Score: 2

      t's simple: Chairman Bill pulls the chain and y'all bark.

      Did you have enough Microsofot bashing little troll?

      Except that MS leak was anounced on 09 Oct 2005 (RTFA would you?) and ubuntu release was just today.

      --
      Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
    8. Re:Subverting the release of Ubuntu 5.10? by GrungyLotG · · Score: 1

      The next story posted was indeed Breezy Badger's release.

    9. Re:Subverting the release of Ubuntu 5.10? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ha, ha, howl, snort, snort, haah, spewing coffee out my nose, ha, ha, ROFLMAO, snort ad infinitum.

    10. Re:Subverting the release of Ubuntu 5.10? by crojack · · Score: 1

      A bigger media event that this curiuosly coincides with is the Apple media event. First screen shots I've seen of Vista, but I have to say that those forward/backward buttons on the media player look very similar to OSX. Of course, by the time Vista offically comes out-what 2007- OSX will look different and Windows will be at least a year behind, just like every other Win release.

    11. Re:Subverting the release of Ubuntu 5.10? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your moronic bleating doesn't make his statement any less true.

    12. Re:Subverting the release of Ubuntu 5.10? by Mordack · · Score: 1
      Your moronic bleating doesn't make his statement any less true.

      You are correct sir, but only because his statement contained no truth to be lost in the first place. HAND.
      --
      I don't need no stinkin' sig!
    13. Re:Subverting the release of Ubuntu 5.10? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I find it interesting that it is "leaked" the same day as Ubuntu "Breezy Badger" 5.10. Is MS trying to subvert its toughest FOSS competitor?

      You're kidding, right? I'm sure Gates and Ballmer are leaking beta copies, of what will be their flagship OS and the dominant desktop OS for its tenure, because of Ubuntu? Please, get a hold of yourself and stop the insanity.

  3. Who Cares? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    Honestly, do even diehard MS fans even care?

  4. Oh wait...! by jkrise · · Score: 5, Funny

    Any idea which of the several versions leaked?

    --
    If you keep throwing chairs, one day you'll break windows....
    1. Re:Oh wait...! by PhraudulentOne · · Score: 3, Informative

      Ultimate Edition, as it says on the page with the screenshots (you will see this if you click on TFA).

      --
      You create your own reality - Leave mine to me.
    2. Re:Oh wait...! by Taladar · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That is probably the only version in existance until they build in the restrictions for the other versions right before the release.

    3. Re:Oh wait...! by bhtooefr · · Score: 1

      Sounds right...

      With XP, the only edition was Professional, until the final version was released. You actually couldn't do an upgrade install from XP Pro Beta to XP Home Final, but you [b]COULD[/b] do an upgrade install (at upgrade prices, IIRC) from XP Pro Beta to XP Pro Final...

    4. Re:Oh wait...! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you keep throwing chairs, one day you'll break windows....

      About that signature... I thought it was People who live behind Windows shouldn't throw chairs...

    5. Re:Oh wait...! by rubberbando · · Score: 4, Funny

      Any idea which of the several versions leaked?

      That would be Windows Vista: Leaky Edition.

      --
      DEAD DEAD DEAD DELETE ME
    6. Re:Oh wait...! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe they should call Lowes or Home Depot, I am sure one of them could sell them some caulk to fix their leaky windows.

    7. Re:Oh wait...! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually I think it's supposed to be people who live behind Windows should walk around naked.

    8. Re:Oh wait...! by rubberbando · · Score: 2, Funny

      Maybe they should call Lowes or Home Depot, I am sure one of them could sell them some caulk to fix their leaky windows.

      You know, you might be onto something there.

        Caulk sounds like a great name for Microsoft's new security software.

      --
      DEAD DEAD DEAD DELETE ME
    9. Re:Oh wait...! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Any idea which of the several versions leaked?

      shouldn't that be:
      Any idea which of the several versions Linked?

      Seems more like linking not "leaking!"

    10. Re:Oh wait...! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That doesn't help, every version is Leaky, but only if you're talking about memory management.

    11. Re:Oh wait...! by PCMeister · · Score: 1

      Or perhaps...

      Windows Blurred Vista: RSOD Edition (It's a "feature", not a bug!)

      Damn.. That feature's been fixed!

      How about...

      Windows Myopic Vista: Macular Degeneration Edition
      (Morphs over time into Windows 95 featuring a spankin' new version of Bob)

  5. Thats for the tabloids by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    That looks like a hollywood starlet out to gain some cheap publicity by leaking news of her latest breast enhancement

    1. Re:Thats for the tabloids by Universal+Indicator · · Score: 5, Funny

      Or possibly her breast enhancement is leaking, we're not sure :-)

    2. Re:Thats for the tabloids by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      " That looks like a hollywood starlet out to gain some cheap publicity by leaking news of her latest breast enhancement"
      If Windows had tits, there'd be a lot less gripeing...
    3. Re:Thats for the tabloids by Gogeta_ · · Score: 1

      Hmm... I suppose most of my problems with Windows DOES come from some porn-based issue... haha. Blue boobs screen of death, then?

      --
      ~gogeta_
    4. Re:Thats for the tabloids by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not really. I'd rather see some coked-up borderline/histrionic chick's tits than anything from Microsoft.

    5. Re:Thats for the tabloids by dallaskincaid · · Score: 1

      Boobs are far more interesting to look at.

    6. Re:Thats for the tabloids by Moofie · · Score: 1

      Not fake ones, though...

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    7. Re:Thats for the tabloids by Hal_Porter · · Score: 1
      --
      echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
  6. 360 definitely by Zlib+pt · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Just check this story http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/sep/EEklAEVplZ YuqLANUS.php

    Publicity is the soul of the game

    1. Re:360 definitely by jimbolauski · · Score: 1

      Nah,
      Vista is just in it's 3rd trimester as is susceptible to leaks.

      --
      Knowledge = Power
      P= W/t
      t=Money
      Money = Work/Knowledge so the less you know the more you make
    2. Re:360 definitely by Zlib+pt · · Score: 1

      did you even read the article ?

    3. Re:360 definitely by jimbolauski · · Score: 1

      Have you ever got a joke?

      --
      Knowledge = Power
      P= W/t
      t=Money
      Money = Work/Knowledge so the less you know the more you make
    4. Re:360 definitely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nah... looks more like a 720 to me.

  7. Vista with new Sieve Security Technology by squoozer · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yes you heard it here first folks. Continuing the proud tradition of security first we at Microsoft have implimented new Sieve Security Technology (tm) throughout our systems. Now, as well as producing the most bug ridden insecure operating system around, we can't even keep hold of the software before it is written.

    --
    I used to have a better sig but it broke.
    1. Re:Vista with new Sieve Security Technology by tehshen · · Score: 5, Funny

      Some day, all software will be distributed through either leaks or invites, then one day someone will try to be special and different by actually releasing it on time, then everyone will try to do that again, and it will be a horrible vicious cycle

      --
      Guy asked me for a quarter for a cup of coffee. So I bit him.
    2. Re:Vista with new Sieve Security Technology by mysqlrocks · · Score: 5, Funny

      ...we can't even keep hold of the software before it is written.

      Wow, that's pretty talented. Releasing code before you've written it. I wish I could do that. Surely you mean released not written?

    3. Re:Vista with new Sieve Security Technology by jkrise · · Score: 1

      maybe MS is hoping the virus writers would have their code ready so they can launch their product with their new antivirus or "Malware Protection Utility" or whatever...

      --
      If you keep throwing chairs, one day you'll break windows....
    4. Re:Vista with new Sieve Security Technology by Capt+James+McCarthy · · Score: 1

      It's actually called: Security Housing Initiative Technology (tm)

      --
      There are no loopholes. It's either legal or it's not.
    5. Re:Vista with new Sieve Security Technology by Ford+Prefect · · Score: 1

      Some day, all software will be distributed through either leaks or invites, then one day someone will try to be special and different by actually releasing it on time

      And maybe, just maybe, it won't be a Beta!

      --
      Tedious Bloggy Stuff - hooray?
    6. Re:Vista with new Sieve Security Technology by Embedded · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Actually Mark Shuttlesworth's Community Ubuntu 5.10 is released *Ahead* of time.

      Go Breezy! http://us.releases.ubuntu.com/releases/5.10/

      --
      Vista, the single biggest argument for Desktop Linux! It doesn't "Just Work"(TM).
    7. Re:Vista with new Sieve Security Technology by squoozer · · Score: 1

      One itty bitty little temporal mistake that could easily cause the end of the universe if it became reality and your all over me like rash. I can't help it. I had red painted bedroom walls as a kid. :o)

      --
      I used to have a better sig but it broke.
    8. Re:Vista with new Sieve Security Technology by mysqlrocks · · Score: 1

      Sorry, not my intention to give you a hard time. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to comment on a funny mistake.

    9. Re:Vista with new Sieve Security Technology by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe you should get a fucking clue and a sense of humor, android.

    10. Re:Vista with new Sieve Security Technology by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Surely you mean released not written?


      Yes I do...and don't call me Shirley.

    11. Re:Vista with new Sieve Security Technology by jason+ward · · Score: 1

      You heard the man! They just licensed the tech from Spaceballs.

    12. Re:Vista with new Sieve Security Technology by Jozer99 · · Score: 1

      They do this on purpose. The builds leaked "conviently" don't have any of the technologies microsoft isn't ready to unviel. In order to get legal copies of Longhorn, you have to subscribe to MSDN, and have the time and motivation to install it. This way, they get a free bug testing group, who posts any problems they find on discussion sites, which microsoft reads and fixes.

    13. Re:Vista with new Sieve Security Technology by NatasRevol · · Score: 1

      That's a pretty shitty QA process. And it shows.

      --
      There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
    14. Re:Vista with new Sieve Security Technology by Cutting_Crew · · Score: 1

      Gates: How could there be a virus for Vista already?.... We're still in the middle of writing it.
      Anonymous: That's true, sir, but there's been a new breakthrough in virus development.
      Gates: "There has?"
      Anonymous: Yes. Instant viruses. They're in the software before its finished.
      Gates: What the hell am I looking at? When does this virus infect Vista?
      Anonymous: Now. It's happening now, sir. Everything that happens now, is happening now.
      Gates: What happened to then?
      Anonymous: We passed then..
      Gates: When?
      Anonymous: Just now. We're at now, now.
      Gates: Go back to then.
      Anonymous: When?
      Gates: Now.
      Anonymous: Now?
      Gates: Now.
      Anonymous: I can't.
      Gates: Why not?
      Anonymous: We missed it.
      Gates: When?
      Anonymous: Just now.
      Gates: When will then be now?
      Anonymous: Soon.

    15. Re:Vista with new Sieve Security Technology by grrrl · · Score: 1

      Releasing code before you've written it. I wish I could do that. Surely you mean released not written?

      ob spaceballs quote (c/o wikiquote):

      DARK HELMET: Colonel Sandurz, may I speak with you please? (throws facemask up) How can there be a videotape of the movie? We're still in the middle of making it!
      SANDURZ: Yes, but there's been a new breakthrough in home video technology.
      DARK HELMET: There has?
      SANDURZ: Yes. Instant cassettes. They're out in stores before the movie is finished.

  8. Re:FP? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    More like just changing it so that it doesn't completely piss over MS's own UI design guidelines.

  9. interesting... by xao+gypsie · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I know that this has been discussed on /. before, but after reading http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_edit ions.asp, I am honestly thinking that I will be using Linux full time once I get tired of XP

    --


    xao
    http://TheHillforum.hopto.org
    1. Re:interesting... by xao+gypsie · · Score: 4, Interesting

      If he's using XP now, presumably like most of those idjits out there, he'll jump for joy when Vista comes out
      I resent that comment. I would call my self an informed user, with plenty of Linux experience. However, I get windows xp for free because I am a grad student, and currently don't have any need to switch over. But when Vista is actually released, I have no desire to run an OS that does not come with all the features that are available. That annoys me to no end. When I say, "when I get tired of XP", I mean in about a year or two when I am looking to upgrade. So you might want to quit putting all those 'idjits' into a pigeonhole and realize that there are informed users who use XP who also find that the Vista nonsense is the last straw...

      --


      xao
      http://TheHillforum.hopto.org
    2. Re:interesting... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Right. You use it right now due to simple inertia. And that same inertia will probably carry you forward.

      For most stuff 'cept games, windows is a hinderance.
      Unless your grad program is in .NET.

    3. Re:interesting... by Brazilian+Joe · · Score: 1

      Games. As Wine/ReactOS mature (probably before Vista comes around), Linux+Wine or Dual boot ReactOS or use xen to switch to Between the two. Then MS will have to do quite a feat to justify its price tag. The MS Office cash cow is being dealt with by OpenOffice, MS wil eventually have a small enough market share and fierce enough competition that it will play fair. By 2020 few people will even remember the 'evil' Microsoft. I know IBM used to be the 'evil' in IT mostly by old-timers references.

    4. Re:interesting... by prefect42 · · Score: 2, Funny

      "that same inertia will probably carry you forward." Can I hang that on my wall?

      --

      jh

    5. Re:interesting... by xao+gypsie · · Score: 3, Funny

      Actually my grad program is in Divinity (theology). I just don't have the time to make the switch over to Linux yet. But I will probably this summer.

      --


      xao
      http://TheHillforum.hopto.org
    6. Re:interesting... by HunterZ · · Score: 2, Interesting

      WTF? Why are they placing arbitrary limits on the amount of RAM and number of CPUs supported?

      --
      Arguing about vi versus Emacs is like arguing whether it's better to make fire by rubbing sticks or banging rocks.
    7. Re:interesting... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      you go to hogwarts????

    8. Re:interesting... by xao+gypsie · · Score: 1

      ha ha, no. It is a Lutheran (German origin) Seminary (in the united states), so it actually looks a bit like hogwarts.

      --


      xao
      http://TheHillforum.hopto.org
    9. Re:interesting... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      I am honestly thinking that I will be using Linux full time once I get tired of XP

      I made the switch about a year and a half ago. The transition really isn't that hard . . . especially when you start to appreciate concepts like "Hmm, I'd like to try out some software that does X", and five minutes later it's up and running, uncrippled (five hours for Gentoo :P).

      Really the only true pain today for the home user is if you're hooked on some specific Windows-only games. I simply switched to Linux games (though I don't play many games nowadays anyway other than the one true game).

    10. Re:interesting... by Archon · · Score: 1

      Only 10 supported network connections, on even their premier version. What a steaming pile of authoritarian B.S.

    11. Re:interesting... by dwandy · · Score: 1
      For beginner computer users in emerging markets who can only afford a low cost PC, Windows Vista Starter Edition provides a more affordable and easy introduction to personal computing because it is lower priced

      I think this is pretty much going to be read as a slap by "emerging markets" when there is a fully featured OS that's free ...
      And once the "emerging markets" emerge and become dominant economic force(s) M$ will become just another apple-like example of how proprietary stuff eventually goes away, while stuff that's open and available thrives. (ironic that M$ used to be the 'open choice'...)

      --
      If you think imaginary property and real property are the same, when does your house become public domain?
    12. Re:interesting... by CoderJoe · · Score: 1

      If this is like former versions of windows, this only means that you can serve 10 clients via SMB, not that you can only have 10 TCP/IP connections at a time. that would be silly. But, I suppose if they did limit it to 10 concurrent TCP connections, they could kill bittorrent, until someone finds a workaround for the limit.

    13. Re:interesting... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is what every noob says. You and I both know that the day Vista comes out you'll be getting your copy and upgrading from XP to Vista along with all the other clueless noobs. Nothing is worse than a Linux/OS X advocate who constantly uses Windows. Jump on the bandwagon a little more there little sheep. BAHHHHHHHH! Let me guess you dual boot Windows XP with Linux right?

    14. Re:interesting... by lgw · · Score: 1

      Well, the first 7 verions of Vista released are all desktop versions. That limitation has been there long time for Windows desktops. We haven't seen the server versions of Vista yet. I wonder how many more versions they will cook up?

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    15. Re:interesting... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your village called, they want their idjit back!

    16. Re:interesting... by freeweed · · Score: 1

      So you can pay for a "better" version if you want more RAM, duh! :)

      Kinda like how you can't format a large partition using FAT32 under Windows. It's entirely arbitrary, to "encourage" (ie: force) people to use NTFS. Completely coincidentally, NTFS is only really supported under Windows.

      Arbitrary restrictions are always about money. ALWAYS.

      --
      Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.
  10. Ooops by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Ooops, I did it again. Steve Balmer.

  11. Of course it leaked by riflemann · · Score: 5, Funny

    Does that mean it's full of holes?

    *rimshot*

    1. Re:Of course it leaked by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Does that mean it's full of holes?

      No silly... It's full of bugs.

    2. Re:Of course it leaked by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How is the parent flamebait rather than funny? Someone enlighten me, this moderation system is confusing.

    3. Re:Of course it leaked by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Isn't "rimshot" a basketball term for when the ball just barely makes it in by bouncing off the rim?

  12. Did I miss something? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    So, the screenshots feature:

    * WMP with "not a usability nightmare" theme applied
    * A volume meter
    * Stuff we've seen in previous betas

    Wow! This leak has convinced me, I'm upgrading!

  13. MS Security by mordors9 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Perhaps they will rely upon their usual method of security ..... "damn, it just crashed my machine."

  14. Nothing to see here by Underholdning · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why is it that Vista is all about the user interface? Transperencey and tabbed browsing is just a part of the GUI and could be included in XP just like that. I want to know about the OS. There is one slightly amusing thing in the screenshots though. He's chatting with someone named Ryan|Topside Porn

    1. Re:Nothing to see here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is the Microsoft we know and love. The company has a constant worry that somebody will come along and make something shinier, easier and more fun. End result: things like MS Bob and Clippy.

      Clearly, they felt that now xorg development was increasing, and Linux desktops would gain *drop shadows* on their windows, the switchover momentum would be unstoppable unless they did something. Result: drop shadows, *and* Gaussian title bars. Threat averted!

      Oh yeah, they planned a bunch of other stuff, but cut back so it could ship on time... oh, wait.

    2. Re:Nothing to see here by DaHat · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Your average consumer doesn't understand an operating system very much... if you tell them about all of the work done under the hood to make it faster, more reliable and easer to use... they aren't likely to care, they just want to be able to use it and have it look nice.

      If in addition to changing the plumbing you change the faucets (ie things the user sees) they are much more likely to accept that things have changed.

      Yes, Vista has a new UI... but you should not forget about the backend things that have been done... two of my favorites are the new networking stack and the audio stack being brought into user land... what does that mean? Application level audio control! You will be able to raise the volume for the movie you are watching (that was no doubt ripped from a DVD and has low volume) and not go deaf when someone IM's you.

    3. Re:Nothing to see here by tsa · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yes, Vista has a new UI... but you should not forget about the backend things that have been done... two of my favorites are the new networking stack and the audio stack being brought into user land... what does that mean? Application level audio control! You will be able to raise the volume for the movie you are watching (that was no doubt ripped from a DVD and has low volume) and not go deaf when someone IM's you.

      Wow, so they did something about safety after all! Amazing!

      --

      -- Cheers!

    4. Re:Nothing to see here by tehshen · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You will be able to raise the volume for the movie you are watching and not go deaf when someone IM's you.

      Like you can do already, in every media player, ever?

      --
      Guy asked me for a quarter for a cup of coffee. So I bit him.
    5. Re:Nothing to see here by Mr.+Underbridge · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Why is it that Vista is all about the user interface? Transperencey and tabbed browsing is just a part of the GUI and could be included in XP just like that. I want to know about the OS. There is one slightly amusing thing in the screenshots though. He's chatting with someone named Ryan|Topside Porn

      Dunno about that. To my knowledge, they are implementing a completely new graphics engine. Yes, you *could* kludge together a bunch of crap and release it as a SP, but that's not a fantastic idea. Also, if they're going to do a fair amount of work, I'm sure they expect to acutally *sell* it.

      Additionally, there's a small company in Cupertino who seems to believe that focusing primarily on the user interface isn't a bad idea. I'm not saying MS is doing it *well* necessarily, and there's a lot more to a UI than lickable graphics, but if they actually do care about the UI for once that would not be a bad thing.

      Don't know how Vista's going to be from a usability standpoint (obviously), but at least it's not ass ugly like XP. That's at least one improvement.

    6. Re:Nothing to see here by unclethursday · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Application level audio control! You will be able to raise the volume for the movie you are watching (that was no doubt ripped from a DVD and has low volume) and not go deaf when someone IM's you.

      So, since I stopped using Windows for OS X they still haven't fixed this?

      I've gotten so used to it on OS X, I figured MS might have fixed that on Windows by now...

      Nothing worse than watching/listening to something and suddenly AIM/MSN messenger/Yahoo! IM going off and scaring the shit out of me... Well, yes there is, but not in the context of what we speak of here.

    7. Re:Nothing to see here by Pdj79 · · Score: 1

      There is one slightly amusing thing in the screenshots though. He's chatting with someone named Ryan|Topside Porn What's really amusing is that the user is listening to an illegal mp3. The song is not Teenage Wasteland, its Baba O'Reilly. No ID3 tag from a "reputable" music download service would have that as the name. Nice!

    8. Re:Nothing to see here by Powertrip · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Yes, but have you ever tried to 'turn-down' the volume of MSN Messenger? You can't -- unless of course, you turn down the entire 'WAV' slider....then you can't hear your DVD no matter how the volume is set within the Media Player app. With audio control brought to an application level, I am hoping that I could 'mute' the ouput from messenger while leaving the other media player alone.

    9. Re:Nothing to see here by Freexe · · Score: 1

      Since when is ripping illegal?

      --
      "In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act." - George Orwell
    10. Re:Nothing to see here by Shaper_pmp · · Score: 1

      How can you tell that?

      Everything on the media player says "Teenage Wasteland"...

      --
      Everything in moderation, including moderation itself
    11. Re:Nothing to see here by seanvaandering · · Score: 1

      He's chatting with someone named Ryan|Topside Porn

      Well there you have it. Now you KNOW the screenshots are real.

    12. Re:Nothing to see here by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 1

      Actually, no you can't.

      Usually I have the media player turned all the way up, and also the other main audio all the way up - simply because movie files often come with very low level audio.

      Then, as the GP points out, someone IMs you and you jump out of your seat.

      Being able to lower the volume of everything except the media player is whats needed, and it looks like they are adding it :)

      --
      liqbase :: faster than paper
    13. Re:Nothing to see here by ray-auch · · Score: 1

      Transperencey and tabbed browsing is just a part of the GUI and could be included in XP just like that.

      Sorry, MS got there with the implementation before your idea. Google WinFX.

    14. Re:Nothing to see here by IdolizingStewie · · Score: 1

      The correct name of the song everyone refers to as "Teenage Wasteland" is "Baba O'Reilly".

    15. Re:Nothing to see here by unclethursday · · Score: 1
      Don't know how Vista's going to be from a usability standpoint (obviously), but at least it's not ass ugly like XP. That's at least one improvement.

      I find their use of transparencies quite ugly, actually. But, at least the giant Fischer Price red X to close button seems to be gone.

      Then again, I'm on OS X, so I find having menu bars on the program windows ugly, anymore. It took me a while to get used to the menu is always at the top of the screen that OS X uses, but I find it is less clutter, more use of space for the app now, though. Least the drop shadows look good... though, that's not a hard aspect to do, really.

    16. Re:Nothing to see here by Pdj79 · · Score: 1

      If it was a rip, usually the program ripping the CD would query CDDB and grab the information. Considering this is a very popular song from The Who, the correct title would be available, unless the guy went on something like WinMX, Limewire, or Bearshare and typed in Teenage Wasteland because those are the only words he knows to the song. Sorry my joke (although more than likely reality) missed its mark with you people.

    17. Re:Nothing to see here by Mr.+Underbridge · · Score: 1
      I find their use of transparencies quite ugly, actually. But, at least the giant Fischer Price red X to close button seems to be gone.

      I actually didn't mind the transparency. Any color scheme that's more muted than the XP crap is better. Like you said, the Fisher Price colors. Let's see - nuclear green, electric blue, and the most garish red on the face of the planet. Let's throw those together, see how it looks.

      Good God, who designed that interface?

      On the plus side, it looks like they've reduced the size of window bars and the task bar, as all were gi-normous in XP.

      Then again, I'm on OS X, so I find having menu bars on the program windows ugly, anymore. It took me a while to get used to the menu is always at the top of the screen that OS X uses, but I find it is less clutter, more use of space for the app now, though.

      Same here on all counts. I go back and forth between Mac and Linux, though, so I'm used to both.

    18. Re:Nothing to see here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So, since I stopped using Windows for OS X they still haven't fixed this?

      At least it didn't took MS 15 years to implement multitasking. Macintosh lacks on so many counts real people use it's not even funny. But as it is a pure "show system" nobody who uses it seems to care.

      Do you still have to pay $30 to get your movies to fullscreen? I guess they Implement that so you get the feel for "The hacky shareware feeling" since you have to pay up about $300 for small programs just to be able to do the basics on macintosh.

    19. Re:Nothing to see here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      uh oh... somebodies jealous

    20. Re:Nothing to see here by Jugalator · · Score: 1

      I want to know about the OS.

      I don't know how many times I've posted this by now, but here goes again:
      - Vista 'known features' overview
      - Vista editions

      --
      Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
    21. Re:Nothing to see here by sootman · · Score: 1

      "if you tell them about all of the work done under the hood to make it faster, more reliable and easer to use..."

      Faster is the one thing that *would* make me use (even pay for!) Vista. XP sucks compared to W2K, so I've stuck with 2K at home, but MS keeps releasing nifty stuff that I want to check out but they only release for XP. The only XP machine I have is my company's tablet.

      --
      Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
    22. Re:Nothing to see here by Shimmer · · Score: 1

      The movie you are watching (that was no doubt ripped from a DVD and has low volume)

      Can anyone explain to me why DVDs typically have such low volume? This drives me nuts.

      --
      The most rabid believers in American Exceptionalism are the exact same people whose policies are destroying it.
    23. Re:Nothing to see here by aiyo · · Score: 1

      Gaim allows you to mute the audio in Away mode. I think most toher clients do too...

    24. Re:Nothing to see here by ConceptJunkie · · Score: 1

      and the audio stack being brought into user land...

      Won't that make it easier to subvert DRM? Not that it seems to be very hard in the first place...

      --
      You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
    25. Re:Nothing to see here by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1
      the audio stack being brought into user land... what does that mean? Application level audio control!

      Actually, this doesn't mean anything of the kind (and presumably you mean userspace, rather than user land, otherwise this doesn't even make sense). All that is required for per-application audio control is for each application to have its own mixer channel. This was possible with DirectShow the last time I read the docs (3 years ago) but most developers were too lazy to implement it, and just tied their volume control to the global volume.

      The advantage of having the audio subsystem in userspace is that if it crashes then there is no way for it to bring down the kernel. Since my number one cause of Windows 2000 crashing was Creative's sound drivers, this is a Good Thing(TM) - although it will come at the expense of a slight increase in latency and CPU load (from the extra context switches required. BeOS did this, and it was very useful (certainly 5 years ago, possibly more) - the sound system would periodically crash, and you would get a little notification saying that it had been restarted, with no other ill effects.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    26. Re:Nothing to see here by Soul-Burn666 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      There's a simple solution to that which I have found a couple of years ago. Go to your messenger, to the "sounds" configuration screen and choose "No sounds". Life became much less annoying ever since I did that.
      Do you REALLY need an audable signal to know when someone sends you a message? The blinking (or not blinking) icon is more than enough for me.

      But I also disable all the interface sounds (login, logout, open window, close window...)

      The only program that is running and is allowed to "surprise" me like this is the temp/fans monitor.

      --
      ^_^
    27. Re:Nothing to see here by WarForge · · Score: 0

      I'm not saying MS is doing it *well* necessarily, and there's a lot more to a UI than lickable graphics

      I for one, would like to know where you get a monitor that enables you to taste the graphics... it would bring out a whole new dimension to my porn collection.

    28. Re:Nothing to see here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's not all about the user interface, people just make it seem like it is, because that's what you see. Operating systems are mostly invisible until you start running applications on them.

    29. Re:Nothing to see here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Silly customers. Don't they know it's about the gameplay, not the graphics!?

      Wait...am I in the wrong thread?

    30. Re:Nothing to see here by Shaper_pmp · · Score: 1

      Excellent! So, porn references and illegal MP3s at Microsoft, and that's just in one screenshot.

      Great PR, guys :-D

      --
      Everything in moderation, including moderation itself
    31. Re:Nothing to see here by mattbrundage · · Score: 4, Interesting

      From DVDDemystified:

      Many people complain that the audio level from DVD players is too low. In truth the audio level is too high on everything else. Movie soundtracks are extremely dynamic, ranging from near silence to intense explosions. In order to support an increased dynamic range and hit peaks (near the 2V RMS limit) without distortion, the average sound volume must be lower. This is why the line level from DVD players is lower than from almost all other sources. So far, unlike on CDs and LDs, the level is much more consistent between discs. If the change in volume when switching between DVD and other audio sources is annoying, you may be able to adjust the output signal level on some players or the input signal level on some receivers, but other than that, there's not much you can do.

      DVD Audio Levels

      --
      Matthew Brundage
      Silver Spring, MD
    32. Re:Nothing to see here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Three words: Video card drivers. We were going to add transparency to our app, and found out that when you query the video card to determine if they even support transparency, over half of them blow up/crash. That's even before you actually try to use the support. So part of Longhorn's work is increasing 3rd party driver quality. =\

    33. Re:Nothing to see here by CoderJoe · · Score: 1

      How about, i dunno, telling your IM program to SHUT THE HELL UP and not make sounds, ever?

      I know I hate watching some media clip or playing a game or such an having IM clients make noise, like a door opening or closing to tell you someone went online or offline. So the very first thing I do when I ever do a fresh install of GAIM (or Yahoo, or AIM. I don't use MSN-M, so it doesn't matter) is to turn off all sounds.

    34. Re:Nothing to see here by Queer+Boy · · Score: 1
      if they actually do care about the UI for once that would not be a bad thing

      The problem is MS's idea of improving the interface is to add wizards to everything, instead of fixing the basic flaws in the design that make it so it requies an assistant everytime you want to do something like connect to the internet or download photos from a digital camera.

      --
      Not since Marie-Antoinette played milkmaid has looking simple and honest been so fake and complicated.
    35. Re:Nothing to see here by SeaFox · · Score: 1

      With audio control brought to an application level, I am hoping that I could 'mute' the ouput from messenger while leaving the other media player alone.

      Like you can do right now with the prefrences in MSN Messenger?

    36. Re:Nothing to see here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can turn down Winamp's volume without affecting the WAV slider.

    37. Re:Nothing to see here by cyrax256 · · Score: 1

      Dude, you can do this already!, just check the sound options in the Tools menu!, and I tell you, not hearing the annoying MSN sounds is heaven :-)

    38. Re:Nothing to see here by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 1

      MSN messenger disables all sounds and doesn't "pop" messages to the front if you set yourself to busy, but sometimes the human factor kicks in and you simply forget to do it.

      It makes you jump every time.

      The sound is useful, and wouldn't really be annoying if it was just quieter. So far the only way to achieve this has been to use alternate samples, this Vista method sounds much simpler :)

      --
      liqbase :: faster than paper
    39. Re:Nothing to see here by Powertrip · · Score: 1

      Yes, I know you can completely 'disable' the sounds, but with Vista I am hoping that I could simply lower the volume of the sounds exclusively from Messenger (or any other app for that matter).

    40. Re:Nothing to see here by Jozer99 · · Score: 1

      Because Microsoft needs a reason for people to upgrade. Do you use Windows XP on a daily basis? Chances are, if you have anti-virus and anti-spyware utilities installed, your computer runs pretty darn well. Microsoft can't attract very many people by saying their operating system is more stable than XP, so they make it look nicer. If they did the same with XP, they wouldn't make any money.

    41. Re:Nothing to see here by slaida1 · · Score: 1
      Application level audio control!

      Wow I'm totally underwhelmed! If that's a typical example of their 'backend' changes for vista then they can stuff also this version of windows into their backends.

      Application level audio control, the big mighty change that will change the way you use your computer! Whoa! Wow! I thought they said they wrote vista from scratch. They lied again it seems and it's the same piece of shit, polished once again.

      --
      Preserve old classics: copy your collection onto all hard drives.
    42. Re:Nothing to see here by Shimmer · · Score: 1

      That makes sense. Thanks!

      --
      The most rabid believers in American Exceptionalism are the exact same people whose policies are destroying it.
    43. Re:Nothing to see here by MightyYar · · Score: 1

      It is nice when the applications smartly control sound. iTunes is automatically muted when an incoming voice call is taken in iChat, for instance.

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    44. Re:Nothing to see here by MightyYar · · Score: 1
      I'm proud to report that not only does Microsoft's Windows Media Player play free full-screen video, it does so even more poorly on the Mac than it does on Windows.

      Seriously, if you are trying to bait Mac users by saying that they pay too much, you are doomed to a life of frustration. You might as well yell at passing Hummer drivers that their tanks will cost a lot to fill.

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    45. Re:Nothing to see here by rastos1 · · Score: 1
      Why is it that Vista is all about the user interface? Transperencey and tabbed browsing is just a part of the GUI and could be included in XP just like that. I want to know about the OS.

      You are right. On the other hand it is a little bit difficult to take for example a screenshot of "New printing architecture" - Metro.

    46. Re:Nothing to see here by adamgolding · · Score: 1

      you could open the WAV files for MSN in any WAV editor and lower the volume of the wav files. you could even create two sound schemes in control panel--one with quiet wavs and one with loud wavs.

  15. Screenshot 2 by poopdeville · · Score: 2

    Maybe they should have blurred out the MSIE product ID... you know, if they don't want to get caught.

    --
    After all, I am strangely colored.
    1. Re:Screenshot 2 by SimilarityEngine · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Relatedly... why has the titlebar of one of the windows in screenshot 3 been blurred? You can still read the title in the taskbar! D'oh!

      --
      Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. - Voltaire
  16. Tabs by Crixus · · Score: 1, Informative

    Who actually started this tabbed bowsing thing? I thought Opera had tabs before Firefox?

    --
    Ignore Alien Orders
    1. Re:Tabs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      iirc, opera switched to tabs in the later versions. Before that, they used an MDI interface, where each embedded window had a button.

    2. Re:Tabs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Damn right Opera had it first!
      But Firefox gets all the credit (even though Opera and Mozilla existed before Firefox).

      8-)

    3. Re:Tabs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      I seem to recall reading that the first browser to implement
      tabs was IBrowse on the Amiga.

    4. Re:Tabs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Although Opera had tabs before Firefox and Mozilla Suite, the feature in Mozilla was not copied directly from Opera. Instead, a ex-user of the NetCaptor browser created a extension for Mozilla Suite to add tabs since they liked the feature from their previous browser. Since the extension was so popular, then Mozilla devs added similar functionality to the main browser. Firefox, coming after Mozilla Suite , had tabs from the ground up.

      So, the question is, what came first from Opera and NetCaptor?

    5. Re:Tabs by nathanh · · Score: 1
      Damn right Opera had it first!

      Internetworks had tabs first (1994), then NetCaptor (1997), and Opera much later (2000). Wikipedia knows all.

    6. Re:Tabs by Mr.+Underbridge · · Score: 5, Informative
      Who actually started this tabbed bowsing thing? I thought Opera had tabs before Firefox?

      The better question is what mod thought that this flamebait would actually be "Interesting" to discuss for the 2342343th time. Crixus, if you haven't seen this topic enough to make you sick, then you must have taken a 2-year leave of absence from slashdot (which doesn't sound like a bad idea).

      News at 11: Opera had tabs before firefox. But first, we'll go to breaking news indicating vi is much better than emacs.

    7. Re:Tabs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you did like any sane person and used maximised sub-windows, Opera's window buttons worked exactly like tabs.

    8. Re:Tabs by welshsocialist · · Score: 1

      The first browser was tabs was IE shell NetCaptor. Their site brags about it.

      --
      Support the Chagossians
    9. Re:Tabs by Bogtha · · Score: 2, Informative

      The first released browser with tabs was InternetWorks. Opera had a technical preview the same year, but didn't have a release version for anouther couple of years.

      --
      Bogtha Bogtha Bogtha
    10. Re:Tabs by bhtooefr · · Score: 1

      First introduced by IBrowse back in April 1999, Browser Tabs take away the clutter often associated with multiple window applications.

      Blown away by NetCaptor. I'm looking for InternetWorks, which was available at ftp://ftp.booklink.com/lite/netlite.exe, but it's not there any more - the domain was bought by a domain squatter, the product was bought long ago by AOL.

    11. Re:Tabs by Haeleth · · Score: 1

      But Firefox gets all the credit

      Naturally. Just like Apple gets all the credit for "inventing" the portable MP3 player, and Edison gets all the credit for "inventing" the lightbulb, and Columbus gets all the credit for "discovering" America...

      It's not about who did something first - or even about who did it best. It's all about who got people interested in something first. Firefox was the first tabbed browser to penetrate into the public consciousness, so Firefox is the browser people associate with tabs. That's just the way it works.

    12. Re:Tabs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's right, Opera had tabbed browsing in its user interface, first!

      However, you have your "F.U.D." spreaders over here @ slashdot that infest the net with their bullcrap & rumors that FireFox is #1.

      APK

      P.S.=> Now, don't get me wrong - FireFox isn't bad @ all! However, there is little question that FireFox bit a TON of things off of Opera, no questions asked!

      AND, still FireFox/Mozilla/IE don't perform as well as Opera does!

      Anyone that states otherwise? OK...

      Then, you can argue with the facts from a test here:

      http://www.howtocreate.co.uk/browserSpeed.html#win speed

      (Provide us a more current test, before you try the "Well, that test isn't today's date 10/13/2005" b.s., because the version of Opera used there IS 8.x series & the FireFox one is not all that 'out of date' either. Just show us a more current & comprehensive test is all I would ask to THAT nature of reply)

  17. Gotta hand it to em... by SpasticThinker · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Microsoft does an amazing job marketing and promoting their products. With "leaks" like this, they get people to download and look at their software who wouldn't normally do so if it were an "authorized" release/preview.

    Not to mention the fact that with leaks like this, they keep the Vista name in the news...no matter if it's politics or selling products, name recognition is one of the most important things you can shoot for.

    1. Re:Gotta hand it to em... by gunpowda · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Absolutely. It's not nominally a public beta, but they're not immensely selective about whom they grant access to. If you think about it, the only users that are going to be downloading beta software are the dedicated fans - potentially these users, even the unauthorised ones, will test it out and provide some useful bug reports. Microsoft don't stand to lose much either way.

    2. Re:Gotta hand it to em... by ozbird · · Score: 1

      To paraphrase Bear Strangler McGee from Red Dwarf IV, anyone who reports bugs for an unauthorised Windows release is either mighty brave, or mighty stupid.

      I agree that these "leaks" are deliberate (apparently Microsoft, like the ship of state, leaks from the top), but I don't see what they stand to gain other than perhaps feedback/PR from people who wouldn't touch an official beta release with a barge pole.

    3. Re:Gotta hand it to em... by Havokmon · · Score: 1
      If you think about it, the only users that are going to be downloading beta software are the dedicated fans

      I disagree. I've always thought Windows was crap, Yet I've probably run more betas of that OS than most MCSE's. I as pleasantly surprised when Win2k was available and it was finally equivalent to Warp 3 from '94 :P It's nice to know what's on the horizon.

      --
      "I can't give you a brain, so I'll give you a diploma" - The Great Oz (blatently stolen sig)
    4. Re:Gotta hand it to em... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not true - at my day job this WILL get downloaded, and used, and you can bet your ass they'll wait for a crack before they run the released version. But then again, not everyone is as big a pirate as my co-workers and boss. And we're a software company.

    5. Re:Gotta hand it to em... by callipygian-showsyst · · Score: 4, Informative
      If you think about it, the only users that are going to be downloading beta software are the dedicated fans

      Huh!? While I am a Microsoft "fan", I also make a great deal of $$$ writing software for Microsoft operating systems. This may be a surprise to you, but there even are companies that make BILLIONS of $$$ writing software for Microsoft OSs. I download the beta to ensure compatibility, and to make sure I'm ready to support the new features. It's serious business, not just something to play with.

    6. Re:Gotta hand it to em... by Blakey+Rat · · Score: 1

      The point is that real developers, like you, have MSDN subscriptions to get it. The only people downloading the *LEAK* will be the dedicated fans that like to tinker with the latest and greatest.

  18. For a moment I thought... by GillBates0 · · Score: 5, Funny
    ...it was the Windows source code that leaked...Again!

    Turns out it's just screenshots of some guy's desktop with a fancy wallpaper.

    --
    An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
  19. So, Mr Anderson. by mrselfdestrukt · · Score: 5, Funny

    What good is a leak. If nobody wants it?

    --
    "I used to have that really cool,funny sig ,but it got stolen."
    1. Re:So, Mr Anderson. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Keeps your bladder from exploding. Leaks are a good thing.

    2. Re:So, Mr Anderson. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Anyone else on here notice the fact that if you do a "360" you end up right back where you started?

      It's a 180 that reverses your direction.

      @C

  20. Internet Explorer - now menubar free? by antsquish · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Looking at the screenshots here: it appears that Internet Explorer has shed itself of a menubar! Any news on this?
    1. Re:Internet Explorer - now menubar free? by obii · · Score: 1

      It is possible that the menu bar has disappeared as in Media Player. Right Clicking on the title opens a context menu bar.

      I don't think that they would abandon a menu bar in Internet Explorer.

    2. Re:Internet Explorer - now menubar free? by tehshen · · Score: 1

      It has been kidnapped and is being held to ransom by the Reload, Stop and Home buttons (which also seem to have disappeared)

      I expect it'll show up if you click on the plus or cog (cog-looking thing) button on the tab bar. Don't ask me why it's there, of all places.

      --
      Guy asked me for a quarter for a cup of coffee. So I bit him.
    3. Re:Internet Explorer - now menubar free? by Nairoz · · Score: 1

      That screenshot looks suspiciously like a reskinned version of XP... looks very similar to the Avalon skin.

      Or is that the whole point?

      --
      Just another harmless drunk
    4. Re:Internet Explorer - now menubar free? by bhtooefr · · Score: 1

      Well, the whole point of the RESKINNING itself is to make it look like Vista. So, this is the real deal, the reskinned ones are ripping off of it.

    5. Re:Internet Explorer - now menubar free? by teh+kurisu · · Score: 1

      It almost makes it look like Safari...

    6. Re:Internet Explorer - now menubar free? by earnest+murderer · · Score: 1
      That screenshot looks suspiciously like a reskinned version of XP... looks very similar to the Avalon skin. Or is that the whole point?

      Microsoft has a habbit of not showing off what it's UI will really look like until they get much closer to release. The final product also tends to be a lot less "flashy" than the early builds. The side bar, for instance, made an appearance in prerelease XP (including the final beta) but has never made it into the final release. Also, there are (apparently) no tools to develop UI with so I would imagine it will be a while after that happens. Last I read, it was taking a hiddeous amount of time to build a modestly appointed window in XML by hand.

      --
      Platform advocacy is like choosing a favorite severely developmentally disabled child.
    7. Re:Internet Explorer - now menubar free? by Queer+Boy · · Score: 1

      YAY! The window controls are now even harder to hit and the destructive control is even closer to the others! W00t!

      --
      Not since Marie-Antoinette played milkmaid has looking simple and honest been so fake and complicated.
  21. Leaks are intentional by QuietLagoon · · Score: 1

    Microsoft needs to get more people interested in Vista, so they have a continual stream of leaks to keep everyone talking about Vista.

  22. pointless by CDPatten · · Score: 2, Informative

    the leak is pointless for ms to have done, because there is a new build ctp beta 2 that is getting released next week. Anyone who installs it will just have to do the upgrade again next week, well that assuming you are part of the beta program or an msdn sub. Both of which i am.

  23. tabbed browsing by Celt · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Oh come on, this is hardy new news!
    We'ev known for ages that IE7 will have tabs and its more ala Opera then ala Firefox given that Opera had them before any Mozilla browser did :)

    Please can we get some decent news today, its a very slow day.

    --
    "WebTV: bringing the Internet into the shallow end of the gene pool since 1995" - Martin Bishop
    1. Re:tabbed browsing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nobody gives a fuck about Opera. Nobody copied the idea from them because nobody uses Opera and nobody knew it had them.

  24. Damn! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I can see chairs flying through conference rooms!

  25. 5219 had tabbed browsing by dsmitchell1 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Did no one on Slashdot go to this year's PDC?! Oh, wait...I guess that's a dumb question...Anyway, they gave out copies of Vista build 5219 to everyone who attended, and it already had tabbed browsing in IE7. Why are people making such a big deal about this now?

    1. Re:5219 had tabbed browsing by shawng · · Score: 0

      What is PDC?

    2. Re:5219 had tabbed browsing by mallardtheduck · · Score: 1

      Except this is buid 5231, a whole 12 builds newer than the PDC build.

    3. Re:5219 had tabbed browsing by ray-auch · · Score: 1

      What is PDC?

      It is the third link if you google pdc or the first link if you google pdc and microsoft.

      So it's clearly a really hard to find secret MS black project that you couldn't possibly expect anyone who's read an IT news site in the past couple of months to have heard of...

    4. Re:5219 had tabbed browsing by altek · · Score: 1

      It's not that it HAS tabbed browsing, that was in the first leaked build. The point is that they MOVED the tab bar to below the address bar, like other browsers. On the earlier versions it was above the address bar which was rather annoying from a UI standpoint.

      --
      THE MAGIC WORDS ARE SQUEAMISH OSSIFRAGE
    5. Re:5219 had tabbed browsing by jerw134 · · Score: 1

      The address bar was never below the tabs on any build that Microsoft released. You're imagining things.

  26. Which sane being... by jkrise · · Score: 1

    would download a few gigs of leaked, leaky code and instal it on their systems just for the heck of it? Is there anything exciting (from the end user's point of view - NOT the MS marketing point of view) in Vista? All the exciting features have been deferred or declared missing in Vista.

    --
    If you keep throwing chairs, one day you'll break windows....
    1. Re:Which sane being... by Pichu0102 · · Score: 1

      You could say the same thing about alpha testers and beta testers. People do it to see what it will be like before it's fully completed.

    2. Re:Which sane being... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      # emerge -DUvp world

  27. UI Design in Vista and XP by john.mull · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Why is so much space devoted to areas that don't require it? The title bars are too large and the task bar is way too large. I've always been fond of those themes that reduce the task bar, window controls, and title bar down to a more reasonable size. I've been mouse clicking for 17,18 years now. I can precisely click on an icon that is 24x24. They need to reduce the overall size of these controls because they aren't used nearly as much as the content. Right now, having a title bar, menu bar, button bar, tabs for tabbed browsing, and a status bar makes each window so much smaller than it should be. It's the content of the window that is important (even the desktop "window"), not the controls for it.

    Having said that, I do like the transparent window title bars. Kinda nice. Different like OS X was different.

    --
    Isaiah 43:19 (NCV)
    Look at the new thing I am going to do. It is already happening. Don't you see it?
    1. Re:UI Design in Vista and XP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's called resolution.

    2. Re:UI Design in Vista and XP by john.mull · · Score: 1

      duh. Resolution adds more pixels, but the ration remains the same. I use 1280x1024 on the 19" flat screen and 1400x1050 on the 19" Monitor. The title bars and start menu/task bar still take up too much space proportionately.

      --
      Isaiah 43:19 (NCV)
      Look at the new thing I am going to do. It is already happening. Don't you see it?
    3. Re:UI Design in Vista and XP by josh2112 · · Score: 0

      Think about the intended audience here... and their dexterity (or lack thereof) with a mouse...

      [cue picture of Scotty holding the mouse up to his face and saying "...Computer?"]

    4. Re:UI Design in Vista and XP by westlake · · Score: 1
      I've been mouse clicking for 17,18 years now

      Beginning at what age? The PCs at our village library are used both by our senior volunteers and seven year old kids. Content is generally an ordinary web page with minimal interaction or a simple library form that has been greatly magnified to assist the bifocal generation.

    5. Re:UI Design in Vista and XP by john.mull · · Score: 1

      39 now, so that means 22, 21 or so years old. I suppose I really predate that time period a little bit as my math points to 1988, 1987. I did use some Mac SE's before or around that time. The memory is getting a little fuzzy :)

      --
      Isaiah 43:19 (NCV)
      Look at the new thing I am going to do. It is already happening. Don't you see it?
  28. Leak by parasonic · · Score: 5, Funny

    More importantly, does the keygen come with cool music?

    1. Re:Leak by Deliveranc3 · · Score: 1

      I really miss those...

      /me holds silent vigil.

    2. Re:Leak by Norfair · · Score: 1

      Hear hear!

  29. Clippy? by soloport · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Windows Media Player, including a smart interface.

    What does it mean when MS creates a "smart" interface?

    1. Re:Clippy? by D-Cypell · · Score: 5, Funny

      "What does it mean when MS creates a "smart" interface?"

      Roughly translated it means... "Virus runtime included!"

    2. Re:Clippy? by mudbogger · · Score: 2, Funny

      No, it means that the same purple "visualization" that everybody has adored for so many years is back again to provide us with musical experiences enhanced beyond our wildess dreams.

      It is right there, featured centrally in screen shot 1; be happy.

    3. Re:Clippy? by farzadb82 · · Score: 5, Funny
      What does it mean when MS creates a "smart" interface?

      It means the interface *knows* more than you and therefore will never allow you to do what you want it to - even if its correct.

    4. Re:Clippy? by cyclomedia · · Score: 5, Funny

      "smart" meaning that it decides for you what it wants you to want to do and throws up three confirm boxes if you want to do what you actually want to do, finally blue screening after you clicked ok in all three.

      --
      If you don't risk failure you don't risk success.
    5. Re:Clippy? by dniq · · Score: 1

      It means it'll be doing anything it wants and mostly ignore what you want. And you'll have to deal with it :)

    6. Re:Clippy? by PureCreditor · · Score: 1

      Really reminds me of MS Bob....

    7. Re:Clippy? by tbone1 · · Score: 3, Funny
      What does it mean when MS creates a "smart" interface?

      They put a wrapper over iTunes?

      --

      The Independent: Reverend Spooner Arrested in Friar Tuck Incident - ISIHAC, Historical Headlines
    8. Re:Clippy? by Vryl · · Score: 1

      36yo, and still laughing, laughing, laughing....

      Mind you, wtf am I doing STILL READING /. ??? For the lulz, yeah?

    9. Re:Clippy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      LOL!

    10. Re:Clippy? by jferris · · Score: 1

      If it is "smart", it means it didn't come out of Redmond. They either aquired a company with a similar product that had a good interface, or outsourced it.

      --
      You are in a maze of little twisting passages, all different.
    11. Re:Clippy? by Mixel · · Score: 2, Funny

      That's RED screening, you insensitive clod!

    12. Re:Clippy? by Harker · · Score: 1

      [Clippy] - Hi there! It looks like you want to listen to music. Shall I get license information for you?
      [User] - No.
      [Clippy] Too late. I've already search our database, and cannot find any. It looks like you've pirated this music. I'll just notify the RIAA. Enjoy your music...

      --
      When VCR's are outlawed, only outlaws will have VCR's.
  30. Accidental? by VincenzoRomano · · Score: 2, Funny

    In a company that big nothing happens by mistake or as an accident.
    Everything is to be planned and carefully prepared (maybe also bugs!) accordingly to precise roadmaps.
    For example, they need to show Vista is not vapourware, while not really being able (or willing) to release a beta or a RC. So the leak!
    It seems strange this can be true, but otherwise such a "distract and lazy" company should have sinked long time ago!

    --
    Maybe Computers will never be as intelligent as Humans.
    For sure they won't ever become so stupid. [VR-1988]
    1. Re:Accidental? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      In a company that big nothing happens by mistake or as an accident.
      Really? I'd say that in a company that big, things are more likely to happen by mistake or by accident.
    2. Re:Accidental? by alan.briolat · · Score: 1

      Putting it that way, it makes the Windows Source Code leak quite a while ago look planned too, in order to force people to upgrade because "That version isn't secure any more" (not that it was in the first place).

      --
      I swear we should be allowed to give mod points to sigs... "-1, Offtopic"
  31. transparency makes reading difficult by backslashdot · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The transparency effect against a black background .. makes the text hard to read (look at the IE window title in this one (note in some of the screenshots they intentionally blurred text, but not in the IE window in this shot):

    http://www.neowin.net/staff/cashman/vist5321_2.jpg

    1. Re:transparency makes reading difficult by PrimeNumber · · Score: 1

      Missed that.
      I am trying to figure out what Ryan | Topside Porn... is

    2. Re:transparency makes reading difficult by mikeytwice · · Score: 1

      I imagine that that's why there's a glow effect around the letters - I wonder if that could be adjusted for those who are hard of sight?

    3. Re:transparency makes reading difficult by Night+Goat · · Score: 1

      The good thing is, nobody reads the title of windows. Hell, I do tech support for an ISP, and I'm always surprised at the number of people who don't use the menu bar in IE! They set their home page to Google or some other search engine, and whenever they want to find something, they search for it. It's the polar opposite from how I use computers.

    4. Re:transparency makes reading difficult by deserttrail · · Score: 1

      The IE window isn't in focus. The focused window (System Properties) is a bit easier to read.

      --
      Be civil to all; sociable to many; familiar with few; friend to one; enemy to none. --Benjamin Franklin
    5. Re:transparency makes reading difficult by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As usual Microsoft get it ass-backwards. It's more important to be able to read the title bar of unfocused windows than focused windows. After all if you're searching the screen for a particular file you have open, you'll be looking at the title bars for this information.

  32. Not much to see, really... by Junior+J.+Junior+III · · Score: 1

    New icons, transparency pervasive throughout the OS (task bar, window borders, icons). What's the value of transparency, anyway? What does it give you? It seems like probably one of the first things I'd turn off. Looks cool, but ultimately makes the OS less useful as it drops the contrast between a foreground object and the objects behind it. All the most highly touted features of Vista were retracted anyway, so why is there any excitement over this at all? All you get with Vista is more DRM.

    Oh, and in the one screenshot showing the new Windows Media Player, there's no song by the Who called "Teenage Wasteland". It's called "Baba O'Riley".

    --
    You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!
    1. Re:Not much to see, really... by 56kowboy · · Score: 1

      I have a song by the Who called "Teenage Wasteland"

      Kinda amazing that you can change the title of a song

  33. Thumnailed tabs view by tweakt · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Ok. I gotta say it, unless it really was done already, the thumnail view for browser tabs is pretty neat. Tough to call it innovative since it's not a new concept or anything. In fact it's probably no different than OS-X's Exposé feature, just put into the browser. But it's new and it's something that might be useful.

    1. Re:Thumnailed tabs view by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  34. Seeds... by Lord_Dweomer · · Score: 3, Funny
    Something tells me this will be one torrent that will be lacking seeders...

    --
    Buy Steampunk Clothing Online!
    1. Re:Seeds... by exoromeo · · Score: 1

      Dont think so. Just checked some of the torrent sites...plenty of seeders for the leaked Vista.

    2. Re:Seeds... by Lord_Dweomer · · Score: 2, Informative
      Then you should go check some more torrent sites for the file joke.torrent because apparently you missed it.

      --
      Buy Steampunk Clothing Online!
  35. Too late for our company, moved to Debian by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Our company moved most of the users (~85%) to Debian/Linux 3 months ago and the users seem to be very pleased with KDE desktop. The rest of the users will continue using XP for about a year or so, until some issues are resolved. We will not be upgrading.

  36. Silly Microsoft by solesoul · · Score: 0

    When will Microsoft learn? You can't keep anything from leaking if you give copies away for free. If you're giving away free beta's, then somebody is going to leak it sooner or later! It's probably a publicity stunt.

    Bill Gates: Oh no. Somebody has gotten hold of our newest software that is better than any of our old software and will be available to you soon so that you can make me even richer. Whatever shall I do?http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/default. aspx

  37. Whoops, I replied to wrong comment by 3dWarlord · · Score: 0

    I meant to reply to the troll to the north, not myself :(

  38. Leaks by stud9920 · · Score: 0

    Just because M$ could not buy ElectricFence doesn't mean they're not allowed to USE it. As long as they're not redistributing it it's fine.

    Heck, if they hate Free Software that much, they can buy a copy of Rational Purify.

    Even better, they can learn to free the mallocs or switch to a less leak prone language.

  39. Media Player simpler, and MSN avatar by Xarius · · Score: 2, Informative

    This latest build includes some major revamping of Windows Media Player, including a smart interface.

    This smart interface seems, from the images, to be a simplification and cruft-removal exercise. A good idea, I feel.

    Also, notice the place where the Avatar should be in MSN:

    To see this dynamic display picture, you need the latest version of Macromedia flash player

    *shudder*

    --
    C17H21NO4
  40. Subverting the release of Ubuntu 5.10? by SgtChaireBourne · · Score: 1, Troll
    I find it interesting that it is "leaked" the same day as Ubuntu "Breezy Badger" 5.10. Is MS trying to subvert its toughest FOSS competitor?
    It worked. It made you look. It got on the main page of Slashdot even and Ubuntu's breezy badger didn't. Besides, haven't you noticed that most magazines and news sites have a quota to churn out a pair of MS articles regardless of relevance or merit -- oh, as long as they don't discuss current or on going illegal behavior or, worse, discussing security or other technical shortcomings.

    It's simple: Chairman Bill pulls the chain and y'all bark.

    --
    Beta is broken and the link to classic doesn't work. Stop wasting our time or there won't be anybody left here.
  41. coincidence ? by akeyes · · Score: 1

    I read this as I download Ubuntu 5.10, just released today. Maybe this is one of Microsofts plans to have everyone look at the gui and distract them.

  42. Hurts my eyes by 0xABADC0DA · · Score: 1

    It seems to me that blurry interfaces are a very bad idea. If you look at something blurry your eye automatically tries to put it in focus. But that's impossible since when it's in focus it is still blurry. Seems to me all this blurriness in the new Windows interface will cause problems with eyesight, kind of like carpal tunnel, where the body isn't meant to work that way.

    If you look you'll see Mac OS X's interface there is nothing blurry. Their default wallpapers are not blurry and the only thing even close to blurry is the window shadows, which aren't really blurry but are gradients. Once again Apple did 3d the right way and Microsoft is a bad copy.

    1. Re:Hurts my eyes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think the screenshots look blurry, because they are in JPEG format. Something like this happens to me too when I take screenshots of my desktop and save it as a JPEG files. I guess it's because JPEG isn't a lossless compression format.

    2. Re:Hurts my eyes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It seems to me that blurry interfaces are a very bad idea. If you look at something blurry your eye automatically tries to put it in focus. But that's impossible since when it's in focus it is still blurry. Seems to me all this blurriness in the new Windows interface will cause problems with eyesight, kind of like carpal tunnel, where the body isn't meant to work that way.

      The only blurriness I see, apart from the wallpaper which is pretty arbitrary, is the blurriness where the translucent window borders partly hide what's behind them. That's good - it means you can have transparency, without having all the problems Apple ran into of it making things in the foreground illegible.

      This isn't going to cause medical problems any more than watching a movie causes medical problems. There's lots of "blurriness" in movies. Everything the camera isn't focusing on is blurry. Sometimes entire scenes are shot in soft focus (blurry). TV is even worse, because most TV screens are such low quality that everything on them is blurry. People seem to cope.

      Once again Apple did 3d the right way and Microsoft is a bad copy.

      Oh, I should have guessed - you're an Apple fanboy. For you, everything Steve Jobs does is holy, and everything he doesn't do is evil. Have a nice time in your fantasy world, troll.

  43. Ploy to get press by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Overheard at Microsoft yesterday:
    Person A: "Quick! Apple released stellar quarterly numbers yesterday, and announced the video iPod today! They're getting too much good press, we've got to do something to get our name back in the news!"
    Person B: "I know! Let's 'leak' the latest beta of Vista!"
    Person A: "Great idea! Make it happen!"

  44. Obviously still beta by pulazzo · · Score: 1

    It's "Rip, Mix, Burn" not "Browse, Rip, Burn, Sync".

  45. Why do I get such a KDEish and OSXish feeling by jurt1235 · · Score: 1

    It looks so much like the eyecandy I have turned of in KDE and OSX since it does not add anything to my productivity (transparancy is nice, but after a few minutes it gets pretty boring). Maybe they added unix style mouse behaviour too, just for fun to see how people react on that.

    --

    My wife's sketchblog Blob[p]: Gastrono-me
  46. Tabs and other crap by Pedrito · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Why can't Microsoft ever take the Google approach and do stuff simply? Notice it's not just tabs, but tabs with all sorts of other crap thrown in on the tab bar.

    Why does EVERYTHING have to be so feature-bloated with them? Firefox, without any extensions or plugins, has The address bar, 5 navigation buttons, and the search bar an "Go" button (And the bookmarks toolbar folder, but that's easily hidden.

    IE6 has Address Bar, 5 navigation buttons, Search, Favorites, History, Mail, Print, Edit with Word, Discuss, Research, Real, and Messenger on mine (and I did nothing to add most of those others, they just added themselves) on the Standard Buttons button bar. I mean, WTF? I've never used anything from Search to the right on that. They just occupy space and they're a distraction.

    I'm a big believer in making it simple and allow plugins. Then the user can add whatever crap they want that's not standard. For those of us that like things uncluttered, we get it uncluttered. And that, is one of the big reasons I chose Firefox and will stick with Firefox after IE7 comes out.

    1. Re:Tabs and other crap by grimJester · · Score: 0

      Why does EVERYTHING have to be so feature-bloated with them? Firefox, without any extensions or plugins, has The address bar, 5 navigation buttons, and the search bar an "Go" button (And the bookmarks toolbar folder, but that's easily hidden.

      My thoughts were the complete opposite. I'd like to have Firefox as stripped down as IE7 looked. You forgot to mention the menu and the google searchbox. I don't have any plugins installed, but I still have a useless "Bookmarks Toolbar Folder" bar with "Customize Links", "Windows Media" and "Windows"-buttons. I don't see any easy way to get rid of it, and deleting all bookmarks from it didn't help.

      Anyway, looking at Firefox, I don't need to see the menus. "Bookmarks" and "Menu" buttons would replace them fine. The home-button is pointless and has always been; it's just another bookmark. Why does the go-button have both an icon and text? Irrelevant anyway, since I hit return when I write an address by hand. I can't remember ever clicking that button, and I think it's been there since Mosaic? The tab row doesn't need the entire width of the window. The necessary buttons could go there. Come to think of it, why can't I customize and move this stuff around like in Word?

    2. Re:Tabs and other crap by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Come to think of it, why can't I customize and move this stuff around like in Word?

      Maybe because you've never bothered to right-click one of the menu bars and click "Customize?"

      Almost everything you just mentioned is movable/removable there, with the exception of dropping things on the tab row.

      The bookmark bar (which is no different from the Links bar in IE) and any other bars that end up empty after you customize things are turned off exactly the same you turn off bars in IE.

    3. Re:Tabs and other crap by grimJester · · Score: 0

      Hey thanks! The bookmark bar was the only one that did not, for some reason, give me that right click menu. (ALso the only one I right clicked...) It wasn't turned off when empty, but I got it removed by right clicking the menu bar and deselecting Bookmarks Toolbar.

      Thanks again, that really helped.

  47. Think about it. by ninja_assault_kitten · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The people who install the leaked version are software pirates. Pirates don't typically make software companies a lot of money. By leaking a product people want to people who never would have made you money in the first place, you get people talking about it. Seems like a great strategy for MS or any other software company for that matter.

    1. Re:Think about it. by catalupus · · Score: 1

      You can only really make the assumption that folks who install this are pirates, if it is also available by non-leaked paths. If I was looking down the barrel of supporting a forced upgrade in a years time and this preview came along, I'd take the chance to have a look. That wouldn't make me a pirate - I can't buy it in the stores yet.

    2. Re:Think about it. by ninja_assault_kitten · · Score: 1

      When I say 'pirate' I'm not just referring to people who eat, sleep and breath software piracy. If you install a piece of software knowing you're violating the licensing agreement or terms of service, you're a pirate. Your motivation is meaningless.

    3. Re:Think about it. by PetoskeyGuy · · Score: 1

      The people who install the leaked version are software pirates. Pirates don't typically make software companies a lot of money. By leaking a product people want to people who never would have made you money in the first place, you get people talking about it. Seems like a great strategy for MS or any other software company for that matter.

      Yes, but what site would be stupid enough to give Microsoft all that publicity for free?

    4. Re:Think about it. by Jugalator · · Score: 1

      Yes, that makes sense, but the only problem in this case is that Microsoft will release an official Community Tech Preview of a slightly more recent build this month anyway. Maybe in a week or two, or so. So it doesn't really make sense when they're already going to start releasing monthly builds.

      --
      Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
    5. Re:Think about it. by Jugalator · · Score: 1

      One more thing... Yes, these may require an MSDN subsricption which cost money and exclude pirates, but they were always pirated anyway, and will be in the future. So the "talk" of that build will happen among pirates anyway, and it doesn't make much sense to mean a leak to happen right before a released build on MSDN.

      --
      Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
    6. Re:Think about it. by toddestan · · Score: 1

      I would think that most people who are going to install this are more curious than anything else. It's not likely you'll be able to use this leaked copy of Vista for an OS. It's sure to have lots of bugs, missing features, poor hardware support, and poor software support. Most people are going to install it, play around a while, then revert back to their previous OS (legal or not).

    7. Re:Think about it. by ninja_assault_kitten · · Score: 1

      Such has been the case since Windows 95. It's still piracy.

    8. Re:Think about it. by randyflood · · Score: 1


      Actually, illegally copying a piece of software does not really make you a pirate. You are perhaps guilty of "copyright infringement". And let us calculate the damages that you should have to pay to Microsoft for pirating their beta version... Um, like, say um $0? That is a lot different than being a real pirate where you run around raping and pillaging and all of that. Even if you put on a pirate outfit, give yourself a 3l33t3 name and eat, sleep, and breath illegally copied software, you still wouldn't probably get a musical and all, and you might not even get True Love and sword fighting, and giants, and... Well, my point is, you wouldn't be the Dread Pirate Roberts...

      --
      Randy.Flood@RHCE2B.COM
  48. I'd Like To Weigh In On this... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    What good is a leak. If nobody wants it?

    This is a gross misconception and an attitude that is causing OSS to fall further and further behind commercial offerings from Apple and Microsoft. The fact is that millions or people want it! There are countless fan sites like Flexbeta, BetaNews, NeoWin, WinSupersite, PCWorld, ZDNet, and thousands more that are all breathless with anticipation of Vista. They and theirmillions of readers eagerly await Vista's release and the countless "innovations" that it will bring.

    Meanwhile, back in the OSS camp, people are saying insightful stuff like Gaim is more than adequate and RTFM. Microsoft IE sucks, yet it is still the dominant browser and I guarantee that at least 50% of today's Firefox users will switch back to IE upon the release of Vista. That is very telling but, people don't seem to be interested in the message.

    People, like you, need to get a better attitude. They need to look at what Microsoft is doing and meet or exceed its capabilities. It is not enough to rest on your laurels while being pretencious and self important. Microsoft is charging ahead and is positioning itself to unleash ten years of its concentrated effort, en mass. Right now, OSS is rapidly slipping behind while people pound their chests saying; "but, we're more secure!". This is not enough to prevent you from being marginalized into obscurity by Microsoft, as if OSS wasn't obscure enough already.

    How many of your relatives know what Linux is? How many of them know what Windows is?

    1. Re:I'd Like To Weigh In On this... by ninja_assault_kitten · · Score: 5, Funny

      "How many of your relatives know what Linux is? How many of them know what Windows is?" You have to remember to whom you're speaking to. This is Slashdot. Half these dorks probably come over to their relatives for Thanksgiving dinner in penguin costumes handing out free OSS CDs.

    2. Re:I'd Like To Weigh In On this... by Ksisanth · · Score: 1
      I guarantee that at least 50% of today's Firefox users will switch back to IE upon the release of Vista.

      And when web designers start unbreaking their code for IE7, at least 50% of today's IE users will switch to Firefox because they still don't want to upgrade Windows.

    3. Re:I'd Like To Weigh In On this... by mrselfdestrukt · · Score: 0

      Yeah. Last time it was mistaken for a turky suit. I mean " No, hell , I don't do that and I don't know what you're talking about"

      --
      "I used to have that really cool,funny sig ,but it got stolen."
    4. Re:I'd Like To Weigh In On this... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not sure what an OSSCD is man, but don't be knockin my freaky Penguin-Turkey thang. Ooooh them birds love the uniform. Gravy and stuffins! ow!

  49. BETAS ARE ALWAYS LEAKED by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Every piece of beta software known to man KIND is leaked. Hell once at a LUG meeting I got handed about 12 pieces of Citrix Metaframe XP months before it hit stores. Windows operating systems have also long been known to be widely distributed on the 'net during beta testing. Do you know how many versions of Windows Whistler I had lying around my desk before they finally called it XP?

  50. Sounds like a Spaceballs quote is in order! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    SANDURZ: Sir, I have an idea. Corporal, get me a videotape of Spaceballs: the Movie.
    * Corporal goes off to Mr. Rental *
    DARK HELMET: Colonel Sandurz, may I speak with you please? (throws facemask up) How can there be a videotape of the movie? We're still in the middle of making it!
    SANDURZ: Yes, but there's been a new breakthrough in home video technology.
    DARK HELMET: There has?
    SANDURZ: Yes. Instant cassettes. They're out in stores before the movie is finished.
    DARK HELMET: (in disbelief) Nah.
    CORPORAL: Here it is sir! Spaceballs!

    http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Spaceballs

    - AC

  51. Reload button by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The reload button is rightmost in the address bar. I couldn't find stop and home buttons though. We don't need them anyway.

    1. Re:Reload button by mallardtheduck · · Score: 1

      The reload button probably turns into the stop button while the page is loading, as in Beta 1.

  52. Did they fix WiMP? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And did they get rid of hiding extensions? If not, this thing is a trojan/virus waiting to happen.

    With extensions hidden, I can mail you virus.mp3.exe and you'll see virus.mp3, and probably click on it. Safe computing demands that you save the file to your desktop and run it with your media player.

    You can use Microsoft's DRM to plant a virus in a WMA music file, so a WMA file is no safer than a spreadsheet. Being pure data, an Ogg or MP3 file is as safe as text.

    However, you can write your "virus.wma" file and rename it to "virus.mp3." If you open this in any other media player, the player will return a message that it doesn't know what you are feeding it.

    Until now, WiMP will merrily play your renamed WMA virus. Has this been fixed?

    Heh, I thought not.

  53. We've known about tabbed browsing and leaked betas by SumDog · · Score: 2, Informative

    um...we've known about the tabbed browsing in IE7 for several months. If I remember correctly, there was a slashdot article pointing to a review of IE7.

    On top of that, there are always insane amount of Windows betas floating around before a final release. My cousin subscribes to MSDN and has a box of CD/DVD spindles in his garage of Windows 2000 betas back when that was coming out. This really is now surprise.

    Now if the leaked beta came with viruses straight on the iso, that would be newsworthy.

  54. Vista Porn Edition? by overpayd · · Score: 3, Funny

    If the leaks aren't accidental, then why is one of the MSN messenger users displayed in the screenshots as "Ryan | Topside Porn..."

    Is M$ getting into the porn business as well? Maybe a Windows Vista Porn Edition is in the works, and Ryan is on the dev team? It could have features like the 'boss button,' racy desktop themes, and it could arrive in your mailbox in a non-descript paper bag....

    On the neowin.net message board, Raum says:I jsut thought I should mention this.the guy in the IM on some of the shots who's name is topside pornstar or whatnot.That's a grind in rollerblading. Just some trivia.

    I think my explanation is more realistic - everybody knows that only Google developers get to rollerblade.

    1. Re:Vista Porn Edition? by Viper+Daimao · · Score: 1

      I sure hope MS isnt getting into the porn business. Just think of the virus outbreaks! And the movie titles:

      Microsoft Windows: Backdoor Trojan 5

      --
      "In the game of life, someone always has to lose. To me, if life were fair, that someone would always be Oklahoma." -DKR
  55. Feature by idokus · · Score: 1

    under the header "Licensing"
    Feature: Windows Activation Services yes for all home versions (not available for ultimate and corp based)

    hmm... ah well, at least getting a diffrent version of windows will mean you'll get more (usable) features. But I probably won't get it anyway. (yay for student version of XP and linux)

    (there are more diffrences, limited memory at 8 gig for top home (256 minimum?) they actually getting a desktop window manager(!) P2P meeting place disabled for home use, etc. look at parents link: nice table of diffrences)

  56. Why don't the windows match? by FullCircle · · Score: 1

    In the first screenshot the Media Player has different close/max/min buttons than all the other windows.

    Haven't they learned anything from X?
    Mixing widgets is bad UI design.

    --
    If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. - James Madison
    1. Re:Why don't the windows match? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Vista User Interface Guidelines states that...

      "#2 Use the built in controls instead of designing your own"

      "#3 Don't try to mess with the non-client area (the frame of the window)."

      http://tgnforums.stardock.com/?ForumID=262&AID=862 57

      D'OH!

  57. Re:Vsita wtih new Seive Seucrtiy Tcehonlogy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    dont you think, if linux or apple became a lot more popular then windows, that they would be the most bug ridden insecure operating system around.

    ????the title of my post says it all????

  58. I read this headline 3 times before I got it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    First, I thought somebody was making a value judgement - kinda like "Windows Vista inhales sharply through pursed lips."

    Then, I thought the article was going to discuss memory or resource leaks. I wondered where the news was.

    So the article is about M$ floating a trial balloon. Now we know what it won't look like at roll-out!

  59. Don't you mean... by cablepokerface · · Score: 1

    Perhaps they will rely upon their usual method of security[NO CARRIER]

  60. Ha, funny how the guys's bragging on MSN... by ZeroExistenZ · · Score: 1

    ... as if it's something to get worked up about.

    --
    I think we can keep recursing like this until someone returns 1
  61. 360? by adavies42 · · Score: 1

    Anyone else see that and think "they're going to turn the company around 360 degrees"?

    --
    Media that can be recorded and distributed can be recorded and distributed.
    -kfg
    1. Re:360? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yes. and then thought.. dont they mean 180?

    2. Re:360? by Widowwolf · · Score: 1

      no they mean leaked like the video game console...twitch twitch twitch..use your brains or i will eat them!

      --
      ~~"Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong." ~~Dennis Miller
  62. Vista to have insane DRM policy enforced? by Despero · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Now this is most likely not true, but just to confirm: I heard that Vista was going to have an insane DRM policy enforced. I heard that it would not allow any non-DRM music files to even play on the operating system. Can someone please tell me this isn't true? If it is true, does it just pertain to Windows Media Player or does it mess with iTunes and other media players too? Just want to clear things up.

    1. Re:Vista to have insane DRM policy enforced? by dana340 · · Score: 1

      Well, I wish I could confirm or deny, but that would have to be the stupidest thing that M$ could do from a marketing standpoint. M$ DRM is still not completely accepted, and there are a lot of commercially available sources already on the market (and will be on the market on or after the time of release) that do not include DRM. Plus, it would hurt product compatibility with hardware. If you have a digital camcorder or voice recorder, you would have to use one that supported Sony magic gate in order to enforce a DRM. Microsoft would be out of their mind to implement that so quickly.

      --
      "10001110101 - periodic table with a centerpiece of mind" -Clutch
    2. Re:Vista to have insane DRM policy enforced? by PhrostyMcByte · · Score: 1

      It's not true. What is happening is integrated support for DRM video, so you may have to buy a new LCD in a couple years in order to play certain DRMed content. Or get a crack. I'm sure there will be one.

    3. Re:Vista to have insane DRM policy enforced? by amliebsch · · Score: 1
      Can someone please tell me this isn't true?

      This is not true. You are a FUD victim. What Vista will include is the ability to play DRM'ed files that require a secure channel between the video adapter and the monitor. It will not, however, require the use of such to play unencumbered files.

      --
      If you don't know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else.
    4. Re:Vista to have insane DRM policy enforced? by Despero · · Score: 1

      Good. I am glad this is not true. I look forward to transferring my 20+ GB of unprotected music files to Windows Vista.

  63. Good for you. N/T by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Good for you.

  64. Smack that Stack! by EddyPearson · · Score: 1

    Modified Kernel? Bring on the heap! Big up the stack and overflow every buffer they throw at us! lets see if we can discover vulnerabilities before its even been on beta :p

    --
    You feel sleepy. Close your eyes. The opinions stated above are yours. You cannot imagine why you ever felt otherwise.
  65. Yep, but... by simetra · · Score: 1

    Opera's not today's fanboy special. Firefox is. So, please just go buy an iPod and enjoy it, damn it! Pay no attention to your sudden fondness for showtunes.

    --

    "Would it kill you to put down the toilet seat?" -- Maya Angelou
  66. Gonna have to waterproof your pc.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    if it still leaks in the production version!

  67. I hate tabs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    as long as you can disable them, or I'm switching to a browser that doesn't have them.

  68. all the windows O/S leak by DennisInDallas · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    so do most fo the apps written to run on them

  69. .torrent? by dennison_uy · · Score: 1

    Where's the .torrent link? Someone please seed!

    --
    Take off every 'sig'!
    All your 'sig' are belong to us!
    1. Re:.torrent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Here is the torrent!
      http://getfile.biz/4280

  70. Another flash paintjob by gilesjuk · · Score: 1

    Just looks like another paintjob. Just a reworking of the GUI which will annoy users as they spend hours trying to find something they need to change.

  71. OS/2 betas leaked by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Back in the late 1990s internal OS/2 betas leaked.

    Did IBM mind? Were they behind it? The world may never know.

  72. It's been Apple's week, so they had to do this by Nice2Cats · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Not to mention the fact that with leaks like this, they keep the Vista name in the news...no matter if it's politics or selling products, name recognition is one of the most important things you can shoot for.

    Especially because this has been Apple's week -- best year on record, 220 percent more iPods sold, about 50 percent more Macs sold, quadrupled quarterly profit, then yesterday a new iMac with built-in video camera and remote control, the big iPod with video features standard, a deal with Disney on selling Housewives. Microsoft had to do something to try to grab some mindshare so people don't forget they are still around.

    1. Re:It's been Apple's week, so they had to do this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Microsoft had to do something to try to grab some mindshare so people don't forget they are still around.

      Karl Rove is running Microsoft's PR department?

  73. Anonymous Fuzzy Window titles.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Looks like the one who took the screeenshots have fuzzed out the window titles of the MSN discussion to hide his or his friends identity ?
    Well, He has forgot to do it for the Startmenu list...
    http://www.neowin.net/staff/cashman/vist5321_3.jpg

    Windows (l)user... hehe..

  74. It's hardly a leak.... by callipygian-showsyst · · Score: 2, Informative
    It's hardly a "leak" when anyone who's paid for an MSDN premium subscription can simply download it!

    Microsoft even has a link called Get the Beta right on its website. By calling this a "leak" you're trying to knock Microsoft in some strange way.

    1. Re:It's hardly a leak.... by TwoScoopsOfPig · · Score: 1

      Is there something that explains the presence of "russhorton@h o t m a i l . c o m" (with anti-spam added here) in the passport login box? Does MSDN's site track cookies across the web? Am I being delusional?

      Seriously, though. I don't know anyone named Russ Horton, nor does anyone by that name work at my company (much less use my computer) as far as I can tell. Methinks your link had a session ID or something of the ilk that set you up. If that's the case, do one of two things:

      1) Check your links
      2) Password please? I want the latest M$ crap so I can break it and tell them what to fix...

      My guess is that the first option is better.

      --
      #include <disclaimer.h>
      #include <beer.h>
    2. Re:It's hardly a leak.... by callipygian-showsyst · · Score: 1
      My dear script kiddie!

      Why don't you ask one of your elders how the Internet works! The link I provided was simply the text "http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getthebeta /default.aspx" There's no hidden "session ID" or anything in that. If you're seeing an email address filled in there, then:

      1. Someone on YOUR PC has logged in using that account

      2. You have been 0wn3d!

    3. Re:It's hardly a leak.... by TwoScoopsOfPig · · Score: 1

      I referenced the possibility that someone else named russ horton had at one point used my computer, and then found that it was not a possibility. There is, to my knowledge, no person within my company by that name, and there is no person with access to this machine by that name either. If my machine had been 0wn3d, I would have known (this machine is offline as soon as I walk away from it for anything including restroom breaks and lunches and such), and has all web-connectivity passworded in triplicate. Outside of the unlikely event of a hack (two software-based firewalls and a physical one make this merely a matter of time and the hacker's determination, I will freely admit) there is no way for this computer to have been jeopardized.

      And as to the "script kiddie" comment, I will ignore the slander. If you think me a script kiddie, that is your own opinion. I am secure in the knowledge that I could most likely best you in nearly any contest of programming prowess, and am open to a challenge.

      Also, the login is not on the "Get the Beta" page supplied, but lies several pages deeper in the path. If you follow the path and watch the status bar closely for all of the various redirects and codebases, you will find session IDs buried in the URLs.

      Lastly, as I did not request such rude treatment, I have only to wonder what prompted such a blatantly ill-tempered response. The only thing my "script-kiddie" mind can even find to be feasible is an overgrown ego. Deflate thyself, O pompous windbag!

      That is all.

      --
      #include <disclaimer.h>
      #include <beer.h>
    4. Re:It's hardly a leak.... by TwoScoopsOfPig · · Score: 1

      Forgot the link for you to follow.

      --
      #include <disclaimer.h>
      #include <beer.h>
    5. Re:It's hardly a leak.... by WhiteWolf666 · · Score: 1

      Although he may have been a little bit rude, he's correct.

      It's just a plain link, and none of the rest of us are seeing any e-mail address, Russ or not. There's no Session ID to be passed, barring some kind of crazy router issue on your end.

      I suggest checking your system more closely for 0wernship?

      Not an insult, just suggesting perhaps you missed something.

      --
      WhiteWolf666 an exBush supporter. All you new-school,compassionate,save the children Republicans can rot in hell
    6. Re:It's hardly a leak.... by TwoScoopsOfPig · · Score: 1

      Hmmm... Will do...

      And thank you for the tact; it's something clearly lacking in the top-level commentor's personality. (Most of the hostility was bred of defensiveness... My apologies.) And anyway, it is of no consequence. Just a ponderous thing for me. Meh.

      --
      #include <disclaimer.h>
      #include <beer.h>
  75. nicer by rupert0 · · Score: 1

    so they want more time to make prettier? and just jump over security issues ?

    --
    RUPERT! I TOLD YOU TO WATCH THE BAGS! You were looking at the boys again, WEREN'T YOU.
  76. Pulling a 360? by payndz · · Score: 4, Funny

    "180, you stupid, spaghetti-slurping cretin - 180! If I did a 360, I'd go completely around and end up back where I started!"

    --
    You must think in Russian.
    1. Re:Pulling a 360? by teknomage1 · · Score: 1

      Wow you don't se the "Last Action Hero" quotes often. To paraphrase "Something's rotten in the state of Redmund and Balmer's taking out the trash!"

      --
      Stop intellectual property from infringing on me
  77. mod parent up! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    OK, I just wanted to say that. Once.

    1. Re:Mod Parent Up! by zootm · · Score: 1

      People love to laugh about how slow MS has been to release Vista, but in a lot of ways, Gnome/KDE are still playing catch up to XP.

      Agreed. Although GNOME has done some fantastic work with usability, there's still some random and clear inconsistencies in their interface, often moreso than with Windows. Neither KDE nor GNOME is a clear beater of XP's user interface yet, and I feel sometimes people would be best bearing that in mind when laying into Vista's UI. The only thing better for general desktop use is (arguably) OSX, and quite frankly there is not a lot in it other than general prettiness between OSX and XP.

  78. Leaks.. by Finsterwald+P+Ogleth · · Score: 1

    Aren't there laws in place about toxic waste spills?

  79. Two things. . . by kimvette · · Score: 1

    First off, the "leaks" may be intentional to gain publicity and widespread public use, and since it's an unstable build and "illegitimately gotten" Microsoft can disavow any bugs, claiming it is a test build, beta, alpha, prerelease, or whatever other term they want to apply to a preproduction build (and rightfully so!). Companies leaking early builds, especially builds with drop-dead dates in multiple modules, is not unheard of. By doing this they can use pirate groups as a form of covert marketing and free press (screenshots and actual use of a product), not to mention Microsoft fanboys building free third-party Windows Vista support sites. Of course Microsoft would officially deny such leaks, but they'd be expected to either way, either due to anti-competitive tactics that could land them in court again, or due to concern about shareholder opinions, or even a superficial concern over what little integrity they have left. Secondly, and yes this is nitpicking: You mean "pulling a 180" not a "pulling a 360" (please don't flame me for pointing this out, the primary intent of this post is contained in the first paragraph and this one is merely an incidental observation)

    --
    The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
  80. Media Player 10 by mr.+mulder · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Funny - did anyone notice that Windows Media Player 10 has verson number 11?

  81. Mod up informative. by Ayanami+Rei · · Score: 1

    nt

    --
    THIS THING CAN TURN ON A DIME, MACROSSZERO STYLE ALSO FUCK BETA, ~NYORON
  82. Marketing Copy by Armour+Hotdog · · Score: 1, Funny

    Windows Vista(tm), the only operating system that fully leverages Microsoft's patented VRE* technology!

    * Virus Runtime Engine

  83. OpenGL by the+Hewster · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The only thing that interests me is if native OpenGL will be supported in composite (eyecandy) mode instead of through a wrapper (see opengl.org for details about this). If not it will be a serious blow to portable applications that use 3D acceleration.

    1. Re:OpenGL by Tim_F · · Score: 0, Troll

      I fail to see the logic in your post. Just because the Windows interface is not drawn suing OpenGL does not mean that what is inside that interface (the windows) cannot be drawn using OpenGL. I am pretty sure that if you use an nVidia graphics card (and even an ATI one) that you will still be able to run OpenGL applications as the hardware drivers will support OpenGL.

      Go back in your hole and quit trying to troll the /. community. There is enough FUD coming from Microsoft without you Free Software fanbois adding more fuel to the proverbial fire.

    2. Re:OpenGL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What i see in his post is that OpenGL is an afterthought for windows. DirectX is heavily optimized to run well in windows, and if opengl even works, thats good enough.

    3. Re:OpenGL by Mind+Booster+Noori · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately it will be over a wrapper. Tell me about anti-trust...

  84. Thoughtcrime alert! by Urusai · · Score: 1

    Under Article [redacted] of the Patriot Act and Articles [redacted] of the DMCA, you are guilty of aiding and abetting enemies of corporate America. You are hereby subject to arbitrary seizure and extradition to a country with unfriendly interrogation practices, where you will confess your crimes and subsequently be remanded to the Chestnut Tree Cafe for public recantation prior to liquidation. Do not be alarmed.

    1. Re:Thoughtcrime alert! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I hate to be the first person to tell you this, but you're not funny. Remotely amusing, maybe, but in the kind of way that makes one shake their head and sigh, then post on Slashdot in hope that you'll never embarrass yourself like this ever again.

  85. Incidents or not... by Jugalator · · Score: 1

    Are these leaks accidental, or is Microsoft actually trying to pull a 360?

    Well, Microsoft has at least been reported to be on the hunt of the employee doing this, according to reports from the warez people involved in the leak. They wanted their IRC logs too. ;-) They weren't really *that* interested in the ones on the receiving end, but rather how it left MS in the first place. And the MS employee leaking another even earlir version of Longhorn (build 3683?) was fired, actually.

    Make out what you wish from that, but if it's a conspiracy, I guess it just grew a lot bigger.

    --
    Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
  86. IE 7 allways had tabs. by blanks · · Score: 0, Redundant

    IE 7 <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.a spx?FamilyId=718E9B3A-64FE-4A4C-9DDF-57AF0472EAD2& displaylang=en"> beta</a> has allways had.  I know that sounds very 1984ish but they finally doing it.

  87. MOD LINGUIST UP by The+Slashdotted · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Hopefully, the pedantic polyglots will never pester Slashdot again.

    Bastards.

  88. 256 mb by porkThreeWays · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Ummmm, I read through that link provided. Starter edition is going to be software controlled at being able to use only 256 megabytes of ram? Are you kidding me? It's meant for first time PC users. I can't imagine even getting an OEM first time PC with less than 512 megabytes of ram.

    --
    If an officer ever threatens to taze you, say you have a pacemaker.
  89. Mod Parent Up! by fupeg · · Score: 1

    People love to laugh about how slow MS has been to release Vista, but in a lot of ways, Gnome/KDE are still playing catch up to XP.

  90. Screenshot Bugs Abound by courtarro · · Score: 1

    I wouldn't trust their QA. I know it's just a beta, but it's clear by screenshot 1 that Media Player 11 has trouble properly labeling songs by The Who

  91. Windows Skin by leon.gandalf · · Score: 0

    Am I the only one that thinks this looks like Linux with a Skin that looks like a new version of Windows??

    1. Re:Windows Skin by WhiteWolf666 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, its looks like KDE with Crystal GL, and SuSE colors.

      Nothing to see here folks, move along.

      --
      WhiteWolf666 an exBush supporter. All you new-school,compassionate,save the children Republicans can rot in hell
  92. Teenage Wasteland??? by propagandize · · Score: 2, Informative

    On Screenshot 1 the song being played on WMP is listed as Teenage Wasteland by The Who. The song, of course, is actually called "Baba O'Riley" So, perhaps in addtion to leaking the screenshots, Chris123NT (if that is his real name) is also an evil P2P file sharer?

  93. I call shenannigans! by thesandtiger · · Score: 2, Funny

    In one of the screenshots it clearly shows that the guy only has 2 gigs of RAM. Isn't Vista supposed to require 2TB of Carbon-Nanotube RAM and a Quantum processor?

    Clearly these are fakes.

    --
    Since I can't tell them apart, I treat all ACs as the same person.
  94. Torrent.. if you're interested by Tezprice · · Score: 1
    DVD ISO, apparently you can mount it and install from there. Haven't tried though.

    http://static.thepiratebay.org/downloadtorrent/339 4594.torrent/Windows.Vista.Builld.5231-PROPER.3394 594.TPB.torrent

    love and kisses,

    William Gates.

  95. Is this another Windows Manager? by acadia11 · · Score: 1

    Oh ... sorry, I thought I was looking at yet another Linux Windows Manager. Is Bill stealing code again.

  96. again... by Sait-kun · · Score: 1

    I really do hope the security of vista will be better then the internal security at M$...

  97. Re:I have a MSDN copy of Vista by xerotime · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I have a full legal msdn copy of longhorn beta 1 and let me tell you first hand. it sucks. I have two gigs of ram...and its slow. it lags continously and only is efficeent half the time. when the Vista beta comes out i'll let ya know if its any faster. for now...i'm dissappointed.

  98. Bulls A$$ by Nropking · · Score: 1

    I'd rather get a look at a t-bone by sticking my head up the bulls a$$ then by taking this butcher's word. This looks a lot like xp to me. I will not be buying this crap, tfosorcim should be ashamed.

  99. Reply to sig? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What's gas cost in Canada?
    I would guess that is'a been over $4 Canadian this summer, but I don't really know.

    1. Re:Reply to sig? by JFitzsimmons · · Score: 1

      $4 per what? Gallon? Litre? Hogshead? Football field?

      --
      Beware he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master. -Anonymous
  100. 360? by ChristTrekker · · Score: 1

    Don't you mean 180? 360 would leave them going the same direction as before...

  101. Enlightenment anyone? by pavera · · Score: 1

    So, basically you can have transparent windows now, I'm so glad that MS in "innovating"... I've had that for the last 4 years on my enlightenment desktop, and I don't need a $3000 video card to render it, or a 3.6 Ghz dual core proc either...

  102. yeah by QMO · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I don't think that IE7 would be free for me.
    I suspect that it would cost at least a couple hundred dollars.
    As far as I can tell, I would have to upgrade the OS, then upgrade the hardware to support the new OS.

    --
    Exam 4/C again. Maybe I'll do better this time.
  103. This is asa bad as a new Firefox version by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Are we going to get a stupid pointless slashdot post (I know, redundant) every time that a newer build of Vista is released? Can we rename Vista to Firefoxx 2.0?

  104. fix the stupid addressbar by jackbower · · Score: 1

    I can't stand the addressbar in IE7. You can't adjust the size and the refresh/stop/go button are on the right of the screen miles away from the back forward buttons. I have had to replace two mice so far because of this new design. Can't wait for Office 12 to come along so the users will have to relearn everything again.......thanks uncle bill

    events occur in real time

  105. Smart interface? by wardk · · Score: 1

    about time they replaced the dumb one. only took what, 7 years? these guy can turn on a dime!

    so how much more press will MS get for this vapor thing they talk about. again, it's not actually a real thing. just a promise. just a distraction from REAL things. so what REAL thing was released that this is supposed to distract me from? that would interest me.

    I've seem MS screenshots before, they look like windows will bells on. ho hum. watching slugs crawl across the sidewalk is more interesting.

  106. Shinny Leaks for interest by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Another leak! Yay!

    Maybe it's to keep interest in this new OS.
    It isn't like we've been waiting for years for it to come out... Wait! That's not aplicable here! We have been missing it for years, and it is coming out short.

    BTW! Does that not remind you of anything? Gnome maybe... It could be just me, but I have this "Déja Vu" feeling in my stomach. Maybe I'm hungry!?

    I do have to say it is shinny! Too shinny blinds tho...

  107. Re:I have a MSDN copy of Vista by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You realize of course that beta 1 is about a year old now, and looks and functions completely different from current builds, right? (I've tried it too, it was intended as a release so hardware developers could start doing compatibility testing and driver work)
    Nah, guess not.

  108. Re:I have a MSDN copy of Vista by Jarlsberg · · Score: 1

    Heh, when was there ever a Windows beta that ran even remotely fast? :)

  109. Re:I have a MSDN copy of Vista by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ya but is it a debugger version? more than likely its not a release build but has all the hooks for debugging which will slow it down quite a bit and make it bulkier than it would otherwise be.

  110. why bash M$? by logik3x · · Score: 2, Informative

    Ok a build leaked, so what? it's not like it's the first build to be leaked... some release groups live only on that... there was like 50 builds of whislter (xp) that leaked.. does that mean xp sucks? no. of course all the *nix lover will bash me but wtv... xp is good... at least it's the best x86 desktop os for general cosomation... no liux distro is as mature as xp and probably will never be has money is what makes the wold turn... anyways stop bashing M$ and windows theres no link between the article subject and your bashing. p.s. I use gentoo on my dektop so don't claim I'm sold M$

    1. Re:why bash M$? by carrett · · Score: 1

      try ubuntu. it's the best desktop operating system out there, it just needs hardware made for it and proprietary software that people like written for it (which is pretty much the only edge that windows has right now).

      --
      I'm against picketing but I don't know how to show it.
    2. Re:why bash M$? by Coniptor · · Score: 1

      Anyway stop promoting Micro$loth and Windows.
      What there isn't a chance of that happening?
      But you think those you perceive as bashing them whether true or not will just stop because you tell them to?
      Go jump off a cliff at low tide.
      It was worth a shot.

  111. even worse... by C0vardeAn0nim0 · · Score: 1

    Microsoft BOB Player!!!

    --
    What ? Me, worry ?
  112. Re:Almost by symbolic · · Score: 1


    "smart" means that it knows what you want to do, whether you want to do it or not.

  113. tabs a la Firefox by nicoaimetti · · Score: 1

    a la Opera you should have to say.

  114. WRONG. It was "Baba O'Riley", not "Reilly" by James+A.+Y.+Joyce · · Score: 0

    no text

  115. Smart Interface? by WhiteWolf666 · · Score: 1

    As in leveraging our synergies for efficent allocation of resources in man-watt-hours?

    As in holographic agents dynamically simulating emulated off-shore technical assist?

    Or, smart interface, as in 'transparent' window borders in a butt-ugly color scheme straight out of the SuSE 9.2 release?

    *yawn*

    Anyone see anything *interesting* in Vista which hasn't already been done elsewhere? Please don't tell me about stuff that MS is planning to release late; I mean stuff that actually exists NOW in the beta. You know, the not-vaporware stuff; like the smart interface.

    --
    WhiteWolf666 an exBush supporter. All you new-school,compassionate,save the children Republicans can rot in hell
  116. Worst. UI. Ever. by Aqua+OS+X · · Score: 1

    I don't know why anyone would actually want that UI. The transparency, the gradients, the bad typography... It looks like Photoshop threw up.

    Believe it or not, that stuff has a big effect on usability and interactivity. Hopefully this new UI will get canned before launch. It's horrible.

    And I thought "brushed metal" was annoying.

    --
    "Things are more moderner than before- bigger, and yet smaller- it's computers-- San Dimas High School football RULES!"
  117. topside WHAT? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    what's this "Topside Porn..." in the taskbar?

    1. Re:topside WHAT? by Warlock7 · · Score: 1

      Pornstar. It's the guys name in the chat window...

  118. Click the link, genius by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    n/t

  119. MOD LINGUIST DOWN by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...given that the form has been predominant even in formal, literary, and technical English for at least 40 years.

    oooh, half a lifetime. I'm feeling the weight of history.

    Somehow I'm not impressed that generation of the 1960's use "hopefully" a bit different than earlier generations.

  120. Where's the beef? by electroniceric · · Score: 4, Insightful
    I wouldn't be surprised either. One of the most striking things about the screenshots is how MS seems to have fallen into the KDE/Gnome trap of changing button themes, adding & subtracting transparency, tweaking position of widgets on the screen, and so forth, without making any substantial changes to the user interaction paradigm:

    • Mouse to Corner -> Start Menu -> Click on Icon to Run Program
    • Click on Browser Icon -> Click on Link or Address Bar -> Navigate Page
    • Click on taskbar item -> Retrieve application window -> Work with application

    I'm not naive enough to demand that either Windows or KDGnome implement revolutionary improvements in desktop paradigm - that stuff really seems to happen by accretion, especially since we seem to be on a plateau for the desktop interface. But I do wonder why we need a new OS for this - especially at $200 a pop. Vista really seems like a service release of XP with its core libraries rewritten for extensibility and stability. Good thing to do, but not a boxed release. Why should I pay for a more performant graphic engine that does nothing new for me? Or a redone version of PDF? A truly integrated file system-database-document-management system probably would have been worth $200 a pop, but in its current incarnation as MS Google Desktop, I'll stick to the download version, thank you.

    It's not like there's a lack of interesting things to do, either:

    • Aforementioned document management system, even without the enterprise database filesystem. Just generating a map and TOC of all the docs on the machine would be incredibly useful, not to mention some basic versioning.
    • "Save to cloud" universal data storage. MS could well have built Freenet in 5 years.
    • Save and restore state from machine to machine
    • Functional, user controllable password management (peer-to-peer Passport)
    • and many more...


    If you read those articles about Ballmer "realizing" that MS needs more frequent releases of their OS, it's because they've accepted that companies are not going to upgrade Windows or Office on their present machines, but they will migrate over 3-5 years no matter what - new machines will ship with Vista licenses rather than XP, and eventually it will be easier to just replace the old machines with Vista machines than deal with the "legacy" OS. MS will have a tasty revenue stream from Vista no matter what, because it will still ship with every new machine sold. Enviable business position.

    I hope companies and OEMs will realize that if they pressure MS with the threat of breaking ranks for KDGnomeJavaFireLinux, they can repurpose their "OEM" XP licenses to new machines, and get Vista for free or very little. There's got to be a limit to the number of times people can be sold the same product.

    I know I sound like every other M$ $uxor /. wanker, but Vista really does seem to be an empty release, and I resent that I'll be obligated to buy it. Somebody, anybody, prove me wrong, or speed up the release of GoogleOS, please!
    1. Re:Where's the beef? by seb249 · · Score: 1

      Hmmmm - did anyone else think when they looked at the screen shots that it looked remarkedly like some linux desktops?

    2. Re:Where's the beef? by zootm · · Score: 1

      Not really, the effects were a little more ethereal than is possible with xorg/etc. at present, and the theme looked more like an eveolution from the XP one than something taken from Linux. It probably looks like Linux in the same way that Windows with a theme and Linux with a theme just look fairly similar in general.

    3. Re:Where's the beef? by jackd · · Score: 1

      I had the same feeling, until I saw the video previews of the applications built on the Avalon/Windows Presentation Foundation/Whatever graphics engine. I was blown away. Applications on a whole new level, with wild potential in creativity and possibility, really achieving massive productivity increases.

      I'm very far from a Microsoft fan, I'm much more leaning towards Macromedia's Flash platform push with Flex. But overall, I'm very excited about what will happen with applications in the future, enabled by the Vista release.

      I've tried to find the videos again on Google, but no luck yet.

  121. Re:I have a MSDN copy of Vista by springbox · · Score: 2, Informative

    I just wish they'd do something about the memory management. Windows seems to swap to disk all the time just for the heck of it. The real problem is when you start using excessive amounts of memory (more than physical memory at least), and even after deallocating it, the entire system goes on a swapping rampage, and everything becomes annoyingly slow until you restart the machine. I thought the MM in Linux at least is a lot better. It actually uses physical memory for something useful and only swaps when it absolutely needs to. I wish Windows did that.

  122. Screenshot by DaveM753 · · Score: 1

    I looked at one of the screenshots and if I'm not mistaken, it looks like the desktop is using a new font!

    Wow! Vista is making me vibrate, man!

  123. I hope not . . . by indytx · · Score: 1
    Are these leaks accidental, or is Microsoft actually trying to pull a 360?"

    Maybe we'll get lucky and M$ will pull a 180.

    --
    Make love, not reality television.
  124. just a face lift... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    it's really just looking like a face lift!

    oh bother. Looks like Vista will actually look good. It also looks like they hired some usability experts. I hope we (KDE) can sport the upcoming Vista and the current Mac OS X with some high flying beauty, plugability, and usability in KDE4 Plasma.

    It also looks like transparency is the 'in' now. Everything has got to be transparent these days. We'll see if Vista's transparency effects wont kill the user experience with lag and crashes.

    I also noticed that the windows aren't 3d like people where speculating for some time. You can't stack them and turn them sideways. Once again, it's really just looking like a face lift!

    - vlad blanton

    -Vlad Blanton

    1. Re:just a face lift... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I suppose if all you do is look at it's face, then that's all you'll see.

      And that'll probably be all that most OSS advocates do. Once again completely ignoring what Microsoft is doing until it is far too late to play catch-up again. :(

      FYI MOST of the UI eye candy has not been implemented yet. They have been working on the meat till just recently.

      If you are interested, try doing some real investigation on it, or not. But coming here and saying "It's just a face lift" is positively moronic.

  125. if you go on the vista site.. by flamingiceclone · · Score: 1

    Detects Impending Failures Windows Vista built-in diagnostics can proactively detect problems with system components such as hard disks (discks uh??), memory, and networks. Windows Vista notifies you and walks you through the problem resolution. Consider the following scenarios: * Although you don't know it, your hard erection is about to fail. Windows erection diagnostics detects the impending failure and guides you through erection backup. You've escaped a disaster from which it might have taken weeks to recover. (or months of therapy)... * You are a mobile computer user in an enterprise setting, and you've been on the road and have forgotten to back up your data for a few weeks. When you return home and connect to your enterprise network (wife), an event indicating an impending erection failure is forwarded from your computer to your IT support center(doctor). Your administrator notifies you of the impending problem and schedules a repair at a convenient time(ie how many viagra pills should i send).

  126. No, you click this link, anonymous genius by snowwrestler · · Score: 1
    --
    Build a man a fire, he's warm for one night. Set him on fire, and he's warm for the rest of his life.
  127. Re:I have a MSDN copy of Vista by fupeg · · Score: 1

    Not necesarrily. There is a debugger version available from MSDN, but there is also a non-debugger one as well. Don't know what the parent was running, but my non-debugger system was also very sluggish in places, though it did boot tremendously fast. IE 7 on both Vista and XP is incredibly slow too.

  128. Woah! by The+Real+Nem · · Score: 3, Informative

    You've actually seen Linux use it's swap file? I have Gentoo installed (KDE) and no matter what I do I can't for the life of me get Linux to use any of the swap file. Sometimes I wonder why I even created one. (I have 512 MB of memory BTW.) XP on the other hand seems contempt to thrash the hell out of its swap whenever I so much as launch a reasonably heavy application (or several lighter ones).

    1. Re:Woah! by springbox · · Score: 1

      Yes, but only on my laptop when I was booting Knoppix because the system only has 64MB of RAM (60MB because the integrated video uses 4MB of it.) I can get by without the GUI though so I usually disable swap so it doesn't spend most of its time loading.

    2. Re:Woah! by Hendronicus · · Score: 1

      I know what you mean. I've only got 256 MB on my Slackware 8.1 box running KDE 2.something and I've never seen it hit the swap partition either, even during kernel builds. Windows keeps swapping every time I get on the 'net with just a few open windows, and that box has 320 MB of RAM.

    3. Re:Woah! by zootm · · Score: 1

      I've not noticed Windows using more or less paging than Linux (or BSD, for that matter), having switched between the two on a couple of machines (one 192MB RAM, one 512MB). I've not seen anything to suggest that one was working better than the other.

  129. "Are these leaks accidental,..." by paulmer2003 · · Score: 1

    Are these leaks accidental, or is Microsoft actually trying to pull a 360?" They are not. I know who was involved with the leak. It may have been leaked by a microsoft employee to "someone else" but no i dont think that microsoft wished that this build was leaked. Hell why would they? they are going to be releaseing a CTP build of longhorn later this mounth of it which will probally be the exact same thing as this....

  130. Image Blur by dalleboy · · Score: 1

    Funny that the caption on the windows are blurred, but he missed to blur the names of the windows in the taskbar. Nice to know that he chats with: "Ryan | Topside Porn...", "//nD2 DigitalFreedo..." and "* bjx0(TM) *".

  131. Re:I have a MSDN copy of Vista by PickyH3D · · Score: 0, Troll
    That's total bull. I run Microsoft Vista on a machine with 1 GB of ram and it runs PERFECTLY fine, with all the bells and whistles.

    Microsoft cannot help it if their users install crap that steals the CPU.

    while ( true ) string = "retarded";
  132. It will be forced upon you by korgull · · Score: 1

    The problem is that MS forces this beast onto the consumer by every new PC that is sold, so probably we'll see this Vista thing around at some point of time even though most people don't have a need for this (XP or even w2k is enough for most users and other users use OSX/Linux/BSD)
    I'm very interested in how many XP users are really waiting for Vista. I personally don't know any. In fact, most XP users I know are either happy with it or thinking about switching to Linux.
    Sad that the consumer can not really chose when they buy a PC.

  133. What leak? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Microshaft leaked it on purpose. They were going to have a Vista install fest in Oct. then backed out of it and now it is on the net. Hmmm, perfect timing by Microshaft.

  134. Windows leaked... by slashname3 · · Score: 1

    Damn drafty windows!

  135. He's listening to "Teenage Wasteland"?!?!?! by James+A.+Y.+Joyce · · Score: 0

    GODDAMMIT, THE NAME OF THAT WHO SONG IS NOT "TEENAGE WASTELAND"! IT IS "BABA O'RILEY" YOU FUCKING CUNTS GRHGRRHGRJRJRRGRRJRJRGHRHGRGRHR

    Post Comment
    Lameness filter encountered. Post aborted!
    Reason: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.#

    Post Comment
    Lameness filter encountered. Post aborted!
    Reason: Don't use so many caps. It's like

    Slow Down Cowboy!

    Slashdot requires you to wait between each successful posting of a comment to allow everyone a fair chance at posting a comment.

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  136. Re:I have a MSDN copy of Vista by Mario+B · · Score: 1

    Optimization is one of the last thing you do in software development (for usual projects). Once you know where you spend most of your time in the code, you optimize those parts; it should surprise you it's not blazing fast. You should expect some improvements in that aspect between that Beta version and the final product.

  137. Not much change since 5219... by stereoroid · · Score: 1

    ... the build that was given out ('000s of copies) at the MS PDC from not long ago. The IE version in there had tabs too. I'm running 5219, but not to do any serious work on, and it's just as well: it's a pig, nowhere near ready for release. All that debug code slows it right down.

    --
    (this is not a .sig)
  138. Redundant. by Coleco · · Score: 1

    This story has been posted, again.

  139. Ninjas *would* say that. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Bah, silly ninja. What do you guys have against pirates, anyhow? Next thing we know, you'll flip out and kill people...

  140. Of course it was leaked. by man_of_mr_e · · Score: 1

    Anyone that's surprised that Windows builds leak out really has no idea of the history of Windows development. Every version of Windows going back to Windows 95 has had frequent and numerous leaks on the internet during development. It's a difficult problem to fix, and microsoft probably isn't that concerned about it.

    The leaks get builds into peoples hands, so it gets further beta testing, without them having to offcially support them as beta testers. I'm not saying its deliberate, but it certainly doesn't hurt them.

  141. Too bad they were too dumb to... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...blur out the beginning of the window title down in the task bar. Doh!

  142. Who cares about product leaks? by mnmn · · Score: 1

    We want source code leaks!

    And the full set too. We want to be able to compile windows overnight.

    We want to copy the HAL over a virtual Linux target, so the Linux kernel could natively execute win32 binaries unlike the way it does WINEX. We want to properly and reliably port directx 9.0 to WINEX.

    Even better we want to boost ReactOS to the point of being usable as a desktop. Just as Captive-NTFS uses NTFS drivers, we want to be able to use windows drivers in Linux for products that dont have Linux drivers (still). Would be more cool to port Windows XP to Alpha, SPARC and PowerPC. Who wants to port WindowsXP to the minimac first?

    A bridge must be built from both site of the river, and the Linux-windows bridge is badly needed to allow the plethora of win32-only apps to move over. Theyre the reason MSFT has 90% of the market. Are you reading this MSFT developers wasting time on slashdot?

    --
    "Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you." -Nim Chimpsky
  143. Do what you did last time... by Eradicator2k3 · · Score: 0

    Windows Vista Leaks ... Again!

    Well, dump it in the trash and try not to get any on you.

    --
    Mr. T pitied this fool on 27 July 1992.
  144. New eye candy riding on a BSD clone? by Jerry · · Score: 1

    Enquiring minds want to know.

    --

    Running with Linux for over 20 years!

  145. Re:I have a MSDN copy of Vista by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    beta 1

  146. Hopefully..... or not by SpectralDesign · · Score: 1

    From my point of view, as a non-college-educated brute, the phrase:

    Hopefully, he left on Tuesday -- does indeed seem to indicate that he was in a hopeful state upon his departure, whereas, if you want to imply that the hope is with the speaker, a small change in the punctuation helps to make the point:

    Hopefully he left on Tuesday.

    In version 1.0 the comma implies the adverb is directed toward the subject, whereas the lack of comma in version 2.0b implies the adverb is directed at the speaker.

    Just my worthless 2 cents!

    --
    Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. - Dr. Seuss
  147. Gentoo Vista by twoblink · · Score: 0

    Did Daniel Robbins go and work for MS?

    So will we be able to do a

    USE="64bit" emerge vista

  148. You will assimilate by Viper233 · · Score: 1

    hahahaha... you sound as if you have a choice... good luck to you and the rest of the Win95/98 users out there who are struggling to hang on.
    XP 2001... next year it will be 5 years old... 3 years down the track... just think, 2003 or Vista?? It's kinda like voting for politician these days!!

    --Stewie: Let me guess, you picked out yet another colorful box with a crank that I'm expected to turn and turn until OOP! big shock, a jack pops out and you laugh and the kids laugh and the dog laughs and I die a little inside.

  149. Chairman Bill pulls your chain and y'all bark by SgtChaireBourne · · Score: 1
    t's simple: Chairman Bill pulls the chain and y'all bark.

    Did you have enough Microsofot bashing little troll?

    Sorry if my words hurt your feelings or insulted your political movement there. The body of the message, however, was about the frequency and timing of the fluff pieces filling up the press.

    I infer then that you have noticed that most magazines and news sites seem to have a quota to churn out a pair of MS articles regardless of relevance or merit. Also how many times a month to we have to see statement-retraction-restatement? The most recent one was the read-once DVD.

    Oh, they don't seem to be allowed to discuss current or on going illegal behavior or, worse, discussing security or other technical shortcomings. The EU cases have all but disappear off the radar. Not even the reviews mention a word about DRM, even to state its claimed capabilities. And the most recent security patches/hotfixes covered holes that were known for months, but no advice on interim solutions to harden the machines.

    The frequency and timing of the fluff pieces on MS seem to suggest to me that their sole purpose is to keep MS in the headlines and fill up the tech news so that there isn't time to cover other companies or technologies.

    --
    Beta is broken and the link to classic doesn't work. Stop wasting our time or there won't be anybody left here.
  150. Are you sure? by DarkYoshi · · Score: 1

    In XP you can edit a registry setting to make the BSOD any color you want! Could we still do this in Vista? I want my Tangerine Screen of Death!

  151. Re:I have a MSDN copy of Vista by PickyH3D · · Score: 1
    Ohh... I am sorry for correcting the liar in a mean, but attempted humorous fashion.

    If you're going to lie, then learn to handle the heat. My machine runs Vista FLAWLESSLY.