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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?"
Just check this story http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/sep/EEklAEVplZ YuqLANUS.php
Publicity is the soul of the game
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
Underholdning.info
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.
Windows Media Player, including a smart interface.
What does it mean when MS creates a "smart" interface?
That is probably the only version in existance until they build in the restrictions for the other versions right before the release.
Linux is not Windows
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.
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 $200 a pop, but in its current incarnation as MS Google Desktop, I'll stick to the download version, thank you.
It's not like there's a lack of interesting things to do, either:
If you read those articles about Ballmer "realizing" that MS needs more frequent releases of their OS, it's because they've accepted that companies are not going to upgrade Windows or Office on their present machines, but they will migrate over 3-5 years no matter what - new machines will ship with Vista licenses rather than XP, and eventually it will be easier to just replace the old machines with Vista machines than deal with the "legacy" OS. MS will have a tasty revenue stream from Vista no matter what, because it will still ship with every new machine sold. Enviable business position.
I hope companies and OEMs will realize that if they pressure MS with the threat of breaking ranks for KDGnomeJavaFireLinux, they can repurpose their "OEM" XP licenses to new machines, and get Vista for free or very little. There's got to be a limit to the number of times people can be sold the same product.
I know I sound like every other M$ $uxor