Bye-Bye Longhorn, Welcome Vista

[Zeus_Hunt]

We already knew that Longhorn was just a codename for the future OS from Microsoft, and, today, the company from Redmond has finally dubbed its latest development.

Thus, according to Reuters, Microsoft Corp. said on Friday it named the next version of its operating system "Windows Vista" as it prepares to release a trial version of the flagship software that already runs on nine out of 10 personal computers worldwide.

Windows Vista, formerly known by its code-name Longhorn, is scheduled to launch in the second half of 2006, five years after Windows XP, the longest time lag between releases of its Windows operating system.

Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, in a video released today, has promised numerous enhancements, including better security, graphics and computing over the Web.

Brad Goldberg, general manager of Windows product development at Microsoft, said the new name was aimed at "communicating the idea of clarity."

"That lets users focus on the things they need to focus on," Goldberg said.

More details on Vista will be released at a developer's conference in September, Goldberg said, and the beta for the future OS will be released by Aug. 3, Microsoft said in a statement.

[Zeus_Hunt]

Its Official

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2.../07-22LHMA.mspx

But does anyone find the name good... ?

Beta 1, targeted at developers and IT professionals, will be available by August 3, 2005.

Just waiting to get my hands on it...

[erRor67]

I dont like the name...

Vista...

What kinda name is that?!?!

[myidisbb]

I dont like the name...

Vista...

What kinda name is that?!?!

oh thats easy. "do you have your passport?" "have your passport ready." "bend over and have your key ready for examination." "pay by the month license" "no free support here." "key check" (once a week or daily or each time you long online)

freankly i dont planing on touching it for a year. and hopely never.

[D0GG]

The computer operating system has traditionally been seen as a humble program that exists primarily to turn a piece of hardware into something that can run software.

Apparently we've been underestimating it all along.

Microsoft Corp. yesterday confirmed that it plans to use the name "Windows Vista" for the next version of its flagship operating system -- describing the program in almost spiritual terms, as something to foster clarity in a person's life.

"We live in a world of more information, more ways to communicate, more things to do, and users really want PCs to adapt and help them cut through the clutter and focus on what matters to them," said Brad Goldberg, Windows general manager for product management. "That's really what 'Vista' is all about."

But the company will need to overcome some apathy as it tries to get that message across. Some find it hard to get excited about a product so common. Windows runs on more than 90 percent of the world's PCs.

"No one really cares," said Matthew Mayhan, a technician at Seattle Laptop, coming back to the phone after polling his co-workers on their opinions of the new name. "If it was called 'dirt,' we'd still sell it."

Others were more positive about the "Windows Vista" name.

It's "a refreshing change," said Joe Wilcox, a Jupiter Research analyst who has publicly encouraged Microsoft to be more "aspirational" in its product naming and marketing. He credited Microsoft for "trying to go beyond the stiff nomenclature and choose something around which it can really do some branding and marketing."

More important than the name is whether Microsoft can deliver on its promise to move beyond the viruses, spyware and other woes with which computer users are forced to grapple, said Mark Anderson, publisher of the Friday Harbor-based Strategic News Service, a newsletter about computing and communications.

"These are huge concerns for consumers," he said. "They don't give a dang if it's called Bob or Ted. That's irrelevant."

From a marketing perspective, the name reflects a sharp departure for a company historically known for taking a more understated approach in its appeal to consumers. The current version is Windows XP, which is short for "experience" but still has a technical connotation. The suffixes on previous versions coincided with the years in which they were released.

The Windows Vista name is "kinda cute -- very consumerish," said Ed Bott, a blogger and author of computer books including "Windows XP Inside Out." Bott called the name "much more like a consumer product than I think anything we've ever seen from a version of Microsoft Windows before."

In that way, Bott said, the choice of name underscores the fact that one of Microsoft's main goals with the new operating system is to increase its presence in the living room -- a much more consumer-oriented place than the home office.

Microsoft says the name is meant to evoke the idea of helping people better organize and find their information, while making it easier to connect to devices and other people. The company is also promising better security and reliability in the next Windows version.

In addition to enhanced media capabilities, Windows Vista will include features that go along with the "Vista" theme -- including transparent window frames and enhanced search capabilities.

The next Windows operating system was previously known by the code name Longhorn. Microsoft said yesterday that it plans to release a preliminary version for initial testing by software developers and information technology professionals by Aug. 3. The company has said it will have the final version on the market by the 2006 holidays.

Source

I hate stupid names...

[erRor67]

[...]

It's "a refreshing change," said Joe Wilcox, a Jupiter Research analyst who has publicly encouraged Microsoft to be more "aspirational" in its product naming and marketing. He credited Microsoft for "trying to go beyond the stiff nomenclature and choose something around which it can really do some branding and marketing."

[...]

Yeah, I noticed they went away from the traditional naming like numbers (95, 98, 2000) or letters (XP, NT). Now its word..

Oh, and Vista means Chicken in some language that I dont remember right now ;)

[Myrak]

'Vista' reminds me of some sort of outdoor patio, for some reason :D

Sounds hell secure :D :lol:

[Lite]

BETA 1 has been released in the last hour :lol:

[SliverSamuel]

Who's tired it???

[Lite]

Seeing as though only 10000 actually have access to it atm and its a big file.... i doubt many people have.

[nsane]

it'll be leaked on bt soon, be patient :lol:

[Lite]

I doubt any MSDN subscriber is gonna risk loosing thousands of dollars, for the leak. (all serials are unique).

People wanting a leak will have to wait till its released on connect or something.

[erRor67]

Arnt most pre-released things leaked through someone on the inside?

[Samurai]

yea but they're cracking down hard these days it just isn't worth it. they'll make sure people have signed an agreement that they are not to release to the public etc... and if anyone does, they'll know who did it, and he/she'll be behind bars in no time.

[Zeus_Hunt]

So how long do u think Sam for the file to be out in public ? :lol:

[Samurai]

well a long time yet. as lite mentioned above there's going to be a wait til it's released... people don't want to release it when their serial is unique and can be traced back to them. i wouldn't even like to guess to be honest.

[myidisbb]

well a long time yet. as lite mentioned above there's going to be a wait til it's released... people don't want to release it when their serial is unique and can be traced back to them. i wouldn't even like to guess to be honest.

lets just hope they actually beta test it good. so we dont end up with crap that needs 101+ patches

[Zeus_Hunt]

I heard somewhere that M$ might have some issues with the name "Vista".... some kinda copyright iss or something...

[Zeus_Hunt]

Windows Vista, whose launching is scheduled for the end of 2006, will be distributed to MSDN’s 500,000 subscribers

New features include:

- A built-in desktop search tool that appears just above the Start button. It lets users quickly find all sorts of files stored on the PC; results are displayed as thumbnail images of the documents that are found.

- A new version of Internet Explorer with built-in tools to prevent "phishing" scams that fool users into thinking they're at a secure Web site. The browser will be available for users of Windows XP in a second phase of the beta process, perhaps by the end of this year or in early 2006.

- New operating modes that make it easier for users to log in and use their PCs without administrative-level control of the system. Most consumers use their PCs today in an administrative mode that makes them more vulnerable to attack; new modes could make it easier for companies to manage PCs.

- A new transluscent desktop appearance and improved display.

- Power management features that enable Vista PCs to power up from a sleeping state in three seconds.

The next version beta of Windows Vista is due for early 2006 and if Microsoft will stick to the schedule, this should be the last test version before the final version.

[Lite]

Uhm... its been leaked. Was released on connect AFAIK, then leaked.

No details etc of how/where to get it from please.

[erRor67]

I would think someone would leak it... but then not put their unique serial..

[myidisbb]

Uhm... its been leaked. Was released on connect AFAIK, then leaked.

No details etc of how/where to get it from please.

are you asking that no one post where to get it from? just making sure. (no dont have and not want)

[Lite]

Yup.... noone ask where to get it from. Or post links.

Thanks :P

[Zeus_Hunt]

Just a few days after the release of the first Windows Vista Beta 1, security experts have discovered a new family of viruses, which are targeting Monad, the next version of Microsoft's command prompt.

According to Mikko Hyppönen, the director of antivirus research at F-Secure, the person responsible for this is a hacker, calling himself "Second Part To Hell". "Second Part To Hell” is the pseudonym of an Austrian-based hacker who also goes by the name Mario, Hyppönen says

MSH, or Microsoft Command Shell, is a command line interface

and scripting language. It's basically a replacement for shells such as CMD.EXE, COMMAND.COM or 4NT.EXE and will ship in 2006. As a command-line front end, MSH resembles many Unix shells quite a bit, reports F-Secure.

Hyppönen said also that F-Secure has named the virus family Danom (Monad in reverse). The good news is that Hyppönen says that the Danom family is disruptive, but not capable of causing significant damage to Windows users.

"These are proof-of-concept viruses," he says, "where virus writers want to break new ground and write the first viruses for a new platform."

Microsoft has included Monad as a tool that will be used by only advanced users and Hyppönen consider that Microsoft should not offer the software as part of the standard Windows Vista package. This would make the software less prevalent, and therefore less attractive to virus writers, he says.

"As a power user myself I would love to have it in my own computer, but not in my mother's computer", he said.

The possibility of MSH viruses was forecasted last year by researcher Eric Chien (of Symantec) in his presentation in the Virus Bulletin 2004 conference titled "The return of script viruses - an overview of Microsoft Shell."

[Zeus_Hunt]

The "proof of concept" viruses, named Danom, have five variants and will infect and either edit or overwrite .msh, .bat, and .cmd files. Security software firm F-Secure first reported the "Vista Virus" emergence, but admitted it "will never became a real-world problem."

Last year, researcher Eric Chein of security firm Symantec warned of Microsoft Shell viruses, saying, "while Microsoft Shell is still in development, the current versions have enough functionality to allow a variety of malicious threats including file-infecting viruses."

Microsoft has been quick to discredit reports that this is the first Vista virus.

"These potential viruses do not affect Windows Vista or any other version of Windows if 'Monad' has not been installed on the system," a security spokesperson told Mary Jo Foley of Microsoft Watch on Friday. "We have not yet announced a specific delivery vehicle for Monad in the Microsoft Windows operating system."

Microsoft also pointed out that the viruses do not exploit any vulnerability, and first must be loaded and then executed in order to infect a machine.

Monad developer Lee Holmes echoed Microsoft's sentiments in his Web log. "The fact that MSH is used as the execution vehicle is really a side-note, as it does not exploit any vulnerabilities in Monad," he argued.

"The guidance on shell script viruses is the same as the guidance on all viruses and malware: protect yourself against the point of entry, and limit the amount of damage that the malicious code can do."