Windows: Vista
By Rich Eichacker
Vibrance Technology Corporation
The PC world is a buzz with news of Microsoft’s latest version of Windows: Vista. Formerly named Longhorn, Vista is now in beta testing and should be available by winter 2006. A server version of Vista will be released six to nine months later.
As usual, the hype around this newest release is being tempered by the reality of 1) Microsoft’s slipping release date and 2) the removal of so many promised features that some have equated this to a third service pack of Windows XP instead of the revolutionary new version it was supposed to be. This is
reinforced by the fact that many of Vista’s features will be available as add-ons to Windows XP.
What’s New
- Vista is written using code from Windows Server 2003 SP1, Microsoft’s most stable and secure operating system yet.
- 32 and 64-bit versions. 64-bit computing will provide a more stable environment with improved performance even with 32-bit apps. A 64-bit version of Windows XP will also be available.
- Internet Explorer 7 with improved security, tabbed browsing (like FireFox) and
RSS support.
- User Account Protection. The logged-in user will not have administrator privileges and will not be able to install programs without the administrator password. This will make it less likely that a malicious program will crash or corrupt Windows.
- “Aero” and “Avalon” which make up the user interface and graphics system. “Glass” windows, animated icons, and icons that display file previews are among the features.
- Improved search capabilities, allowing advanced searches throughout the entire file system.
- IPv6, the next generation internet protocol.
- A hard disk encryption scheme called Secure Startup Volume Encryption. With a special hardware chip, SSVE encrypts the entire hard drive making files completely unreadable without the password.
What didn’t make the cut
- WinFS, an advanced file system built using a SQL Server database. WinFS will probably be released after Vista as an add-on.
- Monad, a powerful scripting language that would have been useful to developers and IT staff.
- NGSCB (Next-Generation Secure Computing Base), a secure computing environment of which SSVE (above) was one part.
The death of 16-bit?
The introduction of a 64-bit version of Windows may finally ring the death knell on 16-bit applications. I’ve read that, flat out, this newest platform will not support 16-bit applications and device drivers. Most 16-bit apps, written prior to Windows 95, have been replaced by newer, 32-bit versions, but there are 16-bit legacy applications out there that will have to be re-written. The time to do this is now, before 64-bit starts to dominate.
Fall 2005 -Volume 15, Number 4
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