It, uh, looks like a cross between the conceptual interface floated around for Windows 2000 and the Fisher-Price interface for Windows XP.
I'll believe a "stunning 3D interface" from Microsoft when I see one - and if I do see one, my next question will be about its usability. MS has so far finked out on every one of its attempts to reconcieve the Windows UI - even to the extent of making XP's shallow reskinning optional - for fear of breaking applications and user familiarity. Maybe they'll use the 64-bit break to introduce a change, but the odds that they'll follow through on a serious redesign are slim.
<strong>It, uh, looks like a cross between the conceptual interface floated around for Windows 2000 and the Fisher-Price interface for Windows XP.
I'll believe a "stunning 3D interface" from Microsoft when I see one - and if I do see one, my next question will be about its usability. MS has so far finked out on every one of its attempts to reconcieve the Windows UI - even to the extent of making XP's shallow reskinning optional - for fear of breaking applications and user familiarity. Maybe they'll use the 64-bit break to introduce a change, but the odds that they'll follow through on a serious redesign are slim.
From what I've read about Microsoft's plans for Longhorn, most of the reasons you stated are irrelevant. They're completely overhauling the file system and changing it into some sort of database structure. They're also making considerable changes in API such that NONE of the existing applications will be compatible with it. All of them need to be rewritten or recompiled using visual studio.net in order for them to run on longhorn. This is why they're releasing new versions of office specifically for longhorn, as previous releases just won't be able to run. These major changes will bring improvements, but more importantly they will reinforce Microsoft's stranglehold on windows applications by dealing a major blow to competition.
3D UI? Sounds interesting, but I doubt it... That would make it so hard to run on just an average consumer PC, wouldn't it? I've heard rumors about multiple desktops. This feature is already on XP, I tried it once with my PC and it wasn't very elegant at all, and pretty slow for a 32 mb graphics card
All this talk about Office being re-written to work on this new OS and previous software not being able to work sounds like a Classic to OS X transition...
[Edit: You might want to browse this site for more pics and more info on the alpha build of Longhorn...
3D UI? Sounds interesting, but I doubt it... That would make it so hard to run on just an average consumer PC, wouldn't it? I've heard rumors about multiple desktops. This feature is already on XP, I tried it once with my PC and it wasn't very elegant at all, and pretty slow for a 32 mb graphics card
All this talk about Office being re-written to work on this new OS and previous software not being able to work sounds like a Classic to OS X transition...
[Edit: You might want to browse this site for more pics and more info on the alpha build of Longhorn...
This looks a lot like that annoying active desktop they had in the first release of 98. For people with a small screen that quick launch bar isn't going to them any favours.
M$ just cant get their head around the fact that as long as the registry remains its going to crash!!
If you ask me its just another nail in their coffin, if its released, non technical folk are going to ask "why should i upgrade? it looks no different to my current version of XP!"
Comments
I'll believe a "stunning 3D interface" from Microsoft when I see one - and if I do see one, my next question will be about its usability. MS has so far finked out on every one of its attempts to reconcieve the Windows UI - even to the extent of making XP's shallow reskinning optional - for fear of breaking applications and user familiarity. Maybe they'll use the 64-bit break to introduce a change, but the odds that they'll follow through on a serious redesign are slim.
[ 03-09-2003: Message edited by: Amorph ]</p>
<strong>It, uh, looks like a cross between the conceptual interface floated around for Windows 2000 and the Fisher-Price interface for Windows XP.
I'll believe a "stunning 3D interface" from Microsoft when I see one - and if I do see one, my next question will be about its usability. MS has so far finked out on every one of its attempts to reconcieve the Windows UI - even to the extent of making XP's shallow reskinning optional - for fear of breaking applications and user familiarity. Maybe they'll use the 64-bit break to introduce a change, but the odds that they'll follow through on a serious redesign are slim.
[ 03-09-2003: Message edited by: Amorph ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
From what I've read about Microsoft's plans for Longhorn, most of the reasons you stated are irrelevant. They're completely overhauling the file system and changing it into some sort of database structure. They're also making considerable changes in API such that NONE of the existing applications will be compatible with it. All of them need to be rewritten or recompiled using visual studio.net in order for them to run on longhorn. This is why they're releasing new versions of office specifically for longhorn, as previous releases just won't be able to run. These major changes will bring improvements, but more importantly they will reinforce Microsoft's stranglehold on windows applications by dealing a major blow to competition.
It seems also rather appropriate that one of these screenshots is that of an error message:
<a href="http://www.activewin.com/screenshots/longhorn/Image26.jpg"; target="_blank">http://www.activewin.com/screenshots/longhorn/Image26.jpg</a>;
3D UI? Sounds interesting, but I doubt it... That would make it so hard to run on just an average consumer PC, wouldn't it? I've heard rumors about multiple desktops. This feature is already on XP, I tried it once with my PC and it wasn't very elegant at all, and pretty slow for a 32 mb graphics card
All this talk about Office being re-written to work on this new OS and previous software not being able to work sounds like a Classic to OS X transition...
[Edit: You might want to browse this site for more pics and more info on the alpha build of Longhorn...
<a href="http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/longhorn_4008.asp"; target="_blank">http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/longhorn_4008.asp</a>;
]
[ 03-10-2003: Message edited by: ironchef82 ]</p>
<strong>Seeing these screenshots makes me glad to switch to OS X....
It seems also rather appropriate that one of these screenshots is that of an error message:
<a href="http://www.activewin.com/screenshots/longhorn/Image26.jpg"; target="_blank">http://www.activewin.com/screenshots/longhorn/Image26.jpg</a>;
3D UI? Sounds interesting, but I doubt it... That would make it so hard to run on just an average consumer PC, wouldn't it? I've heard rumors about multiple desktops. This feature is already on XP, I tried it once with my PC and it wasn't very elegant at all, and pretty slow for a 32 mb graphics card
All this talk about Office being re-written to work on this new OS and previous software not being able to work sounds like a Classic to OS X transition...
[Edit: You might want to browse this site for more pics and more info on the alpha build of Longhorn...
<a href="http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/longhorn_4008.asp"; target="_blank">http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/longhorn_4008.asp</a>;
]
[ 03-10-2003: Message edited by: ironchef82 ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
And
<a href="http://www.activewin.com/screenshots/longhorn2/violation.jpg"; target="_blank">another...</a>
M$ just cant get their head around the fact that as long as the registry remains its going to crash!!
If you ask me its just another nail in their coffin, if its released, non technical folk are going to ask "why should i upgrade? it looks no different to my current version of XP!"
All in all this looks set to be another ME.
glad i bought an mac.