Everything
L
et’s get this out of the way right up
front: The next version of Windows—
code-named Longhorn—isn’t expected
to ship until sometime in 2006.
So why are we previewing it so early? And why should
you care?
The answer is simple: Microsoft’s top-secret sequel to
Windows 8P promises the most significant technological
leap forward in the almost 0-year history of the venerable
OS. When it’s finally launched, ,onghorn will be the most
demanding operating system Microsoft has ever released.
The new 3D user interface will even require a Direct8 -
compliant videocard!
In addition, the next version of Windows will feature a
brand-new file system, some innovative new networking
options, and will likely integrate digital rights management
technologies from the BIOS level on up.
It’s clear that ,onghornlike every prior major revi-
sion of Windowsis a make-or-break OS for Microsoft. As
such, everyone wants to know what it looks like and how
it works. To find out, we scoured newsgroups, dug deep
into Microsoft’s developer web sites, read everything we
could find about ,onghorn, and then tested the hell out
of an early alpha of the OS. Over the next eight pages,
we’re going to tell you everything we learned. And because
Microsoft has remained steadfastly mum about the 3D
interface, we consulted experts in the field for their predic-
tions regarding Microsoft’s new take on the '5I.
As we delved into the details, we had a thought: Why
should we have to wait until 00 to get all this new func-
tionality? So we integrated all of the best user interface
improvements we’ve seen in ,onghorn into Windows 8P.
The result is an OS modification you can perform your-
self that will make your version of Windows lookand
behavelike early versions of ,onghorn.
Will the general public upgrade their PCs and make the
move to ,onghorn en masse despite the demanding sys-
tem requirements and D2M foibles? Or will they instead
stick with Win8P? Maybe PC users will take another path
altogether and move to ,inux or Mac? Turn the page to
get your ,onghorn on, then chime in on whether or not
you plan to make the ,onghorn leap by e-mailing us at
—BY WILL SMITH, JOSH NOREM, AND JASON COMPTON
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