USB key speeds up Windows Vista

Microsoft's upcoming Windows Vista will allow users to add memory to the operating system through the use of USB memory keys, the company revealed at its Professional Developer Conference in Los Angeles. The option is part of a technology called Superfetch designed to make the next version of Windows faster to use over time.

Superfetch will monitor the data and applications accessed by the user in recent months and preload those into its memory. This allows for faster access to data and applications. In current Windows versions the software loads applications and data only as the user asks for it. This takes time because Windows has to load not only the application itself after a system reboot but the drivers and other auxiliary applications.

"Superfetch works great if you have a reasonable amount of memory, and it works fantastic if you have boatloads of memory," Jim Alchin, group vice president for Windows platforms at Microsoft, told delegates in Los Angeles.

Full story: vnunet.com

Inside Windows Vista Build 5219

Windows Vista is starting to look more appealing. During our hands-on testing of Vista build 5219, which Microsoft is handing out this week at its Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles, we were able to try out a number of new features and observe some slick-looking interface enhancements. Build 5219 takes advantage of WPF (Windows Presentation Framework, formerly known as Avalon) to provide visual cues that make it easier to navigate between multiple open applications—and, frankly, more fun. It expands the search box embedded in the Start menu to let you kick off a search of the entire PC or of the Internet. And it enhances a number of security and administrative features and turns on User Account Protection by default.

Microsoft has also confirmed that a beta of a new version of Windows Media Player will ship within Vista beta 2, perhaps even as early as the next CTP release. WMP 11 will include a new user interface but will retain the existing WMP codec.

Screenshots: Windows Vista Build 5219
News source: PC Mag

WinFS Examples in Action at PDC

Although WinFS won't ship until after Windows Vista hits store shelves, the new file system is garnering the attention of PDC 2005 attendees who want to see the capabilities that a relational file system will bring. Microsoft on Wednesday showed off a few examples of WinFS in action.

WinFS isn't a new concept at Microsoft; the company has long made what it calls "integrated storage" a top priority. The new file system was first unveiled at PDC 2003, but many assumed the effort was dead once Microsoft announced WinFS would not be included in Vista.

Not so, says Shishir Mehrotra, head of the WinFS product planning team. "I promise WinFS didn't get cut; I still have a job. If it does get cut, I hope somebody will tell me," he joked.

Full story: BetaNews

Evidence mounts for premium Vista

With Windows Vista, Microsoft is considering a product line-up that would include several new high-end editions of the operating system. Microsoft has discussed plans for an edition for corporations and is also evaluating both a small-business version and an "ultimate" edition of the operating system that would combine the best of Microsoft's corporate and consumer features.

The company has not yet said how it will sell Vista, and an announcement is not expected for some months. However, buried within the test code handed out to developers at Microsoft's Professional developers' conference in Los Angeles on Tuesday is a reference to six separate versions of Vista. In at least one place, the software makes reference to Home Basic Edition, Home Premium Edition, Ultimate Edition and three versions of Vista Professional: Standard Edition, Small Business Edition and Enterprise Edition.

Full story: ZDNet News

Microsoft taps Canon to bring Vista into color

As part of its effort to boost the graphics abilities in Windows Vista, Microsoft is expected to announce Tuesday that it has partnered with Canon to include an all-new color matching system as part of the new operating system. The Windows Color System is designed, among other things, to help make digital photo prints that better match the images that appear on the screen.

"There have been advancements made in the past to try and solve the fundamental problem that what I see on my screen doesn't match what I see from my printer," said Josh Weisberg, Microsoft group product manager. "Those advancements have helped for professionals and advanced users but didn't really do much for the rest of the world."

Full story: C|Net News

Microsoft takes peer to peer mainstream

Microsoft will ship a technology as part of Windows Vista that is meant to broaden the applications and appeal of peer to peer networking technology. "Peer to peer is a game changer for application development," Microsoft product unit manager Sandeep Singhal said in a session at the Microsoft Profession Developer Conference (PDC) in Los Angeles. The technology has been available for a while, but hasn't taken off because it is too difficult to develop the applications and it faces security issues, Singhal argued.

The technology could especially benefit applications for mobile devices, where limited bandwidth is more of a concern, Singhal said. Peer to peer technology today is best known for its use in file sharing applications, but is also applied in content delivery applications including streaming radio and video services.

Full story: vnunet.com