Launch of Beta 1 of Microsoft Vista

August 3, 2005 is the official launch date for the next version of Microsoft Windows code-named Vista (earlier longhorn). In the past couple of days Microsoft shipped this version to some 500,000 “early bird” developers; being beta 1 it is not ready for routine developers; many ideas are still in the “plumbing” stage as VP Jim Allchin (an earlier “star” professor) puts it. It must be a happy day for Will Poole, Sr. VP in-charge of Windows client.

Though I am yet to lay my copy, what I like about this release

Tighter RSS integration (all bloggers would like this)

3D/Transparency to improve GUI (for many years GUI has not improved in Windows releases, though the original USP of Windows was GUI)

“Shrink to Print” feature across applications (many of us who still use prints would love it)

Anti-phishing (one hopes it improves, but one can never be sure)

Tabbed browsing (all those who installed Firefox may come back to Microsoft)

Shift to “virtual files” and away from folders (a fundamental contribution if it succeeds)

Meta-data on files to improve search (many LIS (Library & Information Science) folks will be happy that they are proved right that meta-data usage and not brute-force search would be the way to go)

Of course, there are some mishaps (earlier it was Windows XP crashing when Bill Gates launched it); this time veterans are up in arms with the “name clash”; Veteran Administration has been giving away a software “Vista” to senior citizens to plan healthcare; hopefully, the irritant it should go away.