Windows 6.0 / NX (Next) Project Longhorn, isn't what most reviewers believe it to be.
This mainly comes from the fact that the Beta (technically alpha) out there is actually Windows 5.1 XP (Experience) Project Whistler, plus the additional technology testbeds.
If anyone remembers when Whistler was in development, it was using Windows 4.9 ME (Millennium Edition) Project Memphis as it's testbed. Alot of reviewers also believed then what they were trying was a less buggy version of Windows 9x with some cool features; it couldn't have been further from the facts.
The tests included Ext FAT32 / NTFS, these new variations on the Windows 5.0 versions included selective sector definitions and security measures which allowed from the std 512 -> 4096byte per sectors.
Also included was the new Windows Messaging System which was 'suppose' to allow Microsoft to let you know when Critical updates were ready, or new versions of thier products were available. (unfortunately advertisers eventually abused it).
What Windows NX is going to bring to the table is basically something completely new to Microsoft Compatible Platforms.
So what exactly make NX different from XP or previous generations;
Windows XP through all of it's trying still relied on DOS as it's base system, and everything was built up graphically around that.
It also relied on old systems and patches to them, as well as a full dependance on DirectX.
Windows NX is different from the start. The Kernel has been rebuilt from the ground up, DOS limited you to 640K Base / upto 4096 Upper / upto 16MB Extended / The rest System available.
Windows NX now has a free memory architecture, old DOS required programs are now shifted with 16MB Protected and address calls are handled as if they are to that space but are really called from virtual memory declared anywhere.
Something just as interesting is the self expiration of memory, as now there is a file system for the memory; it lets Windows know if something has expired and to release it if it has.
Windows itself controls this with application based memory calls, which means that the management is alot cleaner than before.
These aren't novel, but without a complete system rework this would've been impossible within Windows before.
Next important new feature is .Net ... not the .Net Framework that Windows currently has; the main libraries are based on the .Net JIT compiling. This means that the libraries whenever your system design changes will recompile your OS libraries specifically for your platform.
This means if you have an iBook and an x86 Laptop, you swap the HDD between the two and during boot-up Windows will announce the recompiliation, you can pass it by and the libraries are recompiled on the fly; but this slows down system speed.
Another main new feature is the XNA backbone system.
The Windows NX version of this is 160MB, this is basically the replacement for every single Windows library currently available.
(PDK is 310MB and covers X-Box, .Net & Windows)
What is amazing about it is that alot of it is compatible current technology:
DirectX, Windows API, Networking, GDI, Shell, Etc...
But now all compacted into a single set of Libraries which can be used together or alone.
There is also now a new Windows Executable format that is designed specifically for WinFS. What is cool about it is that it is capable of using Microsoft Installer (InstallShield) as standard, it also comes out quite a bit smaller + is machine independant.
Any machine using the .Net framework (MacOS 11 is set to do so) will be able to use these Executables without any recompiling.
Stability has always been a key for Windows in terms of compatible drivers and such. The extra years Microsoft have (and still are) taking to painsteakingly redesign Windows are showing quite outstandingly.
Windows now has the ability to adapt to certain problems, for example my Via + C-Media sound card don't like each other much; this causes ME/XP to reboot randomly in DirectX (drivers).
Windows NX however it'll popup there is a driver problem, and note's its severity.
You have an option of Report (Checkbox), Resume, Reboot, Ignore.
If you ignore most problem will give you a Blue Screen debug error rundown. Resuming will mean Windows will learn this problem and next time will take measure to counter-act the bug, Rebooting does what it says. It is likely for the Home Editions this will be set to 'Only Appear on High Priority Errors'.
Security feature have also been beefed up. Getting to use Windows XP Service Pack 2, it seems like they're using the general public to test some of these features.
Basically put... Has Microsoft Spent The Past 5 Years Patching XP For Longhorn?
The answer is very simply: No, Longhorn is as Distant to Windows XP as Windows NT was to Windows 95.
Due to the way that Windows now uses Token Registers for recompiling rather than Platform Specific Registers, this also meant there is room for a new feature (planned but not currently ready for them to show yet); by the name of Annex.
To call it an environment emulator would be silly, because technically it's base environment would technically be called an emulated environment.
This'll be an optional installation as it'll add quite a bit to the installation (probably in the region of 1GB); but what it does is run natively Linux/Windows environments as 'Extra' desktops.
No doubt this is more for developers so they don't have to shut down Windows or use a secondary machine to run Linux or different Windows versions; you just connect another desktop, the libraries access as voila instant additional Operating System.
These additional modes are also suppose to be running in 'safety' mode, so that they can't screw up your system if they crash.
Alot of thought has been put into Windows for the end-user. The Universal development system of XNA quite frankly makes development alot easier than it was, which as Windows always was one of the easiest systems to develop for; means that Microsoft really aren't going to rock the boat here.
If you want to understand the Different,
- Download DirectX 7 SDK
- Download DirectX 9 SDK
now try to make a simple game like Bomberman in both. believe me you'll understand very quickly why developers aren't going to bitch about the new system.
