I guess so the hype'ing can begin again, Microsoft has changed the code name for it's next version Operating System; it was "LongHorn", it is now "Vista". Microsoft is saying to expect Windows Vista by the holiday season of 2005....

...from: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-5672671.html?tag=nl.e539 http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/default.mspx

Getting a handle on Windows Vista By Ina Fried, CNET News.com Published on ZDNet News: July 22, 2005, 7:30 AM PT

Longhorn--now Windows Vista--may be arriving more slowly than expected and it might not have everything that was once planned, but Windows chief Jim Allchin maintains "It's a big deal."

Among the features in the OS are security improvements, some snazzy new graphics, and a new means of searching and organizing information. Rather than having to remember the single folder where something is stored, users will be able to put documents in any number of virtual folders. They can also establish folders that will automatically update, such as "files edited in the last week" or "documents from Jane."

In addition, Microsoft is trying to simplify an array of other tasks, such as adding a PC to a home network or connecting a laptop to a projector.

When will Windows Vista arrive? Microsoft has promised that Vista will be widely available on computers for the 2006 holiday buying season. A beta, or test, version is planned for release on August 3. The server version is slated for 2007.

So what's in this Vista thing? Vista--what used to be called Longhorn--has evolved quite a bit since Microsoft first demonstrated an early version in 2003. The company has dropped plans to include its all-new WinFS file system and has also changed the way it's implementing a new Web services architecture, known as Indigo, and a new graphics engine, dubbed Avalon.

Among the key features of Vista as it currently stands are: security enhancements, a new searching mechanism, lots of new laptop features, parental controls and better home networking. There will also be visual changes, thanks to Avalon, ranging from shiny translucent windows to icons that are tiny representations of a document itself. On the business side, Microsoft said Vista will be easier for businesses to deploy on multiple PCs and will also save costs by reducing the number of times computers will have to be rebooted.

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