Windows Vista Beta 1: A Guided Tour

Scot Finnie takes a long, detailed, and expert look at the features, foibles, and functionality of Microsoft’s upcoming OS.

Windows Longhorn has been so long in the public eye that many of us are finding it a little difficult to get our minds around the new "official" name: Windows Vista. Let’s face it — this is not an awe-inspiring name. It’s the kind of name that is selected because there’s nothing seriously wrong with it, not because anyone is truly excited about it. Of course, the name "Vista" brings with it an allusion to vision, as in viewing beautiful scenery through a window. Microsoft is trying to convey the notion that this version of Windows lets you view your data the way you want to. What remains to be seen is whether Vista’s new features and capabilities work together to deliver on that promise.

Beta 1 of any new version of Windows is always the toughest build to write intelligently about. When you’re dealing with pre-beta builds, no one really knows the answers to questions like, "How is this supposed to work?" It’s a guessing game you figure out through hours of working with the code.

By Scot Finnie
Desktop Pipeline

Full Story: http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=168600513