The Latest Word from
Microsoft
Microsoft has been planning their new releases for quite
a while. Here is a quick summary of what to expect.
Microsoft Free Events:
Ever feel lost about what the newest from Microsoft is?
They have many events across the country and roll out quarterly events such as
Connections for the business professional (Windows and Office plus some
server), TechNet which is more for Information Technology Professionals, and
also Webcasts if you cannot make a physical meeting.
Visit
www.microsoft.com/events for FREE local events
The latest schedule is for Visual Studio 2005 –
Nov. 7, 2005. Visit
http://lab.msdn.microsoft.com/vs2005/ for the latest, which includes
Visual Basic, Visual C++, Visual J# and Visual C #. They also are
rolling out the Express Editions (" Visual Studio Express editions expand the
Visual Studio product line to include lightweight, easy to use and easy to
learn tools for hobbyist, novice, and student developers who want to build
dynamic Windows applications and Web sites. " says Microsoft).
SQL Server 2005- Nov. 7, 2005 -Visit
the latest at:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/sql/ This is the Yukon release which is
the database reinvented—it boasts powerful .NET integration, native support
for XML, and a host of programmatic enhancements.
Vista
(formerly Longhorn) -is now due the 2nd quarter 2006- which is a
major overhaul in operating systems. This will force buying new computers due
to the new security involved. There are new user interface features of
Vista, including features called Flip and Flip 3D that make it easier to
toggle through a number of open windows. Flip and Flip 3D aim to solve the
same problem as the Expose feature in Apple Computer's Mac OS X, but the
Microsoft feature looks slightly different.
Microsoft is also bringing back the "Sidebar,"
a window pane on the side of the Vista desktop that displays
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds, photos, and mini-applications known
as "gadgets." (from ZDnet).
There will be maybe 6 versions of Vista- Home Basic
Edition, Home Premium Edition, Ultimate Edition and three versions of Vista
Professional: Standard Edition, Small Business Edition and Enterprise Edition
Office 12- is due the 2nd quarter 2006.
The major change there is ribbon instead of menus. We will preview this as it
gets closer.
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