Chris Jones, Microsoft corporate vice president of Windows core operating system program management, spoke with DigiTimes’ John McClure in an interview about what’s been stripped out of Windows Longhorn, what’s survived, .DLLs, and the current word on when the thing is supposed to ship. One section of the interview shows either an ignorant or disingenuous Microsoft VP, you decide:
Q: There is some contradictory information about Longhorn’s search capabilities. Using this chance, could you, please, say clearly whether or not Microsoft will integrate desktop and Internet search engines into Longhorn?
A: We have already made available to customers Windows desktop search and MSN search. This means that a customer can currently download the MSN search toolbar that includes a version of Windows desktop search that basically does the same thing that the Google, yahoo or Apple’s spotlight on the Mac OS do, for Windows XP users today.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: If Chris Jones, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Windows core operating system program management (nice title – must be some business card), thinks that Apple’s Mac OS X Spotlight is the same as Google, Yahoo, and MSN Desktop Search, then he’s either ignorant and will have a hell of a time copying Spotlight correctly or he’s pretending to be unaware of how much more Spotlight is and does than the weak examples to which he compares Spotlight above.
Apple has had an integrated search system similar to the options Windows PC users have just recently received (and are still stuck with) such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN Desktop Search, as described by Jones above, that indexed local hard drives, server volumes, and the internet itself since 1998 with Sherlock in Mac OS 8.5. That’s over seven years ago, folks. More about Apple’s Sherlock here. Isn’t is amazing how far ahead Apple was with Sherlock and that so few seem to remember or understand that simple fact?
Apple’s new Spotlight, built-into Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger isn’t some bolted on hack like MSN and the other search programs out there for Windows. With Spotlight, when you make a change, such as adding a new file, receiving an email or entering a new contact, Spotlight updates its index automatically, so search results are always up-to-the-moment accurate. Changes don’t have to wait to be indexed in order to show up in search results correctly. The results are instantaneous and developers can add this powerful technology to their applications, too. More about Apple’s powerful new Spotlight technology here.
Microsoft would love for Windows users to think that they have the “same thing as Mac OS X Tiger’s Spotlight” with MSN Desktop Search. The only problem is that Microsoft Windows doesn’t have what Apple already offers Mac users now. The best Microsoft can do is pretend that “Windows is a good as a Mac.” As usual.
MacDailyNews Note: In part one of the interview here, Jones went on at length about one of Microsoft’s “big initiatives” with Longhorn: “to remove the notion that you turn your computer off” because Windows XP’s current attempt at doing what Apple’s been doing with Sleep for years “isn’t reliable.” MacDailyNews’ own SteveJack has for years been describing how he uses his Apple PowerBook just like Microsoft is still hard at work trying to achieve in his article (recently updated in March 2005) How to run a Mac OS X PowerBook or iBook; no shut downs, restarts, or quitting applications.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Apple Mac OS X Tiger Spotlight spells the end of organizing files in nested folders – June 09, 2005
Undocumented Boolean NOT, OR, AND syntaxes for Mac OS X Tiger’s Spotlight search – May 27, 2005
Shoebox 1.2 lets you use Mac OS X Tiger’s Spotlight to search your photos by content – May 26, 2005
Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger’s Spotlight search covered in-depth – May 19, 2005
Manually organize dinosaur Windows PCs while Mac users already have the future with Spotlight – May 18, 2005
CBS News: how envious Windows users can attempt to poorly simulate Mac OS X Tiger’s Spotlight – May 04, 2005
Apple’s Mac OS X 10.4 ‘Tiger’ to contain powerful ‘Spotlight’ search technology – November 11, 2004
Apple Exec: Mac OS X Tiger’s ‘Spotlight’ system-wide search tech inspired by iTunes – July 02, 2004
Oh, great. So why do I need to buy Longhorn then if I’m a windows user?
i don’t think he is comparing spotlight to google, et al. it appears he is lopping both desktop search AND internet search into the same sentence.
either way, its a poor excuse for the ineptitudes of M$.
MW “looked” as in” i looked into the crystal ball and saw there was no M$ in the future.
I love my apples, but Sherlock sucked. Why does it even still ship? I don’t get it.
The truth is so obvious and very refreshing too…
I have used the MSN search toolbar, it is free and works today on our XP installed base. Why any one would think of switching to a new OS for a feature that exists in XP all ready is beyond me…
Our job in the “real IT world” is to provide the safest and most economical environment and Windows XP is the only product that meets all the needs of our users.
Once again Apple is trying to convince computer users that OS X.x.x whatever is better. We all know the truth and if you do a feature to feature comparison XP all ways wins. And with the soon to be released Longhorn looming on the horizon Apple will be even further behind in the OS race.
©
Every time someone from MSFT is interviewed on the topic of Longhorn you see how screwed-up they are. I guess you could make the point that ALL search capabilities are equal since they function via entry of a user defined keyword. That is, if you completely neglect the technical underpinnings, and the details of the resulting functionality. This is what Mr. Jones is doing here….’search in Longhorn ?….we allready have search in Windows’.
The situation in Redmond has to be very desperate for them to stoop so low. And some people wonder why there is such a strong dislike for this company…look how they insult the intelligence level of its customers.
butlick©, as always, your perspective is quite entertaining…
Let’s see how many people retaliate as if you were being serious!
Windows seems to be doing a lot of pretending lately. Maybe they can pretend they don’t have any virii, spyware, or malware and the PC press might even belive. The Sputnikesque sure will believe it.
Thanks, as always, to Sputnik for pretending to be a windows user. It’s got to be seriously hard to come up with that much ineptitude on a daily basis, but it sure is a great laugh. Cheers to you little buddy.
Hey sputnik, sounds like you need to come down to earth a bit more often mate.
sputnik, sputnik, sputnik.
Let me be the first to say, “You go, girl!”
Sherlock is one of my favorite apps. it does so much so elegantly. Im surprised someone wrote negatively about it. Louis are you running OSX?
sputnik: the only thing that Winbloat wins on is handing out great wads of our credit card companies to Russian crooks. Windows has THAT special ability and reading that interview I doubt that the child execs at MS like Chris Jones will make any better a job of security in Longhorn than any previous version. THAT is JUST one reason why OSX leaves Windows “in the dust” – as every intelligent discerning computer user knows.
Why are Microsoft wasting all this time and money on developing Longhorn and putting up with the embarrassing delays if what they currently offer is so great? Apparently XP and everything it offers is as good as anyone will ever need.
I love the new windows adverts, this girl breaks up with her boyfriend and reckons she’s going to use the pain and make a cd about it in her home studio. Of course no mention as to what software she’s going to be using to do this but what does that matter?
Of course Apple has these tools at great prices and they work brilliantly (ilife), say what you want about Microsoft but they’re actively promoting and selling an inferior outdated product – apple have some print ads. I love my mac but the pain it now brings from seeing microsoft flaunt their crapware to the unknowing public is almost soul destroying. The only good thing from before I became a mac user is that to some extent ignorance is bliss.
Apologies for the typo above – as in ‘companies’ for numbers’ !
Reading part 1 of this interview I see this: “. We don’t believe that you should boot your computer, but instead, standby should be the regular off state. The notion of the system boot should really be the exception and not the rule, and it should be for maintenance only.”
OK so we know who led them to this statement. But I laugh my socks off at the idea of XP users not re-booting – daily or more often and can’t see them achieving this in Longhorn. My up-time since a software update? 6 days – and the next will be with 10.4.2 and iTunes 4.9 – as usual Apple leaving MS further in the dust!
Spud dick. you’re sick.
One thing was missing though, Sputnik, no .NET reference.
@Sputnik:
” We all know the truth and if you do a feature to feature comparison XP all ways wins”
Your spellingchecker must be Microsoft-made…and Mr. Microsoft VP Jones must have shit in his eyes!
“And with the soon to be released Longhorn looming on the horizon”
Looming, as in “blotting out the sun” with the mass of its bloatware. As for “soon” — it will be packaged with Duke Nukem.
Sputnik: “Our job in the “real IT world” is to provide the safest and most economical environment…! Yeah right! That’s funny!!
0ver $55 Billions wasted in IT security related problems because of the 70,000 plus virus/trojans/spyware threats, and that was just year 2004 alone. That’s really saving money!
The real problem is that IT departments are not going to break this vicious circle, they need to justify their existance, the more problems, the more they are going to be needed. I administer a Windows network in “the real IT world”, and more time is spent with security issues than on anything else. You guys need to realize that these “Network Administrators” are kids that never experienced anything other than Microsoft products, they just get thier certificates from some training center around the corner and presto they are experts(no real world experience) with infinite knowledge and what they recommend to the purchasing department and executives goes. Just like the experts that had their system brokken into, exposing over 40 Million credit card numbers, talk about security!
The better windows commercial is the directors cut where the girl breaks up with her her boyfriend, hacks into his XP computer, placing child porn on it and having him arrested. It’s a riot.
It’s simple, when you hear an MS exec speak, the opposite of what he says is the truth. (ie: If MS says Spotlight is like the others, it’s because they know it’s much better than the rest and yes, they fear Spotlight.)
Gee, if it is the same, why is Microsoft having such a hard time integrating their version into Longhorn? Whatever the response, Microsoft just looks worse.
Oh, great. So why do I need to buy Longhorn then if I’m a windows user?
Uhhh… cuz it’s got a groovy brushed metal UI..?
Doh!!
Chris Jones sounds like a Micro$oft shill – “yabber yabber kernel core blah blah blah.” Just using fancy words to cover the fact there are no real answers to the questions he was asked.
Longhorn will be a disaster.
One more thing – why is hetalking about instant-wake on laptops which Apple have had for ages as if it’s ground-breaking. Tosser.
I posted this in another thread, but this ersatz press release is just so amazing, so earth shattering, that I thought it belonged here too.
Redmond WA – MSFT scoops AAPL! Re-introduces “Bob”!
The future is now, only this time it’s friendly! Microsoft’s new “Longhorn” operating system copies many 1-5 year old Apple technologies, but some aspects of it are unique. And we don’t mean industry-leading security vulnerabilities!
Perhaps the most awesome thing about Longhorn is the triumphant return of Microsoft “Bob” to do desktop searching. It’s stupendous, you click on “Bob” and he searches…something. But you don’t know what. It’s totally user friendly that way because you aren’t burdened with actual search results. Microsoft focus groups determined that users wanted search, but they didn’t actually want search results, because a good search tool often produced long lists of files. Those lists had to be read, and the focus group hated reading. So voila! “Bob” returns!
“New Bob” offers instant, result-free, searching, a feature that Apple can’t match. As usual.
Apple loses again!
Interesting.
In fact, several Linux distros have had a “Spotlight” type search that indexes in real-time for several years. Long before El Tigre.