Extreme Tech has posted a few short videos showing some of the features of Windows “Longhorn” 3D user interface. The first is a simple conceptual idea of what can be done with the Desktop Composition Engine, the next is an example of using video textures, and finally there’s [ExtremeTech’s] “favorite” demo.
Note: the QuickTime videos over on ExtremeTech, for some unknown reason, do not seem to be progressive (fast start) downloads, so you’ll have to wait for them to download completely before the movies will play.
See them here, then come back to tell us what you think. Thanks.
Since Apple don’t seem to get it and show Mac OS X on TV where everybody can see it, now in a few years, nobody will remember that Apple was first as usual and MS ripped off Aqua. They’ll think as Bill wishes them to think, that Microsoft is an amazing “innovator.”
I think I’ll go puke now, MS disgusts me so much.
Microsoft has done what it does best…. Copying Apple! I might also add that after watching these 3 videos, 2 out of 3 of those effects are 100% USELESS. Go watch the last video to find out what I mean…
I think I figured out why they are calling it “Longhorn”. Because that’s what they had to use to pry Apple’s working technology concepts into the Windows code base.
The site is choked. Can’t download a thing, but I suspect I can pull out my ancient OS X public beta, and see most of what I would see on the Longhorn clips. Except, of course, the MS execution will undouptedly be clunky and remedial.
hahaha
In the 3rd video you can hear a guy faintly give a *whew* like he’s amazed by what he’s seeing. How pathetic.
One thing I do love about MS is that the shit they steal looks worse once they “improve” it.
What really is the use of a rotating vortex desktop? I see no usefullness in any of these, the only one that is even a little clever, the first one, is a direct rip from apples genie effect. imagine if they put all that money that they have available to actually developing their own ideas?
Cute, but I could not see how this would make a great GUI. Also, I’m thinking in the back of my mind, just how fast a graphic card would be to handle all of that.
I really don’t think Apple has anything to worry about. These are only copying what Apple was doing three years ago. By the time LongHorn makes it out the door, Apple will be several generations of new technology out. This is quite impressive concidering MicroSoft only ueses closed, proprietary code. Since Apple uses open standards, they can inovate far more quickly. Plus, I’m sure LongHorn will still have the same complex Registry that has plagued every copy of Windows, and OSX will still be as robust as ever….
I couldn’t DL either, until I used the debug menu to tell safari to act like IE. I feel dirty now.
That’s just pitiful. And what’s even sadder, when you peruse the discussion board is: (1) the folks who like it have essentially zero clue how un-innovative and clunky it is; (2) the Linux folks are “hoping they catch up to it” but don’t like the fact they can’t get sourcecode; and (3) the number of people fed up with Redmond’s totalitarian tactics but won’t even self-help themselves out of it.
Ho hum. So what else is new?
MS:Forever trying to fit in another feature. Forget about it utility, useability, or function. Just make sure it’s in there… Perhaps it should be called ‘Shoehorn’
What a joke….
The way they’ve set up the downloads…it makes it difficult for Safari users to download the movies but, lo and behold, IE can download them just fine.
Why don’t they want Mac users to see these? They probably knew exactly what we had to say about this MS garbage.
Oh. Ah. Why wait unti 2005 for a really bad fake when you can drive over to your nearest Apple Retail Store and get the real thing today?
I love the braindead sheep off-screen oohing and aahing like it’s amazing and magical. That’s the best!
I can see how this vortex crap could really appeal to Windoze users who are used to sitting and spinning on the thumb up their ass. Pretty lame stuff. Pathetic as usual.
I wish Apple would get a clue and put OSX on the commercials and really blow these putz’s minds.
Check this out:
http://research.microsoft.com/ui/TaskGallery/index.htm
It was done in 1999 as an experiment novel windows interface. The quality of the Video really sucks and it’s really big, but it’s quite interesting …
No luck getting access to the videos, but I can imagine what the rest of you guys (and/or gals) is saying. Of course the Windows using fools will think this is something totally new to the desktop OS and will claim Windows had it first! Of course we all know better now don’t we?!
I tell my WinFriends that I’m running the original Longhorn today.
They say, ‘no way’.
I say, ‘Way. Only, I call it Mac OSX.’
Hehehe
Jeez, wavy windows, uh? This shows the true nature of M$ ‘innovatiativity’.*
*(Will Farrell)
Actually, I don’t think MS is going to get much credit this time around. The press has ALREADY started to note how Longhorn copies OS X, and by the time Longhorn is actually out, even MORE people will realize that.
Plus, in 2005, Apple will be coming out with whatever is THREE FULL GENERATIONS ahead of the OS X we know and love. Panther is only the first of those “generations”! And at least two of those major updates will be on our screens and making Windows folks jealous even before Longhorn hits shelves.
Apple should just be dicks and release OS X for Windows and then this Longhorn release will look utterly sorry to the Windows community.
(note: I realize this isn’t as easy as I make it sound, it’s just a thought)
Does anyone understand why the QT videos would be 7M, and the Real and WMP formats would be ~600K?
Jim,
Because they have no idea what they’re doing at ExtremeTech. Even default settings for QuickTime in Cleaner would suffice to produce progressive download, small file sized, quality QuickTime movies. But, hey, what do you expect? They’re using Windows over there!
To predict what the computer industry will be doing in 6 months is crazy, and to predict for 2005 is insanity.
I am hoping that MS is “leaking” longhorn as a tactical smokescreen, and they will actually produce something truly impressive in just a few months.
…but why should they start now? They have ALWAYS been a few years behind Apple, but at lease I give them credit for admitting that they will be like a 3 year old Mac 2 years from now.
None of the links in the site work in Safari unles the “user agent” is changed to MSIE…
Spinning and wavering windows is hardly the stuff of UI innovations… But i can just picture my PC luser friends salivating over this. Bah…
screw bill gates. screw him and his ugly wife