After months of speculation, Microsoft plans to give developers their first hard look at the next version of Windows in October,” reports Ina Fried for CNET News.com. “The Redmond, Wash., company expects to release a ‘developers preview’ of the new operating system, code-named Longhorn, at its professional developers conference in Los Angeles.”
Fried reports, “As for the new user interface, it’s unclear just how much of the design, code-named Aero, will be shown. Microsoft did preview some user interface features at its Windows Hardware Engineering Conference in May. One concern is that if the look and feel is revealed too soon, it could be copied by others well before Microsoft ever ships Longhorn.” Full article here.
Here are some QuickTime movies of the “Aero” UI preview from ExtremeTech.com – you’ll have to let them download fully before they will play:
Windows wave (3.6 MB)
Stars Wars rotate (3.5 MB)
Aero dizzy (7.1 MB)
MacDailyNews Take: Whoops! Longhorn’s “Aero” UI look and feel has already been copied due to a dastardly act by Apple Computer, Inc. The Cupertino Mac maker seems to have employed some nefarious method of time travel; jumping forward to 2005 to steal Longhorn’s “Aero” UI look and feel, then jumping back to March 2001 to release a copy known by the unoriginal (and obviously Aero-inspired) name “Aqua” and employing a so-called technology named “Quartz.” See the results of this obvious act of copying via time travel here. Apple also seems to be intent on building upon the copied “Aero” look and feel with their own “innovations,” including Expos
