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Now, excellent Windows 7 with user experience and efficient execution of leading innovative technology, fast, already more than Windows XP and other operating systems, the market share of the largest operating system. However, behind the scenes, and who can remember Windows Vista?
Five years ago today, Microsoft has officially released Windows Vista for individual customers. This Microsoft spend hundreds of billions of dollars, invested thousands engineers, lasted 5 years development of landmark operating system, contains a number of innovative features, contains a large number of innovative technologies, has had a profound effect on the future.
Birth of the first,
Microsoft employees like to ski. Whistler and Blackcomb are Canada British Columbia’s two major ski resorts, and Longhorn just a bar between the two mountains.
In Windows XP (Whistler) until the completion of official, Microsoft has announced that it will begin the next generation operating system development plan of the Blackcomb and will be released in around 2003 of a transitional version of Longhorn.
WinHEC 2002, Microsoft announced that it will include the new program interface, graphics, architecture, network, and storage technology, it is clear that a major change in its position–has transformed into an important transition from version version.
Since then, the network started appearing on some unfortunate Longhorn build leaked version, which appeared for the first time the WinFS, Avalon, Indigo, desktop window manager, innovative technologies such as Windows Sidebar or feature.
At the same time, Windows XP often lead to security vulnerabilities and vulnerability to malware, computer viruses, buffer overflows and other problems effect, Microsoft made the “trusted computing” concept, requires a company-wide solidarity, mutual cooperation in order to address security issues.
Microsoft because of the hope that priority to enhance security for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, so Microsoft has invested part of the development force developing Windows XP SP2. It finally was launched in August 2004, includes firewall, Internet Explorer version 6, and has added features such as data execution protection, Windows Security Center, supports Bluetooth technology, and improved support for Wi-Fi. This made the Longhorn’s development plans were delayed.
New Resource Manager, download manager, new installation interface, virtual folders (library) more features began appearing on the Longhorn. Due to addition of WinFS, Microsoft wants to use new data storage technology, override the various system components, as well as Office products Office.
In May 2003, held in WinHEC 2003, certain details of Microsoft’s Longhorn was known to the outside world. Among them, is a major highlight of the Aero interface, it is a newly designed user interface, including the Windows Aero (frosted glass appearance), Windows Flip 3D, and live thumbnails, new fonts, and so on.
As more and more technologies or features added to the Longhorn, development projects have been completed the foreseeable future, the team lost its way.
Then Vice President of Microsoft, Windows Development Director jimu·AER Qin also strongly hope that the company will as soon as possible to restart the development process, because developers will feature features optional integration to system kernel, on final product and the lack of a clear objectives, Longhorn’s development has been “total comes to an end”.
On the WinHEC 2004, Microsoft released a Longhorn Build 4,074, was reset before the last public release of Longhorn Build, provides a new set of system icons (Windows Aero) and a new set of system fonts (Segoe UI).
Microsoft later announced that Avalon, Indigo around WinFX (that is, then. NET Framework 3, next generation program interface), and support for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. While WinFS is being removed, after you put in a separate publication. Is a pity, it finally released a Beta version only declared after stopping plans.
In August 2004, jimu·AER Qin send e-mail to all employees, announced to restart the development process, code libraries are based on a Windows Server 2003 SP1 instead of Windows XP. At the same time he also aggressively for reform, strive to make development projects done faster.
Subsequently, Microsoft started to disclose information about DirectX 10 and Windows experience index, and in internal tests Longhorn stand-alone version, like Starter, Home, Business, Ultimate, etc.
On the WinHEC 2005, Microsoft released a Longhorn Build 5,048, this version was first introduced the Windows Aero interface. However as the functions of the earlier version substantially reduced many people is not recognized, many also opine that this is a step backwards.
In July 2005, Microsoft announced the official name of Longhorn Vista. Vista a Vedere words are derived from Latin, “vision”, “prospect” is, is also in keeping with its slogan, “bring to your world clarity”. Jimu·AER Chin said excitedly: “Vista is the new system features sketched a picture of a beautiful landscape, to inspire the imagination of people at their best, light the passion of users. ”
Beta stage, gradually clear up Vista features, the new version of Explorer, index-based searching, parental control, WinFX, the sidebar, the new version of the Media Center, the new version of Media Player, the new version of Windows Movie Maker, and Windows Defender, and Windows Mail (or Outlook Express), Windows Calendar, Windows Photo Gallery, the new version of Internet Explorer, performance tuning tools, XML Paper Specification (XPS), enhanced speech recognition, Windows Aero, game Center, DirectX 10, ReadyBoost, BitLocker, user account control, hundreds of exciting new features are to be joined.
RC stage, based on Tester feedback to Microsoft Vista has made many improvements, and exclude a lot of Bug, quite a lot.
Officially completed on November 8, 2006 Microsoft announced that Vista development plan.
Second, redemption
Microsoft have placed a lot of Windows Vista after the listing is not willing to quickly dominate the market like Microsoft. Due to its higher hardware requirements, such as high memory consumption, poor backward compatibility issues, and was awarded the “flashy”. At the same time the original design in order to enhance the security of user account control, is also criticized. In time, its reputation dropped to the bottom, cynical and even by competitors.
In order to enhance the stability and compatibility of systems, Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 was released in January 2008. Although the issues have been significantly improved in this release, but due to its negative image already enjoys popular support, were no longer able to again into heaven.
2008 Microsoft had a name “Mojave Experiment” interesting experiment. Experiment, Microsoft to show test codenamed “Mojave” next-generation operating system, and asked them to compare this with Windows Vista. Clear sky, testers are extremely recognized Mojave, and Windows Vista are not recognised, who knows this Mojave is Windows Vista.
Perhaps, this is why it is not such a big difference between Windows 7 can be causes of rapid spread. Very often users views on Windows Vista have been distorted, have been affected, such as the memory consumption problem was criticized, is in fact user misconceptions about SuperFetch memory management and other technologies.
In April 2009, Microsoft has released Windows Vista SP2, not only fixes some vulnerabilities also added several new features, improve Windows Vista.
Later, Microsoft with Windows 7 released a shame before the snow, scrub the company image, out of the failed shadow.
Third, the significance
Windows Vista final and mass popularity, but it made a great contribution to Microsoft products in the future, such as the popular operating system Windows 7, use it as a basis for development if SQL Server 2008, WinFS is integrated into some of the characteristics.
Windows Vista is Microsoft’s first provide both 32-bit and 64-bit supported operating system; is the first can only be supported on the operating system installed on an NTFS partition; is the first operating system attaches great importance to the user experience……
Now it has been officially released for 5 years, it’s time to enter the Museum. However, we should not forget it for ourselves and the enterprise, for the enormous contribution made by Microsoft. It is the great revolutions in the history of personal operating system.
(Hurry, if flawed, welcome criticism view does not take into account other operating system in the correct context)