The next Windows operating system, previously known by the code name Longhorn, will be called Windows Vista.
With a developers test release of the new operating system scheduled for August 3rd, and a broader consumer beta release expected later this year, Microsoft allegedly took eight months researching potential names for the upcoming version of Windows. The new name débuted this past Thursday before roughly 10,000 attendees of a Microsoft sales conference in Atlanta (here’s a short video presentation of the event).
Among the key features of Vista are a new searching mechanism, lots of new laptop features, parental controls and better home networking. There will be visual changes, ranging from shiny translucent windows to icons that are tiny representations of a document itself, as well as the ability to launch applications 15% faster (and boot up 50% faster) than Windows XP does, and resuming from standby in only 2 seconds. According to Microsoft, Vista’s three design goals also include enhanced security, new ways to organize information, and seamless connectivity to external devices.
Given that 90 percent of the world’s personal computers run Windows, and given that Windows XP will become obsolete late next year, chances are that you’ll be switching to Windows Vista over the next 18 months.