PROnetworks LIVE At WinHEC 2006!
by Larry Richman
May 18, 2006
WinHEC 2006 is almost upon us, and we'll finally get to see what Microsoft's been working on with Windows Vista as Beta 2 is released. It's the first public build in quite some time, and there'll be plenty to show off.
WinHEC 2006 takes place at the Seattle Convention Center in Seattle, Washington next week (May 23–25). WinHEC is designed for hardware engineers, designers, driver developers and business decision-makers and will be a great opportunity to participate in discussions related to critical technology issues and the future direction of the Windows(R) hardware platform. As in previous years, Bill Gates, Microsoft chairman and chief software architect, will deliver the opening keynote Tuesday, May 23.
PROnetworks will have extensive coverage of WinHEC 2006. Because of our esteemed position as one of only 30 Windows Vista Featured Communities, I have been invited to be a guest of Microsoft and will be attending as a representative of PROnetworks. I will also receive special seating for the Bill Gates keynote address on Tuesday, May 23, at which the long-awaited Windows Vista Beta 2 is expected to be handed out to attendees.
Keep checking back right here for our exclusive live coverage of all the events surrounding the release of Windows Vista Beta 2 (and Office 2007, too!). It is sure to be an exciting week!
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Monday May 22
Hello from overcast Seattle! I'm settled into my room here at the Sheraton Convention Center one block from WinHEC (not the 20 minute walk I had last year). These next few hours will likely be the only "unscheduled" time I have this week, so I'm taking the opportunity to invite anyone in the area to gobble down the goodies in my room! Only $4.50 for a bag of chips!
At 5 PM, registration opens and I expect a wild rush to get into the Convention Center for credentials pickup. That will include me, as I must pick up my pass right away since we have plans for the evening. Microsoft is taking the representatives of the Windows Vista Featured Communities to dinner at Wild Ginger.
If that sounds familiar, it was the location of last year's closing night farewell dinner, at the end of the x64 Launch at WinHEC 2005 (see
HERE). So we are returning to the scene of the crime. But this year a smaller contingent of the 30 sites are attending. The last time I checked, there were 3 of us. I'll let you know later on. I'll be picking up my credentials and convention bag (what will be in it?) and then on to dinner. In the morning Bill Gates will deliver the Keynote. Hopefully there will be a few minutes here and there when I can pop in and update you. For example, what will be in the attendee bag? Hmmm...stay tuned!
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Hello Convention Center
Fortunately, there was no wild rush to pick up registration materials after all, and the line for press credentials consisted of the 5 of us in the Press Room right now. I'm sitting here with Ryan Hoffman, Blake Niemyjski, and Dena Centenero from Extended64 and Rafael Rivera from VistaToXP. Ahh...Mary Jo Foley from Microsoft Watch just walked in. Ryan and Mary Jo were part of the group that attended the Vista Lab 2 weeks ago.
So the good news is, getting signed in here was a breeze and PROnetworks helped christen this year's WinHEC Press Room. The "bad" news (if you can call it that) is that our "welcome kit" consisted of a laptop bag, Windows Vista T-shirt, USB key, and some booklets and pamphlets. No Windows Vista Beta 2. No Office 2007. Nothing to really salivate over...not yet, anyway.
One advantage of being among the first people to register is that everyone is so polite. Hehe. Not that they won't be as the week progresses, of course. But this is truly the calm before the storm.
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Build 5384
I'm here in the Expo Hall, where there are a number of fun areas to play in. To my left is the Windows Gaming Zone, with 15 silver and 15 red Alienware AMD 64 systems. To my right is the Windows Vista Lounge, where attendees can get a lesson in "Vista 101" and play to their heart's content. They are running Build 5384 on those computers. In the next room is the giant dining area, where attendees are ready to chow down on some cool eats.
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Featured Community Welcome Dinner
We gathered at Wild Ginger (see above for explanation). Of course, there was swag. There you see the bags lined up in front of Buddah, the group of very well-fed Featured Community members and our MS hosts, Nick and Sherri, and what we found in the bag. That's another Windows Vista jacket and hat, plus a button and a mouse.
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Tuesday May 23
Today was the official start of WinHEC 2006, and this morning featured the Bill Gates keynote. Much of what he said has been discussed elsewhere here at PROnet, and his presentation is available online
HERE. Of course, the release of Windows Vista Beta 2 was officially kicked off, as well as Office 2007.
Of course, PROnetworks already has
OFFICIAL Windows Vista Beta 2 Screenshots posted. Check them out!
Windows Vista Beta 2, Build 5384.4, will eventually be rolled out to two million users via CPP (Customer Preview Program), which will allow anyone to download it from Microsoft. In the meantime, attendees here will receive a DVD tomorrow and some testers are already downloading and installing Beta 2 through various channels. Office 2007 was given out today and I am running it as we speak.
After the keynotes, numerous sessions were held throughout the afternoon, mostly technical classes for developers. Now I am sitting in the large Expo Hall where the attendees are chowing down and gulping beverages here at the Welcome Reception (actually, there was one last night as well). It's just another excuse to party!
I ran into Jay Kenny, Windows Product Manager who is helping launch Windows Vista. If the name sounds familiar, it's because he was one of our hosts last year at the launch of x64. See our photos of last year's event
HERE.
I grabbed Jay and chatted with him for awhile about what we are doing here, and he wanted to post a special message just for the members of PROnetworks:
I am here at WinHEC having flashbacks to last year’s x64 launch. Now we are excited to be releasing Beta 2 for Vista. I have been running Vista as my primary machine now for a few months and am really excited about the product and continued progress we are making. I have been using a lot of the features, but on a personal level I think the WMP 11 and URGE service is really cool and I have been playing with that constantly this week. It’s been great to catch up with Larry again and I look forward to hearing what everyone thinks about Beta 2.
Jay Kenny, Windows Product Manager
That's it for now, but I'll be back to fill in some of the blanks and add my thoughts about Bill's keynote today, as well as some of the other exciting developments here at WinHEC 2006.
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Wednesday May 24
There is so much to report today. I'll have to jump around a bit, though, because my time to post is limited and I am in and out of meetings. I spent all morning in a special press-only hands-on session with Windows Vista Beta 2, and had the opportunity to get some questions answered that were submitted by our Betas Team. I'll post that in a bit.
We ate lunch next to the Gaming Zone, where some of our fellow Windows Vista Featured Community members squared off in the finals to win a $6500 Alienware AMD64 system. And right now the moment has finally arrived...a little late, but the attendees just began getting our DVDs. At 1:30 PM they began to hand them out. There are 5 discs:
1) Vista Beta 2 x86
2) Vista Beta 2 x64
3) LH Server x86
4) LH Server x64
5) Windows SDK and Driver Development Kit
To install it, a product key must be obtained by going to the Microsoft Connect website and entering a special invitation ID, which will only be active until 5/31/07. The discs themselves have no key.
I am now headed over to a 90 minute press session with Mike Nash, corporate VP for Security in Vista. I'll report back.
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Vista Q&A
This morning I attended a press-only hands-on lab where we were able to play with Beta 2 along with some MS Product Managers and have our questions answered right then and there. I asked some of our Betas Team to submit some questions.
Some of the issues were discussed a couple of weeks ago at the Vista Lab we attended (see
HERE). Much of that material cannot be discussed publicly yet and, ironically, a lot of it deals with features regarding graphics and UI (eye candy). I know we have said this before, with each successive build, but even now with Beta 2 we are not looking at what will be Windows Vista at the time of its release. In terms of performance, as well as various UI elements, more will be improved and added as we move into the next set of interim builds and RC time frame.
Here is some of the information I can pass on to you based on the meeting this morning. The questions come from our Betas Team members.
| Quote: |
| FLIP3D................. how is it progressing? |
If you mean in terms of performance, the best way to answer this would be to discuss what is happening in general right now in the Windows Vista development process. From this point until RTM, the focus is on performance, as well as fit & finish. They are very aware of the issues many of us have been having, and they mentioned Media Center as an example of an area where they know they still have work to do. So performance will continue to improve in successive interim builds and users who install Beta 2 should not assume that what they have now is essentially the same as the final product which we will see in January.
| Quote: |
| DirectX 10 GPUs --- what are the REAL advantages (visible and/or under the hood)? What about Sudoku shipping with Vista? |
There are a number of Sudoku gadgets at the moment. But they do not yet know what gadgets will actually ship with Vista. However, they will at least all be available at the MS Gadgets site and may eventually all be interchangeable between the Sidebar, Live.com, and Sideshows. In other words, as you know, there are gadgets at the MS Gadgets site which are NOT for the Sidebar now -- they are for Live.com -- but they may eventually be integrated so that a huge number of gadgets will become available for the Sidebar.
As far as the advantages of DirectX 10, I can say that animations will be much more realistic and rich. There will be more elements onscreen and the visuals will be more 3D. People will look more like real people. The differences in gaming will be profound.
| Quote: |
| I HATE Luna, and only just tolerate Royale --- and Aero is Great !!! But many of my clients just don't care --- any chance of Luna and Royale - like themes for Vista ? |
This speaks to the subject of graphics and UI, which we discussed at length at the Lab. We had a session with Tjeerd Hoek, who is the Product Manager for Windows Shell. He is basically the man in charge of what you see in Vista. We have been meeting with him and working closely with him for awhile, and as most of the Lab attendees have also had an interest in UI, he is the one with whom we have had the most interaction and influence. He has genuinely responded to our concerns and suggestions. I cannot say more now but you will continue to be impressed with later Vista builds.
| Quote: |
| What roadblocks has the Vista/Longhorn project hit that has forced the delays? |
I'm going to take a break and come back to answer this one.
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GameWorks Party
Tonight Microsoft threw us one of their famous soirees at a humongous gaming complex. There was food, drink, and lots of fun. Here are some pics from the event.
A 25-foot stretch Hummer Limousine picked us up.
Blake Niemyjski and me chillin'
Blake & me
Guess what this is? (see below)
That is the Windows Vista logo projected on the ceiling. Believe it or not, the pic above was taken from underneath it.
The desserts were great. Here is one -- dark and white chocolate covered strawberries.
Here is another.
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Why was Vista delayed until 2007?
Earlier, we promised an answer to this question:
| Quote: |
| What roadblocks has the Vista/Longhorn project hit that has forced the delays? |
I had been able to meet with some of the Vista Product Managers to get answers to questions that had been submitted by some members of our Betas Team (see Vista Q&A above). This one, in particular, has been a subject of much controversy and debate among the public and press for quite some time.
Now, certainly, delays going back years or even up to a year ago were clearly due to lack of timely progress on development. There is no doubt about that. The big question, at least among many, is why did Microsoft miss the promised “Holidays 2006” release? The announcement that it had been pushed back to 2007 elicited a cacophony of cries and shouts. The natural reaction was to blame MS, as it only seemed logical that this was yet another delay due to internal development issues.
I discussed this at length with a Vista Manager yesterday and the actual reason may surprise you (of course, this is assuming you accept the idea).
The “delay” to 2007 has absolutely nothing to do with Vista, per se. It is simply a matter of the capability of hardware manufacturers and computer vendors to install Vista as OEM in time for their products to hit the shelves by the promised date. For example, let’s say MS wants Joe Smith to be able to go into Best Buy on November 22 and buy an HP computer off-the-shelf with Vista pre-installed. Now let’s say that the length of time it takes for HP to receive the final version of Vista until they actually have the computer on the shelf at Best Buy is 3 months (just for argument’s sake). This would mean that MS would have to hand Vista to them by August 22. That was the date that could not be met, not the November 22 date.
One may argue that, for example, if Dell can have a PC with Vista in time for November 22 and can do it in 2 months, and MS can have it ready by September 22, then why not just get it out on September 22 and let the vendors do with it what they will? That would put certain manufacturers at an advantage, since Dell would have their Vista PC available on November 22 while HP wouldn’t have it out for another month.
Naturally, computer manufacturers don’t want to be put at such an unfair advantage and MS doesn’t want to put themselves at odds with their partners. So the timing of the release has to be such that all the manufacturers can have their Vista OEM computers out simultaneously.
The bottom line is, a chain is only as good as its weakest link. The earliest date that MS can have Vista available for the consumer is dependent on the date by which the manufacturer with the longest lead time needs to have it to get it on the shelves by a certain date. Because the date on which Vista will be ready to go out the door from MS plus the length of time that it takes for the “slowest” vendor to have their PCs ready for purchase dictates the date Vista is “released” to the consumer, and that window pushed it into 2007, the delay was forced. It was a manufacturer-dictated delay, not anything to do with Vista.
Hopefully this will clear up some of the confusion and public misconceptions about the delay.
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The "New" Windows Vista Security Center
Yesterday, we were able to sit down with Mike Nash, Corporate Vice President of the Security Technology Unit, to go over some very interesting Windows Vista security features. Mr. Nash was one of the MS staffers who had made presentations to us at the Longhorn/Vista Labs we attended and much of that material, which was confidential at the time, can now be discussed.
One of the exciting developments concerns the Windows Security Center (WSC) in Vista. We viewed a demo of the Security Center in a Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 build. We got a peek at the next step in Vista development – the build we looked at was the first RC Build we have seen. This was Build 5435.
The Windows Security Center has come a long way, and should be matured by RC1 with some really cool features. Among them are the following:
1) The RC1 WSC will integrate all the 3rd party antivirus/firewall/antispy applications into the WSC dialog, for a “one stop destination” to view every security application on your computer. Of course, all the native Windows security apps will be there along with your other installed programs.
2) The RC1 WSC will allow consumers to not only see every app they have, but also which ones are running or not, and will allow you to enable or disable any of those apps from within the Security Center. You will not need to go to that 3rd party app to start or stop it. For example, let’s say you have both Norton Antivirus as well as NOD32 Antivirus. The WSC will show you that you have both. Now let’s say that you have inadvertently had both running together. This is not recommended. The WSC will show you that both are running. If you decide to turn off Norton, you do not have to open Norton or click its icon in the tray to turn it off. You can just do it from within the WSC. This applies to firewalls and antispyware apps as well.
3) The RC1 WSC will show you if any of your definitions are out of date, and allow you to update your definitions from within the WSC. Let’s say you are using both Windows Defender and Spysweeper (which is okay). Let’s say your Spysweeper definitions are out of date. You do not need to open Spysweeper and click ”update.” Within the WSC you will see an “update” button next to the Spysweeper listing, and you can just click “update” and it will bring your app up to date.
4) The RC1 WSC will allow you to change the subscription status of your antivrus/firewall/antispy applications. Let’s say you have purchased a PC with a 30-day free trial of Norton. Let’s say that 30 days have passed and it has expired. The WSC will show you that it has expired. It will then present you with a set of choices. You can click “renew,” and it will take you to the site where you can purchase a new subscription. It will also give you the option of choosing another antivirus solution, with a link to a page of Microsoft partners with special deals on antivirus (that feature is actually present now).
How is this different from Norton’s “own” Security Center? If you use Norton’s SC, it will also alert you in red that your subscription has expired, but it will give you one choice: renew your subscription. Some users may be alarmed and think that is their only option. The bottom line: security vendors are in the business of selling you their product. Microsoft is more interested in just that you HAVE a product, not necessarily which one you have. This basic scenario applies to any and all possible combinations of antivirus/firewall/antispy applications you may have on your computer.
In short, the new Windows Security Center in Windows Vista will be a one stop centralized location where you can monitor, control, and update every security program on your computer.
Please note that these are features being implemented in the RC1 timeframe (Release Candidate 1), which includes the 5435 build that was shown to us yesterday. They are currently not implemented in Beta 2.
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User Account Controls -- Help Is On The Way
The Windows Vista Security session also included a recap of a discussion we had at the Vista Lab in Redmond a couple of weeks ago. MS’ Austin Wilson had walked us through some of the advantages of UAC (User Account Controls), focusing on the misconceptions people have regarding how useful the feature is.
At the time the information was not all public. But Mr. Wilson covered some of the same material with us yesterday, so I can discuss some of it now. I told MS that many do not understand what UAC is all about, and various websites have posted guides to Vista which recommend turning off UAC.
The problem most users have is that after they install Vista, they encounter a multitude of prompts asking for permission to carry out certain procedures and open applications. Microsoft’s demo tried to address that. It was mainly intended to show why you should not turn it off or try to work around it, and to show those who think it is a pain and try to disable it that they are making a mistake.
It has not been communicated well that it's better to leave it on and that after you get the prompts the first time, you won't get them again in many cases. In others, they are not going to appear any more at all. But more on that in a bit.
The bottom line is that many of our members don’t understand what the UAC is really for and hate the prompts, especially the "average user." And now 2 million people are getting Vista, and "Joe Average" will install it, get all these prompts, and freak out. Many sites are telling people to turn it off, and if Microsoft wants people to know that they should not do so, then they need to communicate it more effectively.
They knew that all over the web people were recommending turning it off and giving instructions on how to do it. But I’ll admit that when I saw his demo, it was a real eye-opener. So I asked them why they don't have a place on the web where people can read this -- where "Joe Average" can go and find out what UAC is and why it is needed, and how to work with it and not around it. They do have some info on it at the MS security site, but all they have now is too technical and not meant for the typical person who will be installing Beta 2.
The fact is, they have been leaving it up to us to explain it, but we shouldn't have to. I said, "you should have a page where the average user can go, who will install Vista and not understand UAC, which will explain in very clear terms exactly what it is and why it's a good thing." It needs to do what their demo did, which is to make it clear that, "oh...we were thinking about this all wrong."
The end result is that they promised to create a webpage where people can go after they install Vista and learn about UAC, so they don't freak out when they start getting prompts, and so that people don't think they need to disable it.
Oh, and to follow up on what I said above, about prompts not appearing anymore…among other improvements to UAC coming in Vista, they have tried to respond to user feedback. One result is that over 100 applications and processes which needed prompts before in order to run have now been removed from the list. They have been and will continue to respond to your feedback.
As a followup to yesterday's meeting, I have received some further details from Microsoft regarding the improvements based on your feedback:
By making UAC available to Windows Vista beta users through its Community Technology Preview program, Microsoft received valuable feedback that resulted in further improvements to UAC in Windows Vista Beta 2, including these:
• Further reducing the number of Control Panel applets that require administrator privileges, including Mouse and Keyboard, Infrared, and Bluetooth.
• Eliminating the need for Task Manager to run with administrator privileges.
• Applying fixes to hundreds of older applications so they can run without prompting for an administrator password.
• Modifying the new Hardware Wizard so it does not automatically prompt for an administrator password every time it runs.
The UAC dialog boxes have also been redesigned so they more clearly state which program is requesting administrative privileges, and they also make it easier to identify programs that pose potential risks to the system. Microsoft will continue to improve the UAC experience and remove unnecessary dialog boxes until the final release of Windows Vista and beyond, by using data collected from customers who volunteer to provide this feedback to Microsoft.
This customer feedback is being used to fine-tune the number of prompts that will appear in the post-Beta 2 version of Windows Vista, known as Release Candidate 1. This release is expected to have even fewer prompts than Beta 2. For example, Microsoft expects to remove the consent prompt for administrators when they delete icons on the public desktop, as well as the prompt that appears when the user acquires critical updates from Windows Update. The number of actions and applications that require prompts will continue to be reduced throughout the remainder of the beta cycle.
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WinHEC 2006 Keynote -- My Overall Impressions and Grade
The WinHEC 2006 Keynotes kicked off with a welcome from Marshall Brumer, General Manager of Windows Hardware Platform Evangelism. We had actually just spent some time with him a couple of weeks ago, as he led one of the sessions we had at the Vista Lab in Redmond. Mr. Brumer then introduced Bill Gates for the WinHEC 2006 Keynote topic, “Advancing The Platform.”
Highlights and lowlights:
* The progression from 32 to 64-bit computing has been much smoother than previous transitions (16 to 32, etc.)
* Soon we will see 64-bit only applications from MS – Exchange Server 2007 will be the first—it’s about time!
* 64-bit desktop penetration will hit 100% by 2009 – do you believe it?
* Multi-core is another huge innovation which is coming on strong – we will also see 100% market penetration of multi-core by 2009 – no surprise there
* Jeff Woolsey on Windows Server Virtualization – Beta will be out later this year, after Longhorn Server is released – a very impressive demo – oohs and ahhs
* The “PC Ecosystem” is coming together as a concept – Windows Media Center is at the heart of it – some very impressive gains
* And now…announcing the release of Beta 2: Windows Vista, Windows Server Longhorn, and Office 2007
* Mikka Krammer and Shanen Boettcher demonstrate Windows Meeting Space – should be a popular feature – allows impromptu wireless collaboration
* Windows Live Services are exploding – Best Buy is now selling new devices integrated with Windows Live Messenger
* Windows Live product demo – use your phone to make calls using Windows Live Messenger -- gadgets! We love gadgets!
* FlexGo – an emerging markets initiative – “pay as you go” PCs – now a hit in Brazil – will bring PCs to developing countries where incomes are lower and computers would otherwise be out of reach for many
* Will Poole outlines 3 areas – Business, Mobile, Consumer
* Tim Richardson demonstrates XPS, the promising “challenger” to PDF – watch this one! Lots of buzz on XPS
* Greg Graceffo demoes UMPC (“Origami”) – one of many devices which will be able to incorporate SideShow gadgets – potentially incredible innovations
* Windows ReadyDrive – this uses the hybrid hard drive, combining traditional moving disk with stationary flash drive – the technology stops the hard drive form spinning to extend battery life, as well as minimizing damage from the physical motion of the mechanical disk over time
* Superfetch – another performance increasing feature – these innovations will allow Vista to boot up faster and perform better on laptops
* Lorrin Maughan on Windows Rally – very cool feature, allowing wireless synching live of a camera to a PC – take photo and pic shows up in pictures folder
* HD content on Vista – Xbox 360 Extender – true HD
* Media Center Extender Partner Program – encouraging hardware vendors to incorporate the extender into their products
* HDDVD – it’s here! So much more to play with – while playing a movie, you can bookmark scenes to come back to later – browse menus live while movie is playing – we saw this demonstrated at the CES in January as well and this is a real crowd-pleaser – you’ll love it!
* “Games For Windows” – new program – DirectX 10 comes to the fore – lowlight of the day: seeing a desktop rendered with DirectX 9 next to the same desktop rendered in DirectX 10, or is it? No, it’s an “artist’s rendering.” Huh? Boo. Who goofed and allowed that to get into the presentation? The laugh of the week.
* Keys to the future: software quality, generating demand, premium scenarios, logo programs
* Vista launch – 200 million upgradeable PCs, 500 million new PCs in the 2 years after launch
* 5/18 “Get Ready” was launched -- earliest ever introduction of Upgrade Advisor, determines what level of capability your PC has to run Vista
* Beta 2 will be CPP in about 2 weeks – anyone can get Vista!
* Application Compatibility Toolkit v5.0 Beta – I love this one! Examines your system and tells you what applications you have which may or may not be compatible with Vista – awesome tool
* November, bits available and Enterprise/Corporate Vista launch
* January, consumer launch of Windows Vista!
Overall, not a lot to be excited about. Not because nothing was interesting, but because most of it had already been announced/demonstrated. It would have been nice to see something really new. Compared to 2005, when x64 was launched, this was so much more low key. On top of it all, unlike last year, the DVDs with Vista were not ready for distribution until Wednesday afternoon (the next day). By the end of the Keynote, though, beta testers had already downloaded it from MS Connect and installed it. Meanwhile, the attendees of WinHEC were left out. I felt let down. Instead of being at the center of the action, we were out of the loop. My grade: C.
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Home Again!
Well, I'm back in Philadelphia. It has been an exhausting but very exciting week, and I'll come back and post some thanks and wrap things up. I have noticed a number of other websites as well as publications quoting our articles and mentioning our coverage, and that is very much appreciated as well. All the Featured Communities worked together to ensure that WinHEC was covered as fully as possible, and although we may be competitiors, we also respect one another's work and it is truly a pleasure working with them all at events like this.
I leave Monday morning.
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