July 31, 2008

Windows won’t be cut completely off for Midori

Posted by Ed Oswald under Microsoft | Tags: , , , , |
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Well, David Worthington over at SD Times has struck again, this time with a new piece which describes Microsoft’s planned transition from the current Windows codebase to one based on Midori. From the looks of this, it is definitely not just a research project for Redmond, as Robert Scoble argued after the first piece..

Essentially, Microsoft looks to be favoring a very conservative transition — which would be essentially the opposite of what Apple did with Mac OS X. It’s not surprising considering the massive install base the company needs to worry about. It’s probably smart too: by gradually introducing its customers to Midori it can spot potential problems far before they become major ones.

David suggests three different possible ways Microsoft could introduce the next-gen technology, which I’ve summized below.

The first, and perhaps most complex, has applications that run on both Midori and Windows by following a program model that operates similar to Microsoft Research’s Accelerator project … a second approach to Midori would fork the executive responsibilities and require the development of an executive for Midori that is based on and would run in parallel with the Windows Executive … The most radical suggestion involves writing the proposed Midori Executive itself from scratch, which would transform the bubble into a truly legacy-free platform.

Under the first two, Windows still takes the primary role. Under the last, it is a complete rewrite, which analysts cited by David seem to cozy up to most. I also think this is the best route: if we’re going to make a clean break, make it complete.

David’s working on a piece on security, and I’m thinking that a complete move away from the Windows code if just for the sole reason of security is the best thing. It would send hackers back to the drawing board — having to completely relearn how to hack the OS. Legacy Windows code would be contained, thus damage to systems would be minor, if not negated if I’m not mistaken.

Honestly, (and putting it bluntly), It’s nice to see Microsoft finally growing a set if David is really portraying what the company is saying in its documents correctly.

 

July 30, 2008

Prize fight: Scoble vs. Worthington, who wins?

Posted by Ed Oswald under Microsoft | Tags: , , , |
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Ohh man. Looks like things are about to get nasty quick between the blogosphere’s most prominent ex-Microsoftie and SD Times’ David Worthington. As you may remember, I blogged last night about David’s story. Well here comes Robert Scoble late last night with a stinging rebuke of the reporting.

Essentially, David plays Midori as the next coming of Windows, however he does not specifically say that it is anything more than research. It seems that Scoble did not pick up on this as you can read in his opening paragraph.

You are an idiot if…

…you believe Microsoft is actually going to have a completely rewritten Operating System before Bill Gates dies (which might be 20 to 40 more years).

I have to say one is much more of an idiot if they believe Microsoft will NOT do a rewrite of Windows in this period. In fact, I’d argue that a significant rewrite of the OS is coming sooner than everyone thinks.

Simply put, it’s time. This codebase is essentially the same as was first debuted 13 years ago in Windows 95. Portions of it are probably not far off from parts of Windows 3.1 either…. that is an eternity in technology.

Scoble seems to suggest a significant change to the Microsoft OS platform is all but impossible before 2020, if not later. That just seems ridiculous on its face. As it stands now, Windows is NOT built for today’s computer usage. Internet as it is now did not exist — when this codebase was first built the ‘net was not much more than an afterthought.

Maybe Robert would like to explain to his readers why Eric Rudder is heading this up? He’s not a researcher. Or maybe he would like to explain why Microsoft PR is in an absolute panic over the story’s release.

I can confirm Wilcox’s reporting as correct, although I can’t say much more. But to completely discount this story is at Scoble’s, and other’s, peril. I don’t think Dave is far off from what we know.

Bill Gates will not hamstring his baby. If you think that, there’s a bridge in Brooklyn I’ll sell you. He will acquiesce if it means Microsoft’s survival and maintance of its dominance in the industry.

As the song goes, “there is something happening here, what it is ain’t exactly clear.”

http://furrier.org/2008/07/30/microsoft-showing-some-sizzle-future-microsoft-os-not-windows/

Update: In one of those ironic little twists, John Furrier, who was Scoble’s former boss, says “This story tickles the old software engineer side of me … I love this post.”

 

July 29, 2008

Windows to move toward componetized structure in upcoming OS

Posted by Ed Oswald under Microsoft | Tags: , , , , |
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My former colleague at BetaNews David Worthington has a scoop on the upcoming version of Windows over at his (fairly) new gig at SD Times. David claims that the new operating system, code named “Midori,” is being built completely from scratch and has no relation to the current Windows codebase at all.

This is huge. It essentially equates to an admission by Microsoft that Windows is indeed no longer working. To Microsoft, this project is important enough that Eric Rudder, senior vice president for technical strategy at Microsoft has been put in charge of it.

Midori is said to be internet centric, although it appears that it would attempt to at least support some legacy Windows applications. Such interoperability is almost a necessity as a switch from Windows to another platform would be on a scale infinitely bigger than Apple’s switch from the Mac OS 9 codebase to Mac OS X.

It also looks to take advantage of emerging technologies in computing, according to David’s reporting:

The Midori documents foresee applications running across a multitude of topologies, ranging from client-server and multi-tier deployments to peer-to-peer at the edge, and in the cloud data center. Those topologies form a heterogeneous mesh where capabilities can exist at separate places.

What I’m not clear here yet on is whether or not Microsoft is planning an entire sea-change as far as UI goes — where our perception of what a Windows OS is now is completely thrown out the window. The report seems to suggest in some way that a complete overhaul could be in the cards:

At the presentation layer, Microsoft is making a clean break from the existing Windows GUI model, where applications must update their display on one and only one thread at a time, and the associated problems that affect OS stability and make it more difficult to write multithreaded applications.

The Midori documents indicate that the company has not decided what user interface abstractions are appropriate when applications cut across boundaries, or how to combine the best qualities of rich client applications and Web applications.

Much more can be found in the actual article itself. Now Dave, mind telling me how you got ahold of this document? :)

 

November 17, 2007

Caught in Apple restart hell « Scobleizer

Posted by Ed Oswald under Apple, Microsoft | Tags: , , , , |
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Caught in Apple restart hell « Scobleizer

Now my machine won’t boot. Well, that’s not really true. When I power it up the Apple comes on. Then the screen gets dark and a little message comes up:“You need to restart your computer. Hold down the Power button for several seconds or press the Restart button.”

Scoble, you’re having a “kernel panic.” :)

I’m a little bemused by the rest of the post however. Kind of a mini-rant on Apple’s sometimes holier than thou act they put on, and the “screw you apple.” Like somebody mentioned in the comments, where was Scoble when updates like this were coming out of Microsoft? Apple hits a rough patch and everybody’s on them like flies on — oh well you get the picture.

I’ve been looking for a reason to post on this subject, and this gave me one.

This is the problem with people who’ve been dealing with Microsoft for way too long, and have drunk the kool-aid. They need to equivocate the company’s own misgivings with others in order to (I guess) make themselves feel better.

Microsoft’s been screwing up for MANY more years than Apple has. This release is the first in years that hasn’t been up to Apple’s high standards. Was it rushed out? Yes.. but that’s because Apple bit off a bit more than it could chew (ahem, iPhone).

There’s a big difference between Apple and Microsoft when it comes to screwups. When Cupertino makes a boo-boo, they get on it right away. When Redmond makes a mistake, first you get the denial from itself and their PR hacks, next the fanboy legions come to the rescue, then you get a capitulation, and then a couple months later you finally get a fix.

Mac OS X is by far a more error and bug free operating system than anything Windows puts out. This is all Microsoft’s fault, and nobody elses. It’s too afraid to let go of the past and look towards the future — so you get a buggier OS.

Yes the transition from Mac OS 9 to 10 was rough. But it was a NECESSARY EVIL to take the platform to the next level. Microsoft needs to do the same thing.

Lets be real here. Some of this Mac-hating is a bit overblown and ridiculous.

 

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