Posted on 06/28/2006 10:15:45 AM PDT by Panerai
Microsoft has cancelled one of the most anticipated features in its next Windows operating system, code-named Vista, which is slated for release next year. Microsoft previously planned to ship the WinFS file system shortly after Windows Vista. In a weblog entry on Friday, however, Quentin Clark -- an executive of the project -- wrote that WinFS would not ship separately, and that some of the feature will be included in a later product. Investors considered WinFS the crucial feature that would encourage upgrades to Vista when Microsoft separated the technologies in 2004 in order to complete Vista by 2006, according to Bloomberg. The cancellation marks the latest change involving Windows Vista, which required Microsoft to restructure portions of the operating system and drop some features.
WinFS is designed to change the way certain types of data -- such as photos, emails, and music -- are categorized to simplify searches for related files stored in different programs, according to the report.
"This was the major feature of Windows Vista," said analyst Joe Wilcox of Jupiter Research. "It was part of the operating system and it was an opportunity for developers. Spreading it out into other things that might appear someday is not the same thing."
Portions of the WinFS technology will be rolled into the next release of Microsoft's SQL database server, code-named Katmai, according to Clark.
Yeah, just what we need, a content-aware file system, NOT. < slaps forehead >
It's like the old saw, if you're running a Chinese restaurant, never hire a Chinese cook. He cooks good, but secretly he really wants to open his own restaurant, so you're actually just training and funding a future competitor. Hire a Mexican guy and he cooks just as well, and he's content to be a cook in a Chinese restaurant.
But don't worry, they'll still leave in all the partially-complete bits of code that were supposed to do that stuff. Wouldn't want anyone afraid of getting an efficient OS when bloatware could be gotten!
What is the point of releasing Vista without including WinFS (other than as a lame duck marketing strategy) if that was to be the main feature of the new software? My guess is that there are persisiting major issues with WinFS (which is why the technologies were split to begin with 2 years ago) that cannot be resolved in the near future. To save face Microsoft does not want to further delay Vista's release. Hope this doesn't turn out like the Windows ME fiasco.
Yeah I agree. Who would actually want such a thing?
Generally, the same users who sign up for AOL.
If they can't deliver a new user interface that looks at least 80% as OS/X (and some of the newer Linux interfaces), they will start losing market share. Perception is reality.
Honestly, they should take this opportunity to rebuild Vista as an entirely new next generation OS from the ground up, including WinFS and dropping support for anything they have to drop. Microsoft has great computer scientists on staff - they could produce the best OS in the world if they would ditch the legacy code and start with a clean slate.
Well, there are probably three groups that want it. Microsoft needs something it can tout as a reason you absolutely have to have their latest OS (and this might be helpful -- to them -- with DRM, which they would like). Second, many users think the latest Mu-snot gadget must be the best, so they'll want it. Third, lamer users will probably think this idea is good on its merits, so they'll want it.
I want a content-aware file system about as bad as I want to connect my refrigerator to the internet. Remember that crappy idea?
So you can generate a megabyte of metadata to describe each byte of user data. How else are you going to sell the next generation of hard drives?
bttt
Indeed. Everything they were claiming was going to ship with Vista has been dropped except the eye candy. What is the point?
The only reason vista will sell is because the market has been warped by Microsoft's monopoly position.
There will be plenty of fanboys out there in the pc-computing press that will still say this is the best thing since sliced bread, as it will push hardware sales due to the incredible requirements this eye-candy costs when Microsoft does it. Hardware and software vendors buy adspace in magazines and elsewhere. This is the driver. Computers are plenty powerful these days for just about any purpose. You need (bloated) software to slow it down to the point that people will upgrade just so their system won't seem like so much of a dog.
That's for sure. Everything I've read about Vista is that most current systems running XP (a bloatware hog compared to Win98) will not be able to handle Vista as it requires even more memory, RAM, etc.!
Higher resolution porn?
I'm still waiting to here the rationale for switching to Vista. I know I will get those pretty transparent windows (which I don't like and won't use) but what else is there that will actually benefit me?
You help keep Microsoft in business so there will be a source for mediocre loophole infested OS's five years from now, and you get your Digital Rights Managed. Any other questions? No? Good! Now get in line like a good little user.
"WinFS is designed to change the way certain types of data -- such as photos, emails, and music -- are categorized to simplify searches for related files stored in different programs, according to the report."
You can bet this was all about RIAA involvement right here, too.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.