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August 30 Windows Live Messenger 2009 Beta SCREEN SHOTS Windows Live Messenger 9 - Beta Build.14.0.3921.717 INFO WRITE 30TH AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWERWindows Live Messenger 2009 Beta
SCREEN SHOTS
Windows Live Messenger 9 - Beta Build.14.0.3921.717
INFO WRITE 30TH AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
ALL LINKS OPEN IN A NEW WINDOW
 A new Beta build of the next iteration of Windows Live Messenger has been leaked and is available for download. Windows Live Messenger 9.0 initially debuted into Beta at the end of 2007, alongside the final release of version 8.5. Back in November of the past year,Microsft limited Windows Live Messenger 9.0 Beta grew to unexpected proportions as the bits for the instant messaging client were leaked and made available for download from third-party sources. Almost nine months later, the Beta bits for the latest development milestone of Windows Live Messenger 9.0 have been leaked and are yet again up for grabs outside of the Redmond company's limited pool of testers.
Named Build 14.0.3921.717, the Beta version of the instant messaging client comes to the table with a new label, namely Windows Live Messenger 2009. The successor of Windows Live Messenger 8.5, the last gold version of the IM client finalized in November 2007, is a Milestone 1 release, synchronized with the additional services and products collectively developed as the Windows Live Wave 3. Microsoft indicated that the next update to Windows Live, including to the instant messaging client, will be implemented by the end of 2008.
On the surface, Windows Live Messenger 9.0 (2009) Beta Build 14.0.3921.717 sports a new graphical user interface, signaling an intimate connection with the UX of the entire Windows Live suite of products and services. However, at this point in time, the IM client is still far from finalization and in this context, the UI redesign is just a taste of the evolution still in store until the code will go gold. In addition, Build 14.0.3921.717 sports features such as Favorite Contacts, Groups, and new photo sharing capabilities. The 14.0.3921.717 development milestone is nothing more than a Beta of Windows Live Messenger 2009, and at the M1 stage, Microsoft has yet to deliver a feature-complete release. In this context the Redmond company will continue to hammer away at the instant messaging client both in terms of the user interface and the under-the-hood features. In addition, the software giant is sending out all the right signals that it is gearing up for a broader Beta testing milestone, one that will be opened to the general public. (via KeepingItReal) But has this is a Beta Version For Testing Only You May Want To Stay With The Latest Version has of to of write up of this blog latest version has of 1st sepember 2008 is Windows Live Messenger 8.5 is available for download here. TO TEST THIS BETA VERSION CLICK THE LINK BELOW
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FULL SCREEN ON THE DESKTOP SCREENSHOTS MANY SCREENSHOTS IN ALL THE STANDARD COLOURS
These Are My Images Of My Windows Live Messenger 9 Beta Build.14.0.3921.717 On My Test Pc i Uploaded
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Size: 19Mb 724Kb TWEAK WINDOWS LIVE MESENGER
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Windows 7 Performance Pillars INFO WRITE 30TH AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWERWindows 7 Performance Pillars
 INFO WRITE 30TH AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER Attempting to avoid the rather sluggish experience that has become inherently associated with Windows Vista RTM, Microsoft promised, through the voice of Steven Sinofsky, that Windows 7 would not set a single “bit” out of Redmond until it would meet a set of performance criteria.
The Senior Vice President, Windows and Windows Live Engineering Group, is determined to have the next iteration of the Windows client rise up to the new performance standards as early as the first Beta, but especially with the gold version.
“Performance, as absolute and measurable as it might seem, also has a lot of subtlety. There are many elements and many tradeoffs involved in achieving performance that meets everyone’s expectations. We know that even meeting expectations, folks will want even more out of their Windows PCs (and that’s expected). We’ve re-dedicated ourselves to work in this area in Windows 7 (and IE 8). This is a major initiative across each of our feature teams as well as the primary mission of one of our feature teams (Fundamentals),” Sinofsky stated. The very subtlety of performance depends on a variety of factors, as Sinofsky indicated. And in this context, making Windows 7 fly will require optimizations across theoperating system, with emphasis placed on memory,CPU, disk I/O, boot, shutdown, standby/resume, base system and disk footprint.
“How much memory a given scenario allocates during a run. As you know, there is a classic tradeoff in time v. space in computer science and we’re not exempt. We see this tradeoff quite a bit in caches where you can use more memory (or disk space) in order to improve performance or to avoid re-computing something,” Sinofsky said. Vista was by all counts a RAM hog. The current version of Windows can swallow every last piece of RAM, and still appear hungry for more. At the same time, Microsoft failed to make Vista faster than Windows XP on similar system configurations. In this respect, processor utilization is also an item worth considering. As hardware evolves and CPUs with multiple cores become the standard, there will simply be an increasing amount of horsepower for Windows 7 to use. However, Microsoft is tweaking the operating system in order to reduce utilization and power consumption as much as possible. “Disk I/O - while hard drives have improved substantially in performance we still must do everything we can do minimize the amount that Windows itself does in terms of reading and writing to disk (including paging of course). This is an area receiving special attention for Windows 7 with the advent of solid state storage devices that have dramatically different “characteristics”,” Sinofsky added. At the same time, Windows 7 will sport faster boot, shutdown, and standby/resume times. The Redmond company is focusing greatly on making Vista's successor as fast as possible in these areas, where Windows has traditionally suffered greatly. The Windows 7 base system is also analyzed and in the process of being optimized. In this context, the Redmond company is working to tune up the amount of resources used by the base system, before any of the third-party software is loaded. However, Sinofsky stated that componentizing the base system into on-demand pieces might be a move that would eventually end up hurting performance rather than helping it. “Disk footprint – while not directly related to runtime performance, many folks see the footprint of the OS as indicative of the perceived performance. We have some specific goals around this metric and will dive into the details soon as well. We’ll also take some time to explain WindowsWinSxS as it is often the subject of much discussion on technet and msdn! Here rather than runtime tradeoffs we see convenience tradeoffs for things like on disk device drivers, assistance content, optional Windows components, as well as diagnostics and logging information,” Sinofsky explained. TeraCopy 2.0 Beta 4a INFO & DOWNLOAD INFO WRITE 30TH AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWERTeraCopy 2.0 Beta 4a INFO & DOWNLOAD
INFO WRITE 30TH AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER TeraCopy is a compact program designed to copy and move files at the maximum possible speed, also providing you with a lot of features.
It uses dynamically adjusted buffers to reduce seek times. Asynchronous copy speeds up file transfer between two physical hard drives. Pause and resume file transfers. In case of copy error, it will try several times and in the worse case just skips the file, not terminating the entire transfer. It can completely replace Explorer copy and move functions, allowing you work with files as usual.
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August 29 Microsoft makes Internet Explorer 8 Beta2 Videos INFO WRITE 29TH AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWERMicrosoft makes Internet Explorer 8 Beta2 Videos
Also
Microsoft Download Link For Internet Explorer 8 Beta2
INFO WRITE 29TH AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
 Try some of the cool things that are in IE8 Beta2. One of these things are the accelerators that you can install. What this means is you could highlight some text on a page and get a little icon appear in the page giving you some options for that highlighted text:
VIDEO 1
Video parody of a classical documentary on the subject of “slicing” which serves as a analogy for WebSlices. Even features “awesomeness of samurai words
VIDEO 2
The Internet Explorer 8 Beta2 is definitely on a roll with this second beta.
THESE ARE TWO OF THE VIDEOS MICROSOFT HAVE PUT OUT THERE WHICH RELATE TO
Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 Is currently available in several languages
Evolution of the taskbar in Windows 7 - “Superbar” << ITS CALLED NOW INFO WRITE 29TH AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWEREvolution of the taskbar in Windows 7 - “Superbar” << ITS CALLED NOW
DAVID PAUL LOWER SAY'S > AN UPDATE TO THE VIDEO BELOW IN THIS BLOG I POSTED I THIS SITE
INFO WRITE 29TH AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
 Some of you with a sharp eye might have noticed something very interesting on-screen during the Windows 7 multi-touch demonstration at the D6 conference yesterday. If you did, you might be curious to understand what you saw. If you didn’t, read on anyway. Update: The new taskbar is superficially called the “Superbar”.
The picture above comes from the video feed of Julie Larson Green’s (Vice President of Windows Experience Program Management) demo of the multi-touch picture browser demo app. The quality is a little rough, but you can easily notice a few things that are different.
The first being the taskbar is higher than usual, but not as big as double-height. If I were to guess, I’d say its somewhere around 1.75x-high. In the left corner, the Windows orb remains wedged “on top” of the taskbar - sticking its head out a little - instead of in the center like it is today in Vista. The taskbar also appears ‘divided’ into sections by variations in the color (dark, gray, lighter) to indicate the different areas. Speaking of which, if you look at the far right corner, you’d notice that the tray (icons & clock) is not touching the edge of the screen, and there’s a small lighter gap. I have no explanation for this, but is well worth keeping an eye on.
Keeping the focus on the right, the tray is also different. The icons sit in the middle of the taskbar, instead of wrapping in two-lines like it does today, whilst the date now wraps on two lines instead of three. This clearly indicates this taskbar cannot accommodate three lines of text. Most obviously the quick launch icons are now larger in size, but the icon besides it is not a quick launch icon instead an application. I’ve been told this particular Windows 7 build has rendering issues which is why there’s no label or text next to the icon, but there should have been. Now you would probably be wondering why I just spent so much effort writing about a taskbar, and the answer is because this is what Windows 7 is about. They’re going to take existing interface elements like the taskbar and give them a new coat of paint with some sparkles. Different enough so you notice them, like Walt Mossberg did.
During the demonstration (5:25) Walt asks “I can’t help noticing that the taskbar doesn’t look like the taskbar?” Julie responds with, “It’s something we’re working on Windows 7 and I’m not suppose to talk about it now today.” Shutdown. Update: Guess those Windows “Start Menu” surveys weren’t all flash and no substance. Windows 7 -- Approach to System Performance INFO WRITE 29TH AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWERWindows 7 -- Approach to System Performance
 BEST BLOG OF THE DAY 29TH AUGUST 2008 AT davidlower.spaces.live.com INFO WRITE 29TH AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
 Windows 7 -- Approach to System Performance
Many folks have commented and written email about the topic of performance of Windows. The dialog has been wide ranging—folks consistently want performance to improve (of course). As with many topics we will discuss, performance, as absolute and measurable as it might seem, also has a lot of subtlety. There are many elements and many tradeoffs involved in achieving performance that meets everyone’s expectations. We know that even meeting expectations, folks will want even more out of their Windows PCs (and that’s expected). We’ve re-dedicated ourselves to work in this area in Windows 7 (and IE 8). This is a major initiative across each of our feature teams as well as the primary mission of one of our feature teams (Fundamentals). For this post, I just wanted to frame the discussion as we dig into the topic of performance in subsequent posts. Folks might find this post on IE8 performance relevant along with the beta 2 release of IE 8.
Performance is made up of many different elements. We could be talking about response time to a specific request. It might mean how much RAM is “typical” or what CPU customers need. We could be talking about the clock time to launch a program. It could mean boot or standby/resume. It could mean watching CPU activity or disk I/O activity (or lack disk activity). It could mean battery life. It might even mean something as mundane as typical disk footprint after installation. All of these are measures of performance. All of these are systematically tracked during the course of development. We track performance by running a known set of scenarios (there are thousands of these) and developers can run specific scenarios based on exercising more depth or breadth. The following represent some (this is just a partial list) of the metrics we are tracking and while developing Windows 7:
We have criteria that we apply at the end of our milestones and before we go to beta and we won’t ship without broadly meeting these criteria. Sometimes these criteria are micro-benchmarks (page faults, processor utilization, working set, gamer frame rates) and other times they are more scenario based and measure time to complete a task (clock time, mouse clicks). We do these measurements on a variety of hardware platforms (32-bit or 64-bit; 1, 2, 4GB of RAM; 5400 to 7200 RPM or solid-state disks; a variety of processors, etc.) Because of the inherent tradeoffs in some architectural approaches, we often introduce conditional code that depends on the type of hardware on which Windows is running.
On the one hand, performance should be straight forward—use less, do less, have less. As long as you have less of everything performance should improve. At the extreme that is certainly the case. But as we have seen from the comments, one person’s must-have is another person’s must-not-have. We see this a lot with what some on have called “eye candy”—we get many requests to make the base user interface “more fun” with animations and graphics (“like those found on competing products”) while at the same time some say “get rid of graphics and go back to Windows 2000”. Windows is enormously flexible and provides many ways to tune the experience. We heard lots on this forum about providing specific versions of Windows customized for different audiences, while we also heard quite a bit about the need to reduce the number of versions of Windows. However, there are limits to what we can provide and at the same time provide a reliable “platform” that customers and developers can count on and is robust and manageable for a broad set of customers. But of course within a known context (within your home or within a business running a known set of software) it will always be possible to take advantage of the customization and management tools Windows has to offer to tune the experience. The ability to have choice and control what goes on in your PC is of paramount importance to us and you will see us continue to focus on these attributes with Windows 7.
By far the biggest challenge in delivering a great PC experience relative to performance is that customers keep using their PCs to do more and more things and rightfully expect to do these things on the PC they own by just adding more and more software. While it is definitely the case that Windows itself adds functionality, we work hard to pick features that we believe benefit the broadest set of customers. At the same time, a big part of Windows 7 will be to continue to support choice and control over what takes place in Windows with respect to the software that is provided, what the default handlers are for file types and protocols, and providing a platform that makes it easy for end-users to personalize their computing experience.
Finally, it is worth considering real world versus idealized settings. In order to develop Windows we run our benchmarks in a lab setting that allows us to track specifically the code we add and the impact that has. We also work closely with the PC Manufacturers and assist them in benchmarking their systems as they leave the factory. And for true real-world performance, the Microsoft Customer Experience Improvement Program provides us (anonymous, private, opt-in) data on how machines are really doing. We will refer to this data quite a bit over the next months as it forms a basis for us to talk about how things are really working, rather than using anecdotes or less reliable forms of information.
In our next post we will look at startup and boot performance, and given the interest we will certainly have more to say about the topic of performance.
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IVE PUT SOME OF THE COMMENTS HERE OF PEOPLES COMMENTS TO THIS - SOME OF THERE COMMENTS OF 28TH AUGUST 2008
Comments
A great post about the complexity oif making the choice, but how about this for a simple guiding principle:
On a 2Gb Core 2 system, no feature/function should be slower than it was on a 1G Pentium M XP system.
This is certainly not the case today and why many of us have said performance is issue #1.
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What I lack mentioning in these posts about performance is the Microsoft developer experience in writing effective code.
Not only Windows has been suffering from sluggish performance lately, but also Office, IE 7, System Center products, etc.
Like we heard about the security from Microsoft a few years ago, that it became a concern of highest priority, that every developer had obligatory courses on how to write as secure code as possible and we, customers, really saw the fruits of that - first in XP SP2, later Vista and other products.
So needs the focus on the performance to come back to Microsoft now at a very high level - we've seen so much about the "bloated code" from the customers and press, they're not out of nowhere. Not new code with new features, but old code needs to be reviewed and made more effective.
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Here's my take on Windows performance: A clean install of Windows performs very well. Over time, Windows performance degrades. In my opinion this is Windows weakest area, and you didn't address it here.
Why does Windows slow down over time, and more importantly, how can Windows protect itself from this?
If you can eliminate having to "re-pave" your system every year to regain the performance that a fresh install gives, now that would be a reason to upgrade.
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You say that a must have feature for one user is a no-no for another. Why not provide the option to the user - split the OS up at setup so the user chooses what they want. If they want the pretty fun UI, let them have it, if they want the windows 2000 UI, let it be.
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Memory usage – How much memory a given scenario allocates during a run. As you know, there is a classic tradeoff in time v. space in computer science and we’re not exempt.
So is important to react when something is as slow or slower and takes the double of the space.
What I would really like to see in this blog is a roadmap. So far I've read a bunch of excuses on how difficult it is to please everyone when asking totally different things. So, I guess that is up to you to choose what is really important (eg: eye candy vs speed and usability) and stick to it! The worst that can happen is something like vista that does not seem to please either group and get stuck somewhere in the middle.
Don't get me wrong.. this discussion you are having here is important.. but meaningless if no conclusions are taken.
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I really hope you really take lots of effort on improving the performance. I red somewhere that Windows 7 would not require _much_ more power from the computer than Vista. Since Vista is very bloated, a fact no one can deny, I remain quite sceptical about the thing you wrote here.
The big issue with all windows releases have been that you simply cannot leave those dozens of useless components and services unistalled and unstarted automatically in the install. Every time I reinstall windows (no need to do this as regular as before thou), I have to go through a list of services I will never use, and shut down those by hand. But I they still exist on the hard drive. I'm sure HDD space is cheap today (but also cosider the SSDs), but I'm sure there is even _some_ files in the few GBs that could be left off.
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Performance is a real tricky subject. Sometimes it's measurable, you can time stuff. Other times it's subjective, "it just feels slow"
One of the plus points to Vista in my opinion is that the GUI is snappy and responsive. Others that maybe don't have the hardware complain that it's fat slow useless eye candy. A point I have mentioned in other replays, If a cheap Dell laptop can handle Vista and your PC can't you are running the wrong OS for your hardware. New versions of Windows is for new computers. So please no more calls for Win7 to run on old kit! and then mention the poor performance...
One type of performance that hasn't been mentioned is one of productivity. Not the OS but the user! If the GUI is complicated or causes the user to do stuff in a strange way it becomes a barrier to productivity. A well designed GUI should be an aid to productivity. How much faster does a computer feel if you can quickly get a task completed. How bad dose it feel if you have to do battle with your PC to get stuff done.
So a snappy and responsive desktop with a task orientated GUI. I would like the opportunity to define what those tasks are. Even complicated multi step stuff with a single click once I have set it up.
Most of the rest of the stuff, the hardware will take up the slack. This shouldn't be used to cover poor code or sloppy integration of moduals. But no one sets out to wright sloppy code.
Please don't fall pray to the nay sayers that call for Win7 to run fast on slow computers. If you do we will not get the feature rich Windows experience we have come to expect from MS. It has to be super fantastic with eye candy, toys, productivity. Because you charge for your product, and charge a lot in a market where nobody else does.
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You have time to make W7 closer to perfection.
I believe performance is #1 perfection point.
There are many problems with WV performance, and that's because, i believe, there were a lot of 'macro-optimizations', instead of 'micro-optimizations' which were favored before.
- Spend more time polishing. There is too much small things were done badly in WV, and team leaders must know (otherwise what leaders they are?!)
- Optimize common code. Count how much different PNG/JPG 'codec' implementations are in WV? I can count about 10.
- Remove dead resources and files hanging from alphas/betas/DOS-81...
- Throw WinSxS please. That was the worst design decision ever possible. The closest example i can think of are cheap game makers filling files with random bytes to make game cost more CDs and more money.
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As a response to Pentagon's post.
This is really a thing I have wondered many years now. How can the new OS's be so heavy? The programming tools evolve, compilers have better optimizing capabilities, HW doubles it's capacity once in a while, the programmers have more and more knowledge about programming... But still when a new OS comes, I need a high end hardware to run it.
The new features are ok, but the really new features are few - most of the new things just replace something old. Many of the waited features were left off the Vista release.
The improved security is great, but the lack of security is usually just thing done wrong in the previous products.
I just cannot understand how change of one OS version goes beyond 6 years or PC hardware development. I really cannot.
New hardware is an easy way to hide and forget the heaviness of a new OS. We the customers should not accept that so easily. Of course I can buy new hardware, but I got perfectly functional computers I cannot buy a Windows for. That is wrong.
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I can think of a case when using MORE means better performance. At a given point in time unused RAM can be sheer waste. If an OS utilises some of that "unused" RAM by preloading certain things so that when we need to use them we don't have for wait them to be read from hard disk.
Because the RAM was NOT being used, it didn't impact performance and preloading saved our time and improved performance.
If the user requires RAM for any process that wasn't already loaded in RAM and the available RAM wasnt sufficient, the OS should be able to release that RAM it used for preloading.
This is exactly what Vista does, I believe. And that is why I like it.
And I am only an accountant.
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Perhaps, since Microsoft is intent on following some of Apple's paths (I know, they won't admit that, and I understand), they could do what the Mac OS does for applications and do away with the registry altogether. Have applications maintain their own settings and info themselves. This would eliminate hostile take-overs by drive-by downloads or rogue applications installed by third party applications. For OS specific configurations, have a skeletal hive that maintains a minimum of settings and the rest are handled by the apps themselves. This would greatly improve performance, since I've noticed that the registry is about 40% the reason for performance slow-downs over time. Mostly because uninstalled apps tend to leave drops of their blood in there even though they were removed.
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One of the most annoying performance strategies I find in Windows is the tendency of the file system cache to take most of the memory, even the memory currently in use by programs. Or perhaps it's the other way around: the tendency for the memory manager to keep paging out the processes' memory even when it's not quite necessary. This might be difficult to experience in the kind of performance tests done in laboratories.
I usually leave 8-12 applications open (some of them being 20-30 open tabs browsers... yes, browser/S/). I don't reboot my PC for weeks (thanks XP for being so stable!) nor close any of those programs if I can help it. Typically, after performing long file system operations (like copying/creating large files, watching a movie, etc.), most applications become paged out. I certainly don't want more than 512M of my 2GB used in file system caching, and even less in a single large file I will only need to access once. Since Windows 2003 server SP1 there is the SetSystemFileCacheSize() system call, which I tried to use with not much luck. I have some proposals about this, which you might want to consider (these are my own thoughts, which I hereby donate to the public domain):
* File system cache should limit the amount of blocks it caches for each file; that can be achieved in the read/write system calls, by counting the amount of bytes sequencially read/written and switching to a "no cache" mode after a certain threshold. Of course, scattered read/writes should be properly cached as they most probably come from some kind of database system. For video playback programs, perhaps a more refined strategy would be to cache only the latest blocks, to speed up the ocassional temporary rewind, but that's more difficult to implement.
* I don't have in-depth knowledge of the Windows memory system, but it seems it tends to page out text and data from programs even if the memory is not immediately needed. If that's the case, then that memory shouldn't be immediately recalled as free; if, for example, that memory is paged out in order to speed up a potential hybernate process, it doesn't mean it's not still there and ready to be used by the process.
Anyway, Windows should make its best effort to avoid paging out process memory; there is an old performance setting "Optimize for programs server", but the "Programs" setting doesn't quite cut it.
PS: My currently open programs are: Opera Browser (18 tabs), Visual Studio 2005 + Help, MS Outlook 2003, WinCVS, Total Commander (three windows + several tabs), Word Magic Tools, Adobe Reader, EmEditor (3 documents) Calculator, Winamp, Miranda (3 accounts), OfficeScan, SoundControl, totaling about ~1GB VM size. Many programs have 30~70% memory blocks paged out. I have 2GB of memory.
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"While it is definitely the case that Windows itself adds functionality, we work hard to pick features that we believe benefit the broadest set of customers."
Have you ever thought about turning the tables on this one? Let customers pick the features they believe would benefit them? Kind of like the sidebar feature in vista, where people can search through a database of widgets they can add to the sidebar.
Provide users with the bare minimum, the core of windows, then provide them with a database (with good explanations of what the feature is and does) so they themselves can pick what they feel/think is necesarry.
For someone who writes alot, he could add tablet software, language packs, writing tools etc, while someone who only plays games could just add support for old/new games, directx and stuff.
Pants optional is the way to go!
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Thanks, wonderful detailed post, I really appreciate the time you spend on the community (but were still thirsty for knowledge ^^).
I think the problems you adressed could be solved by just give the user a bit more configuration options. For example if I´d like to "tune" my system without buying new hardware I have very few options: Switch to Win2000 style - never. Defrag...doesnt really help..by the way, got worse with Vista, still too less options and not as powerful as other apps. What else ? The "Performance Information and Tools" dialog is quite nice, helps a bit.
But what I think would was really cool: modular windows. Please, tell us if its doable. So many people I know would like to turn things off, just to alleviate the system a bit. Take a look at vLite - THIS should be integrated into Windows 7.
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Steve,
I have to agree with the above; in letting the user choose what he/she wants.
Obviously have a 'typical' installation option but also the advanced one.
ButIi believe this is not the only problem with Windows, this being a different point completely and that is... there is so much software out there (made by MS) which effectively does the same thing.
I mean like a general picture gallery viewer:
You have the standard viewer, you have the MS Office picture viewer, you have the windows live gallery viewer just to mention a few...streamline it all into one or make it in such a way that rather then creating different apps let it add extensions to the original.
Another example is the 'address book' its so badly integrated into the system that if I have Outlook installed then it doesn’t synchronise between the two.
Another example is the mail client... we have Outlook express (or whatever its called now), we have windows desktop live mail and we have Microsoft Office Outlook...each one running independently of the other. Streamline the whole thing give it polish, its these small things that people see and generate their opinions from.
And I know this is a Windows 7 blog, but what about all of us that paid that extra for Vista Ultimate?? I mean if you’re going to count language packs as being an ‘extra’ then don’t expect a lot of custom for windows 7 ‘ultimate’.
Another point, the sidebar had/still does the potential for being so so much more except it just wasn’t exploited, Microsoft rather then jumping from one ship to the next; have a clear idea what you want and produce end to end solutions. Just take a look the concept shots from around 2003 of what you wanted in the sidebar and look at the mostly 3rd party add ons out there now. There are soo many ideas for gadgets out there and its Microsoft that needs to get behind them and build them rather then leave it to the 3rd party developers. Windows live messenger gadgets, better integration with Microsoft Outlook and so on and so forth, rather then leaving it to the 3rd party at least for essential gadgets mentioned above MS should develop.
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Most people I know today rarely ever shut down their computer because it takes too long. They just leave it running. I liked Vista's improvements to shutdown but it took a while to figure out what different features were. For example, there is now sleep, hibernation and hybrid sleep, sometimes only one of these options appears on the shut down menu while other times, there may be more. This could be very confusing to the average user. Also, by default, the power button on the start menu does not shut down the computer which makes no sense to me and it is also hard to change this setting.
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I just want to point out that window vista performance has nothing very little to do with hardware users use. Unlike other OS, increase in hardware and memory or better HD doesn't increase in performance for vista. I have quad-core with 4Gig memory and sata drive; by jaw dropped the first time I used vista; the performance is un freaking believable (and nothing changed since then, though SP2 is a bit better).
Word of advice when it takes 4-5 from boot time to workable state; something is wrong somewhere.
I also use Linux, it takes me 50 seconds load on this powerful system.
Macbookpro on a inferior hardware, takes less time to boot up.
I am not going to rant on which OS is better but its a good thing to compare yourself to other OS in performance and see where you stand.
I appreciate (again and again) for taking the initiative to talk to windows users to see where we stand. There are some satisfied users, but make no mistake that there are a lot of disgruntled users. The only thing that's keeping me from dumping windows is because I am a long time windows users and I have this emotional attachment to it (I know, it's weird). But if this keeps going on with the next windows version, I think you guys will loose a lot of faithfull users, you have long alienated.
This is a what I want on windows 7:
- not six different version of window. 2 versions, one for home user, one for professional user; ie company - corporation. Simple, easy on the point.
- Security should be an integrated part of the system, not a user generated "do you want this?", "do you want that?" crap.
- fast boot time. I dont want 5 minutes for my system to load. very simple.
- Why should we have to worry about fragmented disk. Either make a smart option where system automatically defragmenting disk in the background, with user having to ask them to do it when system is sluggish; or use a superior file system, where fragmenting is not even an option. In the year 2008, why should any operating system in their right mind worry about defragmenting their disk?
- There is much more to be desired from windows aero effects. As far as the windows layout is concerned what has changed since windows 95? Windows need both revolutionary and evolutionery changes in most part of user experience.
- Performance - performance - performance. Do the people who worked on windows vista still have their job? How can they sleep at night, knowing what a shameful product they created or was part of?
Sorry for all the rants, but there is a lot of hidden anger towards windows vista and mostly towards Microsoft for the way they have handled some of their products. As if someone is intentionally screwed up. I don't think I could have intentionally screw up with windows vista so badly...
Keep up the good work. Hopefully we will see some good results from you guys.
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One point of preformance and stability that wasn't list was drivers (the silent killer) i can't how many times i have hunted down slow windows issue to be cause by some random driver that was written in 2000 and hasn't been updated since. the code is horrible and design was not better. There needs to be more control put on the companies writting these drivers to take part in the beta testing of Windows 7 to get their drives right before the system hits production. I know there is no money in beta testing drivers in a system that no one will be adopting till the first Servie Pack (since that seems to be the thought pattern for most IT shops and businesses) so they feel they have plenty time after release to get their drivers in order. Look at Nvidia and ATI. I remeber reading that a very large percentage of BSOD during Vista betas and testing were coming from graphics card drivers. I know it is impossible to take out ever bug, it just can't happen, but by the the OS goes prod the drivers should be at least stable and workable to a very high percent. There also needs to be push for 64-Bit 32 bit has reached its ceiling and people are clinging to it because they are afraid of change. I have problems finding everyday apps that won't work on 64 - bit vista these days, most being games but even then most work fine. 64-bit will help reduce many many of the bottle necks you see today with seems running out of addressable space and being limited in resource allocation. Push for 64!!!
Also what ever happen to WinFS, was it written off? will it be returning in another form?? it was an excelllent idea for replacement of the Registry which is sorely due for replacement. Hopefully that will be another feature we see in W7.
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There is no question that Microsoft software, and Windows in particular, has gotten more bloated over the years due, I believe, to a combination of poor management and a lack of coding discipline. All too often, developers just shrug and say that faster CPUs and more memory will take care of larger, less efficient, but easier to write, algorithms. Unfortunately, when this attitude runs through all 40 or whatever development groups, the bloat and slowness very quickly add up.
Unfortunately, too many managers don't respect the engineering process, despite giving lip service to it, and don't insist on quality nor give the time to developers to actually produce quality code.
The very fact that Vista SP1 offered significant improvements in copy operations is proof positive of this thesis.
One other advantage of code discipline: fewer bugs. And that saves lots of money.
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I wrote a long comment so I split it up in sections here it goes:
First I would like to address the fine people who comment on this blog. Comments like “make it better” or “make it faster” aren’t really helpful, but they add to the clutter and make it more difficult to find good ideas in the comments, also please read through the comments and if you find your idea expressed in more than three comments please don’t repeat it for the thousandth time, just think about something else. Thank you.
Now a few observations on the raised issues:
SKU Management: is a Marketing task, the Engineering department doesn’t have much to do with this decision I would imagine, it’s not an engineering task, it concerns me too little (since I used XP Pro and now Vista Ultimate), but to set a few things straight:
There is only one Vista DVD, no matter what you install there I only ONE Vista DVD, there are no Basic, Premium, Business, Enterprise and Ultimate DVD’s there is only ONE DVD, the edition you install depends on the serial number you purchased, and you can upgrade using the same DVD depending on the serial number you enter at setup, the setup option of what to install is made when you decide which license (SKU) you buy. (Tip: If you can’t decide, get a free trial from Microsoft, it contains the different versions, install the ones you’re interested in and then make an informed decision)
As for having only one version, that idea is only good for Vista Ultimate users and the Windows Engineering team, because what the different versions do is save customers money by not making them pay for features they don’t use. Why would home users have business and developer features and what would businesses do with Media Center or Movie Maker? More importantly why would they pay for them and have them take up space on the drive? By now, the people who suggested a customized install where people would just install the features they need, are thinking I’m trying to prove their point, no. The Vista setup installs over 6GB of OS in 20 to 30 minutes and it does that by just unzipping an OS image and sets up drivers and options on top of that base image, ISV’s, IT pros and users are happy with the simple, mostly unattended and fast setup procedure, by contrast the XP setup installs 2GB in 20-30 minutes. So if you just want a basic Windows without eye candy use Basic, if you are a typical home user use Home Premium, and so forth.
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As for Windows components customizations all we get is a treeview with checkboxes in the Add Windows components, which takes me, as a developer, a little time to navigate through, it could be impossible for a simple user to tell what those components mean and whether they should Add or Remove them also you can’t uninstall PhotoGallery, MovieMaker, DVD Creator, Media Center, etc So my suggestion is to make a new .cpl with a intuitive interface and guidance for normal users whether a feature is useful for them or not. Because I like PhotoGallery, but if I install the Live PhotoGallery I don’t want them both, also I never use MovieMaker or DVD Creator or Media Center and would like a simple way to uninstall them, so making all the nonessential windows applications easy to uninstall is a good idea (most people won’t do it, but it should be easy for those who want to)
Some say “throw WinSxS “, they don’t remember DLL HELL and exactly why it has that name, I do, and if giving up 7,5GB on my drive means never going back to that, then I’m happy, but I think there is still some optimization to be done here. I remember that before WinSxS applications only had a few conflicting dll’s which of course made installation impossible, but the key here is only a few conflicting dll’s. Versioning like DX versioning (d3dx9_35.dll) or vc runtime (vcrt80.dll) keeps conflicts to a minimum and a lot of times an application will install a newer dll which is backward compatible with the old one. So why do I need 8 versions of amd64 and 5 versions of the IA64 vcrt dll’s which I don’t use on my 32bit system and which I instructed Visual Studio not to install, maybe I need to take that up with the VS team, but why do I need 8 versions of system.servicemodel.dll which is a managed dll and should implement the same API throughout, so an older application should work just fine with the newer dll, I understand having a system.servicemodel.dll for .NET 2.0 one for 3.0 and one for 3.5, although 3.0 and 3.5 should use some of the same dlls as 2.0, but I would understand having 3 versions, but why eight, because a Service Pack shouldn’t change the API, and if developers developed against the API and not it’s implementation quirks it should be fine using the newest dll, and most applications work just fine with the newest version so why burden my system with 8 versions of every .NET dll on the off chance that maybe a application doesn’t work. I know .NET says it will try to run your application against the newest CLR and then revert to the CLR you were compiling against, but that should be CLR Versions (like 2.0, 3.0, not every single service pack and security update). I know that the current implementation assures compatibility but I’m also sure that a more restrictive implementation would ensure compatibility for 99% of users while reducing disk footprint for everyone. As an idea, maybe you should have a manifest field to specify whether a specific dll breaks (API) compatibility and should be placed as a copy in WinSxS or just replace the older dll.
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I totally agree. I would love it if I just dragged the install to the "Applications" folder and the only thing I had to worry about were the documents it created in my "Home" folder and the files it created in the "Applications" folder.
Back to the registry but that's a given. Talk about bootup time improvements. How much performance would be gained, memory, etc, if the registry wasn't loaded at start? I don't know for sure that it's fully parsed on startup but I'm not a fan anyway.
While I think that it's good to allow users to disable certain "Eye Candy", I don't think this should be an excuse to have a non-standard UI. Open IE, you have one style, open Explorer, you have old windows, open a number of different applications and when you want that eye candy you always end up running to that overzealous old schooler. When I'm using "Competitor" products, do I ever run into an icon that looks like it was made in 1492 or a window that uses dropdowns designed in OS/2 Warp?
The great thing that WPF provides is the ability to utilize animation and old school looking forms controls in the same application, while maintaining separate templates for both. Why not open the templates up for override like WPF does?
I just want to see a consistent clean user experience in both asynchronous GUI parts and everyday tasks. I know there are a lot of people out there that like the old Windows UI still but that's why there's the option to disable it.
Work out two separate explorers, two separate layouts entirely, and allow the user to choose what they want when they install windows. Don't make people use the new UI and don't make people not use it. If it means installing old libraries and getting the old Vista/XP experience, let the user install it and don't install the new UI components. Work on the new UI entirely separate from the "old UI". Both teams can hash out API's with the business and data layer teams.
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The biggest enhancement you can make is, (as someone already pointed out), make Windows retain performance even after months of usage. I understand that this is not magically possible because leftover registry entries, growing registry size due to growing list of installed apps and piling log files all slow down Windows but Microsoft has never attempted to prevent any of these. (Windows Disk Protection as part of Shared Computer Toolkit/SteadyState and virtualization undo disks are nice attempts). After several months of usage, typically the most memory consuming processes on my system are usually the Shell which slows down upon adding shell extensions, non plug and play drivers, IE because of IE addins which even when disabled affect IE's performance and the startup times of all I/O intensive apps. Maybe MS can add a 'Windows Registry Protection' to SteadyState which *deliberately makes it* lose all changes upon reboot?
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Another major turnoff I discovered in Vista is that it uses WinSxS not only to store side-by-side assemblies but also to store files protected by Windows Resource Protection and maintains multiple copies of those files (along with ridiculously long horrible names) which are updated by hotfixes/service packs. The servicing stack (Package Manager) howsoever it is designed always performs much much slower than its previous incarnation (Update.exe). Installing hotfixes is slow, every hotfix needs to be 'configured' before logon and logoff. Whatever maybe the case (poor design or simply another tradeoff), installing updates/hotfixes should not take this kind of approach. Also, the growing footprint of the WinSxS folder is a living example of how Microsoft has no concern about disk space on end users' drives and you've simply assumed modern disk drives are large enough to make disk space an issue. I've come to associate Vista with an OS that doesn't get right updating itself. The WinSxS folder doesn't seem to be a tradeoff in either time or space. (And yeah I have read http://blog.tiensivu.com/aaron/archives/1306-Demystifying-the-WinSxS-directory-in-Windows-XP,-Vista-and-Server-20032008.html but WinSxS doesn't perform the same way as in previous OSes, it does something more in Vista). Something seriously needs to be done about WinSxS and the servicing stack, I agree with one of the above posters that it's the worst architectural part of the OS.
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'Windows is enormously flexible and provides many ways to tune the experience.' That holds true only for the Windows NT 5.0/5.1 family. Vista isn't flexible or customizable in any way, it takes away all the power and customizability from power users and offers an enormously dumbed down interface that helps only grandmas and Joe Averages. Microsoft's shell and UI teams did their worst job during the Longhorn project and the UI is very less productive, disruptive to those already familiar, worsened in many cases by removal of fine-grained configurable settings and made complicated by long explanations which require a lot of reading before the user takes any action. Some examples of unproductive UI are Windows Explorer's lack of customizablility and removal of several old buttons and menus, idiotic behavior of compulsorily and automatically sorting files, sort by any criteria works in the reverse order, the efforts needed to get to the connection list out-of-the-box, the fixed-size tree-style Start menu, advanced search UI (although search itself works satisfyingly), 'Default Programs'/file types UI, URLs! (Can you believe it?) in load/save dialog boxes!. 'Property sheets' as MS calls them instead of dialogs aren't productively created in Vista (although they scale well resolution wise). I think all the money Microsoft spend in 'user interface R&D' and 'user experience' were completely wasted in Windows Vista.
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I hope Microsoft will really try to address performance of redesigned apps in Vista (e.g. the abominable Disk Defragmenter, Windows Mail performance, slow as ever Windows Media Player), again rewrite the servicing stack in Windows 7 to have the fastest performance that even exceeds that of Update.exe, makes Windows 7's UI highly customizable (TweakUI, where are you?).
As for number of editions, you could merge Starter and Home Basic and keep them for new markets. The Starter/Home Basic can be power optimized for laptops, 3 mainstream editions (Home, Professional (again merge the Business/Enterprise SKUs) and Ultimate balance out things. The Home edition can be the media/gamer-oriented one. Another minor aspect is the features of the OS aren't correctly distributed across the SKUs, for example, for some insane reason, the Business edition doesn't have BitLocker, and the Unix subsystem! (what value does it give me in upgrading if XP Professional can get Services for Unix?). Home Premium doesn't have Fax?, EFS!, Previous versions?, Complete PC Backup, RDP Host/Server?, Local Group Policy (at least)!
Lastly, another change of approach I would like to see in Microsoft's attitude with respect to what it calls 'feature design change'. I think Microsoft can really carefully watch the market for issues which users have and agree with unanimously *with the current product* and ship solutions in the form of powertoys, hotfixes or service packs. Waiting for the next release to get some major blunders right besides bugs doesn't add value to those who've purchased the current product already and are not happy with it.
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While re-engineering alot of other stuff under the hood, could we please see somekind of application-bundles (like osx) with an folder representing an application, preferably combined with something like a registry-root named HKEY_CURRENT_APPLICATION that stores it's settings inside that bundle, so we finally can move applications around without breaking their configuration... - or force us developers to use inifiles again.
Oh, and while you're at it, separating the ui/kernel and making the ui very open to customization would be really fun :)
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Free Microsoft Windows Memory Diagnostic Utility INFO WRITE 29TH AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWERFree Download - The Microsoft Windows Memory Diagnostic Utility
Windows Memory Diagnostic is a free utility available for download from Microsoft designed to sniff out flaws in a machine's RAM modules.
INFO WRITE 29TH AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
The fact is that the source of the now ubiquitous blue screen is not always Windows, or any piece of code for that matter. The fault could just as well reside in system memory, and this is where Windows Memory Diagnostic comes in. The tool is capable of evaluating the RAM on a computer and identifying any error. "Windows Memory Diagnostic supports x86-based computers with the following microprocessors: Intel - Pentium or Celeron families; AMD - K6, Athlon, or Duron families; and microprocessors compatible with those listed above. You can test all types of RAM that run on x86-based computers with the supported microprocessors," reveals Microsoft's description of the tool. Both Windows Vista and Windows XP users will be able to create bootable media (either a floppy or a CD) which can be used in its turn in order to boot the computer. Windows Vista already features the tool integrated as a default component under Administrative Tools, or accessible via the Repair option in theoperating system's installation media. However, Vista offers a slimmed down version, with little visual feedback and less options. Instead, the Windows Memory Diagnostic utility comes with three categories of tests, namely Basic, Standard and Extended. Users can choose between running two tests in Basic mode, six in Standard and 11 in Extended and a scenario which is bound to last at least the entire night. "However, if you have error checking and correcting (ECC) RAM, Windows Memory Diagnostic may not report any errors because the ECC mechanism automatically detects and corrects the error. It might still be useful to run Windows Memory Diagnostic if you have ECC RAM because it may detect errors that the ECC RAM is unable to correct (which indicates problems with the RAM). Windows Memory Diagnostic is limited to testing only the first 4 gigabytes (GB) of RAM. If you have more than 4 GB of RAM, the remaining RAM after the first 4 GB will not be tested by Windows Memory Diagnostic," Microsoft added. Micosoft Windows Memory Diagnostic is available for download here.
Download:
Free Microsoft Windows Memory Diagnostic Utility (link 1) Free Microsoft Windows Memory Diagnostic Utility (link 2) ALL LINKS ON THIS SITE OPEN IN A NEW WINDOW
August 28 Vista And XP - Getting Them To Play Well Together INFO WRITE 28TH AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWERINFO WRITE 28TH AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
 <+>  
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| Layout | Rendering | HTML Parsing | Marshalling | CSS Formatting | DOM | JScript | Other |
| 43.16% | 27.25% | 2.81% | 7.34% | 8.66% | 5.05% | 3.23% | 2.49% |
Notice that when navigating to the top 100 sites the systems exercised in typical JScript/DOM benchmarks (e.g. SunSpider) account for less than 10% of the total time. Furthermore, we analyzed several common AJAX applications and performed similar analyses, with similarly surprising results:
| Layout | Rendering | HTML Parsing | Marshalling | CSS Formatting | DOM | JScript | Other |
| 8.87% | 8.68% | 1.48% | 7.40% | 36.72% | 11.72% | 13.59% | 11.54% |
WINDOWS 7 REAL LATEST VERSION 27TH MAY 2008 4 WEEKS AGO VERSION Watch the Full Windows 7 Video Presentation, Not Just the Official Version
In the video segment embedded at the bottom of this article you will be able to see Julie Larson-Green, Corporate Vice President, Windows Experience Program Management, and her full presentation of Windows 7 at the D6 - All Things Digital conference. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and CEO Steve Ballmer are also featured in the video. Ballmer even manages to intervene at a certain point. Larson-Green's demo of Windows 7 is not intended to show anything else than the multi-touch and gesture natural user input model of the operating system.
However, a piece of the traditional desktop is still present, although evolved beyond what Vista delivered with the Windows Aero GUI. The Taskbar has been redesigned. It's by no means a complete overhaul, since the basic concept is still the same; however, the changes are notable. First off, the Start sphere button is completely separated from the rest of the area as is the tray icon in the right hand side corner. The new Windows 7 Taskbar is wider than the standard Taskbar for Windows Vista, and the new icons have also undergone an evolution.
Of course, Julie Larson-Green failed to utter a single word related to the new Windows 7 Taskbar. She only managed to say that "it's something we're working on Windows 7 and I'm not supposed to talk about it, not today." But, at the same time, Julie Larson-Green is responsible for the introduction of the Fluent/Ribbon graphical user interface in the Office 2007 System, so big things should be expected out of Windows 7's GUI
Sony Playstation History - Info Full INFO WRITE 24TH AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER www.davidlower.spaces.live.com
The PlayStation was the first of the ubiquitous PlayStation series of console and hand-held game devices, which has included successor consoles and upgrades including the Net Yaroze (a special black PS with tools and instructions to program PS games and applications), PS one (a smaller version of the original), PocketStation (a handheld which enhances PS games and acts as a memory card), PlayStation 2, a revised, slimline PS2, PlayStation Portable (a handheld gaming console), a revised "PSP slim & lite", PSX (Japan only; a media center, DVR and DVD recorder based on the PS2), and PlayStation 3 (20GB, 40GB, 60GB, & 80GB). By March 31, 2005, the PlayStation and PS one had shipped a combined total of 102.49 million units, becoming the first video game console to reach the 100 million mark.
Sony also planned to develop another, Nintendo compatible, Sony-branded console, but one which would be more of a home entertainment system playing both Super Nintendo cartridges and a new CD format which Sony would design. This was also to be the format used in SNES-CD discs, giving a large degree of control to Sony despite Nintendo's leading position in the video gaming market.
The DualShock controller.The SNES-CD was to be announced at the June 1991 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). However, when Hiroshi Yamauchi read the original 1988 contract between Sony and Nintendo, he realized that the earlier agreement essentially handed Sony complete control over any and all titles written on the SNES CD-ROM format. Yamauchi decided that the contract was totally unacceptable and he secretly canceled all plans for the joint Nintendo-Sony SNES CD attachment. Instead of announcing a partnership between Sony and Nintendo, at 9 a.m. the day of the CES, Nintendo chairman Howard Lincoln stepped onto the stage and revealed that Nintendo was now allied with Philips, and Nintendo was planning on abandoning all the previous work Nintendo and Sony had accomplished. Lincoln and Minoru Arakawa had, unbeknown to Sony, flown to Philips headquarters in Europe and formed an alliance of a decidedly different nature—one that would give Nintendo total control over its licenses on Philips machines.
After the collapse of the joint project, Sony considered halting their research, but ultimately the company decided to use what they had developed so far and make it into a complete, stand alone console. As a result, Nintendo filed a lawsuit claiming breach of contract and attempted, in U.S. federal court, to obtain an injunction against the release of the PlayStation, on the grounds that Nintendo owned the name. The federal judge presiding over the case denied the injunction and, in October 1991, the first incarnation of the new Sony PlayStation was revealed. However, it is theorized that only 200 or so of these machines were ever produced.
PlayStation Memory CardBy the end of 1992, Sony and Nintendo reached a deal whereby the "Sony Play Station" would still have a port for SNES games, but Nintendo would own the rights and receive the bulk of the profits from the games, and the SNES would continue to use the Sony-designed audio chip. However, Sony decided in early 1993 to begin reworking the "Play Station" concept to target a new generation of hardware and software. As part of this process the SNES cartridge port was dropped and the space between the names was removed.
Before the release of the PlayStation, Sony had never held a large portion of the videogames market. It had made a few forays into the computer side of things, most notably in its involvement with the failed MSX chip in the early 80's, but it wasn't until the advent of CD-ROM technology that Sony could claim any market share. A joint venture with the Dutch company Philips had yielded the CD-ROM/XA, an extension of the CD-ROM format that combined compressed audio, and visual and computer data and allowed both to be accessed simultaneously with the aid of extra hardware. By the late 80's, CD-ROM technology was being assimilated, albeit slowly, into the home computer market, and Sony was right there along side it. But they wanted a bigger piece of the pie.
1988 Sony Enters The Arena
By 1988, the gaming world was firmly gripped in Nintendo's 8-bit fist. Sega had yet to make a proper showing, and Sony, although hungry for some action, hadn't made any moves of its own. Yet.
Sony's first foray into the gaming market came in 1988, when it embarked on a deal with Nintendo to develop a CD-ROM drive for the Super NES, not scheduled to be released for another 18 months. This was Sony's chance to finally get involved in the home videogame market. What better way to enter that arena than on the coat-tails of the world's biggest gaming company?
Using the same Super Disc technology as the proposed SNES drive, Sony began development on what was to eventually become the PlayStaion. Initially called the Super Disc, it was supposed to be able to play both SNES cartridges and CD-ROMs, of which Sony was to be the "sole worldwide licenser," as stated in the contract. Nintendo was now to be at the mercy of Sony, who could manufacture their own CDs, play SNES carts, and play Sony CDs. Needless to say, Nintendo began to get worried.
1991 saw the commercial release of the multimedia machine in the form of Philips' CD-I, which had initially been developed jointly by both Philips and Sony until mounting conflicts resulted in a parting of ways. Multimedia, with the current rise of the CD-ROM, was seen as the next big thing. And although the CD-I was too expensive for the mass market, its arrival cemented the CD-ROM as a medium for entertainment beyond the computer.
In June of 1991, at the Chicago CES (Consumer Electronics Show), Sony officially announced the Play Station (space intentional). The Play Station would have a port to play Super Nintendo cartridges, as well as a CD-ROM drive that would play Sony Super Discs. The machine would be able to play videogames as well as other forms of interactive entertainment, as was considered important at the time.
Sony intended to draw on its family of companies, including Sony Music and Columbia Pictures, to develop software. Olaf Olafsson, then chief of Sony Electronic Publishing, was seen on the set of Hook, Steven Spielberg's new Peter Pan movie, presumably deciding how the movie could be worked into a game for the fledgling Play Station. In Fortune magazine, Olafsson was quoted as saying "The video-game business...will be much more interesting (than when it was cartridge based). By owning a studio, we can get involved right from the beginning, during the writing of the movie."
By this point, Nintendo had had just about all it could take. On top of the deal signed in 1988, Sony had also contributed the main audio chip to the cartridge-based Super NES. The Ken Kutaragi-designed chip was a key element to the system, but was designed in such a way as to make effective development possible only with Sony's expensive development tools. Sony had also retained all rights to the chip, which further exaserbated Nintendo.
The day after Sony announced its plans to begin work on the Play Station, Nintendo made an announcement of its own. Instead of confirming its alliance with Sony, as everyone expected, Nintendo announced it was working with Philips, Sony's longtime rivals, on the SNES CD-ROM drive. Sony was understandably furious.
Because of their contract-breaking actions, Nintendo not only faced legal repercussions from Sony, but could also experience a serious backlash from the Japanese business community. Nintendo had broken the unwritten law that a company shouldn't turn against a reigning Japanese company in favor of a foreign one.
However, Nintendo managed to escape without a penalty. Because of their mutual involvement, it would be in the best interests of both companies to maintain friendly relations. Sony, after all, was planning a port for SNES carts, and Nintendo was still using the Sony audio chip.
1992 The Smoke Clears
By the end of 1992, most of the storm had blown over. Despite a deal penned between Sega, one of Nintendo's biggest competitors, and Sony, whereby Sony would produce software for the proposed Sega Multimedia Entertainment System, negotiations were reached with Nintendo. In October of 1992, it was announced that the two companies' CD-ROM players would be compatible. The software licensing for the proposed 32-bit machines was awarded to Nintendo, with Sony receiving only minimal licensing royalties. Nintendo had won this battle, but hadn't won the war. Not by a long shot.
The first Play Station never made it out of the factories. Apparently, about 200 were produced, and some software even made it to development. For whatever reason, whether it was because of the tough licensing deal with Nintendo, or the predicted passing of masked ROM (cartridge-based) technology, Sony scrapped its prototype. Steve Race, Sony Computer Entertainment Of America's (SCEA) then CEO, stated, "Since the deal with Nintendo didn't come to fruition we decided to put games on a back burner and wait for the next category. Generally, the gaming industry has a seven-year product life-cycle, so we bided our time until we could get in on the next cycle."
1993 The Next Cycle
After returning to the drawing boards, Sony revealed the PS-X, or PlayStation-X. Gone was the original cartridge port, as were the plans for multimedia. Apparently, Sony had visited 3DO when Trip Hawkins was selling his hardware and had come away unimpressed, saying it was "nothing new." The PS-X was to be a dedicated game-machine, pure and simple. Steve Race said in Next Generation magazine, "We designed the PlayStation to be the best game player we could possibly make. Games really are multimedia, no matter what we want to call it. The conclusion is that the PlayStation is a multimedia machine that is positioned as the ultimate game player."
Key to Sony's battle plan was the implementation of 3D into its graphics capabilities, a move that many felt was critical to any kind of future success. At the core of the PlayStation's 3D prowess was the R3000 processor, operating at 33 Mhz and 30 MIPS (millions of instructions per second). While this may seem fairly average for a RISC CPU, it's the PlayStation's supplementary custom hardware, designed by Ken Kutaragi (who had previously designed the key audio chip for the SNES), that provides the real power. The CPU relies heavily on Kutaragi's VLSI (very large scale integration) chip to provide the speed necessary to process complex 3D graphics quickly.
The CPU is backed up by the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), which takes care of all the data from the CPU and passes the results to the 1024K of dual-ported VRAM, which stores the current frame buffer and allows the picture to be displayed on-screen. Part of this picture involves adding special effects such as transparency and fog, something that the PlayStation excels at. This was to be the most impressive display of hardware the home gaming world had ever seen
1994 Third Party Round Up
There was no doubt that Sony could deliver the hardware. After all, Sony was one of the world's largest manufacturers of electronics. There was no denying though, that Sony was extremely green when it came to videogames. And no one knew it better than Sony.
Not wanting to end up like Atari or 3DO, Sony set about rounding up third party developers, assembling an impressive 250 developing parties in Japan alone. Sony also knew it had to gain the support of the millions of arcade-going gamers if it was to succeed. The involvement of Namco, Konami, and Williams helped ensure Sony would be able to compete with the arcade-savvy Sega on its own turf. Namco's Ridge Racer was the natural choice to be the flagship launch game, and Williams' Mortal Kombat III, previously promised to Nintendo for their Ultra 64, could be tested in the arcades using the new PS-X board.
Perhaps Sony's most controversial acquisition was the purchase of Psygnosis, a relatively unknown European developer, for $48 million. Sony needed a strong in-house development team, and Psygnosis' Lemmings seemed to point at good things. While the purchase confused many at the time, prompting vocal outcries from naysayers and competitors alike, Psygnosis has since proven them all wrong. Sony Interactive Entertainment, as Psygnosis was renamed, has been responsible for some of the PlayStation's best games, including WipeOut and Destruction Derby.
Sony's acquisition of Psygnosis yielded another fruit as well: the development system. SN Systems, co-owned by Andy Beveridge and Martin Day, had been publishing its development software through Psygnosis under the PSY-Q moniker. Sony originally had been planning on using expensive, Japanese MIPS R4000-based machines that would be connected to the prototype PS-X box. Having become accustomed to developing on the PC, Psygnosis gave Beveridge and Day first crack at creating a PlayStation development system that would work with a standard PC.
The two men worked through Christmas and New Year's, around the clock, eventually completing the GNU-C compiler and the source-level debugger. Psygnosis quickly arranged a meeting for SN and Sony at the Winter CES in Las Vegas, 1994. Fortunately, Sony liked the PSY-Q alternative and decided to work with SN Systems on cendensing the software onto two PC-compatible cards. Thus, an afordable and, more importantly, universally compatible PlayStation development station was born.
December 3, 1994 We Have Lift Off
On December 3, 1994, the PlayStation was finally released in Japan, one week after the Sega Saturn. The initial retail cost was 37,000 yen, or about $387. Software available at launch included King's Field, Crime Crackers, and Namco's Ridge Racer, the PlayStation's first certifiable killer app. It was met with long lines across Japan, and was hailed by Sony as their most important product since the WalkMan in the late 1970's.
Also available at launch were a host of peripherals, including: a memory card to save high scores and games; a link cable, whereby you could connect two PlayStations and two TVs and play against a friend; a mouse with pad for PC ports; an RFU Adaptor; an S-Video Adaptor; and a Multitap Unit. Third party peripherals were also available, including Namco's Negcon.
The look of the PlayStation was dramatically different than the Saturn, which was beige (in Japan), bulky, and somewhat clumsy looking. In contrast, the PlayStation was slim, sleek, and gray, with a revolutionary controller that was years ahead of the Saturn's SNES-like pad. The new PSX joypad provided unheardof control by adding two more buttons on the shoulder, making a total of eight buttons. The two extended grips also added a new element of control. Ken Kutaragi realized the importance of control when dealing with 3 Dimensional game worlds. "We probably spent as much time on the joypad's development as the body of the machine. Sony's boss showed special interest in achieving the final version so it has his seal of approval." To Sony's delight, the PlayStation sold more than 300,000 units in the first 30 days. The Saturn claimed to have sold 400,000, but research has shown that number to be misleading. The PSX sold through (to customers) 97% of its stock, while many Saturns were still sitting on the shelves. These misleading numbers were to be quoted by Sega on many occasions, and continued even after the US launch.
1995 Setting Up House
By mid-1995, Sony had set its sights firmly on the United States. Sony Computer Entertainment of America was created and housed in Foster City, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley. Steve Race, formerly of Atari, was appointed as president and CEO of the new branch of Sony.
The accumulation of third party developers continued apace, with over 100 licenses in the US and 270 licenses in Japan secured. Steve Race said, "We've allowed people to come in and to play on the PlayStation - and at a much more reasonable cost than has been done in the old days with Nintendo and Sega." Sony's development strategy had paid off, with over 700 development units having been shipped out worldwide.
May 11, 1995 Victory At E3
The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) was held in Los Angeles from May 11 to 13, 1995, and was the United State's first real look at the PlayStation. Sony made a huge impression at the show with their (rumored) $4 million booth and surprise appearance by Michael Jackson. The PSX was definitely the highlight of the show, besting Sega's Saturn and Nintendo's laughable Virtual Boy.
The launch software was also displayed, with WipeOut and Namco's Tekken and Ridge Racer drawing the most praise. Sony also announced the unit would not be bundled with Ridge Racer, as was previously assumed.
Overall, Sony made a very formidable showing at E3. They had already proven themselves in Japan and were close on Sega's heels. Over the course of the next year they would overtake Sega and conquer Japan as their own. Now they were poised to do the same in America.
Sony's initial marketing strategy seemed to be aimed at an older audience than the traditional 8-16 year old demographic of the past. With the tag line "U R Not E" (the "E" being red) and a rumored $40 million to spend on launch marketing, Sony swiftly positioned itself as the market leader. To further cement their audience demographic, Sony sponsored the 1995 MTV Music Awards.
Epilogue What A Year
By the US launch, Sony had sold over one million PlayStations in Japan alone. Since the US launch, as of late 1996, the PlayStation has sold over 7 million units worldwide, with close to two million of those being in the US alone. In May of 1996, Sony dropped the price of the PlayStation to $199, making it even more attractive to buy.
Like Japan, America and Europe embraced the PlayStation as their next-gen console of choice. The demographic of PlayStation owners has fallen in years steadily from twenty-somethings to the younger age bracket so coveted by Nintendo. In fact, many former Nintendo loyalists, tired of waiting for the Nintendo 64 to be released, bought PlayStations and are now happier for it. With close to 200 games available by Christmas 1996, it's easy to see why. This really is the ultimate gaming console!
Launch
The PlayStation was launched in Japan on December 3, 1994, North America on September 9, 1995, Europe on September 29, 1995, and Oceania in November 1995. The launch price in the American market was US$299 (a price point later used by its successor, the PlayStation 2), and Sony enjoyed a very successful launch with titles of almost every genre, including Battle Arena Toshinden, Twisted Metal, Warhawk, Philosoma, and Ridge Racer. Almost all of Sony's and Namco's launch titles went on to spawn numerous sequels.[citation needed]
The PlayStation was also able to generate interest with a unique series of advertising campaigns. Many of the ads released at the time of launch were full of ambiguous content which had many gamers rabidly debating their meanings. The most well-known launch ads include the "Enos Lives" campaign, and the "U R Not e" ads (the "e" in "U R Not e" was always colored in red, to symbolize the word "ready", and the "Enos" meant "ready Ninth Of September", the U.S. launch date). The Enos ad could also be read as Sony written backward with phonetic sound of "E" replacing the "y". It is believed that these ads were an attempt to play off the gaming public's suspicion towards Sony as an unknown, untested entity in the video game market. The PlayStation 3 slogan, "PLAY B3YOND", resembles this slogan, as the 3 is red.
The PlayStation logo was designed by Ryan Harrington,[citation needed] who also designed the logo for Sony's VAIO computer products.
Titles
As of September 30, 2007, 7,978 software titles have been released worldwide (counting games released in multiple regions as separate titles).As of March 31, 2007, the cumulative software shipment was at 962 million units. The very last game for the system was FIFA Football 2005.
The OK and Cancel buttons on most of the Japanese PlayStation games are reversed in their North American and European releases. In Japan, the button (maru, right) is universally used as the OK button, while the button (batsu, wrong) is used as the Cancel one. North American and European releases have the button or the buttons as the OK button, while the or the buttons are used as the Cancel ones. However, a few games such as Squaresoft's Vagrant Story, Final Fantasy VII, and Final Fantasy Tactics, and Konami's Metal Gear Solid, have the buttons remain in the same Japanese configuration in their North American and European releases. These Japanese button layouts still apply to other PlayStation consoles, such as the PlayStation Portable (PSP), PlayStation 2 and the PlayStation 3. This is because in the early years Sony America (SCEA), Sony Europe (SCEE) and Sony Japan (SCEJ) had different development and testing documents (TRCs) for their respective territories.
Production run
Lasting over 11 years, the PlayStation enjoyed one of the longest production runs in the video game industry. On March 23, 2006, Sony announced the end of production.
Variants
Developer's kit PlayStationThe PlayStation went through a number of variants during its production run, each accompanied by a change in the part number. From an external perspective, the most notable change was the gradual reduction in the number of external connectors on the unit. This started very early on—the original Japanese launch units (SCPH-1000) had an S-Video port, which was removed on the next release. This also led to the strange situation where the US and European launch units had the same part number series (SCPH-100x) as the Japanese launch units, but had different hardware (Rev. C silicon and no S-Video port)—they were the same as the Japanese SCPH-3000, so for consistency should have been SCPH-3001 and SCPH-3002 (this numbering was used for the Yaroze machines, which were based on the same hardware and numbered DTL-H3000, DTL-H3001, and DTL-H3002). This series of machines had a reputation for CD drive problems—the optical pickup sled was made of thermoplastic, and eventually developed wear spots that moved the laser into a position where it was no longer parallel with the CD surface—a modification was made that replaced the sled with a die-cast one with hard nylon inserts, which corrected the problem.
With the release of the next series (SCPH-500x), the numbers moved back into sync. A number of changes were made to the unit internally (CD drive relocated, shielding simplified, PSU wiring simplified) and the RCA jacks and RFU power connectors were removed from the rear panel. This series also contained the SCPH-550x and SCPH-555x units, but these appear to have been bundle changes rather than actual hardware revisions.
These were followed by the SCPH-700x and SCHP-750x series—they are externally identical to the SCPH-500x machines, but have internal changes made to reduce manufacturing costs (for example, the system RAM went from 4 chips to 1, and the CD controller went from 3 chips to 1).
The final revision to the original PlayStation was the SCPH-900x series—these had the same hardware as the SCPH-750x machines with the exception of the removal of the parallel port and a slight reduction in the size of the PCB. The removal of the parallel port was probably partly because no official add-on had ever been released for it, and partly because it was being used to connect cheat cartridges that could be used to defeat the copy prevention.
The PS one was based on substantially the same hardware as the SCPH-750x and 900x, but had the serial port removed, the controller / memory card ports moved to the main PCB and the power supply replaced with a DC-DC converter that was also on the main PCB.
With the early units, many gamers experienced skipping full-motion video or dreaded physical "ticking" noises coming from their PlayStations. The problem appears to have come from poorly placed vents leading to overheating in some environments—the plastic moldings inside the console would warp very slightly and create knock-on effects with the laser assembly. The solution was to ensure the console was sat on a surface which dissipated heat efficiently in a well vented area, or raise the unit up slightly by propping something at its edges. A common fix for already affected consoles was to turn the PlayStation sideways or upside-down (thereby using gravity to cancel the effects of the warped interior) although some gamers smacked the lid of the PlayStation to make a game load or work.
Sony then released a version dubbed "Dual Shock", which included a controller with 2 analog sticks and a built in force-feedback feature.
Another version that was colored blue (as opposed to regular console units that were grey in color) was available to game developers and select press. Later versions of this were colored green—on a technical level, these units were almost identical to the retail units, but had a different CD controller in them that did not require the region code found on all pressed disks, since they were intended to be used with CD-R media for debugging. This also allowed the use of discs from different regions, but this was not officially supported; different debug stations existed for each region. The two different color cases were not cosmetic—the original blue debug station (DTL-H100x, DTL-H110x) contained "Revision B" silicon, the same as the early retail units (these units had silicon errata that needed software workarounds), the green units (DTL-H120x) had Rev. C hardware. As part of the required tests, the user had to test the title on both. Contrary to popular belief, the RAM was the same as the retail units at 2 MB. The firmware was nearly identical—the only significant change was that debug printf()s got sent to the serial port if the title didn't open it for communications—this used a DTL-H3050 serial cable (the same as the one used for the Yaroze).
A white version was also produced that had the ability to play VCDs—this was only sold in Asia, since that format never really caught on anywhere else. From a developer perspective, the white PSX could be treated exactly like any other NTSC:J PlayStation.
The PS1 with a model number of SCPH-1001 has been reported to be a very good sounding compact disc player rivaling audiophile CD players from high end audio manufacturers.
Hacks
A number of these units appeared on the secondary market and were popular because they would run games from any region and CD-R copies, which tended to result in them commanding high prices. All the blue units tend to have CD problems, but the DTL-H110x units (with an external PSU block) are significantly more reliable than the original DTL-H100x ones.
"Chipped" consoles
The installation of a modchip allowed the PlayStation's capabilities to be expanded, and several options were made available. By the end of the system's life cycle almost anyone with minimal soldering experience was able to realize the modification of the console. Such a modification allowed the playing of games from other regions, such as PAL titles on a NTSC console, or allowed the ability to play copies of original games without restriction. Modchips allow the playing of games recorded on a regular CD-R. This created a wave of games developed without official approval using free GNU compiler tools, as well as the reproduction of original discs. With the introduction of such devices the console was very attractive to programmers and illegal copiers alike.
Anyone seeking to create copies of games that would work correctly faced several issues at the time, as the discs that were produced by Sony were designed to be difficult to copy — and impossible to copy on recordable media. Discs were manufactured with a black-colored plastic, transparent only to the infrared radiation used by the CD-ROM drive's laser. This was found to offer little protection. Additionally, the discs were mastered with a specific wobble in the lead-in area. This wobble encodes a four-character sequence which is checked by the CD-ROM drive's controller chip. The drive will only accept the disc if the code is correct. This string varies depending on the region of the disk—"SCEI" for NTSC:J machines, "SCEA" for NTSC:U/C machines, "SCEE" for PAL machines and "SCEW" for the Net Yaroze. Since the tracking pattern is pressed into the disc at the time of manufacture, this cannot be reproduced on a CD-R recorder. Some companies (notably Datel) did manage to produce discs that booted on unmodified retail units, but this required special equipment and can only be done with "pressed" discs. However, inexpensive modchips were created that simply injected the code to the appropriate connections to the controller chip, which provided an easy way of bypassing these measures. The other issue is that most PC drives used Mode 1 or Mode 2/Form 1 (2048 bytes/sector) and the PSX uses a mixed-mode format with most data in Mode 2/Form 1 and streaming audio/video data in Mode 2/Form 2, which most CD-R drives at the time could not handle well. Newer drives were able to correctly handle these variations.
The creation and mass-production of these inexpensive modchips, coupled with their ease of installation, marked the beginning of widespread console videogame copyright infringement. Coincidentally, CD-ROM burners were made available around this time. Prior to the PlayStation, the reproduction of copyrighted material for gaming consoles was restricted to either enthusiasts with exceptional technical ability, or others that had access to CD manufacturers. With this console, amateurs could replicate anything Sony was producing for a mere fraction of the MSRP.
Net Yaroze
A version of the PlayStation called the Net Yaroze was also produced. It was more expensive than the original PlayStation, colored black instead of the usual gray, and most importantly, came with tools and instructions that allowed a user to be able to program PlayStation games and applications without the need for a full developer suite, which cost many times the amount of a PlayStation and was only available to approved video game developers. Naturally, the Net Yaroze lacked many of the features the full developer suite provided. Programmers were also limited by the 2 MB of total game space that Net Yaroze allowed. That means the entire game had to be crammed into the 2 MB of system RAM. The amount of space may seem small, but games like Ridge Racer ran entirely from the system RAM (except for the streamed music tracks). It was unique in that it was the only officially retailed Sony PlayStation with no regional lockout; it would play games from any territory. It would not however play CDR discs, so it was not possible to create self-booting Yaroze games without a modified Playstation.
The PS one (also PSone, PSOne, or PS1), launched in 2000, is Sony's smaller (and redesigned) version of its PlayStation video game console. The PS one is about one-half times smaller than the original PlayStation (38 mm × 193 mm × 144 mm versus 45 mm × 260 mm × 185 mm). It was released in July 7, 2000,[13] and went on to outsell all other consoles—including Sony's own brand-new PlayStation 2—throughout the remainder of the year. Sony also released a small LCD screen and an adaptor to power the unit for use in cars. The PS one is fully compatible with all PlayStation software. The PlayStation is now officially abbreviated as the "PS1" or "PS one." There were three differences between the "PS one" and the original, the first one being cosmetic change to the console, the second one was the home menu's Graphical User Interface, and the third being added protection against the mod-chip by changing the internal layout and making previous-generation mod-chip devices unusable. The PS one also lacks the original PlayStation's parallel and serial ports. The serial port allowed multiple consoles to be connected for multiplayer or for connecting a console to debugging software. The parallel port could be used for development, an external cheat cartridge or a mod-chip, which may have been why it was removed,[citation needed] although size constraints are most likely to blame.
Successors
PlayStation 2Sony's successor to the PlayStation is the PlayStation 2, which is backward compatible with its predecessor in that it can play almost every PlayStation game. This was done by embedding the most important parts of the PS one inside the PlayStation 2 design. Unlike emulators that run on a PC, the PlayStation 2 actually contains the original PlayStation processor, allowing games to run exactly as they do on the PlayStation. For PlayStation 2 games this processor, called the IOP, is used for input and output (memory cards, DVD drive, network, and hard drive). Like its predecessor, the PlayStation 2 is based on hardware developed by Sony themselves.
The third generation of the PlayStation is known as the PlayStation 3, or PS3, and was launched on November 11, 2006 in Japan, November 17, 2006 in North America, and March 23, 2007 in Europe. The PlayStation 3 is backward compatible with nearly all games that were originally made for PlayStation 1. In PAL territories and later shipments in North America and Japan, however, the PlayStation 3 lacks some of the backwards compatibility hardware and so supports significantly fewer PlayStation 2 games. However, the list of compatible games is being increased via software emulation. PS3 games will not be region-locked, but PlayStation 1 and 2 games still only play on a PS3 console from the same territory.
The PlayStation Portable (officially PSP) is a handheld game console first released in late 2004. Despite the name, it is not compatible with PlayStation games; it only runs games developed specifically for the PSP on the UMD format. Nevertheless, at the PlayStation Briefing conference on March 15, 2006 in Japan, Sony revealed plans for PlayStation 1 games to be downloaded and playable on the PSP through emulation. Sony hopes to release nearly all PlayStation 1 games on a gradual basis; however, as of late December 2006, a custom firmware release allows users to play PS1 image files converted into the PSP's EBOOT format.
Legacy
The success of the PlayStation is widely believed to have influenced the demise of the cartridge-based home console. While not the first system to utilize an optical disc format, it was the first success story, and ended up going head-to-head with the last major home console to rely on proprietary cartridges—the Nintendo 64.
Nintendo was very public about its skepticism toward using CDs and DVDs to store games, citing longer load times and durability issues. It was widely speculated that the company was even more concerned with copyright infringement, given its substantial reliance on licensing and exclusive titles for its revenue.
Advertisement controversy
To celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the PlayStation in 2005, Sony Italy released an advertisement portraying a young man wearing a crown of thorns (the thorns being made of , , and symbols, the labels on the buttons of PlayStation controllers), on his head. The ad was captioned with "Dieci anni di passione" (in English, this translates to "Ten years of passion"). The ad, assumed to be a takeoff of Mel Gibson's 2004 movie The Passion of the Christ, was met with outrage from the Vatican. Sony apologized and removed the advertisement.
Quality of construction
The first batch of PlayStations used a KSM-440AAM laser unit whose case and all movable parts were completely made out of plastic. Over time, friction caused the plastic tray to wear out—usually unevenly. The placement of the laser unit close to the power supply accelerated wear because of the additional heat, which made the plastic even more vulnerable to friction. Eventually, the tray would become so worn that the laser no longer pointed directly at the CD and games would no longer load. Sony eventually fixed the problem by making the tray out of die-cast metal and placing the laser unit farther away from the power supply on later models of the PlayStation.
A common, but temporary, fix to the laser problem was to tip the PlayStation on its side. This made the tray "hang" perpendicular to the CD, allowing the PlayStation to read the disc. Unfortunately, friction would continue to wear down the plastic tray and, eventually, the PlayStation would not read the disc.
Some units, particularly the early 100x models, would be unable to play FMV or music correctly, resulting in skipping or freezing. In more extreme cases the PlayStation would only work correctly when used upside down.
Sony Playstation 4 Release In Full BEST BLOG OF THE DAY 24TH AUGUST 2008 AT davidlower.spaces.live.comINFO WRITE 24TH AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
BEST BLOG OF THE DAY 24TH AUGUST 2008 AT davidlower.spaces.live.com
A new Playstation 4 could be less than 18 months away according to a Sony insider. The device will include the same chipset as the current PS3 but where it will differ from the current model is in the drive bay and in the attachment area. It will also include an extensive software suite for the managing of content being streamed to a TV or Hi Fi source.
Sony's new Playstation 4 joystick - In addition Sony is working on improving the output experience so that the device can become a true home entertainment centre eliminating the need for a media centre.
"We have even looked at a Sony home server based on Playstation technology. This would allow consumers to connect home automation devices to the Sony server while also delivering online gaming and access to an extensive movie and music library" said one Sony source.
Ken Kutaragi, the retiring chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment said in an interview last week that he clearly understands how the PlayStation game consoles should evolve in the next three generations, or fifteen to twenty years from now. He also said that in future it will be possible to create fully Internet-based game consoles.
"As a matter of course, I have the vision of PlayStation 4, 5 and 6, which will merge into the network," Mr. Kutaragi said. Earlier this year when Kazuo Hirai became the second president of SCEI and chief operating officer, some analysts said that Sony may not launch yet another game console and the PlayStation 3 may become the last one. On this Mr. Kutaragi, who is also known as "the father of PlayStation", says that future consoles may be network-based, which automatically reduces the cost to build such machines
"The design concept of the Cell processor is the network processor," Mr. Kutaragi said. "When the PS3 was introduced last year, the network environment was not ready for a net-based game console. Now it has become possible, so why not enter?"
The outgoing leader has faced a lot of criticism from observers for the PlayStation 3, the latest game console by Sony Group, as the machine is expensive to manufacture despite of the fact that initial batch of games are unlikely to become bestsellers. At the same time, technical advantages of the arch-rival – Microsoft Xbox 360 – and difficulty to develop games for the Cell processor used in the PlayStation 3 have resulted in losing exclusive titles with game developers.
Kazuo Hirai, who is believed to have better relations with game developers than Ken Kutaragi may fit very well into the Internet-based game console strategy, as technical capabilities of game consoles may play much less significant role going forward.
Danger for the Xbox 720 and PS4
It’s a computer, not a console – Kutaragi on the PS3.
What makes a games machine?
It’s a simple enough question, but the answer is something that has long eluded consensus. For some, a “games machine” is something made by Nintendo, or something with “PlayStation” or “Xbox” written on the packaging. For others, it’s all about the amount of RAM, and the speed of the CPU, and the number of GPU cores they’ve managed to shoe-horn into their LED-encrusted black-and-silver beauty.
For years now – decades – these two points of view have divided people. On the one hand, the console faithful tout the stability of their platform, the assurance of a 5-year lifecycle, and the relatively low-cost nature of the hardware. The PC crowd on the other hand flaunt the flexibility of their hardware: their ability to improve performance at a moment’s notice and to cater for new and developing trends in gaming for as long as their screaming wallets will allow.
Now, though, for better or worse we are beginning to see a real revolution in console gaming. Where once console specifications were defined and immutable, they have started to become varied and variable. Console manufacturers, it would seem, are starting to take aim against one of the major strengths of the PC platform: flexibility. But this change is going to come at a cost, and if not handled well could end up doing more harm than good.
With the arrival of the Xbox on the scene, gamers saw the introduction of a persistent online presence with “Live.” Sony soon followed suit and finally delivered a competitive interface with the release of the PS3. Regulated online play, downloadable patches and content, feature-laden firmware updates, social networking… add in upgradable HDDs, USB ports, card readers and wireless networking, and suddenly, consoles are looking a lot more PC-like. In their struggle to compete with the flexibility of the PC experience however, there are a few sticking points that today’s console developers would do well to avoid – or at least tiptoe quietly around and try their best not to awaken.
Sony PS4 Rumor True or False
A report from an Australian based technology site suggests that the Playstation 4 could arrive in less than 18 months. This of course is only a rumor as the so called source from an insider at Sony remains anonymous.
The Smarthouse report states that the new Sony Playstation 4 will use the same chipset found in the PS3 but changes will occur in the attachment area and drive bay of the new gaming console.
It is also rumored that the PS4 will come bundled with a software suite which enables gamers to better manage streaming data to their TV sets and will include improved output features as well.
According to Smarthouse, the source mentions:
We have even looked at a Sony home server based on PlayStation technology. This would allow consumers to connect home automation devices to the Sony server while also delivering online gaming and access to an extensive movie and music library.
It seems rather odd that Sony would release a new Playstation so soon, but it would be realistic to say that creating an improved PS3 is a possibility after the company received so much negative criticism with their latest next-generation gaming console. Many gamers were disappointed with the price of the Sony PS3 and were also disgruntled by the fact that there are few game titles available compared to the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360.
It will be interesting to see where this goes, if anywhere at all, but you can be sure we will keep you updated on this topic.
Analyst: "I cannot imagine a PlayStation 4" Exec tells Aussie tech site that the electronics giant will make another console after 2010; PS3 will see system upgrades, new peripheral support.
Nomura Securities' Yuta Sakurai believes the PS3 will be Sony's last console; sees Hirai appointment as Segalike shift to software.
In the months leading up to the launch of the PlayStation 3 and Wii, barely a week went by without one analyst or another issuing proclamations of doom or promises of riches for both Sony and Nintendo. Now that both consoles are on the market, many investment firms' in-house game-industry experts are giving their assessments of the two companies' fortunes. Playstation 4
The prognostication reached a fever pitch today, when Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) shuffled its executive lineup. Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) president Kaz Hirai took over the position of SCE president Ken Kutaragi, who was promoted to SCE chairman and retained the title of SCE group CEO. Hirai will also be SCE's chief operating officer, and will relocate to Sony's Tokyo headquarters from SCEA's HQ in Foster City, California.
While Sony spun the changes as a "strengthening" of its executive team, many analysts saw it as a vote of no confidence for Kutaragi's stewardship of the PlayStation 3. The high-tech console's Blu-ray laser drive has been plagued by component manufacturing woes, which drastically limited supply of the console for its Japanese and North American launches, and delayed its European debut until 2007.
Some analysts went one step further, taking Hirai's succession as a harbinger of doom. No one was more pessimistic than Nomura Securities' Yuta Sakurai, who made the astounding prediction that the PlayStation 3 would be the last console Sony, the current console market-share leader, would ever make.
"The appointment of Hirai could be the start of a shift from hardware to software," said Sakurai. "I cannot now imagine a PlayStation 4." According to the Financial Times, Sakurai's reasoning is that "Hirai's new global portfolio puts a predominantly software-focused manager in charge of the company." His logic is reportedly that, with the emphasis moving to software, Sony would go the way of Sega, transforming from a console maker to a mere game publisher.
Critics were quick to point out that, despite its problems, Sony is primarily an electronics manufacturer, and has invested billions in the research and development of the PS3's technology. Despite the hyperbolic tone of Sakurai's comments, SCEA publicity chief Dave Karraker issued a polite response. "Following the launch of the PlayStation 3 just a few weeks ago, and witnessing the huge consumer demand for the product, I think it would be rather short-sighted for anyone to predict there might not be a next generation of PlayStation product," he told GameSpot.
Sony talks PS3 improvements, PS4 timetable
Sony executives also predicted the PS9 would not come before 2072.
Late last month, executive shake-ups at Sony prompted one Japanese analyst to make a bold prediction: Sony was moving out of the gaming-hardware business and focusing solely on software. "I cannot now imagine a PlayStation 4," said Nomura Securities' Yuta Sakurai.
Sony was quick to rebut the claim, with a rep telling GameSpot, "I think it would be rather shortsighted for anyone to predict there might not be a next generation of PlayStation product."
As for when to expect a new Sony console, one exec claims that the company's fans shouldn't expect the next PlayStation any sooner than the typical console life cycle allows. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe vice president of technology Paul Holman reportedly told Australian tech site Smarthouse that Sony will launch a PlayStation 4, but not any sooner than 2010.
Until then, Sony will continue to upgrade the PlayStation 3 through firmware updates that will allow "for the introduction of third-party applications and hardware such as interactive controllers similar to Nintendo's Wii..." the site reported. The PS3's current controller, the Sixaxis, already has motion- and tilt-sensing capability.
The PS3 may also come with a keyboard and mouse in the future, be able to download third-party operating systems, and become "as much a media center for the home as it is a gaming machine," said Holman. His words echo statements made by Sony executives that the PS3's online store will offer downloadable music and video content, much like iTunes and Xbox Live Marketplace currently do.
Sony's departing "Father of the PlayStation" says he had plans for future consoles, but his future work won't have much to do with his current employer.
As the "Father of the PlayStation," retiring Sony Computer Entertainment chairman and CEO Ken Kutaragi has already sired three gaming consoles and a handheld. But in a recent interview with EE Times, Kutaragi revealed that he also has planted the seeds for future PlayStation systems.
"As a matter of course, I have the vision of PlayStation 4, 5 and 6, which will merge into the network," Kutaragi told the site.
Kutaragi's vision isn't limited to long-term possibilities. According to the article, Kutaragi has already provided Sony with his ideas for cost reduction methods and design models for the next two years.
However, the extent of Kutaragi's vision that will be realized by Sony after he leaves is unclear. The article said Kutaragi will remain on good terms with his current employer, but that he expects his future efforts to have little to do with Sony.
Rumour: PS4 to be backwardly compatible?
And could PS3 backward compatibility make a return, too?
Sony isn’t ready to turn its back on backward compatibility just yet, according to a job ad put out by the company.
So Gamefront.de is reporting, Sony Computer Entertainment Japan is currently advertising for a software engineer to deal with backward compatability for both the PS3 and an unspecified next-gen console – which sounds an awful lot like the PlayStation 4 to us.
Specifically, the engineer will be required to implement and optimise emulation software for PS1, PS2, PSP and PS3 games on both formats.
Not only would it suggest that PS4 development is now at the point where Sony can start thinking about specific software such as emulators, the fact the PS3 is mentioned as part of the job brief is also of note.
Although Sony has enjoyed considerably more PS3 success since it introduced the 40GB model last year (going so far as to drop all other versions of the PS3 in Europe and Japan), the fact it’s not backwardly compatible with the PS2 hasn’t gone down well with some gamers.
With many gamers still owning large numbers of PS2 games, reintroducing PS2 compatibility would only help strengthen the PS3’s improving image.
Or on the other hand, it could all just be wishful thinking. Either way, we should find out soon enough. PS4Spy currently provides all of the Playstation 4 information.
Chiba City-In what will go down in history as one of the most shocking announcements in Tokyo Game Show history, Sony announced today that the company will be discontinuing development for it’s Playstation 3 console by the end of 2008 in order to focus all it’s resources on the upcoming Playstaion 4, which will release in the forth quarter of 2008. This comes as a shock to many gamers, especially after the announcement of new pricing schemes for the PS3 just last month at the E3 Media and Business Summit.
“We looked at the market, and realized that we cannot realistically hope to win the current generation console war,” stated Kaz Hirai, President and Group Chief Operating Officer of Sony Computer Entertainment, “so we’re starting with a clean slate, and we will work to avoid the mistakes we made with the Playstation 3.”
The unexpected announcement was made at Sony’s press conference this afternoon, but it was far from the only shocker Sony had in store for gamers. Immediately after making the controversial PS4 announcement, Sony went on to baffle the audience of journalists and industry experts when Hirai then announced that the Playstation 5 would release by the end of 2009.
“We looked at the market, and realized that we cannot realistically hope to win the next generation console war,” stated Kaz Hirai, President and Group Chief Operating Officer of Sony Computer Entertainment, “so we’re starting with a clean slate, and we will work to avoid the mistakes we made with the Playstation 4.”
Hirai stated that while he sympathizes with gamers who might feel cheated by these events, he feels that the Playstation 6 will more than make up for any disappointment they experienced with the Playstation 3, 4 and 5. The audience began to chuckle at this statement, mistaking it for a joke, until President of SCE Worldwide Studios Phil Harrison took the stage and began to play a real-time demo of what he claimed was a Playstation 6 prototype.
While the demo was undeniably impressive, some concerns did arise as to it’s authenticity. For one, Mr. Harrison appeared to be using a Wii remote spray painted black. This became even more conspicuous later on when Harrison lost his grip on the remote and it could clearly be seen that his palm had black paint on it.
The graphics shown were also very much in question, as it was extremely obvious that Harrison was simply waving his arms around wildly as random footage from the Matrix was shown.
The Krooze Nest will work diligently to keep you up-to-date on any further developments in this shocking turn of events.
SCEJ Job Ad Hints At Backwards Compatibility For PS3, PS4?
Now, some of you with big PS2 libraries who didn't race out and get the original 60GB PlayStation 3 were probably disappointed; later models simply don't support PS2 titles. The 80GB only has partial backwards compatibility (it uses software emulation like the Xbox 360), and the more recent 40GB model has no b/c for PS2 games. But this doesn't mean Sony is completely ditching the idea of b/c for the future.
According to a recent job advertisement, Sony Computer Entertainment Japan is looking for a software engineer who can tackle backward compatibility for both the PS3 and "an unspecified next-gen console," so says Gamefront.de. Now, some are saying that unnamed console could be the PlayStation 4, but there's no real evidence to support that theory as of yet. But the ad does say the engineer will have to be able to "implement and optimize emulation software for PS1, PS2, PSP and PS3 games." Could Sony already be at a point where backwards compatibility is up for discussion on the PS4? And perhaps more importantly for the here and now, could full backwards compatibility for the PS3 make a triumphant return?
One of the biggest reasons the 40GB PS3 is so much cheaper than the original 60GB model is because it doesn't have the graphics synthesizer chip that allows for almost full PS2 software compatibility. It was simply too expensive an addition, so Sony nixed it and instead abandoned b/c for PS2 games. The 40GB model can still play PS1 games, but wouldn't it great to have a system that can play them all? Could the PS4 be fully b/c? That'd be one hell of a massive library upon launch, yes?
Hirai Suggests PS4 More Than 5 Years Away
The president of SCEA addresses the life span of Sony's next console, the possibility (or lack thereof) of a Blu-ray-less PS3, and the dangers of people buying the system just to watch movies.
This holiday season, few consumer electronics categories are being watched more closely than that of video game consoles.
Both Sony and Nintendo plan to release their next- generation consoles, the PlayStation 3 and Wii, respectively. Yet, with prices as high as $600, the PS3 is clearly aiming for the high end, while the Wii is targeting more casual gamers with prices expected to be well below $300.
Meanwhile, both companies must contend with Microsoft and its Xbox 360, which has a yearlong head start and therefore a commanding lead in the next-generation race. Still, Sony has always maintained that its console cycles are 10 years, rather than the five considered the industry standard. That's why, even as the market readies for the PS3 launch, the PlayStation 2 is still selling like gangbusters. And it should continue to do so for some time, as Sony has committed to the PS2 for at least another four years.
In a few weeks, much of the video game industry will descend upon Tokyo for the annual Tokyo Game Show. But for the time being, the focus is on Germany, where the Leipzig Game Convention is being held. So, for companies like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, and publishers like Electronic Arts and Activision, there is no break in sight. Sony Computer Entertainment of America president Kaz Hirai talked with CNET News.com about the forthcoming PS3 launch (parts of this article refer to comments Hirai made earlier this month in an interview with GameSpot). CNET: Can you provide an update on the PlayStation 3?
Hirai: The PlayStation 3 will launch in the North American market on November 17. Things are pretty much moving according to plan.
CNET: How does a scaled-down Electronic Entertainment Expo affect a company like yours? Was it a good thing to institute some changes in the format, or were you happy with the way it had been?
Hirai: E3 has about a 10-year, 11-year history, if I'm not mistaken. I think it's grown to a point where it became just such a massive show that we needed to take a look at what we were trying to accomplish with the show. We needed to see how effectively we can accomplish those goals. I think it was pretty much across the board in agreement that we should revise or relook at how E3 is structured.
CNET: Beyond the pricing and availability of the PlayStation 3, one of the big pieces of news from this year's E3 was more information about Nintendo's new console, the Wii. There were rumors that the Wii would be priced for less than $250. How did that affect the PlayStation 3? 
Hirai: The pricing that we announced for the PlayStation 3 is a price that ultimately offers fantastic value to the consumers. I think that we are offering a very good value for the consumers. We look at our products having a 10-year life cycle, which we've proven with the PlayStation. Therefore, the PlayStation 3 is going to be a console that's going to be with you again for 10 years. We're not going to ask the consumers to suddenly buy another PlayStation console in five years' time and basically have their investment go by the wayside. So for all those reasons, I think at $599 we're offering a very good value to the consumers.
CNET: Are you saying that there won't be a PlayStation 4 within five years?
Hirai: Well, I think that if you look at the history of the way we've managed our console business, we always try to hit a 10-year life cycle. I can't speculate on when we might come out with a new console after PlayStation 3. But my message is that once you become a family in the PlayStation family of products, you become a family member. We make sure that we take care of you.
CNET: Going back to the question of the Nintendo console, it seems like its pricing is significantly lower than what the PlayStation 3, or the Xbox 360, will cost. Any concern that Nintendo's Wii pricing will undercut the market as people decide which console they want to buy?
Hirai: Some consumers will compare features or software offerings and decide that they may want to go with a different console. You also have to realize that we have a very strong, market-leading console called the PlayStation 2, which is at a very affordable price right now. Consumers will also understand that if you buy a PlayStation 2 right now, and you make some software investments, when you feel it's right to move onto PlayStation 3, those software titles aren't going to go by the wayside. Consumers will take that into consideration. I don't think price is the only determining factor when consumers make a choice in looking at their console purchase decisions.
CNET: Is there a danger that some consumers will buy PlayStation 3 just for the Blu-ray player and not the games?
Hirai: Consumers are going to look at the totality of what we offer in the PlayStation 3. Even if there was a consumer who decided to buy the PlayStation 3 perhaps as a Blu-ray player, I think that they will quickly realize the potential and the entertainment value of the fantastic content in true [high definition]. Any consumer would be hard pressed really not to try that functionality out.
CNET: Given the differences in pricing, which is fairly significant between Microsoft's Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, are there any chances of a PlayStation 3 down the line that doesn't have Blu-ray built in?
Hirai: The PlayStation 3 uses the Blu-ray as its storage medium for both games and for movies as well. We wanted to take advantage of the storage capacity that Blu-ray offers in terms of motion pictures and other content, but most importantly, for games as well. Our decision to include the Blu-ray player from day one in all of our PlayStation 3s was the right decision and, quite honestly, the only decision we can make. PS4Spy.com has all the latest updates on the Playstation 4 including games and Playstation 4 accessories.
Look at the massive amounts of data that's required to provide a truly immersive gaming experience in true HD. If you only have a DVD ROM drive, which can only go up to about 9GB or so, you're going to end up with a game that's going to have two or possibly even three discs. And then you're going to have to ask consumers to swap discs out or cache all the game onto the hard drive, which I think is an inconvenience--not to mention the fact that you're going to fill up a 20GB hard drive very quickly with some of these games. So trying to go without a Blu-ray drive in the PlayStation 3 really is a nonstarter.
There's been talk recently about production of the PlayStation 3--why hasn't production begun already?
Hirai: We haven't officially announced production on the PlayStation 3 just yet. But we are on track to deliver 2 million units for the launch period on a worldwide basis that we announced at E3. We are going to make sure that those units get out into the market.
It looks like there could be some shortages, particularly for the holiday season, even with the 2 million by the launch date and 4 million by the end of the year. So what do you say to consumers who are not going to be able to get ahold of one if they do want one?
Hirai: We are going to make every effort possible to make sure that we get as many units out into the market in the major territories as well as some of the smaller territories that we're launching in.
Have there been any sort of business lessons about filling customer demands and production issues from the things that Microsoft has dealt with regarding the Xbox 360?
Hirai: We don't really look at what our competition did or didn't do. We've had shortages in the past, and there is no guarantee that we will never have a shortage again in the future. But I think that we've learned many lessons over the years that allow us to look at production schedules, look at parts procurement, look at ways of shortening the lead time from the point of manufacture to ultimately getting the product into the retailers' shelves and into the hands of consumers. We're doing everything we can to make sure that we have the most efficient way of getting the product into the market.
By the time the holiday season moves around, Microsoft will have a yearlong head start. Not only does it have the head start in the console race, but it also has a year's advantage on coming out with new accessories really bolstering its online offerings. What is Sony's take? How can Sony keep up with that?
Hirai: If you look back in history, I think everybody realizes that we've never been first to bring a console to the market. PlayStation was not first and PlayStation 2 was not first to market. As a matter of fact, PlayStation Portable was not first to market in the portable space and PlayStation 3, as you mentioned, is not the first to market either.
It comes down to several things. One is the kind of software experience that the consumers will expect out of a next-generation console. I think we're going to be delivering that, both in terms of the lineup of PlayStation 3s as well as the fact that we're offering true HD gaming. We're also launching a console that doesn't require upgrades as you go along. Right out of the box it will play Blu-ray movies in true HD as well as old games. As far as accessories go, that's really a function of what kind of accessories you need to play or enjoy a particular game.
How many titles will you have by launch and how many by year's end?
Hirai: That's hard to try to pin down at this point. Everybody is looking at their entire portfolio of software offerings, and I think that the lineup of titles really is something that won't be locked down most likely until three to four weeks before launch. 
Sony Sees PlayStation 4 in 2010 or Beyond, Analyst Claims It Will Not
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., the developer of the PlayStation game consoles used to say that the PlayStation 3 would live for a decade, however, now the company claims that the PlayStation 4 will come in 2010 or beyond. Meanwhile, as the company shuffles its execs, some analysts anticipate that there would be no successor for the PS3 at all.
Execs Shuffled As No PlayStation 3 Consoles Seen in Stores
The launch of the Sony PlayStation 3 game console, the highest-anticipated game console among the new generation of gaming machines, has not been triumphant for Sony, as the company faced manufacturing issues and could not deliver enough game machines to customers. Moreover, the amount of game titles and accessories for the PlayStation 3 obtainable now is lower than that for Nintendo Wii and is much lower than that of Microsoft Xbox according to checks of Amazon.com online store.
While the launch of the PlayStation 3 cannot be called an unsuccessful, as the demand for the game console is tremendous and the main problem that Sony has is production-related, analysts claimed that the limited availability of the PS3 has sources in poor product management on the first place.
Recently Sony shuffled executives at its Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) game arm. Effective December 1, 2006, Ken Kutaragi, president and group chief executive, was appointed as chairman and group CEO, while Kaz Hirai, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA), was appointed as president and group chief operating officer of SCEI.
PlayStation 4 Destiny Unknown
Mr. Kutaragi is generally known as the father of the PlayStation and has engineering background. Mr. Hirai, however, came to SCEA from Sony’s music entertainment division, has marketing background and is believed to have better working relationships with game developers that Mr. Kutaragi. Following the shuffle of the executives, at least one analyst said that SCEI is going to change the direction of the whole division and concentrate mostly on games rather than hardware.
“The appointment of Hirai could be the start of a shift from hardware to software. I cannot now imagine a PlayStation 4,” said Yuta Sakurai, an analyst at Nomura, Financial Times reports.
Still, the appointment of Mr. Hirai does seem logical, as Sony is subsidizing PlayStation 3 manufacturing by up to $306 and it is crucial for Sony to get the money back as soon as possible with the help of successful sales of games. Therefore, it may be too early to talk about the end of the PlayStation-series.
“To say that there will be no PlayStation 4 because of a management change is a bit far fetched,” said vice president of technology for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Paul Holman, in an interview with Smarthouse web-site. He also indicated that the PlayStation 4 would be launched by Sony, but not until at least 2010.
In fact, Sony is fundamentally a manufacturer of electronics, which means that the company is more than likely to continue with the PlayStation-series. However, the poor availability of the PS3 is not the only problem that Sony has faced in the recent quarters. Massive recall of notebook batteries, withdrawal from plasma TV market, abandoning Qualia “boutique brand” and pulling out of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) for PCs business and failure to capture the market of digital music players, not to mention slow start of the Sony-backed Blu-ray standard, emphasize that there are problems within Sony as a producer of electronics as well.
UK developer Evolution Studios is already planning for opportunities on the PlayStation 4, according to chief executive Martin Kenwright.
With the racing specialist readying Motorstorm for launch on the PlayStation 3, Kenwright believes that it's important to think far ahead as the industry is set to change monumentally in the future.
Speaking in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, part one of which is published today, Kenwright said, "The market place will be changing beyond all recognition in the next five years. We've anticipated that.
"I know people are looking at PS3 now, and I'm not being glib, but we're actually looking at PS4. I'm thinking where will it be in five years, how will we get there? What will the marketplace be like, the games, and who'll be buying them?"
Kenwright believes companies that settle into a routine are more at risk than those who experiment with original IP - with sequels to popular games merely dividing the market.
"Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but sticking to what you're best at can be more of a risk than reinventing yourself," said the studio boss.
"The DNA of all these games is around 80 per cent the same. It's the application, the value of the IP, the new killer brand, that is actually priceless.
"What we've learnt in the past is you can inclemently improve something by one per cent, and it takes two years and millions of pounds and all you get is more of the same. You polarise your market. You're offering more of the same instead of something new, memorable and exciting."
While sequels to popular games have traditionally been considered bankable, Kenwright believes the market is changing - with publishers encouraging developers to take bigger risks and create new products.
"People like to tick boxes and play it safe, but sequels are the bane of our industry. 'The last one was good so the board wants ten more the same.' That's actually harming the marketplace irreparably," he observed.
"The reality for many small developers is that publishers are risk averse. But things are going to change. It's not going to be like a parent/child relationship with publishers in the future; it's going to become much more of a creative partnership.
"People are waking up now to the fact that sequels are actually high risk rather than low risk," Kenwright concluded.
When Will Playstation 4 be Launched To The Public?
So when will the Playstation 4 be launched? It's been rumoured that the PS4 will be released in 2010 varied to 2014.... The official launch date has not been announced by Sony but the launch of a new PS4 is innevitable. The focus is still on the PS3 sorting out the flaws with the blue ray disc as Sony still have the best games available so the slow sales will rise again to it's original popularity levels.
It seems there are many upgrades to come for the Playstation 3 to turn it into a home media centre with the ability to download 3rd party operating systems. Added to this a keyboard and mouse. So let's see now, PC's already do this and are capable of much more processing power so why not buy a Sony PC instead? So by the time the PS4 is released will it actually be just another PC? If Sony are to compete in two years time with the PS4 the will need to work on the software a bit more as at the moment it's about as popular as Vista with all the bugs in it.
"We have even looked at a Sony home server based on Playstation technology. This would allow consumers to connect home automation devices to the Sony server while also delivering online gaming and access to an extensive movie and music library" said one Sony source. There is also mention of the PS4 not using discs, sounds a bit mad but think about it, by the time it's released internet connection bandwidth will be much higher than now so downloading games will take no time at all. So what the PS4 will inevitably be is a home server based on playstation technology - think it should be re-branded though as it will no longer be just a games console - this may help ease the burden of rushing out at release time to purchase yet another games console! plus this would co-incide with Sony Playstation switching from hardware to software allowing more time to be spent developing the playstation technology.
There was some rumours floating about that the PS4 would be released in 2008 - don't believe the hype, wait for Sony to announce it. As for me I stuck at the PS2 as there was too much talk about the PS4 being in development long before the PS3 was released, maybe I'll see what PC technology is available in 2010 and beyond.
PlayStation 4 Compatibility Insanity
Exclusive: A girl with her PlayStation 4 today.The Internet is ablaze with rumours that the Sony PlayStation 4 will be backwardly compatible. Not only that, but the PlayStation 3 will be backwardly compatible once again even though it used to be... but now isn't...
German site, Gamefront has done some good work by finding and translating a Sony Japan job advert. Our Google translation shows the key lines:
"PLAYSTATION ® 3 features compatible development engineers." and "PS3 and next-generation systems, aimed PS/PS2/PS3/PSP implementation and improved emulator."
The job on offer is for 'PCS' staff - with PCS standing for 'Professional Career Staff', e.g. management and support rather than the game-creating Product Development Staff (PDS).
Not that the rumour mill is that interested in that; the words that are being extracted by the Internet are, "...and next-generation systems".
These are being slammed together with 'PS/PS2/PS3/PSP' and 'emulator' to prove that not only is PlayStation 4 going to be backwardly compatible, but PS3 is going to return to what should be its natural state of backwards compatibility - remember like the 60Gb versions were in the UK?
Is it only us, or is there a vague possibility that the job in question maybe to create legacy (e.g. 'classic' or 'old') games to a format that could be played in Sony's upcoming Home? Or that could be playable via PlayStation store downloads with some emulation encoded?
We would be steaming, spewing mad if we'd bought a 40Gb, £299, not backwardly-compatible PS3, got rid of our previous games, settled back in to acceptance only then to be offered a firmware upgrade in a year's time.
We would ask, "Why did you get rid of the 60Gb that had a version of the PS2's GS GPU on the motherboard (but not in the 40Gb) in the first place?"
(Sony would respond, "cost" and walk away quickly.)
Equally if we were Sony shareholders, we'd be saying, "Why not, like Nintendo Virtual Console and Microsoft Originals, make classic PSOne and PS2 games available as downloads? That will get people to come to Home?!! We've got thousands of those classic bloody games!"
As for the PS4 'in the works' stories. Well, of course it is... that's no big secret. The insanity is to think that Sony is recruiting people to build emulation software for a set of chips that haven't been bloody well finalised yet.
PlayStation 4 to have voice recognition?
Discovered patents hint at future of Sony gaming hardware
Despite recent speculation that Sony might scrap plans for a PS4, these newly discovered Sony patents hint at bright things to come Whilst having a poke around the US trademark office, Games Radar has discovered a list of noteworthy Sony games patents. All relate to future gaming hardware, with interesting features including voice-activated controls and pressure-sensitive buttons.
Registered this time last year, Sony has patented gaming hardware with voice recognition integrated into it. Could the PlayStation 4 have voice-activated menus? Will you be able to play games without the need for a controller?
Future of Sony gaming
Ben Richardson on our sister site Games Radar says: "The intention seems to be to use microphones housed on a console with voice-recognition software, for actions like analysing your voice to match you with a game's character, or recalling your personal config settings at the sound of your voice.
Whats The Latest Cheapest New Laptops & Smallest Info & Pics How Does £65 Sound INFO WRITE 23RD AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
BEST BLOG OF THE DAY 23RD AUGUST 2008 AT davidlower.spaces.live.com INFO WRITE 23RD AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
Announces World’s Cheapest Laptop?
If we have not covered Jointech’s JL7100 which is being offered at the dirt cheap price of $99, the Impulse NPX-9000 could probably be the world’s cheapest laptop so far. But then of course, we also have consider the specs of both laptops in determining which one is really cheaper.
New NPX-9000 Linux laptop sells for $130
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400 MHz MIPS CPU
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7″ Analog Screen
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128 MB SDRAM
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1 GB Flash Memory
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80 Key English Keyboard & Touch Pad
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Linux O.S.
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Connectors: SD Card Slot, VGA Port, USB x 3, Mini USB, Microphone and Earphone Jack
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AC Adaptor and Accessories
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External USB LAN or 802.11g WiFi dongle (optional)
The machine isn't very impressive on paper, sporting a 400MHz CPU with 128MB of RAM, a gig of storage space and a 7-inch screen. It operates on Linux and includes an unnamed office suite, web browser and other software by default – though few details are mentioned. The Eee PC may not have the upper hand in price, but it sure does on specs. However, if ultimately a very low price is what the market will respond to, competitors like Impulse are moving in the right direction.
Microsoft announces world’s cheapest laptop? and will sell for around $425
Announces
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400MHz 32-bit XBurst CPU
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128 MB RAM
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1-2GB internal flash memory
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32GB SD Card
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160GB HD
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7-inch TFT display (800×480)
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Ethernet port
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optional WiFi dongle
Jointech’s Laptop JL7100 is Dirt Cheap at $99
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Win CE 5.0 OS
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7-inch TFT display (800 x 480)
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Samsung Chipset
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64MB internal storage
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USB flash storage up to 8GB optional
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64 MB RAM
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3 USB ports
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4-hour battery time
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and supports various MS Office applications
Dell Announces - Dell’s Unnamed Mini Laptop Coming in August - September 2008 ?
During a packed two day international media briefing at Dell’s headquarters in Austin, Texas, the single product which attracted the most attention was the company’s forthcoming mini-note.
We took the opportunity to very briefly get hands-on with a pre-production model of Dell’s mini-note and pepper the product managers with as many questions as we could. Not that we got as many answers: staffers refused to elaborate on the hardware specs, target price or even the product’s name, although ‘Inspiron Mini’ has been bandied about.
“I’m not going to talk about about the specification of the product” insisted Dell senior vice president Jeff Clarke during a briefing on the company’s directions in the notebook market. We suggested to Clarke that he wasn’t much fun; he smiled and said he gets that a lot, “especially from the press”.
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What we do know is that this Lilliputian laptop is due by August. “We’ll be launching later this summer” confirmed Alex Gruzen, senior vice president for Dell’s Consumer Product Group. Unless Dell pulls off a July release, Dell will find itself at arriving at the tail end of the current crowded mini-note pack.
“The reason we were later to the market is we’ve been working on getting the right keyboard” explains Gruzen, who says the optimised keyboard is “unique to Dell”. “The keypad design accommodates as best as possible the best user experience for this class of products.”
It’s true that the alpha keys are all of a good size, although others are noticeably slim, and the function keys have been dropped altogether: the Fn modifier activates hardware-related shortcuts mapped onto the keyboard, with no facility to call up the usual F1-F12 keys. “This was a trade off so the rest of the keys could be bigger”, Gruzen says.
The model we saw has several subtle differences from the unit which Michael Dell was seen carrying it around during last week’s D6 conference. The labelling on the keyboard was more subdued, which we preferred, although the shortcuts activated by the ‘fn’ key were littered around the keyboard rather than being logically arranged along the top row of numeric keys as they were on Michael Dell’s own machine.
These shortcuts included dropping the unit into standby mode, adjusting volume and screen brightness, media playback, turning wireless on and off, toggling between the mini-note’s screen and an external screen (which connects to the device’s VGA output port) and calling up a display of remaining battery life.
The unit also shares some traits of the HP Mini-note 2133 and MSI Wind, which like the Dell model are manufactured by OEM colossus Compal, such as a wedge-shaped chassis and the screen (which we measured at 9 inches) being mounted directly on a hinge sitting on the lower on rear of chassis. It’s expected to be offered in a range of colours, similar to the current Inspiron notebook line (the lid of the unit we saw was decked out in a glossy black, compared to the bright red of Michael Dell’s machine).
Gruzen believes the mini-note will appeal to several types of customers: school students, users in emerging markets seeking a low-cost notebook “where this may be their first PC”, and “a travel companion for someone who just wants to quickly access the Web” for blogging, social networking and a quick fix of news. “This is a 20-30 minute experience, or however much time it takes to have a cup of coffee. You come to a hotspot, check some information like stock prices, upload some photos, then shut it down and go”.
India is Developing a $10 Laptop, Can Anybody Beat That?
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We have visualized the connection between the latest technology and the human, in a form of a pen. P-ISM is a gadget package including five functions: a pen-style cellular phone with a handwriting data input function, virtual keyboard, a very small projector, camera scanner, and personal ID key with cashless pass function. P-ISMs are connected with one another through short-range wireless technology. The whole set is also connected to the Internet through the cellular phone function. This personal gadget in a minimalistic pen style enables the ultimate ubiquitous computing.
Virtual Devices, Inc. (VDI) is the world-class leader in Virtual Input Technology (VIT®). Our portfolio includes products for general and specific applications for industrial, military, medical, commercial and consumer use. Our unique technology allows a user to control devices and initiate data input by movement and gesture without physical contact.
VDI's patented technology simplifies the application of VIT® to a broad variety of application. We have developed applications for computer Virtual Keyboards (VKPC), game simulators such as virtual dance pads and a piano keyboard. Commercial applications include devices such as control panels for people movers and a number of other unique applications.
The flexibility to design using VIT® for applications in both mass markets and specific user requirements allows the company to position it's products across a wide spectrum of markets and end-users.
By precise positioning of light sources and detection devices we can sense the user's intention and convert it to action. No wires, no buttons, no malfunctions, only a simple movement or gesture indicating intent.
The Power of Touch
A touch can start everything. What if a simple touch, an indication of movement, made everything work? Touch a beam of light.
VDI is driving technology that allows touch to activate your world. Touch an image of a keyboard to input a letter, an image of a keypad to indicate a number or an image of a control panel to select a function. Our technology delivers these capabilities and many more.
ABOUT
Products emerging from our development pipeline present high-tech and high-performance solutions to countless data input functions.
n 2006, Virtual Devices began development of a new generation of Virtual Input Technology products designed to include greater functionality in broad based applications. This advanced product line includes new technology requiring a large-scale redesign of the existing product lines resulting in an expanded interest in the marketplace for much wider and more robust applications of our technology.
In 2007, Virtual Devices is preparing to launch a line of successor products, which will be marketed through consumer channels in North America and wider international markets.
In addition, the company has embarked on focused development programs with a select group of manufacturers to embed VIT technology within their products. This market is significant for the company considering the advantages of this technology compared to alternatives that include hard-wiring, manual push buttons or other input devices which, carry substantial downsides in terms of wear, functionality and cost.
THE TECH
The basic functions of VIT® involve the synchronized positioning of light emitting and sensing devices to detect user input indications and the conversion of this indication though proprietary software into an electronic command including Multi-touch technology. The operation of the technology is straightforward, substantially simplifying the input of data commands into computers, provides excellent opportunity to reduce the cost of product applications, considerably minimizes maintenance, and input device malfunction.
The Virtual Dance Pad (VPlay® technology) is an example of the application of VIT technology to game and entertainment solutions.
The Virtual Piano (VPlay®) is an evolution from the much bulkier and complex electronic keyboards in wide use today. Coupled with sound technology available in
today’s portable computer and achieving the same simplicity of use as the VKPC this is an exceptional product
The Virtual Keyboard (VKPC) is a truly innovative and revolutionary product.
It presents a projected keyboard on virtually any surface and is essentially damage and maintenance free.
DEMO VIDEO
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Sources and further reading:
NEC Pushes Envelope with New Design for Computing
Wave Report, 20 February 2004Projection Keyboards
Micah Alpern, 9 January 2003
XP SP3 vs. Vista SP1 – Service Pack Adoption INFO WRITE 23RD AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
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INFO WRITE 23RD AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
According to statistics made available by Devil Mountain Software, Vista SP1 adoption at the end of July 2008 hit a high of 86%. But even as early as April the uptake rate was 69%, at just one month after Microsoft permitted access to the gold bits of SP1, which was released to manufacturing on February 4, 2008.
"There was tremendous pent-up demand for Vista SP1, either due to customer dissatisfaction with the product or because users were convinced of its benefits from all of the media hype surrounding its release. No similar demand existed for Windows XP Service Pack 3, most likely because, overall, the majority of users are quite happy with Windows XP + Service Pack 2 (we found just a handful of users still running Service Pack 1)," a Devil Mountain Software representative revealed.
As far as XP SP3 is concerned, estimates put the adoption rate of the service pack at just 34% in April. This number is unsurprising, as only in April 2008 did Microsoft finally manage to produce the final version of XP SP3. However, by the end of July, only 47% of all XP users had deployed the third and final service pack for Vista's precursor.
"What seems clear from these numbers is that Microsoft’s customers felt Windows Vista was in urgent need of a Service Pack 12-18 months after it was released, while those still using Windows XP were relatively happy with the platform and in no rush to patch it," the Devil Mountain Software researcher added.
Walls Without Windows INFO WRITE 23RD AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
INFO WRITE 23RD AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
According to today's Wall Street Journal, the advertising campaign will be something like "Windows, Without Walls." Reverse is the situation now. A bunch of walls stand between potential customers and Vista adoption. Reasons are many, with negative perceptions being high among them.
"Too many enterprise decision-makers are accepting out of hand all of the fear, uncertainty and doubt being proliferated on the Internet by those who do not know about which they speak," said C. Marc Wagner, a services development specialist at Indiana University in Bloomington.
Crash Course Marketing
Marc rightly identifies real perception problems. Many IT managers I have talked to are satisfied with Windows XP, and they have heard too much about Vista's compatibility and usability problems. It could take a whole lot of marketing to change widespread negative perceptions, assuming Microsoft can do so effectively.I've got my doubts about what Microsoft can do. According to the Journal, Microsoft is paying Jerry Seinfeld $10 million to appear in some of the advertising. This wouldn't be Jerry's first stand-up gig for Vista. Last year, HP featured the comedian in "The Computer Is Personal Again" commercials. In November, Mike Nash, corporate vice president of Windows product management, told me that Microsoft would do more co-marketing campaigns like HP's.
Newer HP marketing "Crash Course" features Shaun White giving "tips for school and beyond." I have to laugh. Why would any PC company use "crash" in marketing a Windows PC?
I'm wondering about what's really coming, when the ad campaign launches, which, according to the Journal, will be in early September. The supposed "Windows, Without Walls" campaign uses comedians, just like HP's "The Computer Is Personal Again" campaign. Are the Journal's rumors mixed up? Will Microsoft and HP be working together? Or is Microsoft just lifting ideas from HP's campaign?
Several of my colleagues called HP's Jerry Seinfeld ads "silly." I think they're OK, but Microsoft would have to do a whole lot better to turn around negative Vista perceptions. The Journal claims the new ads would also feature Microsoft's semi-retired chairman. Does nobody at Microsoft remember the debacle of putting together Bill Gates with Jon Stewart for the Consumer Electronics Show keynote a few years back? If Jon Stewart can't make Bill Gates funny, nobody can—not even Jerry Seinfeld.
How to Downgrade from Windows Vista Business or Ultimate OEM Edition and Install Windows XP Professional INFO WRITE 23RD AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
>>>> INFO WRITE 23RD AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
According to Microsoft:
OEM downgrade rights for desktop PC operating systems apply to Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Ultimate as stated in the License Terms. Please note, OEM downgrade versions of Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Ultimate are limited to Windows XP Professional (including Windows XP Tablet PC Edition and Windows XP x64 Edition). End users can use the following media for their downgrade: Volume Licensing media (provided the end user has a Volume Licensing agreement), retail (FPP), or system builder hologram CD (provided the software is acquired in accordance with the Microsoft OEM System Builder License). Use of the downgraded operating system is governed by the Windows Vista Business License Terms, and the end user cannot use both the downgrade operating system and Windows Vista. There are no downgrade rights granted for Windows Vista Home Basic or Windows Vista Home Premium.For user who doesn’t want to pay any more payment to OEM brand vendor after paying a hefty price to buy the desktop PC, laptop or notebook computer that comes with Windows Vista Ultimate or Business edition, but want to downgrade to Windows XP, try the following trick to activate Windows XP for free yet legitimate genuine workaround.
1. Retrieve and record down the product key for the Windows Vista Business or Ultimate edition that is currently installed. There are various tools available for reveal the product key installed in Windows, or you can look at the OEM Certificate of Authenticity sticker pasted on the machine’s casing.
2. Find a valid legitimate Windows XP Professional setup CD media and install Windows XP on the system. User can use any valid, but not pirated copy of VL media, retail (FPP), or OEM CD such as those coming with old PC.
3. After installation, log onto Windows.
4. When asked to activate Windows (or go to “Start” -> “All Programs” -> “System Tools” -> “Activate Windows” or right click on “Computer” and click “Click here to activate Windows”), click Yes, I want to telephone a customer service representative to active Windows now to use automated phone system to activate Windows.
5. An Installation ID will be displayed on screen in Step 3, together with an option to select the location where user is nearest to in Step 1.
6. After selecting your country, toll and toll-free phone numbers to call to connect to Microsoft customer care is displayed. Dial to call the corresponding number.
7. Follow the automated voice recognition and response system to get to talk with a human customer care representative. The phone system will initially require Installation ID to be entered. Just input anything so that after a few failed attempt, user can talk to a human.
8. Tell the customer care representative that you would like to downgrade from Windows Vista to Windows XP. When asked, give the Windows Vista product key you have and the source of the Windows XP media used to install the machine.
9. After validation by Microsoft customer care, a Confirmation ID will be given, which should be entered into the Step 4 of “Activate Windows by Phone” wizard to activate Windows proper. If you wish, you can request for a new Windows XP product key too
Microsoft Is Gearing Up for Windows 7 Downloads INFO WRITE 21ST AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
BEST BLOG OF THE DAY 21ST AUGUST 2008 AT davidlower.spaces.live.com INFO WRITE 21ST AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
According to the screenshot included toward the bottom of this article (courtesy of Yannis), the Windows 7 Client has been added among the products on the list for the Windows Server Update Services. "You can specify the products for which you want to synchronize updates," reads the message at the top of the dialog box, while a note at the bottom says "all products, including products that are added in the future." In addition to Windows 7 Client WSUS has also been tailored to serve the Windows Internet Explorer 8 Dynamic Installer. However, as you can see, there is no mention of Windows Server 2008 R2, developed under the codename Windows 7 Server.
Microsoft is not serving updates for Windows 7 yet, and in this regard there are no items that can be synchronized. Still, the next version of Windows is featured on the WSUS list all the same. "Microsoft Windows Server Update Services 3.0 SP1 (WSUS 3.0 SP1) enables information technology administrators to deploy the latest Microsoft product updates to computers running Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2, and Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4 operating systems. By using WSUS, administrators can fully manage the distribution of updates that are released through Microsoft Update to computers in their network," reads Microsoft’s description of WSUS 3.0 SP1 released in March 2008.
The introduction of Windows 7 among the products on the list of operating systems supported by WSUS means nothing for now. Still, it does reveal Microsoft’s intentions to start delivering updates for Vista's successor even as the platform will be in development, therefore the use of the Windows 7 codename. But in the end, integrating Windows 7 with WSUS is not the sole update-focused initiative from Microsoft. The Windows Serviceability (WinSE) and Windows Update (WU) teams are hard at work on the next generation of the updating infrastructure servicing the Windows platform.
"The WU Tools team is in the very beginning stages of development on a new End-to-End automation and tools suite that will completely change the way the WU team and its customers publish content," a member of the Windows Update Tools teams revealed.
Ed Bott: Windows 7 wish list INFO WRITE 21ST AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
INFO WRITE 21ST AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
There’s a fair amount of information in this post, all of it from 30,000 feet or so. Most interesting to me was the breakdown of how the sprawling Windows development effort is divided into 25 feature teams:
A feature team represents those that own a specific part of Windows 7—the code, features, quality, and overall development. The feature teams represent the locus of work and coordination across the team. …
Windows 7’s feature teams sound a lot like parts of Windows with which you are familiar. Because of the platform elements of Windows we have many teams that have remained fairly constant over several releases, whereas some teams are brand new or represent relatively new areas composed of some new code and the code that formed the basis of the team. Some teams do lots of work for Sever (such as the VM work) and some might have big deliverables outside of Windows 7 (such as Internet Explorer).
In general a feature team encompasses ownership of combination of architectural components and scenarios across Windows. “Feature” is always a tricky word since some folks think of feature as one element in the user-interface and others think of the feature as a traditional architectural component (say TCP/IP). Our approach is to balance across scenarios and architecture such that we have the right level of end-to-end coverage and the right parts of the architecture. One thing we do try to avoid is separating the “plumbing” from the “user interface” so that teams do have end-to-end ownership of work (as an example of that, “Find and Organize” builds both the indexer and the user interface for search).
Sinofsky’s list is alphabetical. I thought it might be interesting to arrange the feature teams into groups and discuss what I believe the real challenges of each group are. It’s important to remember that this development team is working on business, consumer, and server products, all of which will be built on the Windows 7 code base.
THE GUTS
Don’t be distracted by predictions that Windows 7 will have a new kernel. It’s going to be an evolution of the kernel shared by Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008. I’ll be especially interested to see whether some form of the Hyper-V virtualization platform appears in Windows 7. If it does, I expect it will be in the enterprise version. The security challenges for Windows 7 are well known as well: refining User Account Control and hardening the kernel against new forms of attack.
DEPLOYMENT AND MANAGEMENT
Some of the most interesting advances in Windows Vista are here, in the new servicing stack and a massive change to the way system images are built and deployed. If you’re a consumer, you probably aren’t aware of these changes, but enterprise customers sure are. It would be nice to see these technologies leveraged so that any Windows user can build and save a custom image that includes only the features and updates they need, without having to use third-party tools.
HARDWARE
The driver model for Windows 7 will essentially be identical to the one used in Windows Vista. That should mean the biggest headaches of the Vista launch, where immature drivers caused performance and stability problems, will not be repeated. We’ve probably already seen a preview of the handful of new features that will appear; see the Storage 1.0 feature pack for details. I don’t expect any other major changes here.
USER EXPERIENCE
You can sum up this group’s mission in two words: fit and finish. I can already see the reviews, which will compare the Windows 7 UI and its included tools with their Apple alternatives, such as iLife and MobileMe. Microsoft has been doing some exceptional UI innovation post-Vista, with its Zune software and its Windows Live tools, especially the Photo Gallery update. Tying that all together to create a consistent end-to-end experience is essential. This group has had two full years to address the usability complaints with Windows Vista, so there really is no room for excuses. I’ll be especially interested to see how Live Mesh and other cloud-based services fit into the picture.
ORGANIZATION
Several commenters on that initial “Welcome” post expressed hope that the WinFS file system, which was killed off during the infamous “Longhorn reset,” would be resurrected for Windows 7. Not gonna happen. Nor, frankly, is it necessary. One frustrating aspect of Windows Vista is the disconnect between its Windows Search architecture (excellent) and its search tools (weak). This is another area where reviewers are going to compare a Windows 7 feature to its Apple counterpart, Spotlight. Being able to win that comparison is essential.
NETWORKING
This group has a lot of work to do, both at the plumbing level and at the User Experience level. Making the Network and Sharing Center more accessible is what reviewers will focus on, but it’s equally important to iron out the remaining glitches in network performance (especially those that slow down file transfers while multimedia components are in operation).
DEVELOPER SUPPORT
Because I’m not a developer, I haven’t been paying much attention to this space lately. So, I’ll throw this category open to my dev-centric readers. What do you expect to see here?
INTERNET
Internet Explorer 8 is just about ready to go into a second beta and is probably feature-complete at this point. Although it’s integrated into the operating systems, its development effort follows a parallel track and it should be done well before the rest of the OS is ready to ship. The biggest challenge for the IE group is to erase the perception that Microsoft’s browser is fundamentally less secure than its competitors. Tightening up the ActiveX security model should go a long way in that respect. I’ll have much more to say about IE8 when the next milestone release is available.
Windows 7 Server to be 'minor release' INFO WRITE 21ST AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
INFO WRITE 21ST AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
Microsoft declined to discuss what will be in Windows Server 2008 R2, but a spokesman confirmed that it is the server version of Windows 7. The release was due sometime in 2010, Microsoft said.
The server move calls into question just how different Windows 7 is going to be from Windows Vista on the desktop side. Steven Sinofsky, the head of development for the desktop version of Windows, has said that Windows 7 on the PC side would not make major changes to things like the kernel and driver model, but has maintained that it would be a major release of Windows.
Microsoft has said that the desktop version of Windows 7 would include a new multitouch interface, but has not talked about other features.
The software maker confirmed its naming plans, following a report by ZDNet.com blogger Mary Jo Foley. Initially Foley reported that Microsoft was skipping its minor R2 release and moving straight to its next major release. However, Microsoft clarified that it indeed saw Windows 7 on the server side as a minor release.
On its server roadmap page, Microsoft describes its minor, or update releases this way:
Update releases integrate the previous major release with the latest service pack, selected feature packs, and new functionality. Because an update release is based on the previous major release, customers can incorporate it into their environment without any additional testing beyond what would be required for a typical service pack. Any additional functionality provided by an update would be optional and thus not affect application compatibility or require customers to recertify or retest applications.
Microsoft has said it will share technical details on Windows 7 at its Professional Developers Conference in late October in Los Angeles.
Microsoft to alpha test Office 14 - before end of year 2008 INFO WRITE 21ST AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
INFO WRITE 21ST AUGUST 2008 FROM DAVID PAUL LOWER
According to the blog posting, by Hayley Rixon, who works on the Microsoft business intelligence team, Microsoft is calling for people to be part of a technology adoption program (TAP) that will give them an early opportunity to test the monitoring and analytics components of Office PerformancePoint Server.
The TAP for this product will be a part of the TAP for Office 14, the alpha test of which will begin in the "November/December timeframe this year," according to the blog posting. Office PerformancePoint Server is business performance analysis software that will be a part of the Office 14 release.
While the blog posting was live on Microsoft's Technet site on Monday afternoon Eastern time, by afternoon on the West coast the Web site was no longer working. The post also no longer appears on Rixon's blog.
Microsoft could not be reached for comment Tuesday about the site no longer being active. However, on Monday through its public relations firm Microsoft said that while the Office team is working on the next version, "it is too early to discuss specific features, capabilities or timing" for the product.
The deadline for submissions to be a part of the Office PerformancePoint Server TAP is Aug. 28, according to the post.
Office is the most widely used productivity software in the world, though competitors such as Google and IBM are competing with Microsoft by offering free office productivity applications.
With the latest version, Office 2007, Microsoft has begun to expand business versions of Office to include collaboration and business-intelligence capabilities, as well as links to Microsoft's enterprise applications and database. Though Microsoft has divulged few details about Office 14, the company probably will expand these features and links in the next release.
Since Beta code isn't yet out... I've included a couple of charts showing some of the direction that will be taken. These types of charts are very typical of MS's development process; I've seen similar charts for every release of Office for many years.
I'm looking forward to beta testing Office 14. As before on this site, when it's legally allowed I'll post images and impressions (I at one point had posts of over 500 images of Office 12 and Vista when they were in beta, organized as a "tour"). The Ribbon was the big change for Office 2007 and it is an example of Microsoft at it's absolutely very best.
If you're not familiar with the Office Ribbon ("Fluid UI"), watch this humorour video: mms://wm.microsoft.com/ms/msnse/0604/27723/o12_ep2_comp_MBR.wmv
What would I like to see in the product? Here are a few examples:
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The Ribbon interface across the board. And not only in the core Office products, but in the related products such as Streets & Trips (which without the Ribbon is nearly impossible to use - in fact outright dangerous - when in the car alone) and of course Expression Web.
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A single options pane for all the Office product basic options (compatibility, save, recovery, print, etc). I would use this to set the file types for compatibility (aka former office formats such as .doc versus .docx). The new formats are causing all sorts of trouble in companies (and customers) which mix releases of Office.
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Bring back the Office Binder. I use all kinds of documents to present a point about a single topic; I need a better way to organize them together.
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Lets get SharePoint and LiveMeeting better integrated. They're the superior products in the marketplace, more people should know about them. But their integration into Outlook, for example, looks tacked-on and uncoordinated.
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OneNote *rules*. I use it for everything and almost never use paper anymore. The advantages of being able to search for anything I've ever entered into OneNote makes OneNote and the Office System the killer application for me. I'd expect to see the Ribbon interface for OneNote. OneNote is probably Microsoft's leading productivity application at the moment and it should be kept to an absolute state-of-the-art product cycle. There are a couple of things happening in Microsoft Research which shold be integrated into OneNote as well (such as InkSeine). IMHO, OneNote seems to have fallen slightly behind the curve in the Office System... when it should be leading-edge. In fact, Onenote new releases should be on a yearly cycle to showcase Microsoft talents and innovation.
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Organization... and this thought is not yet fully formed. I have over a million files on my system... to keep my user files organized I keep the notebook structure in OneNote roughly the same hierachy as Outlook and as My Documents. Files in each area are closely related to each other, but I have to look into 3 different areas to find all related files. Question: could the exact same hierarchy be duplicated in each place? And for the longer term, why not the store the same topics in the same place, regardless of which file format or tool they were created from? This has to be something in the file system... it doesn't yet need to extend into the server (and conversely, a server such as SharePoint should not be used to create this functionality - I need to carry everything with me on my laptop). This is something Microsoft Research needs to look at in the longer term... I know some thinking has gone on into this type of organization as far back as ten years ago.
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