Last week, I sought your input in deciding what questions I would ask when I met with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and Group Vice President Jim Allchin at the Windows XP launch event. While I received perhaps 500 e-mails, most of the questions fell into three distinct groups--pricing, activation, and specific gripes or questions, usually of a technical nature.
I should mention that people who send me questions or post TalkBacks aren't average--something that comforts me some days when I read the comments appended to the end of what I thought was a perfectly rational column.
I KNOW ABOUT THIS non-averageness because a Microsoft exec told me it's so, as a way of saying my readers' concerns aren't those of typical customers, especially where privacy, activation, and pricing are concerned.
I responded by saying that ZDNet readers are just ahead of the curve, though I accept that most users will never see activation and aren't as privacy-phobic as some of my readers. The cost issue--having to buy an individual XP upgrade for each machine--just hasn't sunk in yet.
Now to the specific questions.
WILL WINDOWS XP EXPIRE? "Nonsense!" was how Gates responded to my sharing the concerns of some readers--this is the urban legend I wrote about last Wednesday--that Microsoft plans to use its activation technology to turn off copies of Windows XP when Microsoft decides to stop supporting it.
This idea was so far from left field that I had to explain it a couple of times before Gates responded and then reminded me he doesn't license his software that way--you get to use it forever, and Microsoft has to convince you to give them more money by offering new innovations.
While I agree with Gates that the fears are unfounded, there are people who believe this nonsense, which I've already tried to debunk once. So, remember the words of Chairman Bill: "Once you buy it, you have the right to use it forever."
SHOULD MS KILL IIS? Gates doesn't warm to the notion--expressed by some Gartner consultants--that since Microsoft is specifically targeted by hackers, that perhaps abandoning its Internet Information Server might be a good idea. I tried the idea on him that bad guys might target the new software activation technology with a virus that would shut down Windows XP or Office XP.
Gates seems to believe that many security threats are important--he used file deletion by viruses as an example--and that singling out these for special concern does no good.
I understand his point, but since Microsoft has already limited access to some e-mail features to thwart hacking, I wonder what thought has been given to the sudden loss of people's productivity software or operating system, thanks to a well-planned attack?
When asked why Microsoft isn't in the antivirus business and more heavily into desktop security, to my surprise Gates just sort of smiled and said some issues remain to be resolved. I think companies in those spaces should consider that a warning.
WHAT'S THE NEXT BIG THING? As for a release timetable, the next major Microsoft effort is the Tablet PC, which relies on Windows XP, due a year from now. The next version of XP, code-named Longhorn, is due in "two to three years from now." But what will be in the new OS hasn't been decided and will, presumably, depend on how technology pans out in the meantime. One hint: Gates mentioned software to facilitate digital meetings.
WHERE'S WIRELESS? Gates continues to be a big proponent of 802.11 wireless Ethernet. He predicts the current "b" iterations--which is 11 megabits per second (Mbps)--will remain the standard for a number of years, with the next-generation "a" (54Mbps) standard existing alongside, rather than replacing, the "b" standard. Gates expects 802.11b to be included in a broad range of devices and for people to be able to connect from many different public and semi-public spaces.
Next-generation cellular service will be an adjunct to this, useful where connecting points aren't available and when users are willing to pay for the more expensive cellular wireless networking.
As for a competing technology: "I'm not sure Bluetooth can get to critical mass," Gates said. Of course, he doesn't believe 802.11 has reached that point either, but added, "I don't think it will be that hard."
One note: Sending e-mail using a wireless network during boring meetings is just fine with Bill. "It's appropriate to allow people to do e-mail" during the portions of meetings that don't involve them, Gates said.
WHERE WILL INNOVATION COME FROM? While Gates said he expects the economy will "go back to a good position," the dot-com explosion hasn't been all bad. The Internet boom caused reckless shifts in technology, ultimately slowing real innovation. With that distraction removed, Gates said he expects to see more important innovations in future years than we've seen in the recent past.
WHAT GOOD DOES XP DO? Talking about good things XP does for users, Gates pointed to technology that allows users to report application crashes and other serious problems to Microsoft. There it is assembled into a database, so developers know what problems exist and what causes them, and can better prioritize their efforts to address the issues.
According to Gates, the database can also be used to provide leverage in getting companies that write software drivers to create better code. Many crashes users blame on the OS are caused by driver software used for printers, CD burners, and other devices.
Of the bunch, Gates singled out video drivers--the software that links video chips and monitors to the rest of the computer--as especially bad. "Even the best ones aren't very good," he said. Gates hinted that Microsoft might work with an independent testing lab to publish the crash data, so customers could better select crash-free hardware and applications.
Finally, if you are going to Comdex next month, don't miss Bill's keynote video--traditionally an industry satire. I don't know all the details, but this year's theme is "Techs and the City," a send-up of HBO's "Sex and the City," and features Sarah Jessica Parker, who stars in the television program. I understand it involves a style checker that helps geeks make sure their romantic e-mail has the desired effect upon the recipient.
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