We tested the first public beta release of Whistler, which became available October 31. The final, as-yet unnamed version of Whistler is expected to ship in the second half of next year. Also planned for 2001 is a Professional Client version of Whistler that will succeed Windows 2000 Professional. Price information was not available.
Whistler contains an application compatibility environment designed to allow the operating system to run many applications intended for Windows 98. This is particularly important because, with Whistler, Microsoft is leaving its Windows 9x code base behind, creating many potential Windows platform compatibility problems in the process.
Whistler contains a database that includes some applications along with the settings tweaks required to make them run properly. In addition, the operating system includes Windows 98 and Windows NT general compatibility modes for applications that have difficulty running on Windows 2000/Whistler and are not included in this database.
However, many applications rely on specific drivers or other deep operating system features for which Whistler's compatibility modes cannot compensate. Sites deploying the new operating system will experience varied results running applications not intended for Windows 2000 and not included in the supported programs database.
When Microsoft unifies its consumer and business code bases with Whistler, the Windows platform driver base will be unified as well. This will pay substantial dividends for consumers, businesses and vendors alikeâ€"separate driver requirements for Windows 98 and NT have needlessly stalled the adoption of products such as handheld computers that blur the boundaries between personal and corporate use.
With Whistler, Microsoft has overhauled an interface that's seen few changes since Windows 95 replaced Windows 3.1â€"the changes follow Microsoft's recent redesign of the Windows CE interface, giving Whistler a similarly clean, flat look. The interface is intended to be more accessible, but users who prefer the classic Windows look can disable the changes.
Another change that first appeared in Windows CE is support for Microsoft's ClearType text display technology. ClearType improves the display of text on LCDs by tripling the horizontal resolution with which it renders text.
One important improvement to the Windows task bar is the option of having the operating system group multiple iterations of the same applicationâ€"such as multiple Internet Explorer windowsâ€"into a single task-bar item. The user then clicks on the IE task-bar item to see a vertical list of open IE windows.
Microsoft has built into Whistler a feature that allows a user to request assistance from another user via e-mail, specifying a window of time in which the request must be answered. The user providing help may then take control of the problem system, fixing the problem while the user watches.
Vendors, corporate IT departments and individual users should all find this feature helpful for providing and obtaining support. However, given Microsoft's well-documented security gaffes, sites will have to carefully evaluate the potential security risks of such a widely deployed remote-control feature. ´
Whistler Beta 1
Whistler marks the end of Microsoft's transition to the NT code base, and even in its initial public beta, the new operating system looks solid. What remains to be seen, however, is whether the usability and compatibility improvements that Microsoft has built atop Windows 2000 will be enough to the transition for its users.
Short-term Business Impact
For companies that have yet to roll out NT-based systems, Whistler should make it easier than ever to do so; that's a good thing, because once Whistler is released, expect sources for Windows 98 to dry up.
Long-term Business Impact
Once the initial driver and compatibility issues have been resolved, a unified consumer/corporate Windows code base will ease Windows driver and software development chores.
Pros
Stable; enhanced usability; can run Windows 9x applications.
Cons
Drivers incompatible with those of Windows 9x.
Microsoft Whistler OS Beta 1
Company: Microsoft
Rating: 4 Star
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