Vienna

[Rhema]

So,

I heard a report that microsoft has already coined a codename for its next release that will supposedly come out in 2009.

One of the things they mentioned as a possible new feature, would be a total User interface overhaul. of course all of this is just on paper, but it seemed like they are talking a whole new approach, not just a new look with some flashy graphics.

What do you guys think about this? Any thoughts on what this new approach might be? How would apple respond? Has there been any talk on what OS 11 might be like?

Are there any operating systems out there that have a more "non traditional" user interface?

 

[zephead]

Vienna and OS XI (if they still would call it that) seem so far off to me that I can't imagine what they would look like/how they would operate.
Vienna sausages. That's what I thought when I first saw the thread title lol

 

[Chaszmyr]

Vista was never supposed to exist, and the OS that launched last month was supposed to be Vienna. However, with things continually slipping behind schedule, they took the new core and released it as Vista. Hopefully, for all of the Windows users out there, Vienna will significantly improve the user experience.

I wouldn't count on Vienna being out until 2010, even though they say 2009. We know how far delayed Vista was.

As far as how Apple would respond. It won't be with OS11. OSX still has a lot of years on Apple's roadmap. OSX is based on old technology, but some old technology is still good. All in all, OSX's frameworks are a lot more comparable to Vista than older version of Windows, and it should still be able to compete with Vienna. However, with the UNIX core, all of the Core technologies, and any new technologies Apple is developing, they may decide to put a new UI on top of the existing frameworks to completely replace Aqua. Apple definitely has ideas, but not even they know which ones will ever see the light of day at this point.

There are operating systems out there that use non traditional user interfaces. You might want to search the web for Sun's Project Looking Glass. However, there are no robust or widely used operating systems that use non traditional UIs, so far as I know.

 

[yg17]

So,

I heard a report that microsoft has already coined a codename for its next release that will supposedly come out in 2009.

One of the things they mentioned as a possible new feature, would be a total User interface overhaul. of course all of this is just on paper, but it seemed like they are talking a whole new approach, not just a new look with some flashy graphics.

What do you guys think about this? Any thoughts on what this new approach might be? How would apple respond? Has there been any talk on what OS 11 might be like?

Are there any operating systems out there that have a more "non traditional" user interface?

Supposidley, the new approach is to completely redo the entire OS and get rid of backwards compatibility (much like OS9 -> OSX, perhaps M$ would have an emulated WinXP environment, a la classic)

Frankly, I must say, it's about time, and the best thing M$ could do with this new OS. Don't get me wrong, seamless backwards compatibility is great, but if its backward compatible with applications, then its backward compatible with viruses. Completely killing any backwards compatibility will basically stop all hundred gazillion viruses dead in their tracks (assuming people upgrade, which will definitely take time).

If M$ had any common sense (and we all know they don't), they would use a Unix core much like OSX. Yes, they risk being called copycats, but it's the best thing for their next OS. It's been proven to be virtually unbreakable, which is something that no Microsoft OS as of date can claim. But, considering how much Microsoft just loves open source, it won't happen, and they'll write a completely new, flawed kernel that will be exploited just as badly as the current one is. And that's fine with me, I don't want virus writers trying to exploit Unix because that would mean bad things for Mac users (and of course, Linux users as well).


So, we'll see....I don't believe that this will be out anytime near 2009, nor do I believe that Microsoft would really rewrite everything and break backwards compatibility because it would just piss people off and make them even more reluctant to upgrade. Sure, we know why breaking it would be a good thing, but the average consumer doesn't, and they think that everything should still work, and since they make up a huge majority, I can see M$ catering to them. In the end, I think it will just be Vista with a new interface and even more bloat, eye candy, stolen OSX features and garbage added on top.

 

[ReanimationLP]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vienna

Anywhere from 2009 to 2012. I'm counting on 2011 or 2012.

Apparently, from what the page has said and what has been said by Microsoft in the past, Vienna will be a complete new version of Windows, with all new code, kinda like how OSX was all new compared to OS9, and could only run OS9 apps with a compatibility layer (Classic)

 

[zephead]

If that's true, MS will have to wait a year or two before their new OS actually becomes usable by the general public. For Apple, it took about a year in a half before they released Jaguar, which was good for general public usability. Panther made OS X very usable, then Tiger made it really hit the sweet spot. The period of time in which Microsoft adjusts everything to their new OS should be enough time for people to consider something tried-and-true (i.e. OS X). They're gonna have to adjust to an entirely new OS anyways, right? Might as well choose the one that already works!

 

[Project]

Theyve been promising a completely new UI every version. Yet we still have the Start > Taskbar combo that has been there since Windows 95 and works in Vista exactly the same way.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Vienna? It means nothing to me.

 

[Blue Velvet]

Vienna? It means nothing to me.

Hey! You stole my joke.


<starts hunting for close-up pictures of spiders and assorted creepy-crawlies>

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Hey! You stole my joke.

Ah... I hadn't seen your post. Best keep the spidery stuff well away then, right?

<looks around nervously>

 

[Killyp]

Vienna? It means nothing to me.

Classic album!

The idea for Vienna was around before Vista, or even it's Longhorn development cousin was around...

 

[mkrishnan]

I wonder... Microsoft is getting enmeshed in a dangerous game here. Vista is very different from an end user's perspective than XP. It's going to be on almost all new home computers starting immediately, but it's going to remain extremely rare in managed environments for several years. At this rate, by the time Vienna comes out, Vista will just start appearing on corporate desktops. Much as Win2k is really still being replaced on many of those desktops by XP just now. If they keep rolling out different user interfaces that do not get used in the corporate world, I do wonder whether they will be able to maintain dominance in the corporate environment against Linux, etc, based alternatives, which now only have to compete with Windows of 5-7 years ago rather than MS' current effort. Especially since the essentially standstill progress of Windows being updated on corporate desktops makes it easier and easier over time to just deploy something WINE-based like CrossOver and be done with it.