However, Microsoft decided this feature set was too ambitious to meet their 2006 deadline. Longhorn is now expected to consist primarily of incremental improvements, perhaps similar to the upgrade from Windows 98 to Windows 98 Second Edition. It now has a new focus:

The WinFS component, providing an indexed database to allow easier file access and management, will be released separately from Longhorn. Other WinFX technologies, including the Avalon 3-D graphics interface and the Indigo communications module, will be separated as well. By separating these components, their functionality will become available for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 in the form of patches. This availability allows developers to write applications that take advantage of these features while leveraging a larger installed base of operating systems.

At this point, the final feature set of the Longhorn operating system is still up in the air. Microsoft is pushing to revamp their code to produce a functional BETA. Surprisingly, many of the features reported to be forthcoming are actually already available through third-party applications. An article in Maximum PC recently highlighted how anyone presently running Windows XP can take advantage of these features now.

First, the user interface, as implemented in the current BETA of Longhorn, may be reproduced using a new type of Windows theme, called skinning. The application making this possible is called WindowBlinds. There are shareware and retail versions of this program. Once installed, simply download the WindowBlind’s Longhorn Slate 4051 skin to emulate the Longhorn interface.

Additionally, the new version of Windows Media Player, now in its tenth iteration, also uses the slate interface of Longhorn. This software is available for download free of charge from Microsoft.

Longhorn is also equipped with what is called the sidebar, which is similar to the old Taskbar except that it can be used to display various types of information—not just a group of currently running applications. The sidebar may contain news feeds, performance data, a clock, or virtually any other type of data. This is due to its fully programmable and customizable design. The sidebar may also be broken into panes, where individual components may be viewed, hidden, or even deactivated independently. This functionality is available for Windows XP users by downloading SmartBarXP. This program is freeware.

Finally, even the new WinFS functionality is available in some form through a program called dtSearch. This software scans the files on the hard drive, creating an index from both the file’s name, as well as the text from within the file. It provides searching in a more contextual fashion, providing more than two-dozen methods for locating information. For instance, one method, known as “fuzzy searching,” allows a user to conduct a search for “animal pictures,” as an example.

That’s about it for this month. Have fun altering your own user interface!