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Windows Vista is the name of the upcoming release of Microsoft Windows, a line of graphical operating systems used on personal computers, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers. Prior to the announcement of the Vista name on July 22, 2005, it was known by its codename Longhorn. As of October 2006, Windows Vista is at release candidate stage; Microsoft has stated that the scheduled release dates for Windows Vista are currently November 2006 for volume license customers, with worldwide availability following in January 2007.[1] These release dates come more than five years after the release of Windows XP, Microsoft's current consumer and business operating system, making it the longest time span between major releases of Windows. Windows Vista has hundreds of new features, some of the most significant of which include an updated graphical user interface and visual style dubbed Windows Aero, improved searching features, new multimedia creation tools such as Windows DVD Maker, and completely redesigned networking, audio, print, and display sub-systems. Vista also aims to increase the level of communication between machines on a home network using peer-to-peer technology, making it easier to share files and digital media between computers and devices. For developers, Vista introduces version 3.0 of the .NET Framework, which aims to make it significantly easier for developers to write high-quality applications than with the traditional Windows API. Microsoft's primary stated goal with Vista, however, has been to improve the state of security in the Windows operating system.[2] One of the most prevalent common criticisms of Windows XP and its predecessors are their commonly exploited security vulnerabilities and overall susceptibility to malware, viruses and buffer overflows. In light of this, then Microsoft chairman Bill Gates announced in early 2002 a company-wide 'Trustworthy Computing initiative' which aims to incorporate security work into every aspect of software development at the company. Microsoft claimed it prioritized improving the security of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 above finishing Windows Vista, significantly delaying its completion.[3] Vista itself has been the target of a number of negative assessments by various groups. Criticism of Windows Vista has included concerns about the security implications of the large amounts of new code, the inclusion of a number of new Digital Rights Management technologies aimed at restricting the copying of digital media, and the usability of the new User Account Control security technology. Some reviewers have noted similarities between the Vista interface and that of Apple's Mac OS X operating system. The European Union Competition Commission has raised questions about Vista's effect on competition between security software providers. Microsoft started work on their plans for "Longhorn" in May 2001, several months before the release of its predecessor, Windows XP.[4] "Longhorn" was named after the Longhorn Saloon, a popular bar in Whistler, British Columbia[5] because that saloon is located between the Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. Longhorn was originally expected to ship sometime late in 2003 as a minor step between Windows XP (codenamed "Whistler") and "Blackcomb" (now known as Windows "Vienna").[6] Gradually, "Longhorn" assimilated many of the important new features and technologies slated for "Blackcomb", resulting in the release date being pushed back a few times. Many of Microsoft's developers were also re-tasked with improving the security of Windows XP. Faced with ongoing delays and concerns about feature creep, Microsoft announced on August 27, 2004 that it was making significant changes. "Longhorn" development basically started afresh, building on the Windows Server 2003 codebase, and re-incorporating only the features that would be intended for an actual operating system release. Some previously announced features, such as WinFS and NGSCB, were dropped or postponed, and a new software development methodology called the "Security Development Lifecycle" was incorporated in an effort to address concerns with the security of the Windows codebase.[7] After "Longhorn" was named Windows Vista, an unprecedented beta-test program was started, which has involved hundreds of thousands of volunteers and companies. In September 2005, Microsoft started releasing regular Community Technology Previews (CTP) to beta testers. The first of these was distributed among 2005 Microsoft Professional Developers Conference attendees, and was subsequently released to Microsoft Beta testers and Microsoft Developer Network subscribers. The builds that followed incorporated most of the planned features for the final product, as well as a number of changes to the user interface, based in large part on feedback from beta testers. Windows Vista was deemed feature-complete with the release of the "February CTP", released on February 22, 2006, and much of the remainder of work between that build and the final release of the product has focused on stability, performance, application and driver compatibility, and documentation. Beta 2, released in late May, was the first build to be made available to the general public through Microsoft's Customer Preview Program. It was downloaded by more than five million people. Release Candidate 1 was made available on September 1, 2006.[8] Subsequently, Release Candidate 2 was made available on October 6, 2006. Microsoft's roadmap indicates that the current planned "release to manufacturing" date is on or before October 25, 2006, exactly five years after the release of Windows XP.[9] Amazon.com started taking online orders for various Vista versions with an availability date of January 30, 2007 in late August 2006.[10] Through much of 2006, analysts and bloggers have speculated that Windows Vista would be delayed further, owing to anti-trust concerns raised by the European Commission and South Korea, and due to the significant number of outstanding issues with the beta releases. Microsoft stated on September 8, 2006 that Vista's release could be delayed further, but on October 13, 2006, it was announced that anti-trust concerns had been resolved, and that the operating system would be released on schedule.[1] It was reported on October 17, 2006 that Microsoft had put up a scrolling electronic reader on their campus, with the message "9 Days Until Vista RTM!!!", placing the RTM date exactly on October 25.[11] [edit] New and updated features Main article: Features new to Windows Vista Windows Vista has a long list of new features, changes, and improvements. Recent development builds of Windows Vista, Microsoft employee blogs, and published documentation (including a near-complete list of features in the Windows Vista Product Guide) have collectively identified most of the features that Microsoft intends to include when the product is released. [edit] End-user features The appearance of Windows Explorer has changed significantly from Windows XP.Windows Aero: a re-designed user interface, named Windows Aero – an acronym (possibly a backronym) for Authentic, Energetic, Reflective, and Open. The new interface is intended to be cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing than previous Windows, including new transparencies, animations and eye candy. Windows Shell: The new Windows shell is significantly different from Windows XP, offering a new range of organization, navigation, and search capabilities. Windows Explorer's task pane has been removed, integrating the relevant task options into the toolbar. A "Favorite links" pane has been added, enabling one-click access to common directories. The address bar has been replaced with a breadcrumb navigation system. The Start menu has changed as well; it no longer uses ever-expanding boxes when navigating through Programs. Even the word "Start" itself has been removed in favor of a blue Windows "Pearl". Windows Search (also known as Instant Search or search as you type): significantly faster and more thorough search capabilities, similar to what is offered by Windows Desktop Search and Apple Computer's Spotlight. Search boxes have been added to the Start menu, Windows Explorer, and several of the applications included with Vista. By default, Instant Search indexes only a small amount of folders such as the start menu, the names of files opened, the Documents folder, and the user's e-mail. Windows GadgetsWindows Sidebar: A transparent panel anchored to the side of the screen where a user can place Desktop Gadgets, which are small applets designed for a specialized purpose (such as displaying the weather or sports scores). Gadgets can also be placed on other parts of the Desktop, if desired. The technology bears some resemblance to the older Active Channel and Active Desktop technologies introduced with Windows 98, but the gadgets technology is more versatile, and is not integrated with the Internet Explorer browser in the same way as Active Desktop. Windows Internet Explorer 7: new user interface, tabbed browsing, RSS, a search box, improved printing, Page Zoom, Quick Tabs (thumbnails of all open tabs), a number of new security protection features, and improved web standards support.[12] Windows Media Player 11, a major revamp of Microsoft's program for playing and organizing music and video. New features in this version include word wheeling (or "search as you type"), a completely new and highly graphical interface for the media library, photo display and organization, and the ability to share music libraries over a network with other Vista machines, Xbox 360 integration, and support for other Media Center Extenders. Backup and Restore Center: Includes a backup and restore application that gives users the ability to schedule periodic backups of files on their computer, as well as recovery from previous backups. Backups ar