Microsoft has released a new programming tool aimed at attracting Java developers to its .Net software strategy. At its Tech Ed 2002 Europe developer conference Monday, Microsoft released the final version of Visual J#.Net, a tool that lets programmers use the Java language to build software that works only with Microsoft's .Net technology. The tool doesn't allow programmers to build standalone Java software.
In March, Sun raised concerns about Visual J#.Net in its private antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft. Sun charged that Microsoft had corrupted Java, undermining its promise of allowing developers to create software that can run on different types of computers or operating systems without having to be rewritten. Microsoft executives, however, assert that Visual J#.Net's limited capability allows Microsoft to sidestep licensing issues with Java creator Sun.
In this exclusive interview with Joe Belfiore, General Manager, User Experience, at Microsoft's Windows eHome Division, we discuss how Windows XP Media Center Edition--code-named "Freestyle"--evolved over time from concept to product. Joe has been an instrumental part of Microsoft's user experience efforts since the first version of what became Windows NT, and his background includes user interface work on Windows 95, Internet Explorer 3 and 4, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and the new Media Center experience in XP Media Center Edition.
Since the completion of Windows XP, Joe has moved on to the eHome Division, and in his current position, he helped guide the development of Microsoft's latest XP version, Media Center Edition. I discussed the design and development of Media Center with Joe just after the product's code was finalized.
Intel has halved the list prices of some of its Pentium 4 desktop chips in a sweeping price cut. The weekend price cuts came, as expected, after the company last week began shipping its new 2.8GHz Pentium 4 processor for desktop PCs and cut the price of its 2.53GHz Pentium 4 chip. Intel regularly cuts prices, and its dealers and distributors have been selling Pentium and Celeron chips at a discount to help get rid of excess inventories during the summer sales doldrums. But this week's round of cuts includes more than just Pentium 4s. It touches nearly all of the company's chips, ranging from the mobile Pentium 4 to Xeon chips for workstations and servers.
Intel will reveal details of its forthcoming mobile Banias and 3.0GHz Pentium 4 processors and will tout plans for sophisticated communications devices at its semi-annual Developer Forum conference, which begins Sept. 9 in San Jose, Calif. The architecture of the Banias chip, scheduled for release in the first half of next year, will be revealed during keynotes from Paul Otellini, president and COO of Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel, and Anand Chandrasekher, vice president and general manager of Intel's mobile platforms group, on Monday, Sept. 9, and Tuesday, Sept. 10, respectively. "Banias is the first time we've developed an architecture from the ground up," said Frank Spindler, vice president of the Intel corporate technology group.
Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard on Tuesday released additional details about digital entertainment PCs coming for the holidays. But new anti-copying technology could hamper sales, say analysts and potential buyers. The new consumer computers run Windows XP Media Center Edition, a variation of Microsoft's flagship operating system. Besides normal PC functions, Windows Media Center PCs offer a second user interface through which people can access the operating systems' digital media features via a remote control. HP, as well as Samsung, will start offering the new systems sometime before the holiday-shopping season, with HP's models selling in the high $1,500 range to around $2,000.
Microsoft on Tuesday launched its fall line of mice and keyboards, as the company looks to gain share over rival Logitech. But the new peripherals are only a first strike, as Microsoft prepares Bluetooth wireless mice and keyboards for November availability. Wireless is the hot growth area for the peripherals, analysts say. It's also a market where Logitech has consistently executed better than Microsoft.
"Logitech has made a business over the years of dancing around Microsoft and being competitive on the technology, great packaging and good pricing as well," said NPDTechworld analyst Stephen Baker. "Logitech is doing better with wireless mice and keyboards, where margins and profits are better than for their (corded cousins)."
Microsoft began notifying Passport users Monday night of changes that would give them more control over their accounts and increased privacy and security. The changes could eliminate two of the biggest customer gripes against Passport: That users can create accounts using bogus e-mail addresses and that users cannot easily cancel accounts they no longer wish to keep. The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant will begin making the account changes immediately but expects it to take several weeks before all Passport holders will have access to the new features. Like competing technology being developed by Sun Microsystems-sponsored Liberty Alliance, Passport is a single ID mechanism that can be used to access multiple Web sites, thus eliminating the need for users to remember many different IDs or passwords.
Microsoft will debut a new e-wallet service Tuesday and plans to phase out its current Passport wallet by March 2003, the company said. The move to a new service under the company's MSN portal will allow Passport to focus on its "core mission" of authentication services, Microsoft said. Passport was supposed to be a central aspect of Microsoft's consumer Web services plan, called .Net My Services. But that project has caused confusion over just how the technology will work, while raising hackles over consumer privacy. Creating a new system to store payment and shipping information could address some of .Net My Services' privacy concerns.
Monday morning, Microsoft announced the completion of Windows XP Media Center Edition, which will power new media center PCs from companies such as Hewlett-Packard and Samsung beginning next month. XP Media Center is the latest Windows version, and one of several products which rely on XP Service Pack 1 (SP1), which was finalized last week. XP Media Center adds a friendly interface on top of XP SP1 that allows consumers to access multimedia experiences--such as digital music, photos and videos, DVD movies, TV, and digital video recording--using a remote control and, optionally, a TV set.
Microsoft launched a wide collection of new-look keyboards and mice on Monday as the world's largest software maker gears up to offer a barrage of consumer-oriented products this fall. The new keyboards and mice, which will be available to consumers by the end of September, feature new colors such as blue, gray and black, and are designed for specific tasks, such as browsing the Web or working with Office, Microsoft's set of word processing and spreadsheet productivity software. Top-end models will include a wireless keyboard and optical mouse. Models to be released later this year will feature Bluetooth technology, a new wireless technology that allows devices to work with each other without cables.