Microsoft offers peek into newest Windows
Reuters | at | by Mike
Much of Longhorn's most significant improvements will be in its basic design and inner workings. Microsoft is also developing a new security technology, code-named Palladium, which is widely expected to be a part of Longhorn. Palladium will allow Microsoft to secure information passing through software and, more significantly, hardware. For example, Microsoft could encrypt keyboard strokes passing through the cable connecting the keyboard and the PC, making it difficult to find out a secret password or eavesdrop on sensitive information.
A new file system allowing the operating system to store data more efficiently will also be a core part of Longhorn's design, Microsoft has said. That system, based on database technology, is aimed at facilitating storage of different types of files, which are automatically categorized, and also making it easier to manage files without using folders. The new file system will also make it easier to store and retrieve data in different locations, such as on a server or another computer in a different location.