Jim Allchin - The Longhorn Update

Posted By: The Channel 9 Team | Aug 28th, 2004 @ 9:55 AM | 108,773 Views | 75 Comments
Jim Allchin is the Group Vice President for Platforms at Microsoft. The Channel 9 team sat down with Jim yesterday and asked him to share his thoughts on the updated Windows "Longhorn" plan and schedule that was announced on Friday.  Jim gives an overview of the updates to the plan and schedule, how Microsoft reached the decision, and how it affects developers.

We listened carefully to customers over the past year and prioritized Windows XP SP2 security enhancements over other efforts.   This has resulted in good things for our customers. We’ve have also listened to customers’ views on Longhorn and have heard they want improved user productivity, easier deployment, increased reliability, enhanced security as well as the many innovations we’ve been working on.

We’ve had to make some tradeoffs to deliver the features corporate customers, consumers and OEMS are asking for in a reasonable timeframe.  The announcements we made are based on this feedback.

On Friday Microsoft made three announcements:

1.) Microsoft is reaffirming our commitment for broad availability of the Windows “Longhorn” Client in 2006.
 
2.) Microsoft plans to make elements of Longhorn’s WinFX programming model available for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.  This will enable developers to write WinFX applications that run on hundreds of millions of PCs and offer these next generation of applications sooner. Specifically, Microsoft plans to deliver the “Avalon” and “Indigo” pillars of Longhorn’s WinFX programming model for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. 

3.) We originally planned to ship a new data storage system codenamed “WinFS” when we released the Longhorn Client. In order to deliver Longhorn’s innovations to customers as quickly as possible, we now intend to deliver WinFS after the initial availability of Longhorn client.  We continue to be committed to WinFS.  It is expected to beta when Longhorn client is broadly available.
 
The Windows “Longhorn” Server Operating System continues to be expected to be available in 2007.
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#Aug 28th, 2004 @ 10:19 AM
Sk4rlath
Sk4rlath
The lesser of two Sampys (in age only).

I agree - tough decisions were made.  But it's good that they made them.  Assuming Longhorn were to be unchanged, we'd only get a client OS in 2007 with lesser versions of all the new features.  Now we get a solid OS in 2006 and 2007, and the cool features get to be backwards compatible.  For an independent/hobby developer like me, waiting two or three years is a lot like waiting three or four.  It's still way in the future, so another year to me is just a drop in the bucket so to speak.

I'm a little angry that there's no WinFS in Longhorn anymore, but the fact that you guys aren't going to release it until it's totally done (and that you haven't clipped it entirely) makes me happy again.

Like I said - tough decisions that had to be made.  Here's to the Longhorn team for having the guts to make them!

#Aug 28th, 2004 @ 10:21 AM
JamesC
JamesC
That's the first I've heard about WinFS shipping later than Longhorn.  Sad news, to be sure.
#Aug 28th, 2004 @ 10:26 AM
eagle
eagle
Thanks for coming on channel9 Jim!

Jim didn't look too comfortable, must have been giving interviews all afternoon. Most of what he said sounded like spin, after all Avalon and Indigo don't exist yet. Jim should get out in the sunshine more often, he has a boat doesn't he?
#Aug 28th, 2004 @ 10:48 AM
Minh
Minh
WOOH! WOOH!
I'm just curious about what language are the "pillars" written in. Avalon, Indio, WinFS are exposed through WinFX. Since WinFX is a .NET assembly, can we assume that all the pillars are going to be written in C# ?
#Aug 28th, 2004 @ 11:29 AM
Tom Servo
Tom Servo
W-hat?
eagle wrote:
after all Avalon and Indigo don't exist yet.


Depending on how you see it. Exist? Yes? Out in the public? No. I've been writing two custom controls with Avalon already.
#Aug 28th, 2004 @ 11:49 AM
Alex Keizer
Alex Keizer
Alex Keizer
In all software-projects there is a tradeoff to be made between time, features en resources.

It seems that they have had a large number of requests to make Avalon available to Windows XP/2003. That means making a trade-off, with a delay for WinFS as the result.

Especially the use of WinFS on an enterprise-level seems daunting. If I had the choice to 'skip' one of the pillars, I would probably choose WinFS as well.

Would this mean that the PDC for 2005 is pushed back also?
#Aug 28th, 2004 @ 11:54 AM
JamesC
JamesC
I don't think the folks from WinFS will be working on the backports of Avalon and Indigo.  WinFS was very slow to make progress between the PDC and WinHEC builds of Longhorn, and I'd imagine those guys need all the time they can get just to have WinFS ready a short time after Longhorn is available.
#Aug 28th, 2004 @ 11:55 AM
compugab
compugab
From Québec in Canada
Minh wrote:
I'm just curious about what language are the "pillars" written in. Avalon, Indio, WinFS are exposed through WinFX. Since WinFX is a .NET assembly, can we assume that all the pillars are going to be written in C# ?


Well they are for a big part in manage code, and MS just love C# so we can assume they are written in large part in c#... For source, look on this site and the .Net Show (http://www.msdn.microsoft.com/theshow/)

And I suppose that the avalon and indigo part for XP will be release at the same time that Longhor beta

Big Smile

Compugab
#Aug 28th, 2004 @ 12:26 PM
HellSnoopy
HellSnoopy
OMG he have black eyes , is he some kind of vampire or something Wink *j/k*
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