Microsoft Sends 10,000 people the Beta 1 version of its next-generation operating system a few days early.
Microsoft finally met one deadline on its way to completing the 64-bit operating system previously known as Longhorn. The company had announced an August 3rd launch date for Vista Beta 1, but has made it available a week early instead.
Over 10,000 testers in the Windows Vista Technical Beta Program have been receiving a copy. In a press release, Microsoft noted that thousands more will receive it through MSDN or TechNet.
This early testing will help Microsoft locate and quash some bugs in advance of its 2005 Professional Developers Conference scheduled for September 13-16 in Los Angeles.
One treat included in Vista Beta 1 will be Internet Explorer version 7. As Microsoft has tried to emphasize security through its Trustworthy Computing program in general and Vista in particular, IE 7 will arrive with new features to help users fight off malware and phishing or spoofing attempts.
Several other security features have been disclosed for this first beta release. User Account Protection will let administrators limit users to only the privileges they need to work.
For remote laptop users, Vista will include data protection technologies that can help keep unauthorized users out of a lost or stolen machine’s hard disk. Full volume encryption will help prevent thieves from using other operating systems to access files.
Other features should help administrators better deploy and manage Vista across an enterprise. Microsoft has promised that Vista would have a quicker startup, by pushing login scripts and startup applications and services to the background while users work on tasks.
David Utter is a staff writer for murdok covering technology and business. Email him here.
