China DOS Union

Microsoft: Longhorn Brings Huge Changes, Users Will Have to Pay to Upgrade


2002-12-04 09:45:00 PCPOP



　　Microsoft's next operating system, codenamed Longhorn, will bring very major changes and give us an experience completely different from Windows XP, and its appetite will also become even more frightening than Windows XP's. Longhorn will be built on XML; when the time comes, without an entirely new hardware system it may be impossible to run this giant. This version will be the biggest innovation since Windows NT, and Longhorn will bring quite a few new features:

　　A new file system:







　　The new file system will replace FAT/FAT32, and it will also be different from the NTFS file system. Longhorn will arrange files by file name or file content instead of considering file dates, making it more convenient for users. It will simplify the organization of spreadsheets, Word documents, and E-mail, but it will also bring performance loss. The new file system is obviously intended for larger-capacity disk systems, and can efficiently manage disks with capacities above 1000GB.

　　Naturally it is not easy to create such a huge file system; this has also been a goal database companies have wanted to achieve for years, but up to now there still has not been a product with the technology to realize it. The establishment of the new file system borrows from the database system of Microsoft's next-generation SQL Server version codenamed Yukon. Interestingly, by the middle of 2003 we still will not see a Beta version of Yukon, making many people doubt the feasibility of bringing this file system into the mass market. Even if, as Microsoft says, it must undergo complete testing before entering the practical stage, converting to the new file system could still destroy data.

　　A unified program invocation model:






　　Aside from the file system changes, this will be the biggest change. Microsoft believes some functions need to be integrated. For example, computer users should not have to use one program for reading and writing, another for spreadsheets, and another for E-mail; one program should be enough to handle all application needs. This will mean not only that Windows needs large-scale revisions, but also that Microsoft needs to consider modifications to Office software components. Bemuller has already confirmed this change in a publicly released computer industry report.

　　Of course, no matter how advanced and attractive this new system is, Microsoft still overestimates users' willingness to change their habits. Once they realize they must use certain programs, most users are still happy to do so, even if there are still many problems in doing it. The question of whether users are willing to learn a new way of using computers is also on the agenda, not to mention the cost brought by installing new software. Some people think buying a new operating system is still worthwhile; after all, Microsoft has spent quite a lot of money developing it. But this argument obviously ignores the fact that upgrading the operating system must also be accompanied by upgrading the hardware system. For a user, unless it is especially necessary, such high expenses really do require careful thought.

　　Improved security:






　　Longhorn will be the first operating system for the PCI Express standard. PCI Express will replace the current PCI standard and become the new standard for future I/O output. Besides being able to provide more than 8 times the transfer speed, the new design also requires Longhorn to bundle more effective security measures, which is also Microsoft's original intention in providing Palladium. Even Linux and Unix have never tightly bundled hardware and the operating system; this will bring unprecedented security, and will eliminate the performance loss caused by platform security risks.

　　Longhorn will also improve the operating system's entertainment features. It will integrate a rather attractive interface for audio, video, and images, similar to the current MacOS X. At the same time, it also expands the synchronization capabilities between PCs and external digital devices, including synchronized operation among multiple PCs, PDA devices, and Smartphones.

　　Since designing an operating system is not easy and usually takes 20-40 months, and they also have to deal with upgrades for .NET Server and Windows 2000 ServicePack. Many people hope Microsoft can take on its responsibility as the leading operating system maker in the PC field, rather than merely boasting about the features of its own operating system. Another issue is that hardware makers may be more willing for Longhorn to come out sooner, because by then they can once again find reasons for hardware speed improvements.

Linux Is Invading the Desktop, Individual Users Are Also Starting to Like the Little Penguin


　　Can little Linux really destroy the empire Microsoft has built in the desktop computer field? The Linux operating system, symbolized by the penguin, has already made striking progress among enterprise users, but so far it still has not broken into the desktop computer market.

　　Ninety percent of the world's desktop computers still run Microsoft's Windows operating system. For ordinary computer users, Linux is still considered too technically complex. But this situation is changing, especially in some places outside the United States.

　　Government agencies in Europe, China, India, and South American countries have already begun encouraging the use of Linux systems, because such systems can reduce costs, avoid excessive dependence on a single software vendor, and offer greater flexibility.

　　Linux is only one part of the open-source software movement, a movement that gives programmers around the world the ability to obtain and modify source code.

　　Stacey Quandt is an analyst at Giga Information Group, responsible for tracking information on open-source and Linux software. He said: "Outside North America, Microsoft's operating systems and application software are both feeling the threat, and many governments are evaluating other ways to replace Microsoft products."

　　Outside the United States, some products preinstalled with Linux have already begun to be sold.

　　HP has already started selling PCs with Turbo linux in China. It is also selling PCs preinstalled with Linux in the German-speaking countries of Europe.

　　Judy Chavis, HP's global Linux director, said: "HP's Linux efforts began two years ago with the launch of Linux-based servers, and this year HP has launched Linux-based desktop computers as well."

　　Sun Microsystems also plans to sell Linux-based PCs, providing specialized computer products using Linux systems to organizations such as banks, schools, government agencies, and call centers.

Academician Ni Guangnan of the Chinese Academy of Sciences: An Opportunity for Promoting Linux in Desktop Computing


2002-11-19 10:53:00 Chinabyte



　　By/Ni Guangnan



　　New problems appearing after the launch of Windows XP

　　As a milestone in Microsoft's продвижение its .Net strategy, the launch of Windows XP will have a major impact on the IT industry in the world and in China. As everyone knows, the core idea of .Net is to treat software as a service. So, starting from Windows XP and Office XP, some enterprise users will be the first to personally "experience" that Microsoft's software can no longer be bought once and used forever as in the past; now it is only licensed for a certain period of time (for example, two years), and when that time is up users must pay to upgrade, otherwise they cannot use it. If this trend continues, the software business model will shift from a one-time purchase to a subscription service with regular payments.

　　In the past, although Microsoft had a huge customer base, it was only a one-time purchase relationship and not very solid. It has always hoped to establish with users a long-term subscription relationship based on regular payments, like AOL. Obviously, Windows XP is a major step in that direction. Not only that, Windows XP also added the so-called "Microsoft Product Activation" technology. As a means of copyright protection, it allows Microsoft's software products to run only on a PC with a specific hardware configuration. When users begin using the software, they must register on Microsoft's website for identity authentication (that is, the Passport online ID authentication system). At that time, the authentication system records the hardware configuration of that PC and activates the product, and after that the software can only be used on that PC; even changing the hardware configuration of that PC often requires authentication again. This practice not only brings inconvenience to users, but even more worrying is that during this identity authentication, users' data is also sent to Microsoft's website.

　　Of course, Passport authentication is only one of the services Microsoft intends to include in its .Net plan. In the services just launched at present (that is, .Net My Services), there are already calendar, wallet, appointments, reminders, file storage, and other services, as well as other services provided by Microsoft's partners. It can be predicted that in the future Microsoft's .Net services will gather in as many services as possible. Perhaps Microsoft's monopoly position in the desktop computer OS field today may one day turn into a monopoly position in the service industry. In the final analysis, the .Net plan is for profit. For example, Microsoft's current charges to developers are: for small application software, an annual usage fee of $1,000, plus $250 for each application developed. For standard users, who are the majority of users Microsoft is counting on, the annual usage fee will be $10,000, plus $1,500 for each application. Seen this way, the service fees users will pay for .Net in the future will not be less than what they paid in the past for Microsoft software.

　　 These features of Windows XP, together with the current situation of our country's entry into the WTO, have already brought three closely related issues to the forefront: safeguarding information security, having an independent operating system (and in the future an independent service industry as well), and advocating genuine software. This gives us a sense of urgency we have never had before, prompting us to reexamine the status of Linux and the related issues of promoting it.

　　Conditions for promoting Linux in desktop computing

　　One view of Linux is that it can develop only in the server and embedded fields, and that the desktop computing field can only be occupied by Windows. We believe that even if this view fits the situation in developed countries, it does not fit China's situation. China's market has its own special characteristics, and in the IT field we can cite such an example. In a huge, developing domestic-demand market like China, it is entirely possible to form a pattern different from that of other developed-country markets, and the promotion of Linux in China's desktop computing field can entirely exceed the degree that developed countries can achieve.

　　The conditions in China favorable to promoting Linux on the desktop are: the need for information security, the need for genuine software, the need for low prices, the government's regulatory ability, the development of the network computing model, the very low penetration rate of Wintel PCs, .... Of course, promoting Linux really does require solving some specific problems. Aside from the ease-of-use issue people often talk about, here we focus on three interconnected issues: market positioning, key applications, and the hardware platform.

　　1. Market positioning. The main target of desktop Linux should be group users—government agencies, enterprises, schools, and so on—not individual users. This is because Windows' biggest advantage is its large number of application programs, and Linux will have difficulty catching up in this respect. But for group users, most of them use only a limited number of application programs, and Linux can easily meet their needs.

　　2. Key applications. For most group users, the application software they use now is mainly browsers and Office suites, which can be called "key applications." If Linux can provide software in these two key applications comparable to Windows, then for most group users, switching from the Windows platform to the Linux platform will not have any real impact on their business, and at present it seems these two key applications on Linux will be solved very soon.

　　3. Hardware platform. PC sales in the international market have already dropped noticeably this year. In China, although they are still growing, network computers (NC) and other information appliances (IA) are also on the rise. This kind of new hardware platform is different from the PC, so it can adopt a non-Wintel architecture, and this will become a new hardware carrier for Linux to enter the desktop field.

　　The concept for promoting Linux in the desktop computing field

　　These three aspects mentioned above are closely related. For example, if Linux is promoted installed on PCs, it will be much more difficult than promoting it installed on NCs, because if it is promoted as a PC, it needs to support individual users, and they will demand the ability to use the large amount of existing PC software on the market, which of course is something Linux finds difficult to do. But if it is promoted as an NC, it mainly supports group users, and they basically only require key applications, so the problem becomes much simpler. Moreover, group users have strict requirements for using genuine software. When an organization discovers that after switching from the Windows platform to the Linux platform it can save several thousand yuan per user, it will gladly accept some inconvenience that comes with it. Besides, before long Linux's key applications will be able to rival those of Windows. As another example, using Linux helps safeguard information security, and many units, in order to safeguard information security, require physical isolation between the internal network and the external network. In such a case, if a PC is used as the client of the internal network, management requirements must be very high, because the PC itself is easily attacked, infected with viruses, or used for stealing data. But if an NC is used, it has no external storage, no extra ports, and all programs and data are stored on the server, so the security of the internal network is easier to guarantee. From this it can be seen that Linux-based NCs as clients are especially suitable for internal networks that emphasize information security.

　　To sum up, the concept for promoting Linux in the desktop computing field is: from the angles of information security, price, and genuine-software requirements, encourage group users to adopt Linux; provide key applications on the Linux platform that are comparable to those on the Windows platform, so that switching platforms does not affect the business of group users; from the angles of information security and price, encourage group users to use non-Wintel NCs to replace Wintel PCs as clients in network systems; from the angles of market, profit, and government support, encourage as many enterprises as possible to form an industrial chain producing and selling non-Wintel-architecture NCs and other IA products; and from the angles of information security, industrial independence, and price, encourage public opinion circles to support the promotion of non-Wintel NCs with independent core technologies. Of course, whether Linux can ultimately be promoted in China's desktop computing field still awaits the test of practice. It is hoped that the launch of Windows XP and our country's entry into the WTO can become an opportunity for promoting Linux in the desktop computing field.

Originally carried in Chinabyte 2001-10-30)

Lindows.com Launches New Version of Its Linux-Based LindowsOS 3.0
2002-11-20 10:39:00 Nikkei BP

　　On November 18 local U.S. time, Lindows.com announced the latest version of "LindowsOS," "3.0."

　　LindowsOS is a Linux-based OS whose "features are easy installation. Its approachable layout and intuitive graphics environment make it very suitable for use in enterprises, educational institutions, and homes. In addition to being able to use as many as several hundred applications, it also supports Microsoft's Windows specifications" (Lindows.com).

　　On LindowsOS, users can not only handle "Word (.doc)," "Excel (.xls)," "PowerPoint (.ppt)," "Flash," and "Real Audio" formats, but can also edit various image files.

　　Through LindowsOS's "Click-N-Run" technology, users can "just click lightly, exactly as the name says" (Lindows.com) to download and install software products such as Sun Microsystems' "StarOffice," Sunspire Studios' "Tux Racer Deluxe," and HancomLinux's "Hancom Sheet." Software that can run on LindowsOS can be checked through "Click-N-Run Warehouse" (http://www.lindows.com/warehouse

　　As for the boxed "LindowsOS Membership Edition" of LindowsOS 3.0, the price including 2 CDs is $129. If downloaded in digital form from www.lindows.com/order, the price is $119.

　　According to Lindows.com, personal computers with LindowsOS 3.0 installed will be sold in stores such as Wal-Mart in the United States. http://www.lindows.com/featured will provide related purchasing information.

　　In addition, Lindows.com is cooperating with StepUp Computing to jointly develop the "DocuNote" tablet PC with LindowsOS 3.0 installed. DocuNote is planned to begin shipping in the first quarter of 2003.

Is Chinese Linux Entering a Profitable Era? -- The Road of Linux Applications


2002-11-28 13:25:00 China Youth Online



Is Chinese Linux Entering a Profitable Era?

　 On December 21, 2001, China Wave Platform (China) Software Technology Co., Ltd., China's first specialized Linux vendor, successfully went public on Hong Kong's Growth Enterprise Market, becoming the first Linux enterprise in China to be listed there. This showed recognition from domestic and overseas customers and investors for the achievements China Wave Platform had made, and also represented the confidence of consumers and investors in the prospects for Linux development. This successful listing by China Wave Platform was an important milestone in the history of Linux development in China. After listing, China Wave Platform lived up to expectations — its financial report announced on March 21, 2002 showed that China Wave International (HKGEM8178) was the first to achieve full-year profitability of HK$3.478 million, becoming China's first profitable Linux enterprise.

　 The road of Linux applications

　 Actually, software as legendary as Linux was born under very accidental circumstances. On October 5, 1991, a very curious student at the University of Helsinki in Finland — Linus Torvalds — first released Linux source code based on the Intel386 architecture on the Internet, and invited all experts to comment on it. This move and the later developments had a major impact on the computer world. Linux, with its open source code, immediately attracted the attention of hackers. These talented programming experts continuously modified and supplemented Linux over the network, and the subsequent development created today's free, open, stable, and efficient Linux.

　 Linux is known for "open source code," but open source is only on the technical side. From technology to product, and onto the road of application — that is Linux's future. At present, the stage of getting to know Linux in the Chinese market has already passed, the pilot stage has also passed, and it has begun transitioning to the application stage.

　 In Linux applications, Linux products are usually divided into enterprise products, desktop products, and embedded products. Among enterprise products there are relatively high-end application products, such as large DataServer systems and cluster servers, as well as relatively lower-end ones such as Web servers and Mail servers aimed at small businesses (some call these mid-range). Linux vendors are positioned differently, and facing different directions, each has its own strengths. The current market situation is that Linux has always performed well in server applications; it has great potential in the embedded level-one field (such as PDA, set-top boxes, and various other handheld devices), but this still awaits development; on the desktop, because of Windows' complete dominance, it is not easy to make major achievements; and in high-end enterprise applications, Linux has had relatively little involvement. But people have reason to believe that only Linux applications, especially enterprise-level applications, can drive Linux to continue developing.

　 China Wave Platform's "technology + application"

　 As China's first specialized Linux vendor, China Wave Platform was one of the earliest teams in China to invest in Linux R&D. As early as the beginning of 1998, when Linux had just become known to people in China, a group of young people formed a team called Xteam and threw themselves into the development of Chinese Linux systems. Over more than four years, the original Xteam group has developed into today's listed enterprise.

　 In its early days, China Wave Platform devoted itself to R&D in Chinese Linux technology, taking "Chinese Linux" as its core technology, accumulating technical R&D strength, and laying a solid technical foundation for future applications. In March 1999, China Wave Platform developed the world's first complete Chinese Linux distribution — XteamLinux1.0, successfully launching the Chinese Linux market. With this, it took the first step in Linux applications.

　 In the development that followed, along with the continuous upgrading of Linux technology and the constant innovation of application software products, China Wave Platform also took more mature and steady steps in the field of Linux applications. Now Xteam's main products already cover a whole series of Linux products ranging from desktop products, server products, solution products, and application software products to embedded products, while also providing enterprises and individuals with more complete solutions. Today, China Wave Platform has brought its Linux technological achievements into comprehensive application. Among them, four products fully applied to servers — XteamServer3.0i－class, Xteam ServerMonitor, Xteam LogAnalyzer, and Xteam WebMail — have opened up new value-added business for the IDC market; and the virtual community system "Xteam Dream Community," which provides tailored solutions and services for users, has already achieved actual successful use in communities. The "technology + application" model laid out the red carpet for China Wave Platform's successful road to profitability.

　 The "channel partner program" recently launched by China Wave Platform has put forward a plan with greater development potential for the current state of China's Linux market. Relevant people in the industry believe that while China Wave Platform works closely with software developers, system integrators, solution providers, Web service providers, and others to provide end users with more comprehensive and more reliable application solutions, it will continue to lead Chinese Linux into a profitable era. (Zhang Li/text)

"Golden Torch" Lights Up Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong: A Mass Mobilization for Linux Development 2002-11-22 17:43:00 Chinabyte

　　Brilliant Linux enthusiasts, professional developers, and creative, warmhearted readers — the chance to show your skills and show what you can do has arrived!

　　Starting from November 1, an event called the "Golden Torch" program will set up 200,000 yuan in prize money to support a series of software projects of varying difficulty, with different prize levels set according to development difficulty and workload. Participants can claim development projects online according to their own ability and interests, either as individuals or as project teams, and carry out development. After the deadline, the final works will be evaluated and approved by an "expert review panel," and the winners can receive the prize money for that project as well as an honorary Embedded Linux Programmer certificate issued by the event.

　　To participate, you first need to log in to www.walkpad.com.cn and register as a member of the "GVLinux Club" before taking part in this event. The "Golden Torch Program" includes a large batch of torch projects, and participants can choose the projects they like online for development. Torch projects are divided into different star levels according to difficulty and requirements, with each star worth 1,000 yuan. Submitted works are reviewed by the expert panel, and for each project 1 winner and 1-2 encouragement award recipients will be selected. The winner receives prize money, and the encouragement award recipients will receive a Wenquxing PC1010 electronic dictionary. The torch review panel is a professional review organization composed of experts. It evaluates uploaded torch works according to uniform standards, and both the review standards and the review results will be made public on the walkpad website.

　　For the broad community of Linux enthusiasts, the second half of this year truly has been a season full of expectations and applause. In a short time, major Linux vendors at home and abroad have all rushed to launch their new Linux distributions. The French company MandrakeSoft launched Mandrake9.0, Linux giant RedHat launched RedHat8.0, and the German powerhouse SUSE also strongly launched version SUSE 8.1. According to reports, IBM will place even more bets on the Linux operating system. The powerful vitality and bright prospects of Linux by now speak for themselves!

　　This event is jointly initiated and hosted by Beijing Golden Vision, Taiwan Vision, and Hong Kong Vision, with CHIP magazine, Beijing Gongchuang Open Source Software Company, Linux Core Station, Taiwan Free Software Association, Linger Intelligence (Taiwan), Hong Kong Linux User Association, Linux Pilot magazine (Hong Kong), and others as co-organizers. It uses the development platform of the world's first fully Chinese palmtop computer, the Wenquxing WalkPad GP1288, as its carrier, and takes "GVLinux Free World" as its platform, facing programmers, university students, and enthusiastic consumers across mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

　　If the "Golden Torch" program is the spark, then what will become a prairie fire must be the widespread popularization and deep development of Embedded Linux in China. As the first event to be carried out simultaneously across mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, this activity will attract as many friends as possible from across China who aspire to make something of themselves in the field of open platforms, to jointly design, create, and develop numerous application programs. Are you full of talent? Are you outstanding? Are you exceptional among the crowd? Please join in, so that you can experience even more of the joy of free creation, and for the development of Linux in China!

cctrv says Windows LH (LongHorn) is coming out next year. I do want to see what it will look like.