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Longhorn's new name: Windows Vista
July 22, 2005 -
Microsoft delivers new patching tools
June 7, 2005 -
Patching up problems
January 28, 2005
Code-named "Freeze Dry," the technology uses a new restart manager in Windows Vista, a Microsoft representative said in a statement Friday. In most cases, consumers won't have to restart Windows Vista when installing or updating an application, according to Microsoft.
It will even be possible to patch some applications while they are in use, the software maker said. "Windows Vista automatically replaces the file the next time the application is restarted," the Microsoft representative said. Vista, previously code-named Longhorn, is due out by the end of next year.
To safeguard user data when an application restart is required after patching, Windows Vista can save the person's data, close the application, apply the patch and restart the application, Microsoft said. "As a result, most updates need not interrupt users' work," the company said.
The improved patching technology can be helpful for many consumers, but looks to be especially useful in corporate environments where IT managers automatically install patches and updates on machines. People who leave documents open and unsaved on those machines today run the risk of losing data if their system is automatically updated.
"These things have been talked about for a long time," said John Pescatore, a vice president at research firm Gartner. "Every release of Windows is always making boot-up times shorter and patching easier, but Microsoft has not been able to deliver all of the time."
Assuming Microsoft is successful with Vista, the company is coming close to reaching patching utopia, according to Pescatore. "The Holy Grail is total hands-off patching," he said. That would be where IT staff could patch any PC on the corporate network at the push of a button without requiring the systems to reboot or any user interference.
"This ability to patch without requiring a reboot is enormous," Pescatore said. "This has been a feature users have been clamoring for."
Microsoft has improved the process of patching Windows and its other products over the past few years. In June, the software maker delivered an overhaul of its corporate patching tool and Microsoft Update, the promised successor to its Windows Update service.
Unlike Windows Update, Microsoft Update provides patches for a number of the company's products, not just the Windows operating system. That means customers no longer have to visit several Microsoft Web sites to make sure they have the latest fixes for each product.
See more CNET content tagged:
Microsoft Update, reboot, Microsoft Windows Vista, software company, patch management
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Sooner or later, Microsoft steals Apple's old ideas and calls them
their own, to great fanfare, while pooh-poohing Apple's current
ideas.
Sooner or later, Microsoft steals Apple's old ideas and calls them
their own, to great fanfare, while pooh-poohing Apple's current
ideas.
Sooner or later, Microsoft steals Apple's old ideas and calls them
their own, to great fanfare, while pooh-poohing Apple's current
ideas.
case-in-point: X11 (for linux) has mulitple workspaces (desktops) so you can switch between desktops when you want to do something different without closing the open window. MS come up with a 3D desktop, waste an extra 200+MB RAM, more VRAM, and for what? it still won't compete with multiple desktops.
case-in-point: X11 (for linux) has mulitple workspaces (desktops) so you can switch between desktops when you want to do something different without closing the open window. MS come up with a 3D desktop, waste an extra 200+MB RAM, more VRAM, and for what? it still won't compete with multiple desktops.
case-in-point: X11 (for linux) has mulitple workspaces (desktops) so you can switch between desktops when you want to do something different without closing the open window. MS come up with a 3D desktop, waste an extra 200+MB RAM, more VRAM, and for what? it still won't compete with multiple desktops.
uh, i hate to sound cynical but the feature i'm actually clamoring for is an operating system that doesn't require patching. think of it this way, sir: if they make it too convenient to patch, then there'll be that much less pressure (from users) to make the operating system right in the first place.
mark d.
uh, i hate to sound cynical but the feature i'm actually clamoring for is an operating system that doesn't require patching. think of it this way, sir: if they make it too convenient to patch, then there'll be that much less pressure (from users) to make the operating system right in the first place.
mark d.
uh, i hate to sound cynical but the feature i'm actually clamoring for is an operating system that doesn't require patching. think of it this way, sir: if they make it too convenient to patch, then there'll be that much less pressure (from users) to make the operating system right in the first place.
mark d.
single processor 3 Ghz Pentium 4 with HT technology will be
outdated when Vista is released. Not many of you can
remember 4K Basic but it got the job done.
Newer "Visual" languages seem to take away the willingness of the average programmer to put time into making their programs efficient. I have talked to a number that insist that the efficiency isn't as important today because of the amount of computing power. But just think how much more power would be available to the end user if the programs were as efficient as those old ones...
- Hello .... anyone home.....????
- by September 4, 2005 10:56 AM PDT
- Folks, all Microsoft is tring to do is sell more hardware. Your
- Like this Reply to this comment
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- Bloated "Visual" languages are to blame
- by ddesy September 7, 2005 6:04 AM PDT
- The reason that software, including operating systems like, are so bloated clearly has to do with the change of programming style. Things like that 4K BASIC were so small because they were coded for efficiency. Use of assembly language can do a great deal for reducing code size and improving speed. Even pure C and C++ aren't bad.
- Like this View reply
Processing -
Showing 1 of 2 pages (99 Comments)single processor 3 Ghz Pentium 4 with HT technology will be
outdated when Vista is released. Not many of you can
remember 4K Basic but it got the job done.
Newer "Visual" languages seem to take away the willingness of the average programmer to put time into making their programs efficient. I have talked to a number that insist that the efficiency isn't as important today because of the amount of computing power. But just think how much more power would be available to the end user if the programs were as efficient as those old ones...