In June I wrote “The old Microsoft, the Microsoft of Raymond Chen, might have implemented things like Avalon, the new graphics system, as a series of DLLs that can run on any version of Windows and which could be bundled with applications that need them. There’s no technical reason not to do this. But Microsoft needs to give you a reason to buy Longhorn…”
Microsoft: “Microsoft also announced that the Windows WinFX developer technologies, including the new presentation subsystem code-named ‘Avalon’ and the new communication subsystem code-named Indigo, will be made available for Microsoft® Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 in 2006.”
I’ve been hard at work on some new code for the discussion groups. Hopefully I’ll get an experimental build up somewhere in a week or two and we can start playing with it. It won’t look very different from the outside, so don’t get too excited. I think probably the biggest visible change will be that when you post something, you’ll be able to provide a URL that your name links to. It’s a small feature that I’m hoping will have a big effect on the anthropology of the discussion group. Like everything else, it’s an experiment. Have a great weekend!