Microsoft's "Major Announcement" - A Move Towards Open Source

**GreatKingRat** · 21st February 2008, 4:01pm

Quote:

Microsoft has planned a last-minute press conference to make a "significant announcement".

The event is planned for later this afternoon, but we have been assured that it is nothing to do with the company's attempted takeover of Yahoo.

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/169737/m...ouncement.html

Any ideas?

Hammer · 21st February 2008, 4:03pm

Apple and MS are merging.

I suspect that it's something not that exciting - probably some information on the next version of Windows, Vista SP1, the Touch Interface or a new Zune model.

**djtoast** · 21st February 2008, 4:05pm

They're abandoning Vista, and working towards a sept '09 release of XPsp3

Stew · 21st February 2008, 4:06pm

Quote:

"news.com reports that Microsoft is withdrawing SP1 for Vista. Nice White, Microsoft product manager blogged 'We've heard a few reports about problems customers may be experiencing as a result of KB937287,' wrote White. 'Immediately after receiving reports of this error, we made the decision to temporarily suspend automatic distribution of the update to avoid further customer impact while we investigate possible causes.'"

http://slashdot.org/articles/08/02/21/1526225.shtml

Probably wouldn't be a big enough announcement for that, but I like laughing at Micro$oft.

Baron Samedi · 21st February 2008, 4:09pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stew

Nice White, Microsoft product manager

Fuck right off.

**GreatKingRat** · 21st February 2008, 4:11pm

The conference is scheduled for 4:30pm GMT.

Someone on the PC Pro forums noted that Bob Muglia, senior vice president of the Server and Tools Business, is listed to be there so it may be server related.

Hammer · 21st February 2008, 4:11pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by djtoast

They're abandoning Vista, and working towards a sept '09 release of XPsp3

They are aiming to have Windows 7/Vienna/Blackcomb out by then...

GKR may be spot on BTW. Server 2008 launches next week - they could be just going to do a PR conference about it.

**djtoast** · 21st February 2008, 4:15pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hammer

Right Guard and MS are merging.

fixed

YouTube - Steve Ballmer going crazy

**GreatKingRat** · 21st February 2008, 4:16pm

More info...

Quote:

Microsoft has promised to make sweeping changes to the way it designs and shares information about its products.

In a clear acknowledgment of the growing importance of open-source software Microsoft has promised to introduce a number of measures including:

The publication of APIs for "all high-volume" products
Sharing 30,000 pages of documentation for Windows client and server protocols that were previously available only under a trade secret licence
Indicating which of its protocols are covered by patents, and promising not to sue open-source developers for development or non-commercial distribution of implementations of these protocols
To create new APIs for Word, Excel and PowerPoint to enable developers to plug-in additional document formats, and set these as their default format in Office 2007

"These steps represent an important step and significant change in how we share information about our products and technologies," cliams Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer in a pre-prepared statement.

"For the past 33 years, we have shared a lot of information with hundreds of thousands of partners around the world and helped build the industry, but today's announcement represents a significant expansion toward even greater transparency.

"Our goal is to promote greater interoperability, opportunity and choice for customers and developers throughout the industry by making our products more open and by sharing even more information about our technologies."

Microsoft is holding a press conference on the announcement shortly. We'll update you with the details.

Largest of Als · 21st February 2008, 4:17pm

Maybe they're going to admit after all these years that the original 'Windows' was blatantly stolen from the Apple OS, and that every innovation they've had over the years has also been something that Apple came up with first... and pay Apple royalites for said idea theft?

Al

Hammer · 21st February 2008, 4:32pm

Business speculation: http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/...3-23188367.htm

Quote:

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) will most likely announce it has agreed to a settlement with the European Union over complaints that it has restricted interoperability between personal computers running its operating system and central computers running non-Microsoft server software, according to Cowen & Co analysts.

**djtoast** · 21st February 2008, 5:08pm

Ah, now that makes some sense. I couldn't quite work out why the quote above was worth its own press statement!

Sublimation · 21st February 2008, 5:13pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Largest of Als

Maybe they're going to admit after all these years that the original 'Windows' was blatantly stolen from the Apple OS, and that every innovation they've had over the years has also been something that Apple came up with first... and pay Apple royalites for said idea theft?

Al

And Apple blatently stealing Vista for their latest products!

triggerhappy · 21st February 2008, 5:14pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sublimation

And Apple blatently stealing Vista for their latest products!

?

Explain.

**djtoast** · 21st February 2008, 5:18pm

*splutter*

eh?