Continued from Part Two...

A bright new outlook: Beta 2 brings Windows XP, new UI
On February 5, 2001, I flew to Seattle to preview Windows XP Beta 2 and the user interfaces changes Microsoft had planned for that release. The Whistler Desktop Beta 2 Technical Workshop consisted of two days of intensive hands-on overview featuring face time with the Microsoft executives, program managers, developers and product managers actually working on the product. It was an invaluable experience, given the number of changes Microsoft had made in this version.

The group of 20 technical journalists who showed up for the event were the first outside of Microsoft to see the new Windows XP user interface, which replaces the old gray Windows 95 interface with one that is much more colorful and exciting. Microsoft wasn't yet ready with XP code for us, unfortunately, so we walked away with the promise of pre-Beta 2 code and various other updates. Since we didn't have actual code with the new UI yet--and Microsoft wouldn't yet allow screenshots--I scanned the following image from a pad of notepaper we got and forwarded it to colleagues. Here it is, folks, the very first "screenshot" of the Windows XP user interface, sort of, published here for the first time.



Not coincidentally, I was able to publish the new Windows XP flag logo as well, thanks to that same pad of paper. You can only work with what you've got!



The day before the workshop began, Microsoft publicly announced the final names for Whistler and Office 10. "These breakthrough versions of Windows and Office will give people the most powerful end-to-end computing experiences ever available," Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said. "The coming generation of Windows XP and Office XP will let customers communicate and collaborate more effectively, be more creative and productive, and have more fun with technology." Gates notes that Windows XP and Office XP will lead the way to .NET. "Now, instead of having individual applications on each device, users will get a rich experience that spans all their devices. This evolution from applications to experiences starts with Windows XP and Office XP."

Most alarming to me, however, was the corroboration by my sources, just hours before I arrive on campus for the technical preview, that Windows XP would sport a new user interface. So before I had to sign an NDA, I posted a story on WinInfo about the change. "To prevent leaks, testers are completely in the dark," a source told me yesterday. "Luna will come with Beta 2, but I can't say more than that," another source said cryptically. When I arrived at the campus that day and was shown the new UI, program manager Iain McDonald pulled me aside to find out whether I had ever seen the new UI before that day. When I said no, he proceeded to high-five members of the Windows User Experience team. Job well done, apparently.

Anyway, the wealth of information we received at the technical workshop resulted in numerous articles on the SuperSite for Windows, though we were required to wait for the release of Beta 2 to publish any of it. But I wrote at least three Technology Showcases on the flights home from Seattle three days later, excited by the changes I had seen, with many more added in the coming weeks. Little did I know at the time that Beta would eventually ship a full month later than expected.

About a week after we left Redmond, on February 13, Microsoft released Windows XP build 2428 to testers and reviewers. This was one of the builds that had been shown off at the technical workshop, and it was the first external build to feature to new UI. It was also the build that arrived on loaner laptops provided by Compaq. At the time, I was under an NDA, so I didn't post any images of the build. However, here for the first time are some of my many shots of build 2428, showing off some of the new stuff we had seen earlier in that technical preview. If you've been using Windows XP, however, most of them probably look familiar now.





Windows XP interim build 2428: A first look at the new UI

February 13 was also the day that Microsoft revealed the Windows XP user interface publicly, at an event Experience Music Project (EMP) in Seattle. My exclusive look at the event--courtesy of Joe Jones, who went in my place--was published on the SuperSite.



Two days later, Microsoft provided me with a number of exclusive screenshots of Windows Media Player 8--later renamed to Media Player for Windows XP (MPXP), which were published immediately on the SuperSite. The company later sent two code updates for MPXP to the press, so that we could evaluate the new release, on February 15, and again on March 28. MPXP would not ship in Windows XP Beta 2 (which instead featured an older version of Media Player 8 that was visually identical to WMP7), but testers finally did get it, eventually, in the first post-Beta 2 interim build.

On February 19, I reported that Microsoft had slipped the release of Windows XP Beta 2 from late February to mid-March. "We are not hitting our goals for Whistler Beta 2," wrote Microsoft program manager Iain McDonald in an email to the Windows XP team. "This being the case, we're moving the release of Beta 2 to March 14. No one ever remembers a 2-week slip. Now is the time for us to be aggressive and drive the intensity. March is gut-check month because if we don't do this now, we'll miss the runway." On February 20, the Compaq loaner laptop arrived with build 2428, but I had already installed the build on several systems and had enough laptops, so I eventually forwarded the machine to someone else at the magazine.

As the press was seeded with XP beta code containing the new UI, a number of complaints began turning up. Some said the new UI widgets were too big, or too garish. On February 23, I reported that Microsoft had already corrected the number-one complaint about its new XP UI. The company considerably shrunk down the default size of the toolbar and its icons from the versions shown at the Experience Music Project (EMP) event. Build 2428, the build that Microsoft belatedly gave to technical beta testers the week before, contained the older, larger toolbar. But Beta 2 would feature the new toolbar, already available in Microsoft's internal builds of Windows XP.

On February 24, I reported that Microsoft had slipped the release of Whistler Server past October to the end of 2001. The company later corroborated this change when it publicly disconnected the schedule for Whistler Server from Windows XP.

Interim build 2446 arrived in testers eager hands on March 5, 2001. This build featured numerous UI tweaks, updated Help and Support content for digital media tasks, updates to Remote Desktop Connection, and more. It was also the first to include the Beta 2 README. Build 2446 was the start of a number of quick, successive interim builds as Microsoft rolled toward Beta 2, but because we were under NDA until Beta 2, I haven't published any of these shots until now.


Windows XP interim build 2446

On March 11, I reported that Windows XP Beta 2 had slipped yet another week and was now due March 21. This was the second such delay for the crucial final beta of the next version of Windows, which Microsoft originally had planned to ship by March 1. My sources told me, however, that Windows XP was in good shape overall and that Microsoft was simply fixing a small group of remaining bugs that the company deemed critical for that release.

On March 19, testers received build 2462. This build featured a new "Forgotten Password Wizard" and various other tweaks, as well as an annoying "Search" pane behavior that was corrected in later build (see show below). Build 2462a--a minor update the delayed the release over that weekend--was eventually declared as Beta 2.



Windows XP interim build 2462 ... soon to be Beta 2

At the WinHEC tradeshow on March 26, Bill Gates finally announced the release of Windows XP Beta 2. "Windows XP represents the realization of a dream that Microsoft has had for a long time, and that is to take the very rich and powerful code base that we•ve built around Windows NT and have that become the code base for the entire PC marketplace, for the consumer marketplace, for the business marketplace, for the server marketplace," Gates said. "And we achieve that with Windows XP.

"The Windows engine we•ve got here--the reliability, the performance--is very important. It•s also important that we•re able to get the industry focused on this single code base. And so creating drivers, you•ll be able to just write for the new machine for Windows XP.

"Windows XP also represents a new focus on experiences, building into the product things that make it very straightforward; for example, to get at the music type scenarios or some of these instant messaging and communications scenarios. We•ve put a lot of work into the user interface."

Microsoft eventually distributed Windows XP Beta 2 through a number of channels, including the technical beta program, the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN), and TechNet. "The broad distribution of Windows XP Beta 2 represents Microsoft's commitment to working with our partners, customers, and employees to make sure Windows XP is rock solid," said Chris Jones, vice president of the Windows Client Group. "This is an ideal time for developers to build and test hardware and software for Windows XP so our customers will have the best computing experience when Windows XP is released later this year."

The release of Windows XP, of course, resulted in the release of a mountain of content on the SuperSite for Windows. This included a comprehensive review, several technology showcases, and an updated FAQ. And on March 28, I received the second Windows Media Player 8 update from Microsoft, resulting in a number of new screenshots for the SuperSite.

On April 11, Microsoft announced Windows XP Embedded, a highly componentized version of the OS designed for non-PC devices. "Windows XP Embedded is a major release, and the Windows XP Embedded RDP is a key initiative helping ensure that design scenarios have been thoroughly tested when the product ships," said Bill Veghte, the vice president of the Embedded and Appliance Platforms Group at Microsoft. "This is the first time we have run a program like this in the embedded space and we are excited to have these key industry partners participating closely in the development process."

Responding to criticism that it wouldn't be supporting the upcoming USB 2.0 standard out of the box with Windows XP, Microsoft issued a letter to its customers on April 23 explaining the decision. "Microsoft is a big supporter of both USB 2.0 and Bluetooth, as well as many other connection and wireless standards, such as IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 1394, and USB 1.0," wrote Carl Stork, General Manager of Windows Hardware Strategy. "We have been and remain committed to delivering support for these new standards in Windows XP and some of our other operating system products. The issue for USB 2.0 and Bluetooth is only the timing of availability for native support for Windows, and not any decision to choose support for one technology over another. Because of the lack of production-quality devices to test, and because Windows XP must be ready for PCs that will ship for the 2001 holiday season, Windows XP will not have native support for either technology when it is first released to PC system manufacturers. Microsoft•s goal is to deliver support for both Bluetooth and USB 2.0 soon after Windows XP is first available." Indeed, by late July, the company was already shipping beta drivers for USB 2.

On April 26, Microsoft released interim build 2465, which was the subject of a user interface gallery on the SuperSite. Build 2465 featured Windows XP branding on the Welcome screen for the first time, as well as shaded Welcome screen icons that lit up when moused-over. The new default background was Bliss, rather than Desert Moon, and this remained the case through RTM. Most importantly, the new Media Player was included for the first time, along with a new default song by David Byrne. The Start Menu featured beautiful new icons--eventually, all of the standard Windows icons would be replaced--and Microsoft included many new background images (Ascent, Autumn, etc.), most of which were quite nice.

At the Gartner's Windows 2000 and Beyond conference on April 30, Microsoft announced that the official name of Whistler Server would be Windows 2002 Server. But executives hedged a bit on the name and, sure enough, it was changed a few months later. As I reported the next day in WinInfo, Microsoft Executive Vice President Jim Allchin admitted that the name Windows 2002 might not be final after all. "We really haven't done naming right yet," he said, noting that he had had a meeting about the official name for Whistler earlier in the week and was scheduling another meeting for when he returned. "The fat lady hasn't sung yet," he said.

On May 5, 2001 Microsoft released interim build 2469 to testers. This build included four major areas of change over previous releases: Networking, Net card drivers, etc., including minor updates to the Home Network wizard and the RAS client connection wizard; Base/kernel/Plug and Play/power management, including performance, reliability, boot time, app launch, setup, uninstall, and Windows 98/Me upgrades; security & directory services, mainly new restrictions on local account login using blank passwords; and Help, management, and remote desktop/assistance.

The blank password feature was most interesting. "Windows XP has a new default security feature that helps protect users with blank passwords from attacks," Windows XP program manager Doug Anderson wrote to testers. "Users who do not password-protect their accounts can only logon to their account at the Welcome (Winlogon) screen on the physical computer console (monitor, keyboard, mouse physically connected to the computer). This restriction applies to all logon types, not just network logon. For example, you will not be able to use RunAs to run a process as an account with a blank password. This restriction only applies to local user accounts, not to domain user accounts. It also does not affect the Guest account. More detailed technical information on this will be available in a future KB article."

Build 2474--released internally on May 17, 2001--wasn't given to testers, but it was the first build to feature the new Product Activation UI, which now used new blue-style XP dialogs. It was also the first build to include a beta of Windows Messenger 4: Previous releases include MSN Messenger 3.6.

On May 22, 2001, I attended a Whistler 64 Technical Review at Microsoft's Mountain View, California campus. I wrote up a report about the event, and the 64-bit versions of Windows XP and Whistler Server, for the SuperSite.

On May 24, 2001, interim build 2475 was released to testers. This build featured a new boot up logo with a black screen that now read Windows XP instead of Whistler, a new introductory movie, a Welcome to Windows screen featuring a borderless window (not full screen anymore), a waving flag animation on the Welcome screen (that was later dropped), an icon for Remote Assistance in the root of the All Programs menu, and various tours of Windows XP and MPXP in Help and Support. Also, Setup was branded with "RC1" text, indicating that the release candidate builds were soon to come. From this point on, Windows XP didn't really change much, at least not visually, and Microsoft was working toward the phase where only bug fixes would be implemented.


Windows XP interim build 2475

Behind the scenes, Microsoft and online giant America Online (AOL) had been negotiating to determine whether AOL's latest client--AOL 7--would be included in the box with Windows XP. On June 2, I reported that talks had finally broken down for good. "We're disappointed that talks broke down, but AOL remains a very important [partner] and we are working very hard to ensure the AOL client will work great on top of Windows XP," said Microsoft spokesperson Jim Cullinan.

On June 4, 2001, Microsoft officially announced Windows Messenger 4. "Windows Messenger is an easy to use, real-time communications experience that unifies a number of communications tools such as instant messaging, voice and video, as well as collaboration tools such as file transfer, application sharing, white boarding and Remote Assistance integration--all presence enabled with better quality than ever," the company wrote in the release. "Now you can communicate and collaborate more effectively with your friends, family and colleagues."

Another build, 2481, was released internally on June 1, 2001 and given to testers on the 6th. This build featured a number of improvements, including a new Windows XP tour and two color schemes based on the Luna UI. Then called Homestead and Metallic, for their green and gray colors, respectively, the schemes were among many others that Microsoft was working on, but only these two were given the green light in time for release (others will come when Windows XP is released).



Windows XP interim build 2481

And with the release of build 2481, the Windows XP user interface was frozen. After this, there would be no more changes. "This is a needed step in our process in order to finalize documentation, the help files, and to begin final localization," the company told testers. "This means that the UI is very close to what it will be in the final product." And in addition to the UI freeze, build 2481 also marked the point of no return for hardware compatibility. Although this build didn't contain all the hardware drivers Microsoft will ship in the box with XP, the company didn't add device support beyond what was then planned.

On June 8, I reported that Windows XP RC1 had slipped a week from the week of June 18 to the week of June 25. RC1 would be the last major milestone for XP before its final release. Another issue popping up that week revolved around security expert Steve Gibson, who claimed that Windows XP was insecure and would unleash a plague of Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. I eventually spoke to Gibson about this, and though he was in contact with Microsoft several times, he and the company continue to disagree on