If you're a Net junkie like me, you've probably seen screenshots that reportedly expose upcoming user interfaces for the next two versions of Windows (code-named "Longhorn" and "Blackcomb"). You might have heard of internal alpha builds of either OS, and maybe, just maybe, you've seen the infamous Blackcomb movie that's making the rounds as well. I've spent the past few months investigating all of these things, and after speaking with several Microsofties and uncovering the truth behind the wild stuff that's available on the Internet, I thought I'd provide a little heads-up on what's really going on with the next version of Windows.

Chances are, everything you know is wrong. But I do know this: As of this date--mid-January 2002--every single screenshot you've seen that purports to be Longhorn or Blackcomb is either fake or actually shows something other than those OSes. Every single one. And there are no builds of Blackcomb floating around, internal or otherwise.

Microsoft is indeed working on future versions of Windows and accompanying technologies such as Digital Media 9 ("Corona"), "Mira," and "Freestyle" (see my related showcase about Freestyle and Mira). These technologies will all ship separately, while other technologies (such as the next version of Windows Movie Maker and DVD burning capabilities) won't see the light of day until Longhorn ships in 2003. There are so many groups working on Windows-related technologies these days, in fact, that it's hard to keep up.

So let's start with an obvious target: That intriguing "Blackcomb" video and the screenshot fakes that appeared as a result.

UPDATED!  The "Blackcomb" Video
The Blackcomb rumors started with Microsoft's annual Financial Analysts Meeting, which was held in late July 2001. During the meeting, many Microsoft executives, including Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, gave presentation-heavy speeches, usually punctuated by product demonstrations given by senior Microsoft product managers. During MSN chief Yusuf Mehdi's talk, Steven Guggenheimer demonstrated how a future MSN "Service Innovation" could integrate with the Windows shell. The version of Windows that was used included a post-XP prototype user interface that included a slightly modified Welcome screen and a Start Panel that occupies the rightmost third of the screen. Windows enthusiast sites continue to circulate movies of the demo to this day, claiming that it shows Blackcomb (this, despite the fact that Longhorn had been revealed as the next Windows version just days earlier).

But it's not Blackcomb, of course. Instead, it's just a prototype of a post-XP user interface, used solely to show how a future Windows will supply more hooks into the UI so that other products can integrate themselves where appropriate. MSN clearly has plans to do this.

Let's check out Guggenheimer's talk, punctuated by shots showing how the screen looked at the time. This discussion is taken directly from the official transcript of the speech.

GUGGENHEIMER: We'll take a little walk into the future, not for too long. One of the things that I think the Windows guys have done a tremendous job with in the current release with XP is sort of creating hooks for services, enabling services to blend nicely with the PC. If you think about it, though, we still have a ways to go. If you look at, for example, the cell phone, or the television set-top box today, when you buy those devices it's a natural that services are a part of it. And if you want to get to the point where subscription services are available to customers based on Web things, you need to have the services be a natural extension. So I'm going to log in here, a multi-user family log-in. And one of the things we think about is, the Windows guys have done a really good job of enabling services, I assume they'll take another step forward.

Notice the MSN Calendar widget and Outlook Notes "stickies" on the Welcome screen. Clearly, these are just prototype examples, because it wouldn't make sense for a single user's calendar or Outlook Notes to be present on the logon screen for a multi-user PC. But again, the point here isn't to show off the next version of Windows. Instead, Guggenheimer is simply showing how the MSN team could take advantage of the programming hooks in Windows going forward.

GUGGENHEIMER: So if I look at the start menu today, there's a bunch of places there where we can hook in. Imagine the future as a user, being able to have access to services and local capabilities sort of seamlessly, so I don't have to go and do something different, for example, if I want to look at my finances. My finances can be in line with my music or my videos or my pictures, the things we do today. And with customization I might be able to take a symbol, stick it right there in line, think about my contacts in terms of buddy list today, again, that's sort a separate entity today, and when we can bring it in and make it cleaner, then I can go to my contacts. I might anchor this, I might tear it off and bring it out like we do with Messenger today, or some of the other messaging services.

He says, "imagine the future as a user, being able to have access to services and local capabilities ... seamlessly." In other words, the Start menu--or something like it--will expand from its current PC-centric view to one that incorporates Web services. You'll have access to My Photos (locally) and the MSN Photos site as well, if you want.