Microsoft campaign reaches out to Drexel students
By: Pat Xin
Issue date: 5/5/06 Section: Sci-Tech
Originally published: 5/5/06 at 11:57 AM EST
Last update: 5/5/06 at 11:56 AM EST
Originally published: 5/5/06 at 11:57 AM EST
Last update: 5/5/06 at 11:56 AM EST
It's a few minutes past 6 p.m., on a Wednesday. You're sitting in a moderately sized conference room on the second floor of LeBow. It's hot and cramped, probably due to the many other people are seated around you and some standing by the door. Of the faces around you some seem familiar, while other are foreign. You are here to listen to the cleanly dressed speakers with their laptop. you know everyone else either shares your goal or are waiting for intermission, when the free pizzas are being served, or quite possibly the free booty raffle at the end. That was the what the atmosphere as seemed like at Microsoft's Campus on May 3.
Representatives from Microsoft's new operating system, Vista, and Office 12 were showcased at the event. The new Windows operating system has gone through a complete revamp to benefit the end users.
The desktop on the Windows operating system has been completely redesigned. Windows Aero is built on the new desktop composition engine called Desktop Window Manager, adding support for 3D graphics, translucency, window animation and other visual effects. The new interface is intended to be cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing than previous Windows.
The start menu has also underwent changes. The new Windows shell is significantly different from Windows XP, by offering a new range of organization and search capabilities. The Start menu no longer uses ever-expanding boxes when navigating through Programs. Even the word "Start" itself has been removed in favor of a blue Windows "Pearl".
A much better search capability is seen in the Vista operating system. It is significantly faster and has more thorough search capabilities than the existing system. This is similar to what is offered by Microsoft's Windows Desktop Search, Copernic, and Apple Computer's Spotlight. Search boxes have been added to the Start menu, Windows Explorer, and several of the applications included with Vista.
Another great addition to the operating system is the Windows Sidebar. It is a new panel on the right-hand side of the screen where a user can place Desktop Gadgets, which are small applets designed for a specialized purpose (such as displaying the weather or sports scores). The gadgets can also be placed on other parts of the desktop, if desired.
Representatives from Microsoft's new operating system, Vista, and Office 12 were showcased at the event. The new Windows operating system has gone through a complete revamp to benefit the end users.
The desktop on the Windows operating system has been completely redesigned. Windows Aero is built on the new desktop composition engine called Desktop Window Manager, adding support for 3D graphics, translucency, window animation and other visual effects. The new interface is intended to be cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing than previous Windows.
The start menu has also underwent changes. The new Windows shell is significantly different from Windows XP, by offering a new range of organization and search capabilities. The Start menu no longer uses ever-expanding boxes when navigating through Programs. Even the word "Start" itself has been removed in favor of a blue Windows "Pearl".
A much better search capability is seen in the Vista operating system. It is significantly faster and has more thorough search capabilities than the existing system. This is similar to what is offered by Microsoft's Windows Desktop Search, Copernic, and Apple Computer's Spotlight. Search boxes have been added to the Start menu, Windows Explorer, and several of the applications included with Vista.
Another great addition to the operating system is the Windows Sidebar. It is a new panel on the right-hand side of the screen where a user can place Desktop Gadgets, which are small applets designed for a specialized purpose (such as displaying the weather or sports scores). The gadgets can also be placed on other parts of the desktop, if desired.
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