Will Longhorn hook 'em?

Microsoft plans to release a new Windows operating system, code-named "Longhorn," in 2006, but it won't contain a highly anticipated new system for organizing personal files. The company claims Longhorn will still be safer and more reliable than its predecessors, but it may leave some users wanting more.

Longhorn promises a more graphical interface and improved security. Once released, it will replace Windows XP as the desktop standard. The file system, known as WinFS (for Windows File System), was to be the biggest change in Microsoft's desktop operating system since the explosive introduction of Windows 95 a decade ago.

By keeping a directory of stored files in a special database, it would help solve the problem of finding valuable files amid huge amounts of data on big hard drives and servers. Some industry analysts, noticing delays in the new operating system, predicted this year that Microsoft would roll out an intermediate, less powerful, release, which they jokingly nicknamed "Windows Reloaded." Losing WinFS fulfills this prediction -and means that some XP users may wait until the new technology's release.

New Windows releases help push PC sales, since users typically buy new hardware rather than make the upgrade. Manufacturers will have waited five years for a new version once Longhorn hits stores in 2006.

Campus criminals

This new school year means another round in the war between the music industry and online pirates on college computer networks. Record labels and movie studios have complained to administrators for several years about piracy on campus, but a new study reports that schools are making strides against copyright infringement.

The report, sent to Congress by a committee of entertainment and university leaders, pointed out steps ranging from anti-piracy messages at student orientation sessions to filters running on school servers. At least 20 universities signed deals with legal online dealers like Napster and RealNetworks to provide free or discounted music.

While record labels have not sued any colleges over piracy, campuses are a major setting for anti-piracy campaigns due to the easy availability of high-speed internet access among unsupervised young people. The report mentioned that the recording industry's ongoing lawsuit campaign targeted 185 people at 35 universities this year.

The Justice Department estimates U.S. losses due to piracy of movies, software, games, and music at $19 billion annually. The maximum penalty for a criminal copyright infringement is five years in jail and a fine of $250,000.

Bits & Megabytes