Microsoft WinNews Electronic Newsletter, Vol. 1, #4, November 10, 1994 **************************************** It's done! Windows 95 Beta 2 is now shipping to 48,000 beta test sites worldwide as of last friday. One more step is completed on the long march to the final release of Windows 95. As of now you're going to notice a lot more information becoming available on Windows 95. Microsoft has officially released beta testers from the confidentiality clauses in their beta test agreements. It should be easier than ever to get answers to questions about Windows 95! A lot of you have sent me mail with questions on how to become a beta tester for Windows 95. Although the beta is now closed, Microsoft will offer a Windows 95 Preview Program between the final technical beta and product release. This program will allow people interested in getting a head start on evaluating Windows 95 a chance to purchase a pre-release copy of Windows 95 along with documentation, and support, for the cost of materials and implementation, expected to be around $30 US. At this time we are unable to provide any further information on this program. As further information becomes available, including ordering insructions, mail will be sent to all WINNEWS subscribers. So stay tuned to this channel! So what's in this issue of WinNews? * System Resources under Windows 95. Many people have written to ask whether Windows 95 will solve the memory/system resource issues they are experiencing on Windows 3.x today. The answer is a resounding yes. This short article explains how. * Tech Ed 95 is coming in March. The Tech Ed group has given me an invitation to send to you. * New Features in Windows 95 Beta 2. This is a partial list of what I felt were some of the more interesting new features in Beta 2. A more complete list is available on our WinNews Servers. A note -- in the last issue I made mention of our WinNews Servers. Many folks tried unsuccessfully to fetch files from our list server. Because of the increasing number of WinNews subscribers, please fetch files you are interested in from one of the following WinNews servers: On the Internet use ftp or the World-Wide-Web (ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/PerOpSys/Win_News, http://www.microsoft.com). On The Microsoft Network, open Computers and Software\Software Companies\Microsoft\Windows 95\ WinNews. On CompuServe, type GO WINNEWS. On Prodigy JUMP WINNEWS. On America Online, use keyword WINNEWS. On GEnie, download files from the WinNews area under the Windows RTC. Say - what's that thing up there called The Microsoft Network? Let's just say it's a marvellous new service coming from Microsoft and I'll tell you all about it in the next issue :-). Alec Saunders Editor "Windows 95 - this ain't yer fathers Windows..." ************************************************************ System Resources under Windows 95 At this moment I am currently running 2 copies of Notepad, the entire Microsoft Office 4.2 (Word, Excel and Powerpoint), Microsoft Mail, and Schedule+ with additional windows open on directories on my C drive. A right click on the My Computer icon on my desktop reveals that I could start still more applications - system resources are at a healthy 44% free. Thanks to the magic of 32 bit addressing, the system resources constraints we all experienced under Windows 3.1 will no longer be a problem. Here's how Windows 3.1 and Windows 95 compare technically: Windows 3.1 employs a series of 16 bit heaps (a heap is a data structure for allocating memory to applications) to satisfy requests for memory from the operating system and applications. There are, in fact, 4 - three for the component called USER, which manages the user interface portions of the operating system, and one for the component called GDI which manages the process of actually drawing objects on the screen. Since each of these heaps can only address a 16 bit address space, that means that the largest amount of heap space available is 64K per heap - or 256K total. Running out of system resources on Windows 3.1 usually means that one of these heaps is full. Under Windows 95, the three heaps for USER have been replaced by one 32 bit heap with a theoretical limit of 2 GigaBytes -- effectively unlimited on todays machines and for the foreseeable future. This is a lot bigger than the 3 64K heaps that USER used to have at it's disposal! Windows 95 still maintains the 16 bit GDI heap for compatibility reasons with some Windows 3.1 apps, but the operating system satisfies every possible memory request from the much larger 32 bit heap. Here's a comparison of some system wide resource limits for Windows 3.1 vs. Windows 95. As you can see, that 32 bit USER heap has a substantial impact on the quantity of system resources available to each application. Resource Windows 3.1 Windows 95 Window/Menu Handles ~200 32K (each) Timers 32 Unlimited COM/LPT ports 4 each Unlimited Listbox items (per listbox) 8K 32K Listbox data (per listbox) 64K Unlimited Edit control data (per control) 64K Unlimited Regions All in 64K Unlimited Physical pens, brushes, etc All in 64K Unlimited Logical fonts All in 64K 750-800 Installed fonts 250-300 1000 Device Contexts 200 (best case) 16K In every case, the system resources available to Windows 95 are substantially larger than Windows 3.1, and in many cases they are unlimited. So say good-bye to "out of system resources"! ************************************************************ Microsoft Tech-Ed 95 Conference The definitive technical conference for BackOffice, Office and WindowsTM-based solutions. March 27-31, 1995 Ernest N. Morial Convention Center New Orleans, Louisiana Register Early to Save $200: Tech-Ed Has Sold Out Every Year! Call: (800) 433-9996 or (612) 550-6390 to register or for more information. Tech-Ed 95 Sessions Tech-Ed 95 includes sessions on: * Microsoft(R) BackOffice Microsoft Exchange Server, Mail, Schedule+, SNA Server, SQL ServerTM, Systems Management Server, Windows NTTM Server * Microsoft Office Microsoft Access(R), Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Project, Word * Microsoft Development Tools FoxPro(R), Fortran, Test, Visual Basic(R), Visual C++TM * Microsoft Windows and Technologies Windows 95, Microsoft At WorkTM, Multimedia, MAPI, OLE, TAPI, Windows Connectivity, Windows NT Workstation Managers: Why not send a team to ensure attendance at all sessions that are critical for your business needs? Who Should Attend Tech-Ed 95 is the definitive conference for computer professionals who design, develop, integrate or support WindowsTM, Office and BackOffice-based solutions. If you are a computer professional building or supporting solutions based on Microsoft Windows, Office or BackOffice, Tech-Ed 95 is the conference for you. Microsoft BackOffice and Office Sessions At Tech-Ed 94, many attendees asked for more information about the future of Microsoft technology and its relevance to real-world business computing solutions. Therefore, Tech-Ed 95 offers more than 60 sessions that embody Microsoft's present and future foundation for developing client-server business solutions using BackOffice and Office. Tech-Ed 95 also shows how to connect and integrate BackOffice solutions with Office and Office-based desktop applications. Key Microsoft executives outline these strategies during a full day of general session presentations (on Monday, March 27) covering everything from operating systems and architectures to tools and services. In addition, each following day begins with solution sessions highlighting specific, real-world business needs. Whether you are in a corporate MIS organization, work for an independent software developer or are a computer consultant, Tech·Ed 95 shows you how to use BackOffice as an integrated information system to provide information networking and streamline business processes. Speakers Technical sessions are presented by experts in their fields such as Microsoft developers and engineers, leading industry experts, Microsoft Consulting Services authorities, Microsoft Education instructors, and independent technical gurus. Additional Activities In addition to the technical sessions, you'll find an abundance of additional conference activities including: * Exhibit Hall. Get more technical information on tools, services and products available from Microsoft and third-party vendors in the Expo Area; question Microsoft experts in the Just Ask Microsoft Area; try-out the latest products in the Hands-on Center; exchange email with other attendees and Microsoft, view updated conference schedule information, and try sample applications on the Tech·Ed Email Network; and browse and order product and program literature in the Microsoft Technical Information Area. * Meet the Microsoft Teams Reception. Ask questions, give feedback, and interact with Microsoft product and program group representatives who will be on-hand during this special reception dedicated to interaction between attendees and Microsoft. * Microsoft Certified Professional Exam Testing. A full suite of Microsoft Certified Professional exams will be offered to attendees at half-price throughout the conference. * Tech-Ed 95 Attendee Party. We're planning a special evening of fun and entertainment as we thank you, our customers, for your support. * Birds-of-a-Feather Meetings. Talk with other attendees who have similar interests in products, technologies and programs in special rooms we've set aside for informal gatherings of small groups. * Jam Sessions. Whether you're a musician or just a music lover, you can stop by and check out the nightly jam sessions; we provide the instruments and you provide the tunes for late-night entertainment and fun. Yours for Attending When you attend Tech-Ed 95, you'll receive: * Session presentations * Sample code from selected technical sessions * A CD-ROM packed with session proceedings and technical information on Microsoft products and technologies * And more! Price Save $200! Registration is only $995 if you register by February 1, 1995. After February 1, 1995, registration is $1195. How to Register Register for Tech-Ed 95 by calling the Tech-Ed 95 registration desk at (800) 433-9996 or (612) 550-6390 from 6:30am to 5:30pm Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. You are not considered registered until payment is received in full. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Be sure to register prior to February 1, 1995 to receive your $200 discount. The conference registration fee does not include hotel or airfare, but Microsoft has arranged for special hotel and airfare prices for Tech-Ed 95. Call the Tech·Ed 95 registration desk at (800) 433-9996 or (612) 550-6390 for more information and to make your hotel and airfare reservations. International Tech-Ed 95 Conferences In addition to the Tech-Ed 95 conference in New Orleans, additional conferences will be held worldwide in Europe, Australia and the Far East. For information, call or fax the numbers below: * Tech-Ed 95 in Hamburg, Germany: April 10-12, 1995 Tel: +44 1276 674444; Fax: +44 1276 674399 * Tech-Ed 95 in Sydney, Australia: May 29-31, 1995 Tel: 61 2 870 2100; Fax: +61 2 870 2285 * Tech-Ed 95 in Tokyo, Japan: June 1-3, 1995 Tel: 81-3-5565-3714; Fax: 81-3-5565-3716 * Tech-Ed 95 in Taipei, Taiwan: June 3-4, 1995 Tel: (886-2) 508-7148; Fax: (886-2) 504-3121 Tech-Ed On-Line We've created a forum on CompuServe(R) to discuss Tech-Ed conference issues. Just type GO MSTECHED and choose the Tech-Ed section. More information on the conference agenda at Tech-Ed is available online from the WINNEWS servers in the file TE95C.TXT ************************************************************ Microsoft Windows 95 Summary of New Features in Beta-2 The Beta-2 release of Windows 95 represents fixes and enhancements as well as further refinement of the feature set and functionality to be offered in the final retail product. The information in this section is designed to give a quick overview of some of the changes made between Beta-1 and the delivery of Beta-2. Note: This is not an exhaustive list of the new features or changes present in the Beta-2 release, but is intended to provide a quick overview of some of the key enhancements since Beta-1. A more extensive list is available on the WinNews servers in the file called DM7NEW.ZIP. Windows 95 User Interface * Recycle Bin to recover deleted files * Multilevel undo for file operations like delete, move, copy, or rename * Undo for window management operations performed on the Taskbar * New visual design for the start button, it's bigger with a nice bitmap as the menu background (users can toggle between the larger menu view and a smaller icon view) * Guided tour to help both new users and Windows 3.1 users learn the Windows 95 user interface * Integrated "Windows 3.1 help" system to aid Windows 3.1 users in operating in Windows 95 * Quick viewer enhancements to improve speed and support additional formats * Version and type information will be shown as a property sheet for each file shipped as part of Windows 95, making it easy for users to see the version of system files they have and confirm they have the latest revision * Document file summary properties shown via a standard system property page, allowing users to see the same summary properties they see in Microsoft Word for Windows, for example, without having to open the application. * Fonts folder is integrated into the shell as a folder, and is accessible from My Computer * Application install wizard to guide users through the process of installing both Windows and MS-DOS- based applications. MS-DOS-based Application Support * Ability to have custom config.sys and autoexec.bat files per session with quick reboot for single MS- DOS application mode. This is a very nice solution to running those cranky MS-DOS games that insist on having their own configuration files * MS-DOS application information associated with links so you can have multiple links to a single MS-DOS executable, each with it's own specific settings for that program. For example, a link to command.com to run it in a window, and a second one to have it run full screen. * Simplified property sheet UI for configuring options for running MS-DOS-based applications. * File system compatibility mode, which can be set in setup. Disables long file names and other new file system features, plus uses old boot file names to support old disk utilities. Designed for 100% file system compatibility. Windows Core * Vastly improved Device Contexts (DCs) resource limit, raising it from the current limit of around 150 to around 4000. This will allow users to run many more large resource hungry applications under Windows 95 than on Windows 3.1. * Image Color Matching work integrated. Profiles for the most popular color printers provided. File System * Complete protect mode DriveSpace/DoubleSpace integration. VXD and real mode compression drivers support both DoubleSpace and DriveSpace. GUI-based DriveSpace utility to make settings, compress in place, etc. * Device configurability in the System Control Panel UI; cache write behind control, fixed/removable media settings, use real mode drivers or not, polling versus interrupt driven, reserve letter for removable drives, etc. * Support for a swapfile on compressed volume. User won't have to worry about changing various host volume sizes to accommodate the swapfile. The swapfile just sits on the compressed volume and grows and shrinks as needed. Multimedia * Support for AutoPlay included. If a CD-ROM is autoplay-enabled, just put it in your CD-ROM drive and it will run automatically. If the desktop is showing, AutoPlay will open a window to show the contents of your CD automatically when you stick in a CD) * Volume control. A new volume control appears on the Taskbar, making it easy to turn the sound up or down. * New, simpler, UI for Multimedia control panel. * CD Player application included. The new CD Player makes it easy and enjoyable to play audio CDs in your CD ROM drive. You can even create and save custom play lists, so you can skip over songs you don't like) * Improved joystick driver. The new joystick driver requires less attention from the CPU (leaving more cycles for your game!) and provides more accurate and responsive user control -- so you'll hit what you aim at more often. * CDFS Performance enhancements: Since Beta-1, improvements in the CD File System have boosted streaming efficiency while decreasing the CPU overhead for reading from the CD-ROM drive. This means that you can use the CPU to decompress bigger, faster digital video than before. * 32-bit codecs: IndeoO and Cinepak have both provided 32-bit versions of their codecs, which ship in Beta-2. * 32-bit digital video capture subsystems. The digital video capture subsystems are now fully 32- bit in Beta-2. When used in combination with a 32- bit codec, this offers dramatically improved digital video capture performance. We are seeing throughput increases of 30% or greater. This means you can capture bigger, faster, better looking digital video without upgrading anything but the software. * Full-screen digital video. When you play a 640x480 digital video file, Windows 95 now automatically removes the window border in order to play it full- screen. * TrueSpeech voice compression. Beta-2 includes this new codec for very efficient compression of voice data. * Support for the new Sony/Phillips "CD+" format (using stamped multisession technology) built into Windows 95 ************************************************************ New files on WinNews Servers All of the files are compressed into single file ZIP files to minimize download time for you. The naming convention is as follows: D prefix Word 2 doc file A prefix ASCII Text file P prefix Postscript printer file In the list below you will see some files marked 'N' and some 'U'. N files are new files this month. U files are files that have been updated to reflect the name change from Chicago to Windows 95. U DPERF4.ZIP Windows 95 vs. Warp Performance Benchmarks Contains corrections to some mathematical errors in the benchmarks published in October, plus a more detailed explanation of the benchmarking methods. N DOVW.ZIP Overview of the Windows 95 Logo Program An overview of the Designed for Windows 95 Program N DTRANS.ZIP Guide to the Transition to the Windows 95 Logo - October update A detailed guide to the Designed for Windows 95 logo program, plus instructions for software vendors who currently license the old logo on how to transition from the old logo to the new logo. N QALOG.ZIP Q&A on the Windows 95 Logo Program Questions / Answers on the logo program N DIWRSP.ZIP Response to InfoWorld Comparison of OS/2 Warp and Windows 95 Microsoft's assessment of the InfoWorld article which appeared this month comparing Windows 95 and OS/2 Warp. N DRK_DP.ZIP Microsoft Windows 95 Deployment Guide A workbook and guide for corporations thinking about large scale deployment of Windows 95. N DNOVQA.ZIP Microsoft Windows 95 Questions and Answers - November 1994 Updated Q&A document to reflect the changes released with Beta 2. N DREVGD.ZIP Microsoft Windows 95 Beta 2 Reviewers Guide Updated Reviewers Guide (now a mere 340 pages) to reflect the changes released with Beta 2. N DAUTPL.ZIP Microsoft Windows 95 Autoplay CD Developers Info Autoplay is a new standard which allows CD's to automatically load software and start running when inserted into the disk drive. Here's how to make your CD application autoplay. N DM7NEW.ZIP What's new in Windows 95 Beta 2 Just want a quick summary of the changes? Here it is -- a mere piffle of a document that tells all. NOTE: For the sake of brevity I have ommitted new listings of ASCII and Postscript files. For each new Word file shown above there is an equivalent ASCII or PostScript file, named according to the conventions listed above -- ie. DLOGO2.ZIP becomes ALOGO2.ZIP (ascii) and PLOGO2.ZIP (postscript). ************************************************************ If you know someone who might be interested in WinNews, feel free to forward this document, provided you forward it in it's entirety, as per the copyright notice below. If you wish to stop receiving WinNews, send mail to enews@microsoft.nwnet.com with the text UNSUBSCRIBE WINNEWS in the body of your message. If you have received WinNews from someone who is a subscriber and WISH to subscribe yourself, send mail to enews@microsoft.nwnet.com with the words SUBSCRIBE WINNEWS as the sole text of your message. ************************************************************ This document is provided for informational purposes only. The information contained in this document represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation on the issues discussed as of the date of publication. Because Microsoft must respond to change in market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication. INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND FREEDOM FROM INFRINGEMENT. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and the use of this document. This document may be copied and distributed subject to the following conditions: 1) All text must be copied without modification and all pages must be included; 2) All copies must contain Microsoft's copyright notice and any other notices provided therein; and 3) This document may not be distributed for profit. Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.