MS announces 2006 Target Date for Longhorn

1. Release Date advanced by a year for Longhorn client.
2. The new WinFS file system will not be available with Longhorn. The Longhorn server will be available in 2007 only (I believe with Win FS).
3. This is important. WinFX will be available for Win XP and Win2k3 Server also.
This will ensure that Application Developers worldwide can start racing ahead with re-designing their Applications to take advantage of Avalon -- the new graphics subsystem and Indigo -- which will ensure more secure and reliable inter-connected transactional system. When MS does a beta(Q3 05?), Application Development companies like us should start looking actively at how to harness the new UI metaphors to enhance the user experience.

WinFX availability on WinXP will give a taste of Avalon to millions of WinXP users (More than 50% of Computers hitting Google have Win XP today), and I believe MSFT is counting on them to getting hooked and easily moving on to Longhorn. (Nice strategy, eh)

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2004/Aug04/08-27Target2006PR.asp

Regards
HimS
PS: I believe with these developments, the upcoming threat to MS near dominance of the PC-OS market from Linux etc. stand a little muted.