Microsoft today kicked off their Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles as Chairman Bill Gates opened the show with news on the latest regarding the company’s forthcoming Windows Vista operating system. Also on the docket was news regarding the next generation of Microsoft Office applications called Office 12.
Gates, according to Microsoft, announced that the Windows Vista Community Technology Preview program will involve customers and partners in the early stages of the OS’s development. The first build “introduces many new features, including innovations in visualization and organization that will bring clarity to the customer experience and give developers better tools for building the next generation of desktop applications.”
Regarding Office 12, Gates introduced it as the biggest advance in the business productivity suite in the last decade. It features a redesigned, “results oriented” interface which is based upon usability research. In one example provided, the UI replaces traditional menus and toolbars with graphical command tabs that correspond to tasks. These tabs appear when people need them and disappear when not relevant.
Office 12 will also offer up new graphical galleries which Microsoft says will simplify the process of editing and formatting by presenting a selection of potential layout results which people can select from.
Office 12 is expected to ship in the second half of next year, with a limited beta due this fall.
