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October 15, 2006

Windows Vista - An Inside View

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting the Microsoft Corporate Campus in Redmond Washington as part of the Windows Vista Tech Beta Testers Tour (see PROnetworks At The Windows Vista Beta Tour.) The tour itself was incredible, and although all the participants had to sign strict NDA's concerning the technology we were shown, I can say without a doubt that when Vista is released, it will have some suprises in store, including some things not seen in the Beta and RC releases. During the tour we met with product teams for both Windows Vista and Longhorn Server, and got a great behind the scenes look at the development of Windows Vista.

The group which was invited to Microsoft for this special tour included beta testers from all over the US, Canada, as well as a few people who flew all the way from the U.K. There were quite a lot of interesting stories regarding experiences with beta testing Vista, and I must say that the Vista product teams listened closely to all of feedback and provided answers to all the questions we asked. Although the tour was only for 2 days, we were there from 8am to 7pm each day, and we met with an incredible number of Microsoft staff who were all extremely appreciative for all the hard work done by the beta testers.

Our welcoming keynote was delivered by none other than Jim Allchin, who is one of Microsoft's senior management staff. Jim impressed everyone there with his easy going manner, and his keynote was more of a discussion with all of us where he both answered our questions and asked our opinions. After the keynote, we were split into 2 groups and then treated to presentations from various Windows Vista development teams. These presentations were given by program managers, developers, and support personnel, and included in-depth looks at some of the new features which will be included in Windows Vista. At each presentation, our questions were answered by the development teams, who all took a lot of interest in our suggestions and comments.

At the end of the tour, Microsoft hosted a special reception for the attendees which included a fantastic spread of food and beverages (for anyone wondering, Windows Vista soda is actually flavored sparkling water), and inside the reception were numerous tables hosted by development teams and Microsoft partners whom we could talk one-on-one with. We were all given special Microsoft bags and each product group had some great swag for us - everything from t-shirts to media center remote controls. This tour provided not only a wealth of inside information, but allowed me to meet and make friends with fellow beta testers and Microsoft employees. One of the most important things that I learned from this experience is that our feedback does matter, and many of the features of Windows Vista, and the changes made throughout the development cycle, are a direct result of the bug reporting and suggestions given by beta testers.

Posted by jrfree1 at October 15, 2006 08:32 AM