Microsoft's PC roadmap to be disclosed at WinHEC........
techweb.cmp.com
<<Microsoft is expected to make at least some public comment on its plans
- so far discussed mainly in private with OEMs - for a PC 2000
document. Sources say this will be be a watershed in detailing a PC
architecture that sheds support for legacy technologies such as the ISA
bus, serial and parallel ports, and full DOS compatibility.>>
<<For its part, Micrsoft hopes to detail at WinHEC some plans to enhance
multimedia support in the form of emerging pieces of an imaging
architecture for Windows. "The Windows PC has been imaging illiterate
for some time and that's about to change in a significant way," said Stork
The architecture will emerge in bits and pieces in Windows 98 and NT 5.0,
rather than as a full-blown API, Stork suggested. Those pieces include
better support for an array of interchangeable scanners, cameras and
software applications under Windows, as well as enhanced support for
USB, SCSI and 1394 with the aim of making it easier to acquire images on
a PC.
"Image acquisition becomes part of the OS," said Stork. "Just as we take
printing for granted today, but a decade ago we had to carefully select
drivers for printers, so we will begin to take imaging for granted in the
future.">> |
