Microsoft leaks more Longhorn code

TO KEEP punters interested while waiting until next year for its next version of windows, software giant Microsoft has started releasing some of its Longhorn code in bits.

According to Information Week, the release is aimed at developers and was posted to its Microsoft Developer Network Web site.

Amongst the Longhorn goodies are "beta 1 release candidate" versions of Avalon, a 3-D graphics technology and Indigo, software for building peer-to-peer applications. The final builds will be in Longhorn when it is released late next year.

Microsoft plans to include final versions of both in the next version of Windows, code-named Longhorn and due late next year.

It seems that Indigo will get a feature called "peer channel" for building apps without the need for centralised servers.

Indigo allows integration with elderly Microsoft technologies MSMQ for messaging, and the COM+ objects. Avalon supports online video, and a lump of Vole proprietary technology for reading documents built with Metro, a PDF alternative.

More information at Information Week. µ