Windows NT 5.0 Workshop debuts Beta 2

You have to give Microsoft credit: After delaying the release of Windows NT5.0 Beta 2 over a year, the company brings almost 200 members of the pressto Seattle, releases Beta 2 to over 250,000 testers, and now all bets are off: Windows NT 5.0 looks stable and ready for prime time, despite the factthat it's still almost a year away from release.

Maybe it was the food.

I'm going to be writing a full review of the Workshop this weekend, which Iwill publish to the WUGNET WinInfo Web site. In the meantime, I can tell you this: Windows NT 5.0 is basically done. It's complete. Sure, there arelittle things that need to be addressed, and the company will spend the next several months tweaking it, speeding it up a bit, and massaging it into release mode. But NT 5.0--the golden dodo of vaporware until this veryweek--is suddenly, surprisingly, ready for prime time.

Some key points from the Workshop:

OK, that's just a taste! Stay tuned for a huge review this weekend!

Also starting this weekend will be a weekly "NT 5.0 Technology showcase" feature that will highlight a specific area of NT 5.0, explain what it means, how it works, and how it will make your life better (or worse). I'llprobably produce the piece each Friday if all goes according to plan, andpost a version on the Web site that includes screenshots