Posts Tagged ‘Midori’

Alright, so Midori is really starting to pique my interest now (I’m a sucker for the visuals, so, “UI” always grabs my attention). Ever since Mary Jo Foley first broke the story on Midori (that sentence reads like an Eminem rhyme, doesn’t it?), everyone has been captivated and the rumor mill has been as active as ever. Though a much greater percentage is unknown than is currently known about Midori, what it is NOT is Windows 8 or Windows 9, so bear that in mind when you read stories about Midori and Windows concurrently. Anyway, taking a look on Microsoft’s job site to see if Midori would show its thus-far elusive face, it appears as though Microsoft is finally going external with its efforts to seek out candidates to work on this once clandestine project (thanks again, MJ).

From the job listing, we’re also able to glean some rather interesting details which I will expand upon below the job listing:

The Technical Strategy Incubation team is seeking to hire an Architect to lead the design and implementation of the end to end UI stack for its Midori Operating System. The Midori incubation is chartered with pursuing strategic opportunities which are difficult to address incrementally with existing systems, such as UI responsiveness, UI security, UI in distributed environments that cross devices, new models for asynchronous UI, and effective use of GPUs and manycore.

The successful candidate is a principal or partner level Architect who is passionate about building next generation UI/Graphics technologies, enjoys startup environments and loves to code. We are seeking an individual with expertise in several of the following areas: graphics device driver models, scalable rendering engines, glitch-free animation and media pipelines, 2D vector graphics and typography, modern desktop compositor architectures, data-driven UI frameworks, and human computer interaction. This is a high visibility position with impact in the incubation, in the company, and in the overall market.

Midori is a small hand-picked team of senior, hands-on architects and developers passionate about building real systems that extend the current thinking in Operating Systems and Platform technology. This group has the unique aspect of being outside of existing product groups, allowing us to pursue experimental ideas and solutions that may be impractical or too expensive for existing products due to legacy customer demands and business commitments.

Because this is an incubation group, a candidate must have a high tolerance for uncertainty and changes in direction. Comfort with low-level systems development and expert proficiency in a C-like language are required. Additional desirable, but not mandatory, skills include familiarity with GPU programming and rendering techniques, data parallelism and concurrency, data synchronization, and real-time collaboration technologies.

I love how descriptive Microsoft is with their job descriptions. Alright, the first thing that sticks out to me when reading from top-to-bottom is, “…pursuing strategic opportunities which are difficult to address incrementally with existing systems, such as UI responsiveness, UI security, UI in distributed environments that cross devices, new models for asynchronous UI, and effective use of GPUs and manycore.”

In other words, they’re aiming beyond the scope of what can be developed into Windows from one revision to the next. Likewise, that almost reads like a who’s who list of items the Midori team considers to be UI flaws (perhaps, “limitations” would be more fitting) within Windows. In a previous LinkedIn voyage of mine, I ran across a Microsoft employee who said they were working on a next-generation UI framework for Windows 8. I get the impression that the aim for Midori’s UI capabilities are well beyond the scope of what they’re planning for Windows 8, but it’s completely possible the Midori OS team could pull from ideas developed by the Windows team. Especially since Midori is noted in that job listing to be prone to, “uncertainty and changes in direction.” I’ll touch again on that point in a minute.

Next up, the entirety of the 3rd paragraph: “Midori is a small hand-picked team of senior, hands-on architects and developers passionate about building real systems that extend the current thinking in Operating Systems and Platform technology. This group has the unique aspect of being outside of existing product groups, allowing us to pursue experimental ideas and solutions that may be impractical or too expensive for existing products due to legacy customer demands and business commitments.”

Translation: Unlimited funds. The sky is the limit where money and ideas are concerned. This is no surprise, though, considering how much Microsoft spends a year in R&D (billions). Without the need to cater to customers or even meet an overall deadline (remember that whole, “uncertainty and changes in direction” thing?), it sounds like the Midori team gets to have much more fun and freedom than the standard team within Microsoft. I could be wrong about that, though.

Lastly, I think it would be great to get an expert in here (are you out there, Ron G.?) to clarify what most of that UI terminology refers to. More specifically, I get the overall scope of this, but I’m interested in what some of these specifics mean, and where the Midori team sees the flaws/limitations of this stuff within Windows, i.e., UI Security. I’m sure many of you out there have your own ideas and suggestions, but it’s the in-house considerations I’m really curious about.

To wrap things up here are two mentions of Midori on LinkedIn that still remain from the last time I went searching for the term:

Since 2007 I have been working on a technology incubation project code named Midori. Midori is an overarching incubation effort that covers many related and yet different areas and my focuses are primarily OS kernel and process runtime. The areas I work on include memory management, scheduling, synchronization primitives, IPC, event tracing and performance monitoring infrastructure, error handling mechanism, and memory safety.
Link: Jinsong Yu

I work on a technology incubation project named Midori. Midori is an effort that covers many areas of OS kernel and process runtime design.
Link: Dmitry Meshchaninov

-Stephen
http://msftkitchen.com

(Follow me on Twitter: msftkitchen)

Carrie Dugan, User Experience Designer and Researcher, has a brief-but-interesting mention of, “Midori” on her website. She lists having worked with Microsoft’s, “Security Technology Unit” from May 2006 – 2007 on a, “special project virtual team for the next security OS, “Midori”.” Midori, the next, “security OS?” I’m curious as to exactly what that means. It makes me think in terms of ISA Server or Forefront. I would’ve emailed her to inquire, but I’m sure that would’ve been an exercise in futility. Mary Jo Foley first broke the ice with Midori, so maybe she could shed a little bit of light on this. Regardless, she also mentions having worked on a, “special project virtual team,” the, “Zeno “Conceptual Modeling Team” for post-Vista release,” which (you guessed it), means Windows 7.

Correlating her mention of, “Zeno” in her resume with what she has on her website, “Zeno” is apparently a, “Cloud Computing Model.” She lists the research method being used as, “conceptual modeling derived from empirical research.” Included with that vague and somewhat confusing description, is a graphical representation of the, “Zeno” model. For those of you into cloud computing, perhaps this will be much more meaningful to you than it is to me (click the image for a humongously large version):

How does this, “Cloud Computing Model” named, “Zeno” fit into Windows 7? I’m guessing that it may have something to do with Windows Azure, if not having become part of Windows Azure all together, but I’m not, AZURE about that as I am about other things… (I know, I know… horrible pun…) Anyone else feel like jumping on this bandwagon to clarify some things or make some guestimates?

-Stephen

One of my personal hobbies that I have the most fun with is keeping up with the future of Windows. Typically, whenever I run across a roadmap or some part in a presentation that makes me feel all warm and tingly, I post it here. Well, putting my nose to the grindstone and digging for Windows 8 information today (since it seems to be popping – up – all – over – recently), I actually ran across a mention of Windows 9. Now, I’m certainly no stranger to running into mentions of future versions of Windows:

November 2007: http://uxevangelist.blogspot.com/2007/11/windows-7-and-windows-8-wealth-of.html
July 2008: http://uxevangelist.blogspot.com/2008/07/windows-8-confirmed.html
August 2008: http://uxevangelist.blogspot.com/2008/08/windows-server-7-and-8-oh-and-9-too-yep.html

(Shameless self-pat-on-the-back there, hehehe)

Aside from that roadmap, the only mention I’ve heard of Windows 9 out of Microsoft was from an interview Mark Russinovich gave last year when he said, “…what are the important things Windows should be addressing in the next five years…and…so, looking further out past Windows 7 into Windows 8, Windows 9…” You can hear it here (@ 2:42). (And though I ran across this myself, Marius Oiaga of Softpedia apparently did a write-up about it back in September 2008, so I want to be fair and mention it)

Well, now I’ve run across a semi-dated presentation given March 11, 2009 by Dave Probert, Architect, Windows Kernel Group. It’s a short ‘n sweet mention, but he lists, “working on Windows 8 and Windows 9, including manycore, services, and core facilities” as his day job. No mention of Windows 7 there, so we can assume these guys must be well on their way developing for Windows 8… well, since March 11, at least.

That oh-so-casual mentioning of Windows 8 and Windows 9 has my noodle turning a bit more than is probably necessary. First, since he mentioned both Windows 8 AND Windows 9, does this mean they’re working on technology that will go into Windows 8 and – thus – into Windows 9, or does it mean they’re working on technologies for BOTH Windows 8 and Windows 9, respectively? If the latter, it makes me question if Windows 9 is going to be the introduction to everything that’s going into Midori or if it’s still going to be NT-based. Likewise, I wonder if Microsoft is going to keep the Windows name when they switch the underlying technology to whatever’s going into Midori – much like they did when dumping 9X and making NT the kernel for both their client and server operating systems – or if Windows will indeed be retired in lieu of a new name (heck, I wonder if THEY even know yet… My brain’s just wandering here, so nevermind me. lol).

Either way, Windows 8 and Windows 9 had might as well leave room for us to assume there to eventually be a Windows 10, 11, 12 et al, but I don’t like to assume these things… especially in light of such a small detail that leaves a lot to be read into (isn’t that part of the fun in all of this, though?). What do you think? Oh, and please can the, “oh, wow, it’s Windows 8; who would’ve ever guessed” comments. If you don’t care, then don’t waste your time and ours by letting us know; because we don’t care that you don’t care. lol.

Lastly, some of you may have missed a conversation back in February where Mark Russinovich set the record straight about the version number of Windows 7 and how they’re going to go forward with versioning. This pretty much sums it up right here:

Mark Russinovich: “And one comment about the version number, the version number change is actually one of the biggest impacts on application compatibility. When we moved to Windows Vista from XP going from a version number of 5.1 to 6, actually breaks lots of apps that check for the major version number. So a lot of people look at the version number and try to read something into it. Like, .1, well that’s now a major upgrade or rev over what we had previously, and actually it’s totally meaningless from that perspective. It’s just simply saying, this is a different version of the OS, and we are actually going to just rev the minor version number so that we don’t break those apps that are checking the major version number. If you follow that logic you can figure out the version number for Windows 8. Right, Mark?”

Mark Minasi: “So version 18 will be 6.1.1.1.1.1…”

Mark Russinovich: “Exactly.”

A little bit of comedy for you at the end there, but at least we can gauge more accurately the meaning of the version number from here forward (although I don’t know if Windows 8 is going to be 6.1.1 or 6.2, lol). Anyway, that’s it for now! More on Windows 8 and Windows 9 when I dig it up!

Resources:

Dave Probert’s Presentation: Download Here (Page 2 is the mention of Windows 8 and Windows 9)
Mark Russinovich’s Conversation: Download Here (Page 6 is where I’m referencing)

-Stephen

(Follow me on Twitter: msftkitchen)

Mary Jo Foley is really getting a great scoop from people within Microsoft who are slowly but surely letting the cat out of the bag in regards to their new experimental OS, “Midori”. In her latest write-up, she gives us a couple of new codenames regarding technology to ultimately be found within Midori:

RedHawk: The codename for new managed code work being done by the Developer division.

MinSafe: The codename for the complementary managed code initiative on the Windows division.

I could be completely wrong here but it sounds to me as though Microsoft is gearing up for a wave potentially as grand as the Longhorn wave was once planned to be. Not only are we talking about an experimental OS being created in managed code, but now we’re getting into elements of the .NET Framework in relation to developers in general. What does that imply? Hello, Visual Studio!

Is Microsoft looking to phase-in completely new elements piece by piece until the base of their future technologies eventually turns into one whole completely new can of worms? (i.e. A new kernel, completely new codebase for all OS/Development technology, etc.) At that, are we going to be able to set our sights on these efforts a little closer than initially perceived?

Getting back to her article, Mary Jo goes on to mention a good number of specifics which I recommend you check out (a link to the story is at the bottom of this post) but something I find particularly interesting is that she’s heard some of the eventualities of the RedHawk/MinSafe teams could be incorporated into Windows 8. Yes, Windows 8 – the same Windows 8 Microsoft has already started posting job links for on their site. Of course an OS is to come after Windows 7 (which will be Windows 8, as we now know) but Midori already feels to be building a huge realm of mysticism around it much like the once-fabled “Blackcomb” (now Windows 7) did back when Longhorn was first being developed.

And so the cycle goes on. What are your thoughts?

Reference: On the road to Midori: RedHawk, MinSafe and Sapphire

-Stephen

(Follow me on Twitter: msftkitchen)

Today, Mary Jo Foley posted a follow-up to her initial exclusive of Microsoft’s Midori OS. In addition to her follow-up, I would like to contribute to the confirmation of Midori by linking to yet another presentation I found on Microsoft’s Research site. It is a presentation given by Shaz Qadeer of the Microsoft Research “Software Reliability Research” group at Princeton University in December of 2007. (How on earth had Midori not been mentioned by someone a part of that lecture???) In a section of the presentation, Shaz discusses CHESS, which not-so-coincidentally happens to be exactly the same thing discussed for the previously noted mention of Midori by Shaz in this presentation, first noted in an article by softpedia.com. There’s nothing special in this latest presentation unless you understand its contents from the technical perspectives in which it was written (I don’t… I’m not even gonna lie. lol). For the purpose of this post, slide 38 says “Midori OS”. There’s nothing like multiple confirmations on something of such apparent importance to Microsoft.

Windows 8 planning confirmation and more Midori OS confirmation. Not a bad day! =)

Presentation Link: Taming concurrency: A program verification perspective

Reference: Shaz Qadeer, Microsoft Research

-Stephen

No, not as codename “Midori.”

With Windows 7 well underway, there are plenty of teams within Microsoft who are looking to the future. Yes, Windows 8 is not only confirmed as existing as its own entity but Microsoft is currently looking for people to fill the proverbial shoes of planning. Perhaps the codename for Windows 8 is just that; Windows 8, and not “Orient” or “Mystic,” as previously rumored. With Windows 7 being the current codename of Microsoft’s upcoming OS, “Windows 8″ as a codename makes perfect sense, though ultimately an assumption on my behalf at the moment.

says: “To Windows 8… and beyond!”
(Okay, okay… so that’s not exactly how Buzz Lightyear said it but close enough)

Adding to my previous mentions of Windows 8, confirmation of Windows 8 comes to us via job postings on Microsoft’s site (which I originally stumbled upon via a search on Computer Job’s website and decided to see if the same job postings existed on Microsoft’s site as well). So, just what are the confirmations of Windows 8’s planned existence? Follow my nose!

“This collaboration will also generate input for Windows 8 planning which we will drive back into the planning team as part of the regular planning process.”

Proof: microsoft.com | computerjobs.com

“Establishing a strong partnership with the Windows 8 planning organization [and] participating in the Windows 8 planning process.”

Proof: microsoft.com | computerjobs.com

“Working with the Windows 8 planning organization [and] participating in the Windows 8 planning process.”

Proof: microsoft.com | computerjobs.com

“Team with senior leaders across Windows to define the technical roadmap for the next generation of Windows engineering system for Windows 8 and beyond.”

Proof: microsoft.com | computerjobs.com

“The WTT team is looking to make significant changes to it’s infrastructure for Windows 8.”

Proof: microsoft.com | computerjobs.com

So what do we ascertain from this? NOT that Microsoft doesn’t care about the latest version of Windows they’re working on! Those of you who think Microsoft is committing some cardinal sin by planning for the future need to come to realize that it’s no different than a sports team studying and planning to beat teams that are 2 or more games ahead of them. You have what you currently have, you work with it, develop upon it and plan ahead. Simple as that. No, you don’t go jumping the gun and banking on immediate success! It’s still work, it takes effort and no one knows just what is going to happen until you get there but how on earth can you fault a company for planning ahead? No one is perfect and Microsoft certainly had a lesson or two to learn from Longhorn but as ever-growing as any person or company is, things don’t come to fruition without planning. If Microsoft didn’t have their planning phase in the time frame of development that they do, you would be waiting for advancements in their products much longer than you currently have to.

Remember: PLANNING does not equal DEVELOPMENT. Don’t misconstrue Microsoft’s PLANNERS as being Microsoft’s DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS. The people hard at work writing code for Windows 7 will be the same people (figuratively speaking) hard at work writing code for Windows 8 but not until Windows 7 is finished. One thing at a time, folks. Don’t freak out that you’re hearing of Windows 8 with Windows 7 still being the current focus. I say, “Microsoft, plan away!”

Resources:

- Windows 8 search on computerjobs.com
- Windows 8 search on microsoft.com

-Stephen

Weeee: DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS (The Remix)

(Follow me on Twitter: msftkitchen)

So, the latest buzz I’ve picked up on lately is this craze going around about an OS secretly being developed within Microsoft with the codename “Midori.” Unfortunately, there are people getting the facts (of which there only exists a couple of at the moment) confused with fiction and such a reaction has prompted me to go ahead and straighten out the myths/rumors/facts about this new OS before this perpetuates into something ridiculous and just plain wrong.

The Great Misconception: Codename “Midori” is Windows 8 and ultimately the new code base for each subsequent Windows release thereafter.

The Facts:

- Codename Midori has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with Windows at this time. Yes, that means Windows 8 (which has actually been *rumored* to have the codenames “Orient” or “Mystic,” which I first mentioned here) and 9.

- Codename Midori IS tied heavily to Singularity, in that it is an OS written in managed code.

Q: So, where has Microsoft mentioned this supposed OS that you’re obtaining your facts from, Stephen?

A: At the time of this writing, you can download the following document straight from Microsoft’s servers: Download Search for the word “Midori” to see where it is located in the document.

Now, what started this whole “Midori” fiasco is Mary Jo Foley originally writing that “Midori” will supposedly supersede Windows and is in some sort of “incubation state,” meaning it’s supposedly closer to being marketed than other Microsoft Research projects typically are. Now, regardless of what the plans are internally for “Midori” NOW, history should denote the fact that plans change… and sometimes drastically. Basically, to assume Midori to be ANY version of Windows at this time is to jump the gun in a MAJOR way. Now, don’t confuse assumption for theorizing.

“Midori” may very well end up superseding Windows but lets not get all up in arms about it yet! I’ve seen everything from people blaming Microsoft and assuming that “Midori’s” existence means that Windows 7 efforts are going to be lazy to the aforementioned assumption that “Midori” is indeed the codename for Windows 8; nevermind the ridiculous and completely unmerited mention of Windows 9! (Someone trying to generate website traffic much, hmm?) lol.

Codename “Midori”: Windows 8? Not at this time. The future Windows? Perhaps.

-Stephen