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Greger

Microsoft offers a peek at new operating systems

By D. Ian Hopper
CNN Interactive Technology Editor
(CNN) -- Microsoft will let users see two upcoming Windows operating systems Saturday, but stay back: No touching.
At the company's annual "Extreme" event, Microsoft will beam a satellite feed to 30 movie theaters across the country to show users their latest technology. This year, the Redmond, Washington-based company will show off Windows Millennium Edition, also known as Windows Me, and PocketPC, an operating system for handheld computers that replaces the embattled Windows CE.

Users visiting the free event will receive a T-shirt and can enter into a drawing to win one of 30 PocketPC-equipped computers.
Windows Me is scheduled for retail release later this year, and the third beta version will soon be sent off to testers and Microsoft partners. The successor to Windows 98 focuses on four main areas, according to a Microsoft spokesperson: digital media, online experience, PC health and home networking.
In an apparent response to Apple's iMovie, WinMe will include Windows Movie Maker, a tool that allows users to digitize, compress, edit, sort and share home videos. For still images, Windows Me has the new Windows Image Acquisition. WIA can edit images without downloading them to a PC, instead manipulating them while stored on a WIA-equipped digital camera.
A new version of the popular browser Internet Explorer is also included. IE 5.5 is faster and more reliable than previous versions, according to the company, and returns a "Print Preview" option. For gamers, WinMe incorporates DirectPlay voice chat for real-time chat while gaming. Similar to the free program Roger Wilco, the new voice chat will be included in a new version of DirectX, Microsoft's applications programming interface for 3D games.
A home networking wizard and more robust Plug and Play capabilities are geared for users with multiple computers, making it easier to link them together and share printers, files and Internet connections. Microsoft also promises that Windows Me will crash less often and be a more streamlined product than previous editions of the notoriously testy 95/98 codebase.
Microsoft has announced that it will marry its consumer and business Windows versions, a move that's been eagerly awaited by both users and developers, into a single product codenamed "Whistler." Whistler is tentatively scheduled to ship sometime next year.
Windows PocketPC is Microsoft's attempt to win back support lost by Windows CE. With PalmOS-based handhelds dominating the market, Microsoft hopes that a more well-rounded operating system will bring the maligned OS back into the good graces of both users and hardware maker which had abandoned it.
Some of PocketPC's highlights include a new version of Windows Media Player, Microsoft Reader for eBooks, and a compact version of Encarta mapping software. It also boasts a high-resolution display geared for reading books on the device.
The Microsoft Extreme event is open to the public, and registrations are being accepted at the company's Web site. At previous Extremes, the company has shown Office 2000, Internet Explorer 4, the best-selling "Age of Empires" strategy game and Sidewinder game controllers.