[cnet] Developers to get first taste of 'Longhorn'

Oh, so that's why I need to be at PDC!

From CNET:

Developers to get first taste of 'Longhorn'

After months of speculation, Microsoft plans to give developers their first hard look at the next version of Windows in October.

The Redmond, Wash., company expects to release a "developers preview" of the new operating system, code-named Longhorn, at its professional developers conference in Los Angeles. Although it won't be a full beta, or test, version, Microsoft executives have promised it will be more than just "slideware," software that companies haven't been using and don't know when it will be coming.

The company is expected to hand out a development kit that will give developers their first look at the inner workings of the much-heralded new operating system. Longhorn will usher in a raft of changes from previous versions of Windows.

In his Web log, Brad Abrams, a lead program manager involved with Microsoft's .NET initiative, said that developers will walk away with Longhorn code.

"If you are like me, you will not believe it until you see it in the bits," Abrams wrote. "Not only will you get to see some of the new look and feel (of the) stuff we are doing, but you will also get (a software development kit) and tools support for programming to the huge, new managed APIs that Longhorn offers."

....mmmm... new toys!!!