Microsoft Reveals More Vista, IE 7.0 Beta 1 Features

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Vista Beta 1 has yet to debut. But Microsoft is trickling out (inadvertently or not) more new information on what to expect in its pending Windows and browser releases.

In preparing for the imminent Beta 1 release of Windows Vista and Internet Explorer 7.0, Microsoft posted to the Web new information about new features expected in the pending product releases.
Microsoft made available on Tuesday two separate privacy notices, providing information about data that Microsoft intends to collect during the beta testing process. Those documents also include information on some of the features, including many security-specific ones, set to be included in Vista and IE 7.0.


A few Windows enthusiast sites posted copies of the windows vista and IE 7.0 privacy notes on their Web sites. Vista, the product formerly known as "Longhorn," is the version of the Windows client operating system due to ship in 2006. IE 7.0 is Microsoft's Web browser that the company plans to integrate into Vista, as well as back-port to Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Last week, Microsoft officials said to expect Beta 1 of Vista to hit on August 3. But a number of Windows enthusiast sites reported on tuesday that Beat 1 will hit on july 27.


Vista Beta 1 will include an audit feature that will allow an administrator to monitor the system and create a security log, according to the privacy documentation. It also will include a built-in Microsoft's Rights Management Services (RMS) client. RMS is Microsoft's software that acts as a DRM system for applications software, primarily Microsoft Office. A new Speech Recognizer feature due to be built into Vista will provide "speech recognition within Windows and any applications that choose to use it," according to the documentation. "Speech recognition by the Microsoft Speech Recognizer will increase in accuracy by learning how a person uses the language, i.e. the words they like to use, the way they use grammar, and the frequency distribution of words."