Microsoft probes possible leak of code for Whistler OS

A Microsoft internal version of an upcoming consumer operating system, code-named Whistler, reportedly was posted to the Internet early this morning, according to ActiveWin, a Microsoft-focused Web site. The purported OS contains a future version of a Microsoft Network (MSN) client and tighter integration between the OS and the browser. The OS also seems to capture more of the look and feel of the Internet, according to ActiveWin.

Whistler eventually will be a consumer operating system based on Windows 2000, the company's recently released operating system for corporate computers. Touted as more secure, reliable and stable than Windows 95 or Windows 98, Windows 2000 will serve as the cornerstone of Microsoft's OS strategy for the foreseeable future for both the consumer and corporate markets.

If the code for Whistler was posted, it could present a number of problems for Microsoft. If unauthorized users are installing the code, there is no guarantee the untested version will work with other software applications or devices. In addition, many early features seen in preliminary versions of software don't make the final cut, leading to possible customer backlash as consumers learn what was left out.

"We are actively investigating the posting of the code to the Internet," a Microsoft representative said. Microsoft has not yet ascertained whether an early version of Whistler was posted.

Although software beta testing involves releasing early versions of code to a limited number of users, the group is strictly controlled and testers must sign non-disclosure agreements prohibiting them from speaking about the features or bugs of upcoming releases. Further, Microsoft officials do not discuss unannounced products.

"The reason why the beta testing process is such an integral part of the development process is that the feedback of beta testers is important to work out any concerns that developers and beta testers find along the way," a Microsoft spokeswoman explained. "It's far too early in the development process to even speculate" about the possible implications, she added.

Before Whistler comes to market, Microsoft will introduce Windows Me, code-named Millennium. The last operating system from the company to be based on Windows 95 code, Windows Me is expected to be released early this summer.

Windows Me is designed to be simple and easy to use. Whistler reportedly takes that focus one step further. The software release reportedly making the rounds of the Internet includes HTML enhancements to folders, which brings the look and feel of the Internet to the desktop. Microsoft has gone that route before, most notably in Windows 98, which featured the Active Desktop feature. Active Desktop integrated Internet Explorer into the normal PC desktop screen.

ActiveWin also says that the internal build of Whistler that has hit the Web contains a future version of Microsoft's MSN client, which would indicate the integration between the browser and the desktop first seen in Windows 98 has been taken even further with the next operating system.

Microsoft's consumer operating strategy has seen many twists and turns since Windows 98 was announced. Originally, Windows 98 was to be the last product based on MS-DOS. However, the company changed course and extended the product's life with two follow-up releases, Windows 98, Second Edition, and the upcoming Windows Me.

The last two Windows 98-based operating systems have been seen as somewhat stopgap measures, intended to address the huge changes in home computing between the release of Windows 98 and the expected release of Whistler.

In the last two years, digital media, such as MP3 music and digital video editing, have made huge leaps in popularity. At the same time, broadband technologies such as home networking and high-speed Internet access are also expected to make major advances. Windows Me is designed to address these new trends.