Microsoft just released Beta 1 of Whistler, its next Windows version. This sweeping operating system update includes options for two different interfaces–a newly designed front end intended for nontechnical users, and the “classic” Windows 2000 interface. Surprisingly, Microsoft’s product managers say they’ll be redesigning the interface up until the last weeks of development. That’s an opportunity for people like you and me to make a difference. So register your opinions here: If you were in charge of overhauling the Windows desktop, what would you do first? Which features would you ditch? Which would you redesign? Which would you keep? Believe it or not, this is a serious opportunity to make a difference in the next Windows version. I’ll summarize the best responses in my next column, and I’ll also pass them along to the folks at Microsoft who are redoing the Windows UI. Maybe, just maybe, we can collectively make a difference in the next version of Windows.
