Early Beta Program: Whistler
Microsoft introduced the new UI technology to various builds of "Whistler". Visual Styles, as it was called during this phase, was based on a skinning engine similar to Stardock's WindowBlinds. During this period, Microsoft introduced the "Professional" (later renamed to "Watercolor") theme, which was later dropped in January 2001. Also during this period, Microsoft began development on a new look for the Start menu.
Build 2202 (released on February 2, 2000) The entire OS differed little from Windows 2000, and much of the operating system (boot screen, setup routine, etc.) still read as Windows 2000. However, the "for testing purposes only" can still be seen in the corner of the desktop, and the log-on screen reads "Windows Whistler".
Build 2223.1 (with a build tag of main.000411-2307) was released on April 11, 2000, and was previewed at the WinHEC (Windows Hardware Engineering Conference) in late April 2000.
On June 30, 2000, Microsoft announced the start of the "Whistler" technical beta program.
Build 2250 (with a build tag of main.000628-2110) was the first build of "Whistler" released to testers, on July 13, 2000 at the Professional Developers Conference (PDC) in Florida. The boot screen still read as Windows 2000 although the login screen reads Whistler. It closely resembled Windows 2000 and Windows Me and didn't offer many new features, but it was the first build to feature Visual Styles. It also introduced the task-based Control Panel, as well as new icons. The new Start menu Microsoft had been working on was hidden in build 2250. The Start button was also refurbished, with a tilted logo on it.
Build 2257 (with a build tag of idx01.000810-2103) was released in August 2000, after a month of inactivity. This build was the first to feature the results of Microsoft's "clean desktop" initiative, and its boot screen reads as Microsoft Codename Whistler, although the design is exactly the same as Windows 2000's. It was the first build to include Microsoft's personal firewall. Also, the Professional Visual Style was tweaked with new colors. The font on the Start button was also changed.
Build 2267 (with a build tag of idx01.000910-1316) was released on October 3, 2000. It offered small improvements, but no major new features, though it allowed the user to modify the "look and feel" of the system with a functional Display Properties dialog. Build 2267 also introduced a "Compatibility Center", which would eventually allow users to research whether particular hardware devices are compatible with this OS. Also, a new boot screen was created, which contained the Windows logo with the 4 colors in each 'window'.
Build 2287 (with a build tag of beta1.001012-1640) was the final pre-Beta 1 release build. It featured a redesigned setup routine, a redesigned Help & Support Center (the previous versions were lifted from Windows Me), and some UI tweaks, and was also the first build to use Dynamic Updates, a new Setup feature. However, there were some drawbacks in this build; the icons in the Control Panel were switched back to the old one for some unknown reason (which looked less modern), and the Windows logo on the Start button was reverted back to the original too, which is not tilted and its Windows colors do not 'shine' out as much.
Read more about this topic: Development Of Windows XP
Famous quotes containing the words early and/or whistler:
“At the earliest ending of winter,
In March, a scrawny cry from outside
Seemed like a sound in his mind.
He knew that he heard it,
A bird’s cry, at daylight or before,
In the early March wind.”
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)
“It is known that Whistler when asked how long it took him to paint one of his “nocturnes” answered: “All of my life.” With the same rigor he could have said that all of the centuries that preceded the moment when he painted were necessary. From that correct application of the law of causality it follows that the slightest event presupposes the inconceivable universe and, conversely, that the universe needs even the slightest of events.”
—Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986)