Windows looks set to converge into a single speech-driven product as a result of changes at Microsoft, which have seen Bill Gates step down as president.  The company originally intended to merge the 9x and NT lines into Windows 2000, which would give it one code set to work on and would be less confusing for users.  Also only one set of drivers would be needed, eliminating the problem of devices working with one version of Windows and not the other.

But the sheer complexity of Win2k proved too much and a new road map was drawn that led to the release last year of Windows 98 SE.  This was to be succeeded by another 9x upgrade this summer called Millennium.  Windows 2000, finally launched on 17 February, was to get consumer version called Neptune; and an upgrade to the corporate version, codenamed Odyssey, was already being planned.

Now Microsoft has confirmed US reports that these two projects have been combined into one - called whistler.  Millennium will go ahead - a report said it will ship on 26 May.  A Microsoft spokesman said it was too early to say if Whistler would kill off the 9x line, but it was a possible outcome.

back