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# The Long Arm of Longhorn

By Michelle Delio | Also by this reporter Page 1 of 2 next »

02:00 AM May. 08, 2003 PT

No one, not even Microsoft chairman and chief software architect Bill Gates, seems to know whether Microsoft's next operating system will be a blessing or a curse.

Content producers probably will love it -- digital rights management will be built right in. Hardware developers remain unsure: The OS boasts tons of spiffy new entertainment features that could encourage consumers to upgrade, but will users be spooked by all that rights management stuff?

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The successor to Windows XP, currently known as Longhorn and on display this week at the 12th annual Windows Hardware Engineering Conference, is intended to run on compatible hardware. The operating system and hardware will, in theory, work together to secure a computer and its contents from any tampering -- either by outsiders or, perhaps, even the owner of the computer.

Microsoft claims to have redesigned Longhorn's interface in accordance with a slew of studies on how people like to work, play and interact with their computers.

Longhorn, Microsoft promises, will be a cozy, comfy operating system, as familiar as a favorite pair of jeans.

But deep within Longhorn lurks the Nexus, part of Microsoft's new Next Generation Secure Computing Base system, which is intended to provide a tamper-resistant, private container for data users would rather not share with the world.

As of now, Microsoft expects that NGSCB will be part of Longhorn, according to Peter Biddle, product unit manager at Microsoft's security business unit.

NGSCB is essentially an encryption and permission management system. It can encrypt keyboard strokes or data being sent from a computer, as well as incoming streaming video or audio.

NGSCB also allows the owner or creator of a document, file or application to determine what can be done with it. Users won't be able to modify application code or alter the contents of documents if the owner has opted to block such activities. Users will be prevented from making copies of digital media if the owner so chooses. And users might not be able to forward or print e-mail or files without permission.

Separate permissions can be set for individual users, or conceivably for different purchase plans -- perhaps a 50-cent MP3 wouldn't be burnable or transferable to other devices, while a $1 copy of the same tune would be.

"This is scary stuff," said a developer who asked that his name be withheld. "I could see a lot of people sticking with their old computers, operating systems and media players to avoid all this permission crap. Any geek who does use Windows is going to stick with Windows 2000; most of them are already not thrilled with XP anyway."

Gates became noticeably touchy when quizzed by reporters on NGSCB's potential to be used as a personal copyright cop.

"We're building a security system that people can use or not use as they please," he said. "We are not telling anyone what they have to do or not do with their computers or with their content."

Some developers assumed, from Gates' comments, that NGSCB would be a user-enabled option. But currently there doesn't appear to be any way to disable NGSCB, as it will be built into both a computer's hardware and its operating system. It's also possible that its protections would not work correctly or would prevent content from being viewed on non-NGSCB systems.

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