Microsoft took another step toward releasing a beta version of Longhorn, the next edition of Windows, with the debut Monday of developer tools for the operating system.
The company is providing free downloads of a toolkit that will let developers write applications for Avalon and Indigo, two of the main additions to Windows due with Longhorn.
A beta, or test, program for the client version of the Longhorn operating system is due "this summer," according to Ari Bixhorn, lead product manager for Web services strategy at Microsoft. A completed version is expected in the second half of next year.
The kit, called Beta 1 Release Candidate, will also include programming tools for the company's digital ID system called InfoCard, as well as a document printing format code-named Metro.