Microsoft slow to ship DreamScene

Angus Kidman
Tuesday, 30 January 2007 08:22

Your IT - Home IT

While Microsoft has been heavily promoting its DreamScene video desktop as an attractive new feature in Windows Vista, the software won't be finalised until mid-year, and most Vista owners won't be able to take advantage of it.

DreamScene, which lets users replace their desktop wallpaper image with a video, received its first public demonstration during Bill Gates' CES keynote speech on January 7. It has also been featured prominently during Windows Vista launch events around the globe. A community technology preview of the product has been released as part of the Vista launch activity.

However, the completed version of DreamScene will be some time in coming. Windows client director Jeff Putt told the Australian launch event that the final DreamScene code would be released by the end of Microsoft's fourth quarter, which falls mid-year.

Even when the code is finalised, the majority of Vista users won't be able to take advantage of it. DreamScene is being launched as a Windows Vista Ultimate Extra - add-ons which only work with the bells-and-whistles-packed Ultimate edition. Most of Microsoft's promotional effort is going into the Home Premium edition for home users and the Business edition for commercial buyers.