Although the software giant has vaguely confirmed that Longhorn won't make it until mid-2006, information on planned features keeps popping up. This time around Microsoft is reportedly looking to add laptop-specific features to the next generation of Windows, adding power and making for a more user-friendly machine that resembles consumer devices.

Microsoft is looking at the possibility of a separate user interface that could be instantly accessed for playing back movies, music and other media files. The company is even exploring ways that media files could be accessed without logging into Windows as a way to make the experience more comparable to consumer electronic devices.