Microsoft on Friday offered a public preview of Avalon, its all-new graphics and presentation engine for Windows.
Avalon was originally a key pillar of Longhorn -- the next version of Windows -- but the company decided last year to also make it available as an add-on to Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
Although Avalon is a key part of Windows' future, it is something the average computer user will never touch directly. Instead, it's an improved method of dealing with graphics, designed to let developers write snazzier-looking applications.
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