Codeweavers announces 2005 and 2006 plans

I saw this last week but never took the time to mention it. Codeweavers has announced their roadmap for 2005 and 2006. Codeweavers of course is the company that makes crossover office (a wine implementation to allow several windows applications to run under linux). Codeweavers is a major contributor to the Wine project

Among other things they release that version 5.0 of Crossover office will be available next month (September) and that version 6.0 will be available later this year. (2 major point releases by the end of the year??? This makes me wonder if they have some MAJOR improvements up their sleeve.) With the announcement of Apple moving to the x86 platform, they will be announcing Windows to Mac initiatives as well in the near term.

Version 5.0 will boast greater MSI and COM support (which they claim will provide a threefold increase in the number of successful windows software installs under crossover). Also an improved DirectX api implementation is expected. (Increasing the competition with transgaming?)

Version 6.0 will bring MORE gaming support with support for copy protection schemes which protect many Windows games as well as other software such as Photoshop CS and Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004.

Looks to be an interesting season of Wine development.