Microsoft officials have said they are ready to cut some "minor" Longhorn Windows features to get the already late operating-system release out the door by 2006, but has been steadfast in its refusal to offer specifics.

But public and private sources are beginning to share details of how the tortuous Windows roadmap is being re-jiggered.

Microsoft officials admitted last week that the company is highly unlikely to deliver a first beta version of Longhorn this year, as the company had promised last fall. Instead, Microsoft is expected to drop a new alpha release of Longhorn at its Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) next month in Seattle. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates also acknowledged publicly last week that Longhorn client won't hit before 2006.

Last month, Microsoft officials said that they were contemplating a number of possible ways to deliver new Windows features and functionality to users under Microsoft's so-called Windows Reloaded marketing campaign. One of the options under consideration was an interim release of Windows that would hit between Windows XP Service Pack 2, which is due this June, and Longhorn client. But officials insisted none of the plans was set in stone.

Read More About Windows Reloaded Here

Microsoft executives have been reticent to say more on its Windows client plans beyond that. But BusinessWeek has examined some alleged internal Microsoft e-mails and video clips pertaining to Longhorn's future.

One alleged e-mail from a senior Microsoft Windows executive, dated March 4, claims the company has decided to curtail its Windows file-storage system (WinFS) plans by allowing the file system to work on individual PCs with Longhorn client, but holding off on allowing WinFS to work over a corporate network until a later Windows release.

WinFS, along with the Indigo communications subsystem and the Avalon presentation subsystem, are the key pillars of Longhorn. WinFS is built on top of Microsoft's 15-year-old Windows file system, called NTFS. WinFS is an integrated store for file data, relational data and XML data that Microsoft has promised will allow users to do advanced searching for local, intranet and Internet information.

Get a WinFS Refresher Here

Microsoft officials said last year that the company plans to make Indigo available on older versions of Windows (specifically on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003) before Longhorn ships. But top brass would not comment on whether Microsoft plans to do the same with WinFS and Avalon.

In another alleged internal Microsoft e-mail dated March 19, according to BusinessWeek, Microsoft officials say they have decided definitely to nix the long-rumored interim Windows release, originally known as "Shorthorn," but officially code-named "Oasis." Nonetheless, Microsoft is preparing a bundle of Windows XP and Windows Media Player 10, which it tentatively is calling "Windows XP Premium," according to a related videoconference session, viewed by BusinessWeek, but is not labeling this as an interim release.

Shorthorn: On Again and Now Off Again

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and other top brass have denied that Microsoft is going to release any kind of a new Windows release between Windows XP Service Pack 2, which is slated for June, and Windows Longhorn client.

Microsoft officials would not comment on the Windows XP Premium bundle, claiming that the company is continuing to evaluate packaging options that it will make available as part of its Windows XP Reloaded campaign.

One developer close to Microsoft's Longhorn effort said a bundle like XP Premium is a given. "The OEMs are demanding the ability to compete with (Apple Computer's) iTunes. They all want to be able to make money selling music and other products through Windows Media Player. But Windows Media Player 9 is junk in that area presently."

The source, who requested anonymity, said that Windows Media Player 10 will "make it much slicker and easier to purchase music through plug-ins that different services can provide."

Windows Media Player 10 also is slated to include a new DRM system, code-named "Janus." Janus is said to be a "secure clock" DRM technology that will enable songs in a subscription service to be moved onto a device, and causes downloaded songs to expire if a user's subscription runs out.

Read More on Janus Here

Additional reporting by Peter Galli, eWeek.