Traditionally, MS operating systems have not been known for being particularly bug-free (remember the old list of how your car would behave if it ran on Windows or other vintage OS's?)

In this late October press release, Microsoft announced that ithas added a huge amount of content to its site. A big new area is related to R&D in partnership with University research departments.

Singularity is a huge component of this effort. Researchers participating in the Singularity project are building a research Operating System (OS) from the ground up with the goal of using the newest technology to create a stable and dependabled system.

Is this the beginning of a new research paradigm for the software giant?

Find more information about the new Microsoft research initiatives, including specialized RSS feeds by area of interest at Microsoft's Research Home page. The seriously interested can even download a 44 page PDF file update on the Singularity project.

This type of tabla rasa approach to collaborative creation of a stability-focused OS found in the Singularity project will be worth watching, along with the other innovations being studied in conjunction with University researchers participating in Microsoft's new research initiatives. I found the iCampus project particularly interesting.

If you are a PhD candidate, or University researcher and want to learn more about funding opportunities, you'll find information on applying for employment, grants and fellowships on the site.

One warning to the curious. Be prepared to spend some time on this site if you're interested in the future of computing and how it will integrate with our lives. There's plenty to see at this site, and the volume of quality content is growing daily!