Microsoft Fights Back on Vista

Smarting from low market share and unrelenting criticism, Microsoft is trying to spruce up Vista's image. Steve Ballmer says a big marketing campaign is in the works -- which is kinda like throwing a bunch of ad dollars to promote the Yugo. It's still a Yugo.

Microsoft also announced the results of some research it did. Of course, everything at Microsoft has to have a code name, so in this case the research is called "Mojave."

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Posted by Doug Barney on July 31, 20080 comments


A Brand-New OS?

The press is abuzz with news that Microsoft is working a brand-new, from-the-bottom-up desktop operating system. Where Windows 7 will be based on Vista , the other OS, Midori, starts with a blank slate More

Posted by Doug Barney on July 31, 20080 comments


Mailbag: Microsoft and Apache

Readers share their thoughts on Microsoft's somewhat unexpected alliance with Apache , which includes a $100K pledge:

I am so sure that this will be good for Apache. After all, look at all the other "successful" collaborative efforts that Microsoft has had with other vendors:

IBM + Microsoft = OS/2 (IBM got the short end of that stick) Sybase + Microsoft = Does anyone still use Sybase?

And let's not forget Sun + Microsoft with the Java fun, which led to Microsoft coming out with .NET.
-Raymond

Microsoft's mantra has always been: Embrace, extend, exterminate. The $100K is the embrace part. A set of open source extensions that make existing Apache-based code easier to run on IIS7 and vice versa will come next under the guise of interoperability. The ensuing migration to Windows Server 2008 w/IIS7 will trigger self-extermination over time.
-Anonymous

I personally love the way Microsoft is handling itself now. Minus the Linux threat to maybe 3 percent of its server share, MS has been stepping it up for the developer side. I had no idea it provided the MySQL connectors for dotNet, and was happy to hear about the Silverlight "help" it is giving Novell -- not that I use *nix. Projects such as SubSonic, Ajax Toolkit and log4net have made me start building more Microsoft projects. I'm still treading lightly, though, because of the threats they put out there when the open source culture shock hit.

MS made its money being the integration vendor and standards-compliant. Now that it is getting back to its roots, it should get stronger.
-Phil

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Posted by Doug Barney on July 31, 20080 comments


The Arrogance of Google

To build Street View, Google sends trucks with video cameras to film stores, streets and people's houses. One such truck drove up the driveway of a Pennsylvania couple (the couple consider it a private road), took a bunch of shots and then posted it all on the Internet. The couple sued for invasion of privacy.

Google's well-heeled lawyers told the court that "complete privacy does not exist." The argument is that because technology that compromises privacy exists, the right to privacy itself is diminished.

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Posted by Doug Barney on July 31, 20080 comments


Slow Road to Vista

I can't believe Vista has been out for a year-and-a-half. I still call it new -- because I barely know anyone that uses it!

Forrester Research and Kace Research explain that my experience is the rule, not the exception. According to Forrester, Vista's enterprise penetration is less than 9 percent. With the amount of PC turnover, IT actually has to go out of its way to not use Vista. This means downgrading machines or making special provisions with Microsoft or OEMs to get units with XP -- not the new OS.

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Posted by Doug Barney on July 30, 20080 comments


OneCare Gets Obscure Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Support

OneCare, Microsoft's consumer-based answer to Symantec and McAfee, is being bundled on a bunch of new PCs.

But before you get all excited, these are trial versions of the security software and the OEMs aren't exactly top-tier. Instead of the likes of Dell, HP and Leveno, how about MDG Computers, or LEO Gesellschaft, Wortmann, Olidata, Hyrican, Sotec and TICNOVA?

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Posted by Doug Barney on July 30, 20080 comments


Mailbag: DNS Is Serious Business

After a rash of DNS attacks , Doug asked readers recently whether they take DNS security seriously. Tony says yes -- and here's why:

If one is running any type of e-commerce or production system that is public-facing, you absolutely have to take DNS (and the entire infrastructure) seriously. If DNS is broken, the following can happen:

  1. If DNS is not properly configured, then your customers will have an inconsistent experience when trying to access your Web site. Result: Customers will go elsewhere and you'll lose possible revenue.
  2. If DNS is not working at all, then customers will not even be able to contact your site. They might assume your site doesn't exist or is no longer in service. Result: Customers will go elsewhere and possibly never return -- loss of immediate and possibly future revenue source.
  3. If your DNS is hacked or spoofed so that your customers go to a fake version of your site...well, not only will you lose money, your customers might possibly lose money also, further damaging your brand and reputation.

So yes, one should take DNS very seriously.
-Tony

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Posted by Doug Barney on July 30, 20080 comments


The Top 3 Virtualization Vendors Are Who and What?!

I've been writing a lot about virtualization lately, for two reasons. For one, I think it's a pretty dang important subject. For another, I helped launch Virtualization Review , our new magazine and Web site , so I'm pretty steeped in all things virtual.

Having this little bit of knowledge gives me big opinions. So when Saugatuck Research released a report claiming that Citrix, VMware and Cisco are the three most powerful forces in virtualization, I almost choked on my Cheerios.

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Posted by Doug Barney on July 30, 20080 comments


Mailbag: Cheap Macs Not So Good

Doug opined recently about the lack of a good $500 Mac laptop in the market. Bill doesn't miss it so much:

I think they tried licensing out the OS about 10 years ago. Didn't seem to work out all that well for Apple, seeing as how their bread and butter was computers back then. Granted, the company and its product line had other problems at the time, so perhaps there would be better results if they ever tried it again. I suppose if their OS got as big as Vista, er, I mean, Windows, it would be worth it to them. Otherwise, in a short time, there would be no more Apple.

As time marches on, computers will become a smaller part of their product mix. If the iPhone and whatever follows in its footsteps continues to advance, a less expensive device running OS X could well happen. Until then, a $500 Mac laptop strikes me as something one would not call "good," either in performance, durability or effects on Apple's bottom line and by extension, OS X.
-Bill

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Posted by Doug Barney on July 29, 20080 comments


Is Your Job Recession-Proof?

Career company Jobfox just released a bit of good news for those of you in IT: Your jobs are relatively safe. In fact, you may want to ask for a raise. According to JobFox , IT and software development are among the 20 professions the company considers recession-proof.

Now, pushing aside the fact that we're not technically in a recession -- it just feels like one -- this is good news indeed. (And here's a little hint from the editor in chief of Redmond magazine: Our upcoming salary survey has some more good news!)

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Posted by Doug Barney on July 29, 20080 comments


But the Squeeze Is Still On

While your job may be safe, your working budget may not be. The Computer Economics group argues that some in IT may soon have less to spend (now you don't have to buy all those new Vista PCs!).

The group says that IT budgets overall were set to rise some 4 percent, but due to a tough economy, a lot of this money will never get spent.

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Posted by Doug Barney on July 29, 20080 comments


Microsoft Joins Apache, Why?

Late last week, Microsoft joined the Apache Software Foundation and pledged a hundred grand so that Apache supporters can write more Apache code.

Seeing as how Microsoft sales reps have probably pushed IIS on you a million times, you're probably asking, "Why?" Me, too.

The answer isn't that Microsoft is putting its weight behind the open source Web server and bailing on IIS. From what I can tell, this has nothing to do with IIS. On a high level, Microsoft wants to appear friendly to the open source community. Gaining trust and cooperation can go a long way toward building interoperability.

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Posted by Doug Barney on July 29, 20080 comments