A year ago, Microsoft updated its TechNet Web site with a large focus on modernizing
the navigation. Now Jeff Schwartz, a writer for
Redmond Developer News
(our dev book that focuses on management issues -- check 'er out
here)
reports that MSDN is
getting
a similar facelift.
The programming site is trying to turn from a static library into a dynamic,
community resource. Another area of attack? Improving search, which isn't as
easy as it seems given that so much of the content revolves around source code.
The coolest part is that Microsoft is just now talking to developers about
what they need, so there's still a chance for you to have your say.
Posted by Doug Barney on April 21, 20080 comments
Microsoft may be in a position to replace Windows with its own new OS, after
all. Microsoft Research has a brand-new, stripped-down, ready-to-rock OS development
called
Singularity.
The new OS is designed from scratch to resist attacks such as buffer overflows
and actually checks code for stability and compatibility before it runs. It
all sounds great. But, then again, Microsoft will have to do something about
all that backward compatibility.
Posted by Doug Barney on April 14, 20080 comments
Last week, I voiced a few concerns over
Gartner's
analysis of virtualization. The esteemed group argued that PC virtualization
will spell the end of "the monolithic, general-purpose operating system"
(read: Windows).
I did an analysis of Windows on the desktop and found it almost
impossible to kill. Compatibility, OEMs and the economics of Windows PCs
will keep the OS large and in charge for years to come. There's simply nothing
that can replace it. The Mac, Linux, mobile devices -- all just nibble around
the edges of the Microsoft monopoly.
Now, the Gartner gurus have another proclamation: Windows is collapsing
due to its sheer size and the only thing that can save it is virtualization
(the exact opposite of the company's first prediction). The idea is for Microsoft
to write all-new OS code and use a virtual layer to maintain backward compatibility.
It sounds interesting in theory, but these kinds of compatibility layers are
always way harder to write than you might think.
Don't these analysts even talk to each other or read each other's press releases?
And just what is going to replace Windows? The expensive Mac? Linux? Pure Web?
Tell me where I'm wrong and Gartner is right by writing [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on April 14, 20080 comments
While Microsoft Research preps
Singularity, the same group has also built a
unique system to test out new hardware designs.
On the surface, it seems like a killer PC, one a geeky teenage game freak might
own. It's got a boatload of computer and network interfaces and 64 gigs of RAM.
But unlike that sick gaming system, Microsoft's BEE3
has a bunch of programmable arrays, so designers can turn it into anything they
want without having to build new chips first.
BEE3 is based on work from UC Berkeley (BEE stands for the Berkeley Emulation
Engine) and was built with the help of Canadian design company Celestica.
Posted by Doug Barney on April 14, 20080 comments
At the recent RSA Security Conference, the talk wasn't just about patches, hackers
from Bulgaria and the latest virus. Much of the conversation revolved around
security
for virtual shops.
The concept is surprisingly simple and alarmingly scary. If you have 1,000
VMs, a single attack can compromise them all. Vendors are just now starting
to address these issues, and, fortunately, we haven't had that one killer attack
that makes us all rethink the drive to virtualize. VMware is helping by sharing
APIs with security companies, who are now starting to build VM-specific tools.
How do you protect your VMs? Clue us all in by writing [email protected]
Posted by Doug Barney on April 14, 20080 comments
I have written many
newsletter
items and even a
full-fledged
editorial arguing that Yahoo isn't worth nearly $44 billion, and buying
it is a backward move for Microsoft.
Maybe Microsoft read some of this stuff or is just getting cold feet. At the
very least, Microsoft is reportedly
wondering if Yahoo is worth the original bid or if the bean counters from
Redmond should knock it down a few bills.
Late last week and over the weekend, Microsoft pressed
Yahoo to accept its offer or else suffer through a proxy fight, hinting
that the final price might be lower. So what does a slumping Yahoo do? It argues
that it's worth more than
Microsoft's offer!
If I were Microsoft, I'd forget the whole thing and spend all that dough on
inventing new technologies.
Posted by Doug Barney on April 07, 20080 comments
I feel like apologizing every time I write about Patch Tuesday, which is exactly
12 times a year.
The reason I'm so sheepish is that every story is nearly the same, describing
remote execution exploits, Internet Explorer holes...you get the picture. But
like covering every nuance of the Iraq war or the fight for the Democratic nomination,
it's painful, boring and necessary. At least I'll try to keep it short.
Tomorrow is a relatively busy day, with eight
fixes. Again, IE, Office and, of course, Windows are the main victims. Surprisingly,
Microsoft Project also gets a little plug. Also unusual are the fixes for JScript
and VBScript. Web developers take heed!
Posted by Doug Barney on April 07, 20080 comments
When it comes to reputation, Gartner is as well-respected as the pope, John
McCain and Mother Teresa put together -- despite the fact that a decade ago,
Gartner overestimated the cost of owning PCs by about ten-fold. It seems that
somehow the gurus from Stamford, Conn. can do no wrong.
In the case
of virtualization, Gartner is mostly right, but I have a few bones to pick.
First, Gartner says that through 2012, virtualization is the "highest-impact
trend in [the] infrastructure and operations market." Check.
Then, the company's press release argues that "storage has already been
virtualized" and that PCs and servers are the next frontier. Technically,
that may be true; folks have been talking about storage virtualization longer
than x86 PC or server virtualization. But how many have actually virtualized
their storage? Precious and few.
Yet another Gartner guru claims that because of PC virtualization, "the
days of the monolithic, general-purpose operating system will soon be over."
Right. Wasn't the Network Computer (a style of PC or desktop virtualization)
supposed to kill the PC a decade ago? Wasn't the Web supposed to kill Windows
clients five years ago? Like the end of the world, if you predict it long enough,
it will eventually happen.
Have you virtualized your storage, and if so, how? Write me at [email protected]
and I'll pass your story along in our next newsletter.
Posted by Doug Barney on April 07, 20080 comments
Our new magazine/Web site/blog/newsletter
Virtualization
Review is fully up and running. In fact, we just printed and shipped
tens of thousands of copies of the very first issue.
Leading our virtualization charge is former Redmond Editor Keith Ward,
now editor of Virtualization Review. (Keith is so good, we hire him back
every time he leaves for what he thinks are greener pastures. Now he knows the
truth: Ain't nothing greener than virtualization!)
Keith is a techie at heart and lately has been messing with a sweet
HP loaner server, most recently loading Windows Server 2008 and the beta
of Hyper-V. So far, so good. The only glitch was enabling virtualization on
HP's Xeon processors before he could successfully load the new Microsoft hypervisor.
Keith promises a steady stream of reports on various hypervisors -- all from
the perspective of a new virtualization user, which most people in IT actually
are. Keep up with Keith's blog here
or get the RSS feed here.
Posted by Doug Barney on March 31, 20080 comments
I try to avoid being political in this newsletter, but in this case I'm making
an exception.
Here's the backdrop: Bill Gates has long argued for loosening
our Visa rules so companies such as Microsoft can bring in smart people.
Bill made this same case in a speech
a few weeks ago in front of the U.S. House of Representatives.
I happen to agree with him. I'm pretty hardcore when it comes to illegal immigration
-- and not because I dislike immigration. Just the opposite; I love immigration.
My feeling is that illegal immigration restricts a country's ability to welcome
legal immigrants. A country should be able to define its immigration strategy,
and has the right to give preference to highly educated immigrants.
I know some people are threatened by smart newcomers stealing the best jobs;
things might get more competitive. But how many startups are started up by foreigners?
Smart immigrants build economic leadership, invent new things and create some
pretty sweet jobs.
Tell me where I'm wrong at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on March 31, 20080 comments
Last week, Google
turned
its page black to raise awareness of energy conservation.
My first thought turned to hypocrisy. Google uses millions of kilowatt hours
powering massive server farms so we can look for Kim Kardashian videos.
Turns out, there was a deeper irony. Apparently, it takes more electricity
to power a black screen than a light one.
Posted by Doug Barney on March 31, 20080 comments
Microsoft is taking a fresh stab at enterprise search with
Windows
Search 4.0, designed largely for Windows shops.
This is a pretty big area, and one that is very easy to test. Any clown can
tell you which search works best -- that's why Google rules in Web and desktop
searches. It only takes one or two queries before the depth of its indexing
proves superior.
The new Microsoft software is in beta, and now works with OneNote (should be
called OneCustomer) and Outlook.
The biggest flaw is its Windows-centricity. Some may run almost all-Microsoft
operating systems, but the data is stored in apps from all over. This means
you need more than one enterprise search tool if you really want to find things.
Am I right, or all wet on this issue? Let me know by writing me at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on March 31, 20080 comments