Those wedded to Wintel servers may not even realize that the old PowerPC processor
(now called Power) still exists. While Apple may have bailed on the Power architecture,
it still drives the world's fastest supercomputers and a line of IBM servers,
as well.
One of the selling points of the IBM System p line -- besides sheer horsepower
-- is energy-efficiency and high-efficiency. The System p actually has virtualization
built into almost every aspect of the system, from apps to IO to management.
Formerly a pretty high-end solution, IBM is pushing a new tool, PowerVM
Express, to small and medium-size businesses. The Power-based servers run
every OS under the sun -- except Windows!
Posted by Doug Barney on February 04, 20080 comments
Many in IT won't adopt a new Microsoft OS until its first service pack (in Vista's
case, it might take a few). Well, bucko, here's your chance to take the plunge.
It seems that Vista SP1 could ship as soon as the
middle
of next month.
Usually, a service pack fixes a bunch of bugs and a gaggle of glitches. Vista's
issues are more fundamental. Vista requires a mental shift and total readjustment
in how it works. That does not a service pack address.
Meanwhile, Microsoft released a bunch of minor Vista
tweaks and fixes, one of which boosts the performance of Vista graphics.
Posted by Doug Barney on January 28, 20080 comments
Mac bigots love to kid Windows users about all our viruses, rebuilds and exploits.
And they're right. The question is: Why is Windows so vulnerable? Mac-philes
would like to believe their platform is intrinsically safer. The other theory
is that hackers attack those systems with the most market share. And perhaps
the theory most on target: Hackers just love to mess with Microsoft.
If market share is the issue, then eventually Apple will have to worry. With
the success of its TV commercials, the Mac is gaining market share (unfortunately,
only in the high-end consumer market, as Steve Jobs continues to utterly ignore
the enterprise and low-end consumer PC markets).
Sophos believes Apple
should be worried now. The security vendor argues that organized crime is
basing new extortion plots around Mac attacks. And malware, which isn't yet
a crisis, is increasingly written with the Mac in mind.
Posted by Doug Barney on January 28, 20080 comments
Oops. Late next month, Microsoft is having a huge launch party for Windows Server
2008, Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008. But SQL Server may not see the
full light of day
until
the end of this year.
But heck, the hotel is booked, the execs are scheduled, the appetizers are
ordered -- so Microsoft is going ahead with the launch, anyway.
Posted by Doug Barney on January 28, 20080 comments
Every year, I hear how Microsoft is under siege, that it just can't compete
with fresh new technologies. The Network Computer promoted by Sun and Oracle
was going to kill Windows (instead, Windows through Citrix is the OS that drives
today's thin clients). Linux was going take over because it's free (instead,
Microsoft decided to integrate with Linux while dramatically improving its own
server OS).
And, most recently, Google was to lay waste to every aspect of Microsoft's
business (in reality, Microsoft has matched Google app for app so far, despite
what inexperienced journalists would have you believe).
Is all this finally catching up with Redmond? Sure. Second
quarter earnings only increased some 80 percent compared to the previous
year's quarter! The run rate of earnings (not revenue) is almost $20 billion.
That's oil company territory.
All areas of Microsoft's business grew. Now, can't we do something about that
stock price?
Posted by Doug Barney on January 28, 20080 comments
If you have Windows update set to auto-approve, you'll soon be using IE 7. On
Feb. 12, all such systems will be
updated
with IE 7. Your choice? Bite the bullet and get moved to Redmond's version
of tabbed browsing, or change your update settings.
Posted by Doug Barney on January 28, 20080 comments
Redmond magazine just completed a major reader survey (thanks to all
who took the time to answer our many questions!), and the news on Vista is not
good. While there's massive excitement about Windows Server 2008, Vista adoption
is anemic. Apple is taking full advantage of this in the consumer market, making
millions with overpriced but solid and easy to use laptops and desktops.
Apple's laptop hardware, I've found, is as flaky as any HP or Dell I've ever
owned, but the things never crash or get fatally infected with viruses. If you
can afford to pay double or triple for the same amount of hardware, the Mac
is the machine for you!
For many, the price is worth it. In fact, Leopard users tend to be a pretty
happy lot, at least according to ChangeWave Research. Over 80 percent of
Leopard users are "very satisfied." Roughly half of XP users are that
happy. And Vista really took it on the chin -- only 15 percent of Vista Home
Basic users are "very satisfied."
Posted by Doug Barney on January 21, 20080 comments
The next Windows client will probably ship before most of you even move to
Vista. Windows 7, as it's currently called, may ship
late
next year.
I'm hoping that Microsoft re-architects the Windows client to truly exploit
multicore processors. The OS itself could be more multithreaded so operations
are distributed against processors. It could make the multitasking -- instead
of largely sharing a single processor -- work across the cores. And Microsoft
could revamp the API to make it easier for developers to parallelize their apps.
What is your experience with dual and multicore desktops? Are you thrilled
or disappointed in their performance? Let me know at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on January 21, 20080 comments
Tired of IT? Worried about a recession? Or just hate your boss? Joanne Dustin
may have the answer. No, she doesn't have a bunch of openings for Chippendale
dancers or highly paid Hollywood assistants. Instead, she has a book that explains
how she moved from IT to another career: writing about how she went from IT
to a career writing and speaking about moving from IT!
The book is Life
Beyond IT: Open the Door, Your Future is Waiting. You can find it on
Amazon.com (or perhaps your co-worker's desk drawer!).
Even if you aren't considering a career change, I have a little advice: You
should be a pro, not just an IT pro. That means acting like you deserve a job
that's a level or two (or three) above where you are right now. Act like a pro,
dress like a pro and -- without being arrogant or pushy -- be a leader in your
group. Great jobs in IT and beyond may soon come your way. (Hmm, does that sound
like I stole it from a fortune cookie?)
Posted by Doug Barney on January 21, 20080 comments
If you're one of Microsoft's largest customers or partners, you've probably
been wined and dined on its campus, probably at the Executive Briefing Center.
If you head up there again, you may find fancier digs. After a two-year makeover,
that center is now
20,000
square feet larger.
So if you haven't been invited there yet, now might be a good time to drop
a few hints.
Posted by Doug Barney on January 21, 20080 comments
Sunbelt Software has long been a fixture in the Windows third-party market.
Its crown jewel may well be Ninja, a suite of e-mail-centric security tools,
which was
recently
well-reviewed by the experts at
Redmond magazine.
Now, Sunbelt is making it easier to install this anti-virus, anti-spam, e-mail
management tool in the form of the new Ninja
Blade appliance. Based on Dell PowerEdge servers, the appliance is designed
to drop into your network and start working.
Posted by Doug Barney on January 21, 20080 comments
Jeff Raikes, one of the Microsoft execs with the most years under his belt
(and one of the nicest business leaders you'll ever meet), is
retiring
this fall.
Originally from Apple, Raikes has done nearly everything in his 27-some years
at Microsoft. Most recently, Raikes drove the Office System business, especially
the collaboration tools that run on top of Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Whenever a big-time executives leaves, rumors fly about whether they were forced
out. I don't sit in on Microsoft's board meetings, but I'd venture to guess
that the decision was all Raikes'. First, he's not leaving for nine months.
Second, Raikes recently took the lead in launching Microsoft's Unified Communications
line, which is off to a good start. And third, Raikes, part owner of the Seattle
Mariners, is pretty much free to do whatever he wants!
Meanwhile, the man who drove Microsoft's acquisitions for the last two years
is retiring
next month. Bruce Jaffe, who helped Microsoft spend billions buying everything
from Desktop Standard to aQuantive, started with Microsoft 12 years ago in the
corporate strategy group.
Posted by Doug Barney on January 14, 20080 comments