Even More Reader Feedback

Seriously, you're out there on the front lines every day, and we appreciate the fact that you're willing to take a break from your busy lives and drop us a line. It helps us make sure that we're still in touch with your reality, which we hope we are. Plus, some of the stuff you send is way better than anything we could come up with.

Also, let's face it: We're living in a news-dry era. With a few big vendors -- one of which we cover heavily here -- dominating the industry these days and snapping up smaller players, there just isn't as much news as there used to be. Questionable times for the economy have cut down on the news flow, as well. We don't get nearly the briefing requests from vendors and partners that we got even a year ago, and the actual news items of interest that come to us or that we manage to dig up seem to have become fairly few and far between.

So, you're helping us keep going, and we appreciate it. With that in mind, let's get to this week's e-mails. We talked last week about SBS server pricing, and Ian had a response for us:

"I think the SBS pricing is not adding any value at all to an SMB -- no more ISA Server on the Premium edition! Now you need to sell a third server solution or an integrated firewall appliance. There is some other value like the mixed CAL; however, for a typical SMB to see value at $189 per Premium CAL is not easy when the EBS Premium CAL is $195."

Ian, we got the impression, too, that Microsoft's new pricing scheme was moving SBS up-market (making the first "s" in the name a little less relevant), and the guys from IDC agreed with us. We'll see how that move plays out, but with Windows Essential Business Server already positioned for the mid-market, we're wondering why Redmond is leaving many of its smaller potential customers behind.

Following last week's tales of XP SP3, we have a couple more nightmare stories. Why do we run these? Not to antagonize Microsoft -- seriously. We run them because they're interesting to read and because some users out there might feel better knowing that other folks are experiencing the same problems they're having.

Diane has a real doozy to report:

"I have a not-quite two-year-old HP Pavilion Media Edition with the AMD Athlon processor. My computer is set to receive Microsoft updates automatically. BIG MISTAKE!!! The XP SP3 downloaded Tuesday and my computer totally CRASHED. I couldn't even get it to boot. I called my sister, and she immediately sent an e-mail to Microsoft then proceeded to 'chat' online with HP support.

"To make a long story short, nothing HP said to try worked, and I ended up having to use the HP recovery. I LOST EVERYTHING -- eight years of genealogy research records, all my photos, music, etc. I don't understand why Microsoft hasn't stopped automatic downloads from installing SP3 on the AMD Athlon processor computers.

"I 'chatted' with Microsoft support for quite a while today and asked if they had a software download free of charge for those of us who lost all our files. No, unfortunately, I have to use third-party software. I can't afford the $200-plus to retrieve all my files. What a nightmare!"

Diane, Microsoft did end up blocking SP3 from a AMD machines, but, unfortunately, the move seems to have come too late for you. We're sorry for your loss -- but we do thank you for sharing the story.

Another user who didn't even want his first name mentioned sent us this tale:

"Microsoft would have done well to wait a little longer before releasing SP3 and do some quality assurance testing on the ISO image for the SP3 update. I downloaded the ISO file and successfully burned it to a CD but immediately found an error when I went to install it. On the first screen (after the startup banner), there is a link entitled 'What to know before installing Service Pack 3.' If you follow this link, you will be presented with information on the SP2 update, not SP3. Although this may be an insignificant error as far as the update itself is concerned, it doesn't give me much confidence in the QA effort that Microsoft put into this update.

"I submitted a report to the Microsoft online support center and received a polite 'thanks' for my submission, but my trouble ticket has been closed without any acknowledgment of what, if anything, Microsoft intends to do about it. Given the other problems that have surfaced, I'm not holding out much hope that this is even on the radar."

We don't blame you, anonymous contributor. We do thank you for writing.

Have anything else to add? Chances are we'll probably add it. The address, as always, is [email protected].

Posted by Lee Pender on May 22, 20080 comments

VMware, Citrix Battle on Virtual Desktop

Oh, and while we're talking about VMware, its parent company, EMC, had news this week of its own about an application mapping tool that can help discover and manage virtual resources as well as physical stuff.

Posted by Lee Pender on May 21, 20080 comments

Virtualization Nation

We got a few comments on the blog post itself -- which are always welcome and nice to see -- but, to our memory, the number of e-mails that rolled into your editor's inbox ended up being somewhere between zero and two. Of course, that was in 2007, eons ago, before RCP the magazine's sister publication, Virtualization Review, hit the stands for the first time.

So, now that you've had the chance to study up a bit, we're asking you again -- please send us your thoughts on virtualization. We're dedicating this whole issue of RCPU to the technology, mainly because it seems as though there's a lot of virtualization news this week. If you'll be so kind as to shoot us an e-mail or two, we'll run your thoughts some time next week. (See, there's always a cliffhanger -- that's what keeps you coming back, right?)

Anyway, enjoy this week's virtualization news, study up on VR and get back to us at, as always, [email protected]. In the meantime, check out one blogger's warnings about what virtualization can't do.

Posted by Lee Pender on May 21, 20080 comments

HP, Wyse Think Thin

Posted by Lee Pender on May 21, 20080 comments

Hyper-V Release Candidate Struts Its Stuff

So get your funky soundtrack on for Keith Ward's story, which details the latest super-fly (def? phat? We have no idea) release candidate of Hyper-V.

Posted by Lee Pender on May 21, 20080 comments

Yahoo Thing Not Over Yet

Posted by Lee Pender on May 20, 20080 comments

AMD Machines Blocked from XP SP3

Maybe Microsoft has been reading some of our reader nightmare tales of SP3. Or maybe not. In any case, we're still getting them and we'll try to run some more this week. If you have any to add, add them at [email protected].

Posted by Lee Pender on May 20, 20080 comments

Microsoft Shares the SharePoint Wealth

Software Assurance subscribers can now take advantage of what Redmond is calling SharePoint Deployment Planning Services, a program that helps them deploy the popular SharePoint enterprise portal. SharePoint Deployment Planning Services is a little like a program that the Office team offers, apparently -- but, most importantly for the channel, it'll be partners who will be taking care of the bulk of the SharePoint assistance for customers.

Some of you know this by now, of course, as a pilot program has been underway for a short while. For those who don't, now is the time to look at becoming part of SDPS, as we have a feeling that it's going to be something customers will want...well, right now, actually.

We'd like to hear your SharePoint success stories from both the partner and customer perspectives. Send them to [email protected].

Posted by Lee Pender on May 20, 20080 comments

Microsoft Adds Partner Program Competencies

Posted by Lee Pender on May 15, 20080 comments

Springtime Reader Feedback

Anyway, with flowers popping and allergies in full boom, we're going to let some of our reader e-mails blossom at RCPU. It's been a while since we've run reader feedback, so, like the grass and buds emerging from the blanket of winter, get ready for some e-mails that have waited a while to see the light of day. (Well, one, anyway -- the others are actually pretty recent. But we're running with a metaphor here.)

We start with Andy, who wrote to us back in April about Microsoft's somewhat disappointing earnings:

"The struggle that Microsoft is facing is a problem of saturation. In the early stages of computer technology (like anything new), there is rapid expansion of the user base. But, at some point, that expansion slows. It's hard for businesses to justify more computers, or for most consumers to justify 'new software,' when they aren't using much of what they already have. And until software is able to significantly reduce the amount of effort people expend on chores, or can bring more 'fun' into their lives, the trend is going to be a gradual decrease in growth, followed by an actual decrease in sales (my guess -- five to 10 years of declining growth, followed by five to 10 years of actual decline).

"Microsoft, and many of its competitors, will keep searching for that service that brings annual revenue, but it is going to be a real challenge. I'd like to see the advance of robotics -- actually reducing the chores people are stuck with. But with as little progress as we've seen in consumer robotics (the Roomba is all that comes to mind) over the past 30 years, I am not optimistic. Instead, Microsoft will continue to focus on getting the consumer entertainment dollars (games, video and music services) and expanding its existing efforts in business automation (unified communications should be a good area). I don't see Microsoft having an advantage over other entertainment sources (too much big-company mentality), so I hope it gets its act together and focuses on business automation again.

"Another way of looking at it is the good, old 80/20 rule. Getting the first 80 percent of utility from computers was cheap, quick and easy -- but getting the next 20 percent is going to be very expensive, take a long time and be really hard work. I'm afraid they are still looking for cheap, quick and easy..."

Andy, what you're talking about is what a lot of people have been predicting for Microsoft for a long time: a long, slow, IBM-in-the-'80s-style decline based on shifting models and Microsoft's presumed inability (or unwillingness) to respond to them. We're not convinced that one mildly disappointing earnings report after a solid couple of years of blockbusters is evidence that Microsoft is in real trouble, but we are watching Redmond's new areas of investment very closely.

Unified communications, SaaS and Dynamics seem like three growth areas (among others), at least in the enterprise, where Microsoft can move into some new markets and counterbalance whatever market saturation Windows and Office might suffer in the years to come. We're not ready to predict doom for Microsoft, but we take your points; some of the gravy on the traditional Microsoft gravy train is going a bit sour, and Microsoft is going to have to look for other sources to replace it.

And now, on to more timely territory: the infamous XP Service Pack 3. Before we get to the horror stories, let's address James's concern that we were being too hard on Redmond in our original entry:

"I take issue with you relative to how you really are blaming Microsoft for the issues with XP SP3 (even though you indicate that you are not pointing the finger of blame, but venting). This really is not Microsoft's fault, but HP's and now, it sounds like, Dell's as well. These two vendors created their images incorrectly and with the wrong driver, which Microsoft also informed these two OEMs to not do. Well, they did it anyway. How is this Microsoft's fault? (Your doctor tells you that you have to lose 50 pounds or you are going to have a heart attack. You do not lose the weight and end up having a heart attack, just as your doctor said you would. Guess you'll blame the doctor for you not losing the weight?) I have experienced this issue first-hand (on an HP machine, mind you) and was able to work around the issue and get the machine working again prior to the problem coming to light and in the media as it is now. ALL OTHER UNITS that aren't HP or Dell, SP3 installed correctly for us and are working great."

"So, I am politely asking you, as one computer person to another: Could you please retract your statements about this particular issue being Microsoft's fault and really place the blame where it should be?"

Thanks, James. Allow us at RCPU to clarify here: In all seriousness, we really weren't trying to blame Microsoft for the problems with SP3. Our only point was that regardless of who's at fault (and, we said before, it probably isn't Microsoft), it's frustrating to have to struggle with another service pack that causes problems (after some of the issues with Vista SP1). We're not Microsoft bashers here, as regular readers will attest -- we were just trying to provide a forum in which people can vent some frustrations with SP3, regardless of which vendor (if any) they choose to blame for them. So, really, we didn't intend to bash Microsoft.

With that said, on to some quality venting! Actually, Carl reports kind of a mixed bag so far:

"I've installed SP3 on five computers as of last night. Four were 'upgrades' from SP2. Each was the Pro version and had all post-SP2 updates. One was a clean install. No problems, and I've got Office 2007, full Acrobat and about 50 other apps installed on two of those boxes. No problems at all. One machine is a Dell E521 with AMD-64 dual-core, 4 gigs of RAM, 256MB PCI-Express video, and the other is a Dell laptop with AMD-32 single-core, 1.5 gigs of RAM, and internal video, Ethernet, wireless, etc. Everything, including each of the apps, still works.

"In fact, I integrated SP3 into an install CD, and reformatted/reinstalled clean a second time using that. Still no issues. No reboots other than the usual.

"I am not using Symantec. Two have McAfee and the others are using ZoneAlarm with its included anti-virus. On all the problem machines, who knows what is running, and how the software was installed? Notice that both of my primary test boxes are AMD's. Maybe Intel's the problem?"

Maybe, Carl, but as you said, it could be any combination of things. Lloyd, on the other hand, hasn't been quite as lucky:

"I loaded this on my main machine that runs XP Pro and it killed QuickBooks 2008. When you click on the QB icon it looks like it is starting, and then the indication that it's loading just disappears. On my workstation, it killed the operating system AND a 500 gig drive so bad I could not recover 300 gigs of data. I had to reinstall the operating system and format the 500 gig drive...Don't they check these service patches before they inflict them on end users?"

Whew, Lloyd, now that is a nightmare. We're sorry that you had to live through it, but we appreciate you telling us about it.

Have any more horror stories? Or any other comments of any kind? Send them to [email protected].

Posted by Lee Pender on May 15, 20080 comments

Interactive Intelligence Wants To Feel Your Pain

Interactive Intelligence has some useful stuff out, including an IP communications software platform that combines a bunch of capabilities normally addressed with separate boxes (think PBX, ACD, IVR, WFM and some other acronyms we're not totally sure we understand) into one software-based platform running on a single server. Two of the products based on that platform are now integrated with Microsoft's Office Communications Server.

What really struck us, though, was the news this week that Interactive Intelligence is developing a Customer Feedback Management product that can gauge call-center customers' emotions in real time, so that call-center employees can react accordingly.

OK, so some emotions, such as anger and rage, probably don't need much measurement. Still, this idea seems incredibly useful and actually sort of fun. It kind of reminds us of the "Simpsons" episode where Springfield Elementary has a science fair and Martin Prince creates a "surprise detector" to measure people's level of, well, surprise. Anyway, just about anything that reminds us of the "Simpsons" gets a "thumbs up" at RCPU.

Posted by Lee Pender on May 15, 20080 comments

HP Rounds Up EDS

First of all, from a Microsoft perspective, we're guessing that this means that HP is on board with recommending Dynamics CRM; after all, EDS said at Convergence that it was.

Beyond that, HP and Microsoft are longtime allies; Microsoft and IBM, not so much. So maybe Microsoft partners will see some sort of trickle-down from an HP-EDS leviathan. That is, of course, if HP can manage to actually swallow and integrate EDS, which remains, as always, to be seen.

Posted by Lee Pender on May 14, 20080 comments