Windows 7
Microsoft to shut off free versions of Windows 7 soon
On March 1, users of the free, release candidate versions of Windows 7 will experience bi-hourly shut downs, Microsoft says. These shut downs will continue until June 1. On June 1, the RC version has officially expired. Microsoft will replace the wallpaper with a background that says the copy of Windows is not genuine.
After June 1,those who haven't upgraded to a purchased copy of Windows 7, which typically requires a clean install, will experience the following issues: Read more
Google shows off concept Chrome OS tablet
Tablets aren't even shipping yet and the wars between vendors are escalating. This despite that tablets have always so far been a strictly niche device (think UPS), although PC makers like Apple and Microsoft have made many attempts over the years to sell us the idea. Read more
Microsoft posts record-breaking Q2, thanks to consumers, Windows 7
Microsoft today reported a record-breaking fourth quarter, which it laid at the feet of consumers adopting Windows 7. Its units that service the enterprise didn't fair as well. The company reported revenue of $19.02 billion for its fiscal Q2 quarter which ended Dec. 31, a 14% increase over the year-ago Q2. Diluted earnings per share were 0.74. This beat analyst expectations of revenues of $17.8 billion and $0.59 per share. Read more
Uninstalling and Downgrading SMB 2.x
We’ve been extolling the virtues of SMB 2.x for the past few posts, but sometimes you may want to disable SMB entirely, or perhaps downgrade it from 2.x to 1.x. Here are some suggestions to point you in the right direction. I’ve tried them and they seem to work as advertised, but as always, try these on a test system before going live, and always back up the Registry before making any changes to it. Read more
Microsoft releases a slew of (mostly) free training tools for MS Office, Windows 7
If there is a silver lining to the frustration caused by Microsoft's new Ribbon menus, it is this: the company has created a program geared to end user training of Office 2007 and Windows 7 comprised of more than a dozen (mostly) free tools. Read more
Will Microsoft Lose the Tablet Market to Apple Too?
Microsoft's failing to even show a heartbeat of a mobile OS response to the Apple iPhone and Google Android is not new news. The next shoe to fall may be the tablet market, with tomorrow's expected announcement of the iSlate, iTablet, iWin from Apple. A desktop and laptop OS like Windows enabled the tablet PC but it hasn't created a new market of consumer devices of the likes Apple is expected to usher in. Apple's moving up the stack by taking their iPhone OS and scaling it up to a larger device, rather than using a desktop OS on a tablet device.
Microsoft gadgets from CES (somewhat) relevant for business
As the week draws closed on the Consumer Eltronics Show in Las Vegas, there is a moment to reflect on the consumer tech toys by Microsoft most likely to influence the enterprise. The biggest among them is the introduction of so-called "slate" PCs, keyboardless touch screens that use Windows 7.
CES: Microsoft puts focus on gaming
During Microsoft's CES keynote on Wednesday night, the biggest news didn't come from CEO Steve Ballmer, but from Robbie Bach, president of the company's entertainment and devices division.
Most business will adopt Windows 7 by 2011, but prefer Google's cloud
Microsoft, you are free to discontinue Windows XP sometime in 2010. Most businesses are expecting to hear that news, they say (although Microsoft has promised to support XP SP3 until 2014) and they are ready and willing to roll out Windows 7. On the other hand, Microsoft Office 2010 might not fair as well. Read more
An Overview of a BranchCache Implementation
Last time, I wrote about the new BranchCache capability in Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2. Today I'll give you an overview on how to go about setting it up. (You’ll find details on these steps online in various TechNet docs on Microsoft’s website, but it’s useful to understand the big picture before you start drilling down to the specifics.) Read more
Server 2008 R2 and BranchCache
The concept of file caching has been around for many years. In fact, it’s one of the ways that IBM made its PS/2 Model 50 computer perform better than its predecessor, the IBM AT, even though the AT’s hard drive was actually faster than the PS/2’s hard drive. Today’s computing platforms use caching at many different levels. The file system is cached in hardware at the drive controller, then again in memory by the operating system; MAC and DNS addresses are cached; memory is cached on microprocessors; Web files are cached by browsers; and the list goes on and on. Read more
The most important Microsoft products of 2009
What were the most important product releases from Microsoft in 2009? Network World has made our picks. In David Letterman style, here they are.
(Click the links to read our rationale of why each product made it to the list.) Read more
How To Run Windows 7 Virtualized on Mac OS X
Windows 7 is my primary desktop but lately the amount of iPhone work I've been doing has prompted me to swap hardware so I could have my Mac Xcode development environment with me when I'm mobile. Thus, came the need to figure out: 1) what would it take to set up a MacBook Pro with Windows as a virtualized guest OS, and 2) what would it take for me to comfortably operate with a foot in both the Windows and Mac OS X worlds. Thus my blog post yesterday about working on a virtualized Windows desktop. Read more
Can You Work On A Virtualized Windows Desktop?
I’m using a Macbook Pro laptop running OS X and I have Windows 7 installed on the Bootcamp partition. Normally this kind of setup only lets you boot up either Mac OS X or Windows, but with VMware Fusion 3 for Mac OS X I can run the bootcamp partition (Windows 7) as a virtualized guest operating system. The Unity feature of VMware Fusion lets Windows apps appear in their own window on the Mac OS X desktop. That always turns heads because people say, “You’re running Outlook on a Mac?”. Read more
Windows 7 Remote Admin Tools: Controls Windows Server 2008 from your Windows 7 desktop
With the implementation of Windows 7, Microsoft has released its latest Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7 and for the first time, I can imagine turning to Microsoft for remote management instead of all my favorite third-party tools. Read more
Productivity Hazards of Windows Updates
Patch Tuesday. Windows updates. Microsoft Office updates. It's a necessary evil, making sure your Windows computers are up to date with the latest vulnerability patches. Patch "whatever day" for Microsoft, Oracle, Apple and others are now simply part of our normal IT process. Next to anti-malware and succumbing to some type of phishing attack, keep computers updated with the latest patches is essential for maintaining good security. Read more
Microsoft rebukes employee who claims Windows 7 was inspired by OS X
No matter how you look at it, the release of Windows 7 has gone off without a hitch compared to the headaches that accompanied the launch of Windows Vista. Not only that, but reviews of Microsoft's new OS seem to be universally positive, with both critics and consumers liking what they see. Windows 7 is Microsoft's most eye catching OS to date, and the similarities to OS X are undoubtedly there. Read more
Microsoft Missed Perfect Chance To Contribute GPL Code
Using open source software in your product. Doesn't Microsoft know that bloggers, techno-dudes and everyone else is watch them like a hawk waiting for Microsoft to make a GPL license misstep? Friday blogger Rafael Rivera called Microsoft on the carpet accusing Redmond of lifting code from the ImageMaster project for use in a Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool (WUDT) for netbooks. Read more
Cisco UC customers appear S.O.L. when in comes to deploying Windows 7
At least Cisco is warning Unified Communications customers about it NOT successfully offering support for Microsoft Windows 7:
"Cisco will have no liability for any delay in delivery, or failure to deliver, any or all of the planned Windows 7 support features set forth herein. Therefore, any such delay or failure will not in any way grant to Cisco customers the right to return, refund, adjust, or exchange any previously purchased Cisco products or products that customers may purchase under their Cisco purchase contracts."
Are you "rolling the dice" by deploying Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit) while purchasing the following Cisco UC products? Read more
Microsoft Is Perfect Example Why Executive Pay Is Broken
Text message this morning from CNN: Unemployment hit 10.2% in October. Microsoft announced earlier this week another 800 employee layoffs to the 5,000 previously announced employee layoffs. If you look at Microsoft's financials you see why, a 14% revenue and 18% net income drop for the last reported quarter, on top of disappointing prior quarters. Read more
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