Mea Culpa: Latin for 'Sorry That Vista Ain't Perfect'
Last week, Steve Ballmer jetted down to sunny Las Vegas for the MIX08 show,
where some 2,500 people went to learn what Microsoft is doing in Web development
tools.
At first, I was going to write this entire item based on what Redmond
Developer News writer Jeff Schwartz put in his terrific 1,252-word
article. Then I ran into Kate Richards, another Redmond Developer News
writer who just got back from MIX08, at the coffee machine.
I'm not sure if it was the Las Vegas memories or the stirring keynotes and
sessions, but Kate was pretty impressed. Topping her list was Silverlight,
the semi-new Web dev tool that has more downloads than a .JPEG of the Kardashian
sisters (these are the girls famous for having a father that [allegedly] got
rid of O.J.'s bloody evidence, for being Bruce Jenner's stepchildren and for
having a videotape I'd rather not describe). Microsoft also previewed some rather
stunning work it's doing for NBC's Beijing Olympics Web site.
But the real excitement came during Steve Ballmer's keynote, a real baring-of-the-soul
affair. Ballmer admitted that Vista didn't come out quite as well as he had
hoped, and that he wished Internet Explorer had been updated more frequently.
Ever optimistic, Ballmer believes that the Vista service pack will fix many
of the compatibility issues.
I have no clue why Microsoft agreed to this, but Ballmer then sat down for
a Q&A
with Apple bigot and self-centered venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki. Kawasaki
rudely sported a new MacAir (only VCs can afford this creation) and asked a
rash of Apple-focused questions. (Kawasaki worked for Apple over 20 years ago
when the Mac was black and white, single-tasking and -- just like today -- horribly
expensive.) Ballmer kept his composure and answered Kawasaki's random questions
as best as he could.
Here's a crazy idea I'm pitching in my next print editorial: Microsoft should
buy the Mac OS. Am I nuts or on to something? Let me know at [email protected]!
How Much Does MS Dig Digg?
TechCrunch, a blog which everyone says is cool but isn't actually read by anyone
I know, is reporting that Google and Microsoft may be fighting
over Digg.com. Apparently, Google is willing to pay up to $225 million,
while Microsoft, saving its big bucks for Yahoo, is coming in a bit lower.
I gotta tell you, Digg these days is far cooler than Yahoo. People who don't
need to show an ID to get a senior citizen discount use Yahoo, while the Red
Bull and pimple cream set flocks to Digg. Which do you think has more of a future?
Patch Tuesday...Again?
Let me keep this short and simple. Tomorrow is Patch Tuesday, and this one has
a fairly normal
number of fixes, tweaks and repairs. And, like most patch cycles, these
fixes largely focus on remote execution exploits (is there any other kind of
exploit these days?).
Unlike most months where Windows and IE get corrected, these patches are mostly
for Office and Outlook.
Mailbag: Microsoft Goes Green...Sort
Of
Something in Steve Ballmer's recent
speech about Microsoft's green IT strategy raised Charles' eyebrows:
Let me get this straight: MS has taken an initiative to reduce power
consumption, and it's locating its new datacenter so it will be in proximity
to a hydroelectric plant. Oh, the irony!
-Charles
Tell us what you think! Leave your comment below or send an e-mail to [email protected].
About the Author
Doug Barney is editor in chief of Redmond magazine and the VP, editorial director of Redmond Media Group.