Over the next few years, HP will shell some 9,000 workers and use the money it saves to buy machines. No, the workers aren't being replaced by robots or HAL. HP plans to build more data centers to run cloud apps. Besides buying new gear, HP plans to consolidate the data centers it already has, which will require less man (or woman) power.
HP won't exactly turn tiny. It will still have some 300,000 employees after all is said and done.
More
Posted by Doug Barney on 06/02/20103 comments
Last week I told you about a reorg in Microsoft's entertainment group. Today I'm going to tell you about some tweaks to the Server and Tools division. Starting next month, endpoint security will fall under the System Center team run by Brad Anderson.
One reason for the move is the increasing integration between Forefront endpoint tools and System Center.
More
Posted by Doug Barney on 06/02/20100 comments
One reader has a fear about the future of Android-based phones:
Recently, there is a lot of discussion on tech Web sites about the good and the bad of Android compared to the iPhone.
Although it is good to have some alternatives to the iPhone, i've just realized that my worst fear just came back...
Do you remember in the past with Windows Mobile? You would have Windows Mobile 5, 6, 6.5... But what happened when a new version came out? Not everyone could update...
I remember I had a Palm Treo in Switzerland when Windows Mobile 6.5 came out... I couldn't update. The reason was that although U.S. customers could update, there was no license for the Italian version to upgrade.
My point: Are we going back to the same nightmare? If we buy an Android phone with version 2.0, do we risk that later on we cannot upgrade to version 3? Of course, theoretically we could -- but we would need to wait for the various manufacturers to release their own image.
In addition, every phone out there has its own screen resolution.
I now realize how easier it was with the iPhone. Even customers with the first generation iPhone could update to version 3 of the iPhone OS. And the best thing about that? Everyone could get the update at the same time! In addition, as a programmer, not having to deal with different screen resolutions is a plus.
-Dave
More
Posted by Doug Barney on 06/02/20101 comments
I always found it ironic that as much as Google despises Microsoft, it continued to use Redmond products. Now Google is taking either a great leap forward or a great leap back by ditching Windows.
Google claims the move is due to the insecurity of Windows, especially in light of the Chinese attack on Google. But as I recall, wasn't it Gmail that was cracked?
More
Posted by Doug Barney on 06/02/201015 comments
Last year HP had to recall 70,000 laptops due to overheating and possible fires (that's gotta hurt!). Now the company is recalling another 54,000 batteries for the exact same reason.
The recall affects Compaq and HP Pavilion (hey, I've got one of those!) machines. The machines were made between August 2007 and May 2008. If you have one of the puppies, a free new battery could be on its way.
Posted by Doug Barney on 05/28/20101 comments
The entertainment space for Microsoft has been hit or miss. The Xbox is a hit, the Zune and Windows phones a miss. That just doesn't cut it for one Steve Ballmer who reportedly engineered a reorg that saw Robbie Bach, Entertainment and Device president, and VP J. Allard leave their posts.
With Apple now more valuable than Microsoft, for the sake of Redmond pride, it must do better in the consumer space. The good news is that Windows Phone 7 looks to be a vast improvement over previous offerings. But once the iPhone is available from more carriers that just AT&T, it's going to be pretty hard to beat.
More
Posted by Doug Barney on 05/28/20101 comments
Twenty years ago I figured Apple was a goner. By then nearly every non-PC platform -- the Amiga, Atari, etc. -- were either dead or dying. I just couldn't see the Mac or Apple surviving.
But Steve Jobs is way smarter than me, and during his second reign (remember when he got fired from his own company?) built Apple into a computing and electronics powerhouse.
Turns out the Mac isn't all that important after all. Sales of iPods, iPhones, iPads, along with applications and music are where the real money is.
More
Posted by Doug Barney on 05/28/20108 comments
Microsoft and Google clearly dislike each other and make no bones about it. And as a journalist, this is endlessly amusing. Now that they are fighting in the apps space, things are particularly nasty.
The latest salvo is Microsoft's claim that customers are leaving Google Apps in droves because it just can't match the features of the 25 year-old Office.
You tell me? Do we really need 25 years' worth of features, or is lean software better? Answer me that at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 05/26/20102 comments
Kirk Foutts is not just a loyal Redmond Report reader, he is also an intensely loyal father. Five years ago, Kirk's son Michael fell and was left seriously disabled, incapable of controlling movement. It was so bad that Michael could only communicate with his thumb -- down for no, up for yes.
Kirk wouldn't accept this, and used his IT gifts to craft a system that allows Michael to more fully engage with those around him.
The system is based on a touchscreen that Foutts saw in action at Michael's rehab center.
More
Posted by Doug Barney on 05/26/20101 comments
One reader discusses the connection between security holes, anti-virus software and Windows OS:
It is important to realize that AV makers got started by leveraging the same vectors into the kernel that hackers do.
When Vista hit the streets, Microsoft closed those vectors so effectively that AV makers could not get in! Microsoft was forced to give in and open up the vectors used by AV makers because, unlike non-monopolies, Microsoft cannot do anything that stinks of locking out competition. (Which is, of course, what competition is all about.) In short, Microsoft has (well, had) built protections into Vista that made AV software all but unnecessary!
With Windows 7, Microsoft has taken a different tact. This time, Microsoft is competing directly with AV vendors by offering its own free consumer (Microsoft Security Essentials) and not-so-free professional (Forefront Client Security) AV tools.
-Marc
More
Posted by Doug Barney on 05/26/20100 comments
Outlook's .PST file format is not always the most intuitive thing in the world, but it is an effective tool for saving personal folders. You could argue that the data contained in .PST files is as valuable as anything in your shop, especially if your company is big enough to fall under compliance regulations.
Microsoft has two tools that give you more control over .PST. On the low end is software that teaches you how .PST works. Once you know the innards, the second tool can come into play. This File Format SDK offers APIs and source code libraries so you can build apps that use .PST or can move data from .PST files to other formats.
More
Posted by Doug Barney on 05/26/20100 comments
When a hot new album (or CD or digital download) comes out, consumers snap it up fast.
When a hot new operating system arrives, it can take years for IT to make the move. There's testing and training, and oh, it can cost a bundle too!
That's the story with Windows 7. While consumers are buying Windows 7 in droves, those of you in IT take a bit longer. Forrester Research thinks enterprises will start refreshing PCs and moving to 7 this summer. In the world of operating systems, that is right quick!
More
Posted on 05/24/20101 comments