While the general PC market gets all worked up over Windows 8 and new Windows Phone devices, real IT pros probably care more about PowerShell 3.0, a tool most consumers have never heard of (and wouldn't even know what to do with it if they did).
PowerShell 3.0 is not just the last version of the scripting tool. It also works with the latest client and server OSes: Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?).
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Posted by Doug Barney on 09/10/20121 comments
For many IT pros this week's release of Windows Server 2012 is far more important than the pending release of Windows 8. Windows Server 2012 doesn't have a crazy new interface. In fact, through Server Roles, most of the time it is meant to be used with no interface at all. Instead it is a solid upgrade to an already solid server OS.
Hardware makers such as HP, IBM and Dell already have servers for sale with the new OS.
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Posted by Doug Barney on 09/07/20121 comments
Windows 7 is finally bigger than XP -- a feat that took a full three years and the looming threat of XP support ending to reach. Not to mention the fact that virtually all new PCs sold are with Win 7. And for Windows, it works pretty well -- not perfect, but pretty well.
My guess is it will take Windows 8 far longer than three years to unseat Windows 7 -- it is that much of a switch.
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Posted by Doug Barney on 09/07/20126 comments
An ex-Redmondite believes Apple's massive patent win against Samsung may favor Microsoft more than anyone. Here's the thinking:
"If OEMs have to pay both Microsoft and Apple patent royalties then Android could be more expensive than Windows Phone. Google may remove popular (and expected by consumers) features from Android to avoid it or its OEMs paying Apple royalties, but that will diminish Android's competitiveness. So indeed Windows Phone has the potential to benefit from Apple's win in this case," writes Hal Berenson, head of consulting firm the True Mountain Group.
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Posted by Doug Barney on 09/07/20120 comments
InfoWorld, now a Web-only entity, is hating on poor Windows 8. Their headline says it all: "Yes, It's that bad."
I can't agree or disagree. Although it is a review, it is, in fact, an opinion. The reviewer found some stuff to like, but found the gap between "Metro" and the old desktop interface to be a fatal flaw, "an awkward mishmash that pulls the user in two directions at once."
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Posted by Doug Barney on 09/05/20126 comments
Stu Sjouwerman, a co-founder and former big-wig and at Sunbelt (and now founder and CEO of KnowBe4, which does training and builds compliance software) gave me a head's up about a new Web-based training course he and Kevin Mitnick are offering together to fight social engineering: "Kevin Mitnick Security Awareness Training."
If you recognize Mitnick's name, you probably should. Mitnick elevated "hacker" to a household word, even inspiring a straight-to-DVD movie starring Skeet Ulrich (I know...who? Here's a case where the subject is a hundred times more famous than the actor who played him).
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Posted by Doug Barney on 09/05/20120 comments
When Windows 8 ships, which is right around the corner (right when the leaves start to fall in my neck of the woods here in New England), there will be a whole new style of PC-based tablets coming along for the ride. These little beauties will blend the convenience of the iPad with the workman-like abilities of a full laptop. I can play and keep the boss happy at the same time. They should sell like hot cakes at a church fair.
But while IDC expects good sales, the research house doesn't expect them to reverse an overall slump in the worldwide PC market. Over the next three years, the market will grow on average just over 7 percent each year. That's not much compared to historical rates, but actually better than rates during our recent recession -- last year sales fell 1.4 percent. Ouch.
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Posted by Doug Barney on 08/29/20126 comments
Here's another batch of opinions on Microsoft's new logo (and we were able to find a couple positive thoughts):
It just proves no one likes change and everyone has an opinion. At least it shows Microsoft is trying to change perception, which clearly needs to happen, because no matter how good the products are, the perception is an 'old' company and not the shiny new penny.
-Anonymous
I think someone at Microsoft has been playing too much Minecraft or letting the developers do graphic design. I liked the Aero Glass look.
-Anonymous
On the bright side, it does provide a simple logo. What is hard to differentiate though is this new Microsoft logo from the old Windows logo
-Josh
It is SO cool. I mean, don't you think it's so cool how Micorosft made the 'ft' at the end touch each other as if they were just one letter? And the way those white lines intersect in the middle of the four colored squares -- just awesome.Aand that perfect pantone shade of 'rainy day grey' that they chose for the name Microsoft -- killer logo guys. I know you agree with me, don't be shy to speak up.
-Hmmm...
It's a logo, doesn't affect the product. It's not much more than a crappy driver's license photo. Move along, not much to discuss here.
-Rick
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Posted by Doug Barney on 08/29/20122 comments
Java runs on a goodly portion of today's PCs. I know I used to get plenty of notices to update the darn thing, almost as many as for Adobe or Firefox, but those updates have slowed in recent months. Maybe they shouldn't have.
There is now a zero-day exploit that experts are so worried about that advise totally shutting off Java.
Since it is a Java exploit it crosses platforms, and most PC and Mac browsers are at risk. Attacks have already taken place in the wild, which is why experts are so concerned.
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Posted by Doug Barney on 08/29/20125 comments
VMworld is happening in Vegas this week, and dang I wish I were there. Not only is it in a great city (I don't even gamble but I hear it offers other vices) but VMware puts on one heckuva show.
I've only been once, the first year Paul Maritz took over as CEO, and there were some 10,000 attendees who were all plenty pumped (for the show, not just to be in Las Vegas).
This year those that lost at the tables won with VMware licensing. You see, VMware had this cockamamie pricing scheme where you paid based on how much memory you used. Sounds complicated and it was. But even worse, it could be way more expensive.
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Posted by Doug Barney on 08/29/20128 comments
I have some major concerns with how some exploits are created, released and publicized. I'm glad we have security experts to tighten our security. When they write virus definitions, develop security tools and help us understand how to protect ourselves, they do a great service.
Part of what they do is to create exploits to show us where the flaws lie. The problem is these exploits can then be used to attack us. This is apparently what may be happening with two attack tools shown at a recent Defcon event. One tool steals passwords from Wi-Fi networks and then nabs the traffic that flows over these networks. The other tool cracks the passwords it finds. A nice little one-two punch.
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Posted by Doug Barney on 08/27/20121 comments
Server virtualization was invented in 1967 or '68 by IBM (and the server was a mainframe). It became the revolution that it is today by virtue of two companies: Citrix (who turned NT servers into thin client hosts) and VMware (who turned Windows Servers into multiple Windows Servers).
Now the same thing is starting to happen to the network. No, not virtual LANs, which are cool but kind of passé. I'm talking about using software to emulate hardware networking devices, such as NICs, adapters, routers and switches.
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Posted by Doug Barney on 08/27/20121 comments