Dang, it's almost the second Tuesday of the month, and you know what that means: time for some patching. This month, there are nine fixes to contend with, with five deemed critical.
I know I sound like a broken record, but pretty much all or most of the patches plug remote code execution (RCE) holes. As is happening more and more frequently, one patch plugs multiple products, like the critical patch for everything from Office Small Business Accounting, Office 2000 and 2003, to BizTalk, Visual Studio and ISA Server. That's one well-rounded patch!
On the OS front, again one patch repairs RCE problems in clients from Windows 2000 to Vista, and servers from Windows 2003 to 2008.
Posted by Doug Barney on 08/10/2009 at 1:17 PM0 comments
The Office ribbon interface is pretty controversial. According to many of your recent letters, most of you are frustrated having to relearn Work, Excel and PowerPoint, while a handful love the new look.
To keep up with Office, Sun is looking to add a ribbon to OpenOffice -- possibly. The ribbon is available for download and the open source community is already up in arms. Not only that, the comments underneath our news story on this issue are universally negative.
Do you use OpenOffice, and if so, do you want a ribbon, even as just an option? Shoot your thoughts to [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 08/10/2009 at 1:17 PM2 comments
Microsoft may have ROI and TCO reports that claim open source is more expensive to operate, but IT pros in this recession aren't buying it. The claim, that is. What they are buying is open source -- lots of open source, apparently. IDC reports that open source will grow almost 25 percent this year, and it may even go higher.
While OSes have driven the bulk of open source sales, apps and middleware are starting to really take off. Some of these apps are even running in the cloud.
Incidentally, I like the honesty of releasing predictions and then qualifying them based on changing circumstances. That's the same reason I don't always mind when politicians flip-flop; changing one's mind as the world changes is a good thing.
Are your open source views changing? Is it more or less expensive and more or less polished than commercial software? Answers can be sent free of charge and without license to [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 08/07/2009 at 1:17 PM1 comments
Anyone who's read this newsletter for any length of time knows that I have a love/hate (or at least a like/dislike) view of Apple. I see its machines as expensive and proprietary, but admit they're cool and work pretty darn well.
I'm not alone in finding fault with Apple, especially as it exerts more and more control over all of its products. Switched.com columnist Terrence O'Brien makes a similar argument, claiming that Apple is far more proprietary than Microsoft.
The analysis is detailed, thorough and spot-on. It's not just the OS and bundled apps that are the problem, but control of content through tools like iTunes, as well. And Apple exerts Saddam-type control of third-party apps on the iPhone.
Most dramatically, O'Brien claims, "Apple is a bunch of jerks." One example of jerkiness, I absolutely agree with. I spent nearly 20 years as a reporter, trying to tell the world what tech companies were going to do before they did it. I broke many stories about Microsoft and it never once complained about these disclosures, nor did Microsoft ever threaten. In fact, I won a Computer Press Association award for helping break a story about flaws in MS-DOS 6.0 (shows how long I've been doing this, eh?). Microsoft didn't complain. It sent me a fruit basket!
Apple, on the other hand, sues reporters that pre-disclose product plans. Given that, it's hard to explain why so much of the press treats Steve Jobs like some kind of tech god.
Posted by Doug Barney on 08/07/2009 at 1:17 PM5 comments
If you're running Windows 7 RC like me and find that some things no longer work, like I have, you might want to download the release candidate of Windows XP Mode. XP Mode is essentially XP running in a virtual machine, so apps and peripherals that don't talk nice to Windows 7 can talk nice to the XP VM.
The cool thing is that XP apps are on the Windows 7 taskbar, so the integration seems pretty tight. My only incompatibility so far is with my LaserJet 1000 printer, though I'm not sure if loading XP Mode is worth it just for that one issue. I may just give it a try anyway and report back.
Have you tried XP Mode? If so, is the integration clean or clunky? Answers welcome at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 08/07/2009 at 1:17 PM0 comments
Some Windows 7 beta testers can convert to the real deal free of charge once it's done. Members of an exclusive club, those actually invited by Redmond to test the software, are eligible. Most of these top IT pros belong to TechNet, but not all TechNet subscribers got the special invites. So how do you know if you qualify? Microsoft will send off an e-mail with all the details.
If you're a release candidate user like me, the software is active 'til this March. After that, Windows 7 will stop working for two hours a day. Sounds just like my old XP machine!
Microsoft says that one reason Windows 7 is so stable is the great work of beta testers. I couldn't agree more.
Posted by Doug Barney on 08/05/2009 at 1:17 PM2 comments
Microsoft let its Windows 7 upgrade pricing out of the bag, and instead of being excited, I'm confused.
Even though the news is only about upgrading from one version of Windows 7 to another, there are myriad versions and multiple pricing plans. Even more confusing, some options may only be available for a limited time. Add in temporary free upgrades for new Vista buyers, as well as other Windows 7 options, and what should be simple is more abstruse than a Visa credit card agreement.
And I'm not sure how many consumers will suddenly realize they didn't buy an expensive-enough version of Windows 7.
Have you absorbed this pricing info? How will you upgrade? Plans and vexations equally welcome at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 08/05/2009 at 1:17 PM4 comments
Making points that are already obvious to most Redmond Report readers, a security researcher is warning that cloud computing includes certain risks such as lack of data ownership and hacker risks when that data is in transit. Hmm, haven't you all been telling me this for over a year?
iSec Partners' Alex Stamos also points out that authorities may be able to access your company data through a third-party cloud provider far more easily than from your internal datacenter. Scary stuff. What all this means is that cloud applications must be carefully chosen and cloud providers carefully scrutinized.
What is and is not appropriate for the cloud? Your suggestions welcome at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 08/05/2009 at 1:17 PM1 comments
When it comes to being cool, popular opinion says the iPod trounces the Zune, but what do you think? Readers share their media player of choice:
I love my Zune just for the fact that it is not Apple. I cannot stand anything to do with Apple and refuse to support them in any way.
-John
Sorry, I can't help you put lipstick on this pig. I'm a proud owner of four iPods (if you count my iPhone) and they all perform flawlessly, even though some of them are several years old. Perhaps I am more careful with mine than your teenagers are.
If they lowered the Zune price to $10, I still would not need one. I think the attitude that it's just "a small drive that stores and plays media files"
is one reason why Apple owns the market instead of Microsoft.
-Ed
I love my Zunes. I have an 80GB and a 4GB. The software is great and there's no better deal around than Zune Pass. I'm not a fan of the iPod, and if MS discontinues the Zune, I'll be left without a device with enough capacity to hold my whole music collection.
By the way, consider yourself lucky to have bought only three dead iPods. My 16-year-old niece is on her eighth. She's got about 2,000 songs with the Apple DRM, and would have switched to a different brand long ago if not for that.
-Dave
I am not a big digital toy guy. I spend nine to 12 hours a day up to elbows in database servers and I don't really need to mess with electronic computer-type junk when I get home. A year-and-a-half ago, my son bought me an iPod as a joke for Christmas and I was a bit perplexed about what to do with it. Eventually, I put all my music collection on it and started listening to it at work in the server room to cover the noise. Now it goes everywhere with me; I use it in the computer room and it rides around the farm and the woods stuck in the visor of my truck. No case. It always works. I have dropped it, kicked it. And my grandson, the 2-year-old, sucks on it. No trouble at all. Ever. If you have had three of them die, you should either stop buying cheap knock-offs, or review your use of electronic devices. Especially if you are 0 for 3.
The only person I know who had a Zune found it to be somewhat problematic and gave it away. Which was OK since he got it as a door prize at a Microsoft software conference. I don't know anyone who has bought a Zune. My view on Apple has always been that it is a cult not a computer, but the iPod that I thought I would never use lets me listen to the 4,750 songs I have collected over the last 50 years and take them with me wherever I go.
-Anonymous
Love the Zune. Both my wife and I have Zunes. The unlimited music subscription (Zune Pass) is great, plus you get to keep 10 songs a month. I don't care if my Zune is cool or not; it's inexpensive and you get a lot more music than you would purchasing songs off iTunes.
And I can't believe you were trying to compare a 1GB iPod shuffle at $50 to an 8GB Zune with a full screen. Booo!
-Anonymous
I bought a 30GB Zune a little over a year ago. I really hated the way the Zune software worked. It was difficult to build playlists that worked the way I wanted. You could waste a couple of hours just setting up and loading four or five playlists. It didn't like to load all the tracks if you had large files. It really wasn't drag-and-drop. I like to see folders when I transfer files, not some proprietary software that is FULL of advertising.
I finally had enough and gave it to my teenage daughter. The drive went out about four months later. I can't say that I will miss it.
-Dave
I had a Zune for about six months, and it was sold only for economic reasons. I loved the hardware design, the simple and functional user interface, the Zune PC software, and the service itself. It's only because these devices were born in the shadow of the iPod that they never gained a significant foothold in the market.
-Greg
I've had great experience with iPods. I have a well-used second- or third-gen hard drive iPod that still does its thing when I bother to charge it up. The other four I have are all flash-based and continue to work just fine. Even the first-gen shuffle still works great, holding enough of a charge to let me use it for a while once every six months or so (the display on the Nanos makes them much more desirable). Of course, any abuse makes them vulnerable, though the only abuse I can see the shuffle exposed to is severe crushing pressure or, I guess, toilet damage. But the hard drive ones only take one good drop to be useless, especially when they are not encased in something bounceable (definitely not kid-friendly)
As for Zunes, I have talked myself out of them two or three times. I think it has a good hardware design but very poor software design and weak marketing. If it wasn't for the "apparent" simplicity of iTunes (including the broad selection of $.99 songs) and the very hip TV commercials, the iPod would never have seen the incredible success it has. So I think if Microsoft had more effectively placed the product in TV shows and in the hands of "popular"
kids/sports people, they would have had a shot. But the time has passed for the whole audio product category -- time to move on to a touch competitor with Xbox tie-ins. The Zune's window has closed.
-Andy
My daughter loves her Zune and her friends prefer the Zune. I don't know where to get an iPod of any usable size for 50 bucks, but I know the Zune was cheaper (from Best Buy) for 80g and it has been really reliable, while her friends' old iPods languish in drawers (only because they can't bring themselves to toss them in the trash). Everyone is getting Zunes around here so that they can share/sync with each other. It would make a difference if Microsoft would seriously market the Zune (hopefully, not using whoever was behind the marketing disaster for Vista).
But what do I know? I wouldn't have thought anyone would buy the Kindle for even half of what it costs.
-Gerry
The Onion recently made a dig at the iPhone and some of its more rabid fans. A couple of readers say it's a nice enough product, but not without its flaws:
iPhones are really cool. Just don't try to get "expert" help at an Apple store. I had a client with an iPhone and Gmail account. She needed to get her contacts out of the iPhone and into another account because she could not recover her Gmail password. She waited hours for a few of the Apple "geniuses"
to tell her it was impossible. They were correct, unless she purchased an iPhone app for 99 cents. I told her to tell them about the app but she preferred to pay me an exorbitant rate to try to get them to help again. Once she purchased the app, the transfer was trivial. The "geniuses" should have known.
Apple makes wonderfully stable products that are limited in scope and support options.
-Earl
I recently bought an iPhone and was impressed by the simplicity of operation. But I hate the proprietary nature of iTunes and its limitations. For this reason, I will think long and hard before buying another one. I wonder what the EU will do about this?
-Rocky
Finally, these readers may not completely love IE 8, but they like it better than the alternatives:
I'm running XP Pro 64-bit and I think IE 7 was more stable than IE 8 but I'm not willing to go back (yet).
-Roger
I am using IE 8 as my browser in spite of the fact that the others (Chrome, Firefox) appear to run faster. They are not anywhere near as complete, unless you want to fiddle with add-ons or anything not intuitive (for a longtime Windows user).
-Stephen
Tell us what you think! Leave a comment below or send a message to [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 08/05/2009 at 1:17 PM0 comments
Microsoft gets picked on a lot by the EU over issues like browser bundling, but John wonders what the point is:
I think Microsoft has tried very hard to be less monopolistic. I think the EU is unfair. Here is my analogy: You buy a car and it comes with a certain radio (GM's was Delco, if I recall). What would be unfair is not letting the owner change it to, say, a Yamaha. MS allows us to use a different browser -- how much more should it do?
-John
A few more readers chime in with their Windows 7 adoption plans:
In this economy, there is no real reason to spend money to "upgrade" an OS. We'll stay with the OS on our current PCs (XP/Vista) and acquire Windows 7 on any new PCs we purchase. That is our transition plan.
-Gene
IT will be moving to Windows 7 once it's available on TechNet. Soon after, we'll start a pilot program with our beta users and expect to begin rolling it out wider in 1Q 2010.
-Anonymous
Doug wondered about the accuracy of this recent Onion headline: "Apple Claims New iPhone Only Visible to Most Loyal of Customers." Based on feedback from a couple of unabashed iPhone fans, it's pretty close:
Yes, it is true. Using skills learned from the famed Tibetan monks who can alter their own temperature, I was able to use meditation to transform my mental state into one of a hip, dedicated Apple groupie. At that point, I was immediately able to see the new iPhones. They are totally, indescribably amazing. I bought one on the spot.
-Andrew
I'm a PC. Having said that, I've recently picked up an iPhone. I couldn't resist; blame it on my best friend who has one and had the nerve to let me play with his. It made my HTC Fuze feel absolutely undesirable with its chunky vibe, thick body, itty bitty screen and stuck-in-the-'90s OS. I played with that phone for about two hours (much to his dismay, I wouldn't give it back). I was determined to get one after that.
Lucky for me, the 32GB 3GS was just coming out so I picked it up. I haven't looked back, and now have come to understand the zealots. The interface is really, really good. It doesn't need rebooting every other day like my Fuze (and previous WinMo phones), and video/audio is awesome. I'm still a Windows 7 fan so I don't think my assimilation will be total, but I'm still waiting to see that rumored Apple tablet.
-Floyd
And another Onion piece pegged average Americans as spending 90 percent of the day with their eyes glued to some form of electronic device. Bob's average is off the mark, but not by much:
Well, it's not 90 percent, but it is probably in the distrubingly high 50 to 60 percent range.
-Bob
Tell us what you think! Leave a comment below or send an e-mail to [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 08/03/2009 at 1:17 PM0 comments
Let's face it: Whether it's a Zune or an iPod, we're really just talking about a small drive that stores and plays media files. And speaking as a father who's paid for three now-dead iPods, Apple can't even build a reliable small drive that stores and plays media files. But when it comes to small drives that store and play media files, image is everything, and the Zune -- which has a cool name and is apparently not a bad device -- just isn't cool
Nor is it different in either price or features. The cheapest Zune at Best Buy is $140, while I can get an iPod for 50 smackers. No wonder Wall Street is now begging Redmond to kill the Zune.
Do you love the Zune? Did your iPod die only for you to discover it's basically irreparable? Love stories and sob stories equally welcome at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 08/03/2009 at 1:17 PM17 comments
The COO of Microsoft, one Kevin Turner, claims that since its release Hyper-V has helped Redmond gain 24 points of market share from VMware. The article, which has fewer details than a Sarah Palin speech (hey, John Edwards is no prize either!), provides no context at all for this rather stunning statement.
I've struggled to find any meaningful virtualization market share info and finally found something from Forrester, which indicates that Microsoft now has 22 percent of the market. So if it gained 24 points, did it start at negative 2 percent?
In all fairness to the research intelligentsia, no amount of databases or spreadsheets can truly account for all the bundling and other weird ways hypervisors get sold or given away. Do you trust market share numbers? If yes, no or maybe, drop me a note at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 08/03/2009 at 1:17 PM4 comments