How much would you pay for a new laptop with 1GB of flash memory, Ethernet,
Wi-Fi, three USBs and built-in word processing?
How
about $98? That's what Chinese company HiVision hopes to charge for its
new little beauty.
At this price, it could be a nice little toy or a machine just for travel.
If you have enough of your files in the cloud, you could get all your work done
cheaply. And if it gets lost or stolen, a new machine is only a Benjamin away.
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/15/2008 at 1:16 PM0 comments
VMware last week released a list of holes in its software, holes that support
elevated privilege attacks, denial of service exploits and remote code execution.
Ultimately, holes
in a hypervisor are more dangerous than a hole in an OS or application,
as a single hypervisor supports many operating systems and applications.
Do you worry about hypervisor security? Fears and answers welcome at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/11/2008 at 1:16 PM0 comments
Microsoft will be pushing Vista hard this holiday season. It has
new
TV commercials and a big retail campaign coming. Part of the retail strategy
is
hiring
hundreds of gurus to work in stores and talk to you all about Vista.
Then again, the word "guru" might be a little strong. If you're hiring
hundreds of people to work in big electronics stores, you're not going to find
too many true gurus. Trust me, I've met some Mac geniuses and their IQs are
far from Mensan.
Want to read about real Windows gurus? Read my cover story here.
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/11/2008 at 1:15 PM0 comments
Microsoft is clearly serious about interoperability. This week it announced
that
Windows
Server will run under xVM, Sun's new hypervisor, and has crafted a bundle
with Novell for SuSE to run under Hyper-V.
Now, on the software development side, Microsoft just rejoined
the Object Management Group (OMG). This means that Microsoft's approach
to software modeling could be compatible with Unified Modeling Language (UML)
and with the ways others vendors approach the area.
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/11/2008 at 1:16 PM0 comments
Doug thought the recent Microsoft-Seinfeld ad
was
a flop, but a couple of you didn't think it was all bad. Readers share their
mixed reactions:
You are absolutely right. It is a total bomb. When I saw it, my reaction
was, "And?" I think it is about as big a non-ad as has ever wasted
money and time. I've been a Windows user almost since Day One. That would
be when I stopped using CP/M. I look for much more in my operating system
and I want to see good ads, too. I am totally disappointed.
-John
I enjoyed the TV ad and thought that Gates was as good a comic straight-man
as some well-established comics. IMO, Gates trumped Seinfeld, indeed.
-Ron
It made me want to go out and buy a pair of Conquistador shoes with Windows
in the toes!
-Charles
That commercial makes as much sense as the first release of Vista. Of
course it's Microsoft's money, so if you don't like it, don't buy the stock.
-Geo
I've heard and read a lot about the commercial being a flop, but I'm not
so sure. I agree that the jokes were a bit flat. However, I think the ad brought
a bit more human-ness to Gates and, with Seinfeld in the mix, makes Microsoft
appear a lot more accessible/friendly to the general populace. To the audience
it was geared (average Windows consumer), I believe it can probably be considered
a success.
The simple image of Gates wiggling his rear end is something I could
have gone without. The "good" of the commercial is that it is memorable;
I won't forget Gates trying on shoes in a discount shoe store.
-Kevin
The moist cake is a reference to the Drake's Coffee Cake from the "Seinfeld"
show. Same with the showering with clothes on; Kramer made his meals in the
shower in one episode. For those that watched "Seinfeld," it was
a great commercial. Bill Gates was funny, too.
-Anonymous
I normally do not comment about anything that I see on the Web, even
when asked. But I actually viewed that ad and have never seen anything more
stupid in my life in regard to an advertisement for anything relating to a
computer -- whether hardware or software. It was a better ad for shoes than
anything else.
-Anonymous
The commercial was horrible and was painful to watch, and I really did
not get the point. I never thought Seinfeld was funny in the first place.
That being said, I don't find the Mac commercials funny either (only dorky
Mac users find them funny), but I must admit that they are very clever and
are effective in giving PCs (and of course Windows) a perception that they
are inferior to the Mac. Microsoft should probably hire the same people who
market for Apple, whom I must admit have been very good at selling a "perception."
-Asif
As for the ad, it's definite NYC humor, and since I'm from the other side
of the Hudson, I get it. Friends in England and Ireland don't have a clue,
but to them I just say, "NO SOUP FOR YOU."
-Anonymous
A complete, total, stunning waste of money, time and talent. Pointless.
-Lin
I would just like to say, "Where is the message?" What a waste
of talent and money!
-Harry
I thought it was really bad. I saw it twice before I even figured out
what it was for. I thought maybe after Bill stepped down he needed a little
extra cash so he moved to doing commercials.
-Anonymous
I thought the ad was amateurish at 1:30 minutes. But I'll bet it will
rock at 30 seconds once the lame parts are removed.
-Dan
Since I'm not a fan of Seinfeld, my approach to the campaign is a great,
big yawn. I am neither excited nor disappointed. To put it another way, I
couldn't care less.
-Charlie
Clinical psychologists learn a lot about their patients by discerning
what the patient finds funny or sad. I cannot understand what the fuss is
all about.
-Roger
The jury's still out on Chrome. Here are a few more of your thoughts on Google's
browser:
I'm not sure if you are just getting desperate to defend Microsoft, or
are just plain out of touch. Stop looking just in your Mailbag. Everyone I
have talked to loves chrome (including myself) for just one reason: It's fast,
darn fast. It totally changes how you browse. For one thing, instead of keeping
tabs open, you can just move on because you know that it will open again really
fast. Its few minor problems are nothing compared to IE.
-Jim
I was stunned to find no Google Toolbar functionality built into Chrome.
Really! Don't Chrome developers know that there is such a thing? If they do,
why did they ignore a massively downloaded add-on in the beta? If I go to
download the Toolbar, the page thinks I'm a Firefox browser. Is this a case
of 'IF NOT "IE" THEN "FIREFOX"' logic?
I liked the drag-tab-to-new-browser and drag-across-browsers features
-- very nice for organizing. But hitting any MSN page invites slow-as molasses
response times. Does MS look at the browser originating the request and "take
its time"? I liked the download monitor tucked away on the page rather
than a separate dialog box, and it was a faultless install after the download
completed. The only page that broke was expected: internal system using ASP
session state croaked with a Yellow Screen of Death. If they'd fix that, I'd
be off IE in a hurry. Chrome really needs to pad its resume with gobs of add-ons
like Firefox or it will likely remain a niche browser -- nice, clean, but
undistinguished and uncompelling.
-Stephen
Has anyone read the EULA? Every bit of information produced by the Chrome
browser is property of Google to use how it sees fit! Google has way to much
information on us already. If you don't care about privacy, use Chrome.
-Howard
And Fred tries to clear up a problem another
reader had with trying to open two different Gmail accounts in Chrome:
To Earl, whose "head hurts," webmail accounts such as Gmail's
or Worldnet's or AOL's all store your log-in credentials in one or more cookies.
Different browsers store their cookies in different places. So Chrome stores
Gmail's log-in credential cookies one place, while IE, Opera, Firefox and
Netscape store them somewheres (plural intentional!) completely different.
Different tabs in the SAME browser for several Gmail log-ins won't work
because the latest log-in wipes out the cookies for any earlier one. Different
BROWSERS for several Gmail log-ins WILL work because the cookies for those
log-ins are stored in different places. Hope that helps clear up Earl's headache.
-Fred
Check in next week for more letters! In the meantime, tell us what you think
by leaving a comment belor or send an e-mail to [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/11/2008 at 1:16 PM0 comments
Seven years ago, I was in Atlanta at NetWorld+Interop to judge the show's product
awards when the news of a plane hitting the World Trade Center broke. It seemed
like a crazy accident. Then another hit. Then the buildings fell. And there
were still planes in the air, still more potential targets.
We were sitting in a building with over 10,000 people directly across from
the CNN center. We could have been a target. Wisely, we left the building and
went back to our hotels, walking past hundreds of shocked Atlantans.
Two days later, I drove back up to Boston. Passing through New York, I smelled
the sickening, acrid burning metal discharge from what used to be two majestic
buildings holding nearly 3,000 important human lives.
Where were you on 9/11, and how did this day change your life? Memories welcome
at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/11/2008 at 1:16 PM0 comments
The almost-long-awaited
Jerry
Seinfeld ads for Microsoft
finally
debuted. And like so many Super Bowls (especially when the Patriots lose),
the "Sopranos" final episode and the new Guns N' Roses, the Seinfeld
ad (at least the first one) was a colossal disappointment.
Jerry showed flashes of his former brilliance, and Gates was pleasantly goofy
(as the script called for). But man, oh man, were the jokes flat. Jerry had
a groaner about taking a shower in your clothes (you're dressed, and you're
clean; open the door and go about your business), and the piece ended with Jerry's
dream of a moist and chewy PC you could eat like cake. That line was as big
a bomb as Windows ME, Bob and the Yahoo deal put together. Interestingly, Gates
was funnier that Jerry!
Did you love or hate the new commercial? High praise and catcalls both welcome
at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/10/2008 at 1:16 PM0 comments
As expected, Microsoft
sent
out four patches yesterday, all to fix eight holes that could allow for
remote execution attacks. While there are only four patches, all are deemed
critical.
A hole in Windows Media Player that could let someone use a media file to take
over your machine got plugged. The Windows graphics engine, GDI+, also got a
hole filled that affects everything from SQL Server to Office. This hole is
one analysts expect to be heavily attacked, so patching is of the essence.
The last two remedies are aimed at Windows Media Encoder 9 and a remote execution
flaw in Office.
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/10/2008 at 1:15 PM0 comments
There must have been some interesting dinner conversation after Diane Greene
was fired as CEO of VMware while her husband and co-founder, Mendel Rosenblum,
stayed on as chief scientist. Now, on the eve of VMworld,
Rosenblum
has left the company, as well.
My guess is that Rosenblum's departure was only a matter of time. I think he
was mentally ready to leave after his wife was ousted, but out of loyalty to
his troops he stayed on to ease the transition.
The couple made many millions, but neither seems like the type to drift off
into the sunset on a 250-foot yacht. What would you like to see from this dynamic
duo? Suggestions welcome at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/10/2008 at 1:15 PM0 comments
Earlier this week, I talked about the
new
atom collider in Switzerland that some scientists think will create microscopic
black holes that will swallow our world. The topic was clearly controversial,
as I got nearly as many letters as when I talk about Vista or the Mac. Have
a look:
I am a science buff, not a scientist, so I can't "do the math"
on the risk of black holes going postal. I doubt that anyone can. Arguments
against permanent black holes are persuasive but they are anecdotal, not objective.
Picture the Manhattan Project with massively (no pun intended) greater energies
involved. I did not sleep very well last night.
-Jim
The same henny-penny scenario was discussed when the first fission experiments
happened under the University of Chicago in the '40s. Look how well that turned
out!
-Brian
Wouldn't it be the ultimate irony if the scientists, the same ones that
have been telling us that we are destroying the planet through global warming,
beat us to the punch?
But it won't happen. Technically (if I understand it correctly), all
black holes are much smaller than microscopic. They are infinitesimally small
points of mass. It is the size of their gravitational influence that grades
their size. If their gravitational influence is microscopic, then the likelihood
of them swallowing anything is as unlikely as the black hole at the center
of our own galaxy reaching out and swallowing us. These things will most likely
disappear as quickly as they are created. The scientists' biggest problem
will be to pull useful data from them before they do disappear. I'd be real
interested in hearing from someone with the proper credentials on this topic.
-T.W.
Want to see what the experts think? Go here.
Anyway, if one of the scenarios listed there or some unknown scenario occurs,
we probably won't be here immediately afterward.
I'd be more worried that after all that money has been spent, humanity is
no closer to understanding how the universe is put together at the subatomic
level. We should all hope that new understanding is gained from the CERN experiments.
Nine thousand physicists could be wrong, but what are the odds of that?
-Mike
The collider has the potential to create microscopic black holes. It's
not worth the risk of destroying a billion-plus people on the Earth because
a very small minority wants to be God. It's totally ridiculous.
-Ken
It's just a bunch of people practicing their religion, nothing more.
-Anonymous
I think there's an opportunity to see the bright side on this one. If
we're ever going to get the chance to see the inside of a black hole first
hand, it'll be tomorrow. Certainly no one wants the Earth to be swallowed
up, but at least it would be a more interesting demise than many alternatives
-- like being hit by a bus. Eat, drink and be merry (and you know the rest).
-Dave
And Dave also chimes in on the slightly more sobering topic of backward compatibility:
For John,
the Mailbag writer who rightly worries about access to electronic documents
in the future, here's
an article I found interesting. It's about the PDF/A format for archiving
PDFs. One of the more interesting points is that converting a PDF to PDF/A
can result in loss of fidelity to the original.
And John, try to dream of more pleasant things, remembering that it might
be all over after tomorrow, anyway.
-Dave
Got something to add? Let me know! Leave a comment below or drop me a line
at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/10/2008 at 1:16 PM0 comments
John writes that while new technology is great, backward compatibility is nothing
to sneeze at:
I had a nightmare this past weekend. I dreamed that Office 2007 would
not read all the old Microsoft Word documents. This was particularly terrifying,
because I work at a courthouse and we have more than 10 years of historical
and legal electronic documents from various Word versions that we may have
to read and print. If the most recent version of Word won't do this, we will
have to keep older systems and software versions for that purpose.
For 10 years, I have been telling people to move to a paper-less world,
but the threat of unreadable electronic documents scares me. There has been
a lot of noise in the past few years about electronic document standards.
Microsoft seems resistant to the idea. The threat of having unreadable electronic
documents in the public or private sector is very real and should scare people
to think about standards. I have been using personal computers for almost
30 years and have many documents at home on hard-sectored 5 1/4-inch and 8-inch
floppy disks. I suspect I may never see these documents again. Already, the
3 1/2-inch floppy is fading from use, but how many home computer users have
photos and documents on such disks? New technology is great, but we must have
a backward eye for both legal and personal reasons.
-John
And Dave thinks that you can pan
Apple's Newton all you want -- it still had a few things going for it:
In a recent article, you spoke about Apple's Newton as a big mistake,
and rightly so. Even so, take a moment to reflect on what Apple got right.
No matter what else Apple missed with Newton, one thing it got right was the
form factor. Right now, it would be the ideal size to replace my ultra-Micro
PC and my iPhone. In landscape mode, we could have a virtual keyboard that
we could actually type on. In either mode, we would have a screen big enough
for useful free-hand drawing. Don't get me started about how much better it
would be for videos or the maps we use in navigation. Ideally, we could have
it use cellular IP for everything, including phone and answering service.
With the newer technologies used in producing the MacBook Air, we could have
the whole package in a slim, light tablet. Wow.
In the world of personal computing, the future's so bright, you gotta
wear shades.
-Dave
Share your thoughts by filling out the comment form below, or sending an e-mail
to [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/09/2008 at 1:16 PM0 comments
The new multibillion-dollar supercollider in Switzerland has many scientists
excited about discovering the origins of our universe -- and others claiming
it will spell
our doom. The collider has the potential to create microscopic black holes,
which turn into larger black holes that could literally eat the earth alive.
My take? The thing is probably safe, but when you're manipulating the very
structures that created the universe, you better be darn sure you know what
you're doing.
Is it worth the risk? Are the fear mongers crackpots or the only ones making
sense? Hurry and send your thoughts to [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/09/2008 at 1:16 PM0 comments