Gartner Says Virtualization Is Hot, So It Must Be True

In the case of virtualization, Gartner is mostly right, but I have a few bones to pick. First, Gartner says that through 2012, virtualization is the "highest-impact trend in [the] infrastructure and operations market." Check.

Then, the company's press release argues that "storage has already been virtualized" and that PCs and servers are the next frontier. Technically, that may be true; folks have been talking about storage virtualization longer than x86 PC or server virtualization. But how many have actually virtualized their storage? Precious and few.

Yet another Gartner guru claims that because of PC virtualization, "the days of the monolithic, general-purpose operating system will soon be over."

Right. Wasn't the Network Computer (a style of PC or desktop virtualization) supposed to kill the PC a decade ago? Wasn't the Web supposed to kill Windows clients five years ago? Like the end of the world, if you predict it long enough, it will eventually happen.

Have you virtualized your storage, and if so, how? Write me at [email protected] and I'll pass your story along in our next newsletter.

Posted by Doug Barney on 04/07/2008 at 1:15 PM0 comments

Hyper-V: As Easy as Pie (Once You Configure the Stove!)

Leading our virtualization charge is former Redmond Editor Keith Ward, now editor of Virtualization Review. (Keith is so good, we hire him back every time he leaves for what he thinks are greener pastures. Now he knows the truth: Ain't nothing greener than virtualization!)

Keith is a techie at heart and lately has been messing with a sweet HP loaner server, most recently loading Windows Server 2008 and the beta of Hyper-V. So far, so good. The only glitch was enabling virtualization on HP's Xeon processors before he could successfully load the new Microsoft hypervisor.

Keith promises a steady stream of reports on various hypervisors -- all from the perspective of a new virtualization user, which most people in IT actually are. Keep up with Keith's blog here or get the RSS feed here.

Posted by Doug Barney on 03/31/2008 at 1:15 PM0 comments

Bill on Immigration (Bill Gates, That Is)

Here's the backdrop: Bill Gates has long argued for loosening our Visa rules so companies such as Microsoft can bring in smart people. Bill made this same case in a speech a few weeks ago in front of the U.S. House of Representatives.

I happen to agree with him. I'm pretty hardcore when it comes to illegal immigration -- and not because I dislike immigration. Just the opposite; I love immigration. My feeling is that illegal immigration restricts a country's ability to welcome legal immigrants. A country should be able to define its immigration strategy, and has the right to give preference to highly educated immigrants.

I know some people are threatened by smart newcomers stealing the best jobs; things might get more competitive. But how many startups are started up by foreigners? Smart immigrants build economic leadership, invent new things and create some pretty sweet jobs.

Tell me where I'm wrong at [email protected].

Posted by Doug Barney on 03/31/2008 at 1:15 PM0 comments

Google Earth Hour: Feel Good While Doing Nothing

My first thought turned to hypocrisy. Google uses millions of kilowatt hours powering massive server farms so we can look for Kim Kardashian videos.

Turns out, there was a deeper irony. Apparently, it takes more electricity to power a black screen than a light one.

Posted by Doug Barney on 03/31/2008 at 1:15 PM0 comments

Enterprise Search, Take 4

This is a pretty big area, and one that is very easy to test. Any clown can tell you which search works best -- that's why Google rules in Web and desktop searches. It only takes one or two queries before the depth of its indexing proves superior.

The new Microsoft software is in beta, and now works with OneNote (should be called OneCustomer) and Outlook.

The biggest flaw is its Windows-centricity. Some may run almost all-Microsoft operating systems, but the data is stored in apps from all over. This means you need more than one enterprise search tool if you really want to find things.

Am I right, or all wet on this issue? Let me know by writing me at [email protected].

Posted by Doug Barney on 03/31/2008 at 1:15 PM0 comments

VMware Ain't the Only Hypervisor in Town

It's not just the looming threat of Hyper-V, which will be huge as Microsoft is making all the right moves with pricing and enticing developers. Citrix is also playing big-time in this space with its acquisition of Xen. Sun is basing its new xVM hypervisor on Xen, and last week HP announced that it will embed a version of XenServer on HP servers -- just like it's doing with VMware.

Like the early days of productivity software and even desktop operating systems, this market is wide-the-heck-open. This is gonna be fun.

Posted by Doug Barney on 03/24/2008 at 1:15 PM0 comments

There's a New Web Site in Town

Redmond Report (yup, it shares its name with this here newsletter) is simply a bunch of links from a bunch of sites to a bunch of stories about Microsoft.

Like I said, pretty dang simple. Already, the site has stories about Vista Service Pack 1, a new Word exploit and advice about what company Microsoft should buy (instead of Yahoo).

So click over to RedmondReport.com, then write me at [email protected] and let me know what you think.

Posted by Doug Barney on 03/24/2008 at 1:15 PM0 comments

So Long, Sir Clarke

I was lucky enough to correspond with Sir Clarke for several years. Even though he was way over in Sri Lanka, Clarke read AmigaWorld while I was editor in chief. Clarke loved the Amiga and used it to explore Mandelbrots, geometrical shapes that expand inward and out infinitely. The shapes they form also make great hippy T-shirts. These fractals drove his novel The Ghost from the Grand Banks.

Clarke would fax me his thoughts, along with clips of Mandelbrots carved into corn fields in England as well as stories about the 25th birthday of HAL, the computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey. I now have a prize collection of letters and newspaper clippings from one of the world's greatest minds. Who says journalism isn't cool?

Clarke more recently survived the tsunami and worked to find better ways to predict these waves and warn coastal inhabitants.

What's your favorite Arthur C. Clarke work? Let us know by writing me at [email protected]. The Arthur C. Clarke Foundation is also a good place to park some of your extra dough.

Posted by Doug Barney on 03/24/2008 at 1:15 PM0 comments

Microsoft: The New New York Times?

Like Google and Yahoo, Microsoft isn't really planning on doing publishing the traditional way -- the hard way -- where you actually hire journalists and editors and produce content. No, Microsoft and its ilk want to monetize content produced by others. They want advertisers to connect with Microsoft by advertising on Microsoft sites, or for advertisers and publishers to use Microsoft as the Web advertising go-between. Here's a rundown of what Microsoft has to offer.

The company has a new partner, Rapt Inc., which Microsoft is in the process of buying. Rapt helps publishers forecast and does inventory management. The software will be added to Microsoft's Atlas Publisher Suite.

Posted by Doug Barney on 03/17/2008 at 1:15 PM0 comments

Ozzie's Head Is on the Cloud

After making the obvious statement that today's desktop has a '70s and '80s feel (something other Microsoft execs likely agree with but cringe at hearing), Ozzie pointed out that young developers, students and startups build for the Web first, and this is the audience Microsoft must now address (Silverlight, anyone?).

For its part, Microsoft pledges to build a more reliable cloud itself (for MSN and Windows Live services), create better dev tools for mashups and develop a model for cloud computing applications such that Microsoft remains a highly profitable company.

Posted by Doug Barney on 03/17/2008 at 1:15 PM0 comments

There's a New Mag in Town: Virtualization Review

Later this month, 1105 lets loose with Virtualization Review, and I'm lucky to be a part of it. The premiere issue includes profiles of VMware, Microsoft and Citrix/Xen; a roundup of top PC virtualization tools; a treatise on the state of storage virtualization; a peek at Hyper-V; and loads of industry news.

We already have a Web site and blog up and running. You can subscribe here. And you can pick up our free newsletter here.

Posted by Doug Barney on 03/17/2008 at 1:15 PM0 comments

How Much Does MS Dig Digg?

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?

Posted by Doug Barney on 03/10/2008 at 1:15 PM0 comments