It is probably too late for any of us to have a meaningful impact on the Windows 8 feature set or priorities. But we can always say we told you so if the OS doesn't turn out so great.
So let's start a conversation about what should and should not be in Windows 8. You tell me what you think at [email protected] and I'll tell everyone else!
Posted by Doug Barney on 06/22/2011 at 1:18 PM13 comments
One in five corporate PCs now run Windows 7 -- a number that has more than doubled in a little more than a year. That's the good news for Microsoft and company. The bad news is that IE is slipping -- down two points to only an 87.6 percent share. Wow. That's got to stink (sarcasm clearly inserted). Not even Exxon comes close to that kind of market control.
But don't feel too bad for Redmond. You see, Microsoft actually charges good money for Windows. And despite the millions spent each year on development, IE is still free. Is Microsoft the UNICEF of software?
A free IE makes economic sense if you have a long capitalist view. It's all about controlling core pieces of software. Back in the day, Netscape had a vision where the browser was the OS, a vision Google is now trying to realize with Chrome notebooks. Microsoft is shelling out big bucks to protect the bigger bucks it gets from its operating systems. Plus, controlling the browser means controlling Web developers. And if all this means giving away a browser or two, so be it.
Posted by Doug Barney on 06/22/2011 at 1:18 PM8 comments
One reader responds to another's assessment of the end of Windows Mobile 6:
I laughed when I saw this comment:
"It's absolute bollocks. This is how they treat 'Windows Phone Classic' users? Remember that whole bunch of 'WP Classic' branding nonsense? Oh yeah we'll proudly support both platforms, kiddies... So now they have hung the vast majority of WM users (5-6.x) out to dry. What a great way to engender loyalty or a desire to switch to a totally unpopular and new mobile platform (WP 7) that has as much of a chance of surviving long term as Palm OS (Or WM 6.x!).
No way, no how. It's Beta vs. VHS time, i.e. iOS vs. Android. WP 7 will go the way of Symbian soon enough. My Zune (remember the Zune?) SHOULD have taught me well enough how MS habitually abandons its core customers without much regard. Next phone will be an Android unless AT&T reinvents its system and offers an iPhone that can maintain a phone call."
If WP 7 is totally unpopular and new, WinMo 6 is totally unpopular and old. Why anyone would be upset about Microsoft retiring a worthless OS is beyond me. Maybe MS should support Windows 98 as well. I'm sure there are a few people dinosaurs that would like that, but why stop there? How about Windows 3.1? That's a REAL classic. It sounds like this guy should go back to a Motorola Razr.
Microsoft wants to wind down support in the next year and a half. Do people keep their phones longer than two years? I own an Android phone, and I can't wait till my one-year mark comes in September and I can get a new discounted phone. As of right now, I'm leaning towards a WP 7 phone. It has the apps that I use, it was the first platform to offer Netflix streaming on a mobile device and I can get a Zune Pass, which blows iTunes a la carte pricing out of the water. WinMo 6 was the pinnacle of why Microsoft got demolished in the mobile space. Let it go.
-Chris
Share your thoughts with the editors of this newsletter! Write to [email protected]. Letters printed in this newsletter may be edited for length and clarity, and will be credited by first name only (we do NOT print last names or e-mail addresses).
Posted by Doug Barney on 06/20/2011 at 1:18 PM1 comments
Sun moved to make Java open source when it owned Java. Now that Oracle owns Sun (and thus Java) the software is not so open. It seems the software itself is still covered by an open-source license, but the patents are protected as fiercely as Howard Hughes' privacy.
Google learned this lesson when Oracle recently sued it. Oracle claims that Android violates Java patents.
The case is getting closer, and new details are emerging such as the fact that Oracle wants as much as $6.1 billon in damages -- enough to pay Larry Ellison's diesel boat bills for a decade.
Posted by Doug Barney on 06/20/2011 at 1:18 PM6 comments
As soon as the virus warning popped up I knew I was hosed. While the warning looked real enough, it sure wasn't from Symantec. I've been there before and knew I had little chance of licking this horror.
I immediately started a full Symantec scan and during those two hours fake alerts popped up with torturous regularity. Symantec found and removed two Trojans. That only made things worse. At that point the whole machine what locked down.
I've been hit by variations of this varmint for over a decade, though it most often struck my kid's PCs (which is why they all have Macs now). While the fundamentals are the same, hackers change the code just enough so antivirus software can't keep up.
I've been pretty kind to Microsoft for its efforts to patch and protect its software. Turns out I've been too nice. It is unacceptable for a 25-year-old operating system like Windows to be taken down so easily. Equally unacceptable is the leading antivirus tool being so inept at blocking what is, in reality, a very old virus.
What say you? Spout off at [email protected].
Here on some tips on disinfecting your sick PC.
Posted by Doug Barney on 06/20/2011 at 1:18 PM15 comments
A few years ago I wrote a feature story about Microsoft's Software Assurance (SA) licensing program. While I just analyzed this one-volume license, it took days to get my head around it. The basics are complex but not insanely complex. The trick is deciding whether it makes economic sense. That analysis also involves weighing the benefits: whether you'll actually use them and what they are worth, what your upgrade cycle is and when you actually expect new versions of Microsoft software to ship, etc.
Analyst Paul DeGroot knows a lot more about this stuff than I do, and he recently gave Microsoft 7 bits of advice to improve SA. Here are a few highlights:
- Cut the price. DeGroot believes SA pricing is above that of most Microsoft competitors.
- Simplify benefits. SA offers a big batch of benefits, not all of which are that useful. And few shops use all of them. Microsoft should put muscle behind the bennies that really matter.
- Make desktop and server pricing more in line. Paul argues that desktop fees are higher and desktop benefits lower. Weird.
What are your thoughts on SA? Share your feelings at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 06/20/2011 at 1:18 PM0 comments
Anthony Weiner claimed his Twitter account was hacked -- a charge that turned out to be a bigger lie than Charlie Sheen claiming he's OK.
But there was a real Congressional hack. Recently the U.S. Senate Web site was breached by a group called Lulz Security. Lulz claims it broke into it to force the government to get serious about security. Fortunately, the break didn't go too deep, either because Lulz is not that good or they just wanted to prove a point, and didn't cause any real damage. My guess is the latter.
Posted by Doug Barney on 06/17/2011 at 1:18 PM1 comments
Microsoft is clearly looking for an enterprise home run with Windows Phone 7. While there are plenty of consumer features such as Xbox integration, the real core is a set of enterprise and integration points (these aren't entirely unique to Windows phones I, should point out).
One neat little feature is just about ready to ship. It's the Windows Phone 7 Connector which gives some base-level server management capabilities. It also lets Windows Phones stream files from servers.
On the server management side, phones will be able to change user passwords and establish accounts. Unfortunately, it only works with low-end versions of Windows Server such as Home Server and Small Business Sever Esssentials.
Posted by Doug Barney on 06/17/2011 at 1:18 PM0 comments
Office 2007 was a tough sell because of the Ribbon interface -- which many still aren't used to (it took me a while but I think I now prefer it to the classic Office look).
Now that the Ribbon is fairly common, it really doesn't stand in the way of upgrading to Office 2010, at least for Office 20007 shops. That's one reason why Office 2010 is now "the fastest selling version of Office ever," according to Microsoft.
Enterprise pickup is brisk with a reported pace of five times the rate of Office 2007 adoption.
Despite what looks like impressive sales, some three quarters of shops are still using  either Office 2003 or even older versions, according to Forrester. That gives the Ribbon about a 25 percent adoption rate.
What do you think of the Ribbon? Let me know at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 06/17/2011 at 1:18 PM4 comments
Recently, nearly three dozen government sites as well as massive sites such as Facebook and Google ran a one day test using IPv6 addresses in place of IPv4. Looks like it all went swimmingly, with no major problems reported. This is good news due to the fact that the entire Internet is readying the switch to IPv6 since IPv4 addresses are running out.
The success of what was called 'World IPv6 Day' isn't a shocker. The protocol is 13 years old. In fact, I interviewed Internet star Vint Cerf about IPv6 12 years ago. Check it out.
Looks like most core Internet providers and big sites are good to go. Now it's time for enterprises to step up.
What are you doing with IPv6? Share your stories at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 06/15/2011 at 1:18 PM0 comments
Just as I thought... Tablets, like the iPad, have taken the wind out of Netbook sales, which are now pretty much becalmed. Gartner did actual research that backs up my suspicions.
The moribund Netbook market is dragging down PC sales -- Â which will grow a dismal 9.3 percent this year. While that would be great for any other business, the PC market has historically outpaced basic economic indicators.
The iPad isn't the only factor. We are still living in a pretty sad worldwide economy that oftentimes causes upgrades to go on the back burner.
Have you slowed your PC spending? Share your plans at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 06/15/2011 at 1:18 PM2 comments
Looks like it's just about the end of the road for Windows Mobile 6.x. Microsoft is looking to wind down support in the next year and a half and move customers over to Windows Phone 7.
Windows Phone 7 is clearly superior, but making the move means buying new phones or mobile devices. This is a dangerous game -- users could just as easily switch to Android or iOS over Windows Phone 7.
Here's what one Redmondmag.com reader had to say:
"It's absolute bollocks. This is how they treat 'Windows Phone Classic' users? Remember that whole bunch of 'WP Classic' branding nonsense? Oh yeah we'll proudly support both platforms, kiddies... So now they have hung the vast majority of WM users (5-6.x) out to dry. What a great way to engender loyalty or a desire to switch to a totally unpopular and new mobile platform (WP7) that has as much of a chance of surviving long term as Palm OS (Or WM 6.x!).
No way, no how. It's Beta vs. VHS time, i.e. iOS vs. Android. WP7 will go the way of Symbian soon enough. My Zune (remember the Zune?) SHOULD have taught me well enough how MS habitually abandons its core customers without much regard. Next phone will be an Android unless AT&T reinvents its system and offers an iPhone that can maintain a phone call."
What are your thoughts on Windows Mobile 6.x or Windows Phone 7? Shoot me a note at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 06/15/2011 at 1:18 PM8 comments