I'm working on an article and I need to know what you hate about:
- Licensing
- Software sales people
- Tech support
- Office
- Windows
- The Mac
- The iPad
- Software execs
- Trade shows
- Bosses
- PC hardware
- Virtualization
- The cloud
- Storage
What else do you hate? Let it fly at [email protected]. And tell me how I should quote you. Thanks!
Posted by Doug Barney on 12/16/2011 at 1:18 PM2 comments
I am more thoroughly steeped in Google Apps than a Google product manager. That's because I just talked to over a dozen Redmond Report readers about your direct experiences with the cloud suite. The end result will be a pretty extensive real-world comparison between Microsoft Office 365 and Google Apps for Business.
I found that there are fans of foes of both suites. Hardcore Microsoft IT types vastly prefer Office 365, while smaller shops appreciate the scaled-down nature of the Google software.
I also found that users are passionate on each side of this massive debate.
Google is ready to launch a public broadside against Microsoft. It took its first shot by announcing a gaggle of Google wins in the form of shops that have committed to more than 100,000 seats, a company executive recently bragged. We should hear more in the next month or so, or so says Amit Singh, a Google VP.
So far, Google has announced big customers such as the city of Los Angeles, CapGemini, Brown University and, get this, the city of Seattle.
How do you like that? Well, how do you? Tell it straight at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 12/16/2011 at 1:18 PM2 comments
There's been a lot of talk about the death of Silverlight  (the rival to Flash)  now that Microsoft browsers and future versions of Windows will be all about HTML 5 (that other rival to Flash).
Microsoft evangelists spent thousands of man hours and flew hundreds of thousands of miles convincing developers that Silverlight was the next big thing for the Web -- making pages as dynamic and exciting for coders as a Taylor Swift concert is for 12 year-old girls (and their dads!).
But Silverlight isn't just for the Web. You can build highly interactive apps that run inside or outside a browser, and that may be why Microsoft continues to press Silverlight forward.
The tool is on version 5, which is available now. I don't understand what makes Silverlight 5. I've never been much of a code monkey. What I did glean is Silverlight is now better at handling 3D graphics, high-end video and provides 64-bit support.
One important thing to understand is Silverlight has a purposely limited role. For instance, while you can build Win 8 classic or desktop apps, it is useless for Metro.
I think it is time for Microsoft to come clean on the precise role and future of Silverlight.
Do you care about Silverlight? Explain why or why not at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 12/14/2011 at 1:18 PM6 comments
After talking with nearly a dozen Redmond Report readers about Microsoft Unified Communications, and the latest UC tool Lync, I came away impressed. Many of you saved a ton of dough and radically improved communication and collaboration through UC.
The Lync 2010 client, as of this week, now runs on Windows phones, letting callers use IM, audio conferencing and other high-end Lync Server 2010 features.
Microsoft is making the Lync smartphone experience fall in line with the specific smartphone interface. Lync on Windows Phone 7 devices uses Metro, while the iPhone version will look like any other iPhone app (and the same for Symbian and BlackBerry).
Do you like Lync? Tell us why at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 12/14/2011 at 1:18 PM0 comments
A released Azure update this week boasts a new pricing model, is more open to open source and deals better with databases.
On the open source front, users can now try out a test version of Hadoop on Windows Azure. Hadoop is an open-source framework for cloud and distributed computing. Azure is also chummier with Eclipse and Node.js -- a system for writing scalable Internet apps that supports the open source database MongoDB.
Azure SQL-based databases can now be three times as large with a new upper limit of 150 GB. That still seems kind of small by data center standards.
Pricing is reduced, at least when it comes to data transfers, with those fees coming down 25 percent.
Azure's complicated pricing hasn't been fundamentally simplified, but tracking is made easier through a new 'pricing calculator.'
Are you using or looking at Azure? Tell us what you think at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 12/14/2011 at 1:18 PM0 comments
It won't come under the tree or tied in a bow, but Microsoft tomorrow will unwrap 14 little goodies meant to keep your Windows network joyful.
As is now rote, almost all the patches deal with remote code execution (RCE) flaws – this is where hackers run their bad code on top of your good (but vulnerable) code.
Three of the patches fix 'critical' RCE flaws, while the rest of the patches are merely 'important.'
And a range of Microsoft tools will share in these gifts, including Publisher, Media Player, IE, Office and, of course, the biggest patch hog of all: Windows!
Posted by Doug Barney on 12/12/2011 at 1:18 PM0 comments
BizTalk Server doesn't have the sex appeal of other tools such as Windows, Office and what not. What am I saying? These don't really have sex appeal -- that is reserved for the high-end sports cars Microsoft millionaires park in campus lots.
BizTalk is middleware that connects Microsoft tools (such as SQL Server) to other apps and data sources (such as IBM DB2, ERP apps like SAP and SharePoint).
Microsoft is working on an R2 version of BizTalk Server 2010, expected out a half a year or so after the release of Windows Server 8.
IDC thinks Windows Server 8 will be out late in the first half of next year. That sounds aggressive to me but let's assume the analyst firm is correct. That means you'll have a new BizTalk Server in time for December festivities.
R2 will be a better player with cloud apps and will integrate with the latest Redmond wares such as Windows Server 8, Visual Studio 11 and SQL Server 2012.
These names listed together show just how inconsistent Microsoft branding is. Some products have version numbers, others on the relative year of release (some ship earlier and some later than the year indicates) and others, like Zune, are just made up words.
Is BizTalk running in your shop? Let me know at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 12/12/2011 at 1:18 PM0 comments
After Doug took a jab at Microsoft's media player, readers chimed in with their support for the hardware and software:
I play music on my phone using the Zune player.
Sent from my Windows Phone.
-Anonymous
I have a 120 GB Zune and love it. It has around 10,000 songs, pictures and movies. I prefer it over a smartphone 'cause I believe a mobile phone is for making calls -- not hearing music. The space is limited for storage, and a mobile phone has a life of two years in average. A player last longer. Also if you use too much your phone for multimedia purposes, when it comes to make a call, you won't have enough battery for that primary purpose. That's my opinion.
-Jorge
Interesting...I am probably one of the few people in the world who own a Zune. I've never been able to share music wireless with my friends. They all have iPods. Don't really play music on my phone. Need the battery power for apps.
-Anonymous
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 12/12/2011 at 1:18 PM3 comments
Imagine you are in the process of designing and building a brand new mass market motorcycle. The bike is due around the end of next year. Would you, as the manufacturer start offering parts 10 months early? Microsoft apparently would, as it plans to open up a Windows 8 apps store in two months.
But the store is not selling unfinished apps for an unfinished OS. The store will only offer free apps for all you Win 8 previewers.
It could also be a boon to Redmond. Once apps are actually sold Microsoft will siphon 30 percent of the proceeds. Once you sell more than $25,000 worth, the Redmond cut falls to 20 percent.
Are you a fan of the Apps Store concept? Cheers or jeers both readily accepted at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 12/12/2011 at 1:18 PM0 comments
On Monday I reported rumors that a Win 8 beta would be out in the next few months. The rumor mongers were correct. Microsoft now says the beta will be out before shortest month of the year ends.
Microsoft made the disclosure when hyping its new Windows Store, where you'll be able to buy your fill of Metro apps.
Win 8, which is generally expected to be released late next year, still needs work according to one tester who posted on Redmondmag.com. The reader called Metro "a UI only a mother could love. The gestures and navigation need to be far more natural and intuitive. Aesthetically, the GUI's style gets worse as you scale up in screen dimensions. The UI looks flat, loud and a bit fat on a tablet."
The tester also blasted the classic look: "The classic desktop is an afterthought that is so crippled I have to continually flip back and forth between it and Metro to get just about anything done with it, a frustration that gets old very quickly. Basic functions like file management aren't Metro-friendly and shell you off to the desktop which feels wrong. Win 8 preview feels like some prototype proof-of-concept more than the working foundation of an OS that will be out in a year."
What is your experience with the Win 8 preview? Share at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 12/09/2011 at 1:18 PM11 comments
Adobe and Adobe Reader has had more than its share of flaws. Some experts think Adobe tools are a bigger attack vector than anything Microsoft has out.
Latest example: An apparent "U3D memory corruption vulnerability"  was deemed critical by Adobe. The company is now  feverishly trying to find a fix for it .
The flaw could allow hackers to fully rummage through and control your computer and crash it if they please. The area of concern is universal 3D, a format for compressed files supported by multiple vendors.
Hackers are already launching attacks against this flaw.
Earlier versions of Reader are vulnerable while Adobe Reader X and Acrobat X can apparently block these attacks.
Posted by Doug Barney on 12/09/2011 at 1:18 PM0 comments
Readers discuss their thoughts on Windows 8, whether it's the OS, server or tablet device:
Windows 8 (desktop) is what I am anxious to see (but then, I am an early adopter). My employer, a university which tends to adopt new technology early in its lifecycle, will probably be a lot less interested in migrating this time around.
I don't put much credence in IDC or others like them.
To me, the more interesting questions pertain to Microsoft's tablet strategy. I can easily imagine that the netbook will disappear and be replaced by a Windows 8 (Intel) tablet capable of running legacy Windows applications. This tablet could compete head-to-head with the 10-inch iPad at iPad price-points. Microsoft might then respond to the lower-end of the tablet market with a Windows 8 ARM tablet running Metro apps. This device could compete with 7-inch tablets at $200 to $350 price-points -- and with Windows 8 Metro smart phones.
It could be an interesting strategy. Or, like the Zune, Microsoft's tablet strategy could be a flop.
-Marc
Yes, I care about Win 8.
I moved from Win 7 with VMware Workstation to Win 8 with Hyper-V for my demo vms, running a Dell Precision 5700 2 ssd and 16GB of ram.Â
It is working good -- Hyper-V is lacking some features vs. VMware workstation, but it dose the job and very well. I am also using 5nine.com to manage the Hyper-V. Its console is very nice and easy to tab through windows vs. having a bunch of windows open.
I have disabled the Metro UI. It was totally useless on a laptop -- maybe once the app store opens up might be better.
It has been very stable considering its only a pre beta.
-Chas
I think the big question is 'Will Office run on ARM?'
The answer is almost certainly 'No,' at least not the versions of Office we have known and loved in the past. It is going to take a full port or maybe the same code base that is rumored to be in work for iOS.
Honestly, I think this question is the potential Achilles' heel of Win 8 on ARM! Would you want a Windows 8 tablet without a full functioning Office?
-Jeff
Do I want or desire a Win 8 Tablet? Â Absolutely!
I'm now using Windows Phone 7.5 on my smartphone and love it. I've had an iPhone and iPad... I didn't like it, won't buy it again and now waiting for Win 8.
-Stephen
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 12/09/2011 at 1:18 PM0 comments