I'm not sure who's at fault here, but it seems
iTunes
and Vista aren't altogether compatible, and Apple is warning users to wait
before upgrading to the new Windows. Of course Apple isn't Vista's biggest fan
and wouldn't mind if the OS just dried up and blew away. And Microsoft, especially
with the Zune in tow, wouldn't mind if iTunes just dried up and blew away.
Regardless of who blew it, the problem should be straightened out in a few
weeks.
Posted by Doug Barney on 02/05/2007 at 1:15 PM0 comments
Meanwhile, there's an
old
video of Bill Gates that could be even more effective than the Mac ads --
if Apple could only gain the rights!
Posted by Doug Barney on 02/05/2007 at 1:15 PM0 comments
Maybe it's because they're working, or perhaps it's because they get under Bill
Gates' skin. Either way,
Apple
plans to keep up the attack and is taking particular pleasure in roasting
Vista. This is all well and good, but Apple is missing a huge opportunity by
not going after IT. Let's face it: IT loves computers and knows good tech when
they see it. Many of you have Macs at home and would gladly have more in your
shop if you felt that Apple was serious about servicing the corporate market.
But Apple does no PR, marketing or advertising at this influential and well-heeled
segment of the market (Steve, we still have a cover story waiting if you want
to talk to us!).
I prodded Apple about this in
a column and then did a feature explaining just what it would take for Mac
or Linux to blow
away the Redmond desktop monopoly.
Posted by Doug Barney on 02/05/2007 at 1:15 PM0 comments
Bill Gates has never been afraid to speak his mind, a characteristic that drives
competitors (and government regulators) insane, but makes his company all kinds
of interesting to write about.
Lately, Gates has been less visible and less lively. I half-figured all those
dinners with Bono and the president of China -- and his impending retirement
-- lulled Gates into a sense of complacency.
Not the case, at least when it comes to Vista. Gates spoke
with Newsweek's Steven Levy (a longtime Mac freak) and was as feisty
as ever. Gates strongly suggested that Apple's TV commercials are "lying"
about just how flaky PCs are, and how tough it is to upgrade to Vista.
Posted by Doug Barney on 02/05/2007 at 1:15 PM0 comments
Even a month past Christmas, some gamers are showing up to Wal-Mart at one in
the morning to get a Nintendo Wii. It took me a month of constant visits to
finally score my son Nick his Christmas present (sorry, dude!).
And the hunt for the PlayStation 3 was even tougher.
So, how did it go the night of the Vista consumer launch? Windows fans weren't
exactly breaking out their tents and thermoses, as the lines for the OS were
shorter
than a Vin Diesel haircut. I guess most consumers are still trying to find
a Wii!
Posted by Doug Barney on 01/31/2007 at 1:15 PM0 comments
Last year, I became so interested in how Microsoft researchers worked with
scientists that I wrote not one, but two cover stories. One Microsoft researcher's
name came up again and again: Jim Gray, founder of Microsoft's Bay Area
Research Center. My new friends from Visual Studio magazine, which we took over
in December, know Jim well, as he spoke at their popular VSLive! events.
Unfortunately, as I write, Jim is lost at sea, having left on Sunday to spread
his mother's ashes off the coast of San Francisco. The good news is he
may just be found safe and sound.
Gray has a resume that makes all of us look a little dim. An expert in multiprocessing,
transaction processing, databases and data mining, Gray has used these skills
to help build commercial products such as ATMs and SQL Server 2005, and humanitarian
endeavors like trying to cure cancer and understand the heavens and the earth.
Pretty amazing work.
The San Francisco Chronicle has a terrific profile of Gray here.
Gray’s home page is here.
And my two stories are here: "Can
Microsoft Save the World?" and "The
Science of Software."
Posted by Doug Barney on 01/31/2007 at 1:15 PM0 comments
Virtual Iron, a server virtualization concern, has a new concept:
Virtual
Appliances. These aren't the dedicated hardware appliances we are
all used to. Instead, these appliances are similar to the way some apps have
been built for the VMware player. The app is already virtualized and can simply
be installed and run alongside all your other virtualized apps.
Posted by Doug Barney on 01/31/2007 at 1:15 PM0 comments
Just days before his Vista launch, Bill Gates told a European audience that
television
is still in the dark ages, and five years from now we won’t even recognize
it. The real revolution will come from the Internet, making the Gates speech
sound more like an ad for Steve Jobs’ new iTV. In Gates' world,
on-demand video from the Internet will make today's DVRs look like they
came from the Flintstones.
In fact, this was a key topic that Gates addressed when handling softball
question after softball question from the Daily Show's Jon Stewart
Monday night.
What do you love and hate about today's world of television? Let me
know at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 01/31/2007 at 1:15 PM0 comments
I am an unabashed fan of Windows third parties. These companies plug holes in
Microsoft tools, make it easier to use and manage, and add features Redmond
either hasn't thought of or hasn't been able to build.
I have mixed feelings about the news that Altiris
is being acquired by Symantec. Sometimes, when a smaller company is swallowed
by a larger one, a certain spark is lost. And the circle of Windows third parties
certainly shrinks by one.
But I understand that entrepreneurs usually build companies so they can go
public (fat chance these days) or get sold. So congrats, Altiris!
The Altiris deal ain't exactly small potatoes. Symantec is expected to pay
some $830 million.
Posted by Doug Barney on 01/30/2007 at 1:15 PM0 comments
St. Bernard Software, which made its name with patch management and other forms
of security, is now offering hosted solutions
aimed
at small and medium-size businesses.
LivePrism includes filtering services for IM, the Web and e-mail. The a la
carte offerings, which start at $4 a month per user, also include e-mail hosting
and data archiving.
Posted by Doug Barney on 01/30/2007 at 1:15 PM0 comments
Last night, I stayed up late to watch Bill Gates on "The Daily Show."
While Gates was more relaxed and funny than I've ever seen him (impending retirement
can do that), I was hoping for some wildness from host Jon Stewart which never
materialized.
And contrary to rumors (spread by my 13-year-old son David), the guy that plays
the PC on those Mac commercials never showed. Maybe Gates was also expecting
the goofy PC guy, 'cuz Bill bolted uncomfortably as soon as the interview ended,
leaving Stewart more perplexed than usual. Check it out for yourself here.
And here's
a behind-the-scenes take.
Posted by Doug Barney on 01/30/2007 at 1:15 PM0 comments
Microsoft has had a heckuva time keeping Word secure from zero-day exploits.
In fact, this week
news
of another vulnerability means there are now four holes that need to be
plugged. So far, the attacks have been limited in scope, but I'm still jonesin'
for some patches here.
Posted by Doug Barney on 01/30/2007 at 1:15 PM0 comments