Teching It Easy: Windows Vista & 7: Computers and Internet

HP HDX 31 Days of the Dragon Contest by Geek Central

Fri, 30 May 2008 04:49:19 GMT

If you are into technology and browse a lot of Windows Enthusiast websites and have not heard about the HP HDX 31 Days of the Dragon giveaway then you probably have been living under a rock throughout May. Not to worry, there are still a few contest left to go and Geek News Central started theirs just a few days ago, you should go check it out.

The contest itself sponsored by Hewlett Packard and coordinated by BuzzCorps is giving away super impressive All One System that is sure to please anyone interested in computers, whether you are a gamer, student, business or just like really powerful computers. I have participated in about 19 of the contest so far, but it seems luck has not shined upon me 'yet'. Below are a list of sites that are still running contest:

24 May - 31 May www.thegreenbutton.com
25 May - 01 Jun www.istartedsomething.com
26 May - 02 Jun www.bleepingcomputer.com
27 May - 03 Jun www.hardwaregeeks.com
28 May - 04 Jun www.geeknewscentral.com
29 May - 05 Jun www.geekzone.co.nz
30 May - 06 Jun www.thetabletpc.net
31 May - 07 Jun www.gearlive.com
01 Jun - 08 Jun www.gottabemobile.com

You can learn more about entering here

New Dock Like Taskbar Coming in Windows 7?

Wed, 28 May 2008 22:04:39 GMT

Some personse have noted a difference in the appearance of the Windows Taskbar in yesterdays demo of Windows 7 by Julie Larson-Green at the D6 | All Things Digital event. But I am not sure if its anything new except for a resizing of the present Windows Vista style Taskbar. Thom Holwerda over at OS News thinks otherwise:

Quote:

"The final interesting part was the rather odd-looking taskbar - assuming it even was a taskbar. The bar was twice as high as an ordinary taskbar, and lacked text, using what looked like icons or thumbnails instead. It reminded me of the RISC OS icon bar, mostly. Apparently, Larson-Green was not at liberty to discuss it, because when Mossberg asked her about it, she replied: "It's something we're working on for Windows 7 and I'm not supposed to talk about right now, today..."

Read the entire article here

Well, it certainly looks different with more transparency and bigger button icons when an active application is selected on the Taskbar. Then again, its very early in Windows 7's development, what we might have seen was just a temporary ui inconsistency that will be fixed in later builds. Even in an official video on Microsoft's Windows Vista blog, the Windows 7 demo uses the traditional slim Windows Taskbar. Then again, for users with stuby fingers, the usability of the Windows UI might need to be improved for a Touch experience which gives reason to the enlarged Taskbar.

You can achieve a similar look now in Windows Vista. Right click your Taskbar > click the 'Lock the Taskbar' option on the contextual menu (if its checked), now right click an area within the Quick Launch buttons, (try not to right click a button itself) > you will then see a another contextual menu with different options > select 'View' and click 'Large' icons, there you have a 'Dock' like Taskbar.

Its definitely a given that there will be months of speculation to come on Windows 7's UI and Microsoft over time will continue to change and apply different looks and feels as the development of the operating system progresses. If you went through the Longhorn up's and down's you should definitely remember all the different UI's the OS tried out, Plex, Slate, build 5048 released at WinHEC 2005 used a different UI before beta 1 which was different and changed again to the now familar look first introduced in Windows Vista build 5270.

Technorati tags: Windows Vista, Windows 7, BETA Software, Gestures, Multi-Touch, Apple, iPhone, Taskbar, D6, Julie Larson-Green

Joe Wilcox the misunderstanding Microsoft and Windows as usual

Wed, 28 May 2008 19:32:10 GMT

Joe Wilcox over at Microsoft Watch is on the rampage again about Windows Vista being a failure and the lack in transparency from the Steve Sinofsky interview at CNET. Here's at what he had to say:

Quote:

"Steven Sinofsky's motto should be, in the spirit of Memorial Day: "Loose lips sink ships." Office development proceeded with scant disclosure under his tenure. Little has changed since he assumed the role as Microsoft's senior veep for the Windows and Windows Live Engineering group. Open disclosure and dialogue punctuated past Windows development—not that the process did much for Vista.

Now Steven is talking Windows 7 to CNET News.com. But he's not saying much. There's even a Microsoft "Communicating Windows 7" blog post, credited to Chris Flores, defending the say-no-more interview.

Microsoft seemingly has plenty of reasons to keep mum about Seven, starting with freezing Vista sales. The company claims 140 million Vista licenses shipped. But that number is deceptive. Based on interviews with analysts and enterprise IT managers, the majority of licenses are on new PCs where Vista is never deployed. Most businesses are stripping off Vista and using downgrade rights to install Windows XP."

Read the rest here

Joe, sometimes I think there is a bottle of whiskey sitting beside your monitor. Because you utter so much garbage its unbelievable. You speak with such lack of understanding it shows throughout your entire writing when it comes to talking technology.

First of all, Windows Vista is not a failure, 140 million licenses sold (recently bumped to 150 million) is not a failure its actually astounding. Next, how do you know that the majority of those licenses have not actually been deployed? Did you check every business in America and around the world to come to that foolish conclusion?

Building Windows 7 on the solid foundation of Windows Server 2008 SP1 means reassurance to customers who have invested heavily in Windows Vista can have the confidence to deploy their existing infrastructure on Windows 7 when its released. This means existing hardware and applications will work on Windows 7 without any alteration. Windows 7 will use the same driver framework as Windows Vista. How in heavens name is this wrong or risky????

Building a new kernel from scratch is the stupidest idea I have ever heard from you? What solution will this offer Windows developers and customers? Re-engineer applications for a new platform that will take years, incompatibility with existing investments in hardware and software? Just because you think the idea of a modular Windows client is better? Windows is already modular in a significant way, the different Windows Vista SKU's offer customers the choice they need and the features they want. How is Windows Server 2008's roles based approach going to be relevant to a client OS? Come on, think before you speak.

You say that Windows Vista is causing certain customers to downgrade to Windows XP? What is the catalyst for this? The only one I can think of is compatibility, yet you say that they need a brand new kernel to fix Windows. You talk ridiculous crap without reading it, it seems. As Steve clearly noted in the interview, Windows 7 will bring compatibility forward. The evolution of Windows 7's kernel will insure that.

Quote:
"But we're actually going to bring forward the compatibility, and we're going to make sure that there's a lot of value for everybody who's a customer of Windows 7." - Steven Sinofsky

The silence on Windows 7 is important, its the right approach and other company's are doing it, look at Adobe with the next release of Creative Suite, they are releasing information in a timely relevant manner.

Other reasons to consider, over discuss Windows 7 now what does this say about Vista, that Microsoft has lost faith in the product and admitted defeat? Also, Windows Vista was just released world wide a year and a half, Windows 7 won’t be here until at least early 2010. Why would they want to jump the gun so early and start shooting themselves in the foot like they did with transparency of the Longhorn project?

Joe, this is the most disturbing, disappointing, pointless, hotheaded, sensationalist article I have read from you.

Looking into Windows 7's Prediction Pool

Wed, 28 May 2008 19:08:22 GMT

Mary Jo Foley over at All About Microsoft is reinspecting the possibility of when Windows 7 will hit the market. Here's a snippet of what she had to say:

Quote:
"It sounds like Microsoft is aiming to get Windows 7 out earlier than it promised — at least if you believe the company’s CEO.

During his fireside chat with Chairman Bill Gates at the D6 conference on May 27, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer acknowledged that Microsoft was aiming to deliver Windows 7 in late 2009."

Read the entire article here

My Thoughts:

I am sticking to my prediction of February 2010. Microsoft will certainly give a Developer Preview of Windows 7 to attendees at the 2008 PDC for them to start getting ready with their applications as soon as possible. Microsoft has really straightened out their priorities when it comes to releasing Windows. As Steven Sinofsky mentioned, Windows Vista's unpredictability in addition to the reset kind of made IHV's and ISV's hesitate to start messing with Windows Vista, when they should have been getting their code ready from build 5048 released at WinHEC 2005, they actually waited until Vista RTMed in January 2007.

Speaking of IHVs, WinHEC 2008 will be a week later, which means possibly the same build of Windows 7 released to Microsoft's various hardware partners to start working on those device drivers or improve on existing ones to have a smooth release for Windows 7 RTM. One partner already is doing so (nVidia) by looking for a QA manager to ensure device driver quality. Details at Long Zhengs blog.

The next question is when is the beta going to start? Looking at a familiar pattern to past Windows releases, the most similar is actually Windows XP which was first previewed in July of 2000 and then went into beta 4 months later (October 2000), Vista might follow a similar part with a beta as early as February 2009. In fact, both Windows 7 and XP are minor releases from an architectual standpoint but possibly radical in features and UI. Microsoft of course will probably have a shorter beta cycle compared to Vista which was 15 months, I'm betting on 11 months for Windows 7, with RTM in December and GA as I previously noted in February 2010. The reason why I chose February is THE actual preparation needed to launch it world wide. The gap between Vista RTM and its General Availability was 3 months.

I do hope Microsoft pulls a surprise out of the hat and make Windows 7 available in time for the holiday seasons since this will definitely bring a boost to sales. Hey, if they can do it by August 2009, that would be even better for the back to school party.

Hello everyone!

Wed, 28 May 2008 13:29:12 GMT

It’s been a long, long time since I blogged here. But a lack of time because of my studies has prevented me from investing in my Live Space as I would like to. But this blog post is not about closing or anything like that, far from it! I have invested too much as a Windows and Technology Enthusiast to do that. Especially for my readers it would be a disservice and I am sure there are many of you out there who continue to check back from time to time to see if I have updated.

Now moving forward and thinking about how I continue to invest enthusiasm and interest in my blog for my readers, I believe personally it’s about starting the conversation around the next release of Windows, currently codenamed “Windows 7”. I have talked about Windows Vista for a long time, since December 2004 and I will continue to do so. But there needs to be change and I am a person who admittedly is wondering about what comes next.

Microsoft has been silent on Windows 7 for a number of reasons and rightly so. Windows Vista was released at the end of January 2007 worldwide. The Company considers this its best version of Windows yet and wants to market its advance capabilities now. Discussing Windows 7 would be unproductive, marketing blunder, confusing and of no relevant benefit to anyone outside of Microsoft. Even businesses that depend on a roadmap from Microsoft to see where there technology investment and infrastructure is heading would not need any concrete information on Windows 7.

But, the time has come personally for me to really look at where Microsoft is taking the platform. There has been a lot of rearranging since Vista’s release, slip of the tongue and a mention here and there about Windows 7 from cult figures in the Company such as Bill Gates. I believe early admissions are a sign too that the Enthusiast community needs to start building interest in what comes next. There are a few I must mention so far, All About Microsoft, Istartedsomething.com and Paul Thurrott’s ever popular WinSupersite that have ignited the interest. There is also a thriving community building around the next release, if you do a simple search for Windows 7 news you won’t fail to find numerous sites dedicated to it.

Coincidentally, Microsoft has begun communicating Windows 7 when I started writing this post on Sunday May 25^th, although I just decided to post it today. Below are links from Microsoft’s Steve Sinofsky and Chris Flores discussing Microsoft’s approach to Windows 7.

CNET: Windows chief talks '7'

Windows Vista Blog: Communicating Windows 7

D6: Windows 7

Talking about Windows Live Onecare 2.0

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 14:32:44 GMT

Kenny Yeung over at Discovery HK alerted me that the beta for Microsoft's Live OneCare 2.0 Beta is about to start...

Quote

Windows Live Onecare 2.0

it is coming...
I won't hand out any further more information because of this...

This invitation is for an invite-only group, please do not forward this email. Please also refrain from publicly posting this or any other pre-premiere information.

Dell Latitude Tablet PC Coming!

Sat, 19 May 2007 08:18:35 GMT

From Direct2Dell via Neowin

Quote:

"Jeff Clarke, senior vice president and general manager of Dell Incorporated's business product group, has confirmed that the company will sell a Latitude Tablet PC before the end of year via a short video posted on Direct2Dell’s blog. Clarke mentions that the device is designed specifically for the education, the health care and corporate market place. During the video, he has what we can only assume is a prototype of a very thin Latitude Tablet PC that opens like a notebook but has a screen which can be positioned upwards to work like a traditional tablet. “We have done a lot of engineering that makes it one of the lightest weight, convertible tablets in the market place. We have spent considerable time working on the interface to make it easier to use where it has a leadership technology in its pen and touch interface,” said Clarke."

Resource: http://www.neowin.net/index.php?act=view&id=40408#comment554111

What took them so long? I hope they target it at the budget consumer who wants innovative technology but not willing to pay an arm and a leg, but at the same not up for sacrificing basic features and functionality to justify the cost.

Dell has been shipping some lousy hardware lately though especially in the notebook department and the recent consumer complaints are enough to make me wait a while before even buying a Tablet from them.

What I'm hoping for:
Core 2 Duo
1 GB of RAM Minimum
DVD Burner - but will sacrifice for DVD/CD-RW
Dedicated graphics 256 MBs
Taget price, $799 to $1000

Full support for Vista x64

Its time the Tablet come out of the niche market now and I think Dell might just make that happen. This Tablet from Dell looks sexy by the way. :)

Additional Pictures:

Dells Latitude Tablet PC

Technorati tags: Dell Tablet PC, Dell Latitude Tablet PC, Windows Vista, Windows Tablet PC, Pen Computing, Hand writing recognition, Stylus, Convertible, Education, Health Care, Laptop, Notebook

Hi-Res pics of Microsoft Expression Studio Commemorative Edition Box Art

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:46:20 GMT

Long Zheng gives us a close up look at the just released Microsoft Expression Studio Commemorative Edition box featuring unique art work. The software was handed out to attendees at the MIX07 conference which took place in Las Vegas.

Quote:

"Each copy of the commemorative edition is unique and features different pencil sketches on the cover. But these are not just any sketches, they are carefully scribbled by professional designers and even the members of the Expression team. You can’t deny a lot of work went into each one of these, especially when thousands of attendees will each receive a visibly different design."

Check out the pictures here

Resources:

http://www.visitmix.com

Microsoft Expression Studio Overview

Technorati tags: Microsoft Expression Studio, Microsoft Expression Studio Commemorative Edition, Graphic Design, Pencil Drawing, MIX07, Las Vegas, Expression Team, Long Zheng, Silverlight, WPF/e

What I want to see in Internet Explorer version 8.

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 15:08:24 GMT

Its no secret that Microsoft is working on the next version of the Company's web browser. The expected release date is not until 2008, but I'm sure the IE Team is taking feedback in some form, internally or through select feedback externally. So in accordance with this weeks MIX Conference, here is a list of improvements I wouldn't mind seeing in a future version of the web browser.

Download Manager - trust me, it needs it, I find it very handy in FireFox and Safari - Pause/Resume, Manage.
Improved UI, for example, make the Search dialog an integrated one that appears as a contextual bar when the CTRL + F command is used, just remove some Dialogs in general, whether its adding Favorites or Feeds.
Non-adjacent Selection of text on web pages.
Phishing Filter with better performance please and less service not available errors.
Speaking of performance, I honestly have to say, FireFox 2.0 is faster than IE 7 and I got the Internet connection to prove it, Google.com loads 10x faster in FF than IE 7. This was tested on a Cell Phone modem connection at 0.6 KBs per second.
Customizable toolbar, I personally wouldn't mind if buttons such as Home, Feeds, Print, Page, Tools and Help were on a another toolbar group such as the Address bar group, I need more real estate for Tab's that's much cleaner.
Hide Tabs I don't need, but don't want to close.
Ability to right click a link with the option on the context menu to make it the foreground tab (a feature of Windows Live Toolbar).
Ability to select a URL from the Address Bar list and click delete, and have contextual menu options.
Built in list of popular search engines, I don't want to go to a web page and do the selection, just have it ready out of the box.
Zoom Slider on the Status Bar - I just want to reduce clicking.
List View layout for Options, similar to Office 2007 Options dialog. Also make the Advance settings a part of the list view Options, this includes: Accessibility, Browsing, International, Multimedia.
Better roaming capabilities that are dynamic and browser agnostic where possible.
Thumbnail preview of Tab without clicking it, I'm still not sure about this one, but could be an optional feature or an extension. But, a thumbnail preview in Tab list would be nice.
Make Print Preview utilize a Tab instead of opening a separate window.
Drag a tab window into separate IE 8 window.
Number list view in History, I can't tell currently which page from which web page was opened first or last.

This is only some of the features I could come up with off the top of my head. If you have any ideas, just post them in the comments, I would like to hear them. :)

Technorati tags: Internet Explorer, MIX07, Internet Explorer 8, Office 2007

Apple iPhone Impressive, but price Stinks!

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 23:38:56 GMT

From Macworld

Quote:

"The iPhone, which runs Mac OS X, has full iTunes integration and can also seamlessly sync data with a desktop, including music and videos from iTunes, contacts, calendars, photos, notes, bookmarks and email accounts.

The 11.6-millimeter thick device also sports a 2-megapixel camera, headset jack, 3.5-millimeter audio jack, SIM tray, a “sleep-wake” switch, speaker, microphone input and an iPod dock connector. The quad-band GSM + EDGE phone also has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 capabilities. Jobs noted 3G capabilities will come in the future.

Three smart sensors also help control the iPhone’s behavior. A proximity sensor shuts down the display and touchscreen when the phone is held to the ear. An ambient light sensor automatically adjusts screen brightness to save power. Meanwhile, an accelerometer lets the phone know whether to display in portrait or landscape mode.

The iPhone will come in two versions, a 4GB $499 model, and an 8GB $599 model with a two-year contract. Both will be available beginning in June. Cingular will be the exclusive U.S. carrier."

A Look at the New Windows Live OneCare Product Box

Sun, 07 Jan 2007 22:29:40 GMT

Windows Live OneCare 1.5 was recently released to manufacturering, Microsoft's security and backup suite. With the second release, the company is adopting the new product box style being used by Windows Vista and Office 2007. Previous owners are automatically upgraded through an update to the latest version.

Windows Live OneCare 1.5 supports both Windows XP x86 and Vista x86.

Speaking of product packaging, Volkan Veleren sent me a glimpse of the Windows Vista OEM packaging, no suprises here. This stock photo also seems to be using a Windows XP disk instead of the new Vista style hologram DVD. Also, there is not indication if the OEM packaging includes both x86 and x64 platforms.

Windows Vista OEM Packaging.

Technorati tags: Microsoft 2007 Packaging, Product Box, Windows Vista OEM, Windows Live OneCare, Windows Vista Ultimate

Windows XP Matures - 5 Years Later

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 20:17:45 GMT

From NeoWin.net

Quote:
"5 years ago today Windows XP was launched worldwide after it had RTM'd a month earlier.
It has been without a doubt the longest running operating system Microsoft has ever produced. Microsoft typically updated the client version of Windows every 2 years with Windows 95 being released in early 1996, the successive OSR updates until 1997 when Microsoft were hammered by anti-trust cases for bundling Internet Explorer 4.0 with Windows 95 OSR2, Windows '98 in 1998, Windows 98 Second Edition in 1999 and Windows Millennium in the February of 2000 after an extremely short beta cycle."

Read the rest here

I can't believe I forgot this one. Funny how time flies, Windows XP is said to be on over 400 million desktops world wide I am sure this is based on registered/activated installations, which does not account for the many pirated installs in use pushing it to 600 million. There is nothing spectacular to account for here except that regardless of all that XP has been through, (vulnerabilities, activation, Linux/Open Source), it continues to stand the test of time and will be running on many systems for a very long time post Vista. A culmination of ease of use from Windows 98 in areas such as hardware detection, application compatibility and gaming plus the strength of the Windows 2000 kernel, Windows XP deserves to be called a highly respectable desktop operating system. Happy B-day XP!

Another famous MS OS, Windows 95, celebrated its 11th birthday in August of 2006.

Resources:
Microsoft Windows XP Website
The GUI Gallery
ActiveWin: Windows XP Review

Technorati tags: Windows XP, Anniversary, 5 years, Whistler, XP Professional, Home Edition, Version 5.1, Build 2600, Microsoft

ActiveWin: Windows Internet Explorer 7 for XP and Server 2003 now available through Yahoo

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 17:39:52 GMT

From ActiveWin

Quote:
"It seems that Yahoo has accidently released the Internet Explorer 7 Gold release a few hours earlier than they should have done. This release was digitally signed on October 17th - Enjoy. If you want to wait a few hours before downloading the MS version which doesn't come with Yahoo Mail toolbar feel free."

http://downloads.yahoo.com/internetexplorer/index.php

Technorati tags: Windows Internet Explorer 7, RTM, Windows XP, Server 2003, x86, x64, 64-bit, 32-bit, Gold, IE7, Browser, Microsoft, ActiveWin.

Windows Media Player 11 BETA 2 - Released!

Thu, 31 Aug 2006 19:04:08 GMT

From Microsoft Downloads via Velveren

Overview

Windows Media Player 11 for Windows XP offers you unmatched choice and flexibility for your digital media. Easily manage your libraries of digital music, photos, and videos on your computer, and then sync with a variety of portable devices so you can enjoy it all wherever you want. Windows Media Player 11 is designed to work with all versions of Windows XP with Service Pack 2, including Windows XP Home Edition N and Windows XP Professional N.

PLEASE NOTE: If you use Windows Media Player to access a favorite online store, some are not available for this beta release. The following stores are available in the Windows Media Player 11 beta release: Audible, eMusic, f.y.e., Live365, Movielink, MSN Music, MusicGiants,Napster, Passalong, Puretracks, URGE, VidZone, Wal-Mart and XM Radio. For more information, see the Readme.

Download here

Thanks Volkan for the link!

Internet Explorer 7 Release Candidate 1 XP SP2, Server 2003 SP1, x64 Editions Now Available!

Thu, 24 Aug 2006 15:37:53 GMT

From Windows Connected

Quote:
Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) Release Candidate 1 (RC1) has been designed to make everyday tasks easier, provide dynamic security protection and improve the development platform and manageability. End user improvements include a streamlined interface, tabbed browsing, printing advances, improved search functionality, instant feeds (RSS), dynamic security protection, and more.

Internet Explorer 7 Release Candidate 1 build number 7.0.5700.6

Click here to download Internet Explorer 7 RC1

I hope they Fix this in XP Service Pack 3

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 23:35:01 GMT

I have a lot of windows open right now, working on a lot of stuff, this definitely means, I am not in the mood to restart my computer. Obviously Microsoft should realize this, it is my decision if I want to restart or not, now leave me alone!

This is one of the nice things I am glad they fixed in Windows Vista, but I hope they do not limit it to Vista, it would be nice for them to update it so you can postpone to a convenient time. Its annoying! Check out Automatic Updates in Vista screenshot:

Internet Explorer 6 SP2 - Not ready for Windows Live

Sat, 05 Aug 2006 20:10:42 GMT

Seriously, I am iching to install Windows Internet Explorer 7 on my XP system, because IE 6 is driving me up the wall! Ever since I installed the Windows Live Toolbar, performance has sucked. Now Windows Live Spaces seems to irritate IE 6 for some reason I don't know, because every now and then the browser crashes for some reason because of a Live Service. Whether its typing up an entry in Live Space or opening a new Tab using the Live toolbar.

If I experience another one of these today I am definitely moving to IE 7 Beta 3, its becoming to annoying now. I also notice that no report is sent into Microsoft about the issue, just a Visual Studio 2005 Debug thingy which doesn't make any sense to me because I am not a developer. I know Windows Live is primarily targetted at the next generation of Microsoft technologies, and I wasn't planning on installing IE 7 until RTM or SP1, couldn't at least test these things out thoroughly on commercialy released products? With the current state of performance on IE 6 lately, I might have to move sooner than I had previously though.

Click here to see crash.

Accidents do happen, even to Furniture

Sat, 03 Jun 2006 21:24:40 GMT

The other night I came home from work and I was frightened to see my Computer Workstation desk in horrible a state. One of the feet had broken off on the rear, leaving the workstation in a slant position. Miraculously nothing fell off, which is surprisingly strange, knowing that I had a stack of CD's high on top of it. I used an old telephone directory as temporary stilt for time being, looks like its time to invest in a new one, I had this one since 2001.

IE7 Beta 2 Preview Available for Download

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 18:24:27 GMT

From Internet Explorer 7 Blog

Quote:

"If you’re a developer, an IT Pro, or just plain interested, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie7/ to try the IE7 Beta 2 Preview.

What’s a beta preview? It’s a release for everyone involved in making the Internet work.

Before we release a consumer-focused beta, we want to make sure anyone with a website can look at the changes we’ve made to our layout engine and the stricter user experience around security certificates. Developers should try out their toolbars, ActiveX controls, and applications that host or rely on the IE platform. IT Pros have their own concerns when a new browser is coming, as do domain registrars (especially with the IDN support), network operators, and many, many other groups. The site has some checklists we’ve written to help people exercise IE7 with their sites and applications. If we missed items you think we should call out, please let us know. We’re looking forward to feedback that will help us deliver a great, consumer-focused beta.

Read the rest here

Download the BETA HERE

DigitalFive.org

Sat, 03 Dec 2005 18:25:16 GMT

Here's a great site by Kristian Kenney, http://www.digitalfive.org. A Windows enthusiast site with emphasis on Beta testing and Windows Vista, similar to mine. ;-D Its worth checking, thats where I got the Windows Vista 5231 Guide I just posted, so its not only fun to read but also helpful. Go check it out right now!

Our Wish List for Windows

Sun, 13 Nov 2005 22:28:29 GMT

From eWeek

Qoute:

"News Analysis: If it were possible to remake Windows with a magic, Windows-morphing wand, standards support and sensible security would be part of the imaginary makeover.

As part of our issuewide reflection on the Windows that Microsoft has produced during the past 20 years, we thought it'd be interesting to consider the Windows we wish we had as well. If we had a magic, Windows-morphing wand, here's how we'd wave it to remake Windows.

Read the rest here

Also check out links to other articles about the past 20 years of Windows on eWeek here

Windows Live Ideas

Wed, 02 Nov 2005 15:24:15 GMT

From Microsoft

Qoute:

What is Windows Live?

Your online world gets better when everything works simply and effortlessly together. That's the basic idea behind Windows Live. So the things you care about - your friends, the latest information, your e-mails, powerful search, your PC files, everything – comes together in one place. This is a brand new Internet experience designed to put you in control. And this is just the beginning – you'll see many more new services in the coming months.

Learn More

What is Windows Live Ideas?

Windows Live Ideas (the page you're looking at right now) is where you can check out the very latest Windows Live products—so new that they're not even finished yet. So give them a try and then tell us exactly what you think. And don't hold back. We need your help to make these products the best they can be.

Check out the Windows Live Ideas website here

I'm trying out the Live Favorites right now, the services still feel a bit defragmented.

Microsoft Windows & Office Live

Tue, 01 Nov 2005 21:05:46 GMT

From NeoWin

Qoute:

Microsoft have launched their "live" initiative today.

Formed from the start.com technologies, Windows Live will include many of Microsoft's beta web technologies - Windows Live Mail (new Hotmail UI), Windows Live Saftey Center, Windows Live Favorites, Windows Live Messenger, and Windows OneCare Live. Live.com serves as the personalized starting point for Windows Live services, powered by technologies such as RSS and Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX)."

Read the rest here

Check out Windows Live here

Check out Office Live here

Microsoft Design

Sun, 30 Oct 2005 22:53:34 GMT

From Microsoft Design

This is a great Microsoft website I just stumbled upon that talks about designing the various Microsoft products, whether its user interfaces or product boxes. There is really a lot of passion when it comes to design at Microsoft, on the site you get to read about some of the work the company does on the products we use everyday without thinking about the ingenuity thats goes into creating the seamless user experiences.

----
Qoute:

"Worlds of Windows
The Windows personal computer has attained the cultural significance of the telephone, car, and airplane. When we—the Windows designers—think about the impact our decisions have on millions of people around the world, we’re in awe."

Read more about Designing Windows here and check out Microsoft Design here

Three-Year-Old Version of Word Resurfaces in Microsoft Works 2006

Thu, 27 Oct 2005 23:07:27 GMT

From Microsoft-Watch

Qoute:

"Microsoft has refreshed and upgraded a number of elements in its latest consumer desktop office bundle. But a 2002 version of Word also is part of the package.

Microsoft Works Suite 2006 also replaces the 2005 versions of Money, Encarta and Streets & Trips. It also replaces Picture It! Premium with Digital Image Suite 2006.

One feature in the new Works Suite that is leading many to scratch their heads, however, is the inclusion of Word 2002 rather than a more current version, such as Word 2003."

Read the rest here

I am wondering the same thing also. It is either Microsoft encouraging continued use of Windows NT (SP6), Windows 9x operating systems such as 98, 98SE and ME which, Word 2002 runs just fine on or there are still millions of those 9x and NT users out there based on Company's statistical research. I hope for the next version of Works Suite the company just bundles Office Word 12 and skip Office Word 2003.

Microsoft outlines IE7 security plans

Thu, 27 Oct 2005 15:39:53 GMT

From ZDNET UK

Qoute:

"The next version of Internet Explorer will handle encryption better then IE6, as part of the mission to become 'secure by default'

Microsoft is tightening up the way its Internet Explorer browser (IE) handles HTTPS for version 7, which is used to secure online transactions, in an attempt to give users more protection online.

In a posting on The Microsoft Internet Explorer blog, IE programme manager Eric Lawrence said that IE7 would support the Transport Layer Security protocol (TLS) by default.

Read the rest here

Inside Billg's Office

Thu, 13 Oct 2005 22:07:34 GMT

I found a nice picture here from a recent article/interview PC Magazine did at Microsoft headquarters about "20 years of Windows". Here is a glimpse of Bill Gates Office, 3 beautiful LCDs.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1861685,00.asp

A True Windows Enthusiast

Mon, 10 Oct 2005 20:35:18 GMT

via Bink.nu

I bet all his files flew out the window.

The orange icon...

Sat, 08 Oct 2005 16:08:08 GMT

From RSS Team

Qoute:

It’s great that a discussion of icons has recently restarted in the RSS community. We are in the process of figuring out what icon to use on our toolbar in IE7 to represent feeds.

There are five parts of the experience for feeds in IE7: discovering if a webpage has a feed, previewing the feed, subscribing to the feed to get continual notifications of new items, managing the list of the subscribed feeds, and reading the feed contents. The icon in this post is for the first two parts which shipped in Beta 1. The icon is visible in the IE7 frame to indicate the presence of a feed for the current webpage. Clicking on the feed icon takes the user to readable preview of the feed from which the user can subscribe to it.

Read the rest here

It looks cool and better thank the crappy "RSS".

Someones Interpretation of Microsoft AntiSpyware

Thu, 06 Oct 2005 20:04:38 GMT

Applying Microsoft AntiSpyware's Criteria to other infestations.

Talking about Looking one year out...

Mon, 12 Sep 2005 21:53:19 GMT

Mike Torres of Microsoft notes the Company is getting ready to release hurricane of products over next year and half.

Quote

Looking one year out...

With the PDC and the Tokyo Game Show both happening this week, I'm expecting a lot of cool and unexpected announcements coming from Microsoft and our partners. The next 12 months are, for a lot of teams, the culmination of 5+ years of work performed by thousands of people on a daily basis.

Windows Vista, Office 12, IE 7, Start.com, Xbox 360, SQL Server 2005, .NET Framework 2.0 & Visual Studio 2005, Smart Clients & XAML, amazing new Windows Mobile phones, Virtual Earth, MSN Spaces & Messenger, "Kahuna" Hotmail, the MSN Developer Network, MSN Search, and about a hundred other things no one even knows about outside of Redmond are set to absolutely explode. It's mindblowing to think about, really. It kind of makes you wonder how we got along this last year if the next one is going to be 5x as impactful.

I've said it a lot over the last 6 months, but this is exactly what I have been waiting for since I joined Microsoft back in January 2003. To me, this is New Year's Eve... I can't imagine a more exciting time to work in technology or at this company. And as a fan, I can't imagine anything better than sitting back and being hit with a firehose of new stuff, starting now and continuing into 2006... and hopefully never slowing down.

Say what you want about Microsoft being slow, old, and boring. Just make sure that before you open your mouth, you buckle up. The biggest year in Microsoft's 30 year history starts right now. Come along for the ride or watch from the sidelines. Either way, you can't miss it.

Screenshots of the GoogleOS?

Mon, 05 Sep 2005 21:38:02 GMT

From The Hot Fix

Qoute

"It's not often that I see something and instantly dismiss it as balderdash, but that was my reaction this morning when my inbox contained, among other things, links to this Chinese site (caution: not necessarily work safe) claiming to have seen the Google OS. In fact, there's even screenies.

Read the rest here
OK, its obvious Google has a whole lot to learn about ui design, this is definitely reminding me of Windows 1.0. I probably would tell them to stick with search and only search.

Tablet PCs' Future Uncertain

Tue, 30 Aug 2005 16:30:02 GMT

From eWeek

Qoute:

"fate of the pen-driven, portable PC category, which got a boost in 2002 when Microsoft Corp. first rolled out its Windows XP Tablet PC Edition software, is uncertain, as some analysts have begun to lower their long-term growth projections for the category and Microsoft remains mum about its future tablet operating system plans.

Despite early expectations—the Tablet PC Edition OS provided an easier method of allowing people to navigate their computers with a pen, make digital annotations and capture handwriting, while a new "convertible" form factor was more like a traditional notebook—tablets have failed to woo mainstream business users and consumers as quickly or as easily as initially expected, market watchers say.

The machines, which have caught on in areas such as health care and education, are thus likely to remain trapped in those niches for some time to come, forecasters now say.

Roger Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates and a former International Data Corp. analyst, issued a dire forecast for the market.

Kay, in a report published late last week, predicts that tablet shipments will total less than 4 million units per year by 2009, well below some recent forecasts, which had predicted shipments as high as 14 million during the same time period, he said."

Read the rest here

Sounds very gloomy.

My Resources:
Tablet PC: Writing In One's & Zero's

Photoshop CS3 details emerge, two new Adobe apps set for release

Fri, 26 Aug 2005 16:33:06 GMT

From Thinksecret

Qoute:

"Just months after the release of Adobe Photoshop CS2, Think Secret has obtained several notes regarding Photoshop CS3, as well as word that Adobe may be developing two other yet unannounced products: Adobe Acrobat 3D and Adobe Full Frame.

Adobe is exploring offering two versions of Photoshop CS3, a Standard version and a Premium version. According to one plan under consideration, some principle new features, such as Camera Raw 4, would be available to both versions, while other functionality, such as Vanishing Point 2, would be available with more advanced options in the Premium version. Still other features, such as rotoscoping that was introduced in CS2, would be moved exclusively to the Premium package.

Sources have also disclosed that Photoshop CS3 will include significant improvements to non-destructive image editing and that the software is prepped to receive a rather significant interface overhaul that will better organize tools and options. Tablet users will be pleased to learn that Photoshop CS3 will adopt a number of features Corel currently packs into Painter, including an easily rotatable canvas designed to mimic drawing on paper. Vanishing Point 2 will also improve Photoshop's perspective-based editing, introduced in CS2, by allowing objects to wrap around multiple surfaces, measure distances, and export to CAD applications. Photoshop CS3 will also deliver significant performance improvements to Camera Raw and include new measurement and scale tools.

Read the rest here

This is a good enough reason to cancel upgrading to Photoshop CS 2 and Creative Suite 2.

Windows 95 - 10 years old today!

Wed, 24 Aug 2005 15:21:28 GMT

Happy Birthday Windows 95

10 Years come so quick!

Google unveils instant-messaging entry

Wed, 24 Aug 2005 14:17:51 GMT

From CNET

Qoute:

Google has launched an instant-messaging program that allows text chat and computer-to-computer voice connections, a move that highlights the search giant's increasing competition with Yahoo, Microsoft and America Online.

Google's Web site late Tuesday provided a link to download Google Talk and stated that the software "enables you to call or send instant messages to your friends for free-–anytime, anywhere in the world." Google's messaging program is linked to the company's Web-based e-mail program, Gmail, and both are in a beta, or test, phase.

Read the rest here

Here is what I predict next is coming from Google:

Possible merger or purchase of ebay
Office productivity suite
Operating system