Teching It Easy: Windows Vista & 7: Windows Vista

PC World: Microsoft Sends Up Trial Balloons for Windows 7

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:07:16 GMT

From PC World

Quote:

"Windows Vista hasn't fared so well since its debut. Its generally low reputation among customers has led one Forrester analyst to dub Microsoft's latest OS "the New Coke of tech," while some studies have suggested that nearly a third of customers who buy a PC with Vista pre-installed may actually be downgrading those machines to XP. Still other customers seem to wish the whole thing will just go away. They don't want to hear about Vista at all -- they'd rather hear about Windows 7, the upcoming OS from Microsoft that will be Vista's successor. And given the dismal consumer reaction to its latest attempts to market Vista, Microsoft seems willing to oblige."

Read the entire article here

This conclusion that Vista is not great or better comes from a lack in understanding and not using the OS enough to really see the obvious benefits out of the box. My brother upgraded to Windows XP in summer of 2002, loved it, you could say he is an earlier adopter and continued using the OS on various machines, including a Dell Inspiron he purchased in June of 2006 (XP Home).

My brother jumped on the early Windows Vista adopter bandwagon in January of 2007. He loved it! Yes, the things that 'wowed' him was Vista's visual appeal, it looks darn great. And PC World would be surprised, a lot of people love the richness, the transparency and realness of the OS. AERO is a bold, serious yet inviting look and many people I ask, new to Vista, previous XP or 2000 users, novices, lab techs, love Vista.

A lot of negativity about Vista has been intensified by a number of things. Things that we have been acquainted with from previous versions of Windows or any other platform...device drivers and application compatibility. It just was not there for many in early 2007, but it has improved tremendously and has reached the same level as XP or better. You would be hard pressed to find most modern hardware released in the last 2 to 3 years incompatible with the OS, not to mention applications that are probably in their second to third generation of full compatibility with Vista.

XP's reception faced many compatibility and hardware issues, I remember some clearly, like Roxio and printer and scanner hardware not being supported. But they eventually were, Roxio did update version 5 to support XP and the problems died. But because XP was released in a time where the Internet, blogging and the spotlight was not on Microsoft and Windows in a scrutinizing way like it is today. In addition to Microsoft's transparency and openness during the Longhorn project, it set a tone and perception in addition to things that happened during the project like reset and drop of features. Those are the irrelevant things that are still etched in the minds of many who covered the OS during its development.

Vista in its current form is well accepted, but some lingerings still remained and being revived and utilized by people who have never used Vista, don't use Windows and is being articulated in a way to make Windows out into a platform that is not desirable, these include the voice of Open Source, small resurgence of Apple, Justin Long vs PC and many other insignificant events in the past few years.

But it still does not hide the fact that people are accepting of Vista's improvements, whether its developer wise, business or consumer wise. Search, collaboration, ease of setup, security, Backup, organization, true hardware and application support, clean interface and just the plain likability of the OS, people see it and are proving it everyday with the millions of licenses that come pre-installed on new PC's or deployed.

Rewrite Windows - Yes or No?

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:15:36 GMT

From CNET

An interesting article posted by News.com from New York Times, suggest that best way to resolve all of Microsoft Windows 'problems', is to rewrite the software from scratch.

Quote:

"The best solution to the multiple woes of Windows is starting over. Completely. Now.

Vista is the equivalent, at a minimum, of Windows version 12--preceded by 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, NT, 95, NT 4.0, 98, 2000, ME, and XP. After 6 years of development, the longest interval between versions in the previous 22-year history of Windows, and long enough to permit Apple to bring out three new versions of Mac OS X, Vista was introduced to consumers in January 2007."

Read the entire article here

My Take:

I am sorry, but there is a lot of misinformation and bias in this article. Mac OS X's heritage upon which it is built is even older than NT itself. Development on NT started in late '89 when Microsoft hired Dave Cutler, so NT is probably one of the youngest Microkernels next to Linux which was developed around '91 by Torvald. There is also confusion between the code bases, Windows NT is completely different from Windows 9x/3x/1x. The only similarities they shared were version names and API's for those legacy applications you speak of. Microsoft does not need to rewrite Windows, they can clean it up, just like they did for example with the release of Windows XP Professional x64 where they removed things like AppleTalk, POSIX compliance and NetBEUI. You must remember just like Linux or Unix, NT was designed in mind to be a portable OS, in fact during its development it was specifically targeted at different platforms such as PowerPC, Alpha, MIPs, the Intel processor it targeted had to be emulated. So I would revise your analysis before dooming Windows. A lot of the work over years has been targeted at componentising much of Windows where vital components like the Network Stack, graphics don't create lots of dependencies. Rumors are much of the built apps for instance will be optional in Windows 7. Vista's only regret is, it made necessary architectural changes for the sake of security and took a long time to reach market, but out of it all, there were great benefits that developers still haven't managed to dig deep into like the new graphics and communication capabilities. As for supporting legacy applications, Microsoft could even move compatibility to a virtualized stack where old apps work normally on newer versions of Windows without a hitch. Nothing is wrong with the NT kernel and its age is not a problem either.

Remaining Ultimate Extra Language Packs Released!

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:51:53 GMT

From Windows Ultimate via ActiveWin

"We are pleased to announce the release of the remaining 19 languages packs for Windows Vista Ultimate. This Ultimate Extras release brings the total number of language packs for use with Windows Vista Multilingual User Interface Pack (MUI) to 35. Windows Vista Ultimate enables users install multiple languages on their system and quickly switch between them by associating a system language with their login name."

Learn more here

The additional supported languages are:

Arabic
Bulgarian
Croatian
Czech
Estonian
Greek
Hebrew
Hungarian
Latvian
Lithuanian
Polish
Portuguese (Portugal)
Romanian
Serbian
Slovak
Slovenian
Thai
Turkish
Ukrainian

Also, this release includes an update to the lpksetup.exe installation component, correcting issues that affected some customers at installation. We recommend you download and install this component before installing any language packs; the updated component can be found here.

NeoWin.net

Technorati tags: Windows Vista, Windows Ultimate, MUI, Multilingual User Interface Pack, Languages, Ultimate Extras, Features, Windows Update

Safer browsing with Internet Explorer 7

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 02:04:42 GMT

From Microsoft

The Internet is a vast place--and not every site is friendly. How do you help protect yourself online? With Windows Internet Explorer 7. Already, the Internet Explorer 7 Phishing Filter prevents nearly one million visits per week to known dangerous websites. In just a few clicks, see how the latest version of the world's most popular web browser can help you be safer online.

• Download it now (it's free!)
• Take a tour of Internet Explorer 7
• Why should you upgrade from earlier versions?
Already have Internet Explorer 7?
• See how to navigate the web more safely
• Learn easy keyboard shortcuts
• Personalize it with add-ons

Vista SP1 Recovery disc feature

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 02:14:10 GMT

Long Zheng over at istartedsomething.com takes a look at the new Recovery Disc tool coming in Vista's first Service Pack due sometime in early 2008.

"One of the new administrative tools Windows Vista Service Pack 1 provides is the ability to create a recovery disc. At first, the name might fool you into thinking the type of discs system manufacturers provide to you when you purchase a new computer to restore your computer to a factory state, but this is not that. A more appropriate name would be “Windows repair disc”.

Kinda disappointed, I was hoping the Vista Team would resolve the issue of OEMs only giving users a Recovery Disc instead of a separate Operating System disk. Yes, a recovery environment is nice, but, the ability to create a backup OS disk would have been nicer so you can reinstall your drivers and just the OS without all the OEM Junk.

Check out the tutorial here

Technorati tags: Vista SP1, Service Pack, Windows Vista, Windows Update, Windows Server 2008, 6001, WinPE, Windows Vista Service Pack 1, Windows Recovery Environment

Windows DreamScene finally released!

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 21:46:48 GMT

Part of Windows Vista Ultimate's much anticipated feature/service Ultimate Extras finally went RTW today, well partially. But it looks like things are finally coming together, months after the Ultimate Extras team announced that they would delay the release because of stability and performance issues associated with installing the add-ons. Here is what the team had to say:

In early July, I wrote about The Ultimate Team’s intention to ship the remaining promised Ultimate Extras (DreamScene and the remaining Language Packs) by the end of the summer. Unfortunately summer never really came to Seattle this year—so we missed our cue. That being said, we are pleased to announce that Windows DreamScene is now available.
As most of you already know, Windows DreamScene transforms your desktop from a static wallpaper image into a full-motion video. In conjunction with Stardock, we’re pleased to also offer a number of cool, new animated DreamScene desktops, including “Aurora”. Additionally, you can use your own videos as DreamScene desktops or visit Stardock’s Dream.WinCustomize.com website to download Stardock’s DeskScapes (an add-on to DreamScene) as well as a collection of fabulous content created by Stardock and members of the Ultimate community.

The Ultimate Extras team also explained the changes to the Ultimate Extras page in Windows Vista SP1 which was released to a broad group of testers yesterday:

On a different topic, as the broad beta for Windows Vista SP1 nears, people have noticed that the screen which welcomes customers to Windows Ultimate Extras has changed. Our intent in making this change was simply to broaden the definition in anticipation of a broader range of Ultimate Extras being available in the future—that do not necessarily map to the original, narrow definition.

Read the entire announcement here

I am happy to at least happy to know that development is still on going and the team is committed to delivering the value Vista Ultimate customers were promised. Windows DreamScene was announced in late 2006 just before Windows Vista was RTMed, it was originally code named Motion Desktop.

Related:

How to enable Windows DreamScene

Oh my Goodness - the new DreamScenes are HOT!

Resources:

Has Ultimate Extras failed?

The Windows Ultimate Extras Drought

DreamScene - The Issues So Far
Forza 2 DreamScene for Windows Vista

Technorati tags: Ultimate Extras, DreamScene, Windows Vista, Value for Money, SKU, Windows Vista Ultimate, Home Premium, Business, Microsoft Plus!, Operating Systems

Introducing Vista4Begginers.com

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:13:50 GMT

Today we take a look at another popular Windows Vista resource managed by Ciprian Rusen (Co-Editor).

Windows Vista 4 Beginngers is a unique site that focuses on the end user using Windows Vista for the first time or upgrading from Windows XP. This is a wonderful website that carefully guides the user through helpful, well written, detailed articles and tutorials.

Mission Statement
Microsoft's new operating system - Windows Vista™ brings lots of new features and changes compared to Windows XP. Some of them are significant and some are not. The transition from Windows XP to Windows Vista is a big step for everybody. Even so, IT professionals will learn and adopt Windows Vista faster than most people. But what about the other people, who are not working in the IT business? After years of working with Windows XP, Windows Vista might be much too different and difficult to use.
Windows Vista for Beginners is here to help you. The team behind this site will try to provide simple and easy to understand tutorials about Windows Vista. We will try to cover as many topics as possible, starting with the most simple things like playing music on your Vista PC. You will see the site expand continuously as we will try to include as much content as possible.

Check it out here: http://www.vista4beginners.com

Previously:

Introducing Vistabase

Technorati tags: Windows Vista, Windows Vista Community, Help and Support, Vista, Ciprian Rusen

Windows Vista: 60 million licenses sold - 1 billion install base for Windows by '08

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 18:24:41 GMT

From All About Microsoft

Quote:

"The Windows installed base will hit the 1 billion mark by the end of Microsoft’s fiscal 2008 (which ends on June 30), according to Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO.
“There will be more PCs running Windows than automobiles at that point,” Ballmer told attendees of the company’s annual Financial Analyst Meeting (FAM) in Redmond on July 26. (I’m here in person, up in the media rafters.)"

Read the rest here

From Reuters.uk

Quote:

"Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile , Research) had sold 60 million Windows Vista licenses as of the end of June, including 20 million copies sold since mid-May, the company said on Thursday.
The world's largest software maker disclosed the new sales figures on Vista, the latest version of its dominant Windows operating system released on Jan. 30, at its annual meeting with financial analysts."

Read the rest here

Technorati tags: Steve Ballmer, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Corp., Mary Jo Foley, Windows Userbase, Windows Installed base, Vista

Sting! The biggest software counterfeiting bust in history

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 01:50:24 GMT

From Windows Vista Team Blog

Damn! The counterfeiters are improving their techniques more and more. Hmm, I wonder which one is fake?

Quote:

"Earlier today the Chinese Public Security Bureau and the FBI announced the largest bust of counterfeit software manufacturing or distribution ever. The bust took place in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong and includes arrests that took place over the last couple of weeks. While the value of the software actually seized is estimated at about five hundred million dollars, we're estimating that the value of software produced and distributed over the last few years by this particular group is closer to two billion dollars."

Read the rest here

As for the counterfeit Vista disk, its the one on the right. You can notice subtle differences such as washed out look of the copper hologram and the inner hub labeling is not centered properly. Its still a bit difficult to tell, especially for the average consumer, but with Windows Genuine Advantage and more education and awareness its really doing a great job.

Resources:

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/howtotell/

Technorati tags: Windows Vista, Security, Featured News, Windows Genuine Advantage, Piracy, Counterfeit, WGA, China

Update: Acer: PC industry 'disappointed' with Vista

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 17:12:24 GMT

Yesterday, I gave my thoughts on the Acer controvesy, seems I am not the only who is also experiencing grogginess with Vista on their Acer systems. Matt Mondok over at Arstechnica shares his experience:

"While Acer will probably continue to blame Microsoft for its problems until Windows 7 arrives, I must admit that I, like many others, have not had good luck with Acer machines. Two months ago, I experienced my first and hopefully last taste of Vista on an Acer. I've worked on spyware-infested Windows ME machines that were more responsive than this brand new, Vista-Home-Basic-enabled Acer. From boot, the machine was ridiculously slow to the point that it was unusable. Sure, part of the blame could have been placed on Vista, but similar machines from Dell and HP ran just fine."

Read the entire post here

Acer president Gianfranco Lanci became the first major PC manufacturer to openly attack Microsoft over the Windows Vista operating system in the Financial Times Deutschland on Monday.

Lanci said the operating system was riddled with problems and gave users and businesses no reason to buy a new PC, according to the report. Taiwan-based Acer is the world's fourth-largest PC manufacturer, after HP, Dell and Lenovo.

"The whole industry is disappointed with Windows Vista," Lanci said.

Despite the long wait between Windows XP and Vista, the latest operating system still lacks maturity, he said. "Stability is certainly a problem," he said.

Read the rest here

My say: I am not an industry analyst, but how does Acer know that the entire industry is disappointed in Windows Vista? Are they selling HP, Dell and Lenovo systems too? As for buggy, I am done blaming Vista, its device drivers developed by the hardware developers thats giving the OS a bad rap. I have been using Acer's Ferrari 5000 notebook since January and I have experienced a number glitches and performance issuess none of which my brother have experienced on his Dell Inspiron running Vista x86. I just believe a lot of the issues faced by these same hardware developers is simply because Microsoft has raised the quality bar higher with Vista through the WHQL: better driver signing, required for Vista (x64) putting an end to the free for all kernel mode drivers that affected a systems stability if the driver was not written properly, User Account Control is another improvement in Vista I notice is affecting developers when it comes to device drivers, they simply need to improve their drivers to operate properly with the user priviliedges.

Vista use grows as Mac OS X stays flat

Windows Vista's share of online users has increased every month this year, while rival Mac OS X -- to which Vista has often been compared -- has shown little, if any, growth, a metrics company reports.

According to Net Applications, in June Windows Vista accounted for 4.52% of all systems that browsed the Web, up from January's 0.18%. Vista has grown its usage share each month since its release to consumers Jan. 30, hitting 0.93% in February, 2.04% in March, 3.02% in April and 3.74% in May. Apple Inc.'s Mac OS X, meanwhile, accounted for 6.22% in January and hit its high point of 6.46% in May, but it slipped back to 6% in June.

If Vista's uptake trend continues, it should pass Mac OS X in Web usage share by the end of August.

Read the rest here

Technorati tags: Vista News, Acer, Acer Ferrari 5000, Vista Growth, Mac OS X, Net Usage, Vista x64

Why 'Seven' and Not SP1?

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 04:17:37 GMT

From Microsoft-Watch

Quote:

"Microsoft is talking about the future again, but why about a product three years out when customers are clamoring for more immediate information about Vista?
As widely reported on Friday, a slide presentation from Microsoft's MGX (Global Exchange) sales conference revealed that Vista's successor, codename Windows "7," would be available in approximately 3 years. While Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is listed as "Next"—actually, Microsoft has two other pieces of software coming first—though no timetable for delivery is given."

Read the entire article here

Joe, its obvious to me you are living in 1996. The days of NT 4 and disparately waiting for the Service Pack are over. Since the introduction of Windows Update and pervasiveness of the Internet particularly in the release of Windows 2000, it has begun to phase out the necessity of waiting for the first Service Pack approach before making mass deployments or putting a new OS in production. Yes, Service Packs are inevitable and what you are getting now through Windows Update in Vista today is mostly what you will be seeing in SP1 for Vista; a collection of bug fixes, security updates and likely better support for hardware like 802.11n based products for example.

Another quote from the article:

"Some businesses might take the renewal plunge based on Windows 7 estimated delivery. Some advice: You don't bet on Microsoft ship dates, you bet against. Remember, for example, that Vista missed holiday 2006, which is simply unthinkable."

<sigh> In the case of businesses, Microsoft did not miss any ship date. For Company's with SA and EA or even MSDN, they had access to Windows Vista and Office 2007 on November 30th 2006. Consumers didn't get it until a few months later. Big differences there Joe.

What about R2?

Its coming! Unless you are referring to a Vista R2 client, Microsoft never promised or confirmed any. They did say a Windows "Server" 2008 R2 (formerly Longhorn R2) would be available in 2009.

Technorati tags: Desktop & Mobile, Operating Systems, Vista

Demo: Windows Live OneCare 2.0

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 23:36:13 GMT

From The Windows Experience Blog

Quote:

"Last week Nick announced that the Windows Live OneCare 2.0 Beta Program has begun. Windows Live OneCare 2.0 is the next major release of Microsoft's all-in-one PC protection program. Windows Live OneCare not only protects users from viruses and spyware, but also helps users make sure their important data is backed up and that their PC's are updated with the latest updates from Windows Update.
Chris Overd over at LiveSide briefly touches upon features within Windows Live OneCare 2.0 such as Multi-PC support with your OneCare Circle, Centralized Backup, and the upcoming online photo backup service. However I took some time to record a little demo video showcasing some of Windows Live OneCare 2.0's new features including the new PC startup management tool and the OneCare Circle."

Check it out here

I have been running Live OneCare 2.0 too on Windows Vista x64 for more than a week now and I plan to do a review soon talking about my experience with this new release. OneCare 1.0 wasn't that inviting and the scan time as someone noted in the comments on the Windows Experience blog was just too long. It seems like that problem still has not been resolved or improved in version 2. My scan times with Symantec Client Security 10.2 for Windows Vista x64 is around an hour or less. I started a scan at 3 PM last week and it didn't end until around 7:06 PM, four hours, that's right! I like OneCare's Defragmenter which knows when your PC needs to be defragged and automatically does it for you. Although I have been told Vista Defragmenter runs in background at all times I am left unsure about it. Hopefully removing OneCare 2 from my system will be much easier than the first version, I must admit, I have had bad experiences trying to remove older versions of System Client Security from my system, lets hope its not the case with WLO when the time comes.

Technorati tags: Windows Vista, Windows Live, Windows Home Server, Security, Demo, Networking, Windows Firewall, Beta, Windows Live OneCare

Sexy new Windows Vista based laptops and Tablets

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 22:09:58 GMT

From Microsoft PressPass

Quote:

"Windows Photo Gallery and Windows Mobility Center are among the enhancements designed to help people pursue their passion, whether at home or on the go.
REDMOND, Wash., July 23, 2007 – Holiday gift giving in July?
The holidays may be months away, but holiday spending brings out the expressive, the extravagant -- and the exceptional. In preparation, Microsoft and computer hardware makers have been hard at work creating PCs that cater to the whim of givers and receivers alike. With Windows Vista, there are laptops for style mavens, gamers and lovers of all media. A person’s computer is often a statement about who they are, and they can rest assured that their computer will be well equipped, regardless of their choice.
Since the release of Windows Vista earlier this year, several companies have created PCs loaded with new mobility and multimedia capabilities. Windows Photo Gallery is designed to let users easily access all their photos and videos in one centralized place. Synchronizing content and personal information between computers and devices is also much easier; with Windows Mobility Center, Windows Sync Center and Windows Network and Sharing Center, users can ensure that content on their desktop, laptop, and Smartphone – or other mobile device – is consistent and up to date. "

The hardware coming out for Vista is just amazingly, aesthetically hot, here are three of my favorites:

Dell XPS M1330, from $1,299

Those who prefer a laptop designed for sleek lines and understated elegance may opt for the easy-to-carry Dell XPS M1330, which weighs in at four pounds. Use either computer as a portable entertainment center to tag, organize, share and view photos with Windows Live Photo Gallery.

Noteworthy Design Details of the M1330:

• The M1330 starts at 0.9 inches in thickness, and weighs just under 4 pounds, making it one of the lightest 13-inch systems in the market

• An integrated 2.0 megapixel Web cam makes it easy to create a video blog or add video to instant message chats with friends and family

• The optional biometric fingerprint reader restricts access to the computer or key data by requiring a biometric password – the owner’s own fingerprint

________________________________________________________________________

HP tx1000, from $999.99

A flip of the screen transforms the lightweight HPtx1000 tablet into a personal canvas for creative drawings, note taking and editing images. Plus, the new Sync Center will help users synchronize their Windows Vista based laptop, desktop, Smartphone and other devices, so they can always access their current contacts and appointments. The HP tx 1000 is designed to keep people stylish and on-time.

Noteworthy Design Details:

• The tx1000’s touch screen twists 180 degrees for presentations and DVD playback while traveling – and folds flat to capture hand-written notes and drawings

• The integrated fingerprint reader requires a swipe of the owner’s fingertips as part of the log-on process, and to access files and Websites that are password-protected

• A 1.3 MP Web cam and omni-directional microphone transform the tx1000 into the user’s own personal media hub

_________________________________________________________________________

Toshiba R500 Protégé, from $2,149

Stay connected anytime, anywhere with the Toshiba R500 Protégé. Among the thinnest laptops in the world (.77 inches thick), the Protégé is supremely portable, yet also powerful with a lengthy battery life. And with Windows Sidebar in Windows Vista, people can stay on top of the things they care about: display local weather, top news headlines, a gallery of favorite photos or content from one of Windows Sidebar’s hundreds of other mini applications.

Noteworthy Design Details of the R500 Protégé:

• Lightweight and durable, the R500 Protégé is designed to be a truly Mobile PC

• With a 64GB flash memory and 7-mm thin DVD-Super Multi Drive, the R500 Protégé does not compromise functionality for its lightweight design

• Along with a durable case, the R500 Protégé’s keyboard is also designed to resist liquids so people won’t have to worry about accidental spills

I'm surprised you can now get a Tablet at $999.99, the prices really are dropping. The main reason I wouldn't mind having the R500 Protege is the 64 GB Flash memory drive. Although its small compared to what you will find in comparable or cheaper laptops, the Flash drive makes up for it in areas of performance and reliability and its deep integration with Vista.

I recently reviewed the Acer Ferrari 5000 which I consider to be a very nice mobile system which features really great technologies and specs such as a 2 GHz AMD Turion x2 64 bit processor, 2 GB's of RAM, and 160 GB hard disk, integrated 1.3 MP Web camera, HMDI its definitely a fast system and it comes preloaded with Vista x64. I am also looking forward to learning more also about Dells forthcoming Dell Latitude Tablet PC.

Check out the Acer Ferrari 5000 review HERE

Check out the other Vista based formfactors here

Technorati tags: laptop, notebook, tablet PC, Vista, form factor, Toshiba R500 Protege, HP tx1000, Dell XPS M1330, Acer Ferrari 5000, Microsoft PressPass

Windows Seven: Think 2010 - All About Microsoft

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 22:03:13 GMT

From All About Microsoft

Mary Jo Foley gives us some juicy details on the next client release of Windows coming out of Microsoft in the near or not so near (depending on who ask) future.

"Windows Seven now has an official ship target — 2010.
At Microsoft’s Global Exchange (MGX) annual sales conference in Orlando this week, Microsoft shared a bit more — albeit at a high level — on Windows Seven, according to a copy of a slide deck I saw that was distributed to the field sales force during the conference. Among the information shared was that Microsoft is anticipating it will take at least three years from now to get the next version of Windows client out the door."

MJ also revealed more information on proposed features and supported processor architectures - don't throw those x86 machines out just yet. ;)

Read the entire story here

Office Topic: Looks like I have been updated to the new Windows Live Spaces update. Sweet! :)

Technorati tags: Windows Client, Next Windows, Windows 7, Windows Serven, Windows Vienna, Blackcomb, Mary Jo Foley, All About Microsoft, 32-bit, 64-bit, 2010, Windows 2010, MGX, Microsoft Global Exchange

Windows Vista RTM FAQ and Quick Start Guide updated for July 2007

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 20:48:18 GMT

I just updated my Windows Guide, with new tips and tricks and information for getting started with Microsoft's new client operating system.

Check it out HERE

New Tips and Tricks include:

Additional Shell Commands
Making Windows Media Player 11 64-bit default
Configure your Hibernation File
Partitioning your hard disk

Plus many more!

You can check out the Vista Tips and Tricks section for the latest info to stay agile.

Technorati tags: Windows Vista, Tips and Tricks, Guide, FAQs, Getting Started, How to install Windows Vista.

Introducing Vistabase

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 23:02:38 GMT

Today we take a look at another popular Windows Vista resource managed by Zack Whittaker.

VistaBase is a really easy, simple way to find articles, tweaks, guides and information on Windows Vista, including Windows Media Player11, Windows Internet Explorer 7 as well as the upcoming server operating system, Windows Server 2008.
As seen on Digg, MSBLOG, James Senior’s, Daniel Moth’s and Steve Clayton’s blog, VistaBase has over 300 articles covering networking, graphics, hardware, security and all the technologies that surround Vista. It has a fully-fledged screenshot gallery with all the pre-release software images, over 50 video demonstrations, and runs off the back of Wordpress so readers can leave their comments and feedback.
Whatever you are looking for, the chances are you’ll find what you’re looking for in one of their 15 categories, and if you can’t then you can submit a question and get it listed within the day.

Check it out here: http://www.vistabase.co.uk

Technorati tags: Windows Vista, Windows Vista Community, Help and Support, Vista, Zack Whittaker

Windows Mobile 6.0 Sync Fix for Vista Coming

Tue, 29 May 2007 19:42:29 GMT

From All About Microsoft

"Even though Windows Vista has been out since January (or November, if you’re a business customer), there are still products and applications — including some from Microsoft itself — that don’t work with Vista."

Learn more here

Technorati tags: Vista, Windows client, Windows XP, Windows CE, Windows Mobile

Introducing Windvis.com

Tue, 15 May 2007 17:55:47 GMT

Its always great to hear stories about persons embracing Windows Vista and becoming inspired by the new system so much they want to share the positive experiences they have harnessed from using it. Windvis.com is one such example, today I received an e-mail from Nick Zara (who I presume is the owner or admin), of this new site about being inspired by Teching It Easy to also start blogging and become a part of a large community of users world wide who use Windows Vista everyday.

Quote:

"Windvis.com was created for users that are beginners or intermediate, but if you have been using Windows Vista since its early versions and became an expert, we may have some interesting things for you too!

WindVis is all about helping you protect your privacy when surfing the internet, keeping your computer secure and optimize your Windows Vista for better performance.

If you're looking for free or commercial software that's better than what you already got inside your Windows Vista edition, our software reviews can help you in making the right choice."

Check out http://www.windvis.com

Resources:

Windows Vista Community

Technorati tags: Windows Vista Community, Windvis, Nick Zara, Help and Support, Blogger, Windows Vista, Operating Systems.

Windows Vista RTM FAQ and Quick Start Guide updated for May 2007

Wed, 09 May 2007 17:58:42 GMT

I just updated my Windows Guide, with new tips and tricks and information for getting started with Microsoft's new client operating system.

Check it out HERE

You can check out the Vista Tips and Tricks section for the latest info to stay agile.

Technorati tags: Windows Vista, Tips and Tricks, Guide, FAQs, Getting Started, How to install Windows Vista.

Purchasing and Managing Applications with Digital Locker

Wed, 02 May 2007 19:42:25 GMT

From Windows Vista Experience Blog

Brandon Leblanc reviews one of Vista's new features, Digital Locker, which is basically a built in online store in Windows for managing and buying software.

Quote:

"I had never used Windows Marketplace before and honestly, I don't know many people who have used it to purchase software. While I was beta testing Windows Vista, I discovered that Windows Vista had a built-in application called Digital Locker Assistant that allows you to manage purchased software from Windows Marketplace. I just had never tried it.

Well, now the time was right to give Windows Vista's Digital Locker Assistant and Windows Marketplace a try."

Check out the entire review here

Resources

Windows Market Place: Digital Locker Tour

Technorati tags: Digital Locker, Windows Market Place, Review, Windows Vista, Purchase Software, Windows Vista Experience Blog, Microsoft Money, Brandon Leblanc

New Windows Dreamscene - SilverLight now available

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:57:44 GMT

From Windows Experience Blog

Brandon informs us about the new Windows Dreamscene - SilverLight brought to you by the folks of the same name.

Check out a preview of it on the Windows Experience Blog here

Technorati tags: Ultimate Extras, Windows Update, Windows DreamScene Preview, Windows DreamScene, Windows Vista, Vista, SilverLight, WPF/e, Brandon Leblanc, Motion Desktop, Windows Vista Ultimate Edition

Introducing the Windows Vista Experience Blog

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 20:10:39 GMT

From Windows Vista Team Blog

Brandon Leblanc tells us about his exciting new adventure as blogger extraordnaire for the just launched Windows Vista Experience Blog. The Sidebar Geek plans to bring us coverage from the many Microsoft conferences planned for this year, including the upcoming MIX '07, WinHEC and TechED.

Quote

"My name is Brandon LeBlanc. I’ve been hired on as a vendor to work on this awesome new project: blogging about the amazing experiences you can have with Windows Vista. Previously, I had been blogging at The Hive talking about my Windows Experiences there. The Windows Experience Blog will build off what we originally started at The Hive but take it to the next level – which makes this a very exciting project for me."

Windows Vista Beta 2, RC1 and RC2 on the brink of extinction

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 01:02:30 GMT

From Windows Vista Team Blog

Quote:

"On May 18, pre-release versions of Windows Vista (Beta 2, RC1 or RC2) will begin prompting users with warning notifications about the upcoming expiration on May 31. It is therefore recommended to backup all data and move to a final version of Windows before the expiration date. Between June 1 and August 28, customers who continue to use pre-release versions of Windows Vista will be able to log in for 2-hour sessions to retrieve data. After 2 hours of use, the PC will automatically reboot without providing the opportunity to save data.

If the user would like to switch editions of Vista, the appropriate upgrade version must be purchased and a clean installation needs to be performed. Customer Preview Program participants will not be receiving discounts, other than the option to purchase upgrade versions of Windows Vista, as opposed to the full versions. As already noted previously, performing a roll back to Windows XP is not possible."

Learn more here

If you are still running Vista pre-release versions this far, it possibly means you are contemplating moving to the final RTM release of the software. I recently read a great post on Microsoft-Watch about final close down sale discounts being offered by CompUSA. You can get an upgrade copy Vista Basic as low as $59.99, not a bad deal.

Quote

"Impressive deals:

Vista Home Basic Upgrade just $59.99 instead of $99.99
Vista Home Premium Upgrade just $99.99 instead of $159.99
Vista Business Upgrade just $119.98 instead of $199.98
Vista Home Premium (full version) just $143.99 instead of $239.99"

Learn more here

Technorati tags: Windows Vista BETA, RC1, RC2, Release Candidate, RTM, Software Expire, Upgrade, CompUSA, Microsoft-Watch, Joe Wilcox, Windows Vista Tips & Tricks

Windows DreamScene Content Pack now available

Wed, 14 Mar 2007 16:41:10 GMT

From Windows Ultimate

Quote:

"Windows DreamScene is currently available only as a preview version, but many of you have chosen to install it. In recognition of your interest, we accelerated our schedule to release a Content Pack that contains four video backgrounds, which are now available on Windows Update.

The four videos are:

A field of thistle, with a bee gathering pollen
The rushing water of a forest stream
A streetlamp reflected in a puddle, with softly falling rain
Orange wisps flowing in a computer-generated scene

Learn more here

Previously:

WinCustomize - Blissful Sunset DreamScene

Technorati tags: DreamScene, Content Pack, Windows Vista Ultimate, Ultimate Extras, Windows Update, Blissful Sunset, WinCustomize, Backgrounds

Free Windows Vista Ultimate Wallpaper available for download

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 05:46:27 GMT

From Windows Ultimate via ActiveWin.com

Quote:

"Check out the download section. It was looking empty, so we created something special just for Ultimate users. We got the awesome graphics artists on the Windows Experience team to create unique static wallpapers for your desktop. They gave us two compelling images that we're offering to you in three resolutions.

We think the images cover the gamut of displays. Even those of you with Ultimate-worthy 30-inch flat panel monitors will find something to fit your screen. The resolutions available include both 4:3 and widescreen versions."

Download HERE

Wouldn't call this one an exclusive extra for sure, since anybody can download it and use it on their computer, even Windows 3.1 users. :P Hope I see some March updates for licensed users of Vista Ultimate, its been really, really long now and lets hope its something that amazes.

Resources:

The Windows Ultimate Extras Drought

Technorati tags: Windows Vista Ultimate, Updates, Wallpaper, Downloads, SKU

Windows Vista RTM FAQ and Quick Start Guide updated for March 2007

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 01:30:08 GMT

I just updated my Windows Guide, with new tips and tricks and information for getting started with Microsoft's new client operating system. With a wide range of topics that include doing a clean install with the Vista upgrade media, compatible Antivirus utilities and trouble shooting operating system errors such as Windows Update problems.

Check it out HERE

You can check out the Vista Tips and Tricks section for the latest info to stay agile.

Technorati tags: Windows Vista, Tips and Tricks, Guide, FAQs, Getting Started, How to install Windows Vista.

Is Windows getting cheaper or more expensive?

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 21:38:46 GMT

From ZDNET

Quote:

"The short answer is easy: neither. Roughly speaking, the Microsoft product sells for the same price it has had for years.

The full answer is more complicated. There are all sorts of factors that go into one's sense of whether the leading operating system "feels" more pricey or less expensive--the cost of other PC components and what gets bundled into the operating system are just a couple of them.

Microsoft General Manger Brad Brooks argues that Windows is a bargain, noting that it keeps getting more features for the same price.

"If you break down the cost of the software over the life of the PC, it works out to be less than how much you'd spend on milk for your family over that same period of time," Brooks said."

Read the rest here

Depends on which part of the world you live, but other factors should be taken into account. As the cost of living rises, it eventually affects users buying decision's and reflects on the price of both hardware and software. In 1985, Windows 1.0 sold for $100, over time, the value of the product increases resulting in increased cost, some of the reason's include, development time, becomes more feature rich (Windows has more features than ever), the more people involved with the development and marketting of the product. Going back to the where you live point, Windows Vista Ultimate retails for US $399.99. In Jamaica, US $1 is equivalent to Jamaican $66.00 (exchange rate), thats a total cost of $29,399.34. The average PC here cost about $30,000 Jamaican (US $454), if you were to build your own system and add the cost of Vista Ultimate, it would definitely cost a lot ($89,399.34 Jamaican).

Of course, most persons wouldn't buy the retail version of Ultimate, going for the OEM version at US $269.00 ($17,754) plus the same system would cost ($47,754.00 Jamaican), still a hefty amount. But when you think about the value the product is adding to your life, whether it is getting work done, start your own home based business the potential to make back the investment is there. The hidden cost are definitely there too, additional software such as Office adds more meaningful value to the product as the article notes. But at the same time Microsoft is trying to bring it down for existing users to upgrade to newer versions like Vista. For instance, the Home Basic edition cost $99, which is sorta cheap and offer's a lot of new features users will want. Its definitely tricky, but I'm sure any consumer who finds it expensive will not upgrade if their existing version is meeting his/her needs.

Technorati tags: Windows Vista, Cost, Exchange Rate, Cost Of Living, Hardware, Brad Brooks, Microsoft, Vista Ultimate Edition, SKU, Home Basic, OEM

Virtual PC 2007 RTM Released - 32 & 64 Bit

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 20:02:50 GMT

From Microsoft Downloads

Quote

"Overview

Save time and money as Virtual PC allows you to maintain the compatibility of legacy and custom applications during migration to new operating systems and increases the efficiency of support, development, and training staffs.

With Microsoft® Virtual PC 2007, you can create and run one or more virtual machines, each with its own operating system, on a single computer. This provides you with the flexibility to use different operating systems on one physical computer.

For more information about the ways you can use virtual machines, see Virtual PC at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=78095.

System Requirements

Supported Operating Systems: Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86); Windows Server 2003, Standard x64 Edition; Windows Vista Business; Windows Vista Business 64-bit edition; Windows Vista Enterprise; Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit edition; Windows Vista Ultimate; Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition; Windows XP Professional Edition ; Windows XP Professional x64 Edition ; Windows XP Tablet PC Edition

An x64-based or an x86-based computer with a 400 MHz or faster (1 GHz recommended) processor with L2 cache

Processor: AMD Athlon/Duron, Intel Celeron, Intel Pentium II, Intel Pentium III, Intel Pentium 4, Intel Core Duo, and Intel Core2 Duo

RAM: Add the RAM requirement for the host operating system that you will be using to the requirement for the guest operating system that you will be using. If you will be using multiple guest operating systems simultaneously, total the requirements for all the guest operating systems that you need to run simultaneously.

Available disk space: To determine the hard disk space required, add the requirement for each guest operating system that will be installed.

Virtual PC 2007 runs on: Windows Vista™ Business; Windows Vista™ Enterprise; Windows Vista™ Ultimate; Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition; Windows Server 2003, Standard x64 Edition; Windows XP Professional; Windows XP Professional x64 Edition; or Windows XP Tablet PC Edition

Download HERE

Well, its not a major upgrade from version 2004, it supports Vista, but lacks USB Support which is something I really need right now. Hopefully they will fix that in Service Pack 1.

Resources:
Testing Virtual PC 2007 BETA on Windows Vista RC2

Technorati tags: Microsoft, Virtual PC 2007 RTM, Windows Vista, Vista, 64-bit, 32-bit, Virtualization, Virtual Machine, .VHD, Vista RC2, Windows, VPC 07, Virtual PC 2007 Review

In New York prepping for tomorrows Big Day

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 04:57:28 GMT

So, I finally made it to New York after a long 3 hour journey from Jamaica W.I. in anticipation for the launch of Microsoft's next generation operating system and desktop productivity suite, Windows Vista and Office 2007. I also got the chance to meet a few Community Influential's such as Michael of Hardware Geeks, Bob Stein of ActiveWin Networks, Terri Stratton of the tabletpc.net, Ryan Hoffman of Extended64.com and my very good friend Brandon Leblanc of MSTechToday who I chat with a lot about Windows Vista.

Pictures from Time Square

For Microsoft and Consumers, tomorrow is a momentous occasion after five years of planning and development, we have finally seen what started out as Longhorn come to fruition. The hard work, persistence, passion and dedication of the many developer teams at Microsoft have not gone in vain. New innovations to how we interact with our computers, gaining positive experiences will make Vista the best operating system to date. I have been testing Windows Vista RTM for over the past two months now as a member of the ActiveWin Team and I am truly 100% behind my saying its ready for the taking. Go get your copy tomorrow. :)

Resources:
Windows Vista
Windows Vista Launch Day Event

Technorati tags: Windows Vista Consumer Launch, New York, New York City, New York Time Square, Kodak Theatre, Bloggers, ActiveWin, Windows Vista