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November 30, 2006
Justification for Skepticism
Article: Microsoft Vista goes on sale.
Today marks the launch of the long awaited Microsoft Windows Vista. It is the first new personal operating system to be released in five years and whether or not this system will success is still in question. Microsoft is heavily relying on its success because most of its revenue and almost all of its profits comes from Windows and Office. These revenues and profits allow the company to expand into other areas to produce video games as well as music players.
There are many reasons why people doubt that businesses will immediately transition from the current Windows XP operating system to Vista. First of all, many companines have no complaints about XP and see no reason to change to Vista. They understand the new security features of Vista, but find that the 2004 release of Service Pack 2 sufficiently fulfills those needs. Secondly, upgrading to Vista can be very costly and complicated for large organizations. Due to the number of computers that would need to be switched, contractors would usually be hired to help, often at a high price. Thirdly, the transition can take years before businesses are fully operating to Vistas. According to Gartner Dataquest, not until 2010 will Vistas outnumber XP on business computers. That is three years of adjustments and possible confusion that businesses will have to endure.
CNN gives a clear example explaining the process.
A company with 10,000 employees, for example, likely has 1,000 business applications, many of which need to be tested on Vista before a company can switch its PCs to the new operating system, said Gartner analyst Michael Silver. That process often takes 12 to 18 months and lots of labor by the technology staff. (In other words, for a large business to implement Vista right away would probably require it to have been an eager-beaver type that experimented with Vista during its "beta" phase that began in mid-2005).
Clearly, the transition to Windows Vista will not be easy. XP has become a staple in the PC world. It will be very difficult to get users to change because they are already so familiar with it. I remember when other operating systems like Windows NT and ME were available, but I cannot remember how I transitioned from one to another. However, it is clear that the transition to XP was far more successful than that of ME. With Vista’s release less than two weeks old, there are many skeptics, myself included, wondering if this is just another repeat of the ME or if this could be a better XP. As CNN reports, I believe that it could take years before people are comfortable using Vista. It will take even longer for Vista to become the personal operating system of choice. I have no doubt that Vista has many new and user-friendly things to offer, however, I currently have no need for them yet. I think that after I work on a Vista operating system at my future job for a while, I will then consider switching from XP to Vista on my personal computer. It will save me the time of transitioning through it alone and the money if Vista flops. With the growing population of Apple computers, Windows needs Vista to keep its customers. I think everyone just wants what is user-friendly and efficient. Vista has had a lot of hype about being just that. I hope, for Microsoft’s sake, that its performance can live up to its hype.
Posted by catchao at 02:46 PM | Comments (0)
November 17, 2006
Del.icio.us Features
We have found many interesting Del.icio.us features throughout the semester. We have added people to our network that are knowledgeable about technology. For example mattymdm tags deal with advanced technology concepts, therefore we gain access to information that we wouldn't know to look for otherwise. It helped us gain an broader awareness of the technology market.
In addition, del.icio.us has many other useful features. When I was researching digital cameras to buy, I had a hard time finding useful camera reviews. I went on del.icio.us and it was much easier to find information, because everyone else's research about cameras was already compiled. And its so much better than using Google or another search engine, because people only tag things that are useful to them. Therefore, in a sense, I'm getting a rating on how useful that website that is. I have found that the more people tagged a website, the more useful it's likely to be.
Posted by stwiener at 12:39 PM | Comments (0)
Publicity or Piracy Prevention?
Article: Microsoft backtracks on Vista transfer limits.
Before mid-October, 2006, Microsoft had some pretty strict rules regarding transfers of its newest operating system, the anticipated Windows Vista. According to the license terms, purchasers of boxed copies of the new operating system would be restricted to transferring Vista to a computer only once. Such severe limitations, which Microsoft hoped would prevent piracy, caused a stir from current Microsoft customers, especially “hobbyists who frequently upgrade the components of their PC, in some cases triggering Windows to consider the machine a new PC.”
Because of the reaction from the public, Microsoft modified the policy on October 16, 2006, reverting to essentially the same transfer rules that apply to Windows XP. The new policy allows to “transfer their license to a new PC an unlimited number of times, provided they uninstall and stop using it on the prior machine.” This limit does not apply to newly purchased PCs that are already equipped with Vista. There are separate rules for those who purchase Vista along with such hardware (this is actually the majority of buyers), and usually these rules prohibit transferring entirely.
In my opinion, Microsoft responded correctly to the public by reversing the transfer license on retail copies of Vista. Considering the incredible delay in bringing Vista to the public and the negative word-of-mouth, it can’t afford to piss people off, especially avid users and computer nerds who are highly profitable customers. That said, part of me wonders (maybe I just like conspiracy theory) if Microsoft anticipated such an uproar in response to the new transfer rules. Perhaps they don’t care if publicity for Vista is negative, as long as it’s publicity. Maybe all they wanted was to make themselves seem conscious of and responsive to consumers’ concerns and preferences. Could they seriously have thought such a tough rule would fly?
The success of Vista is going to have serious implications for the future of Microsoft, which is facing stiff competition from free, open source alternatives like Linux. That said, Microsoft has quite a soft cushion to fall back on in the short run. According to InformationWeek.com, a recent “poll of 761 IT decision makers found that 20% expect to adopt the OS within a year and a total of 86% currently planning to adopt Vista eventually.” But in order for Microsoft to maintain market share and healthy earnings in the long run, most of those people who do implement the OS need to like it, or they are in trouble.
Posted by alathans at 12:20 PM | Comments (0)
November 04, 2006
Alyse's Tips and Tricks!
Every day or two, I have been tagging articles online about Microsoft Vista on del.icio.us. Although there is a large amount of information on Vista available on the Internet, finding articles, blogs, reviews, etc. that are high quality and up-to-date is slightly more difficult. My favorite way to find information is to keep it simple: www.google.com. However, there are some of the other, more advanced search tools that have proven quite helpful.
Using Google Scholar, I was able to find detailed research reports from reliable sources, such as the article Windows Vista Network Attack Surface Analysis: A Broad Overview. Doing a cached search on long webpages like this one is a good idea, since it can be hard to pick out the Vista information in these detailed and often lengthy webpages.
Another website I use often to find information about Vista is CNet News: Business Tech. Not only does searching for Windows Vista procure a long list of relevant articles, but people can respond directly to the articles. I have found that users’ opinions on the articles can be even more informative than the articles themselves, so I check this site regularly for recently published articles on Vista.
The World News Network is another search site I rely on to tag articles on de.licio.us. When I search for Microsoft Vista using the parameters “All of the Words”, “English”, “Most Relevant First”, and “Last 3 Days”, CNet finds high-quality and up-to-date articles on Vista. Another reason I like this site is because I speak Spanish, so I like to look up articles in Spanish for fun. It’s dorky, I know.
In short, while plain old Google is a fantastic search engine, there are other sites out there that are useful for digging up excellent info and current news about Vista. If you have time, try some of them out!
Posted by alathans at 02:12 AM | Comments (0)
November 03, 2006
Catherine's Tips and Tricks!
When searching for IT related articles, I start with what I am most familiar using: Google. Google is very user-friendly, but very general in its search. To narrow my searches, I often use quotes and associated words. However, in addition to using quotes, Google offers separate search engines to limit your search even further. For example, blogsearch.google.com will limit your search to blogs.
Aside from Google, I find it helpful to use websites that depend on user participation. For example, Slashdot lists article summaries that are written by its own readers and can easily direct you to an article of interest if you want to read the entire article. Del.icio.us and Digg are also helpful search tools. Users login and store links on their accounts. The more times a link is stored by various users, the more likely it is to show on the front page of popular links. These sites are helpful because people usually store sites on what they are most familiar with. Therefore, users familiar with IT may store IT related information in their Del.icio.us and Digg accounts where I can then see what they stored and be directed to these sites. So far, I have not been to many of the sites that Del.icio.us and Digg users have directed me to which reassures me that these search tools are necessary. They reduce the likelihood of overlooking useful sites using Google due to my inexpertise.
Posted by catchao at 01:04 PM | Comments (0)
Old School
I say with pride that I do not own a digital camera or an iPod/any mp3 player. It's not that I don't see the benefits of having one. I just don't see it as a good investment for me.
The iPod. It's not just an mp3 player; it is THE mp3 player, considered a necessity among the young and old. My commute to work this past summer was a total of 4 hours a day via public transportation. I was almost certain that this would force me to get an iPod, and yet, after 4 months of 4 hour-a-day commutes, I still found no need for one.
A USA Today article points out a very simple concept that the iPod is based around--it is a closed system. This means that music from Napster, Yahoo Music, Rhapsody are not compatible with the iPod. Seeing that I do not own an iPod and therefore have never encountered this situation, I had not put much thought into this until now. I had seen how iPods have monopolized the mp3 player market, but never considered other factors associated with it. Apple's ridiculously high percentage of online music sales has given other companies incentive to launch their own software. For example, Zune is offered by Microsoft and is using music sharing to compete with iPod's cool factor. All companies agree that "consumers should be able to play their purchased digital music effortlessly on a device" but this is becoming very difficult service to provide with purchase restrictions and copy-protections. These obstacles must be faced soon because online music is here to stay, but the device might not. Cellular phones are already featuring music options and this trend will only continue to grow.
I am torn between a non-monopolistic online music experience versus a user-friendly standard that the iPod has become. Relying on just one company is a risk becuase they could set unreasonable prices for consumers. However, having a standard system that consumers are familiar with, similar to using Microsoft Windows for PCs, creates consistency and eases transitions for professional to personal use. Although I currently have no worries, the time will come when I will find mp3 devices an worthwhile investment and would like to be prepared when that time does come. Zune is available, but it's not a trend that the general public is going to willingly pick up unless they do more to get into the market. Either way, I still have some time to see how everything plays out and plan on keepin' it old school in the mean time.
Posted by catchao at 01:03 PM | Comments (0)
Is upgrading to Vista worth the effort?
Webpage (article): Help File: Prepare in advance for Microsoft's Vista
In January, Vista is scheduled to be released to the general public (it will be released to business users in November, if all goes as planned). Although many computers bought after this time will come equipped with Vista (such as all Dell computers), many people will have to upgrade their current operating systems to Vista. However, Vista is not compatible with all hardware systems or software, because “device drivers and programs written for one version of Windows may not work on another version of the operating system.” The New York Times’ article “Help File: Prepare in advance for Microsoft's Vista” explains that “Device drivers are little bits of software that tell the operating system how to work with the computer's hardware.” In order to verify that your computer’s hardware and software will work with Vista, you need to check each manufacturer’s website to see if it is listed as compatible with Windows Vista. As for products you plan to purchase in the future, they will be clearly labeled as “Works with Windows Vista”. Better yet, hardware and software products that say “Certified for Windows Vista” allow you to enjoy some features of Vista that you would not with the products labeled “Works with Windows Vista”.
In my opinion, this labeling scheme is a bit confusing. I am not especially tech savvy, but I would say I know as much about computers (maybe more) as the average home user. It certainly confuses me that products labeled “Certified for Windows Vista” allow you to take advantage of more Vista features than products labeled “Works with Windows Vista”. And it certainly is not clear why “Certified” ought to have a more positive connotation than “Works with”. Why can’t they just make ONE label: “Works with Windows Vista” and leave it at that? If you’re paying the same thing, you ought to get the same features.
Also, it seems like a colossal pain to go through and “make a list” (another method suggested in the article of verifying that all the hardware and software you own is compatible with Vista) of everything on your computer. If I did this, it would take forever. There’s numerous applications, and I would hardly want to visit every manufacturer’s website. A much simpler solution would be to not get Vista at all! Microsoft has delayed so long (5 years) in releasing this new version of its operating system that I feel like many people might be accustomed to their current operating system and only see the upgrade as an unnecessary hassle, especially considering all the negative buzz that Windows’ Vista has been receiving. Most news articles mention the subpar security and the unimpressiveness of the “new features”, many of which are available in open source software, such as Linux.
I am curious to see how the public responds to the release of Vista when it is released in a few months. Maybe most people feel like me: sick of upgrades, tired of viruses pervading their Windows systems, unwilling to check their hardware and every piece of software in order to use an operating system that has already gotten a negative word of mouth. But I could be wrong. Come January, we shall see.
Posted by alathans at 12:53 PM | Comments (0)
Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7
Webpage (article): Windows Releases Internet Explorer 7
Webpage (reviews): Consumer reviews of IE7
After five years, Microsoft finally came out on Wednesday with a new version of Internet Explorer, IE7, which can be downloaded for free. The new browser is an integral part of Windows Vista, Microsoft’s new operating system, which is to be released to both businesses and consumers in the next few months.
Internet Explorer 7 is apparently superior to IE6 for several key reasons. For one thing, there is a tabbing feature that allows users to view a number of web pages simultaneously without running multiple browser windows. Moreover, there is a search box displayed in IE7’s browser, meaning users don’t have to go to another webpage in order to search for things on the Internet. Mostly for the purpose of avoiding antitrust issues in Europe, IE7 allows users to choose whether they want to use the search engine provided by Microsoft or that of another company, such as Google or Yahoo. Finally, IE7 is more secure than IE6 and other outdated versions of the browser.
While all of these are much-needed improvements over IE6, the newest version of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is not dramatically different than its predecessor or than competing products, such as Opera Software ASA's Opera and Mozilla's Firefox (which is open source). Although Microsoft’s Internet Explorer has a U.S. market share around 86%, this is still a significant decline from the 93% of the market it served just 2 years ago.
I am interested to see if Internet Explorer is able to maintain its current level of market share in the next few years, or if FF, Opera, Safari, and other web browsers will continue to creep in on its territory. On Wired Blog, I read more than 20 user reviews of IE7, and the difference of opinion regarding the quality and appeal of IE7 was startling. Some people used said “IE sucks” and that “Firefox is much better”. Others said IE7 is much better than IE6, and also much better than it gets credit for (they supported Windows XP as a whole, also).
The most important thing I've taken away from this article is that I, a Safari user, wish Safari had the tabbing feature that IE7, like Firefox and Opera, is now offering. Right now I have 5 web pages open, in addition to word processing pages, iTunes, etc. It's just too much! Centralizing my web pages to one browser would certainly simplify things. Maybe I ought to download Internet Explorer 7!
Posted by alathans at 12:49 PM | Comments (0)
November 02, 2006
Vista: New Features
Windows Vista has many new and improved features. I am excited for Vista to be released in 2007, as there are 6 major improvements I am eager to explore:
- Graphics
I know I should care more about the new technical features, but I'm most excited about the new interface called AERO. A beautiful interface makes using the computer a more enjoyable experience. I would much rather write a ten page paper on a computer that's visually pleasing than the one that I have now (windows XP...it just doesn't compare to a mac in terms of the visual experience)
- Search Tools and Organization
In Vista, there are many organizational improvements. The start menu has a search tool, in which you can search for files or launch a program if you type in the program name. This is makes looking for resources very convenient. In addition, there are Live Icons that show the contents of a file before opening it, making the search for files less time consuming.
- Security
A major focus of Vista was to add more security features for the users. Microsoft now has more parental control options and allows users to have restricted permissions on networks and local computers. In addition, when programs write to protected areas, the writes are stored in a seperate area called the virtual store.
- Gadgets
Vista has many gadgets in the new window's sidebar which are readily accessible such as the weather, the time, a calendar, and a calculator. It's little touches like this that make life easier and more efficient.
In addition to the sidebar, window's has more advanced media features. Vista includes Windows Media Player, Windows Photo Gallery (which allows for the organization and editing of your pictures), and Windows Media Center (which connects your computer to your television, allowing you to listen to music, and look at photos on your tv!).
- System Tools
Vista makes backup and recovery of data easy! Users can set up automatic regular backups to protect their data and then recover them if needed in a simple process.
- System Requirements
Vista is the first operating system that adapts to the computer, a major accomplishment. This creates two types of PCs:
1) the capable PCs which use most of the Vista applications except for the AERO interface,
2)the premium PCs which can use all of Vista's features.Overall, I am very excited about the release of Window's Vista and I can't wait for all the bugs to be worked out so I can buy a copy!
-Stefanie Wiener
Posted by stwiener at 08:14 PM | Comments (0)