A new version of Windows Live Writer is available for download. Have just installed it, I’ll be reporting issues as I find them – my one wish that wasn’t included in this release is support for XHTML so WLW is just as messy with HTML as all Microsoft products. Yuck on that front, but I’m hoping that it’ll be included in future releases.
I’ll post more once I’ve worked with it, and yes this is my first post with WLW2.
Even though Microsoft won’t be offering their own line of home server hardware, they did commission this beautiful design for the proof of concept.
Though I will probably build my home server from the ground up, the consumer crowd will love designs like this.
Via: Windows Home Server Blog – More Hockey Puck photo love
I know I like to “ping-pong” between operating systems, but I just thought I’d mention that I’m back on Windows Vista. Since I’ve finally upgraded my major software licenses from Windows XP and Office 2003, to Windows Vista and Office 2007 – I’ll be on full shipping versions rather than late-beta and release candidate versions.
One of many learning’s at Windows Connections 2007 this year was the complete integration of the “Vista wave”. Yes, there were tidbits there even for a seasoned Microsoft junkie like me. One new thing I picked up while at Connections was Office OneNote 2007. The improvements over OneNote 2003 are significant and provide a much more organized (as if ON03 wasn’t organized enough!) interface to store your notes and research.
Good stuff – now I just need to replace my aging laptop with a newer Core 2 Duo unit, and I’ll be set. And no, I’m not using the Aero interface – simply because my current Intel 915G integrated display controller doesn’t support it.
Later!
Now this has little to do about being an email client, which is something I think will disappear in the coming years, but really about a big development in communications tools for productivity workers. Yes Microsoft is at it again, playing its hand at convergence, and positioning itself to again enter and then dominate a market.
While the established incumbents (Avaya, Cisco, Nortel, Siemens, etc…) have little to fear in the short term from Microsoft. The long term, on the other hand, is where Microsoft traditionally kicks ass. The advantage that the current situation presents for the existing vendors is that they have Microsoft’s playbook to learn from and adapt to, long before Microsoft’s product matures and penetrates the market to the point where they are no longer relevant. To do this, Microsoft has to have missed important features in the product, has stability problems out of the gate, does not scale well, and so on. Further, current vendors also need to take their existing products and cut costs, trim the need for hardwired phones, promote the utility of softphones, and demonstrate QoS on their system over Microsoft’s.
If the current vendors don’t change and adapt to the Microsoft “threat”, they’ll follow the same trend as other software and service markets Microsoft has entered. Microsoft dominates a market because it brings “good enough” functionality to large numbers of customers, at very competitive pricing.
No matter what, this is an important move by Microsoft, and will bring the competition to the IP Telephony market that it has long been missing. Innovation by all parties should follow with better products at better price points. The integration of VoIP (along with IM and Web Conferencing) into the Office System family products will bring another level of productivity and efficiency to productivity workers.
Via: ars technica – New Office Communications Server 2007—most important communications tool since Outlook?
So why “D2” you ask? It stands for “Desktop 2.0”, which is of course, a play on Web 2.0. While there have been many predictions and suggestions, I want to take this opportunity and posit my opinion of where the corporate or enterprise desktop solutions should be heading. My poor coworkers have got to be tired of hearing my pitches and ideas on this by now!
In a nutshell, I believe Window Vista to be the last large-scale revision and release of the operating system. As such, corporations need to figure out whether they want to continue the upgrade cycle of Microsoft’s high-maintenance operating system. Or, choose to go a different path to secure their data, lower management costs of their client systems, and bring more areas of the business under the business continuity (disaster recovery) umbrella.
To accomplish this, businesses need to look at the pros and cons of both options and take a hard look at their computing needs. The solution for a manufacturing company that merely needs to track production, finance and sales does not have the computing requirements of, say an engineering firm where most of the employees require high-powered CAD/CAM software solutions.
The problem with the traditional desktop is not the initial cost for the hardware, installation, software licensing and so on. Its obviously the ongoing support costs, hardware replacement, service calls, and much more depending on how skilled your technical staff is.
In another world with the proper use of terminal services or Citrix server farms, data replication, thin clients, system virtualization, and load balancing, a company could eliminate or significantly reduce the reliance in traditional desktops and laptops. The key thing to focus on is not reducing cost so much as realizing that you can take control and secure your data. You can create an environment where all data is backed up at your central hub and backup locations that you currently use. (Just think of all those unsecured hard drives that aren’t backed up storing, in some cases, critical business data!) You can also reduce or eliminate the complexity of supporting the Windows operating system.
Yes, Microsoft has made great strides in managing and deploying the operating system, but you do know that you will need to deploy yet another server system to manage the licensing of Windows Vista – right? Did you know that the methods for deploying Vista is different than deploying Windows 2000 & XP? Yep, start planning a big upgrade budget, even if you choose to slipstream the OS, you’ll need to plan the deployment infrastructure out properly. (*Shameless plug* Contact me if you want some consulting done on this – its what I do as an Infrastructure Architect and Analyst 
).
There is a better way, and it doesn’t need to be the standard Windows desktop – also think about what Apple has been doing with the Mac lately, or Linux – several distributions have really made huge usability strides in the last few years. Do I have a chip on my shoulder regarding Vista – not really, but I think there are more solutions today than when Windows XP was fresh and new and the focus of everyone’s attention. I just think that the proliferation of web-based applications, increased bandwidth, robustness of terminal services, and the flexibility of virtualization, that there can be a simpler corporate environment than we have today.
😢
“We are not enemies but friends.”
Live your life.
Completely.
Without fear.
Live it with Love, compassion, empathy, tolerance and joy.
Treat every person with the kindness, respect and dignity they deserve by the very virtue of being a human being.
Out riding this rainy, wet spring. Got 1,000 miles on the clock with more to come this season. #IMRG #IndianMotorcycle
Watching early seasons of #GoldRush. Fun seeing @GoldrushRick in season 3! Hope his new season is off to a good start!
Oh yes I did! https://www.instagram.com/p/BsRDO9ogSO0/?utm_source=ig_twitter_share&igshid=1kha5yzhjq3ot
