Hasta La Gadget!

This article was written on May 23, 2007 by CyberNet.

Back in April Paul Thurrott started to think that Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) was a dead dream. He talked about the numerous delays it has suffered, and the lack of motivation Microsoft had to ship another Service Pack due to the release of Vista:

And while I’m ranting a bit, let’s dredge up Windows XP Service Pack 3, which was delayed from 2005 to 2006 to 2007 and now to 2008. If you were looking for any glimpse into the mind of Microsoft, this is it: The company has completely abandoned Windows XP, and it has absolutely no plans to ever ship an XP SP3.
…
But the reality is, Microsoft is looking ahead to new revenue and not behind to money that’s already in the bank.

According to the Windows Service Pack Road Map SP3 is still scheduled for the first half of 2008, but that date is still considered to be tentative. Now there is speculation that XP SP3 could still be released this year (2007) because of a recent press release by Microsoft that says:

Microsoft is announcing that Windows Vista supports this protocol today and Windows Server 2008 and Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) will support it as well later this year. The Juniper Networks UAC solution is expected to support the new TNC standard in the first half of 2008.

Then later in the press release they make another mention of SP3:

Simplified deployment: Customers running Windows Vista or Windows XP SP3 will be able to easily realize the benefits of a Juniper UAC deployment without requiring the need to deploy additional client software.

In August it will have been three years since Windows XP SP2 shipped, so there is no doubt that SP3 is long overdue. It’s doubtful that any new features will sneak into the service pack since Vista is already available for consumers to purchase, but it should at least address common issues that XP users incur.

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This article was written on January 18, 2006 by CyberNet.

Yes, that is right, the Windows that is in the far far future could be named Vienna now. The previous name was Blackcomb until Robert Scoble, a ‘reporter’ for Microsoft, stated that the name is being changed to Vienna. If this is true then I think Microsoft has lost their mind. Names like Whistler, Longhorn, and Blackcomb were all cool, but Vienna? Who are we, Oscar Meyer?

News Source: Bink.nu

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This article was written on May 21, 2007 by CyberNet.

I was just catching up on some news over at DesktopLinux.com, and noticed that there is a report that Dell will be making the Ubuntu Operating System available on Thursday (May 24, 2007). Initially they will be throwing in three different models with only one of them being a laptop:

• Laptop: The Inspiron E1505 is one of Dell’s most notable consumer notebooks. As of right now they have several pre-configured models running Vista that range from $700 to $1100.
• Desktop: The Dimension E520 is the budget desktop which is currently starting at $369 (without a monitor).
• Desktop: The XPS 410 is the nicer desktop and has pre-configured models ranging from $900 to $2470.

The site also quoted a Dell employee as saying “We expect these systems to be less than 1% of our OS mix for the entire year which is ~20,000 systems annually.” So it is obvious that Dell doesn’t have outrageous expectations for the operating system, but at least they are giving it a shot.

The Direct2Dell blog also made an announcement today giving some information on what can be expected with the Ubuntu that is shipping with the computers. According to the post, it is just going to be the default Ubuntu installation (no additional software, etc…), and they’re going to use open source drivers as much as possible. If there aren’t any open source drivers available, such as for Intel wireless cards and Conexant modems, they are going to use closed source drivers.

Even though every hardware option won’t be available for those machines, there is some good news in that regard. Dell says that they are working with vendors of those devices to improve the Linux drivers, which should broaden the range of hardware support over time. This is really awesome because it could give device manufacturers the push that they need to develop good Linux drivers.

And as Pieter pointed out in our forum, Ubuntu doesn’t support some media formats out-of-the-box due to some patent laws. These formats include MP3, DVD, Flash, Quicktime, WMA, and WMV. Being able to play these formats is a simple process if you’re using Ubuntu 7.04 (which is what Dell is going to ship).

Now the only thing left for me to see is how Dell will present the Ubuntu option on their configuration page. Will they include it with the selection of Windows operating systems, or are they going to create a completely separate page for those people who want to purchase a computer running Ubuntu? I have a feeling they won’t put it in with Windows because of the “accidental” purchases consumers could potentially make.

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This article was written on July 31, 2006 by CyberNet.

The rumors are buzzin’ like crazy now that Zune has been labeled the “iPod Killer” and we’ve received a few details about it. The specifics that remain unknown are all becoming rumors and now the rumors are flying about the launch date. Betanews is claiming an October launch date while Engadget is rumoring a November 14th date. Either way, I’m sure we can expect it to be fully stocked on the shelves before the holiday rush if Microsoft has any intention of competing with the iPod. I think it’s safe to say that it will probably take years before Microsoft will truly be able to compete with Apple. If only the rumor about the iPod lasting for four years (really, it’s “for years”) was true, Microsoft may have had a chance to build the competition early on in the game. In other rumored news about Microsoft’s portable entertainment devices, it is believed that there is an additional player that Microsoft is working on code named Pyxis. Betanews says it would be comparable to the iPod Nano in size and function but with added video support. Just like the iPod relationship with iTunes, the Zune is rumored to be companioned with a service called Alexandria. Seriously, could they have thought of a better name? I don’t know about you but Alexandria just doesn’t flow like iPod does with iTunes. So if the Zune is really expected to be launched in October/November, I anticipate Microsoft will be unveiling this “iPod Killer” shortly complete with all of the juicy details. Until then all rumors.

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