Hasta La Gadget!

This article was written on February 15, 2007 by CyberNet.

Microsoft just posted the other day that they do not want to give up any details in regard to the next milestone release of Windows. I really don’t blame them for not wanting to disclose any details because that is when they end up pinning themselves in a corner. They should give it a little while to make sure they are on track to meet their 2009 delivery date, and then start sharing some of the details with the public.

They are indeed working on the next operating system which has had the name Vienna removed and is now being called Windows 7. I’m not sure why they ditched the cool name and replaced it with a version number, but maybe it has something to do with the name Vienna being so close to Vista, and they are trying to avoid confusion. Maybe a new name will emerge as the development process continues, or maybe they will bring back the old codename: Blackcomb!

So what is in the future for Windows? As noted above the list of features that the next version of Windows will possess is still in the works, but Paul Thurrott has started a FAQ’s site for Windows 7 that makes some interesting points. Here are a few things that are mentioned:

• Windows Vienna will only be a “minor” release because Microsoft currently makes every other Windows release a major one. Vienna is estimated to ship in 2009 which means the next major release of Windows should be around 2011.
• Vienna will include a new version of Windows Explorer that will take on some of the properties from the Ribbon in Office 2007. There is no doubt in my mind that Microsoft should center more of the operating system around what the Office 2007 team has already done with the Ribbon. With the Ribbon new users are able to easily find what they are looking for because commands and options are intuitively located through the application. Windows Explorer in Vista has gotten a small facelift but there is still a lot of room for improvement, and a Ribbon-like system might be just what it needs.
• To keep up with Microsoft’s x64 migration schedule there will probably be no 32–bit version of Vienna offered. While this might be true it is hard for me to believe that the next version of Windows will not be compatible with computers that are still being sold today. The dual-core and 64–bit processors are becoming more prominent so maybe Microsoft ditching the 32–bit operating system isn’t so unrealistic.

While the suspense of not knowing what will come next in Windows is exciting, I think it can also lead to the implementation of features that users may not actually want. It seems like there is a growing trend of companies turning to their users for input on what they would like to see in future products and Microsoft should do that, too. Microsoft needs to find ways to get more involved with the communities and people on the Internet by letting them participate in the design, even if it does only include voting.

Maybe Microsoft should do something like MyDreamApp and let users submit application ideas, and then whatever program gets the most votes they will implement to include with the next Windows release. Not only would the community become interested in the voting process, but I think people would also be more inclined to follow the progress of Windows.

So now I’ll leave you with two questions:

• What would you like to see in the next version of Windows?
• What can Microsoft do to get people more involved/interested in the next Windows release?

More information on Vista’s successors (Vienna and Fiji)

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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This article was written on October 18, 2007 by CyberNet.

Mozilla has started to to post some more information regarding how Firefox 3 will adapt itself to the look of multiple operating systems. One of the big changes that Mike Beltzner, Mozilla’s User Experience Leader, mentioned in an article was the two different icon sets that will be created for Windows alone. There will be one for Vista and one for XP. Each set will contain 120 different icons, which means they have 240 icons that they need to make for the two different Windows Operating Systems.

An inventory of the necessary icons have already been posted, but none of them have been updated to reflect the changes that are yet to come. As of right now they are looking for a contributor or a contractor that is willing to produce the icons in the time frame that they have. Here’s what they would like to have done at each milestone:

• 10 icons done in XP and Vista styles as an initial proof-of-concept by the end of the month
• the most frequently viewed icons delivered as a first draft in time for Beta 2
• the full set of icons delivered as a second draft in time for Beta 3
• the ability to make small revisions before the release candidates

The icon inventory site says that the due date for the second milestone (Beta 2?) is in early December, and the third milestone (Beta 3?) isn’t until February 15th! I thought that Firefox 3 would be out by January of next year, but that doesn’t appear to be the case at all.

There are also some lower priority items for Vista that will probably not make it into Firefox 3, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed:

A Windows Vista theme which can be installed by Vista users to include Vista-like widgets and control layouts, tabstrip and other changes for Vista look and feel (to be shipped alongside, not with, Firefox 3)

That almost sounds like a theme utilizing the Aero effects available in Vista, much like what Internet Explorer 7 does. That would be truly awesome if that’s the case.

Beltzner has also begun discussions about the new theme for Linux which has got to be a tough cookie to crack. Think about all of the different Linux distributions available and how many of them look different. It’s probably going to be pretty strenuous to develop something that looks good on them all, and lets not forget that they are also working on a Mac-specific theme. There’s no doubt that they have their hands full.

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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This article was written on January 22, 2007 by CyberNet.

The Windows Vista launch date is about a week away and there is already talk about the first Service Pack (SP1) being made available as soon as this year. According to an email that Bink.nu received this is what the first Service Pack should include:

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) will be a standard service pack that will include security updates, hotfixes, as well as limited other changes focused on improving quality.

The Technology Adoption Program (TAP) is looking for customers and partners actively test and provide feedback on Windows Vista SP1 to help us prepare for its release in the second half of CY07.  Customers must be willing to provide feedback and deploy pre-release builds into production environments.

It doesn’t sound like they have plans for releasing anything new in SP1, and instead the first Service Pack will cover security patches. In case you were wondering this was Windows XP’s release schedule:

• Initial release of Windows XP was on October 25, 2001
• Service Pack 1 (SP1) released on September 9, 2002 which is 319 days after the initial release.
• Service Pack 2 (SP2) released on August 6, 2004 which is 1016 days after the initial release.
• [future] Service Pack 3 (SP3) to be released the first half of 2008

If Microsoft keeps on a similar schedule the release date of Vista SP1 would be December 15, 2007 and Vista SP2 would be November 11, 2009. As you can see a release date of 2007 for Vista SP1 does not seem too unreasonable, so if you’re one of the many holding off until Vista hits that milestone you might be able to get it in time for the holidays…maybe Santa will bring it for you.

There has also been some other interesting Vista news around the Web. The Boston Globe is saying that businesses will spend (on average) $9.33 on hardware, $5.35 on software, and $3.93 on service providers for every $1.00 they spend on Vista itself. That number seemed quite large, but after thinking about the need to update software and hardware it sounded about right. After all, a lot of the small businesses (or at least the ones I’ve worked with) haven’t upgraded PC’s and hardware since Windows XP was released…so they are due for an upgrade.

The one other thing that I saw today came from BusinessWire [via CrunchGear]. It looks as though CompUSA is going to offer a money-back guarantee if you’re not completely satisfied with Vista or Office 2007. To take advantage of this offer you will have to fork out $50 for their technicians to install the software on your PC at the CompUSA store, or $150 to have a technician come to your house to perform the installation:

Customers who bring their computer to a CompUSA store before 3:00 p.m. on January 29 will receive a free Windows Vista evaluation of their computer. Customers who receive the evaluation will be able to purchase the software installation for only $19.99 and pick up their computer as early as 12:01 a.m. on January 30. Beginning January 30, software installations will be available for $49.99 for in-store and $149.99 for in-home installations.

Should you decide that you’re not satisfied with Vista they will refund your money (well, probably not the $50 installation fee) and they’ll reinstall your previous operating system. They are really smart for offering this guarantee because Vista is the easiest operating system that I have ever installed. Almost anyone can understand how to go through the upgrade process, but knowing that you can get your money back if your not satisfied will probably appeal to a lot of people.

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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This article was written on October 03, 2007 by CyberNet.

Microsoft has quietly released four new updates for Vista that improve on performance and reliability. As of right now it’s unclear as to which of these updates, if any, will be made available on October 9th’s Patch Tuesday, but they are currently all available for individual download.

The first update that I want to mention really caught my attention. It is said to improve battery life, increase stability, and much more. Here’s a list of the more prominent things that it is supposed to improve, as well as some of the issues it is supposed to solve:

• It extends the battery life for mobile devices.
• It improves the reliability of Windows Vista when you open the menu of a startup application.
• It improves the stability of Internet Explorer when you open a Web page.
• It improves the stability of wireless network services.
• It shortens the startup time of Windows Vista by using a better timing structure.
• It shortens the recovery time after Windows Vista experiences a period of inactivity.
• Resolves a compatibility issue that affects some third-party antivirus software applications.
• Resolves a reliability issue that occurs when a Windows Vista-based computer uses certain network driver configurations.

The homepage for the update (KB941649) is here, and there are both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors available for download. It appears that this update is still in testing though, and Microsoft recommends that you do not install it yet unless you’re experiencing issues that it resolves:

This hotfix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next service pack that contains this hotfix.

Meh, that makes it sound like it’s not coming out until Vista SP1 is released so I installed it anyway. Things do seem to be chugging along a bit faster than they were.

The other updates aren’t quite as important in my opinion, but are still worth mentioning:

• KB941229 (32-bit or 64-bit) – Update for Vista Media Center which resolves several issues.
• KB941600 (32-bit or 64-bit) – Fixes critical USB issues.
• KB941651 (32-bit or 64-bit) – Improves the reliability of Windows Media Player 11, but the homepage for the hotfix isn’t available so we’re not quite sure what it’s for.

Source: Techarena

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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This article was written on January 24, 2007 by CyberNet.

As Microsoft continues their battle with Piracy, they have disclosed that one in five, or 22% of Windows installations are not genuine. Surprised? WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage) started back in July of 2005 and has given Microsoft a good idea of how many people are using counterfeit copies.  They have validated 512 million PCs since WGA was started, and along with those 114 million copies that were counterfeit, an additional 56,000 users have gone to Microsoft to report that they were using a copy that wasn’t legitimate. Microsoft’s policy in that situation is to give the user a free replacement copy of Windows. WGA as many of you know, requires users to validate their operating system before they are able to get updates.

With Vista and Office release dates just around the corner, Microsoft is stepping up their effort to put a stop to piracy that costs them a lot in lost revenue!  Their new campaign is called Genuine Fact Files, and they’re turning to comic strips to help them out.  These black and white comics show the evils of software piracy, and have already been displayed in Italy, France, Indonesia, Australia, The United Arab Emirates, Brazil, and the UK. They’ll be appearing in the US shortly. I haven’t been able to come up with a version in English yet, but just for the sake of seeing what it look like, one version is pictured below.

Microsoft is also hoping that their online “Test Drive” for Windows Vista, and the preview for Office 2007 will be enough to satisfy those who want to try out the operating system before buying. Sometimes that excuse is the reason for using a pirated copy of software.

Piracy is by no means a new thing in the software industry.  In fact, here’s a video that the Software Publisher Association put out back in 1992 with their anti-software piracy campaign called “Don’t Copy that Floppy.” There’s no need for me to explain, just watch…

Returning to Vista, in case you’re thinking about purchasing the OEM version of Vista, the picture below shows what you’ll get.  It’s the same ole’ Vista minus the fancy packaging.  Remember, typically when you purchase the OEM version, you must purchase hardware along side of it.  This is because OEM is licensed for new computer purchases only.

Thanks to one of our readers, Jim Lester for snapping pictures after opening! He has more pictures here if you’re curios what to expect when buying Vista licensed for OEM distribution.

News Source: BetaNews

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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