Posted in Microsoft, Office 2007, Servers, SharePoint, Software, Windows Vista on March 15th, 2007
Mary Jo Foley asks : “Is Windows Vista … the last big-bang release of Windows.”
At a Convergence conference yesterday, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer had no doubt. A questioner asked him : “With all the hoopla here at the conference around SharePoint Server, is it correct to think of SharePoint as almost like an operating system?”
“Microsoft officials increasingly are talking up ‘Software + Services’, as opposed to ‘Software as a Service’ in explaining Microsoft’s future. So how does Microsoft keep the growing family of business services it is introducing tethered to on-premise software?”
SharePoint Server is the obvious answer, avers Foley. No, not Windows. And not Windows Server either. Not even Office. But simply SharePoint.
Ballmer answered the questioner in positive terms :
“SharePoint is the definitive OS or platform for the middle tier.” It is the “missing link”, Foley explains, “between personal productivity and line-of-business applications”.
“SharePoint is just like Office; it’s a bunch of point products gathered together into a suite. Although Microsoft is not fond of calling out the six or so servers that comprise Office SharePoint Server, it is a bunch of server apps loosely joined.”
Microsoft is currently experimenting with making SharePoint Server “the new, must-have platform for its business users. Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) is the captive laboratory for Microsoft’s Software + Services experiments.”
How will that affect the consumer end of the market, we wonder?
Posted in Microsoft, Servers, Vista, Windows Vista on July 31st, 2006
Talk about blade servers and you’d imagine them running stable OS on them. So having Vista capable blades sounds even more outlandish but it seems ClearCube Technology have come up with some great innovations.
The new ClearCube R1300 blade features an Intel dual core Pentium processor and the R2200 employs dual Intel Xeon processors with Hyper-Threading (HT). Both PC blades are the fastest, single- and dual-processor PC Blades available and are designed to significantly enhance the enterprise user experience. Both blades are fully capable of running Microsoft’s upcoming Vista operating system, including Aero, Vista’s advanced user interface with the optional NVIDIA Quadro NVS285 PCI-Express graphics card.
ClearCube Technology Releases First Vista Capable PC blades and First Dual-Core PC blade source
The new ClearCube R1300 blade features:
# Intel® Pentium® dual and single core processors
# Integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics or optional NVIDIA Quadro NVS285 PCI-Express graphics card
# Up to 2 GB of DDR2-667 memory
# SATA II Hard Drive
# Dual integrated Ethernet Ports
Posted in Blogosphere, Corporate, Media Center, Servers, Software, Vista, Windows Vista on June 23rd, 2006
Come 2007, you might see a lot of computer vendors or OEMs bundle Vista into their Dual Core PCs, etc as was done with Windows XP. That will be good news for computer users but whether this will apply to users in Asia is another story. Piracy is rampant in that part of the world but freebies and discounts will be a good way for Microsoft to slash piracy statistics over there.
If Microsoft and computer makers offer free or discounted versions of Windows Vista to PC buyers this fall and winter, the way promotions for XP were run in 2001 will offer some clues, said a research analyst.
“Most likely, we will have some sort of promotion at the consumer level,” Mike Sievert, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Windows client marketing, told CRN. “It’s important that people see value right up until the launch of Vista.”
Five years ago, as Windows XP’s fall debut neared, OEMs began offering either free upgrades to XP for new PC buyers, or charged for a coupon that entitled them to a Windows XP disc. Compaq — prior to its acquisition by Hewlett-Packard — gave away the upgrade to XP, while other OEMS, such as Gateway and Dell, charged handling fees ranging from $15 to $39.
Discount Versions of Windows Vista source
Posted in Beta, Blogosphere, Corporate, Microsoft, Servers, Software, Vista, Windows Vista on June 14th, 2006
Want to know more about Windows Vista ? Here’s an interesting FAQ from TechWeb. Its quite useful and it should at least clear some doubts about Windows Vista.
20 Questions About Windows Vista
1. When will Vista be available to the public — for real?
2. How many times has Vista been delayed?
3. What versions will Vista come in? What unique features are offered in each?
4. What are the most important new features in Vista for home users?
5. What are the most important new features for businesses?
6. What are the most important new features for mobile users?
7. What’s the most important feature previously planned for Vista that was left out?
8. Is Vista really more secure than earlier Windows versions? In what ways?
9. Is it true that Vista will inundate me with security warnings when I try to run certain programs?
10. How much will Vista cost — and are there any hidden costs?
11. Will there be compatibility issues with my older software?
12. What are the system requirements for Vista, and how do I know if my PC will support it?
13. Will Vista run on Macs?
14. When should I upgrade to Vista?
15. How long will Microsoft continue to support the XP operating system?
16. What does Vista’s support for 64-bit computing mean for end users?
17. How much of Vista is copied from Mac OS X?
18. Are there any back doors in Vista that will allow government snooping?
19. Will any Easter eggs be hidden in Vista?
20. Can a dual-boot PC be set up for Linux and Vista?
