Posted 03/19/10 at 10:27:06 AM by Paul Lilly

If you're holding out on upgrading to Windows 7 until the first Service Pack sees the light of day, you may want to reconsider. Windows 7 SP1 won't usher in huge, sweeping changes like some of the Service Packs we've seen for other Windows OSes, and instead will introduce  small changes, Microsoft said.

"For Windows 7, SP1 includes only minor updates, among which are previous updates that are already delivered through Windows Update," Brandon LeBlanc, a Windows Communications Manager at Microsoft, wrote in a blog post. "SP1 for Windows 7 will, however, deliver an updated Remote Desktop client that takes advantage of RemoteFX introduced in the server-side with SP1 for Windows Server 2008 R2."

LeBlanc went on to emphasize that Windows 7 is ready for commercial deployment now and that many industry experts recommend against waiting for SP1.

"So don't wait -- go ahead and deploy...you know you want to!," LeBlanc added.

Microsoft has not yet announced a beta or release timeline for SP1 for Windows 7.

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Posted 03/19/10 at 07:36:32 AM by Paul Lilly

Businesses tend to be a bit more conservative when it comes to early adoption of new tech, but according to a new study, Windows 7 is gaining ground in the enterprise pretty fast.

The study pinged 923 businesses in January, and out of those, 16 percent have already deployed Windows 7 across the board. Another 42 percent said they will start migrating to Windows 7 by the end of the year. This is a much better reception than what Vista received during its first six months following its release.

"It is just very positive about Windows 7," said Dimensional Research analyst Diane Hagglund, the study's author. "They are planning to deploy it. They are planning to deploy it fast." 

That doesn't mean businesses aren't being cautious, however. About 57 percent admitted to having some worries, but even this is a positive figure considering that's 10 percent less than from April 2009.

"IT is feeling much more confident that its secure, stable, and that it performs," Hagglund added. "It takes a little while for your applications to get caught up.

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Posted 03/18/10 at 02:23:15 PM by David Murphy

"Why don't more people use Chrome OS?"

It was an innocuous question, part of a grander lunchtime chat about life, the Internet, and The Future Way of Things. My coworker was curious about the benefits of open-source--specifically those advantages with a dollar sign preceding them--and naturally thought that the upstart Google operating system could someday attract a huge portion of Microsoft Windows's market share.

Why wouldn't enterprise businesses love the Google solution?  The amount of money they would be able to save from the reduced desktop licensing requirements would be large enough to transform a CFO's eyes into saucers, Roger Rabbit-style. Similarly, entities that rely on a variety of customized programs and applications to conduct business could weave these elements into the open-source architecture of Chrome OS.

So let's roll out the red carpet and prep the TV hosts for the big unveiling of Chrome OS in big busin...  or not. There's one reason, and one reason only, why an open-source desktop isn't going to succeed in the consumer or enterprise markets: Microsoft was there first.

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Posted 03/12/10 at 08:02:29 AM by Paul Lilly

Nobody really talks a whole lot about Nokia anymore, not with sexy smartphones like the Motorola Droid and Google's  Nexus One stealing all the spotlight. Part of the problem is that Symbian, even though it dominates the market, hasn't kept pace with other OSes. Look for that to change with Symbian 3.

According to Nokia, "it is about renewal" with the upcoming OS and the new phones that will be built around it. Symbian 3 should be "functionally complete" by the end of Q1. It will include a more polished UI that's easier to use, an improved homescreen, a podcast manager, and a bit more pep, among other features. According to David Rivas, a vice president at Nokia, Symbian 3 will help get his company back on track.

And as for Android? Rivas claims his company has a more "open" stance around Symbian and MeeGo than Google does with Android.

"Anyone can go to the Symbain website and see what features will be coming months in advance," Rivas explained. "Show me where you can do that with Android."

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Posted 03/12/10 at 07:36:19 AM by Paul Lilly

Opera Software on Thursday announced the immediate availability of Opera Mini 5 in beta form for the Android platform. According to Opera Software, you can expect significantly improved page loading and speed with the latest browser.

"Android users should not have to compromise when it comes to surfing the Web on their phones. Opera Mini will give Android users a fast and cost-efficient access to their favorite websites and services," said Dag Olav Norem, Vice President of Opera Products, Opera Software.

Opera Mini boasts a streamlined interface with a "desktop-like Web browsing experience." It includes features such as Speed Dial, tabbed browsing, password manager, and bookmarks.

We gave it a whirl on our HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1) and found it to be as good as we remember it, and a definite improvement over Android's stock browser.

You can download Opera Mini by visiting m.opera.com/next on your Android smartphone, though you might have better luck (we did) by searching for Opera Mini 5 in the Android Marketplace.

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Posted 03/11/10 at 07:22:21 AM by Paul Lilly

What a difference an OS makes. Whereas those in charge of IT took a very cautious approach to Vista, Windows 7 is enjoying a much warmer reception and more rapid adoption rate.

"We have 50 percent of our users, that's 2,500 machines, deployed on Windows 7 in 2010," said Jim Thomas, CIO at Pella.

By the end of next year, Thomas says that number will likely rise to 90 percent. That's quite the contrast to Vista, in which some 80 percent of IT organizations shunned, according to Gartner.

There are big benefits to be had in moving to Windows 7, suggests Thomas, who says that upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7 has resulted in a 80 percent reduction in the number of system images he'll need.

"It has to do with drivers and Windows 7 being able to understand and adapt to them versus having a specific image built," Thomas explained.

IT execs are also drawn to Windows 7's faster boot times, though the redesigned task bar can go either way, depending on who you ask.

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Posted 03/09/10 at 08:26:42 AM by Paul Lilly

In the not too distant future, you'll start to see netbooks running Google's Chrome OS. How popular the OS turns out to be remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure - Google appears to be taking a pretty serious approach to system security.

According to Will Drewry, a Google software security engineer, all of the Google Netbook products will ship with the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) installed to ensure security in key storage and multi-factor authentication. This in addition to the "trusted bootpath."

By keeping Chrome OS open source, Drewry said it allows for constant feedback from developers about its security design. He also referred to Chrome as a "hardened" OS, pointing out the auto-updating and sandbox features, both of which are intended to keep malware at bay.

Will Chrome OS live up to the hype? We'll find out soon enough, as the first Google Netbook is expected to ship later this year.

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Posted 03/05/10 at 07:58:01 AM by Paul Lilly

This upcoming Patch Tuesday won't be anything like the one last month, in which Microsoft plugged 26 security holes with 13 bulletins, some of which included critical vulnerabilities for Windows.

Those numbers are way down, according to Microsoft, who announced on Thursday it will issue two bulletins to fix just eight vulnerabilities, all of which are being rated as "important."

"We recommend that customers review the Advance Notification webpage and prepare to deploy these bulletins as soon as possible," Microsoft wrote in an official blog post. "To provide additional guidance for deployment prioritization, customers should note that both bulletins will address issues that would require a user to open a specially crafted file. There are no network based attack vectors."

In addition, Redmond said it is continuing to monitor a VBScript issue disclosed on Monday. The software maker said there are currently no known attacks, but is "encouraging" customers to apply the suggested workarounds in the advisory nonetheless.

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