where technology is simplified
Windows OS
Microsoft Windows Operating System
Windows Disk Management
Dec 20th
Windows is supposed to automatically recognize new disks that you connect to a computer. But often that is not the case because of the disk formatting. More >
Expression Web Revolutionizes Web Design
Apr 4th
Microsoft FrontPage had reined for several years as the primary website authoring tool in Microsoft’s portfolio. But FrontPage has been replaced with Expression Web which is geared towards the general population and Sharepoint Designer which is aimed at professional corporate web-developers. On a recent project I had the misfortune of choosing between the 2 products.
Experience With Expression Web
I started off with Expression Web. Downloading the beta was quick and easy but .NET version 3.5 framework took much longer to install than the program itself even requiring a reboot. After I got Expression Web it was simple to choose a website template. The trouble started soon after when I started using the template. Expression Web was not intuitive at all. The interface is cluttered with buttons and options that most users do not need and simple preferences are packed away behind layers of sub-menus and tabs. The click and drag simplicity of FrontPage is nowhere to be seen with Expression Web.
Evolution In Software Design
Expression Web is the next logical level of product development from MS FrontPage. It is supposed to be evolutionary and not revolutionary. But I experienced quite the opposite. As an early adopter, beta tester and alpha of hundreds of products (Microsoft included) I am used to bloated software with convoluted designs. For example I have been using the predecessor of Vista called Longhorn since its 4000 release builds. But Expression Web is in a league of its own. I sure hope MS turns around and incorporates the FrontPage goodies in Expression Web.
Hyper-V Embedded In Microsoft Server 2008
Mar 19th
Server virtualization has been isolated from the mainstream IT and Datacenter vendors for quite a while. In fact Vmware’s enormous success can be attributed to the lack of competition from any of the top tier software vendors. Only after Vmware captured majority of the market share that Citrix and Microsoft started scrambling to get in on the virtualization game. Now Microsoft has joined in the revelry with its Hyper-V virtualization product.
Microsoft’s Virtualization Edge
All is not lost for Microsoft. They are taking advantage of the Windows Server market share and capitalizing on their widespread use. The Hyper-V virtualization engine is being embedded in Windows Server 2008. This will give MS a head start with all customers who upgrade to the Server 2008 line. For obvious licensing reasons MS gives customers the choice – ”Windows Server 2008 will be able to be licensed without Hyper-V”.
Download Hyper-V With Windows Server 2008
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition is already equipped with Hyper-V virtualization engine and ready for download. You can download this release and take it for a spin. MS describes the current release as ”The Release Candidate 0 (RC0) update to the Hyper-V role provides improvements to security, stability, performance, user experience, forward compatibility of configurations, and the programming model”. Detailed install procedures and best practices are available from Microsoft help pages.
Hyper-V Features
Microsoft is touting the Hyper-V virtualization product as the best ever made. But comparing it with many of the options Microsoft only has a few features which makes Hyper-V unique.
Symmetric Multiprocessors (SMP) Support: Ability to support up to four multiple processors in a virtual machine environment enables you to take full advantage of multi-threaded applications in a virtual machine.
Network Load Balancing: Hyper-V includes new virtual switch capabilities. This means virtual machines can be easily configured to run with Windows Network Load Balancing (NLB) Service to balance load across virtual machines on different servers.
Quick Migration: Hyper-V enables you to rapidly migrate a running virtual machine from one physical host system to another with minimal downtime, leveraging familiar high-availability capabilities of Windows Server and System Center management tools.
Yahoo! Would Have Made Microsoft Young Again
Feb 11th
Microsoft has always dominated the PC market. I will go so far as to say without Microsoft the PC would not have evolved to today’s standards. But why does it fall behind Google and Yahoo in web-market dominance. A quick look at a Compete.com graph shows Big G and Y! are playing in their own private league while Microsoft watches from down below.
Microsoft has seen many ups and downs and has survived every hurdle thrown at it. It has managed to fight long legal battles against US anti-trust agencies and their European counterparts. But the software powerhouse seems to be losing its edge when it comes to the internet. Monstrous corporations have limited success on the web which is mainly dominated by small startups which are eventually bought out by other companies. But there are no small ideas at Microsoft. If they decide to power in to the online business realm, Yahoo may be their best hope. This may be one of the reasons why it makes sense for Microsoft to acquire Yahoo! Too bad Yahoo! has turned down the initial offer. Yahoo! may be playing hard to get but will Microsoft take the bait and increase their offer? Too soon to tell. Steve Ballmer and his posse have a tough choice on their hands.
