12.29.06

Microsoft Roundup: Week In Review

Posted in Google, Marketing, Microsoft, Patents, Vista, Windows at 1:02 pm by Shane Coyle

Blogola Scandal

Microsoft, AMD and Edelman recently sent "prominent" bloggers laptops loaded with Windows Vista, so that they may review them with "no strings attached". Some folks have cried foul, likening the practice to pay-per-post, but I feel that if the reviewer is upfront regarding the situation there really is no problem here.

Technical preview models are commonplace in the industry, in the past perhaps these units were reserved for more traditional journalists in the Television and print mediums and this demonstrates corporations’ respect for the power of bloggers.

The fact that Vista requires such insane hardware to render the "full Vista experience" is telling in and of itself – any other operating system vendor could just send a CD or DVD to trial.

Google About to Surpass Microsoft Online

Google is now the second-most visited internet property, having overtaken Yahoo!, and is set to overtake Microsoft in the number one spot thanks in part to their recent YouTube acquisition.

Microsoft may seem an unlikely leader in the web traffic space. Obviously MSN sites like Hotmail play a big part, but another factor is all those software updates that security-conscious users keep downloading.

A Whole New Meaning for "Crashing" Windows

Ford will be revealing new car models that include a Microsoft Operating System, cue all of the "If Microsoft Made Cars…" jokes from years ago.

In short, Sync is a Microsoft operating system (OS) which includes built-in Bluetooth wireless technology. Specifically focusing on wireless capabilities, some examples of what the system will bring to Ford’s automobiles include hands-free mobile phone communication, e-mail, and music downloads. The first two cars to utilize the Sync OS will be the Ford Focus and the Five Hundred sedans. According to the Wall Street Journal, Ford executives feel that Sync will give the company a competitive advantage over its competitors.

RSS Patent Fiasco

The whole RSS patent fiasco did not escape my attention, it will get the coverage it is due…

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Novell Clings on to Its Proprietary Roots

Posted in Free/Libre Software, Novell, Red Hat at 5:48 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

A market is considered to be in a healthy state when the needs of the client intersect with the ability and reward for the developers, as well as its company’s goals. It’s a symbiotic relationship where, ideally, everyone is pleased and all privileges are honoured.

Can you recall the days when Novell stated that it would transform into an Open Source company? That vision appears to be valid no more. According to this interview with a top executive, Novell strives to remain a “mixed source” company, i.e. one which combines proprietary and Open Source solutions. This may be no exception to what companies like Google are doing. However, it does demonstrate the difference between vendors which cherish their community and those which exploit it. Novell, due to its proprietary roots perhaps, can never truly embrace the community in the same way as Red Hat, or even Canonical and Mandriva. Linspire—maybe. Never count of Novell to escape customer imprisonment, from which it benefited and on which it capitalised over the years. Below lies the gist of the article.

Novell: We’re a ‘mixed-source’ company

Novell’s controversial pact with Microsoft reflects the desire of the number two Linux seller to position itself as a mixed-source company.

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