Isn't it ironic

The Apple and Linux operating systems don't get much attention when it comes to virus warnings and outbreaks. That's the upside of having such small market share ... no one dreams of infecting less than 15% of the machines out there. So I guess it's a badge of honor that infection rates among Windows 7 PCs is now estimated at 4 PCs per 1,000. Not surprisingly, Vista PCs are infected at a rate of just under 8 per 1000. That nightmare OS is just not as secure or robust as its younger brother. Also unsurprisingly, XP infection rates fell; XP is no longer a tantalizing target.

Windows 7 is helping in interesting ways

When Microsoft released Windows 7 in the fall, it began to release a modest amount of pent-up computer purchasing demand. According to research done by Andy Golub at ChangeWave, companies have been holding off non-essential PC purchases in hopes of bypassing Vista altogether. Now that Win7 is coming as the default operating system on new systems, corporate purchases of PCs is beginning a modest recovery. As the chart here suggests, next quarter's PC purchases will could approach levels not seen several years.

Most of my clients are still using Windows XP, and we are now starting to plan the rollout of Win7 as a focused effort in 2010. Have you considered how Windows 7 will impact your business? Does your IT team have a plan for utilizing the new operating system? Now is the time to start the process so that your firm can be ready when the inevitable life cycle replacements become critical.

Read more from this ChangeWave blog post ...
Windows 7 Accelerating Corporate PC Purchasing

The meaning of Win7's sales numbers

Microsoft is understandably pleased to announce that Windows 7 is off to a strong start, claiming they have sold more than double the copies of any other operating system over the same time period. Despite the market gains by Apple, Google and Linux, this tells me that Microsoft's season of desktop dominance is far from over. Vista was truly a mistake, just like Win98 and WinME. But Win7 has accomplished exactly what Microsoft had hoped it would do.... make a Vista a memory.

Wait before moving to Win7

On Friday, a Syracuse, N.Y.-based computer support company stuck its neck out. Rescuecom, in an interview with ComputerWorld, is advising users to wait for the first Service Pack to be released before upgrading an existing PC to Windows 7; especially if that PC is still working well.

This is certainly sound advice. WinXP is remarkably stable and mature ... and Microsoft is still releasing bug fixes and security updates. Win7 is a dramatic departure from WinXP and, while it has outstanding functionality, is still quite unproven in the marketplace. Microsoft is working feverishly to resolve a reboot problem reported a few weeks ago, just to illustrate the point.

Nevertheless, this firm may end up as a target, just for stating a fairly obvious truth. First versions of major releases are always buggy, and not for the novice. But, I suspect that we are only three to six months away from the first service pack. And then, Win7 will settle down quite nicely.

Read the ComputerWorld article here ...
Wait for Service Pack 1 to show up, or back up data and buy a new PC

A pretty good Win7 upgrade article

If you're preparing for your upgrade to Windows 7, this article is a good place to start. Some of their advice it is pretty obvious, like backing up your files. But it lists good resources for online storage if you'd rather not store everything on CD or DVD.

Be aware, though. Comcast places a daily upload limit of 1Gb. If you exceed that limit, they cut you off ... forever. It's a hard lesson to learn.

The article also links to several Microsoft sites that will help you determine if your machine will effectively run Win7. A few minutes doing that legwork will save you significant time and frustration down the road.

Before starting your backup, I recommend that you invest some time in installing and learning to use 7-ZIP. It is a free compression utility that does a much better job than WinZIP. You'll be glad you did it.

FAQ: How to prep for an XP-to-Windows 7 upgrade, from ComputerWorld

Windows 7 on the Virtual Machine

Today, VMWare announced support for Windows 7 Workstation in the virtualized environment. This should help Microsoft build momentum for the operating system and accelerate the pace of transition from WinXP to the new platform.

At the same time, however, it does make it easier to keep a limited number of PC's on WinXP. This will ease the transition costs since it will help companies put off purchasing new machines just to handle the demands of Win7. PC manufacturers who were hoping for a big lift along these lines may be moderately disappointed.

Credit where credit is due:
VMware ships Workstation for virtualizing Windows 7,
By Mikael Ricknäs , IDG News Service , 10/27/2009

Critical Windows patches expected today

Last Friday, Microsoft published a Security Bulletin announcing that today's update will include five critical updates. While these updates are meant to deal with several Windows issues (none are targeted to Office applications or other Microsoft software), the just announced IIS vulnerability is not expected to be addressed in this update.

All of the major Windows operating systems are included in this update:

• Windows Server 2008
• Windows Server 2003
• Windows Vista
• Windows XP
• Windows 2000

It is somewhat unusual for a new O/S, such as Server 2008, to get a critical update so early in its lifecycle.

The update is expected to be released at approximately 1:00pm EDT. Also, Microsoft will host a webcast to address customer questions on these bulletins on September 9, 2009, at 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US & Canada). Register now for the September security bulletin webcast. After this date, this webcast is available on-demand. For more information, see Microsoft Security Bulletin Summaries and Webcasts.

Widespread Touchscreen is coming

A few weeks back, ComputerWorld published an analysis of what five top PC makers are planning for the touch-screen market. I found it to be eye-opening. Here are some highlights from the article:

• Lenovo Group plans to release a touch-screen model soon after Windows 7 goes into production release.
• Acer is planning three touch-screen models for Windows 7.
• Micro-Star International (MSI) is planning a Windows 7-enable netbook.
• Sony announced earlier in August that the Vaio will be available in touch-screen enabled models for Windows 7.
• Asuste - which is already in the touch-screen game with several Linux models - is planning a Windows 7 version.

Notice a theme?

Of course, all of these manufacturers - which collectively represent 60% of the global PC market - are linking up with the release of Windows 7 to help push this market forward. My perspective is that this is a welcome development. Touch-screen technology has been pretty good for too many years for it to be so rare in the market. It will, of course, have an impact on consumer-facing application development. And it will open up a plethora of opportunities for creative solutions to pesky user-interface issues. Not the least is how technology can be used in mobile environments, such as delivery trucks, military vehicles, and even airplane cockpits. I also think about kiosk applications at health clubs, banks, hospitals, doctor's offices; the list goes on and on.

I'll be keeping a close eye on this over the next six months. It's going to be impossible to ignore the implications.

Here's the article from ComputerWorld:
The OS that launched 1,000 touch screens

Windows 7 RC date - May 5th

Microsoft confirmed that the next Release Candidate of Windows 7 will be available starting May 5th. Microsoft spokesman Brandon LeBlanc also announced that the RC will be made available to subscribers developers and IT professionals later this week: "The RC is on track for April 30 for download by MSDN and TechNet subscribers. Broader, public availability will begin on May 5.".

Clearly, Microsoft is pushing hard to put the Vista mess behind them. And I believe that PC manufacturers are pushing Microsoft on this as well. H-P, Dell, Acer, and Lenovo have all seen demand affected by a number of factors, not the least of which is the current economy. But you certainly can't ignore the negative impact that Vista has had on their sales. If forecasts of a modest rebound later this year turn out to be accurate, then that, along with the release of Win7 will -- in my opinion -- propel the Windows cartel (including Intel & AMD) to pretty decent results in Q42009 and Q12010.

ComputerWorld.com has more info ... Microsoft sets date for Win 7 RC

Microsoft announces Windows 7 enhancements

Today, Microsoft published a partial list of the fixes and enhancements to Win7 that they are working on in response to user feedback. It's a nice list, and -- Project Managers take note -- it's an excellent policy to make this kind of information public. And based on the comments to the blogpost, I seem to find myself in the majority.

Microsoft still has not announced a date for the release candidate, but I suspect that it won't be long. Of course, the sooner they can get Vista off the stage the better. So I'm sure they're highly motivated to get Win7 out the door.

Read Microsoft's blog: Some Changes Since Beta for the RC

Microsoft's planned foray into retail - why??

Microsoft has announced plans to open retail locations in the US. According to the news story, "With the retail strategy, Microsoft said it hopes to articulate and demonstrate its innovation and value proposition." (source: Microsoft Plans Stores) In doing this, I suspect that Microsoft is looking for something ... anything ... to steal some buzz from Apple. December saw Apple approach 10% of personal computer sales while Microsoft Windows' market share by a full percentage point for the second consecutive month.

In the grand scheme of things, I don't see this as being as big a deal as some the trade press is making it out to be. Plus, I wouldn't be surprised to see the main-stream press pick up on the story as though it's some grand shift in the PC landscape.

• First of all, Windows will continue to decline in market share, and these stores won't change that. Businesses are not replacing PC's as quickly, for entirely predictable financial reasons.
• Secondly, Vista has been, and continues to be, a nightmare for the company. The result is that corporate buyers are either waiting for Windows 7, or starting to explore the alternatives. At least some of those who explore alternatives won't come back.
• Finally, at the end of the day, Microsoft does not sell computers. They sell a few devices, like the Zune and the XBox, but that's not enough of a product line to make a retail store a destination. If anything, the Apple stores will look even more exciting and more compelling by comparison.

In the end, I predict that this will be a "phase" Microsoft goes through. It will last 5 or 6 years and then quietly fade from view.

Microsoft Corporation: MSFT (NASDAQ)
Apple, Inc.: AAPL (NASDAQ)

Microsoft offers a Windows 7 upgrade that really isn't an upgrade

Microsoft announced that they will be offering an "upgrade" for Windows XP users, which would normally mean that the installer can skip the Vista installation, and go directly to Win7. But that entirely reasonable conclusion would be wrong. The "upgrade" will require a full installation of the new O/S, meaning that all existing data and programs on the machine would be lost. David Smith, an analyst with Gartner Inc., interpreted this announcement by saying, "They're talking about the upgrade price."

For enterprises seeking to simplify the shift from WinXP to Win7, this announcement offers no solution. In fact, if this approach stands, it will really discourage firms from converting existing PC's to Win7. Instead, they will move to the new O/S gradually, as older PC's are sent to the great motherboard in the sky.

The same can be said for the personal use market, as consumers will generally not be willing to go through all the hassles associated with backing up all of their files.... the most challenging of which will be the various programs they've bought, downloaded and installed over the years. Finding license keys, installation executables, and ensuring compatibility would likely overwhelm even sophisticated consumers, let alone the vast majority who don't really think about such things.

That's not to say that Microsoft's decision is unsound. In fact, it's probably a very wise move. That's because it means that they don't have to build and support a migration package, which would be fairly tricky given the significant differences in the systems. This will help Microsoft accelerate the general release of the product, something they seem to be doing given their recent decision to move directly from a single beta release to a release candidate. Furthermore, in the words of Michael Gartenberg,vice president of mobile strategy with JupiterMedia, "For most end users, it will probably mean that they end up with a more reliable installation."

So in the short term, it means that Microsoft will have to wait for widespread adoption. In the long run, it means that new PC's will have Win7 pre-loaded sooner rather than later, which means that Microsoft will be able to put the Vista debacle behind them sooner, rather than later.

Microsoft Corporation: MSFT (NASDAQ)

Beta release of Windows 7 gets going

This past Friday - January 12, 2009- Microsoft (MSFT) released the beta version of its next operating system. Originally, the company had placed an upper limit of 2.5 million downloads of the new system. However, after a few false starts with the release, including overloaded servers, the company decided to remove the cap, allowing unlimited downloads through January 24, 2009.

It's likely that the beta will still be available for download after the download period expires, as has often the case in the past.

More information: Microsoft Ditches Windows Beta Download Limit
More information: Microsoft blog announcement

Microsoft putting Vista in the rearview mirror

One of the industry's worst-kept secrets is the unauthorized beta release of Windows 7. For all the safeguards that the company supposedly has in place, they haven't done much of anything to slow the download of their next operating system. The operating system can be found on the Pirate Bay BitTorrent site, and apparently it has been downloaded thousands of times.

Why do this?
It seems pretty obvious to me that the company is doing everything it can to dampen the success that Apple's year-long PC vs. Mac campaign has generated. Like the rest of the tech industry, they realize that Vista is their most visible flop since WinMe. So if they can get experts talking about something else, then they will consider the earlier-than-planned beta release as a reasonable cost of doing business.

I haven't looked at Windows 7, yet. I'm not a big fan of early generation releases, so I'm waiting until mid-first-quarter before loading onto one of my old boxes. Stay tuned.

Microsoft issues emergency patch

Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) is planning to release an out-of-band patch for Internet Explorer on Wednesday to address a critical security vulnerability that's being actively exploited. Microsoft Security Response Center researchers Ziv Mador and Tareq Saade said in a blog post, "Based on our stats, since the vulnerability has gone public, roughly 0.2% of users worldwide may have been exposed to websites containing exploits of this latest vulnerability." While that percentage may seem very small, it means that 1 out of every 500 IE users has the potential for being infected. According to reports, the exploit seems to have been sourced on sites hosted in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

This is the second time in 2008 that Microsoft has released an "out of band" patch, with the last coming just 3 months ago (it was the subject of my Oct 23, 2008 blog: Urgent Security Patch from Microsoft).

This issue first came to light on Dec 9, 2008, when Microsoft issued a very limited Security Advisory. At the time, the company indicated that they were "ware only of limited attacks that attempt to use this vulnerability." Since then, however, the alert has been updated at least four times, expanding the list of affected software to include several versions of IE... including IE7, IE6, IE6 SP1, IE5.01 SP4 and IE 8 beta 2. Virtually all of the versions of Windows installed by most users are affected... XP SP1 and SP2, Sevrver 2K3 SP1 and SP2, Vista with and without SP1, and Server 2K8.

At some point over the next couple of days, PCs that are set for automatic updates will get the patch and likely be rebooted. If your firm has not recently reviewed your strategy for managing Operating System updates, please contact me. It is well worth a small investment to have a good handle on these kinds of events.

Urgent Security Patch from Microsoft

Microsoft announced that a security patch was released today, several weeks ahead of the normally scheduled "second Tuesday" patch release. A restart will be required, according to the posting (see link below). Apparently, there is a recently discovered vulnerability that is serious enough to warrant this step. The threat affects Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP (critical), as well as Windows Vista and Server 2008 (important).

This is a rare occurrence, with the most recent out-of-band patch release coming in April 2007.

No details regarding the specific nature of the vulnerability were included in the notification. The patch was scheduled for release at 1:00 pm EDT on Thursday, 23 October. However, as of the time of this blog post, only one of my PC's have detected any updates from the mother-ship.

Microsoft's announcement: Advance Notification for Out-of-band release