Personally, I hated Windows Vista within about 5 minutes of using it: Microsoft couldn’t have done a worse job on this bloated, memory hogging operating system if they’d tried. I’m not an out and out fan of anything that gets released by the Redmond beast but I have been very impressed with Windows 7 (fast booting with lots of bells and whistles). And it looks like I’m not the only person that’s happy with the new OS: MS have announced that, since the launch back in Oct 09, the latest version of the Windows dynasty has racked up a very impressive sales of 90 million licenses.

Going by those figures, Windows 7 has, in only 4 months, become the fastest selling operating system ever produced by Microsoft. Figures are expected to get an even bigger boost as corporate clients factor the deployment of Windows 7 into their enterprise environments. No doubt Ballmer and co will be doing a jig right now but it’s not quite as simple as you think: a lot of these licenses will be OEM i.e. you don’t get a choice of Windows OS when you buy your new laptop/PC. Sure, some people have bought their own copy just to finally kill off Vista (I did) but, in the main, the majority of sales will come from preinstalled units.

Even with those figures, there’s no doubt a lot of companies and individuals will be holding onto their XP installation for some time to come - I’ve seen a few of my clients still running NT4 because “…it’s running bespoke, legacy software that is essential to the business and can’t be upgraded” - read “We’re too tight fisted to pay for a serious rewrite of the code so we’ll get along just fine!”. Sigh.

Well, from a technical perspective at least, Windows 7 has shown that Microsoft produce some quality software. Windows 8 is expected to hit the campaign train sometime in 2012 and, if it’s only as good as Windows 7, Google may well find that their Chrome OS will need pull out all the stops to make any serious headway against MS.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Microsoft smells the coffee

At long last, Microsoft has admitted that they really do have competition in the client business. In their annual filing to the US SEC, they named Linux vendors Red Hat and Canonical as direct competitors to their desktop business. Most of us have known for some time now but it’s the first official acknowledgement from the Redmond giant. The key growth area for Linux has been in the netbook market where manufacturers have been installing Linux as a means of keeping prices low.

“Netbooks opened Microsoft to the possibility that some other OS could get its grip on the desktop, however briefly,” said Rob Helm, director of research for Directions on Microsoft. “Now it’s alert to that possibility going forward.”

Prior to this announcement, Microsoft had only ever mentioned having competition from Red Hat in their Server and Tools departments. The filing also mentioned MS’s OEM partners, Hewlett-Packard and Intel’s, growing support for Linux on the PC.

To some readers this admission may not seem like a big thing, after all, Linux has been happily powering a large number of server platforms for some time now and PCs came with Windows desktop as standard. The growth of netbooks as a replacement for full sized laptops has made the difference - early models did not have the specs required to run Vista so manufacturers turned to Linux (free to download and install). At a guess, I’d say that MS would like the whole netbook thing to just disappear so that they can start targetting lightweight laptops — No chance! The reason? Microsoft simply doesn’t make enough profit from the installation of Windows on ultra-mobile PCs.

None of this is really good news for Microsoft, especially when you consider the recent announcement of the Google Chrome OS but things might be as bad as they look. Windows Vista may be too resource intensive for install on a netbook but their latest OS, Windows 7, will feature a Starter Edition that has been designed to replace XP in the netbook sector.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Microsoft revenue dips, Apple gaining ground

It doesn’t look like Microsoft is having a good time right now; their last quarterly financial results show a shortfall of about $1 compared to projections and a year-over-year decline of 17%! Before you start to write the MS obituary, remember that they are still a highly profitable company with a lot of cash tucked away in the bank and a huge user base. However, Redmond has never experienced year-over-year declines like this before, so what’s going on?

As you’d expect, executives are blaming the economy: home users are short of cash and companies are sticking with what they’ve got; after all, it works! Given the current climate it would be easy to accept that answer, however…Google is doing well , albeit after a few dips in share price, as is Apple. In fact, Apples share of the high end computer market is growing which means the money to buy high spec computers is out there but it’s not being channelled in the Microsoft directions! This point becomes even more interesting when you realise that although Apple sells to the mid to high end market, historically, they have never held the majority stake.

Windows is at the core of everything Microsoft does that makes money. They sell Windows, then they sell software that runs on Windows. As Windows goes, so goes Microsoft, and right now Windows is heading south.

The Windows OS seems to be losing ground at a rapid pace. Now, many will say ’so what?’ but the key here is that Microsoft builds applications that work on MS platfroms i.e Windows XP - lose the platform and you lose the installation base for your apps!

Many analysts are citing Vista as one of the main sources of Microsoft’s woes: expensive bloatware that needs a pretty high spec just to run (then there was the whole shambles around Vista certified hardware only being able to run Home Basic!). How many Windows users have you met that absolutely love Vista? Sure, Windows 7 looks good and runs well on moderately spec’d hardware but it may be a case of too little too late.

Then there’s Google. The announcement of the Google Chrome OS may, or may not, have sent shivers throught Redmond. Personally, I think that MS aren’t too bothered about Googles OS - at the end of the day Chrome will probably be designed around gathering even more information about your browsing habits so that the big G can send you even more relevant ads! Equally, Google are probably eyeing the announcement of the MS/Yahoo deal with an interested eye. The effective merger makes MicroHoo the second biggest search engine with about 28% of the market.

As I seee it, the major problem for Microsoft is diversification - too much, too soon. The release of the Vista memory hog didn’t help either. Right now, it’s time to get back to basics and deliver something that works, and works well. Once you re-capture the majority share you start to spred the tendrils.

Then again, I could be wrong. Microsoft may not have any plans for the future release of OSes - after all, they seem to be putting a lot of money into SaaS (just like Google). It’s food for thought….

Popularity: 24% [?]

Rumours abound that Microsoft is prepared to stump up $20 billion (£13 billion) for Yahoo.

The proposal forms the centrepiece of a complex transaction that would see Microsoft support a new management team to take control of Yahoo. However, it doesn’t appear that Microsoft will be aiming for a full takeover of the web giant (looks like they’ve learnt a lesson after having their fingers burnt once…twice…or was it three times?).

There have been rumours cirulating that former AOL CEO, Jonathan Miller, and Ross Levinsohn, a former president of Fox Interactive Media, are being positioned to head up the new management team. Although it’s widely believed that senior management at both Microsoft and Yahoo have agreed the deal there’s no guarantee that it will succeed.

Yahoo isn’t really in a position to argue though; when the first Microsoft bid was launched the search pioneer was valued at $33 per share - right now, it’s about $9 per share.

A number of commentators are suggesting that now is the ideal time for Microsoft and Yahoo to work towards a new deal, although, if you think about it, Yahoo don’t really have much say in what happens. It really is a case of ’sink or swim’ and Microsoft is holding the life preserver!

The deal between Yahoo and Microsoft will see Redmond obtaining a 10-year operating agreement to manage the search business. Microsoft would also receive a two-year call option to buy the search business for $20 billion. This would leave Yahoo to concentrate on their core business: e-mail, messaging, and content services.

This deals allow Microsoft to attempt to recoup some the ground lost to Google. Microsoft’s search efforts have only managed to give them a rather miserable 5% of the market share in contrast to Googles 77%. Adding Yahoo’s search customer base to this figure would, theoretically, give them about 23% of the market.  That said, a large number of Yahoo search users favour it because ‘it’s not Google and it’s not Microsoft’!

Microsoft may own the desktop but, when it comes to the web, they’re rapidly slipping behind. Steve Ballmer has said he is not interested in buying the whole of Yahoo company, but has expressed a strong interest in buying the search business. Maybe the days of Microsoft’s stranglehold are coming to an end only to be replaced by Google!

Popularity: 36% [?]

Today, Microsoft the availability of the BizSpark programme for start-ups. This offering allows companies to use Microsoft’s server software free of charge which is good news for businesses who are short on cash. But it’s not quite so straightforward. In order to qualify private companies need to meet the following criteria:

• eligible companies will have been in business for less than three years
• revenue will be less than $1 million per year
• finally, companies will have to be recommended by one of Microsoft’s for-profit, nonprofit, government, or academic partners

Easy, eh?

This latest move from MS has been spearheaded by former Apple exec Dan’l Lewin who stated that the announcement was coming regardless of the current economic armageddon (I suppose the recent Microsoft profit warning had no influence on this decision either!).

An added bonus comes in the form of an online directory; participating companies will have the choice of being included an online directory of start-ups allowing them to network and reach potential customers, a kind of free version of the Business Network Institute.

Companies who gain access to the BizSpark programme will be allowed access to a range of products, including Visual Studio to Windows Server, SQL Server and SharePoint and more. A more interesting point to come out of this announcement is that Microsoft don’t appear to be slapping the handcuffs on participants, well, not yet. It would appear that companies will be able to use a range of products including open-source software.

“They don’t have to only build on our stuff,” Lewin said.

The service will be free of charge for three years, after that…it’s time to cough up for licensing.

Here’s another idea for startups: why not just use Open Source software for all your back office capabilities? That way you never have to pay for licensing.

What are your thoughts?

Popularity: 23% [?]

Remember those little stickers on the front of your lovely new computer that said “Vista Capable”? I’m a fan of Ubuntu but I really wanted to see if Vista was all that the MS hype machine said it was. So, I’d decided to install Vista Ultimate on my “Vista Capable” laptop. Now here’s where things started to get more interesting. That little badge didn’t actually mean you could happily run the rather obese full version of Vista. It was in fact referring to the machines ability to run the stripped out version - Vista Basic! I won’t repeat any of the phrases that were uttered as I think some of them may actually be illegal.

I work in the tech industry. I have many friends in the tech industry. A large number of them had “Vista Capable” stickers on their computers…can you see where this is going?

Here we have the well oiled MS media machine churning out infomation that suggested my two month old (at the time) laptop could juggle Vista like a first class circus act. Actually, it more like a very poor comedy routine - “Oh yes he did”, “Oh no he didn’t” ad infinitum! So, heads are rolling at the top. Actually, no they aren’t.

It seems that Steve Ballmer has already exonerated himself:

I was not involved in any of the operational decisions about the Windows Vista Capable program. I was not involved in establishing the requirements computers must satisfy to qualify for the Windows Vista Capable program. I was not involved in formulating any market strategy or any public messaging surrounding the Windows Vista Capable program.

To the best of my recollection, I do not have any unique knowledge of nor did I have any unique involvement in any decisions regarding the Windows Vista Capable program. All of my knowledge about those decisions came through other people at Microsoft, notably Jim Allchin, Microsoft’s then-co-President, Platforms Products & Services, and Will Poole, Microsoft’s then Senior Vice President, Windows Client Business.

There you have. The decision was nothing to do with the management. Apparently, it was all the fault of Jim Allchin and Will Poole who have since left Microsoft.

Ballmer was called to testify in an ongoing case brought by users who feel that they may have been ‘a little mislead’ by the “Vista Capable” stickers. The Plaintiffs in the case allege that Microsoft artificially inflated demand in the run-up to Christmas 2006, by falsely advertising that PCs would be capable of running the full version of the firm’s delayed Vista operating system.

I absolutely refuse to believe that any company would attempt such underhand tactics in order to maintain an astronomically lucractive lead in a market sector!

Popularity: 22% [?]

…out of hell - apparently!

The target time for booting is under 15 seconds for a ‘very good system’! Tests on machines running Vista have shown a third of the machines starting up in 30 seconds or less (you only need 64Gb RAM!).

Michael Fortin, Lead Microsoft engineer said: “From our perspective, too few systems consistently boot fast enough and we have to do much better…” Really?? I’ll let him continue “…Obviously, the systems that are greater than 60 seconds have something we need to dramatically improve – whether these are devices, networking or software issues… there are also some system maintenance tasks that can contribute to long boottimes.”

The bottom line here is that clean installs produce the fastest boot times, end of.

The problems apparently come from device and driver installation but Windows 7 will try to increase the number of drivers initialised in parallel meaning a faster boot - theoretically.

Finally, the pointy finger is levelled at the user; you and me. Having too many applications running at startup and scripts running will definitely slow your boot time - now you can tell you IT support department that it really is their scripts that make Windows slow; Microsoft said so!

There you have it. Windows 7 will be faster and better than the previous version so put your rose tinted glasses back and starting humming a little ditty.

Popularity: 18% [?]

Microsoft are getting ready to release technical details surrounding the Windows 7 operating system, according to a new blog about the OS.

Engineering managers Jon DeVaan and Steven Sinofsky have written in their blog, Engineering Windows 7, “in-depth technical information…” will be released at the Professional Developers Conference on October 27 and the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) the following week.

Some reporters are suggesting that, by pushing Windows 7 into the public gaze Microsoft is signalling the demise of Vista! I must point out at this stage that I’ve been using Vista for some time now and, as far as I’m concerned, it was dead from the start. Poor responses from users and the slow uptake among enterprises would suggest that I’m right.

Apparently, the Engineering Windows 7 blog will allow a two-way disussion to take place based on comments and input from the engineering team.

It would appear that some commenters simply won’t let Vista fade away as some some have used the blog to highlight flaws in Vista - just let it die!

“Less is more. Really, it is. Microsoft went completely in the wrong direction with Vista,” wrote one commenter. “I personally think that, if you want a real hit on your hands, strip down the Vista OS to bare bones, optimise the heck out of the code, and tune the baby for speed.” - hmm, no shit!

Windows 7 has been slated for release in early 2010. Microsoft better pray that it doesn’t suck like Vista!

Popularity: 23% [?]

MS Hyper-V gets official launch

Microsofts answer to VMWare, Hyper-V, has been launched 6 weeks ahead of schedule. The technology is expected to appeal to small businesses who can’t afford, or don’t need, the capabilities offered by VMWare.

The software will be available free to licensed user of Windows 2008 or as a standalone product which will be priced at $28 - that’s a huge price saving over VMWare. But be aware, Hyper-V is nowhere near as advanced as the VMWare software - Hyper-V is probably not the software of choice for mission critical applications.

Popularity: 14% [?]

About bloody time!

Windows users, businesses in particular, having been banging the desk for some time now over Microsofts plans to end-of-life XP. It looks like the Redmond giant has finally taken the ear plugs out!

Earlier this month we reported that Microsoft would continue to allow the sale XP on ULCPC’s. Microsoft has now sent a letter to customers stating that critical support for XP will be extended until 2014. A full three years longer than usually seen.

OEM will be allow to supply preloaded XP until 2009.

Why the change of heart? It’s all about Vista. The bottom line is that many users aren’t happy with the latest incarnation of Windows. In particular, many businesses are deferring Operating System upgrades until the launch of Windows 7 in 2010 citing issues such as hardware support and the Vista knack of hogging resources.

Now Microsoft needs to make sure that they get the next release right

Popularity: 11% [?]