MS eating Google dust!

In fact, they are also chewing on Yahoo’s dust. Figures for May show Google with a huge 61.9% of search market share followed by Yahoo with 20.6%. Google have a very long lead. To be fair, Yahoo have actually managed to improve their share by 0.2% over Aprils figures.

Erm, then there’s Microsoft. The software giant managed grab 8.5% of Mays search figures. That’s not too bad for an offering that is still relatively new to the game (if you discount the figures that show market share of 0.6% since April!)

I wonder if there’s any room for another search engine in the market?

Popularity: 7% [?]

Falls at SCCM hurdle!

It looks like the June security update issued by Microsoft has caused a few problems. The problems affects business users who deliver packages using Microsofts Systems Center Configuration Manager client.

It would appear that the issue resides in the Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates (ITMU) and administrators should check the wsyncmgr.log for errors.

Interestingly, the issue is not affecting SMS v2 and Microsoft have stated that the patches can still be deployed using WSUS and SCCM’s software distribution feature.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Embedded XP successor in the pipeline

There’s not really much news leaking out of Redmond about the next version of embedded Windows but you can be sure that many hands are coding hard. That said, Microsoft has released the final version of embedded XP - ‘Windows Embedded Standard 2009′ - just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it? Expect to see this release rolling out the door around the end of 2008.

What next? If rumours are anything to go by, we should see a Vista based replacement by 2010. Note that I said ‘Vista based’ - I hope we don’t see the flaws and bugs currently in Vista.

The Microsoft embedded software is designed to power PoS devices, games systems, thin client devices and many more besides.

Popularity: 4% [?]

…maybe, just maybe.

Not long ago we reported on an extentsion to XP’s life. Admittedly, this was only for installations on ULCPC. Looks like Redmond may have had a change of heart. Microsoft has stated that manufacturers will be able to sell XP on low-cost desktops — in effect, another extension (I wonder if Microsoft will ever concede that Vista is crap?).

Microsoft is allowing the installalation of XP on ‘nettops’ (low cost desktops) until June 2010. An odd date, don’t you think? Looking at recent comments, the next version of Windows should be released by that date…hmmm!

No details of which version of XP will be available used on nettops. Hopefully, it won’t be XP Home Edition (I’m shivering at the thought).

Popularity: 2% [?]

Stores open for Microsoftees!

Apples got one so why not Microsoft? Ok, Apple sells the works - MacBooks, iPods, servers etc. But look at Microsoft - you can buy…the Zune! To be fair, Microsoft has a lot to offer but at what price? Massive discounts? We’re not sure yet but the Redmond giant has stated that they aim to open the store to existing partners who sell MS products through their own platform.

Microsoft believes the stores will deal with customers who want a high level of interaction before commiting to a purchase.

Products purchased through the MS store are currently only available for download but Microsoft is planning the delivery of packaged goods.

The stores are only operating in the UK and Germany but Microsoft plans to open more locations throughout 2008.

Enjoy. I’m off to write another article using Open Office.

Popularity: 2% [?]

The word according to PC Tools.

Yes, you read it right. It looks like Vista is more susceptible to malware than it’s younger version, Windows 2000.  Not good news for Microsoft.

Using ThreatFire security service, PC Tools found that Vista lets through 639 threats per 1,000 compared to 586 for Windows 2000. Windows 2003 comes in even lower with 487 but XP does not fair well: 1,021 - I’m not sure how that works based on a figure of 1,000 analysed threats! Working on those figures, 64% of the Vista installation base is infected and 100% of XP - can’t be right, I’m clean (I think).

Microsoft bites back.

What else would you expect? According to a spokesman from MS, statistics from the Malicious Software Removal Tool show the figures to be far lower - but didn’t give any figures. MSRT ran on around 400 million Windows machines in November 2007 and, apparently, the figures returned do not show the same level of vulnerabilities found by PC Tools.

Just to be safe, I’m going to fire up my Ubuntu laptop.

Popularity: 21% [?]

The writings on the wall.

If you’ve installed XP SP3 you’ll now know that you can’t roll back Internet Explorer 7. The only option you have is to downgrade IE 6 BEFORE you install your shiny new Servie Pack 3. The same will apply to IE 8 in future. According to Jane Maliouta, MS deployment manager for IE 8, Microsoft this feature is all part of the design: “When we install IE7 on Windows XP SP2, we back up the existing IE6 files in an uninstall directory,” Maliouta wrote. “Those IE6 files are the ones that shipped on XP SP2, plus all the security updates you’ve installed while using IE6. Windows XP SP3 contains a newer version of the IE6 files. If you have XP SP3 on your system and uninstall IE7, your system would revert to the backed-up (older) version of the IE6 files, rather than the newer XP SP3 version.”

Choices, choices.

All your preferences will be saved will is a small plus but I don’t like being forced to upgrade. I know IE 7 has been in the wild for sometime now but I like to test software and get some feedback from other user before I CHOOSE to upgrade. IE 6 is still on  my XP box because I simply didn’t like version 7. There you have it: if you don’t want to be stuck with IE 7, downgrade before you apply Service Pack 3.

Popularity: 2% [?]

It’s here.

I’ve just downloaded the latest Windows XP service pack. So far, no problems (I haven’t rebooted yet!) so hats off to Microsoft so far. The issue with Dynamics RMS is still present and Microsoft are working hard to resolve this - if you’re using DRMS, don’t worry; Microsoft automatically detects your installation and does not stream the download to your server. The problem also affects Vista SP1 but, as per XP, this has been covered by Microsoft until the issue is fixed - later this month, according to MS sources.

Now go, download and enjoy!

P.S Let me know if you have any problems. I’m off to reboot. See you later…maybe.

Popularity: 43% [?]

I was wrong!

I’m sure you’ve had one of those days when you’re sure you could never get it wrong. You know the answer way ahead of everyone else. How could you ever be wrong? If your views are ever proved wrong the fragile world you’ve crafted will crumble and fall.

Ok, it’s not that bad but I was sure that Microsoft would make a more aggressive move on Yahoo. Not so. Despite Redmond upping the bid to $47.5 billion (£24.1 billion) no breakthrough was made. The major stumbling block was that Yahoo were insisting on at least $53 billion - a price Microsoft shareholders were not prepared to pay. Microsofts withdrawal was announced by Steve Ballmer in a letter to the head of Yahoo, Jerry Yang.

What now?

This leaves Microsoft with one option - go it alone. The Redmond based company has made a number of search oriented acquisitions suggesting that Microsoft were prepared to take the hard route if all else failed. Ballmer and co. will need to start moving fast. The stakes are high. The Yahoo bid was part of a Microsofts plan to gain a greater share of online advertising - a market predicted to be worth $80 billion by 2010, double that of 2007.

What about Google?

A recent announcement suggests that Yahoo will use Google ads to generate revenue. This may have been a ploy to try and throw off Microsoft. Yahoo has seen a rise in the share of the search market and will work hard to continue this trend. Don’t expect them to give Google an easy rid. There you have it, I’ve put my hand up and admitted I was wrong. But the glittering prize, to the tune of $80 billion, is still up for grabs. Let’s see how it goes.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Creation of a grotesque love child?

Do you have platforms running Windows and Novell Linux? You’re in for a treat - if you run SCOM 2007. Novell is working with Microsoft to produce a suite of tools that will allow you to manage SuSe from a Windows platform. The move is part of the joint effort to push both Novell and Microsoft products deeper into Enterprise territory.

Novell have also announced a major push to use Open Source providers to enhance it’s ZENworks management tools for Linux.

I know that many of you will be thinking that Novell is a possible acquisition target for Microsoft but I doubt this will happen. Why buy a company when you can just squeeze them out of the market?

Popularity: 62% [?]