AbsoluteVista.com
Nice. And fast too.
“The quad-core Intel Xeon Processor 5400 Series consists of the new X5492, X5470, and L5430 processors, the fastest of which claims a clock speed of 3.4 GHz”
Now look at the graphic below: I have been zooming along with a dual-socket...(read more)
I was just asked a couple of questions on the backchannel by a longtime acquaintance: how come you only have positive reviews, and no benchmark numbers.
…and the next few as well!
Due to a move and going live on a new project, I have been virtually absent from blogging these past few weeks, except for taking advantage of this blog's inclusion in the HP/BuzzCorps.
When opportune, I shall endeavor to post on matters not to stale to blog.
Really, though, who didn't see this coming?
Who?
The unwashed mob that is known as freetards collectively by the rest of the human race (and affectionately as the Linux-heads by the open source proletariat), really, truly, wanted this to work.
One of the more intriguing new offerings from Microsoft is the 'X' Online series of hosted applications, of which CRM Online is one of the more visible.
When you tell a lie often enough, it takes on a patina of truth each time it is uttered, and after a while, it starts to sound like the truth.
Rumors of underhanded tactics, skullduggery, and outright bribery have been heaped on Microsoft since the win.
Microsoft has largely remained silent, in my opinion, allowing these rumors to fester.
In the just-concluded, successful standardization process for ISO 29500, aka OOXML, a lot of ink has been spent by the opposition to OOXML in trying to discredit Microsoft and the standardization process.
Technorati Tags: Microsoft Office,OOXML,DIS29500,ISO29500,ECMA,Doug Mahugh,Jason Matusow,John Obeto,AbsoluteVista.com,SmallBizVista.com,LogikworxIt is always a good idea to take your daily dose of sensational headlines in the IT press with a grain of salt!
In the last couple of weeks, the blogosphere has been abuzz with news that (Microsoft’s) BitLocker drive partition encryption process was penetrated, and indeed, easily defeated.
My first thought upon reading the research document from a team including the esteemed Edward Felton, was that this was an attack more likely to occur in exotic situations, and/or against highly targeted victims.
I have been reviewing the Pinnacle Systems MovieBox Plus.
This is a hardware/software bundle containing the Pinnacle 510 hardware dongle, and the latest version of Pinnacle System's award winning Studio video-editing software, Studio 11.
The Pinnacle Systems MovieBox Plus systems comes in a box with the Pinnacle 510, two software DVDs program, bonus materials, a USB cable, a FireWire cable, a quick start manual, and a very detailed Studio 11 user guide.
To get the most of this system, I decided to use a Canon HD20 HD camcorder as the source input. I also had a Samsung Mini-DV camcorder as a backup unit.
The PC used was a Logikworx WORXstation with 4GB RAM, 512MB Radeon x1950 graphics, oodles of hard disk space, a LightScribe DVD burner, and running Microsoft Windows Vista™ SP1.
Since I had recently made several movies at a personal event, it was quite fortuitous that I had the MovieBox Plus.
Extracting the movies was easy: I opened up Studio 11, clicked on import, and selected the HD camcorder. Studio 11 placed them in a timeline, and I was off to the editing menus.
A couple of the things I have never had the patience to learn are in-depth photography and videography. Studio 11 had me working away like Z.Z. Von Schnerk*!
A dazzling array of features in the program made this possible.
I easily added titles, menus, and transitions to my movies. Still images? No problem.
I even went further, adding voice-overs to some sections of videotape, something I have never attempted to do before.
Burning the finished product was as easy. And foolproof.
How would you like to attach any video input to your computer, start up some software, and have a DVD burned for you in real-time?
Well, one of the products I had been waiting for was Instant DVD Recorder, from Pinnacle Systems.
I was pleased to find it is included in the MovieBox Plus package.
I immediately produced several DVDs from Mini-DV tapes lying around, and remain satisfied with the result.
Easy.
In December of 2007, I lambasted Pinnacle systems about their lack of progress delivering Windows Vista software and/or drivers for their products, especially the Pinnacle Instant DVD product.
My post was seen, and brought to the attention of Andy Marken, of Marken Communications, who, while sympathetic to my plight, wanted to correct my views of the Studio product, and Pinnacle Systems as well.
In fact, in his initial communication to me, he stated,
"…Pinnacle is staffed with exceptionally good people who want to deliver quality and features to the consumer 100% of the time. Do we get it right 100% of the time? …we wish we did, but we try not to over promise...just over-deliver. We'll continue down that path because that's the way we earn the market's trust...hopefully we can win you back again"
Subsequently, he made this review possible.
I stand corrected.
I will also update my December 2, 2007 post to reflect this.
I would like to thank him, his staff, and Pinnacle Systems for the opportunity.
The constant nag screens and dialog boxes asking users to register online. Please, pretty please, make it stop!
The fact the I did not get the MovieBox Ultimate system to review.
I found Studio 11 to be very easy to use, and very powerful in features. It is also an exceptional value for a hardware and software bundle. Coupled with the fact that you can output to not only DVDs, but also Blu-Ray and HD DVDs (why, why?), it is a solution that will be here for a while, further extending the value to buyers.
It also speaks to the excellence of Studio 11 that it is one of the featured Exclusives on the Windows Vista Ultimate site. Folks, those featured Exclusives represent what the editors of that site think are the best products out there right now for the best version of Windows, Windows Vista Ultimate Edition.
It really does not get any easier than this.
I really should have started this review with: 'I have been enjoying the Pinnacle Systems MovieBox Plus…"
I really, truly hate to be wrong about people, things, and companies. However valid my concerns were back then, I am glad that they have been put to rest.
I am looking forward to acquiring some units of the MovieBox Plus (or Ultimate) system for use at Logikworx, SmallBizVista.com, and the Orbiting O'dua (my home, also known as UniMatrix Zero-1).
*Z.Z. von Schnerk, movie director extraordinaire, was a fictional character in an episode of The Avengers, a BBC production, circa 1967.
We are currently evaluating Graffiti CMS, another product from the excellent developer-focused firm, Telligent*.
We use Community Server here at AbsoluteVista.com. However since we do not avail ourselves of the other powerful features of CS, moving to Graffiti for blogging alone will be 'a god thing'.
Props to Telligent for another hit!
*Telligent's main product is Community Server, which has powered AbsoluteVista.com for the past year. Telligent is also one company I wish Microsoft would purchase, since the ease of use of their products, and the fact that the products provide solutions for Microsoft technologies would, IMO, make it a good fit. Furthermore, they take tech support to the max, even for their free products.
Earlier today, Microsoft released Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solutions Accelerator.
This free tool, first blogged about here , will enable you to do the following:
Windows Vista™, build 6.0.6001.18000, was released to manufacturing three weeks ago.
After over a month working with the RTM bits – which I received prior to RTM, and greatly expanding our test to select customer sites, we have seen better driver coverage, increased performance, and no unexpected compatibility issues.
Yahoo, the company, not it's board
Come into my parlor said the spider to the fly....
...and we all know how that ended.
The same seems to be about to play out in the Redmond vs. Sunnyvale drama, with Microsoft being the spider, and Yahoo! taking up the role of the fly.
In my SmallBizVista Editorial, I look critically at the issue as it stands today.
Seriously, when is enough, enough?
When Microsoft capitulated after that incredibly imbecilic decision by the milquetoasts at the stupidly misnamed Court of First Instance in Europe, I sounded the alarm. (I even delivered an ode to that kangaroo court.)
16. Set a credible baseline hardware requirement for functional UE scenarios. Remember that OEMs right now can create the most basic, and basically, useless configurations, and offload buyer angst at Microsoft. I seem to remember somewhere that the Windows Mobile people got the message, and are vowing to limit certifications of Windows Mobile devices to those that would deliver a realistic user experience to buyers henceforth. The Windows client team would do well to require that sort of baseline, or a very visible disclaimer as well.
17. Create a series of reference designs embodying the most forward-thinking innovations in the desktop, notebook, Origami, and server spaces., and use them as a cudgel to move stale and environmentally unfriendly design forward
18. Use data collected by crash reports or the CEIP to create a database of programs to be SoftGrid’d. The usefulness of application virtualization cannot be understated. I would like Microsoft to use the collected data to create a database of SoftGrid containers for the most problematic 10,000 programs as reported to the databases for inclusion in either the next service pack or the next version of Windows, eliminating a source of customer anger.
19. Use the same data to expose bad software OEMs, either directly or using a proxy. I volunteer.
20. Expand the role and visibility of the Microsoft Solutions Accelerators program. While I know the wonks on the SA team have enough on their plates, I feel the gongs have not pealed loudly enough yet. This program is a godsend. It is my opinion that were evangelists sent out with the MSDN, TS2, and TechNet teams to proselytize the usefulness of the components of the Solutions Accelerators, much of the annoyance directed at Microsoft by IT pros in this Windows Vista migration era would abate, since these solutions would greatly ease, and in some cases, completely automate migratory tasks.
21. Improve and increase the current SkyDrive offerings. Seamless integration with Hotmail should be task #1 for SkyDrive. To a lot of users, it would represent Web 2.0 nirvana: Windows Live ID, mail, Office Workspace, collaboration, instant messaging.
22. Improve the stickiness of the Windows Live properties by adding usable VOIP phone services, or even a GrandCentral-like service, and a working Internet fax gateway such as j2.com offers.
23. Re-do Windows Search completely. Search as it currently is in Windows Vista, frankly, sucks! The UI is flawed, non-customizable, slow, and worst of all, the results are inconsistent. I get better results opening up a command line and entering in the search parameters there. Do I need to add that indexing is the mother of resource hogs?
7. Innovate, truly innovate, with both the user interface (UI) and the user experience (UE) from a consumer standpoint, not the staid/stale enterprise viewpoint; steal a play from the iPhone playbook for goodness sakes. From stuff I have seen (under a permanent NDA), Microsoft can be truly innovative when it comes to virtually everything to do with user interfaces and bringing a luxurious and breathtaking user experience to everyone. However, something gets lost in the translation from the designs to the delivered product, with the innovations being shed for conformal acceptance with the enterprise. The loops at #1, Infinite Loop nice up the very same product, and wow, a new paradigm is born.
8. Integrate application virtualization (SoftGrid) into every version of Vista. File this under no-brainer! This would mitigate the applications compatibility hassles for both this version of Windows Vista and the next.
9. Improve the usability of the default applications. Windows Mail. WordPad. Need I say more? While it cannot be on the same level as retail programs, basic default programs need to be useful.
10. Sign OEM distribution deals for Windows Live applications. Apart from the current shipping version of Windows Live Mail, the Windows Live family of programs deserves to be the default programs for Windows. Due to antitrust concerns, I understand why Microsoft cannot make them the default programs; however, I do not see why Microsoft should not aggressively pursue distribution deals with systems OEMs for the Windows Live products.
11. Make a definite push towards native 64-bit applications for Microsoft products. There is nothing more disconcerting than seeing that version 2007/2008 Microsoft applications are 32-bit only.
12. Stand fast on signing requirements for 64-bit apps. Another plus for Microsoft.
13. Make Home Premium the most basic model of Vista, killing Home Basic most unmercifully. This should be carried out with immediate effect! Right now, and with #15 below, Microsoft is getting killed on delivered features. I don’t see the business case for Windows Vista Home Basic, not from a consumer or IT pro’s POV.
14. Truly create a family pack for Vista, not the short-lived pseudo two-fer BS crap. Multiple households are the norm in the US of A. why isn’t there a family pack a la OS X?
15. On-demand paper manuals. For long-lasting consumer goodwill and reducing tech support hassles, restart sending out paper user manuals gratis; in this case, a truly useful manual. To save trees, the offer could/should be limited to a one-time offer mail-in or online redemption
This is my wishlist from Microsoft for 2008. Apart from #1, they are in no particular order.
1. Tell your own story! For the past several years, probably since the advent of the spate of antitrust lawsuits against it, Microsoft has let others tell spin The Microsoft Story.
As a result, the public gets information filtered through the biases of the storytellers, usually wrong, and almost always pushing some agenda.
The perception of failure those erroneous tales dump on successful products, and the dreadful stigma of that stench of failure rankles. For goodness sakes, every 0.01% market share gain by Firefox is greeted by shouts of joy, while the news a few days ago that Internet Explorer 7, or IE7, had become the dominant browser was hidden several levels deep!
What I want to see in 2008 is Microsoft being proactive with telling its story, become more aggressive in debunking stupid myths and downright untrue stories, and attempting to get back to loving the consumer side of its businesses.
I would also like to see the company re-engage Microsoft and Windows evangelism with renewed vigor and fervor, empowering committed evangelists and enthusiasts with the tools needed to battle the lies.
2. Participate in the 700 MHz auction. Either overtly, or through surrogates. In order to create new, subscription-based innovations. One can only imagine what would have happened if Microsoft had owned a national swathe of spectrum when it introduced the SPOT watches? Furthermore, securing this also flanks Google.
3. Simplify the EULA. The EULA continues to be a source of pain and confusion for end users. As a document written by well-heeled lawyers for other presumably well-heeled lawyers, it leaved end users out in the cold with legalistic verbiage. Simplify, and win back Joe 12-pack.
4. Reduce CALs fees. A personal peeve, one that always crops up during competitive bargaining sessions with L-heads.
5. Sunset Windows XP and lower with the next release of Windows. While painful, the down level floor set with Windows Vista (Windows XP) was the right thing to do. Microsoft should do the same and more for the next version of Windows.
6. Definitely make a HUGE consumer marketing push. While marketing to enterprises seems to be going about as good as can be, I will say that Microsoft has failed definitely when it comes to consumers, who seem to have been forgotten.
EDITED “Why don’t you expand on this”, asks Ash Nallawalla, (Net Magellan, ZuneUserGroup) FC member. Prior to the release of Windows Vista™, Microsoft inundated the airwaves with all things Vista. You had to be on the far side of the moon not to have heard about Windows Vista. Coupled with that was the incredible VanishingPoint game (I’m still looking for Loki’s phone number), which galvanized enthusiasts two ways: the promise of orbital travel, and the mental titillation provided by the clues to the game.
After that, nothing! Nothing at all from a consumer standpoint. It was as if it was left to the Team Blog, enthusiasts, and word-of-mouth marketing to carry the load.
Contrast that with the pervasiveness of ads and resources for IT professionals. Or, taking it to the extreme, the myriad number of ads for Apple’s music player.
Don’t get me wrong, from a business standpoint, the marketing to IT pros made my job easier. However, I want all the world blanketed with this OS, which I think is the best out there for consumers.
At this point, I see Microsoft running the risk of becoming IBM in their abandonment of the consumer.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Aquaknox, The Venetian, Las Vegas, Nevada
I am in receipt of this device which marries a touchscreen GPS, contact manager, and a portable media player.