Microsoft’s answer to some peoples perception of Windows Vista (and the Apple Ad’s)
Life Without Walls
Reply
Category Archives: Tech
x64 Computing on Campus
One of our OU Administrators was recently asking for feedback on using 64 bit versions of Windows. From what I have read it seems that x64 computing has truly arrived and I thought it was worth sharing my experiences with the 64-bit version of Windows Vista.
Previously use of Windows XP x64 edition and even Vista x64 to some extent was restricted to a handful of users with special hardware and dependant on special or modified versions of software and drivers.
This is certainly no longer the case (at least in my experience). I’ve been running Windows Vista x64 on a HP xw4600, Core 2 Quad with 8GB RAM and have never seen anything like it!
The performance increase given by the extra 4GB RAM which x64 allows is immense. I am able to run multiple Virtual machines 1 or more GB of RAM each without any noticeable reduction in performance.
I’ve also had no issues with mainstream software compatibility, Vista x64 seems to take running x86 applications in its stride. The software I am running includes Adobe Flash Player , 7-Zip, Adobe Reader, Apple QuickTime, Office 2007, Shockwave, ServiceCenter, Paint.NET, VMWare Workstation and CDBurnerXP.
Paul Thurrott wrote an interesting article describing his good experiences with Vista x64 nearly a year ago and there is little doubt that things have improved even more since then.
If you or any of your users need high performance computing then I would say that Vista x64 is a safe bet. The current low memory prices may also mean that existing x64 capable hardware with less than 4GB and x86 operating systems may be candidates for upgrade.
Google join the browser race
Following on the heels of last week’s release of Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2, Google has launched a beta of its own browser, called Chrome, for Windows. So far it looks like a very good first entry into the market and while there are issues with some types of multimedia content (the Silverlight site says it’s not compatible) and some sites don’t work because they don’t recognise the user agent string, it’s definitely worth a look.
Addendum: Check out the comments regarding the unusual install location. The way it’s installed means you can just move the Chrome folder and you’ve got a portable app! 🙂
IE8 Beta 2 released
This is an end user beta (unlike beta 1) so have a look. The current ETA for IE8 is before the end of the year and some people have said November so not long now. Please note we are only starting to test this internally within ISS so we’re not sure what works/doesn’t yet so please try it on a test PC 🙂
New features include…
Web Slices
Web Slices This new feature takes feeds to a whole new level! Now you can subscribe to specific sections within a site and have updated content delivered directly to your Internet Explorer 8 menu bar. Whether it’s a gossip column, favorite blog, auction item, or a weather report, with Web Slices you’ll never skip a beat.
Accelerators
No longer do you have to open multiple browser tabs or windows to get the information you need. Accelerators are tools in Internet Explorer 8 that easily allow access to multiple points of information (maps, definitions, web searches, translations, etc.) within a single Internet Explorer 8 window. Finally, web browsing feels automatic.
Domain Highlighting
When you visit a site, its domain is highlighted in the Address Bar. This helps alert you to Web sites that are imposters of trusted sites, thus reducing the chance of compromising your personal information.
InPrivate browsing
With industry-leading security features like InPrivate, you can browse and shop confidently using Internet Explorer 8, wherever you go on the Web, knowing you have control over the protection of your personal information.
Tab Grouping
Tab Grouping makes it easier to stay organized while browsing multiple Web pages. Tabs are now visually related to one another, and you can save time by closing a set of related tabs as a group instead of one at a time. You also can right-click on a tab to close tab groups, ungroup a single tab, or clone a tab.
Please let us know your experiences.
Encryption Software
The issue of Encryption is coming up more and more. Next week I will post a step-by-step guide on how to configure Bitlocker, the Encryption feature built-in to Vista Business, Enterprise and Ultimate editions as well as Server 2008.
If you do nto have these versions of Vista or do not use Windows then you may like to look at T r u e C r y p t.
Vista is the next Windows ME? The numbers don’t agree…
Microsoft’s Annual Revenue Reaches $60 Billion
Fastest annual revenue growth since 1999 fuels 32% increase in earnings per share.
If you don’t think Vista is here to stay then think again.
This fiscal year marked the launch of Microsoft’s flagship server products: Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008. Revenue growth was primarily driven by continued customer demand for all products, including Windows Vista, which has sold over 180 million licenses since launch, the 2007 Microsoft Office system, server software, and Xbox 360 consoles and games.
Live Mesh Tech Preview now open.
After being an invite only, and then US only the Live Mesh Tech Preview is now open to all.
