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How would you change Windows Mobile 6?
While some of you have no doubt been running Windows Mobile 6 for a few months or more already (thanks, XDA developers!), the majority of the world is just recently getting its first taste of Microsoft's latest mobile operating system from new devices like the Sprint Mogul and updates to others like the T-Mobile Dash. The critics have certainly been, um, critical of the new OS, to say the least -- "evolutionary, not revolutionary" seems to be the general consensus -- but until we're allowed to behold the glorious light that is Photon, it's the best we've got for now. Still, while WM6 has beefed up Office support and arguably improved the tethering sitch, there are a number of issues that users have been griping about for years which have curiously yet to be addressed. Where's the tabbed browsing in Pocket IE? How come we have to rely on pricey third-party apps to make a decent Today screen? And the old favorite, why can't we have the choice of "managing our own memory" and using that damn "X" button to actually close an app?These are just a few of the complaints that have been making the rounds about an OS that feels like its definitely in need of a serious refresh -- if for no other reason than to draw some of the hype away from splashy young competitors; so, what do you think: what could Redmond have done differently this time around?
Apple: no ZFS for Leopard
Much to the dismay of those Macheads who've started hitting size limits in Tiger's HFS+ file system (all ten of you), Apple has confirmed to InformationWeek that Leopard will not in fact adopt the more capacious ZFS alternative as promised last week by Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz. Senior director of product marketing for the Mac OS Brian Croll told IW point blank that "ZFS is not happening," contradicting Schwartz's assertion that his company's 128-bit file system would be bringing goodies like built-in data integrity and virtual storage to the iMac and friends. Meanwhile, Sun had no comment on the matter. Of course for most users creating an average Word or Photoshop document, this reversal really doesn't mean much, and may in fact be beneficial when we consider the higher processing demands made by the so-called 'Zettabyte File System." For changes in Leopard that are actually, like, real, you can check out our roundup of the new features right here.
Vista on the Mac
Wired Magazine's blog has a post about why Mac users may want to run Vista. Mac machines, it says, are great for running Vista, particularly with its demanding specifications. The author is a bit Wincentric, so take that into account while reading about how Vista makes OS X look "dated". But think about it. We have Boot Camp and we have Parallels, so why put off upgrading to Vista? Being Mac users, it's far less of a risk because we can always retreat back to OS X to get the real work done if the new OS has problems. Virtual machines make it simple to try out different configurations and compartmentalize your work life--as if you owned many different computers at once. Sure, Apple's commercials may visualize "PC" as going to the hospital for major surgery to get his Vista upgrade, but for Mac users, it's as simple as adding a new virtual machine in Parallels.
Shopping for Vista
Ever go shopping for OS X? There's the standard version, the server, and the family pack. And that's more or less about it. Vista? Not so much. As loyal TUAW reader Tyler pointed out, you can get the Ultimate version, the Premium version, the Home Premium version, the Business version, the Home Basic version, Additional Licence packs, the 64-bit Business Ultimate version for System Builders, the 32-bit Business Ultimate version for System Builders, the 64-bit Home Ultimate version for System Builders, and... I'm sorry. I just can't go on. It's too overwhelming. And it goes on for page after expensive page after page after page on Amazon. So what does this tell you about Vista? And about Microsoft? The words unfocused and inefficient immediately spring to mind. They're spending way too much time creating distinctions that don't actually have a functional difference in the way that people actually use their computers, and which in the end will harm their brand identity.
Vista pricing leaked?
Now that the commercial release of Microsoft's Vista operating system is just around the corner (well, probably), the question on most people's minds is, "how much is it gonna cost me?" Fortunately, the titular Ed Bott of "Ed Bott's Microsoft Report" over at ZDNet blogs came across some rather interesting information on that very topic this morning; it appears that Microsoft Canada's website accidentally posted the SKUs and matching prices (in Canadian dollars, of course) for all of the forthcoming flavors of Vista. Although the items have since been removed, Bott managed to copy down the prices, and they read as follows: $499 for Ultimate, $379 for Business, $299 for Home Premium, and $259 for Home Basic, with the corresponding upgrades listed at $299, $249, $199, and $129, respectively. Now keep in mind that these are Canadian prices for the Canadian market, so simply doing the currency conversions won't give us an accurate idea of what these packages will cost in the US. In order to put things in perspective, Bott compared the relative prices of future Vista versions with current XP versions in both markets, and extrapolated likely US pricing from that data. Based on his calculations, retail pricing for the full / upgraded flavors of Vista in America should look something like this: Ultimate going for $349 / $199, Business at $269 / $179, Home Premium for $239 / $139, and Home Basic priced around $199 / $99 -- in other words, not much more than you'd be paying for XP today, and nowhere near the high of $450 that'd we'd previously heard.
Vista forecast: 20% chance of delays
If you're one of the many folks eagerly awaiting the January release of Windows Vista, then there's a small-but-not-insignificant chance that you may be in for a letdown -- a 20% chance, actually, according to outgoing Microsoft CTO, lifelong Engadget reader, and occasional video pirate Bill Gates. During a presentation in Cape Town, South Africa, Mr. Gates informed his audience that although there's an 80% probability that the next-gen OS will ship as scheduled, "we've got to get this absolutely right," and stressed that "if the feedback from the beta tests shows it is not ready for prime time, I'd be glad to delay it." Now, we can't imagine that anyone would want to purchase buggy software, so it's reassuring to see that Microsoft is committed to only pushing a polished product out the door, but we have to say that Gates' choice of words here makes him come across as just a little cavalier. Because if he's "glad" to continue frustrating us with these tragi-comic delays, then there's probably quite a few people out there who will be just as glad to stick with their copies of XP out of spite -- or even worse, make the dreaded leap over to Leopard or Linux.[Thanks, Matt and Oliver O.]
Nokia 770 OS upgrade now available
As promised, Nokia has just posted the Internet Tablet 2006 operating system for download -- although as of this writing you get redirected to an error page -- giving 770 owners access to those handful of new features announced last month. You'll recall that instead of dropping a QWERTY-equipped version of the tablet as we were hoping/expecting, Nokia disappointed more than a few fans by only unveiling a software upgrade that adds an on-screen keyboard along with the Google Talk client. Even worse, Nokia warns that "installed applications designed for OS 2005 will not be compatible with OS 2006 edition and will not be restored even from backup," so kiss your old apps goodbye if you're planning on upgrading. Still, current 770 owners will probably want to take plunge just so they can run programs developed exclusively for the new OS, and hopefully the software 'board will suffice until Nokia takes our advise and changes up the input style in the next generation of WiMax- and webcam-sporting tablets.[Thanks, Alessandro Z.]
Vista Premium logo requirements: no hybrid HDDs after all?
Ken Fisher over at Ars Technica has done us all a good turn and pored over the latest version of the mind-numbingly boring Windows Vista Logo Program Device Requirements documentation, summing up the key features that consumers can expect to see from machines sporting the Vista Premium logo. Effective immediately, PCs wishing to display the coveted sticker must rock only USB 2.0 ports, at least one digital output for all add-in video adapters, 100Mb Ethernet and/or WiFi (which must be of the 802.11g flavor), and HD audio quality that passes some kind of "high-fidelity audio experience test," with other requirements concerning Serial ATA drives, HDCP compliance, HD playback, and support for bootable USB drives going into effect on June 1, 2007. Also noteworthy in Fisher's analysis is his claim that hybrid hard drives will not in fact be necessary for laptops to flash the Premium logo, as previously reported by TG Daily based on a conversation with Microsoft at TechEd. Instead, Fisher argues that the so-called "Storage Requirement 0005" in question is only a list of technical standards that need to be met by hybrid HDDs should manufacturers choose to include them in their devices, which makes sense after considering how unlikely it is that Redmond would force such a new and unproven technology down people's throats.Read- Vista Premium logo requirements [Via Slashdot]Read- Hybrid HDDs not required after all
Parallels Workstation 2.1 beta6
Parallels has cranked out a 6th beta of their most excellent virtualizating Workstation software for Intel Macs. Fixes and improvements in this latest version include: USB fixes (more devices supported: PDA, scanner, etc.) Shared Folders fixes (added support for guest Windows 2000) Network improvements: host-only networking Custom video resolutions support added
Macworld reviews Parallels, tests other OSs
Rob Griffiths has posted a thorough review of Parallels Workstation, the impressive new (and free while in beta) software that allows you to run other operating systems in a virtual environment within Mac OS X.Overall Rob is very pleased with his experience. He first tested Windows XP and even posted a video to demonstrate just how well this software can run most Windows tasks within Mac OS X, even on his Intel-based Mac mini. Rob also points out some of the really handy and unique abilities PW offers, such as being able to use the same clipboard between Mac OS X and Windows XP - that's right, you can install an extra set of tools from Parallels (which many say should simply be included in the app's install from the get-go) that will allow you to copy in Mac OS X and paste into Windows XP, and vice-versa. Rob also tested various other OSs, including Fedora Core and Debian, and at one point has three running - usably, by his standards - at the same time.It's a very interesting read, especially if you're interested in your Intel Mac's other OS capabilities. Check it out.
