Think about it how about a PC with internet with Online Subscription just for 30 $ a month ? You get to mail, listen to music, chat, browse on intenet for about 30 $ a month. Yes it is possible, lets look at the math:
How much does a lap top cost 800 $
Over 3 years it comes to about 25 $ a month including cost of Windows OS.
Cant share out more details but giving some clue what I think is up next !
Thanks.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Sunday, June 04, 2006
250 million yearn ago !
Read the article which describes the theory what caused 95 % destruction of earth 250 million years ago.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/how-australia-was-born/2006/06/03/1148956584112.html
http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/how-australia-was-born/2006/06/03/1148956584112.html
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Why Google wants non default setting in IE7
Google is THE BEST search engine available to users, but is it getting better everyday is a question which is not the focus of this blog. But beyond any doubt search is the bread earner
for Google which it can never afford to loose ground.
IE7 which is a majorly used internet shell is not only a important piece of software for Micrsoft
but also the gateway to $'s for Google. IE7 Beta 2 has option of selecting the search in the search box which according to usability pundits "very difficult a option for most of the users of internet". Therefore most of the searches will be diverted to Windows Live Search (MSN) which will hurt Google and give users a taste of new MSN search. If the users find it interestin Microsoft wins the battle.
Microsoft point of view, Firefox does have Google as the default then why not MSN on IE7 ?
Sounds right, but also note that IE7 has almost >90% share.
Fight is on, my guess Google's quality will surely survive, but there have been best people working on MSN to make it work.
for Google which it can never afford to loose ground.
IE7 which is a majorly used internet shell is not only a important piece of software for Micrsoft
but also the gateway to $'s for Google. IE7 Beta 2 has option of selecting the search in the search box which according to usability pundits "very difficult a option for most of the users of internet". Therefore most of the searches will be diverted to Windows Live Search (MSN) which will hurt Google and give users a taste of new MSN search. If the users find it interestin Microsoft wins the battle.
Microsoft point of view, Firefox does have Google as the default then why not MSN on IE7 ?
Sounds right, but also note that IE7 has almost >90% share.
Fight is on, my guess Google's quality will surely survive, but there have been best people working on MSN to make it work.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Urge - Music Mecca
MTV and Microsoft released the new iTunes challenger Urge. Urge is integrated in Windows Media Player which helps users a ingle platform music source on Windows OS. Try out the 14 day free trial today.
http://www.urge.com/
http://www.urge.com/
Monday, May 01, 2006
Amazon chooses Microsoft over Google in Search
Recently Amazon divorced Google to choose Windows Live for its site search engine which it calls A9 .The interface is very innovative and informative. Looks like google has started to feel the heat.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/01/AR2006050101447.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/01/AR2006050101447.html
Friday, April 28, 2006
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Windows Vista Beta 2: Performance and Usability
The latest build looks very good and has great promise in terms of OS performance and usability . Cool new features with lot of bug fixes brings it close to believe that migration form XP to Vista will be a sweet experience. Application Compatibility has been a clear focus and it is interesting to see with the hard work of the team OS usibility is improving a lot.
I recommend to use the Beta 2 soon to be released. Enjoy Windows Vista, and feel clear, confident and connected.
I recommend to use the Beta 2 soon to be released. Enjoy Windows Vista, and feel clear, confident and connected.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Local Live Reviews by PC Magazine
Windows Live Local (beta)Davis Janowski, PC MagazineFeb. 2, 2006http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1918348,00.asp
Google LocalDavis Janowski, PC MagazineFeb. 2, 2006http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1918260,00.asp
AOL LocalDavis Janowski, PC MagazineFeb. 2, 2006http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1918248,00.asp
A9.com Maps (beta)Davis Janowski, PC MagazineFeb. 2, 2006http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1918214,00.asp
Google LocalDavis Janowski, PC MagazineFeb. 2, 2006http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1918260,00.asp
AOL LocalDavis Janowski, PC MagazineFeb. 2, 2006http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1918248,00.asp
A9.com Maps (beta)Davis Janowski, PC MagazineFeb. 2, 2006http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1918214,00.asp
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Windows Live Local: Its Cool
Its one of the most innovative things MS has done. Live local allows you to get a real feel of the place .You can actually see very near.
Try it there are many other interesting features such as Locate me which takes the Wi Fi coonectivity to locate a person.
http://local.live.com/
Chill.
Try it there are many other interesting features such as Locate me which takes the Wi Fi coonectivity to locate a person.
http://local.live.com/
Chill.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Windows Live Mail In Beta
Windows live mail is offering selected hotmail users to test its Live Mail.
Key Features :-
- 2GB mail stogage
- Outllook like mail organizing; contact/calender etc can be shared across groups (great feature)
- Anti fishing technology working
If they can add conversation oriented mail organization.
Key Features :-
- 2GB mail stogage
- Outllook like mail organizing; contact/calender etc can be shared across groups (great feature)
- Anti fishing technology working
If they can add conversation oriented mail organization.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Google Orkut No of Scraps Issues
Hey Orkut team @ Google.
There are some issues with the scarps count. Sometimes it shows -1 ( where does the counter start its 0)
In some cases it shows less number of messages. May ne it decreases the counter before checking that the message actually got deleted or not.
I know its Beta but this is too elementary.
Looking forward to a correction
There are some issues with the scarps count. Sometimes it shows -1 ( where does the counter start its 0)
In some cases it shows less number of messages. May ne it decreases the counter before checking that the message actually got deleted or not.
I know its Beta but this is too elementary.
Looking forward to a correction
Sunday, November 06, 2005
MIT maps wireless users across campus
Friday, November 4, 2005;
MIT graduate student Jose Espinosa, works on his computer while connected to the school's wireless Internet.
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (AP) -- In another time and place, college students wondering whether the campus cafe has any free seats, or their favorite corner of the library is occupied, would have to risk hoofing it over there.
But for today's student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, that kind of information is all just a click away.
MIT's newly upgraded wireless network -- extended this month to cover the entire school -- doesn't merely get you online in study halls, stairwells or any other spot on the 9.4 million square foot campus.
It also provides information on exactly how many people are logged on at any given location at any given time. It even reveals a user's identity if the individual has opted to make that data public.
MIT researchers did this by developing electronic maps that track across campus, day and night, the devices people use to connect to the network, whether they're laptops, wireless PDAs or even Wi-Fi equipped cell phones.
The maps were unveiled this week at the MIT Museum, where they are projected onto large Plexiglas rectangles that hang from the ceiling. They are also available online to network users, the data time-stamped and saved for up to 12 hours.
Red splotches on one map show the highest concentration of wireless users on campus. On another map, yellow dots with names written above them identify individual users, who pop up in different places depending where they're logged in.
"With these maps, you can see down to the room on campus how many people are logged on," said Carlo Ratti, director of the school's SENSEable City Laboratory, which created the maps. "You can even watch someone go from room to room if they have a handheld device that's connected."
Researchers use log files from the university's Internet service provider to construct the maps. The files indicate the number of users connected to each of MIT's more than 2,800 access points. The map that can pinpoint locations in rooms is 3-D, so researchers can even distinguish connectivity in multistoried buildings.
"Laptops and Wi-Fi are creating a revolutionary change in the way people work," Ratti said. The maps aim to "visualize these changes by monitoring the traffic on the wireless network and showing how people move around campus."
Some of the results so far aren't terribly surprising for students at the vanguard of tech innovation.
The maps show, for example, that the bulk of wireless users late at night and very early in the morning are logged on from their dorms. During the day, the higher concentration of users shifts to classrooms.
But researchers also found that study labs that once bustled with students are now nearly empty as people, no longer tethered to a phone line or network cable, move to cafes and nearby lounges, where food and comfy chairs are more inviting.
Researchers say this data can be used to better understand how wireless technology is changing campus life, and what that means for planning spaces and administering services.
The question has become, Ratti said, "If I can work anywhere, where do I want to work?"
Graduate student Sonya Huang, stands in front of a map of the MIT campus that shows the flow of wireless Internet users at the school.
"Many cities, including Philadelphia, are planning to go wireless. Something like our study will help them understand usage patterns and where best to invest," said researcher Andres Sevtsuk.
Sevtsuk likened the mapping project to a real-time census.
"Instead of waiting every year or every 10 years for data, you have new information every 15 minutes or so about the population of the campus," he said.
While every device connected to the campus network via Wi-Fi is visible on the constantly refreshed electronic maps, the identity of the users is confidential unless they volunteer to make it public.
Those students, faculty and staff who opt in are essentially agreeing to let others track them.
"This raises some serious privacy issues," Ratti said. "But where better than to work these concerns out but on a research campus?"
Rich Pell, a 21-year-old electrical engineering senior from Spartanburg, South Carolina, was less than enthusiastic about the new system's potential for people monitoring. He predicted not many fellow students would opt into that.
"I wouldn't want all my friends and professors tracking me all the time. I like my privacy," he said.
"I can't think of anyone who would think that's a good idea. Everyone wants to be out of contact now and then."
MIT graduate student Jose Espinosa, works on his computer while connected to the school's wireless Internet.
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (AP) -- In another time and place, college students wondering whether the campus cafe has any free seats, or their favorite corner of the library is occupied, would have to risk hoofing it over there.
But for today's student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, that kind of information is all just a click away.
MIT's newly upgraded wireless network -- extended this month to cover the entire school -- doesn't merely get you online in study halls, stairwells or any other spot on the 9.4 million square foot campus.
It also provides information on exactly how many people are logged on at any given location at any given time. It even reveals a user's identity if the individual has opted to make that data public.
MIT researchers did this by developing electronic maps that track across campus, day and night, the devices people use to connect to the network, whether they're laptops, wireless PDAs or even Wi-Fi equipped cell phones.
The maps were unveiled this week at the MIT Museum, where they are projected onto large Plexiglas rectangles that hang from the ceiling. They are also available online to network users, the data time-stamped and saved for up to 12 hours.
Red splotches on one map show the highest concentration of wireless users on campus. On another map, yellow dots with names written above them identify individual users, who pop up in different places depending where they're logged in.
"With these maps, you can see down to the room on campus how many people are logged on," said Carlo Ratti, director of the school's SENSEable City Laboratory, which created the maps. "You can even watch someone go from room to room if they have a handheld device that's connected."
Researchers use log files from the university's Internet service provider to construct the maps. The files indicate the number of users connected to each of MIT's more than 2,800 access points. The map that can pinpoint locations in rooms is 3-D, so researchers can even distinguish connectivity in multistoried buildings.
"Laptops and Wi-Fi are creating a revolutionary change in the way people work," Ratti said. The maps aim to "visualize these changes by monitoring the traffic on the wireless network and showing how people move around campus."
Some of the results so far aren't terribly surprising for students at the vanguard of tech innovation.
The maps show, for example, that the bulk of wireless users late at night and very early in the morning are logged on from their dorms. During the day, the higher concentration of users shifts to classrooms.
But researchers also found that study labs that once bustled with students are now nearly empty as people, no longer tethered to a phone line or network cable, move to cafes and nearby lounges, where food and comfy chairs are more inviting.
Researchers say this data can be used to better understand how wireless technology is changing campus life, and what that means for planning spaces and administering services.
The question has become, Ratti said, "If I can work anywhere, where do I want to work?"
Graduate student Sonya Huang, stands in front of a map of the MIT campus that shows the flow of wireless Internet users at the school.
"Many cities, including Philadelphia, are planning to go wireless. Something like our study will help them understand usage patterns and where best to invest," said researcher Andres Sevtsuk.
Sevtsuk likened the mapping project to a real-time census.
"Instead of waiting every year or every 10 years for data, you have new information every 15 minutes or so about the population of the campus," he said.
While every device connected to the campus network via Wi-Fi is visible on the constantly refreshed electronic maps, the identity of the users is confidential unless they volunteer to make it public.
Those students, faculty and staff who opt in are essentially agreeing to let others track them.
"This raises some serious privacy issues," Ratti said. "But where better than to work these concerns out but on a research campus?"
Rich Pell, a 21-year-old electrical engineering senior from Spartanburg, South Carolina, was less than enthusiastic about the new system's potential for people monitoring. He predicted not many fellow students would opt into that.
"I wouldn't want all my friends and professors tracking me all the time. I like my privacy," he said.
"I can't think of anyone who would think that's a good idea. Everyone wants to be out of contact now and then."
Friday, November 04, 2005
Cisco detects a second IOS bug
Cisco detects a second IOS bug The flaw is related to a vulnerability revealed at the Black Hat conference
News Story by Robert McMillanNOVEMBER 03, 2005 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - Cisco Systems Inc. has discovered a critical bug in the operating system used to power its routers, the company said yesterday.
The flaw, rated "critical" by the French Security Incident Response Team, has to do with the system timers that Internetworking Operating System (IOS) uses to run certain operating system tasks. Under certain conditions, attackers may be able to take control of the router by tricking the system timers to run malicious code, Cisco said in a security advisory.
The flaw is the second serious problem Cisco has found in its routers' IOS that is related to a controversial security presentation given at the Black Hat USA security conference in July.
Cisco has published a patch for the vulnerability, which has not yet been exploited by hackers, the company said. The bug was discovered "as a result of continued research to the demonstration of the exploit of another vulnerability which occurred in July 2005 at the Black Hat USA Conference," the advisory states.
That problem was disclosed by security researcher Michael Lynn, who was forced to quit his job as a research analyst at Internet Security Systems Inc. and was then sued for disclosing the problem. The lawsuit was quickly settled, after Lynn agreed to stop discussing the matter (see "Dispute Over Cisco Flaw Sparks Criticism, Debate").
Shortly after Lynn's presentation, Cisco published an IOS patch that addressed the IPv6 attack he had described.
To take over a Cisco router, attackers would need to successfully take advantage of both the earlier IPv6 problem and the system timer bug disclosed today, said John Noh, a Cisco spokesman. "In order to exploit the issue we're talking about today, you needed an additional way to attack," he said.
Without proof that it can be exploited, Cisco's latest bug isn't particularly worrisome, said Russ Cooper, editor of the NTBugtraq newslist and a scientist at security vendor Cybertrust Inc. "My take on it is that it was just another vulnerability," he said.
But if someone figures out a way to take over Cisco's widely used routers, it could clear the way for a particularly devastating attack on the Internet.
Lynn said the potential consequences of such an IOS attack were so grave that he felt compelled to give his Black Hat presentation. "IOS is the Windows XP of the Internet," he said during his presentation.
News Story by Robert McMillanNOVEMBER 03, 2005 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - Cisco Systems Inc. has discovered a critical bug in the operating system used to power its routers, the company said yesterday.
The flaw, rated "critical" by the French Security Incident Response Team, has to do with the system timers that Internetworking Operating System (IOS) uses to run certain operating system tasks. Under certain conditions, attackers may be able to take control of the router by tricking the system timers to run malicious code, Cisco said in a security advisory.
The flaw is the second serious problem Cisco has found in its routers' IOS that is related to a controversial security presentation given at the Black Hat USA security conference in July.
Cisco has published a patch for the vulnerability, which has not yet been exploited by hackers, the company said. The bug was discovered "as a result of continued research to the demonstration of the exploit of another vulnerability which occurred in July 2005 at the Black Hat USA Conference," the advisory states.
That problem was disclosed by security researcher Michael Lynn, who was forced to quit his job as a research analyst at Internet Security Systems Inc. and was then sued for disclosing the problem. The lawsuit was quickly settled, after Lynn agreed to stop discussing the matter (see "Dispute Over Cisco Flaw Sparks Criticism, Debate").
Shortly after Lynn's presentation, Cisco published an IOS patch that addressed the IPv6 attack he had described.
To take over a Cisco router, attackers would need to successfully take advantage of both the earlier IPv6 problem and the system timer bug disclosed today, said John Noh, a Cisco spokesman. "In order to exploit the issue we're talking about today, you needed an additional way to attack," he said.
Without proof that it can be exploited, Cisco's latest bug isn't particularly worrisome, said Russ Cooper, editor of the NTBugtraq newslist and a scientist at security vendor Cybertrust Inc. "My take on it is that it was just another vulnerability," he said.
But if someone figures out a way to take over Cisco's widely used routers, it could clear the way for a particularly devastating attack on the Internet.
Lynn said the potential consequences of such an IOS attack were so grave that he felt compelled to give his Black Hat presentation. "IOS is the Windows XP of the Internet," he said during his presentation.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Google Print Beta released
Beta version of Google initial printed books has been released. Against all odds Google has started its online book venture, Microsofts plan for MSN Books is expected sometime in 2006.
If you visit Google Print it looks more like an advertizing stunt till now however with prmoising future to search digitalized text material.
Visit
print.google.com/
If you visit Google Print it looks more like an advertizing stunt till now however with prmoising future to search digitalized text material.
Visit
print.google.com/
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Windows & Office Live
Bill Gates announced “Windows Live” and “Office Live.” Maybe he had enough of people’s chatter about the emerging Google technologies ? Also afetr Google and Sun colaboration where Google is considering Sun's OpenOffice. The Windows Live homepage looks underwhelming in Internet Explorer.
Just what is required. I look forward to some action in near future.
Microsoft ogles Google’s goodies By Richard Waters in San FranciscoPublished: November 2 2005 19:31 Last updated: November 2 2005 19:31
For long-time Microsoft watchers, there was a strong sense of déjà vu about Bill Gates’s description this week of a new vision for the future of software.
The future, he declared, lay in delivering services over the internet, not selling shrink-wrapped CDs containing code that customers could load on their own machines. Writing the software that powered those services – much like the Google search engine, or the eBay auction site – would be Microsoft’s next big mission.
However, while the Microsoft chairman and chief software architect announced the latest in a succession of once-every-five-years “big ideas” around which he tries to reshape the company, it carried echoes of similar statements in the past.
Matt Rosoff, an analyst at Directions on Microsoft, points out that ideas like Hailstorm (a plan to deliver a wide range of personal information services over the internet) and bCentral (a service for small businesses) were unveiled at the end of the 1990s with much fanfare. Neither lasted – although initiatives like MSN, the struggling online service, and Xbox Live, a pioneering online element to its games console, continue to play a part at the software group.
But the internet’s impact on the software business continues to spread, and the idea of software-as-a-service is back in fashion in Microsoft’s Redmond HQ – this time under the new rubric of “Live Software”.
This week’s description of Windows Live and Office Live – new services meant to help individuals communicate and organise their lives better, and small businesses to use the internet more effectively – bore striking resemblances to Hailstorm and bCentral. Elements of Windows Live, at www.live.com, are already available in test form, while Office Live will begin a trial early next year.
However, two things have changed that suggest Microsoft may be ready to throw more of its weight behind the effort.
One is the arrival of Google. The internet search company’s runaway success has sent tremors through Mr Gates’s seemingly impregnable domain. If Google can deliver search to a massive global audience over the internet – and is now moving into communications and e-commerce – where will its influence stop?
According to Ray Ozzie, a software industry veteran who recently joined Microsoft as chief technology officer and who now plays a central role in promoting the services idea, internet users have come to expect services that are fast, easy-to-use – and, in many cases, free. Access to personal information from any PC or mobile device is becoming expected, making more users willing to store their personal information on the servers of companies such as Google than their own PCs.
The other change is the arrival of a new way to make these internet services pay their way. “What’s different this time around is the advertising model,” says Mr Rosoff.
The idea of attaching relevant text ads to the results of internet searches, first developed by Overture (now a part of Yahoo) but perfected by Google, has become a money-spinner that could one day rival even Microsoft’s powerful cash machine.
Some estimates suggest that the $15bn online advertising market could grow to $150bn in 10 years’ time, as the technology that links advertising to relevant content spreads beyond search into all forms of media, including TV delivered over the internet. “It’s a big number, but it’s not unreasonable,” says Mr Ozzie.
This is already creating a new advertising-supported software business which, according to Microsoft, will pay for many of the internet services that will one day be used by consumers and small businesses.
Microsoft’s own efforts to create a third internet-based advertising network to rival Google and Yahoo is moving slowly, but trials have begun in France and Singapore, and the service is expected to come into operation some time next year.
To supplement advertising, Microsoft also has its sights set on charging subscriptions for higher-value services.
However, are even these new incentives strong enough to persuade Microsoft finally to throw its weight more fully behind online services? After all, Windows and Office, the main engines of Microsoft’s business, are potentially threatened by the shift of computing power to the internet and away from the “client” computer. Defending those products has long been at the heart of Microsoft’s strategy.
For now, Microsoft prefers to describe services as an extra source of revenue, not an alternative to selling software licences.
“In the broad scheme of things, Bill [Gates] and Steve [Ballmer, CEO] are cautious and only want services that complement” Microsoft’s core desktop products, says Rob Helm, an analyst at Directions on Microsoft. “But there’s a group inside Microsoft that wants to be less cautious.”
Just what is required. I look forward to some action in near future.
Microsoft ogles Google’s goodies By Richard Waters in San FranciscoPublished: November 2 2005 19:31 Last updated: November 2 2005 19:31
For long-time Microsoft watchers, there was a strong sense of déjà vu about Bill Gates’s description this week of a new vision for the future of software.
The future, he declared, lay in delivering services over the internet, not selling shrink-wrapped CDs containing code that customers could load on their own machines. Writing the software that powered those services – much like the Google search engine, or the eBay auction site – would be Microsoft’s next big mission.
However, while the Microsoft chairman and chief software architect announced the latest in a succession of once-every-five-years “big ideas” around which he tries to reshape the company, it carried echoes of similar statements in the past.
Matt Rosoff, an analyst at Directions on Microsoft, points out that ideas like Hailstorm (a plan to deliver a wide range of personal information services over the internet) and bCentral (a service for small businesses) were unveiled at the end of the 1990s with much fanfare. Neither lasted – although initiatives like MSN, the struggling online service, and Xbox Live, a pioneering online element to its games console, continue to play a part at the software group.
But the internet’s impact on the software business continues to spread, and the idea of software-as-a-service is back in fashion in Microsoft’s Redmond HQ – this time under the new rubric of “Live Software”.
This week’s description of Windows Live and Office Live – new services meant to help individuals communicate and organise their lives better, and small businesses to use the internet more effectively – bore striking resemblances to Hailstorm and bCentral. Elements of Windows Live, at www.live.com, are already available in test form, while Office Live will begin a trial early next year.
However, two things have changed that suggest Microsoft may be ready to throw more of its weight behind the effort.
One is the arrival of Google. The internet search company’s runaway success has sent tremors through Mr Gates’s seemingly impregnable domain. If Google can deliver search to a massive global audience over the internet – and is now moving into communications and e-commerce – where will its influence stop?
According to Ray Ozzie, a software industry veteran who recently joined Microsoft as chief technology officer and who now plays a central role in promoting the services idea, internet users have come to expect services that are fast, easy-to-use – and, in many cases, free. Access to personal information from any PC or mobile device is becoming expected, making more users willing to store their personal information on the servers of companies such as Google than their own PCs.
The other change is the arrival of a new way to make these internet services pay their way. “What’s different this time around is the advertising model,” says Mr Rosoff.
The idea of attaching relevant text ads to the results of internet searches, first developed by Overture (now a part of Yahoo) but perfected by Google, has become a money-spinner that could one day rival even Microsoft’s powerful cash machine.
Some estimates suggest that the $15bn online advertising market could grow to $150bn in 10 years’ time, as the technology that links advertising to relevant content spreads beyond search into all forms of media, including TV delivered over the internet. “It’s a big number, but it’s not unreasonable,” says Mr Ozzie.
This is already creating a new advertising-supported software business which, according to Microsoft, will pay for many of the internet services that will one day be used by consumers and small businesses.
Microsoft’s own efforts to create a third internet-based advertising network to rival Google and Yahoo is moving slowly, but trials have begun in France and Singapore, and the service is expected to come into operation some time next year.
To supplement advertising, Microsoft also has its sights set on charging subscriptions for higher-value services.
However, are even these new incentives strong enough to persuade Microsoft finally to throw its weight more fully behind online services? After all, Windows and Office, the main engines of Microsoft’s business, are potentially threatened by the shift of computing power to the internet and away from the “client” computer. Defending those products has long been at the heart of Microsoft’s strategy.
For now, Microsoft prefers to describe services as an extra source of revenue, not an alternative to selling software licences.
“In the broad scheme of things, Bill [Gates] and Steve [Ballmer, CEO] are cautious and only want services that complement” Microsoft’s core desktop products, says Rob Helm, an analyst at Directions on Microsoft. “But there’s a group inside Microsoft that wants to be less cautious.”
Microsoft hails 'strategic shift'
Software giant Microsoft has announced a major push into online software services, in what is seen as a move to counter rivals like Google and Yahoo.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates called it a "revolution" and the firm's biggest strategic shift in five years.
Several key products and services - from office software to e-mail and instant messaging services - will be delivered online and on demand.
Similar to Google, Microsoft hopes to finance the move through advertising.
The new services will be called Windows Live and Office Live, and Mr Gates said they were "a revolution in how we think about software".
The new service will ultimately replace popular features like MSN Messenger and Hotmail.
Competing with free
The planned change is a huge gamble for Microsoft, as it could undermine its two main revenue drivers: the sale of so-called "shrink-wrapped" software that needs to be installed on users' computers, and the licensing of its software to corporate customers.
Companies such as Yahoo and Google have recently invaded Microsoft's turf by offering free online software tools like e-mail and instant messaging that make people less dependent on Microsoft applications, and saves them from maintaining the software on their own computers.
This is all about Microsoft really pointing all its resources at Google
Rob Enderle, technology analyst
The assault on Microsoft
How Microsoft plans to beat its rivals
The Google juggernaut
Free office software like OpenOffice, meanwhile, could become more popular since the programme's backer Sun Microsystems recently announced a strategic alliance with Google.
All this could make users much less dependent on Microsoft's biggest profit engine: the Windows operating system which powers more than 90% of the world's personal computers.
Google and its rivals make money by placing small context-driven adverts alongside their "free" online services.
Microsoft hopes to cash in on their success. The company estimates that the market is currently worth $15bn, but will grow to about $150bn by 2015.
Advertising, subscription, premium price
However, Microsoft is hedging its bets and plans to offer three different pricing models for its new on-demand services.
At the entry level there will be free online tools accompanied by advertising.
There will be a second tier of services that offers these online tools with extra features, but will cost a small subscription fee.
Power users, meanwhile, can buy a fully-featured premium service.
'Service plus software' mentality
The move to online software services is closely linked to the spread of high-speed access to the internet, as online software services are only as good as a user's access to the web.
Mr Gates, who is Microsoft's chairman and chief software architect, said the strategic shift would change his company's approach to doing business: "We are trying to put a 'service plus software' mentality into many of the product groups inside Microsoft."
Technology industry analyst Rob Enderle said the move was "all about Microsoft really pointing all its resources at Google."
But competitors were dismissive of Microsoft's move.
Marc Benioff, who runs on-demand software firm salesforce.com, said online products like Writely, NumSum, Zimbra and others were already replacing Microsoft applications like Word, Excel and Outlook because Microsoft had "let us down on innovation".
"With 'Live' appended to some familiar names: Windows Live, Microsoft Office Live, Windows Live Messenger and so on, the clear implication is that their current product line should be renamed with similar zeal: Windows Dead, Microsoft Office Dead, and Windows Messenger Dead," Mr Benioff said.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates called it a "revolution" and the firm's biggest strategic shift in five years.
Several key products and services - from office software to e-mail and instant messaging services - will be delivered online and on demand.
Similar to Google, Microsoft hopes to finance the move through advertising.
The new services will be called Windows Live and Office Live, and Mr Gates said they were "a revolution in how we think about software".
The new service will ultimately replace popular features like MSN Messenger and Hotmail.
Competing with free
The planned change is a huge gamble for Microsoft, as it could undermine its two main revenue drivers: the sale of so-called "shrink-wrapped" software that needs to be installed on users' computers, and the licensing of its software to corporate customers.
Companies such as Yahoo and Google have recently invaded Microsoft's turf by offering free online software tools like e-mail and instant messaging that make people less dependent on Microsoft applications, and saves them from maintaining the software on their own computers.
This is all about Microsoft really pointing all its resources at Google
Rob Enderle, technology analyst
The assault on Microsoft
How Microsoft plans to beat its rivals
The Google juggernaut
Free office software like OpenOffice, meanwhile, could become more popular since the programme's backer Sun Microsystems recently announced a strategic alliance with Google.
All this could make users much less dependent on Microsoft's biggest profit engine: the Windows operating system which powers more than 90% of the world's personal computers.
Google and its rivals make money by placing small context-driven adverts alongside their "free" online services.
Microsoft hopes to cash in on their success. The company estimates that the market is currently worth $15bn, but will grow to about $150bn by 2015.
Advertising, subscription, premium price
However, Microsoft is hedging its bets and plans to offer three different pricing models for its new on-demand services.
At the entry level there will be free online tools accompanied by advertising.
There will be a second tier of services that offers these online tools with extra features, but will cost a small subscription fee.
Power users, meanwhile, can buy a fully-featured premium service.
'Service plus software' mentality
The move to online software services is closely linked to the spread of high-speed access to the internet, as online software services are only as good as a user's access to the web.
Mr Gates, who is Microsoft's chairman and chief software architect, said the strategic shift would change his company's approach to doing business: "We are trying to put a 'service plus software' mentality into many of the product groups inside Microsoft."
Technology industry analyst Rob Enderle said the move was "all about Microsoft really pointing all its resources at Google."
But competitors were dismissive of Microsoft's move.
Marc Benioff, who runs on-demand software firm salesforce.com, said online products like Writely, NumSum, Zimbra and others were already replacing Microsoft applications like Word, Excel and Outlook because Microsoft had "let us down on innovation".
"With 'Live' appended to some familiar names: Windows Live, Microsoft Office Live, Windows Live Messenger and so on, the clear implication is that their current product line should be renamed with similar zeal: Windows Dead, Microsoft Office Dead, and Windows Messenger Dead," Mr Benioff said.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
E-books attract young writers
Posted online: Monday, October 31, 2005 at 0000 hours IST
Come December 2005, the young and talented writers will be invited to join eAuthor contest by Oxfordbookstore.com. They are the fiction writers whose works have never been published as printed books. This time around, they will get an opportunity to have their works displayed on the internet after the online talent search competition.
“The first three shortlisted fiction by young authors will be put on our website for public reading, besides the cash prize for the best fiction,” says Mona Sengupta, manager —marketing and alliances, Apeejay Oxford Bookstores Pvt Ltd. This is one example of virtual publication which is seriously posing as an alternative to print or offline publication.
Best seller authors like John Grisham have started putting up the first chapter of his new fiction on the internet to entice the readers to buy the print version. Several global internet companies like Google and Amazon plan to offer online versions of various printable contents available in the libraries across the world, besides the existing print version with a price tag to see and download the online version. Recently, Microsoft announced that it would tie up with Open Content Alliance (OCA), that includes Yahoo and University of California and Internet Archive, to develop a MSN Book Search.
One of the earliest initiatives in electronic books was that of Project Gutenberg started by a student of Illinois in July 1971. For him, the goal was to source books whose copyright had expired and make them available free in the virtual world. The first digitised library was developed out of the project Gutenberg and it was also the first internet information site.
According to Marie Lebert’s article on “Michael Hart: Changing the world through e-books”, Michael himself typed in the first hundred books. Now, volunteers across the world have joined the project and a million e-books will be available by 2015. The project has becomeglobal and at the same time country-specific.
“The books are digitised in text format with caps for terms in italic, bold or underlined, so they can be read easily by any machine, operating system or software,” said Ms Lebert. If this is one example of ebooks, the other is the initiatives by Google which is Google Print. Google’s aim is to digitise the content of libraries and develop a database which would be linked to Google search. It plans to make part of the text available to the netizens. In the US, Authors’ Guild and Association of Publishers are opposing Google’s Print program as the both the publishers and authors believe that their could be copyright violation once the texts are available online.
Both Microsoft and Yahoo have announced that they will separately fund OCA digitisation and scanning of works available in the public domain. Penguin India president Thomas Abraham thinks that in the Indian market, e-publication of books will be limited to reference materials like dictionary and encyclopedia. At present, Penguin India’s online initiative is limited to promotional activity of sample chapters of forthcoming books.
Come December 2005, the young and talented writers will be invited to join eAuthor contest by Oxfordbookstore.com. They are the fiction writers whose works have never been published as printed books. This time around, they will get an opportunity to have their works displayed on the internet after the online talent search competition.
“The first three shortlisted fiction by young authors will be put on our website for public reading, besides the cash prize for the best fiction,” says Mona Sengupta, manager —marketing and alliances, Apeejay Oxford Bookstores Pvt Ltd. This is one example of virtual publication which is seriously posing as an alternative to print or offline publication.
Best seller authors like John Grisham have started putting up the first chapter of his new fiction on the internet to entice the readers to buy the print version. Several global internet companies like Google and Amazon plan to offer online versions of various printable contents available in the libraries across the world, besides the existing print version with a price tag to see and download the online version. Recently, Microsoft announced that it would tie up with Open Content Alliance (OCA), that includes Yahoo and University of California and Internet Archive, to develop a MSN Book Search.
One of the earliest initiatives in electronic books was that of Project Gutenberg started by a student of Illinois in July 1971. For him, the goal was to source books whose copyright had expired and make them available free in the virtual world. The first digitised library was developed out of the project Gutenberg and it was also the first internet information site.
According to Marie Lebert’s article on “Michael Hart: Changing the world through e-books”, Michael himself typed in the first hundred books. Now, volunteers across the world have joined the project and a million e-books will be available by 2015. The project has becomeglobal and at the same time country-specific.
“The books are digitised in text format with caps for terms in italic, bold or underlined, so they can be read easily by any machine, operating system or software,” said Ms Lebert. If this is one example of ebooks, the other is the initiatives by Google which is Google Print. Google’s aim is to digitise the content of libraries and develop a database which would be linked to Google search. It plans to make part of the text available to the netizens. In the US, Authors’ Guild and Association of Publishers are opposing Google’s Print program as the both the publishers and authors believe that their could be copyright violation once the texts are available online.
Both Microsoft and Yahoo have announced that they will separately fund OCA digitisation and scanning of works available in the public domain. Penguin India president Thomas Abraham thinks that in the Indian market, e-publication of books will be limited to reference materials like dictionary and encyclopedia. At present, Penguin India’s online initiative is limited to promotional activity of sample chapters of forthcoming books.
Microsoft says multicores need software threading
According to Microsoft, massively multicore CPUs need massively multicore aware software and tools, or you wind up with something that does not go very far, Microsoft has said. Seemingly, single threaded software is going to benefit poorly from multicore. Things are not so bad on the server side, which will benefit, but desktop users are going to have to use specially written code to see benefit. On the server side, no problem. If you have 1000 people hitting your web server and can dedicate a core to each, things will positively fly. If you have a game that has a single critical thread, you are going to get some pretty lame frames d00d.
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