This slashdot article is interesting, highlighting the 2 problems businesses feel hamper their uptake of Windows Vista into their IT infrastructure. Namely the patch model, and the application incompatibility.

However, I also have problems that are different but I feel are more important as to the uptake of the new OS (being that I have a say as to what my company uses and when.) Here are 4 I could think of straight away off the top of my head:

1) The biggest problem I can see is historical. Microsoft have released versions of their OS’s in the past that require at least one service pack to plug the security holes (Windows 2K and XP recently) - and business users aren’t going to take the chance on the way Vista counteracts these issues with the new Security procedures put in place.

2) The second biggest problem is the spec of the machine required. If you want a usable version of Vista, you’ll need a higher spec than the current Windows 2K/XP machines.

3) IT Professionals don’t like support calls. Now don’t get me wrong, we enjoy solving user problems, but we don’t enjoy the “why are the menus different in Vista?” questions or the such like. The changes from 95 - 98 - 2000 were easy to deal with, with only a short hop to XP. Vista is a bit more radical however.

4) Controversy over licensing. We’ve all heard the stories of what Microsoft actually meant when they put specific wording into the licensing agreement. Did it mean we couldn’t migrate the OS to a different machine, or did it mean we could? Even if the licensing is proven to be at least the same, that still leaves unrest in the business sector. We want to make sure everything is crystal clear before we invest our hard earned cash.

The link to the slashdot article can be found below. [SHOW ME]

Yeah, I know this isn’t exactly “tech” or “science” or anything, but I thought “It’s almost the New Year, so perhaps I should provide a New Year type post..”

Here is a rundown of 100 things we didn’t know last year.

[link]

Not often is there such a beautiful combination as this. Two of my favourite subjects combined into a single cool competition. Gaze with awe at the amazing pictures.

[link]

BT Business broadband are currently bundling the 2wire BT2700HGV with their lines, which is a wireless router with built in firewall, content management and Hardware VoIP system.

Now this is a brilliant system, as long as at works - but it does have one very annoying “feature.” The BT version of the router actually dials back to base, deposits a serial number or MAC address at the server end and retrieves the username and password set up for the device. Useful if you’re not tech savvy enough to set it up, not very useful if you want to re-distribute the device to a different site, or even want to take a spare one home..

So what can we do about that? Well the only way I can think is to take [this] file and flash the firmware with it. The file is a zip, so you’ll need to decompress to get the raw .2sp file. Once done, the firmware will set the router up as an american ISP. Full details below:

1 Download the file above.

2 Once the router is connected to your PC, go to [this] address.

3 Click upload and find the .2sp file and flash the firmware.

4 Once finished the device will reboot.

5 Now go to [this] address and change the options for the DSL username and password. You can also change the wireless power and other bits that you don’t normally have access too.. =)

Update: I recently tried my 2 wire router with an ADSL2+ connection and it didn’t cope too well with it, so my advise is if you’re upgrading to ADSL2+, upgrade your router too.

Not much chance, as you’re reading this. HOWEVER, if you found me by accident, this is the website to verify if you’re actually clever or not.. =) Look I’m only joking OK? Check out the website, all will become clear…

[link]

Shock! I know that most mac users will be rubbing their hands with glee toting something along the lines of “I told you so,” however for the most of us this comes as a bit of a shock.

Generally I think, as a matter of opinion, Microsoft are thought of as being a bit “aggressive” in their acquisition of software/companies/rights etc. However, I don’t think we’ve seen such a blatant rip-off recently as this icon from [Mac OSX]!! Apparently Microsoft think it’s “OK” to cut and (poorly) paste another competing companies icon without their consent into their website. Now I’m sure this will quickly disappear from the site, hence why I took a screen shot. Rest assured, it was there, for everyone to see although I don’t think we could believe it!

Yes, Microsoft took a workgroup icon from OSX and used it in a website promoting Vista! What? Like we don’t need another reason to suspect that Vista wants to be OSX? I don’t even own a Mac and I can see it..

[link]

BT are looking for 3 million customers within the next three years to take up their IP-TV system “BT Vision” and are setting aside a significant amount of money to do it.

BT will be directly competing with the likes of Sky and Virgin in providing an alternative TV delivery system, although BT will be using Broadband to deliver the content. This is not a new idea, as the likes of [homechoice] are already offering, albeit in a limited capacity, the same type of service. The difference with BT is the proliferation of their services already established in most homes ([2.5 million] broadband lines, compared to 1.7 million for NTL at the end of Q1 2006) in the UK, therefore making the IP-TV step the easiest to adopt for the customer.

There is also talk for content from the UK podcasting community to be broadcast through the system. The most obvious media would be video-casts, but I’m sure audio podcasts would also feature.

The link to the article from technewsworld can be found below.

[link]

Windows Vista has finally been launched. Unfortunately it’s only for the volume licensing business market. But at least it’s coming! I guess they’re going to iron out any kinks with their corporate customers first before releasing it into the home. Also Office 2007 has been released - again only to corporate customers. Exchange 2007 and retail versions are expected to ship in the new year.

[link]

A lucky stumble… There have been so many times when I’ve gone into Microsoft Word looking for a particular template, and the ones they have are either poor or non-existent. Thankfully now, there is one place where we can all go in our hour of need..

[link]