Print - WinInfo Short Takes: Week of December 4

An often irreverent look at some of the week's other news, including the business launch event for Vista, Office 2007, and Exchange 2007, demand for Windows Vista, Gears of War sales stats, Sony, elderly Mac users, free copies of Vista, and so much more...

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I spent the day in New York yesterday for Microsoft's business launch event for Windows Vista, Office 2007, and Exchange 2007. You could feel the palpable sense of relief that Vista, especially, was finally complete, was getting good reviews, and really does appear to be of very high quality. Five years, my God.

I always find humor at Microsoft's business launches, because I get to see Microsofties wearing suits, which is a pretty rare event. I won't call out any names, but you know who you are. I guess the new saying about suits is, "weddings, funerals, and Microsoft business launch events."

Sitting in the audience before the launch event, I spied Tim Huckaby's name in the list of people who were going to speak. Tim is an old friend, and absolutely one of the nicest guys in the world, so I jumped up, ran past a protesting security guide and went to the backstage area where I immediately found Tim (which was just weird), reclining in a chair and being made up for his appearance (the big star). So I motioned for the makeup woman to give me the brush and I went to work on Tim's face before he realized it was me. It was pretty classic, and I'm surprised I didn't get shot going back there. I don't have a future in the fashion world, certainly.

With December finally upon us, I guess it's time to start thinking about the holidays. This is difficult, because it's been so balmy and warm lately, giving the area a "Christmas in Arizona" vibe. But I'm sure the year will be over before we know it. Hopefully I can finish my Vista review before then.

It looks like we'll be doing another home swap in Paris, France next summer, this time for four weeks. Plans are still being made, but we're excited to go back. This year, we stayed in a home just south of Paris, in L'Hay les Roses, but it looks like we'll be in Fontenay Sous Bois next year, in the east suburbs, and very close to our friends there.

Short Takes

Microsoft Launches Business Versions of Vista and Office 2007, and Exchange 2007
So it's come to this: Crammed into a tiny room somewhere in NASDAQ's Times Square offices, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and friends finally signed off on the public release of Windows Vista, at least for business customers. The company also shipped the business versions of Office 2007 and will soon ship Exchange Server 2007 as well. Curiously, NASDAQ kept the press waiting in their semi-outdoors waiting area while Ballmer rang the NASDAQ "bell" (which is really a button that triggers a buzzer, but whatever). We were all very excited about that. But the event was nice. What we're all really waiting for, of course, is the consumer launch.

About that Vista Consumer Launch
Well, I was able to confirm that the consumer launch for Windows Vista will be a huge event, and Microsoft did publicly state that it will spend more on launching Windows Vista than it did on Windows 95, which is still held up as the event against which all launch events are measured. (Ballmer said they would spend "hundreds of millions of dollars" on it.) However, it seems that Microsoft is concerned about having the main launch event in a location in which reporters from both the east and west coast can get to easily. I guess that cancels out my hope that they host it in a crazy location like Tahiti or New Zealand. It looks like we're going to be invading a major US city sometime in late January instead. Ah well.

Microsoft: Big Demand for Windows Vista
While analysts continue to issue cautious warnings about the slowness of corporate upgrades to Windows Vista (and Office 2007), Microsoft says that its own internal data is far more positive. In fact, they expect Windows Vista upgrades to far outstrip the pace of Windows XP, which is now installed on over 450 million PCs worldwide. But if you're looking for numbers, check out this statistic: Microsoft expects over 200 million customers to be using at least one of the products--Vista, Office 2007, or Exchange 2007--by the end of 2007. These are "game changing" products, CEO Steve Ballmer said.

Gears Goes Platinum
Rarely does any video game live up to its hype, but Microsoft's latest blockbuster release for the Xbox 360, "Gears of Wars," appears to have done just that. In just two weeks, the Xbox 360 exclusive game has sold over 1 million copies, making it the fastest-selling Xbox 360 title ever released. The game had previously garnered the highest number of pre-orders of any Microsoft title since "Halo 2" in 2004. (That game, of course, is still the best selling Xbox title of all time, and it sold 2.5 million copies in its first 24 hours of availability alone.) Gears is a great game, though I'm still trying to decide which is better, that or "Call of Duty 3." This will require a lot of game playing of course, but I'm willing to suffer so you'll get the answer. My reviews for both Call of Duty 3 and Gears of War should be available shortly on the SuperSite for Windows.

Sony Reshuffles Video Game Unit
In a telling sign that Sony is upset with the lack of progress its video game unit has made getting the PlayStation 3 into stores, the company is replacing Ken Kutaragi, creator of the PlayStation, with a marketing guy from its US business. Kazuo Hirai, president of Sony's US operations, will replace Kutaragi as the overall president of Sony and will oversee videogame development. Kutaragi will stay on as chairman, however, and some believe he may still have a future as a replacement for Sony CEO Howard Stringer. That, or Kutaragi's failures with the PS3--which has been rocked by multiple delays, parts shortages, and shipment downturns--will lead to his departure from the company. You know, maybe the Xbox 360 really does have a chance after all.

Most Mac Users are ... Old?
Mac users, as the saying goes, are smarter and better educated than the typical PC user. But here's a statistic that will likely surprise people: Mac users are also considerably older than typical PCs, which kind of makes you wonder what the young-and-hip "I'm a Mac" ads are all about. According to researchers at MetaFacts, nearly half of Mac users are 55 or older, almost double the share for average PC users. Meanwhile, the number one PC brand for the hip 18 to 25 year old crowd is, yep, you guess it, Gateway. What?!? Now I'm beginning to wonder about MetaFacts.

Microsoft Giving Away 30,000 Copies Each of Windows Vista, Office 2007
And finally, via its Power Together Web site, Microsoft will give away 30,000 copies each of Windows Vista Business and Office Professional 2007. The catch? In order to qualify for either offer, you have to complete three or more Web-based technical training sessions for each system, and they look mighty boring. Also, because the Web site URL has been widely disseminated, the site is getting hammered regularly, making it difficult to even see what's available. Still, intrepid users who'd like to save a buck should check it out.

Wow ... what a horribly slooooowwww week. I mean, not even businesses much care about the availability of Vista and Office 2007. Let's face it, the excitement surrounding these products is much better suited for power users than for IT directors. January 30th?! Sheesh! Wake me up when we get there.

I would really have to see the sample size and the research methods of MetaFacts to believe that half the Mac user base is over 55. I really doubt that's true, especially in light of the thousands of MacBooks being sold to college kids everywhere. Also, Paul: You recently quoted an article that tried to prove the iPod halo effect doesn't exist because other PC makers (who do not sell mp3 players) grew their marketshare more than Apple in the same timeframe. Thus, the article claims, an mp3 player doesn't translate to increased computer marketshare. The problem with that article is that PC's are a commodity item. You can easily swap a Dell for a Gateway for an HP and you're still running Windows. There's nothing major to prevent users from picking one brand over the other - it's just preference. By contrast, when a user picks a Mac, she's in for a different world. New OS, new hardware, new applications, etc. Thus, it takes a lot more to get a user to switch from a Dell to a Mac than it does to get a user to switch from a Dell to an Acer. Acer can attract customers simply by offering good support and competitive prices. Apple, meanwhile, has to overcome the "obstacle" in consumer's minds that switching to a Mac will be difficult because everything's different. The iPod has done quite a bit to show people that Apple products are easy to use and simple. Playing around with Macs in Apple stores has also had this effect. The point is: Acer and Apple are two very different offerings. Apple faces many more challenges in attracting switchers. To claim that Acer has attracted more switchers without an MP3 player and therefore the halo effect can't exist for Apple either is just stupid. It doesn't take into account the fact that you can swap an Acer for a Dell and hardly anyone would notice.

The older-skewing Apple numbers aren't as surprising as they look at first blush. Macs tend to stay in service longer, for a variety of reasons. Mac OS X's "easy to use" reputation may also appeal to older users. Bad Car Analogy time. The reason Gateway is so popular in the 18-25 bracket is the same reason Honda is. Yeah, you want that BMW 3-series or Infiniti G35, but you can't afford better than a Civic. Thus, you buy cheap and cheerful now, and save up for what you really desire later.

sorry for the double post - it was unintentional. The website literally locked up and then kicked me back. For all our disagreements here, I think the one thing we can all see eye-to-eye on is that this website's entire comments feature is just about the worst one on the entire internet. From the stupid verification text to the way it just fails randomly sometimes to the way it drops you back to the first comments page after you post even if you were on page 5 when you posted... It's just horrid.

"Most Mac Users are ... Old?" Senile too? Just kidding! Really! "While analysts continue to issue cautious warnings about the slowness of corporate upgrades to Windows Vista (and Office 2007), Microsoft says that its own internal data is far more positive." Someone has seriously screwed up their internal data in that case.

Looks like Microsoft fans are still reeling over the news that Vista is vulnerable to existing malware dating back to 2004: http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Vista_vulnerable_to_malware_from_2004/0,130061744,339272506,00.htm Along with Apple market share rising to 5.39% and growing according to a new report today from NetApplications, the near-total lack of interest in Vista or Office 2007, the disastrous launch of the Zune, Nintendo stealing the show this holiday season, and ex-Microsoft developers mocking Microsoft's development processes (months of meetings to decide on a shutdown menu!), it's a terrible time to be a Microsoft fanboy. The company is clearly dying. Hey, at least you have the comfort of the 25+-year-old BIOS from the last century. The rest of us will be using modern EFI to boot our computers in less than 12 seconds.

@KWRussell "The reason Gateway is so popular in the 18-25 bracket is the same reason Honda is. Yeah, you want that BMW 3-series or Infiniti G35, but you can't afford better than a Civic. Thus, you buy cheap and cheerful now, and save up for what you really desire later." I think most Mac users would disagree with you here. According to them, Macs cost the equivalent of PCs. I think Mac users are just a little embarrased that the hipness associated with @pple is due to first rate marketing and not the users themselves. Its kinda of funny to think that all 55 and older mac users think there hip because the marketing tells them so.

Even if you want to sit through boring videos tou're already too late to get a copy of Windows Vista. As of 12/1, Office 2007 was still available though.

@bdk About the comment system, you forgot some items: 1. You have to rate the article each and every time you post 2.The comments are typed in a monospace format, and are displayed as arial(I think), thus eliminating any "ascii art" attempts @Preseton Thanks for the laugh. I needed some humor today, and you certainly provided it! My favorite lines are: 1."the near-total lack of interest in Vista or Office 2007" 2."The company is clearly dying" Last time I checked, the PowerTogether site was swamped with people trying to get a copy of Vista and/or Office.

"it's a terrible time to be a Microsoft fanboy. The company is clearly dying." Actually, it's a wonderful time. Vista, Office and Exchange coming out, HD for the Xbox (plus Media Center), an ever growing market share of smartphone usage (running Windows Mobile BTW, and with ever more compelling devices), top notch development tools, a rock solid database, tons of other smaller product releases, a corporate culture that encourages blogging... Yes, bonch, clearly MS is dying.

As I have stated prior I am looking forward to Exchange 2007 as are a few Exchange admins that I have spoken with from other companies. Vista looks nice, but we'll see. It'd be nice if more software manufacturers (*hint* Symantec http://www.symantec.com/vista/index.jsp ) actually had non-betaware for Vista considering some companies (including mine) are already testing the OS. Office has some nice features, but it doesn't look like something that we'll roll out anytime soon. As for the PowerTogether site, the offer is essentially dead, as both say "Sold Out". On the humorous side, I wonder when Apple will start venturing into the smartphone market. I'd love to see something like a Blackberry or a Q that had lickable buttons, although I wonder how well the OS would port over and how durable it would be (my BB 7290 is a tank). Cheers, TB

"On the humorous side, I wonder when Apple will start venturing into the smartphone market." That would be humorous...does anybody remember the Newton? --tayme

"It's just horrid." Totally agreed. I just had the site hang...then go to some enourmous font and non-formatted layout...weird!!! --tayme

hey man, the Newton was ahead of its time, but it was still a really good product. And I'm NOT a newton fanatic... I don't want one, and I don't want Apple to make another one. But Newton did have some really cool stuff. With wireless and bluetooth and USB nowadays, it could have gone somewhere. Anyway, see wikipedia for an article about it if you're so inclined. As for the smartphone.... I don't really see Apple going there. I mean, if you're talking about a blackberry replacement where you can do email, IM, phone stuff, contacts, scheduling and saving the rainforest all from the same device... that's not Apple. Apple makes devices that do primarily one thing and do it well. The company does not make devices that do 34 things and do each of them OK. And this is purely my opinion, but I hate smartphones. They just try to do too much. And, more generally, they sap people's lives away by turning every minute of every day into a chance for work. I've seen lots of people messing with smartphones at their kids' soccer game on Saturday, or in the movies or at a restaurant... Honestly, 20 years ago no one had cellphones. Sometimes I think the devices are more of a ball and chain than a liberator.

And this if off topic, but you'll like it anyways: Speaking of cellphones dragging us down, I think to some extent the mp3 player (iPod included) has done the same thing with music. Everyone now has music playing in the background constantly. It's just a dull hum now - we don't actually focus any attention on it most of the time. If you actually sit down and just listen to a really good album like American V by Johnny Cash - just listen and do nothing else - you get a lot more out of the music. But hardly anyone does that anymore. I suppose it's a tradeoff though, because I like having music with me on my iPod when I go running. Same with the cellphone above - I like having it when I need it, but I don't let it tie me down; I can live without it for an hour.

bdk: my cellphone = my work = my money. Without it, it's just another way that I could go broke. I recently got a Moto Q. It's great, but is a fair bit of a switch from a Pocket PC Phone Edition. There's no touchscreen, no stylus [to lose], and the screen and keyboard are smaller. For what it does, it's amazing though. It's the first Smartphone I've had. I've had 3 Pocket PC's before, the last being the only phone edition. I really like the "Media Center" app on it. It's nowhere near what the desktop version does, but is still a nice touch. bonch: NetApplications findings are fishy at best. Since they have a separate indicator for MacIntel, why oh why, is the separate Mac OS trend increasing 0.39% from August to now? That would mean that there are more PowerPC Mac users getting online??! This is a laugh. And what is Apple coming out with? OSX Leopard? Here let me help you out with that one: http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/macosx_leopard_preview.asp The iTV? It's a Viiv Media Center Extender with an iTunes interface and no true TV support, but then Front Row doesn't offer that either, because Apple requires you to buy TV off iTunes. The price is the same as the XBOX 360 and yet the X360 is the best Media Center Extender available. You can use it with Windows XP & Vista's Media Center, get digital movie rentals of movies and TV using just the X360 with the PC powered off, stream audio from the Zune plus video from your PC to your home theater (not to mention 5.1 audio support that Apple doesn't have). Oh and did I mention it's a GAME CONSOLE?? And Microsoft will bring this entire, ever-expanding platform vision to consumers on January 30th. OSX Leopard and iTV won't be out until late spring or summer of next year. So to steal a line from Paul's post, "Who's the copycat now?". Go back to watching your recordings of your God speaking at keynotes on your iPod while huddled under your bridge. Wear a jacket - winter's coming!

hey bonchypoo: while you're huddled, freezing under your bridge, here's something to digest - proof of Apple's pi$$-poor manufacturing quality and how badly they treat their users. http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2006/11/29/apple-ipod.html http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2006/11/30/nike-ipod-privacy.html Enjoy.

While I am very unhappy with Microsoft in general, I agree that the XBOX is possibly the best extender available as I have tried a couple others which do fine but don't offer the various platforms and flexibility of XBOX. As for Apple, I think like Microsoft, they should shut up and put out instead wasting time on extraneous projects that go nowhere. Microsoft, for their part, seem a bit more outspoken with Ballmer spewing junk throughout the media. They'd do well to shut him up and go back to the drawing board. I have a copy of the latest Vista offering and it's quite a surprise in two distinct ways: 1...it's better than I expected. 2...it's still a mess. Too bad. I'm going to probably let my subscriptions go later in the year depending on what happens with the consumer release.

Treeorc: Exactly what "extraneous projects that go nowhere" has Apple worked on in recent years? If you want Apple to "Shut up" and "put out".... um... that's exactly what they do. They don't talk about products before they come out, they don't give roadmaps or speculation... they just send out an invitation to the launch event and show you the product. It's hard to "shut up" more than Apple already does. In fact, most people wish Apple would say more. You've got to be the only one around who wants them to say less.

yes, they spend more time smirking and jawing about how lousy Microsoft is to be perfectly frank....while their products may (personally I think they are not much better than Microsofts) be a bit more solid than Microsoft, they would do well to quit knocking them and tend to their business.....at this point, I can do much more and be more productive with a Linux distribution than I can with (like Microsoft) the bogus proprietary systems.

"You could feel the palpable sense of relief that Vista, especially, was finally complete, was getting good reviews, and really does appear to be of very high quality. Five years, my God." That's funny most of the reviews I've read say that Vista isn't ready for prime time, and a lot of reader feedback agrees. Most people want to wait for SP1 a year down the track or so.