Software

The Google Dashboard is a trivial pursuit - with potential. To succeed it needs to take a more holistic view of my data.

Might Windows 8 or 9 actually have Linux under the hood?

They shouldn't be popping the champagne corks at Microsoft over the news that Windows 7 sales are skyrocketing. A well-known management consultant says that Windows 7's success could be the worst thing to happen to Microsoft, and turn the company in the General Motors of software.

Windows 7 first-week sales figures were much better than Vista's, says market researcher The NPD Group. They point to good supply-chain execution and canny discounting as success factors. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers look at worrying trends behind the numbers. Not to mention the latest excellent cover from Jack and Nataly...
(MSFT)

Installing Java in Windows XP makes many unnecessary changes to the operating system. I cover how to un-do some of them to keep the system as clean as possible.

It's not only long-time Linux true believers who say that Linux will eventually wipe out Windows. An former Microsoft employee of 11 years says that "proprietary software is eventually going to be doomed," and believes that Microsoft's future lies in releasing its own version of Linux.

The rumors were true: Microsoft confirms more layoffs. A futher 800 employees have been told their jobs are redundant. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers wonder who, why, and where. Not to mention laughable comping...
(MSFT)

Portable Windows applications lend themselves to being backed up. Just one reason of prefer them over normally installed applications.

Has Apple decided that among its top potential customers for switching to a Mac are Windows 7 pirates? Based on ads that Apple is buying on Google that might be the case --- search for "download Windows 7" and you'll see an Apple ad urging PC users to switch to the Mac. But search for "buy Windows 7" and you'll see no such ad.

Do you provide technical support for older friends and relatives? Want to make your life easier? Give them Linux.

The newest desktop Linux vs. the newest Windows -- and the winner is ...

Microsoft may find the Family Guy too off-color or off-center for sponsorship, but the company seems to have something of a double standard --- it's spent more than $1 million on ads for South Park, and it pays for ads on shows that feature drug dealing, violence, plenty of sex, and bathroom humor.

When I ask developers "what programming language do you use?", the answer I usually get is a single language.  Most developers define themselves as a Java, C++, Delphi, C#, Visual Basic, PHP, Ruby or Python developer.  Some web developers will say they use JavaScript.  In fact most developers, today, use several programming languages.  Who doesn't also use JavaScript, HTML, XML, WSDL, SQL and other languages (domain specific, procedural, markup, functional, object-oriented, etc.).

The popular Internet voice program Skype is not going open source real soon, but, it is on its way.

The surge of Windows 7 market share in October certainly sounds like good news for Microsoft. But Microsoft shouldn't celebrate so quickly, because there's evidence much of that gain has been driven by widespread piracy in Eastern Europe.