[LINK] Re: Windows XP versus Vista

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Rick writes:
 
> Until the underlying causes of inequity are solved, Africa
> will have lots of problems.

Agreed, so we do what we can, where we can, while we can. In the 
Philippines for example, most homes have electricity .. a villiage 
generator, lights out at ten, or eco-friendly water-wheels in the myriad 
fast flowing mountain streams, and in which case it's 24/7 for lights or
a computer or a television. Net-cafes and mobiles are literally everywhere.

This computer I'm using now, a 486sx and Win98, because it's comfortable 
in this room, works fine. As does most computer hardware, way beyond 
microsoft's timetable. Win XP won't run on this, but it will on the 
hundreds of thousands of Phils school computers.

Come on Microsoft, give away XP to them. Even if you don't support it, a 
re-install now and then on a virused school-student machine rarely looses 
mission critical data. And in towns & villages all over the worlfd, it 
would be hard to imagine a better incentive to buy/salvage those old 
computers than a spanking fresh, shiney, legal copy of Windows XP.

Come on Microsoft, give XP to the world. You've finished with it, you 
don't want it, you're going virtual  ...

Virtualization
Microsoft Pushes Virtualization
Wendy Tanaka, 01.22.08, 12:01 AM ET
<http://www.forbes.com/technology/enterprisetech/2008/01/20/microsoft-
vmware-calista-tech-cx_wt_0121microsoft.html>

"Watch out, VMware. We're coming after your space!" is the underlying 
message of Microsoft's new strategy for virtualization--software services 
that help businesses reduce costs and improve business processes. 

Microsoft on Monday planned to announce what it calls a companywide 
strategy to accelerate broad adoption of virtualization by its customers.

As part of its new approach, the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant 
unveiled a suite of services aimed at reducing the number of servers 
businesses need to use, separating applications from operating systems, 
reducing costs, and--thanks to trimmed energy use--lowering carbon 
emissions.

Industry experts say virtualization is the wave of the future in 
enterprise computing. Sector leader VMware, of Palo Alto, Calif., shined a 
light on the space last fall after its ultra-successful initial public 
offering. Since then, other business-software makers have been rushing to 
offer similar services.

Microsoft announced that it competed acquisition of Calista Technologies, 
a San Jose, Calif.-based start-up that makes computer graphics for 
virtualized computers, in addition to an expanded partnership with Citrix 
Systems, a VMware competitor based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Microsoft and 
Citrix will jointly market services that "virtualize" computers, operating 
systems and applications.

Microsoft's shot across the bow at VMware is inevitable as companies 
throughout the industry shift to Web-based services. "Microsoft needs to 
get something into the market quickly," says Roger Kay, president of 
technology research firm Endpoint Technologies Associate. "Windows Office 
has 10 years to burn, but it will become less relevant."

He notes that virtualization could prove more profitable for Microsoft 
than, say, search advertising, where it is a distant No. 3 to Google, 
because the company already has a strong presence in the enterprise space. 

Microsoft wouldn't disclose how much it paid for Calista, but Kay 
speculates that the price tag was likely south of $100 million. He also 
says Microsoft may be interested in acquiring Citrix. 

"Citrix, on its own, has a small market share," Kay says. "VMware was 
cleaning its clock." A Microsoft-Citrix combination could present 
formidable competition to VMware, he suggests. Buying Citrix, however, 
would be a significant deal: The company has a market capitalization of 
$6.4 billion. 

(IBM first introduced virtualization for mainframe computers in the early 
'60s, but analysts say enterprisewide advancements are more recent. A 
fully virtualized enterprise is years away. Microsoft estimates that only 
5% of businesses are using virtualization.)
--

Cheers, people
Stephen Loosley
Victoria, Australia