Feb

Newsletter

Issue 19

Windows Vista, Its here, honest!

Groups merge in plan to accelerate Linux growth

Its been a long time coming, computers should have been shipping Windows Vista to businesses before Christmas but they never did.

Microsoft say,

'Getting ready for Windows Vista, broadly available as a stand-alone product or pre-installed on new PCs on January 30, 2007, means choosing the edition that's right for you and ensuring that you have the right PC to enjoy the experiences you want.'

Finally its ready to buy off the shelf. Was the wait worth it. At the moment I have only seen the final version of Windows Vista Basic.

The good: Windows Vista Basic does improve some features within Windows XP; fewer system crashes than Windows XP; and Windows Vista offers better built-in support options.

The bad: Windows Vista Basic does not put Search on the desktop (it's buried within applications, within the Start Menu); no Aero graphics system in Basic; no new software yet written exclusively for Windows Vista; optimized only for the Microsoft Windows ecosystem (for example, RSS feeds from IE7 get preferential treatment); and little reason to leave Windows XP.

The bottom line: Windows Vista Basic is essentially warmed-over Windows XP, Windows XP SP3 is coming. If you're currently happy with Windows XP SP2, I see no compelling reason to upgrade. On the other hand, if you need a new computer right now, Windows Vista is stable enough for everyday use.

By Grant Peck

The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL), which sponsors Linux creator Linus Torvalds, and the Free Standards Group (FSG) have merged to form The Linux Foundation.

The new organisation said it had been set up to help accelerate the growth of Linux, by providing a more comprehensive set of services to compete effectively against proprietary platforms from the likes of Microsoft.

Founding members of the Linux Foundation include Fujitsu, Hitachi, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, NEC, Novell, and Oracle.

Jim Zemlin, former executive director of the Free Standards Group, leads The Linux Foundation. Other members of the organisation include every major company in the Linux industry, including Red Hat, as well as community groups, universities and user companies.

"Computing is entering a world dominated by two platforms: Linux and Windows. While being managed under one roof has given Windows some consistency, Linux offers freedom of choice, customisation and flexibility without forcing customers into supplier lock-in," said Zemlin

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Free2talk

Vista service pack being prepared

Based in Alderley Edge in Cheshire, Chess plc is one of the North West's fastest growing businesses, working in the dynamic and fast moving industry of business telecoms.
   Chess truly epitomises innovation, growth and development. Founded in 1993, Chess has moved and adapted to market change to become a significant telecoms business. Chess’ vision is to achieve 100% year on year growth through organic sales and acquisitions.
   Chess have always been a company who are ready to adapt to market change. Indeed Chess started  reselling gas and electricity but took advantage of the deregulation of the market in 1995. Realising they could sell gas cheaper than British Gas, the venture was a phenominal success and Chess were Powergens top dealer. Following the electricity deregulation, Chess moved into telecoms in 1996 as a ‘reseller’. After researching and identifying the opportunity, it developed a strategy for our new journey. The journey was challenging, expectations were high and in many ways Chess were pioneers as the ‘Chess Experience’ began to take shape.
  Acquisitions have played a big part in this growth and have given Chess the ability to broaden its product portfolio, resulting in the creation of four new divisions and trebling its staff head count in the last 12 months inviting new and exciting people and fresh ideas into Chess.
   Chess know where their strengths lie, focusing on meeting the needs of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) and Government departments. They make developing personal customer relationships a priority, and value the benefits long-term associations can bring for their customers, partners and Chess itself.

   Chess is very proud of its excellent reputation, with Investors in People and ISO 9000 accreditation. Chess only ever deals with tier one suppliers, looks after its staff well and is renowned in the industry as one of the key players in its field.

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Chess SMARTER business broadband can be used to set up an office network, so that all your staff can share files and communications and can access the internet. This will allow people in your office to share files and communications, so your staff can be more responsive and more productive.

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Microsoft is already putting the feelers out for testers of its first Vista service pack, before the product even hits the shelves in shops later this month.

The company has already written to customers and partners about the impending service pack 1,which is expected to be released some time during the second half of this year.

Enterprises struggling with widespread Vista deployments will be hoping the service pack isn’t anything as extensive as the service pack 2 for Windows XP.

That mammoth update, which included security updates and changes in the way the OS fundamentally worked, caused major headaches for firms, with many delaying its deployment as a result.

The first service pack for XP came within a year of its launch, so Microsoft seems to be continuing the tradition.

Vista has been available to large businesses since last November.

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Intel has introduced an upgrade to its Wi-Fi connectivity technology that speeds connections, increases range and saves battery life.

The Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N network connection solution is an upgrade to the wireless component found inside Intel Centrino Duo mobile chipsets and hardware found in other Intel-based laptops.

Intel said that, since notebook PCs increasingly download broadband-intense content such as movies, videos and music, a more powerful networking solution is needed.

Based on the draft 802.11n Wi-Fi specification, the Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N technology addresses that need by offering users up to five times the performance speed and twice the wireless range, while providing up to an extra hour of notebook battery life, when compared to existing solutions.

“Integrating wireless-N technology into notebook computers based on Centrino Duo with the Intel Core 2 Duo processor, delivers the speed, coverage and multi-tasking abilities needed for consumers to enjoy their home networking and digital entertainment,” said Dave Hofer, director of wireless marketing for Intel’s Mobile Platforms Group.

Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N technology will be delivered in conjunction with new notebook computers powered by Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology from OEMs such as Acer, Asus, Gateway and Toshiba, that are being distributed with Microsoft Windows Vista beginning in late January.

Other OEMs will follow, said Intel.

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