It’s been almost half a year since Vista raided PCs all over the world. By now, many would already think or expect to see Microsoft’s new operating system’s interface to be flashed on desktops and laptops in most establishments, especially those which can afford a mass migration to XP’s successor.
Surprisingly though, it is the small consumers who embraced Vista with open and welcoming arms, while all the new OS got from big businesses were cold shoulders and suspicious eyes. So why are companies reluctant to give Microsoft a break?
Same Old Fears
It’s quite hard to imagine that with the advent of efficient device driver finders, many are still playing the incompatibility issue to the hilt in justifying the delay of their migration. Many consumers are happy with their Vista experience, with quite a sizeable number of them claiming that the incompatibility fear that sprouted during the first few weeks of Vista’s release as just an exaggeration.
But are corporations really just digging up autopsied and cleared corpses just to scare themselves from trying the new wave in PC operation?
Not Similarly Situated
Experts admit that the worries expressed by big businesses are not entirely unfounded. Though individual Vista customers are dispelling incompatibility fears, analysts believe that such satisfaction might not immediately be experienced by large customers. For one thing, companies have hundreds or thousands of computers. The applications that they use are definitely more complex and numerous. Hence, the chances of encountering incompatibility problems are equally huge. Such a problem might seem to be just a minor headache for individual consumers. However, such a dilemma is enough to scare the wits out of any IT manager and cripple the business to a standstill.
At Home
Every successful businessman would tell you that the secret to success is to stick to formulas or products that are already tried and tested. It is not surprising then to see that many businesses are still squeezing the mileage out of their existing operating systems. It took years for IT managers to perfect the utilization and harmonization of XP into their corporate network. Such an investment would definitely be put to waste if they’ll hastily migrate to the new OS. Indeed, such a move would seem to be ill-advised and risky.
Waiting for SP1
Another reason why large companies are temporarily shelving their migration plans is due to the delay in the release of Vista’s first service pack. SP1 is expected to contain corrections to dozens of Vista errors, as well as drivers which would ensure that the OS would work smoothly with existing hardware and software. The collection of patches and other helpful applications for Vista is slated to be released by early next year. Many are expecting that SP1 would provide the answer to many of Vista’s current woes.
Its Own Doing
The continued support of Microsoft to Vista’s predecessor also discourages businesses to embrace the new product and dispose of the old one which they spent millions of dollars in. Indeed, as every company would want to make the most out of their investments, it is not surprising to see why they are holding on to their old OS as if it’s still just a year old.
While big businesses posed many reasonable justifications to their refusal to migrate, time will come when installing Vista would already become a necessity. Once Microsoft cuts the lifeline out of XP, it could already breathe life to the new OS more effectively.
August 17th, 2007
You’re probably wondering if all those new computer peripherals in the market would work seamlessly with Windows Vista. If you’re going to listen to the guys at Microsoft, chances are is that you’ll be getting a very encouraging answer. However, if you’re going to ask your neighbors, you’ll probably be getting a different and very harrowing response.
Despite the fact that it has been months since the debut of Microsoft’s latest OS, compatibility problems still hound it. The reason is not the lack of drivers. On the contrary, hardware and software makers are relentlessly churning out patches and drivers to ensure that their products would work on Vista. However, the operating system’s stringent requirement before a driver or application can be granted access to it is hampering efforts to rid compatibility issues.
Anathema
This problem is expected to aggravate the slow migration of users to Vista. While Microsoft is confident that people would eventually leave XP for good, the shift is not happening as fast at it wants it to be. One of the things that would definitely encourage users to try Vista is by seeing the PC market flooded with hardware and software that has the “Vista Ready / Capable” seal on them. Unfortunately, Vista’s maker is making it hard for third-party device driver finders or makers to install the necessary applications on the OS.
Microsoft also seems to be not that keen on working with hardware and software makers with regard to the design and release of drivers. Take for instance the ATI tragedy. Some time ago, the graphics engine maker released sets of drivers for its products to be able to run on Vista without a glitch. Unfortunately, the patches made Vista crash. So much for ATI’s efforts to make Vista as the industry standard.
The LD on HD
Drivers are not the only files or applications that are getting a Gestapo treatment from Vista. PC users are also complaining that the new OS prohibits the use, access, and distribution of high-definition contents. While this security feature effectively eliminates the unauthorized use of protected or copyrighted productions, it also indiscriminately refuses to accept legitimate HD contents that the users themselves have made. Take note that many of the home videos that are being produced nowadays are in HD. The technology is not limited to Motown or Hollywood alone.
For a product that has been billed as the very thing that would dictate how technology would develop in the next several years, it’s quite surprising and unfortunate to note that it’s hampering the development of new innovations due to its unbending disposition to reject things or changes that do not conform with its desires and designs.
The overzealousness of Microsoft to protect its OS from unwanted intrusions has caused unwanted results for the users and the manufacturers of peripherals and applications. Its eagerness to kowtow to the requests of copyright owners have also prejudiced many who are filming videos in HD. Microsoft should quickly address these concerns, lest it turn off present and potential Vista clients.
August 10th, 2007
Device drivers act as translators between the different software applications or the operating systems and the device itself. The code, considered to be of higher level, may be encoded independently depending on the particular hardware it may be trying to control. For example, if you’re trying to print a file, the driver will convert the high-level codes to low-level ones, which the printer can understand.
Sometimes, though, device errors may occur. One of its adverse effects is the corruption of the system memory.
Problems in the DMA
DMA (direct memory access) is a typical feature of the more recently released PCs. It permits for particular subsystems of the hardware to gain access into the memory of the system for writing or reading.
A faulty device driver can initiate a wrongful DMA transfer along the bus. This kind of transmission of data can result to the corruption of the system memory. A couple of host bus bridges give you input/output memory management (IMMOU) which permits you to map within the address space of the bus a DMA region going to your system’s memory.
Through this, the bus driver can offer protection to the system’s memory, which is not being utilized for DMA buffers, from possible corruption due to wrongful DMA transfer. The bus driver, however, shouldn’t use the static 1-to-1 mapping, which is from the memory into the bus space, so it can handle DMA transfers. Rather, it should handle dynamic IOMMU mappings. The dma_alloc technique maps to the bus space a memory region, which enables the transfer of DMA. Meanwhile, the dma_free technique considers the mapping invalid, which will then disable DMA towards the memory region. Note, though, that a defective device can still cause DMA buffer corruption being handled by another driver.
Problems in Memory Access and Allocations
Sometimes drivers produce errors due to memory allocation or access. These errors may cause the corruption of the system memory, which may later result to system crash. The usual errors are the following:
1.memory underruns (attempt to access even before the allocated memory starts)
2.memory overruns (attempt to access over the allocated memory’s end)
3.attempt to access system memory that was already freed
Knowing how your driver works, including how it can corrupt memory, can provide you the initial steps to PC troubleshooting, especially in the cases of system crashes.
August 2nd, 2007
Is this the service pack we’ve all been waiting for?
News had spread like wildfire about the availability of a collection of patches that might form the core of Vista’s first Service Pack. The hotfixes are not for Vista though, but for Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Server 2008. Still, Vista users hogged Web sites which offer free downloads of the patches because their OS and Server 2008 are basically built on the same architecture.
The two updates, “Vista Performance and Reliability Pack and “Vista Compatibility and Reliability Pack,” were meant for beta testers of Windows Server 2008 only. However, the fixes were leaked to several Web sites, and have since been shared by users on the Internet.
Who’s Asking For It?
Time has pacified clamors for the early release of Vista SP1. Many may have even forgotten all about it. Either they have gotten tired of knocking at Microsoft’s door for it or they have found alternative solutions to their problems. For example, the usefulness of the compatibility and reliability pack has already been watered down by efficient device driver finders on the Internet. Compatibility problems were very common during the first few days of Vista’s release. However, the pandemonium created by Microsoft’s inability to offer solutions or slow response to the problem was already quelled by device driver finders, such as RadarSync, by offering Vista drivers.
As for the performance and reliability pack, its usefulness or necessity might have already been diluted, too, by the release of faster PC hardware and peripherals. Chip makers are coming up with faster and more efficient processors every quarter, making large and complex application processes inconsequential. Likewise, newer and better peripherals, such as video cards and hard drives, are handling heavy software tasks without a sweat. RAM is also getting cheap, with many users being able to pack their units with gigabytes of it. System tools have also played a vital role in keeping PCs in top shape, thereby ensuring that the unit would be able to run programs at optimized speeds.
Something Better
While it’s too early to tell whether these two Server 2008 hotfixes will form the backbone of Vista’s first service pack, many are already telling Microsoft that it should offer something better than the two groups of patches that were recently leaked. While the updates have improved performance and insured the compatibility and reliability of various software and hardware components, the problems that they have fixed are either not that serious or can be easily resolved by other means.
Vista SP1 should answer more serious issues or problems since the less threatening ones have already been solved or can easily be handled by other hardware and software makers. I’m sure Microsoft will come up with something better for Vista. I even think that Vista’s maker deliberately leaked the two updates to gauge user sentiments on whether the fixes are efficient or comprehensive enough. Maybe this is the reason why Microsoft is still gagging itself as to the definite date of Vista SP1’s release.
July 30th, 2007
One of the reasons why I slaughtered my piggy bank last February for the more expensive version of Windows Vista was because of its manufacturer’s promise of extras that would make them look like they got the bad end of the bargain.
While I was already impressed with the features of the basic or low-end versions of Microsoft’s new operating system, I was still curious as to what Vista Ultimate has to or will continuously offer. It’s basically just the same with Vista Home Premium and Vista Business. It more or less just combined the peculiar or exclusive attributes of the two. Of course, there’s more to Ultimate than just the amalgamation of its two less expensive counterparts.
Security and Add-Ons
Vista Ultimate users were promised a more secure OS and a lot of extras that would make their program seem like it’s getting a constant retouch or upgrade. One of the most enticing add-on announced by Redmond was the BitLocker encryption tool. While I greatly considered this security feature when I decided to ditch the free Vista Home edition offer by the computer shop where I bought my new Sony Vaio laptop, what I was really looking forward to was DreamScene. There’s already much hype on the crystal clear, 3-dimensional desktop background of all Windows Vista versions. DreamScene promised to push the feature a notch higher by allowing videos to be played or displayed as your desktop background. Cool, huh?
Nailed Promises
In keeping with its custom of disappointing a good number of its customers, Microsoft has just announced that many of the extras that it promised during the launch of its software will not be immediately available. Since its OS debuted, only four extras have been released by Microsoft, namely: 16 language packs, DreamScene (beta version only), BitLocker (prep tool), and a poker game.
Four extras in 6 months. That’s definitely disappointing. I was so optimistic last February that Microsoft would be able to deliver or make good on their pledges with regard to the extras that I even entertained the thought that DreamScene would already have its second version before the year ends. But alas, even its first version isn’t even out yet. The photo editing tool which was also one of the bannered extras for Ultimate during the months preceding the release of the OS is also nowhere to be found.
Mea Maxima Culpa
To the credit of Microsoft, it didn’t give any excuses or make attempts to exonerate itself for the delays. However, their refusal to give a definite timetable as to the release of the extras is frustrating. What kept me going all these months as far as being patient with the releases is concerned is the hope that many of the pledged add-ons would already be available by the summer.
Its decision to withhold the date of the releases of Ultimate’s extras might help quell demands for the immediate release of the add-ons. However, it might backfire or create an even bigger dilemma for them since Ultimate owners might feel that they’ve been thrown into limbo.
I hope Microsoft would be able deliver on its promises soon. While I commend them for responding to a lot of complaints with regard to their new OS, especially device driver queries and dilemmas, I think that there’s still a lot of room for improvement as far as customer relations and satisfaction is concerned.
July 5th, 2007
So the wait is finally over.
Apple has recently released its much-awaited iPhone to US consumers. While many compared the hype to Vista’s introduction to the market, the latter still edged the former’s unveiling by about a mile and a half.
What is it?
The mobile phone has evolved tremendously during the last five years. Gone are the days when all your cellular phone could do is to place and receive calls. If one would go back to the future, say from 1998 to the present, he would probably think you’re kidding if you’ll say that the iPhone or the Nokia N95 is primarily a mobile phone. Indeed, those two units don’t even resemble the gadget that they are purporting to be.
Computers
Every electronic gadget wants to mimic the computer. Of course, this is not surprising since almost every human activity is facilitated by PCs. Thus, the line between computers and mobile phones is fast fading. The delineation is still there, but it has turned into just a mere smudge that it’s hard to tell anymore if the electronic device you’re using is cellular phone, a GPS system, or a computer wrapped in an unconventional packaging.
The iPhone and the Nokia N95 boast that they can browse through Web sites, downloaded videos, and send e-mails. These functions were originally the domains of the PC. At present, the computer’s monopoly over the Internet is fast crumbling. Mobile phones are now promising users that it can also take them to cyberspace without the hassle of having to wait for your PC to boot up. Indeed, the thought of being able to surf the Web through a device that easily fits into your pocket is truly remarkable. It’s not surprising then that many are already considering the mobile phone as a viable alternative to the computer.
Not Quite
Although the cell phone is fast evolving into a miniature PC, it still cannot replace the device which it’s seeking to boot out. For one thing, mobile phones are not just big enough to house essential components that would help it outperform computers. Intel’s Core 2 Duo chip would certainly eat up about a fifth of iPhone’s internal real estate. While the screen resolution of the iPhone is stunning, it doesn’t have the video muscle to handle complicated games or heavy multimedia activities. Data entry is also a problem for miniature devices. While Apple’s new product has a virtual keyboard, it’s not big enough to entice users to junk their laptops for their mobile phones when composing kilometric e-mails. The iPhone’s virtual QWERTY keyboard is cramped, while the N95 doesn’t even have one at all.
It’s Still a Phone
All told, the iPhone is still a device that’s worth saving for. It may have fallen short on some of the functions which PCs formerly have exclusive dominion of, but it’s still a great phone that has lots of extra features that make it versatile. Expect the next version of the iPhone to be more sophisticated and computer-like. Who knows, RadarSync might be adding mobile phone device drivers on its database soon.
June 29th, 2007
Just how important are patches to operating systems?
I’m sure you’ve read countless articles already on how crucial updates are in keeping your PC from being possessed by programs that either mow the contents of your hard drive or juggle the lines inside your Windows registry. Holes abound in almost any program, especially in operating systems. A good example would be Microsoft’s Windows XP. It’s considered as the Swiss cheese among all OS.
Perfectly Imperfect
No program or operating system is perfect, though. Chances are, majority of the applications that you’re using need patches in order to keep itself safe and still viable. While some applications would require you to manually download the update from its manufacturer’s Web site, a growing number of programs are already doing these automatically. Hence, the fact that you don’t get prompted for updates doesn’t mean that your applications don’t need them or are not downloading them.
I usually feel more secure after downloading the security updates recommended by my operating system’s manufacturer. However, an unfortunate incident involving patches for Internet Explorer has made me realize that my sense of security might actually be false or misplaced.
Killer Pills
Microsoft has recently released 2 updates for its latest Web browser (IE 7). The first patch is Redmond’s answer to threats from Web sites that have infected COM objects. Accessing these poisoned pages could allow third parties to access and take control of your system. The other solution that Microsoft has released for IE 7 is the patch for its property method, an internal function of the browser.
Needless to say, these patches are critical. Failure to download these updates could result into crashes or unwanted intrusions. Ironically though, installing them could also produce the same undesirable results.
Experts have warned that Vista users who installed the said updates might experience a number of problems, including a complete refusal by the browser to function altogether. The problem lies in the failure of IE to locate, use, or recognize changes in the location of the operating system’s Temporary Internet Files folder.
Not Just Vista
Vista users are not the only ones who are plagued by this glitch. There are reports that Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2, and Windows Server 2003 users have also experienced problems after installing the updates. Accessing Windows and Microsoft Update might become problematic or even impossible for them.
I’m sure Microsoft is already coming up with a solution to the problem that was originally intended as the solution to a problem. Sounds confusing? Well, anybody would definitely be confused if the program that they thought would deliver them from malware actually delivered malware to them. This unfortunate event should not discourage users from religiously keeping their system updated, though. I think it’s safe to say that this catastrophe is just an isolated incident. Sure, there were already previous occasions where patches ended up stretching the hole that it was supposed to cover in the first place. But, as I’ve already intimated earlier, no program is perfect. And that goes double for patches.
June 21st, 2007
I’ve lamented in my May 25 article that chip makers are churning out multicore processors like there’s no tomorrow. Although Intel and AMD’s intention of building processors induced by steroids hasn’t gone past the blueprint stage yet, the two companies promised that it will materialize sooner than many expect.
What For?
You might be surprised at the word that I’ve used to describe the dizzying pace at which chip producers are coming up with new and more powerful products. Of course, having a faster processor is not a development that anybody should grieve about. On the contract, it’s a news that everybody should welcome.
What is lamentable though, is that the extra speed might be rendered meaningless if programs would not be able to utilize the extra cores. Take note that nothing much has changed in the past few years in application design. Many software authors are still writing codes that recognize only single core processors.
With Software Makers in Mind
Though application authors admit that they are having a hard time in keeping up with their counterparts in the chip making industry, the latter isn’t in the mood to underscore the formers’ shortcomings. In fact, designers and scientists at Intel are lending a few of their cores (the natural, biological ones) to PC manufacturers and application developers in order for them to quickly adapt to the new trend in chip design.
Intel knows that arriving at the finish line first is practically meaningless. Throwing esoteric designs at software makers would certainly be of no help in their campaign to maximize the use and potentials of their multicore chips. This is the reason why the company has decided to retain the x86 design of its chips. X86 processing cores are the ones being used today in many of Intel’s chips and servers. Many software developers are already familiar with this design. Hence, Intel expects that they won’t be having a hard time catching up.
A Lending Hand
The world’s most popular chip producer might chew some of the meat that software makers should be swallowing. Ordinarily, the task of telling the chip on what processes should be done or prioritized falls on application developers. Intel wants to hasten up the shift to multicore computing by taking up the task of directing traffic that goes in and out of its processor, arranging operations according their importance. The company intends to do this by making cores share caches.
Not Perfect
While Intel is bullish that multicore chips would become the industry standard within half a decade’s time, it admits that there are still a number of issues that it has to be resolved in order to ensure that the chip would be able to shuffle processes without a glitch. One of the company’s major concerns is heat. At the speed by which multicore processors will transfer data, it would not be surprising that the temperature levels inside the CPU will rise several degrees higher. Intel is still looking for an efficient way to curb heat buildup.
Adaptation
One of the ways by which software adapts to new hardware, or vice versa, is the incorporation of device drivers which updates both programs and peripherals about the changes. This is the most practical way of updating your system and making sure that they work harmoniously despite the significant changes. So don’t harbor the misconception that a device driver finder is only useful during the release of new operating systems. You will definitely need this tool when changes occur in your system.
June 14th, 2007
Microsoft has taken another step in trying to hasten the deployment of its new operating system to business all over the world.
The software giant has recently announced that it will release a software that would enable businesses to try a virtual version of Windows Vista. This would allow Microsoft’s corporate clients to see if the OS would work without any hiccup with the applications that they are using.
Holding Their Horses
Both small and big companies alike have been hesitant in discarding their old OS for Vista. Despite the fact that Microsoft’s latest offering has already been out for about five months already, many are still worried that they might just end up reverting back to their original operating system due to compatibility problems.
Microsoft has been addressing the problem by issuing updates, patches, and Vista drivers regularly. Software and hardware manufacturers are also doing their share by releasing new drivers for their old products. Despite these developments, many still harbor the misconception (or is it) that a number of their programs would not work on the new OS.
Painless Solution
Device driver finders on the Internet are also allaying compatibility worries by providing an instant and lasting solution to the dilemma. Many are resorting to these problem solvers instead of manually searching and installing the needed drivers. While many have successfully tracked down the needed updates and installed them to their systems without a glitch, a similar number of computer users have unfortunately encountered a frustrating experience in getting their hands dirty on the task. Many often download the wrong sets of drivers, causing more problems to their already troubled PC. Device driver finders eliminate the hassle of having to find and install the necessary updates or drivers by doing all these automatically.
The Real Problem
While IT managers hailed the release of the Virtual Hard Drive (VHD) Test Drive, critics noted that the program only answered the issue of deployment and hasn’t answered the problem regarding hardware and software compatibility. If this is true, them Microsoft has again failed in its effort to try to shorten their corporate clients’ timetable in shifting to Vista. Many businesses have professed that deployment is not the problem, but compatibility. Indeed, it would be a nightmare for them to deal with a software that wouldn’t work with the ones that they’re already using.
Aside from the release of the VHD, Microsoft has also announced that it would roll out its Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) next month with a new feature that would enable IT managers to identify desktop errors and easily implement the fix or solution to all the units that they are overseeing.
Inevitable
Many companies are expected to take the shift by the end of the year. Microsoft said that the average time for businesses to adopt a new OS after its release is between 12-18 months. It would then seem that Bill Gates is right on track in virtually taking over thousands of corporations around the globe without acquiring a single stock in any of them.
June 6th, 2007
Still complaining that your PC isn’t fast enough?
Your pleas for more computing speed and muscle might be justified if your computer is being powered by an Intel Celeron processor. However, if you’re unit has a dual core chip, chances are is that you won’t be pulling your hair out of frustration whenever you’re loading or running an application no matter how big it is.
Gone are the days when chipmakers are lagging behind software producers in coming up with the best product. Before the advent of multiple core processors, programs often sip the life out of computers. Image or video-editing software usually makes the latest PC look like a has-been. Today, dual or quad core computers treat such power-hungry applications like they’re just DOS-based programs.
Sky’s the Limit
If you’re going to listen to Intel or AMD, there seems to be no limit as to the number of cores that a chip could have. Soon, there will be no program that’s too heavy enough for processors to load or run. Microsoft’s latest OS is currently flexing the muscles of the two leading chipmakers’ products. However, many believe that Vista’s warning regarding system requirements would already become inconsequential once quad or multiple core PCs start to roll out in the market and replace the single and dual core chips that are currently considered as industry standards.
Chip producers are currently making their counterparts in the software industry eat dust. By late this year or early next year, there will be no application that’s big or complicated enough for any processor. A few years ago, software makers were complaining that the available processors are just not powerful enough in order to fully exploit the potentials and capabilities of their products. At present, Intel and AMD are now the ones that are complaining that program authors are not taking advantage of the power or features of the latest processors. Many programs are still being written for single core chips.
The Turtle Wakes Up
The laggard pace at which software makers are trying to exploit the new progress in chip design was the topic in the recently concluded Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) in Los Angeles. Application authors now admit that they may have been slow in redesigning their products in order to fully exploit the power of the latest processors.
One of the interesting notes or tidbits that were floated in the conference was the need for the next Windows program to be architecturally different from its present design. Microsoft’s Ty Carlson admitted that Vista is not designed to take advantage of the 16 or more cores or threads that would soon be the industry standard. He further lamented that while Vista is already lagging behind in the race to keep up with the developments in the chip-making business, other applications fare unforgivably worse.
Vista Shortcoming
I’m sure that many would be elated by the news that the next Microsoft OS would already be able to flex all the muscles of the latest multiple core processors from Intel and AMD. However, I’m also certain that many Vista users would start to ponder if their decision to shift to Vista was a wise investment or not. I’m not sure if the news would dampen Vista sales since some might entertain the thought of delaying their migration from XP and just wait for the new Windows to be released.
I’m currently happy with Vista. However, I would definitely want an OS that could fully exploit the capabilities of the processor that I’m using. I don’t mind going through the installation process of a Microsoft OS again, especially since device driver finders make the transition easy and headache-free. As long as I’ll be getting my money’s worth, I definitely wouldn’t mind spending for a new OS or a new unit.
May 25th, 2007
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