My partner – otherwise known as 'The Boss' – recently decided to invest in a laptop to help her work from home more frequently, and also to assist with a distance learning course she is currently studying for.

As the unpaid technical support, it became my job to help pick out a model that would meet both her needs and her budget. As always seems to be the case, this advice could be parodied as "buy the most powerful processor and the largest memory capacity you feel you can afford". Job done, I thought. Oh, but all the models she was interested in run something called Windows Vista – is that a problem? Not at all, I said.

How wrong can you get? The laptop takes an eternity to boot up, and seems to spend an inordinate amount of its time chugging away at the hard disk. Vista makes a brand new system with a 1.7GHz dual-core Athlon 64 processor and 1GB of memory feel like a Reliant Robin trying to climb a very steep hill.

The new user interface has also caused some difficulties. I'd grown accustomed to this after using the beta releases of Vista last year, but The Boss expressed her frustration at the disappearance of familiar landmarks as 'My Computer' and also her utter contempt for Vista's much-vaunted search facilities.

The lesson from all of this is just how easy it is for us techies to forget how daunting computers can be to those less familiar with it all. In this respect, I am coming to believe that Windows Vista is actually a retrograde step from earlier versions; the Windows 95 desktop was a huge advance over Windows 3.1 in making it as clear as possible to untrained users exactly what they had to do to find programs and other information.

By comparison, Vista's user interface seems to have been thrown together in a hurry by someone desperate to differentiate it from other operating systems and earlier versions of Windows.

Then there are the compatibility issues. The Boss has already run into problems with some applications she wants to use. But it's not as simple as Microsoft saying that a program will not work; instead, one particular application installs and runs fine, then in the middle of being used, throws up an odd bizarre error message that gives little clue about what might be causing the problem.

Small wonder, then, that businesses whose bottom line depends on their workers being able to actually get their job done have so far regarded Vista with a less than friendly eye. You might argue that all new versions of Windows have thrown up compatibility issues, but these were minor compared to the troubles Vista seems to have. I regularly use several handy little utilities that were designed for Windows 95 on my office system running Windows XP, for example, and they work just fine.

Based on this experience, My advice for businesses is; don't assume that your users will be able to operate Vista without some training, and don't even begin to consider migrating until every application you need to run has a Vista-compatible version available. Whatever some people might say, Vista is possibly the biggest ever change in the Windows platform, full stop.

Posted by Daniel Robinson on October 25, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (6)

When in early 2006, Microsoft unveiled some of the new features to come in Windows Vista, some Apple followers were quick to point out the similarities between the Windows Sidebar and the Dashboard introduced in Mac OS X 10.4. Both of these features host small applets, snippets of code that provide at-a-glance access to information such as weather updates.

However, during a recent clear-out at IT Week's offices, I discovered some faded old presentation slides from a Microsoft reviewer's workshop for Windows XP and Office XP. There, in a presentation given by Rick Rashid of Microsoft's research division, is a screenshot showing an early version of the Windows Sidebar.

Back then, the technology was called Sideshow and was being used internally by some Microsoft workers, and I now recall that Rashid gave a brief demonstration, showing how it displayed the status of his instant messaging buddy list and how many unread emails were sitting in his inbox.

This is not quite the same as the Sidebar and Gadgets that ship as standard with Vista, but still recognisably the same concept. My notes accompanying the slides are dated 6th April 2001, which pre-dates the launch of OS X 10.4 by four years.

Rashid also talked about other projects that Microsoft was working on, including something called TerraServer, which from the old slides looks remarkably similar to Google Earth. As part of a user interface talk, he also demonstrated a Pocket PC handheld that had been fitted with motion sensors so that the display scrolled up or down or panned left or right, depending on how it was tilted. Sound familiar?

Perhaps Microsoft is in danger of following the example of Xerox's former Palo Alto Research Center (Parc), which is known for inventing useful things such as the graphical user interface, but failing to capitalise on them?

Posted by Daniel Robinson on May 30, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)

RIM's announcement of a software 'virtual BlackBerry' to run on Windows Mobile handsets came as a surprise to many, including me. On the face of it, the move seems difficult to comprehend, as Microsoft's handheld platform is a direct rival for the BlackBerry – even more so when it is coupled with a corporate Exchange Server capable of delivering push email.

However, if RIM's explanation can be believed, the company genuinely seems to be putting the interests of its customers first with the BlackBerry application suite, giving them the ability to manage other handsets as if they were a BlackBerry.

It is a bit of a cliché that the executives in a firm all have BlackBerry handhelds, while other workers have to settle for a less glamorous phone, but there is some reality behind this.

Many organisations have a diverse mobile infrastructure, and according to RIM, IT managers have been telling the company that they would really like to have the same level of control over other devices as they have over their BlackBerry clients.

RIM already enables handsets from other vendors to link with BlackBerry mail servers via its BlackBerry Connect programme, but it appears that this just doesn't deliver everything that business customers want.

"It's not that BlackBerry Connect has been a failure, but there have been differing rates at which BlackBerry technology has been incorporated into third-party handsets," said Tony Cripps, wireless analyst at Ovum.

The solution? Deliver a full BlackBerry environment that can run on other handsets that such customers are using. Of course, you have to ask why RIM picked Windows Mobile, but this is due to the company's mindset as a North American enterprise vendor, according to Cripps, who said we can expect to see versions for other platforms such as Symbian in the future.

However, it could also prove a risky strategy for RIM, as Jason Langridge, Microsoft's mobility business manager for Europe, pointed out in his blog;

"This is an interesting move as it does provide a great opportunity for Lotus Domino or Groupwise users to utilise Windows Mobile devices with their backend infrastructure.  It also underpins Windows Mobile as the platform beyond email and may prove somewhat dangerous to RIM as customers have a very easy path to then switch to native Exchange Direct Push."

In other words, it might provide firms with a painless way to switch from the costly BlackBerry Enterprise Server over to Exchange Server, which includes wireless capabilities at no extra cost.

Posted by Daniel Robinson on April 26, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

HTC could be onto a winner with its S620 Windows Mobile handset. The device is slim and lightweight, yet manages to squeeze in a qwerty keypad, making it easier to tap out text messages and emails. It also has a relatively large screen, which is easier to read than the tiny displays of candy-bar style handsets.

The device resembles a BlackBerry somewhat, but is actually smaller and lighter. I've been using it for a few days now, and it also seems to have a better battery life than is often the case with other Windows Mobile handsets.

On the downside, the S620 is a GPRS/EDGE phone, and so does not have 3G network support. But it does have Wi-Fi, and I found it simple to configure for my home WLAN. It is also smart enough to automatically use Wi-Fi for faster web browsing, if this connection is available.

On first impressions, this looks like one of the most desirable handsets I've seen so far, combining the low weight of a candy-bar phone with the features you would otherwise expect in a  larger and heavier wireless device. Look out for a full review of the HTC S620 in future.

Posted by Daniel Robinson on November 30, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (2)

BitLocker does work, it seems.

My queries to Dell about BitLocker and their OptiPlex 745 corporate desktop paid off, and the company this week sent me a tool to upgrade the Bios firmware of the system.

The upgrade itself is a single executable file that lets you upgrade the Bios from within Windows. This is a welcome relief – the last time I had to patch the Bios of a computer, it involved booting from a system disk, then issuing a series of arcane command line instructions. Just as well – our OptiPlex review unit did not come with a floppy disk to boot from.

I held my breath anxiously while the Dell utility re-booted the computer and applied the update, before re-starting Windows.

Next, I faced another hurdle. BitLocker requires an extra disk partition of at least 1.5GB capacity, and although I had carefully set this up, Windows constantly threw up an error message stating that the disk configuration was incorrect.

It looked like there was nothing for it but to start the Vista install from scratch. Fortunately, this is not too onerous a task. Booting from the Vista DVD and bypassing the install takes you to a menu of recovery options, from where you can access a command line and the DISKPART storage configuration tool.

Following instructions from Microsoft's TechNet site, I created a small disk partition and set it as active, then created a larger partition filling the rest of the drive's free space. The latter is where Windows gets installed.

Once Vista had been re-installed onto the hard drive, it was just a question of turning on BitLocker. This gives you the option to store a recovery password on a USB Flash drive in case recovery of the data is needed later. I had previously activated the OptiPlex's TPM and set a password.

Encrypting the C: drive took well over an hour, but  I was able to continue using the system while this was happening. Once finished, the system does not seem to suffer any noticeable performance degradation from having the main Windows disk entirely encrypted.

However, these are the key things that IT managers thinking of deploying BitLocker should keep in mind; Firstly, even brand new corporate PCs may need a Bios update in order to support Microsoft's disk encryption tool. Secondly, the system needs to be fully prepared before Vista is installed. In many cases, it will probably be best to specify that the PC vendor or system integrator configures the disk ready for BitLocker before delivery.

Posted by Daniel Robinson on November 10, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1)

Premium versions of Microsoft's Windows Vista, such as the volume-license Enterprise edition, are set to include the BitLocker disk encryption tool when Vista becomes available.

Another proviso for using this is that systems must have a Trusted Platform Module (TPM), a chip on the motherboard that can securely store and generate encryption keys.

As part of recent tests for a review of Dell's OptiPlex 745 desktop, I installed Windows Vista RC2 to see how it performed. The OptiPlex also includes a TPM, so it seemed like a good opportunity to try out BitLocker.

The first obstacle to tackle was that Dell ships its systems with the TPM disabled by default, so I had to access the Bios setup and enable the chip. This is a two-part process on the OptiPlex; first you have to turn 'TPM Security' on, and then use a second menu option to activate the TPM.

Perhaps foolishly, I thought that Vista might then guide me through the rest of the process. I found the BitLocker option in the Security section of the Windows Control Panel and opened it, to be greeted with a message that helpfully stated 'Your system is not configured to use BitLocker drive encryption'.

Following a little background research, I returned to the system and sought out the new TPM Services module in the Microsoft Management Console. This has facilities to let you initialise a TPM and take ownership, which basically means setting a password to control the TPM. Windows can automatically create a strong password for you and save it to a file on a USB Flash disk, which I duly did.

Sadly, trying BitLocker again simply resulted in a message stating that the Bios was not correctly communicating with the TPM, and recommending that I contact the manufacturer to get an upgrade. Requests to Dell for help have so far not elicited any response, so BitLocker tests will have to wait for another day.

Posted by Daniel Robinson on November 2, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1)

After a few false starts, Dell has finally managed to deliver to IT Week Labs one of the dual-core desktop systems it launched this summer.

My delight at the compact small form factor case of the OptiPlex 745 was tempered slightly when I opened the accompanying monitor box to find a clunky old 17in CRT display. I sincerely hope that this is not a representative sample of what Dell regards as suitable for the modern business desktop.

With the release of Windows Vista just around the corner, I took the opportunity to install the most recent build available (RC2), and see how it performed on the OptiPlex, which represents the state-of-the-art for corporate desktop systems at the moment.

The results seem to suggest that newly bought systems will be adequate for Windows Vista, but no more than that, and so companies might, perhaps, want to wait a while before any upgrade to the new operating system.

After installation, Vista automatically runs an analysis of the computer's performance, and generates a Windows Experience Index (WEI) for overall performance, plus the performance of major subsystems such as processor, hard disk and graphics.

When RC2 booted up for the first time, I was somewhat puzzled to find that it rated the OptiPlex 745 with a WEI of just 1.0. This is lower than the 3.0 scored by the Fujitsu-Siemens Pentium 4 system I have been using to evaluate Vista so far.

Fortunately, the cause soon became apparent – RC2 had not installed suitable drivers for the embedded graphics functions of the Intel Q965 chipset, and it had defaulted to a standard VGA driver. Clicking on 'Update Driver' in Device Manager did not fix the problem, even when Vista was allowed to check back with Microsoft for a solution.

A quick search on Google located suitable drivers on Intel's web site, but it seems odd that Vista is this close to launch, but does not already include drivers for what is now Intel's mainstream business chipset.

With the new drivers in place, the WEI rose to a more respectable 3.4. This represents the score of the lowest performing subsystem, which was still the graphics – the processor and disk scores were both above 5.

However, a score of 3.4 is enough for users to enable the Aero user interface, which renders parts of the on-screen windows translucent, so that you can see what is behind them. The effect makes on-screen windows appear to be edged with smoked glass. Windows also blur open and closed, as if appearing out of the mist towards the user.

The neatest part of Aero is the way it lets you switch between running applications. Instead of Alt + Tab, you press the Windows key + Tab, and Vista morphs the open Windows into a 3D stack viewed from an isometric projection. Hitting Tab cycles through the open windows, like flicking through the cards in a Rolodex.

But all of this is just bells and whistles as far as most business customers will be concerned. All buyers need to know is that a system such as this will handle Windows Vista, but they should probably treat this as the baseline configuration when specifying new systems.

For the record, our review unit has a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 1GB memory and a 160GB Serial ATA hard drive. This is more than adequate for Windows XP, but buyers would be well advised to include double the memory, especially if they expect to be using these systems for more than a couple for years into the future.

Posted by Daniel Robinson on October 19, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Microsoft this week released a new beta version of its forthcoming Windows Vista, known as build 5536. This version is labelled 'Pre-RC1 Windows Vista Ultimate', although some of the Help documentation explicitly refers to RC1, suggesting that the first release candidate is now very close.

I have only had time for a brief look at this version, but some differences are already noticeable from the Beta 2 of a few months back. Firstly, Microsoft has fixed some of my earlier gripes - Vista now recognises the Intel 945G embedded graphics in our test PC without any problems, for example – and it also feels more responsive.

The first time Vista is run after installation, it now tests the PC's performance and reports an overall 'Windows Experience Index', plus sub-scores to indicate where the PC might be falling short. Not surprisingly, our test PC was held back by its graphics capabilities and returned a score of 3.0.

This overall score is reportedly on a scale of 1 to 5, although the links to 'What do these numbers mean?' and 'Learn more about these scores online' do not actually lead to any useful information at present.

Other differences from the earlier beta include Windows Defender, which is designed to block spyware, and Windows Mail, which replaces Outlook Express as the basic email client included with Vista.

This version also supports the BitLocker disk encryption tool, but I was unable to test this; it requires you to already have a separate data partition from that used to boot Windows, and a trusted platform module (TPM) to store the encryption key, which the test system lacks.

Posted by Daniel Robinson on August 31, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Desktop search is one of the areas supposedly getting a major revamp in Windows Vista, according to Microsoft. But if my experiences with the Beta 2 release are anything to go by, users are likely to be disappointed.

While trying out Vista, I did a quick search for a particular executable file. To my surprise, Vista couldn't find it. Trawling through the hard drive manually, I soon found the file was there after all. What was going on?

Microsoft seems to have optimised its Search tool in Vista chiefly for multimedia files. I'm sure that IT managers out there will be pleased to know how much easier it is for workers to find the digital photos and music they've stockpiled on their work PC, but what about other files?

Searching for anything else seems to have become a much more complicated and long-winded process than is currently the case with Windows XP.

For example, this is the process I went through to search for the install file for VMware's Player, which I had already downloaded to the PC. All seems well at first; Vista now puts an Instant Search box in the Start menu. Typing 'vmware', however, comes back with 'No items match your search'.

Trying the main search function, now called the Search Folder, elicits the same response. At this point, the inexperienced user will probably assume the file isn't there and give up.

However, you can choose a specific search location from the drop-down Search Index. Selecting the C: drive and clicking OK starts a search that eventually locates the VMware install file, but not until nearly thirty seconds have passed.

The search tool under Windows XP is often maligned, but is much easier to use and finds files much faster by comparison. Just select Search from the Start menu, click 'All files and folders', type 'vmware', and Windows finds the file almost instantly.

You may argue that the average office worker has little need to search for executables and other system files, but IT staff and other professional users will often need to. Why make it so tricky?

Posted by Daniel Robinson on August 18, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (2)

I’ve finally got around to installing the Beta 2 of Vista, Microsoft’s next-generation version of Windows, which is due either in November or sometime in early 2007, depending on whether you are a volume licensing customer or hoping to buy it on a new PC.

My initial reaction has been disappointment. Far from looking like a step into the future, Vista could easily be Windows XP with a new desktop theme applied. It also looks somewhat reminiscent of desktop Linux distributions to my eyes. 

Things have hardly got off to an auspicious start. I know this is a pre-release version of the software, but Vista seems to be having problems with the graphics adapter in our test PC, a Fujitsu-Siemens Esprimo. This is a fairly standard corporate desktop using the embedded graphics features of an Intel 945G chipset. Bizarrely, Vista says it has 'stopped this device because it has reported problems', a message quite clearly at odds with reality. I also lost all sound following the installation of Vista.

Device Manager in Vista now provides a button that offers to check online with Microsoft for a solution to a specific problem. I tried this, but the progress bar goes all the way across, and then….nothing happens. Again, allowances must be made for this being beta software, but searching online for drivers or even information about hardware problems with Vista seems to be a frustrating exercise. 

Microsoft seems to have gone for security in a big way with Vista. User Account Control changes the way privilege levels work, so that an administrator can perform most actions with a limited privilege level, elevating themselves to a higher level for specific administrative tasks. In practice, this means a pop-up dialog box appears every time you open the Device Manager console, for example, which asks you to verify that it was indeed you that initiated the action.

Vista Beta 2 also ships with Internet Explorer 7. This new version of Microsoft's browser adds tabbed browsing and a new-look user interface that largely does away with menus and relies instead on buttons. I found it somewhat difficult to find functions at first, such as how to open a new tab, but this is something that users will probably quickly get used to. Interestingly, IE 7 lets you specify more than one 'Home' page, and opens them all in separate tabs at startup. 

Vista seems quite stable from my brief hands-on experience so far, but Microsoft needs to address some of the hardware issues between now and the ship date.

Posted by Daniel Robinson on July 28, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0)