Windows 8 and Mac OSX Lion
Posted on Jun 16, 2011 by Peter Ellis in IT, News, Social Media
A few days ago some screenshot leaked from Microsoft developers showcasing the new PC operating system called Windows 8. As a true competitor, Apple followed Microsoft’s leak with their announcement of the new Mac OSX Lion.
I decided to look in to both promising operating systems and see what they are bringing to the table.
Both Windows and Mac are completely consumer-oriented and app-centered. The mobile world has evolved in last few years, to the point where there’s no such thing as a Dumb phone anymore – all phones are Smart, maybe even too smart. Well, desktop market has been mowing in the same direction for a couple of years now. Tablets, touch screens, app stores and cloud networking have dominated the personal computer/device market.
Windows 8 user-interface is completely based of the recently released Windows phone. The desktop is no longer a static image with icon shortcuts all over, it has evolved in to a dynamic, always changing dashboard, filled with tweets, blog posts, wall comments and feeds.
App store is front-center in Mac OSX Lion. Why settle for an app on your iPhone or even an iPad – get it for your iMac.
I think that this progressive evolution in personal computer space is great for consumers, but might not be that beneficial to the professionals.
Many companies have been blocking social media websites since MySpace days. Imagine upgrading to Windows 8 and having these sites update your dashboard – I’m not sure that employee productivity is going to rise.
Don’t get me wrong, I am big supporter of new technology and innovation, but there has to be a way to unplug. Maybe the panic room concept should be rethought and turned into something else.
These few speculations are based on research of two new operating systems, and I actually can’t wait to be able to test drive both of them to see how many new robust features they will be packed with.
IE9 vs Firefox 4
Posted on Mar 30, 2011 by Dennis Driscoll in IT
Upgrading your browsers, do you do it immediately or do you wait? Well, just for our readers (and poorly managed curiosity), I upgraded both as soon as I could. Well, that wasn’t a good idea. Here are some specifics: FireFox 4.0 – only 1 out of 7 plug-ins I use still work. This is bad as I depend on them daily. IE 9 – some sites that use asp, don’t work. I am repeatedly thrown from the website as the browser crashes. We all know this isn’t gonna fly.
Now for the noticeably good stuff in these browsers. They are both super fast, I mean Maserati sleek and cool fast. Websites that would normally take 5-6 seconds to come up (database driven), now come up in less than 2 seconds or are noticeably faster. Both have redesigned their user interface and look similar, and function quite the same. IE 9 has integrated itself fully with Windows 7 to create a better experience. IE9 has also become fully integrated with HTML 5 usage, enhanced developer tools and better add-on control. FireFox has added a menu button that allows for easier use, InPrivate browsing, and an app tab.
If you are looking for a seamless transition over to one of these browsers, wait 3 months. Sites that need to get updated to handle this code base will be up to date by then, and Microsoft, Mozilla and plug-in providers will have worked out the bugs.
I will periodically update this post for those of you who want to know my findings.
Microsoft Office 2010 is out
Posted on May 12, 2010 by Peter Ellis in IT, News
Microsoft Office 2010 Beta version is available for download now. Come to think of it, I started using the Office programs back in 2000. It has been 10 years and I am still using the software today. I could not let go of the Microsoft Office software, even though I am a Mac user.
It sure does look and function better then it did back in 2000. You can view the top 10 benefits of the Microsoft Office 2010 here.
Mashable wrote a good article describing top 5 most intriguing features of Microsoft Office 2010.
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