Today begins the first in a series of posts about the value in upgrading to Windows Vista.  I've decided to start out with a tough one, too.  I'm going to write about one of the most oft-maligned features in Windows Vista -- User Account Control...

Chances are, you've never heard of Windows Meeting Space.  It doesn't get a lot of attention.  In fact, in the best traditions of keeping cool new features quiet, we've been so quiet about this one that most people don't even know it is there...

While iSCSI might have the little "i" so common in Apple's naming schemes, it has nothing to do with Mr. Jobs.  In this case, the "i" stands for "Internet."  SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) is an interface...

I am the first to admit -- all of the items in this series are not stand-alone reasons to upgrade to Vista.  It is, for instance, hard for me to imagine some business setting where the volume mixer would be the be-all and end-all solution that has...

I've always loved this company.  I've only worked here two years, but the love affair began long, long ago (although it was in this galaxy).  I remember, back in the 80s, thinking how Microsoft had changed the world of software forever. ...

In honor of the Blue Monster (and keeping true to the reason I started this blog), I want to talk about Windows Mojave today.  You might not know what that is.  I didn't.  I read about it online .  What is it?  Is it the latest...

  This feature is so ingrained into my daily behavior now that I almost forgot about it.  I've been running Vista almost exclusively since fall of 2006 (beta).  Because of that, I'm having to rethink what is new (since it isn't really new...

In past versions of Windows, backing up your computer could be a chore.  Deciding which files to backup, then finding a good way to back them up often meant third party applications.  In Windows Vista, however, backing up your PC is a snap! ...

Did you know there's a time machine included with every copy of Windows Vista Enterprise, Business, and Ultimate?  It is not, unfortunately, the DeLorean from Back to the Future .  Of course, you don't need to be going 88 miles per hour to use...

I spent the weekend trying to think up some great business value scenarios for using Windows Media Center.  The truth is, I couldn't come up with many, though I did manage a couple: News -- you can watch headline news stories from NBC Nightly News...

It's tough to talk about ReadyBoost without some working knowledge of how the operating system deals with memory. That's why I am going to talk about it a bit. Basically, the amount of RAM (Random Access Memory -- usually referred to as simply, "memory...

You may have noticed I haven't made a posting here for a couple days. You, like many others, were probably sitting on the edge of your seat salivating for the next "Why Vista?" post only to be denied not once, but twice! What in the world was I thinking...

In previous posts, I've discussed Hyper-V. We have a new product out now, offering yet another option for your virtualization needs -- it's called Hyper-V Server 2008. How, you may wonder, is this product different from the Hyper-V I discussed here ?...

Last week, I started a series of posts outlining the great new features in Vista as a list of reasons you might want to upgrade.  Today brings us another great new feature included with Windows Vista -- one I use all the time in the creation of these...

What does the iPod have going for it?  It is ubiquitous.  It was out before the Zune and, frankly, more people own an iPod than own a Zune.  What does the Zune have going for it?  EVERYTHING else.  :)   This is a post that...

One of the other discussions which occurred at my Portland event was around Vista.  As always, there were some lovers and some haters.  I started the discussion and then let the audience go at it.  And, as usual, I was impressed by the...

This is my favorite holiday of the year.  I love the spookiness, the creepy, and the fact that I get to dress up and be someone else all day!  :)  Those of you who have been reading this blog for awhile know my love of pirates .  This...

In case you haven't heard, an out-of-band security update was released today for Internet Explorer 7. What Does This Mean? "Out-of-band" means that this release was important enough to be released outside of the normal monthly update cycle....

I had set a goal with my manager earlier in the year to achieve at least one more certification before the end of the year.  I'm happy to say I accomplished my goal with (in his words) hours to spare.  I headed down to Springfield on New Year...

First of all, if you missed out on the whole digital pet revolution, a Tamagotchi is a virtual pet.  It comes in a small computer (usually attached to a keychain) and requires attention to keep it from dying.  It needs to be fed, played with...

The much anticipated beta version of Windows 7 is now available for download.  You can find the link here.   It's a limited-release beta, so get it before it's gone.  (Actually, I just found out that the Windows Team has decided to allow...

This is a phrase I have heard more than once when discussing security.  It shouldn't come as a surprise -- it's why banks have vaults and secure facilities have fences.  Technology security is no different -- physical access to a PC trumps all...

If you haven't heard by now, then I will tell you -- last week, Microsoft laid off 1,400 employees . I was one of those 1,400. I'm not telling you this because I am looking for sympathy, but rather because I want to extend my sincere appreciation. While...

This is going to be different from my usual blog post.  I'm going back to my roots as an English major to craft something I don't get to write very often (anymore): an essay.  This isn't a post about how a product or technology can help you...

Last week, I posted a couple articles about Microsoft Office OneNote 2007.  I wanted to do a follow-up and tell you about some powertoys available for OneNote. These are posted on Daniel Escapa's (a Program Manager on the OneNote team) blog: Send...