02 July 2003

Weird, Bill Gates on Longhorn (USA Today). Blimey he looks to have aged a lot, or I haven't seen a picture recently, and there is definitely something odd about that hair. But this is the weirdest bit: How far (is Longhorn) down the road? BG: Years. At this time we're doing the prototyping — feasibility studies, performance studies. We don't have a date because what we have is a technological breakthrough that we have to really make sure we refine and get right. Then we'll get to the point where we'll set up an engineering schedule. Perhaps someone should tell Scoble, perhaps someone should tell the chaps at the PDC. Worse, what he wibbles about in the article I would hardly call a technological breakthrough; heck much of it just sounds like yet another go at Active Channels but this time more tightly integrated into the UI than panels on the Active Desktop. I dunno, is it me, but I really can't get over enthusiastic about a bit of software that tells me that the menu down the local restaurant has changed tonight. I suppose I'm dull boring and middle aged with kids and live in rural nowhere - I don't care whats on the menu tonight, I'd just like to go out!. If the PDC is prototype code yet to go through feasability studies etc then its not worth going. posted at: 10:03:22 AM   I just downloaded a copy of ActiveSMART after my BIOS told me to replace my HDD on my desktop computer. The only reason I noticed this was because I had to replace the power supply in my desktop... I found that this utility does a great job of telling me exactly what my HDD's are up to on my computer. It also helps to demystify for me exactly what S.M.A.R.T. diagnostics actually are. .... It's well worth the $24.95. [iunknown.com] I use SCSI disks so got to check out what the ASPI driver is, but ActiveSMART looks useful if the box is on most of the time. posted at: 9:40:47 AM   Klip Folio Is the sort of thing we can do, and should? posted at: 8:41:38 AM   Richard Tallent lays out a compelling future for Internet apps. Then he asks "Scoble, am I close?" I am gonna hide behind the NDAs on this one. There's just too much to Longhorn to say whether or not this is close to what 2005+ will look like. See ya in late October! [The Scobleizer Weblog] I reckon he's close, but then I thought they would do (much of this) years ago and look how wrong I've been - just what problem were HTAs meant to solve? And if you want something that does some of this prior to 2005, then Zeepe 7 might be of interest. posted at: 8:39:47 AM

© Copyright 2003 Pete Cole. Last update: 12/08/2003; 09:30:44.