How not to announce a consumer electronics device in 2012 – a lesson from Nokia

How not to announce a consumer electronics device in 2012 – a lesson from Nokia

When you get a piece of spam, there are a couple of key components to it. There’s a subject line – intended to make the reader excited to “make money fast” or “make cheap international phone calls”. There’s an assortment of flattering text, sometimes pictures, and other components to the message, designed to both delude and confuse the reader into thinking this is a legitimate offer. Finally, there’s a call to action. A hook. In most spam, this is a…

Read More Read More

Windows to Go where exactly?

Windows to Go where exactly?

Recently, I’ve seen a lot of excitement around Windows to Go, a new feature available in Windows 8. Windows to Go (WTG) enables Windows 8 (Enterprise) to boot from a USB Flash Drive (UFD). Fundamentally, WTG includes three technical features: Windows support for USB boot (including USB 3.0) Support for installing and running Windows from a removable USB hard drive (yes, this is a different line item than 1) Support for handling “surprise removal” of Windows without hanging or crashing….

Read More Read More

Mobile isn’t a URL. Stop treating it like one.

Mobile isn’t a URL. Stop treating it like one.

The other day, a friend on Twitter noted the difficulty he was having in sharing a mobile URL. You know the type – http://mobile.foo.com/. For many years, people have ranted about the lack of utility of the “www” prefix on Websites – yet here we are, with a generation of sites getting obnoxious “mobile” prefixes instead. Hit  a mobile site from your iPad – even when you’re not mobile, share it with a friend, and they’re not guaranteed to see…

Read More Read More

Exchange ActiveSync – it’s the new domain join

Exchange ActiveSync – it’s the new domain join

If you have been following the development of Windows 8 – in particular as Windows RT – the variant of Windows destined for ARM-based processors, there’s a good chance you heard the collective weeping earlier this year about Windows RT, and what it meant to the manageability (or unmanageability, as the case may be) of Windows RT devices. The fact that Windows RT devices cannot be joined to a Windows Active Directory domain may at first glance seem like a…

Read More Read More

The odd couple…

The odd couple…

Just over two weeks ago, my ThinkPad did the unthinkable. It died. Technically, the hard drive died. All that really matters is that 1)I lost a ton of data I hadn’t backed up (BAD GEEK!), and 2)I didn’t have a computer for almost 3 days. What I did have was a Samsung Series 7 slate. A colleague had gone to the Office 2013 launch and was given a loaner device that he had lent to me for a while. Equipped…

Read More Read More

My social media rules of engagement

My social media rules of engagement

I’m tired of talking about vapor. I’m tired of beating back rumors and gossip. The rules that follow are for both my followers as well as myself. I’ve recently been realizing how much time I waste in what I am calling “vapor debates”. These are conversations where time is forever lost because I make the mistake of commenting on vapor news, or I stupidly respond after a follower on Twitter nicely asks me my thoughts on (INSERT VAPOR). I’m done. If…

Read More Read More

The Windows Registry – It seemed like a good idea at the time

The Windows Registry – It seemed like a good idea at the time

Before I begin, I will disclaim two things. First, I am not a developer. Second, I was not at Microsoft during the formative years of Windows, nor was I there for the creation of Windows 95 or NT 3.1 – I was there during the development of Windows XP and the first 2/3rds of Longhorn’s gestation into Vista. Depending on who you ask, the Windows Registry is either a necessary evil, or just plain evil. The registry was never intended…

Read More Read More

Stupid SkyDrive Tricks

Stupid SkyDrive Tricks

The iPad is equipped with many things. One of those things is a double-edged sword that can reach out and cut you. The beauty of the iPad is it’s simplicity. However, when you live in a Windows world and use an iPad, you often run into places where Apple’s simplicity runs counter to getting things done. Now, many of you will snicker at what follows. Some will shake your head, and say, “WTH?”. Still others will say, “Why doesn’t he…

Read More Read More

Windows 8 – Who moved my desktop?

Windows 8 – Who moved my desktop?

After I graduated from college, I briefly sold Volkswagens. As I’ve pondered the metamorphosis of Windows from a desktop-focused to a tablet-focused operating system, I keep reliving an experience with a specific customer during that time. This customer came in, and when engaged, said – perhaps unsurprisingly, “I want to buy a car”. I asked him what kind of car he was looking for. He replied, “either a VW Cabrio or a Toyota pickup”. I’d heard customers thinking of a…

Read More Read More

Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8 – The fork in the road

Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8 – The fork in the road

I’ve spent a fair amount of time recently trying to get to know PowerShell. I’ve never been a developer, but I did write a fair amount of Windows Script Host (WSH) both at Microsoft and since then – much to the chagrin of some of the developers I worked with. The more time I’ve spent with PowerShell, Windows Server 2012, and Windows 8, the more I’ve realized that we’re at the beginning of something pretty unusual – in a way,…

Read More Read More