The Beta News » Windows

Windows Vista And Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 Beta Available On Technet

Dennis Bjørn Petersen — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:58:09 +0000

I’ve just downloaded Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta from TechNet Plus. I was a bit surprised to see Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 Beta in the same pack.

I didn’t even know there was a Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 1?! Why yes there is. It’s already built into Windows Server 2008. Pretty clever huh?!

You can read the most notable changes in Windows Server 2008 SP2 Beta and Windows Vista SP2 Beta here.

Now the question remains. Should I install Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta on my work laptop?

Would you dare install it on your “production” PC?

Speaking of Windows. According to ZDNet we could expect Windows 7 Beta 1 in January.

What’s On Your Computer Chris Pirillo?

Dennis Bjørn Petersen — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:07:08 +0000

It’s the season premiere of What’s On Your Computer aka. Show Me Your Desktop. I’ll continue with the akas’. Chris Pirillo aka L0ckergn0me will kick this season off.

You can’t write about Chris Pirillo without linking to a lot different sites. Chris and his wife Ponzi are the minds behind the increasingly popular technology conference Gnomedex.

Chris Pirillo is also behind the community called Geeks!, where geeks meet and discuss everything from Mac tutorials to recipes and L0ckergn0me Blog Network, where you can get your own blog and get paid.

I have a feeling that I forgot something…Ah yes…Chris live streams from his home every day, which has a very active chat. His YouTube channel features some of the tech reviews, advice or tips from the live stream.

Then, of course, there is also just Chris’ blog Chris Pirillo, which has everything from coupons and contests to discussions on FriendFeed.

What is your background picture?

Always changes based on:

http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/02/28/how-to-create-your-own-wallpapers-with-oxidizer/

http://chris.pirillo.com/category/wallpapers

Why did you chose that picture?

Well, it’s what came up – and what caught my eye.

You have both a personal and a work computer, which program do you use the most on your personal computer?

Adium, Mail.app, Linkinus, Safari… on either / both.

Which program do you use the most on your work computer?

All of the above, but the one that’s most important to me is Mail.app (which is quite superior to Outlook with managing Internet mail and threads – considering I used Outlook for 10 years, you should take that statement seriously).

Which web browser is your preferred browser?

Safari, believe it or not – it isn’t perfect, but I use it in conjunction with OpenDNS URL shortcuts and get by without too much strain or stress. Moved over from Maxthon in Windows and haven’t really seen massive issues (I do wish Safari would not open more than one window at a time).

Why is it your favourite browser?

It’s fast, fast, fast – even on Windows, it’s fast. It’s getting faster, it’s getting leaner, it’s staying clean, and it just works. I don’t necessarily need wacky toolbars (though accompanying SEO widgets would be nice). Firefox is there as a backup, and v3.0 is looking quite nice on Mac OS X to boot.

What is your favourite program and why?

Depends on what I need, honestly. My favorite program is always task sensitive – always. There are best of breeds, certainly (but no single favorite that stands out). If I were to call a “favorite”, it would actually be Mac OS X – and I know that it’s not perfect, but the collection of apps OOTB (the platform, the experience, the speed, etc.) make it more of a perfect storm than anything I had found with Windows to date.

Which program is the worst?

The one I’m not using? Actually, the worst programs are the ones not very well designed on the surface – and the converse is equally as true (a pretty app that runs like a dog will only be useful so long as it remains without competition in the marketplace).

Do you have any tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your computer or blog?

Challenge convictions, try new things, don’t cheat the system, don’t base your beliefs on someone else’s opinions (make up your own mind), and don’t be afraid to be yourself.

What kind of world are we living in?

An increasingly-connected one, an overtly-borderless one, a dangerous one… turn, turn, turn.

The last thing I would need is a screenshot of your desktop.

It’s boring – just a wallpaper, and you now have a link directly to it. I have a clean desk / desktop.

Thank you very much Chris! (Oh and just a small side note: Chris answered my email 5 minutes after I sent it. That’s a new record)

My Quest For The Apple Part Deux

Dennis Bjørn Petersen — Thu, 22 May 2008 10:56:16 +0000

As you might have read, I’m on a quest for either a MacBook or a PC. The comments in the latest post clearly shows that the battle between Apple and Microsoft – or OS X and Windows – is very easy to spot.

Which one offers the most value? Since both the MacBooks (Pro) or generic PC have the same hardware specifications, it all comes down to the operating system.

The noble art of OS-bashing goes on…

After reading many blogs about people who has switched from Windows to Mac (so called switchers), I see a pattern, that most switchers follow.

The blogger is very often a very loyal Windows “follower”. To the surprise of the blogger, he/she learns from friends and relatives, that they actually love this OS X-stuff.

Fundamental differences

Ok then now the blogger has bought a Mac and he describes the differences between the two operating systems. Somebody has moved the “Close-button” from right to left. Then they realise that a program isn’t just shut down in OS X.

After a couple of weeks most switchers are getting the hang of it and they seem to be rather fascinated about the new OS.

A sense of joy, you only get from a few brands, seems to characterize a lot of Mac people.

Of course, everything isn’t a dance on roses. There are also stories about the total opposite experience, but not many.

It’s like many Mac owners, new and old, have a new look on life and they almost feel sorry for PC users. They haven’t seen the light.

From a PC owners point of view, this state of mind is often seen as arrogant and fanatic. Some Mac owners are used to the accusation of being a part of a cult. If a happy owner is a cultist, then perhaps that’s true.

THE Brand

The joy of owning a Mac is very visible at the 2008 edition of Brandchannel’s annual brandjunkie survey, where almost 2,000 marketing people are asked about different brands. The survey is not about ranking the brands, but about values like, “who would you site next to at a dinner party?”

The result is a certain victory for Apple with six top positions and one second. Microsoft got two top placements and one second.

14.6% of the questioned people would rather sit next to Apple at the dinner party, while 4.1% would prefer Virgin. It seems that people identify the companies with the figureheads and prefer Steve Jobs and Richard Branson.

Another interesting question is:”If a brand was sent 100 years back in time, how would they influence history?”. Again Apple wins by 15.5%, while Microsoft come in second with 10.4%. I’m not sure that I agree with that.

They would have a lot to say about world events, business and what is likely to happen in the future. They could also be quite good fun and have a different view of the world. A good combination of work and non-work conversation.

The first victory to Microsoft could be a sour apple (pun intended). 6% would rather discuss matters with Microsoft. Apple come in second with 4%. I wonder what they would discuss with Microsoft.

Very Inspiring

Apparently Apple inspires people. 22% of the voters say that Apple is the most inspirational brand. Nike comes in second with 6%.

Microsoft isn’t among the top 10 brands.

So has this small analysis taken me closer to a decision? Should I be a part of the Cupertino cult and be another victim in a cynic strategy?

My Quest For The Apple Part 1

Dennis Bjørn Petersen — Mon, 19 May 2008 13:05:14 +0000

As many of my twitter followers probably are aware of I’m currently working on getting my hands on a MacBook Pro or just a MacBook. I just can’t make up my mind.

I’ve been a happy Windows-user for many years. Way back when you typed Windows in DOS to start Windows 3.11 for Workgroups.

But I haven’t really gotten over the disappointment of Windows Vista. A year ago I “leased” big HP Notebook with 17″ screen and Windows Vista Home Premium, but it was so dang slow.

When I started my new job a few months ago I had to return the HP Notebook to my previous employee. (It’s tax/employee benefit-thing). I’ve been without a laptop since April 1st. I have a company one, but I’m not using that one for private stuff.

Instead of buying a new Dell XPS something, I decided that I wanted a MacBook Pro. A quick trip to Apple.com/store quickly gave me a price indication – $2,499 for a MacBook Pro. Ok, I can live with that.

How much does it cost in Denmark then? Dkr. 17,299 or $3,460! I can buy a return-trip to New York, buy a MacBook Pro and still save money compared to the Danish price.

Of course, if I get busted in customs, the saving is gone, but I can fly out of Hamburg (Germany) and avoid customs that way.

Why would I want a MacBook? As I mentioned Windows Vista has been quite the disappointment, but another my interview series “Show Me Your Desktop” has had a huge influence on the decision too.

It’s a part of my world domination problogger plan too.

So where am I going with this? Well initially this was meant as an intro to my Apple Mac research post, but the intro has become so long, that I’ll write that in a second post. Therefore this is called “My Quest For The Apple Part 1″.

In Part Deux I’ll write about how strong a brand Apple really is and why people become “switchers”.

Who Do You Fring?

Dennis Bjørn Petersen — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:58:42 +0000

Applications for the Apple iPhone aren’t taking up the internet bandwidth and space. Actually only one company have developed an VoIP (Voice over IP) application, the Israeli company fring.

If you haven’t heard about fring, then perhaps you know one of the people behind it – Avi Schechter. He was one of the founder of the once very popular chat-program ICQ. I still remember my ICQ number 7914159, which was stolen by a hacker some time ago.

The idea behind fring is free access to your favourite instant messaging service like Windows Live Messenger, Google Talk or AIM. You can also connect to your Skype contacts and use twitter.

It requires some kind of high-speed connection. That can be either 3G, Wi-Fi or GPRS. I wouldn’t recommend the latter though.

Since you often will use 3G (or GPRS) I would recommend a free data-plan. fring might be free, but the data you are transmitting when talking through Skype isn’t. You’ll still get a bill from your service provider.

I’ve been a happy fring-user for almost a year now. I have it on my Nokia N80IE and Nokia E51. If I had an Apple iPhone I would install it on it too.

As I mentioned fring is the first company to launch a VoIP application for iPhone. You can download fring for iPhone here.

Jonathan MacDonald has written a guide to installing fring on iPhone.

So do you fring while you Skype? Or is it the other way around?

Linking By The Beta News

Dennis Bjørn Petersen — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 11:52:12 +0000

Windows 7 milestone is ready next year. According to many rumours, some sort of release milestone of Windows 7 will be ready in a year. (I guessed that in January). Paul Thurrott has a screenshot gallery of Windows 7.
Twingly, the spam-free blog search engine, launched it’s private beta last week. I’ve got my hands on 10 invitations and I can get a bunch more. Some are calling it the next Technorati. Let me know if you are interested.
Dan from Minute44.com spent a great deal of time helping me correcting a few design issues on The Beta News. I really appreciate the help and I think you should stop by Minute44.com and check out Dan’s blog!