Author: J

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Windows Live Writer – my new favorite program

 

I just installed Windows Live Writer on my home computer in order to play around with it and get to know it. I installed on my work notebook the other day, but I have been too busy to really kick the tires. The one great feature I discovered was the abillity to manage two or more Live Spaces from one application. I manage two Spaces, and it is a pain having to log in and out of the various web interfaces. Windows Live Writer takes care of that. All you have to do is enter the url of your blog, a long with log in and password, and you are ready to rock and roll. 

Anyway, I won’t spend too much time hyping this program because a lot of other people do. Let me just remind you that you need to install .Net framework and Windows Live Toolbar to run Live Writer.

Stay tuned for a review of my new favorite search engine – live.com. Find out how this search engine makes my life much easier.

 Update: I just tried to post to my Blogger test account and it works beautifully.

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Windows Vista and the future of Hardware

I just read this article over at Extreme Tech, dealing with the impact Windows Vista has on hardware vendors. Hopefully hardware companies will take a page out of the Apple playbook and increase their design effort. Now, you can say A LOT of bad things about Apple, but they know how to design really nice looking computers. Personally, I would rather not switch to a Mac, but admittedly, the design parameter makes it mighty tempting sometimes.
 
That being said, I find it mildly amusing how Apple is so focused on Windows Vista, considering the competitive environment. Apparently, they cannot get enough of this new OS, since they keep referring to it. Engadget has some pictures from the WWDC in San Fransisco. I wonder if this negative approach to branding will have a negative effect? Probably not among the die-hard fanboys, that make Scientology look like a a bunch of sexually confused sunday school rejects, but among the average computer user like yours truly. When it comes down to it these are just computers we are talking about; not some grand meaning of life. Granted, I will be the first in line to talk about “my personal relationship” with my PC, but that relationship is based on trust, respect, and understanding, NOT hate speeches  Do you know what I mean?
 
Anyway, as I said earlier I hope PC manufacturers will learn from Apple and create some mighty nice desktops
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Speaking of Notebooks

As per my rant from yesterday, I just wanted to share these pictures with you guys. They show a new Asus notebook with the Sideshow panel, which allows you to access certain features from your operating system even though it is closed. Pretty nifty.
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Windows Live Messenger Beta

Yes sir. I just got on to the beta testing program of the new IM client from Microsoft – Windows Live Messenger. It has some pretty nice features that we didn’t havein the previous versions, but since it is a beta not everything works as it should. The interface looks pretty nice and gives us an idea about the Vista interface (I guess). If you want to sign up for the beta program try here. If/when I get invites to send out I will post it here and anybody who wants one can have it. Of course, it will be based on the first come, first served principle.
 
By the way, I can highly recommend the Windows Live website. It’s really cool and works great as a start page.
 
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Hotmail invitation

Yesterday I didn’t get my invitation tp participate in the beta testing of the new Hotmail interface. The reason being that I am a Plus customer and therefore have access to additional features. Unfortunately there is a bug in the system, so until that is fixed I am not in the beta program.
 
On a totally different note, I went shopping with the family today, and my wife and daugter went to look for make up. Being the manly man that I am, I found it impossible to stand in the make up section whilr maintaing just a tiny bit of masculine dignity. I promptly moved out of the section and into what turned out to be the jewellry section, which did little to boost my sense of manhood. As the sweat started to break out on my forehead I started looking around to find a section in the grocery store which compliments my masculinity. Catfood and dairy was nearby, but that wasn’t a option. I am very allergic to cats, and diet yoghurt and I just don’t get a long. Luckily, next to the dairy section I see a whole self unit, displaying TACOS  What is more manly than Tacos i ask you? So there I am standing next to the tacos feeling manly, despite holding my wife’s shopping bag. So what is the point you might ask – damn, I don’t know. I guess I was trying to share a “deep” existential ……errr……experience.
 
Anyway, as you can tell, gentle reader, I have too much free time on my hands, and I need to get back to work.
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Internet Explorer rant

I believe this is a pretty good indicator of how things are these days in the browser department of Microsoft. Personally I think the browser is lacking a lot of features that can otherwise be found in Netscape for instance. However, Netscape still has a lot of bugs, and since I use Hotmail, MSN Messenger and Spaces, I find the MSN toolbar very useful. I would prefer an updated version of IE, which is coming soon, or the MSN toolbar for Netscape or Firefox. It really is too bad that Microsoft doesn’t care about their browser, since a lot people still use it and because it used to be the best browser around. Anyway, once IE 7 is out, hopefully we wiææ be a lot better off. Of course, if somebody decides to make Netscape into a browser again, life would just be peachy.
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Windows Live Messenger

Another “live”branded product has entered beta testing. Microsoft just released the Windows Live Messenger, which will take over from the current MSN Messenger, to a limited amount of beta testers. Of course I’m not one of them, so I can’t really tell you a lot about the product. However, check out the development teams blog for a lot of interesting info on the new Messenger.
 
 
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Google & Netscape partnership?

Here we go again. While I was writing my MSN post the other day, I actually started thinking about what would happen if Google wound up winning the bid for AOL. As you know, gentle reader, I have an affinity for Netscape, which unfortunately is owned by AOL. Now, what if Google wound up with Netscape. Not only would they get a recognized browser name, albeit one that needs revitalization, but none the less, they would have a brand to work with. Having a Netscape division would permit Google to seperate its activities so that they won’t loose focus on their core business unit – search. Furthermore, buying Netscape would alllow Google to use the netscape.com portal, which has over 18 million individual hits a month. Again, this would enable Google to seperate their search and their portal businesses. This article expresses much of what I just said – only much more eloquently.
 
Many people have talked about a Gbrowser, but what if this Gbrowser actually was Netscape? I personally do not like Google, but if they revitalized netscape, I just might change my mind. Additionally, it is worth taking into account that HP has just inked a deal with Netscape to ship its browser with all new PCs from 2006. Great way for Google/Netscape to get onto the desktop. All we need now is Netscape mail client and we are ready to rock and roll.
 
Lastly, we should not forget that Netscape is also an ISP, which might attract the Google guys, considering their move into wireless broadband.
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New Netscape.com

It seems as if Netscape is trying to relaunch their website. Nobody really knows what it will be, but it appears as if the site is going to turn into a digg.com type news engine. Now that Jason Calacanis is the head honcho over at Netscape, I guess we will see a lot of social networking, maybe some blogging features, and definitely a user generated news function.
 
Let us hope that the renewed AOL interest in Netscape will yield a better browser and webmail. However, knowing the AOL approach to Netscape I think that is highly unlikely. I wonder if we will ever see a new Netscape browser at all, or if they are just going to cannibalize the brand name. The latter is probably more likely, which for me means that I will revert back to Internet Explorer 7 and my trusted hotmail accounts. Since the Mozilla foundation is performing fellatio on Big Brother Google, there are no real browser alternatives in my opinion.  Anyway, here is to hoping I am wrong