Dell, Intel give users what they want: to turn Windows off

Dell, Intel and their partners announced this week new technologies that represent major leaps forward for mobility. The companies seem to have discovered the secret to making such bold leaps: Cut Microsoft out of the deal.

One technology involves enabling users to gain instant access to a laptop’s e-mail, browser and other basic functionality — without booting Windows at all.

The second technology enables an Internet-based message to wake a Windows PC from sleep mode. It’s useful both for VoIP applications and for anyone away from their PC who wants remote access.

These new technologies are perfect metaphors for what’s happening in the industry. In both cases, Windows is asleep while Microsoft’s own partners give users what they really want. Read the full article on ComputerWorld.Com

Looking back a year at Vista predictions

So it’s been a little over a year since we heard estimates from RAM manufacturers that by this time this year PC Vendors would be increasing the average amount of memory in the systems they ship to 1.5GB of RAM to keep up with Vista’s resource demands.

Now that we’ve arrived at the time frame in question, let’s see how accurate the previous estimates were.

According to Joe Wilcox at Microsoft-Watch.Com’s findings “Nearly half of retail Windows PCs now pack 3GB of RAM. Manufacturers are bulking up features as average selling prices stabilize. Next trend: 64-bit Vista and 4GB RAM.”

It would seem that even RAM manufacturers were grossly underestimating just how hungry Vista is. And believe me, it’s their job to accurately predict this kind of stuff for manufacturing considerations.

You can read Joe’s full article at Microsoftoft-Watch.Com

Enterprise Mac adoptions highest since late 80’s

Don’t look now but Apple Mac hardware and the accompanying OS X 10.x operating system software are gaining significant momentum among corporate users.

A new, independent Yankee Group web-based survey of 750 global IT administrators and C-level executives found that nearly four out of five businesses–approximately 80%–have Macs and the OS X operating system installed in their networks. And although the Apple Mac hardware and OS X operating systems still represent a small niche, adoption and acceptance of Mac hardware and operating system software are growing at a steady and sustained pace not seen since the late 1980s. Read the full story on YankeeGroup.com found via MacUser.Com