Ok, has anyone not seen the embarrasing episode from Comdex yet? I have a .mov clip if you want it, I'll stick it somewhere, but by now I think we've all seen it. It got me thinking about a few things Microsoft-wise, and being over-opinionated, I thought I'd share.....
Windows 98 -- I've tried the beta, and here's the scoop. You take Windows 95b (a.k.a. OSR2), the complete Internet Explorer 4.0, and the Plus pack -- combine them with a great big bunch of updated driver files, a FAT16 to FAT32 converter, better peer to peer networking, and some cosmetic tweaks, and you have Windows 98. If you've already got Win95b, Plus and IE4, Win98 isn't a big jump. If you're having USB problems -- it's a gift from heaven. It's not the big jump Win95 was from Win311, it's more of a bundling arangement. And if you think you'll never see the blue screen of death with Win98, you're deluded.
Internet Explorer 4 -- space hog extrordinair, but it seems to work nicely -- It certainly survives longer on my 8meg notebook than IE3 did. And, although I found Front Page to be an annoying space pig and destroyer of HTML, the Front Page Express that came in the IE4 install seems to be a very handy little program. A lot better than Netscape's Composer. Now, if Microsoft would only support server push graphics, I could show everyone the Navy Clock.
Windows NT -- I just took a class on Windows NT Server System Administration (in hopes of improving my employability) and must admit to being quite impressed. I've messed with Netware a little bit -- but managed to learn more about NT in 2 days than I did about Netware in a month. It's powereful, but relatively easy to manage. Now, if I could only scrape together enough of a machine to install the back office server demo package I have...
Hardware -- I have long been a fan of Microsoft's hardware -- I've had my Home Mouse for years, and like both the shape and size, as well as the weight and durablility. I absolutely love my Sidewinder Pro -- I don't think you can get a better joystick for the money. OK, the natural keyboard is a bit wierd, in fact I've sold machines where people called me a week later to trade in the Natural keyboards for an old fashioned flat one, and the Gamepad is pretty useless outside of Win95 -- but the control software (which also works with the Sidewinder 3d) is pretty slick.
It pains me to say Microsoft is a happening company (ok, semi-happening), but they do do some thing pretty good. I would be a lot happier without the mutually parasitic relationship between Microsoft and Intel (who still has yet to catch up to the 500mhz DEC alpha chip), but I suppose that will never happen. Unless Microsoft buys Apple and starts building thier own machines......
Bonus Mini-rant:
Intel
Is everyone excited about the pentium II chip yet? Has anyone bothered to mention to you that you don't need it yet? Even the most complicated game won't run much better on a pentium II than an original pentium. Got an old machine you'd like to upgrade? Kiss Intel goodbye, because the pentium II chips don't work with older AT style motherboards, so all you folks with AT style cases are out of luck as far as Intel goes. Fortunately AMD still makes Socket 7 chips -- and have just released a new K6-300. Isn't that nice of them. and for what it's worth, the new low price Intel chips (for lower cost machines) appear to be older style pentium chips soldered to circuit board so they can fit in the pentiumII cartridge slots (as opposed to all those socket7 motherboards that will still fit in the millions of AT style cases out there). Isn't that not nice of them.
ed. note: Since this was written, slot 1 boards for AT style machines have become available -- at nearly twice the cost. AMD and Intel both released new chips -- AMD's new chips contain an impressive new set of 3D enhancement instructions that even Microsoft and IBM/Cyrix have taken notice of. Intel's new chips were pentium II / SX chips -- less capable than real pentiumII chips, and they still cost more than the K6's.