Service Pack?!

Service Packs... what's up with that name, more importantly what's up with Service Packs in general? It seems like every time we turn around there's another service pack for another product that needs to be installed. And if you run a corporate network, that means distributing that to umpteen thousand machines... that is after testing to verify it doesn't break anything and interoperability is still a function. It seems that half the time with service packs it's like installing a whole new software package. And truth being told, sometimes it literally is I guess. I suppose it would be easy to sit and criticize service packs assuming there wasn't any real benefit to them, but fortunately for software vendors, that isn't the case.
Notification went out yesterday that Service Pack 2 was available for immediate download for Microsoft Office 2007. Being that I was at a tradeshow, I had to wait until I was home to download the install to my laptop. SP installs are typically not *small* downloads by any stretch of the imagination. This one weighs in at 290mb! There have been a few qualms with Office 2007, seems to be most geared around Outlook. I have been extremely happy with the whole suite minus the varying annoyances. One for me was that I had to download a separate install to be able to save files as a PDF or XPS file, after it had been there natively in the Beta version. Viola, SP2 to the rescue. For those of you OpenSource fans, it has also added the OpenDocument Format (ODF)! This has been something that I have appriciated about service packs: it's not only break/fix issues, but also adds features and components that either missed the initial install or has been requesed and added. Nonetheless, it's always good to see new features coming out.
Back to the download... after downloading, I shut down my A/V software like a good little minion and proceeded the install.

I hadn't been able to do *all* my homework on the download yet, so I wasn't sure exactly how long it would take. Noticing the 290mb install, I figured it could go for a while. Honestly though, it was relatively quick, probably taking 10 minutes or so? I kinda lost count watching DWTS...
After install completed, *shocker* I needed to reboot my computer. I complied, and after it was back up I promptly went to word to examine the new version numbers.

Noticing nothing exciting there really, I looked in the menu to notice that the ODF and PDF/XPS options were indeed there. I fired up Outlook, and it took a few minutes to configure, like it hadn't been opened before, then finally launched. I have opened and closed Outlook several times since then and haven't seen any issues so far. So MS, kudos to you for a very smooth service pack! To get all the info and link to the download see- http://support.microsoft.com/kb/953195

And as a side not, NO not every post on this blog will be about MS or MS products. It's just what I'm dealing with currently. Stay tuned for some security, antivirus, industry posts coming to a blog near you...

Windows 7

So the countdown is officially on. For what pray tell? Windows 7 of course! What does that really mean to the world... I've heard things like- "didn't Vista just come out and flop? Wasn't it too bloated, required new hardware and no one is using it?" Well... not exactly, in my opinion anyway. Being the techno-g33k I am, I have been running Vista since Beta. There were lots of new features and new ways of doing things introduced in Vista. Some users liked it, a lot didn't. I will be the first to admit there were indeed hardware issues, but isn't that the tech world we have come to know and love now? It's a constant cycle of upgrading hardware, upgrading software. If it weren't we would all be happy little minions running Commodore 64 machines. While those were sweet, I much prefer the modern state of personal computers that exist.

So enough digressing, back to the original post, Windows 7. I am indeed excited because there are some new cool features and toys included. A new and improved taskbar (it's been a while right?), jump lists, working with windows, etc. The list goes on, and as we get closer to release the list will grow. To me the most important updates that have been happening is making the software/hardware intuitive to the way we work. I find most users are apprehensive about IT change, as they are about any kind of change. But even with Vista, I saw many 'non-tech' users pick up and use it on a daily basis with no aversion or hindrence to their needs. That being said, users with aversion to change, really would do good to realize the focus on intuitive updates. Once we realize how we work and why we do what we do: programmers are then able to simplify, make things easier, and more adaptive- thus making us more productive & happier end users.

Windows 7 RC goes out to TechNet and MSDN users on April 30th. Meaning shortly thereafter, my laptop will be running the Release Candidate code full time. I do indeed look forward to it! Just as soon as I get it back from Dell repair, which is another post, another day...

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7

Russinovich on windows 7 & security

Mark Russinovich is a name that for most needs no introduction. I was fortunate enough to attend a few sessions he did at TechEd in Orlando a few years ago. Anyway with the impending version of Windows 7 coming out, there's lots of traction & discussion going on about it, and *shocker* surrounding security. Microsoft has launched a new website called www.talkingaboutwindows.com that has lots of interesting video chats.

Anyway, so here's Russinovich talking about security, the lack of a silver bullet and Windows 7.

http://talkingaboutwindows.com/archive/2009/04/17/mark-russinovich.aspx

new blog

So I decided it was time for me to start another blog... well yes, another one. Like I didn't put enough online anyway? There are a multitude of reasons, some to be revealed, others maybe not. I have blogged, twittered and facebooked about various technology things off and on in the past. But my main goal is to consolidate those ramblings into this blog. So here we are... technology according to Andrew. Should be interesting!