Randall C. Kennedy's blog

Microsoft bares its soul -- and creates an opening for Google

Randall C. Kennedy — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Do as I say, not as I do: That's the message I took away from Microsoft's latest confessional session at its Professional Developers Conference (PDC). Apparently, several of Microsoft's best and brightest -- the people who help chart the course for the company's tools division -- admitted to eschewing modern visual programming techniques in favor of the "old school" text editor and command-line approach.

How Microsoft could kill Google's Chrome OS

Randall C. Kennedy — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Thin is in again. At least that's the message I'm taking away from the full-frontal media orgy surrounding last week's Chrome OS demo. Virtually everyone who's anyone is now singing the praises of the smaller, lighter, Web-centric desktop model at the heart of Google's still unreleased "Windows killer." And that includes Microsoft.

Why I hate Microsoft Office 2010

Randall C. Kennedy — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:45:15 +0000

Office 2010 is clunky -- that's the first word that comes to mind as I meander around the recently leaked official beta release (build 14.0.4514.1007, for those keeping score). The default color scheme is a ghastly gradient gray blur, while the new Outlook Scenic Ribbon toolbar is a disorganized mess.

Windows 7 is quickly displacing Vista -- but not XP

Randall C. Kennedy — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Windows 7 is surging. After an insanely popular beta cycle, Microsoft's latest and greatest has exploded out of the gate, grabbing more than 4 percent of the real-world usage base as tracked by InfoWorld's Windows Pulse service -- after only a few weeks of general availability.

Windows 7's real killer feature

Randall C. Kennedy — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Everyone loves a killer feature: that must-have capability or technology that prompts you to plunk down your hard-earned cash in an effort to upgrade your computing experience.

Windows 7: Giving credit where credit is due

Randall C. Kennedy — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Windows 7 was made by you. Windows 7 was made by me. Windows 7 was made by Wally down in accounting. By Beverly in sales. By Joe in building maintenance. Windows 7 was made by all of us millions of beta testers who eagerly shared our feedback and helped shape Microsoft's new OS into the marvel it is today!

Why Windows 7 may still fail

Randall C. Kennedy — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

As the build-up to the carnival known as the Windows 7 launch event reaches a fever pitch, I thought it would be helpful to redirect a bit of spotlight to an aspect of the new OS that I believe is being glossed over by the mainstream media: hardware compatibility.

Windows 7 restores balance to the universe

Randall C. Kennedy — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

The Great Moore's Law Compensator: It's a term I coined more than a year ago to describe the process whereby each successive Windows release effectively gobbles up the latest gains in PC hardware performance. The net result is an environment that performs roughly on par with the one you're upgrading from -- despite the fact that the underlying CPU, chip set, RAM, and I/O subsystems are all at least twice as fast as those in your old rig.

Google's Native Client: The second coming of evil ActiveX?

Randall C. Kennedy — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Is Google's Native Client the second coming of ActiveX? I ask because the more I learn about this nascent Web/PC integration technology, the more it strikes me as so much old wine in new wineskins.

Chrome Plus: Putting the plug-in shoe on the other foot

Randall C. Kennedy — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:00:00 +0000

I'm watching with amusement the whole Google Frame controversy. As a huge Chrome fan, I've found the sight of Microsoft squirming in the face of this unexpected assault from within quite entertaining.