10 Steps to a successful Windows 7

If rumors are correct, Windows 7, the next iteration of the flagship Microsoft client operating system will be publicly introduced at the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference (PDC) in November of this year.

In order to avoid the public relations fiasco Windows Vista is today, Windows 7 must adhere to the following ten steps:

1. Eliminate Scope Creep. This is the most insidious of problems to beset a promising OS. Instead of trying to make Windows 7 be all things to everyone, Windows 7 must remain within the box, and not try to be a everything to everyone.
2. Stop SKU Creep. While having several SKUs is nothing new to Microsoft, the current number of SKUs are, at a minimum, confusing. At worst, they allow shameless OEMs to create barely functional system configurations and pass them off to consumers as standard, foisting the subsequent buyers’ angst at Microsoft.
3. Declare atomic war on the failure perception FUD associated with Microsoft client OSs. Hopefully, Microsoft is ready to begin battle,  and help us (partners) in the battle against the false failure perceptions regarding Windows Vista that we are engaged in. if the same amount of indifference is exhibited by Microsoft at the release of Windows 7, I fear that that OS would be Microsoft's last.
4. Maintain a total news blackout. Really, can everyone at Microsoft shut up? For once? And in the process, ensure success for the OS, instead of leaking like a sieve?
5. Stay away from the current love of Hollywood’s blockbuster-style marketing. Leading up to Windows Vista, there was innovative marketing, especially that engaging Vanishing Point Game, and the grand prize, a trip into near space. However, after the release of Windows Vista……nothing! Think that is a knee jerk? Try to register right now for any TechNet or MSDN event. None available. Isn’t that the way movies are marketed in Hollywood? While that might work for them, but not in IT. We have to bang the drum loudly and constantly. These guys need to wake up and realize that the competition is loud, and keeps advertising. We’ve all seen iPod ads recently When was the last time any of you saw a Zune™ ad?
6. Under-promise and then over-deliver. So self explanatory it is not funny.
7. Banish vague hardware requirements. The current Vista Capable lawsuit speaks to this, Microsoft needs to establish and maintain a very rigid hardware baseline for a rich Windows 7 experience. Furthermore, the dev teams should only use average, Vista Capable-class units for development, thereby forcing them to optimize the system.
8. Announce sensible retail pricing. The current retail pricing scheme for Windows Vista could only have been created by a bean counter, not PMs. Coupled with user experience optimization on basic hardware, Windows 7 retail pricing needs to be normalized to real world prices in order to encourage a vast retail upgrade by users.
9. Solve the issue of a lack of a multi-license SKU. Strangely, this no-brainer is beyond the comprehension of the top brass at 1, Microsoft Way, in Redmond! The ubiquity of multi-PC homes on Planet Earth positively cries out for this. Apple gets it. Why doesn’t Microsoft?
10. Grow some Social media smarts. In my interactions with Microsoft, only a handful of Microserfs get Social Media. How crazy is this? This squandering of a golden opportunity to not only participate, but ultimately shape the perception of Microsoft products is tantamount to a crime!

(This is a reprint from the July 2008 issue of The Interlocutor)

Microsoft Online Hosted Services

On Tuesday, July 8, 2008, Microsoft dropped a helluva bombshell: it would offer a complete set of SaaS offerings for $15 per user per month, with the Exchange Online product for $3.00 per user per month.

It was a jaw-dropper!

Microsoft walked the talk.

Understandably, quite a few Microsoft partners were upset at the very low pricing. Especially those who had plans to create practices around the offerings. While valid, I think the low pricing would server to help develop and grow the available market, with the focus on reliability and forcing partners to develop valueadd services and verticals, with the focus on subscriptions rather than a one-time hit.

Putting aside the anxieties of Microsoft partners with respect to the low pricing, how does Salesforce.com see this move?

Salesforce.com has been at the vanguard of buffoonish pronouncements about the fact that Microsoft didn't have an offering in this space and could not compete. Benioff now has a competitor focused on winning. I love this. When AppExchange was announced, Salesforce.com touted it as a way to stay ahead, since it would be ‘developer driven’.

Microsoft was, is, and always would be a developer’s company. Guess what company developers would stay with?

At Logikworx, we are undertaking a beta test of this product to see if it is something we might offer to our indirectly managed clients.

(This is a reprint from the July 2008 issue of The Interlocutor)

Previous posts:

• Microsoft CRM Online & Salesforce.com
• Salesforce.com not worried?

AMD Tech Day 2008: Conclusion

This very informative opening of the kimono by AMD shows the strength of their pipeline, and the confidence they feel in whatever innovations and products they are working on.

All that is left is for them to execute! Hopefully, without any hobbling by their rival, Intel.

A list of posts from the other participants can be found at AbsoluteVista.com.

My visit to Austin was very important on several levels, a) I got to talk privately to several key executives at AMD outside the key event, and b) I am most grateful for the knowledge and connections made.

While I cannot list their names here, I hope they are aware of my thanks to them for taking the time to meet with me.

I would like to thank all the AMD executives and staffers who made our day there such a success. I would also like to thank Nigel Dessau, Chris Cloran, Scott Shutter, Jake Whitman, John Taylor, Charlie Boswell, Ogi Brkic, Pat Moorhead, Hal Speed, David Rooney, Matt Mazzantini, Mark Welker, and Rick Gayle.

I would also like to thank all the night crawlers with whom we hung out with—no names, no names.

It goes without saying that my obtaining this information and participating would not have been possible without BuzzCorps. My thanks go out to Chris, Geoff, Nick, and Terri.

(This is a reprint from the July 2008 issue of The Interlocutor)

AMD Tech Day 2008: Campus Tour

Pat Moorhead, Scott Shutter

Led by Pat Moorhead and Scott Shutter, we were given a tour of this environmentally green campus culminating in Charlie Boswell’s studio.

It is a beautiful campus, well laid out, and environmentally-friendly by design.

We were introduced to fascinating video and music in Charlie Boswell’s audio-video studio. Unfortunately, Eric (Clapton) wasn't there.

Now, we’re off to The Salt Lick.

Read the entire article

(This is a reprint from the July 2008 issue of The Interlocutor)

AMD Tech Day 2008: Benchmarking Realities/Mobile Gaming

Mark Welker; Manager/Product Development Engineer

“Lies, lies, and damn statistics”, someone once said.

Well, benchmarks were unfortunately omitted from that list. For benchmarks, like stats, can be skewed to whatever the touter wants the target to believe.

Mark showed us how he uses scenario-based testing to achieve a set of metrics that accurately depict how a system configuration is actually going to perform in the real world.

Validation at last!

At SmallBizVista and AbsoluteVista, we have always believed that the best way to bring relevant reviews to our readers was to provide scenario-based testing.

I feel vindicated that Mark, with the resources at hand at AMD, uses the same process. What a great man! Since, you know, great minds think alike.

(This is a reprint from the July 2008 issue of The Interlocutor)

AMD Cinema 2.0/ATI Radeon 4000

Pat Moorhead, Vice-President, Advanced Marketing (& corporate blogger)

The ever-effusive Pat Moorhead, he of the 40% number I wrote about last year, then took the floor††.

Cinema 2.0 is the latest iteration of AMD’s virtual to realistic graphics visualization technology. Put it this way, this is where gameplay becomes so photorealistic that a distinction almost cannot be made! Furthermore, the next generation of animated movies created using this technology will blur the senses by fooling viewers into thinking that animated scenes were actual actors shot on film!

On the same day, AMD announced the 4000 series of GPUs, and AMD Director of Public Relations, John Taylor, stopped in to brief us on the part.

As if knowing about it was not enough, Pat also had a dual-GPU solution ready and waiting for us to get busy with! (I really like this guy!)

A member of the 4000 series family is also the world’s first teraflop GPU. Ever! Utilizing GDDR-5 for maximum throughput. (I need to play with one of these at Uni-Matrix Zero-1.)

(This is a reprint from the July 2008 issue of The Interlocutor)

AMD Tech Day 2008: Mobile Discrete & ATI XGP Technology

Ognjen Brkic; Product Marketing Manager

One of the more intriguing presentations was delivered by Ognjen, detailing AMD’s new, and extremely innovative external PCIe slot‡, dubbed ATI XGP. Folks, this (the external PCIe product) is the jam!

In the demo, Fujitsu had a new lapper with the external PCIe slot connected to an outboard box containing a top-of-the-line AMD 3000-series GPU. Impressive! More impressive is the fact that OEMs (I am going to assume they would be licensees too) can use this external slot, and associated compact connector for whatever uses they deem necessary for their target consumers. This innovation really does need to be seen, and the possibilities visualized to realize how much of a leap and improvement this aims to be, in the lives of the road warrior.

It is a full PCIe slot!

ATI XGP Technology, eXternal Graphics Platform

• Open architecture, desktop expansion for graphics
• Full PCIe 2.0 compatible cable connection to an external graphics box
• Up to 2 metre (6.5') cable length
• Stand alone power and thermals

Giving following benefits:

• Enables full desktop GPU performance on notebooks when equipped with an ATI XGP connector
• Providing upgradability
• No compromise to notebook size, weight, or battery life
• Multi monitor support
• Dedicated USB 2.0 link enabling the attachment of TV tuners, HDD, Blu-ray drives, etc.

Hybrid Graphics Technology

ATI CrossFireX

Hybrid CrossFireX

PowerXpress

Manufactured on 55nm process technology, with 1080p R780 graphics (Radeon 3800-class), this is the only DirectX 10.1 solution on the market today! Coupled with ‘Lasso’ external GPU technology, CrossFireX hybrid technology, and offering dynamic switching between modes when using PowerXpress in enabled systems, this ushers in a new era of desktop processing power in a mobile form factor. AMD mobile discrete screams for gamers and intrepid road warriors alike.

With mobile discrete graphics, AMD is looking to snag a 50% share of the mobile market by EOY2008, a very ambitious undertaking indeed.

Ognjen is now one of my new best friends.

(This is a reprint from the July 2008 issue of The Interlocutor)

AMD Tech Day 2008: AMD notebooks in Hollywood

Charlie Boswell, Director, Corporate Initiatives

At the AMD Opteron quad-core CPU (codename ‘Barcelona’) launch last September, I had the good fortune to meet with Charlie Boswell just prior to the event, which was held at Lucasfilm’s campus at the Letterman Center on the grounds of the Presidio of San Francisco.

Charlie is AMD’s point man in bringing the value proposition of AMD’s CPUs to the entertainment, and believe this, he gets paid to hang with Eric Clapton, among others.

Not only are renowned directors such as George Lucas realizing increased productivity with Opteron, so are cutting-edge producers such as Robert Rodriguez. AMD also has a turnkey solution with Guitar Center© and Dell for a recording studio in a box for live concerts.

I need to introduce Charlie to (local Austin, Texas band) Subrosa Union to be his ready testbed for new initiatives in music.

Subrosa Union's Ragga Rock really moves the crowd. Listen to them and more at www.SubrosaUnion.com.

(This is a reprint from the July 2008 issue of The Interlocutor)

AMD Tech Day 2008: Accelerated Computing

Hal Speed, Marketing Architect & Product Marketing Manager

Hal walked us through a series of technological initiatives AMD is working on for the 2014 timeframe.

This was surprising, and refreshing for an open, non-NDA forum!

He reiterated (Gene) Amdahl’s Law, reminding us why just adding more cores to a CPU wouldn't provide a commensurate increase in performance.

He threw out a series of touch points, and invited us to interact with him and his vision.

We were able to gain a lot from what he was working on, and use that to see if our personal visions for that timeframe were aligned with that of a mainstream company

(This is a reprint from the July 2008 issue of The Interlocutor)

AMD Tech Day 2008: 'Shrike' Platform Preview

Matt Mazzantini, Senior Product Manager, 'Shrike' Platform

AMD’s next-generation notebook platform is codename ‘Shrike’. It will be the first iteration of the ‘Fusion’ platform. Matt walked us through some of the technologies planned for it.

Shrike expands on Puma, and delivers some new technological directions.

For one, it completely eliminates the Northbridge.

It will be based on the forthcoming ‘Swift’ APU. Not to be confused with the auxiliary power unit is aircraft, APU as defined by AMD stands for Accelerated Processing Unit, a multi-core unit comprised of multiple heterogeneous cores on a single chip. These cores could be GPUs or additional GPUs, physics processors, anything.

Swift would also include DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort functionality. AMD would integrate the next-gen of GPUs into the platform.

Finally, battery performance would be thrust to the fore in the development of Shrike, a welcome development. How long have we been subjected to claims of performance that invalidated the concept of mobility, keeping us tethered to the power mains?

The great number of options open to OEMs using this platform would range from slice form factor systems to extreme gaming rigs, something I am looking forward to†.

Systems based on Shrike are expected to hit in the second half of 2009.

(This is a reprint from the July 2008 issue of The Interlocutor)

AMD Tech Day 2008: 'Puma' Platform Overview

David Rooney, Senior Product Manager, AMD Notebook Marketing

On March 4, 2008, AMD announced their new notebook platform, codename, ‘Puma’, at the CeBIT show in Hanover, Germany. By all indications, it was a platform developed around bringing a new range of experiences to notebook users. Dave gave us further information.

Puma is a notebook platform comprising integration around the following: the microprocessor, the graphics-processing unit, and the network connectivity options.

It contains the Turion X2 Ultra processor, ATI Radeon HD 3000 graphics, and ATI Avivo HD technology.

AMD arranged the Puma platform experiences around three precepts:

• At Home
• At Work, and
• At Play

While that might look like their (AMD’s) principal competitor’s solution, AMD took Puma further. AMD’s Puma platform includes the following innovations:

• Hybrid CrossfireX. This allows a notebook to include both integrated and discrete graphics in the same system, giving a projected performance increase of about 170% over an integrated-only solution. This is on top of the nearly 3x increase in performance over a similarly configured Centrino solution using the Intel Core 2 Duo T8100.

• ATI PowerXpress. Working with Hybrid Crossfire, PowerXpress enables for discrete GPU performance when connected to A/C power, and auto defaults to the integrated GPU when the power mode changes to DC power. Answering my question about whether PowerXpress is auto-selectable based on graphics requirement; Dave explained that it could not. It can only select the GPU based on power input, or a manual selection by a user.

It goes without saying that these two innovative technologies give OEMs a wider range of choices in system design.

Puma systems are available now, with over 115 design wins representing several configurational SKUs form various OEMs.

(This is a reprint from the July 2008 issue of The Interlocutor)

AMD Tech Day 2008: Nigel Dessau

“We are listening”

Nigel Dessau, AMD Senior Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer, made a surprise drop in on us. Echoing Chris Cloran, he welcomed us to AMD, and said something I had only heard prior to now from HP: “we are listening”. He also promised us more transparency, more visibility, and more information from AMD!

That is the hardest thing for a company to do: listen. And, in addition, of course, learn.* With an attitude like that, I can only see the fortunes of this company getting brighter.

(This is a reprint from the July 2008 issue of The Interlocutor)

AMD Tech Day 2008: Welcome

On Wednesday, June 25, 2008, AMD held the AMD Tech Day 2008 at its lovely, new, and environmentally friendly Lone Star campus facility in Austin Texas. This year, the day primarily focused on the AMD’s notebook platform, and the several initiatives, both shipping and planned, that AMD was working on for it.

I was part of a global group selected to hear all day briefings from several executives and product managers on these initiatives. Our day started out with a luxury bus ride from our hotel to the new campus, which, to the naked eye, is visually stunning, and with lots of stairs to climb – the ‘green’ thing.

Welcome Remarks, Agenda
At Tech Day 2008, Chris Cloran, Corporate Vice-President of Product Marketing for AMD, welcomed us to the event, asking us to be ready for a great day, with a lot of non-NDA information to be divulged to us.

Scott Shutter, Division Brand Manager for AMD then took the microphone. He went over the agenda for the day, and gave the floor to the first presenter.

(This is a reprint from the July 2008 issue of The Interlocutor)

Awake the Sleeping Giant?

For the past couple of years or so, Apple Computer Inc has been running a series of ads dubbed ‘I’m a PC, I’m a Mac’, that started out funny, and have quickly devolved into a series of errors, FUD, innuendos, and lies about Windows.

Through it all, Microsoft stood meekly on the sidelines, doing nothing, seemingly totally befuddled by the machinations of Steve Jobs. Alarmingly, the so-called ‘Rapid Response’ teams charged with protecting Microsoft the brand, did exactly the opposite of what their moniker described: nothing happened.

Now, after nearly two years, the fact that these false accusations were part of the perceptional problems Windows Vista suffers from seems to have finally dawned on the executives at Microsoft.

They are now attempting to solve it in two ways. One, an enormous advertising budget, rumored to be an initial $300 million, plus a follow on amount of $200 million, all in US dollars, will be thrown at this. Secondly, they are being somewhat vocal about it, openly talking outright war. At the 2008 WWPC in Houston, Microsoft executives, for the first time, are openly talking war with currently vocal rivals.

While all this is welcome, I cannot but wonder if it is a little too late.

In the article 10 Steps to a Successful Windows 7 (in the July 2008 issue of The Interlocutor), one of the problems we see with Microsoft’s marketing is the fascination with Hollywood's blockbuster movie-style marketing: a big splash, and then...nothing! We hope Microsoft would not continue that failed myopic strategy during this forthcoming campaign, abandoning further marketing once positive results starts coming in.

Hopefully, Microsoft management lengthens their attention span this time, and stays on point, and on the attack.

(This is a reprint of the The SmallBizVista.com Editorial from the July 2008 issue of The Interlocutor)

AbsoluteVista.com to give away HP xw4600 Workstation

While I work out the details of how I want this to go, I would like to announce that I have been able to secure a sponsorship tat will allow me to give away one HP xw4600 Personal Workstation after a 30-day contest period.

I am completely stoked at this opportunity, and I wish all potential contestants success.

The AbsoluteVista.com HP xw6600 Review

I have had a copy of the HP xw6600 Personal Workstation for review at the Orbiting O’odua for nearly a month.

The xw6600 is one of the smallest form factor dual-socket workstations on the market today. A product of HP’s over quarter-century of experience in workstations, this system came with an ultra quiet tool-less case*, dual quad-core Intel Xeon 5450 CPUs, and 4GB of DDR2-667 FBD RAM. This baby also came with a Quadro FX1700 with a whopping 768MB.

I reviewed the xw6600’s suitability to task in the following usage scenarios:

• Content creation, using Pinnacle Systems Studio 12 and HD content, and
• Several virtualization tasks.

Digital content creation

One of the common uses for workstations is in digital content creation.

For this test, I used photos from a Canon XTi DSLR, a small, animated movie I had created using Reallusion iClone v2.1, some LumaPix creations, and HD content shot using a Canon HV20 HD camcorder. I also took several sci-fi scenes ripped from a DVD. Bringing it all together was Studio 12 from Pinnacle systems.

I imported all content in Studio 12 and created my HD movie, and started the conversions. I made copies of the movie, started CyberLink PowerDirector to convert the movie to Blu-Ray, Windows Movie Maker to convert the movie to Zune, and Studio 12 to make a DVD conversion simultaneously!

This system did not hiccup, nor did it slow down. Responsiveness was immediate despite the (relatively) small amount of RAM (4GB).

Virtualization

I tried a new tack with virtualization on this system. I decided to temporarily run virtualized production environments in the xw6600.

I set up a Windows Server 2008 VM and installed Infor-Med’s innovative Praxis EMR (electronic medical records) program for a clinic here, moving their entire production database to the VM. I had all users work through that VM for an entire day.

I also set up a Windows Home Server on another VM (thanks, Mauricio Freitas**). I then started streaming video content to several systems on the network using Webguide.

I ran these two VMs simultaneously.

Again, I was not surprised at the responsiveness I got from the xw6600. It just worked great.

Simultaneously with all these tests, I used the xw6600 daily as my remote management console for the MSP applications we use at Logikworx, in addition to being my daily system

Conclusion

This is one well-designed and engineered system. Performance over a range of usage scenarios was snappy, and predictable. I enjoyed using the xw6600 for a variety of tasks.

Because of the excellent performance of this system, we are giving it the AbsoluteVista.com Business Ready award.

* The xw6600 is the quietest desktop/desk side unit I have ever encountered, bar none!

** Mauricio Freitas is the editor-in-chief of Geekzone.co.nv, New Zealand’s top IT website and web destination. Mauricio’s was the first instance I know of someone using WHS in a virtualized environment. He is also a Microsoft MVP for Mobile Devices.

Microsoft Equipt

About time!

With all the talk about alternative office suites out there, Microsoft has been lagging in articulating it’s strategy for delivering a financially-competitive offering in this space.

No longer.

With the announcement of Microsoft Equipt – formerly code-named ‘Albany’, Microsoft is attempting to kill several birds with one stone.

It is:

1. Bringing a desktop productivity suite to the mass market,
2. Adding a comprehensive security suite to the mix,
3. Adding the requisite Web 2.0 component with the addition of the Windows Live offerings, and
4. Introducing users to the cloud via the Office Live Desktop component.

All this for the low, low price of $70 per annum for up to three systems, all patches, updates, and upgrades included.

While the effort is laudable, it is kind of tardy.

I also wonder if the pricing couldn’t have been a sawbuck cheaper.

How we review products

I was just asked a couple of questions on the back channels by a long time acquaintance: "How come you only have positive reviews, and no benchmark numbers?"

At SmallBizVista.com and AbsoluteVista.com, we have a simple review policy: we test based on the usage scenarios we envision for the product being reviewed by small and medium-sized businesses, and we only post reviews we feel would benefit our readership.

Based on feedback, our users are not interested in benchmarks, for they can get those from other sites. What they are interested in is how the products being reviewed would fit into, and enhance their productivity, and for our after hours reviews, their leisure.

We comply by bringing them usage scenarios. While we may run synthetic benchmarks, those are for internal use only.

We also review more products than we post, blog, or publish in The Interlocutor. However, our policy is not to post any review of any product that does not meet our standards, never giving the vendor any chance at free publicity.

However, when a product sucks fails to the point of being counterproductive, we will call the product, and vendor out as a public service.

The AbsoluteVista.com HP xw4600 Review

HP xw4600 Personal Workstation

I have been testing the HP xw4600 Personal Workstation these past few weeks.

The xw4600 is near the low end of a range of extremely powerful and very customizable workstations from HP. However, it is priced starting against some of the more pedestrian systems we find at mega-mart. Have no fear though, this is one serious machine

My test unit came with a Core 2 Duo processor, 8GB of RAM, and Windows Vista Business x64.

I promptly erased Vista Business and installed Windows Vista Ultimate x64.

In reviewing this unit, I decided on three scenarios:

1. An architect's desktop, using AutoCAD,
2. A virtualization workhorse, using Microsoft Virtual Server to manage several VMs, and
3. A power user's system.

Architect's desktop

For this scenario, I installed AutoCAD 2009 on the system and proceeded to create something, in this case, an extremely detailed drawing of a desktop chassis.

In all instances, I was checking for the responsiveness of the system under a load.

The system responded decisively. I was further impressed with the seemingly effortless way large files were handled by this workstation.

Unfortunately, I have not had the time to convert drawings to 3D animation. However, the Quadro FX3700! That baby smokes!

Virtualization

In today's world, virtualization is necessary, be it for backwards compatibility, security and OS isolation, and increasing the utilization of the system. To this end, I decided to see how well the xw4600 handled VMs.

I installed Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1, and transferred a few VMs over.

I then decided to stress test the xw4600 by running several Microsoft Windows Vista™ VMs simultaneously. I got to six (6) before I saw any degradation in responsiveness with the unit. I also ran VMs of Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2. That workhorse of the small business world ran swimmingly on the xw4600.

Power User

The greatest draw on corporate and personal resources for any IT manager is the power user. It is my considered opinion that the xw4600 was expressly designed for them.

Whatever you throw at this system does not faze it.

Multiple windows, some VMs, desktop productivity applications aplenty, the xw4600 marched resolutely ahead.

Suffice it to say, this reviewer was impressed.

Conclusion

The HP Personal Workstation line which for me has been an eye-opener, continues to impress with the performance and expandability built into the systems

This xw4600, while almost an entry level SKU, has made a total fan of me. I was able to work at several usage scenarios without a drop in performance or responsiveness.

The system was powerful, solid, and did not once require any calls to the mother ship in order to change software components.

It goes without saying that I believe that any business user out there who needs a capable desktop/desk side system would benefit themselves greatly and enhance their productivity by choosing a workstation solution from HP.

System Specs:

• HP xw4600 Personal workstation
• Intel Core 2 Duo E8500, 3.16 GHz 6MB RAM (1333MHz)
• Nvidia Quadro FX3700 512MB PCIe
• Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Edition x64
• 8GB DDR2-800 ECC RAM
• 250 GB SATA 3Gb/s hard drive
• 16x DVD +/-RW SATA optical drive

  I replaced the supplied keyboard and mouse with the Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 6000

HP Personal Workstations: Design, Performance Goals

Workstations in general, and HP workstations in particular, were introduced to me as a viable alternative to the fully configured desktop computer system.

Pursuant to that, I received a couple of HP workstations to review. My review of the xw4600 follows below. The xw6600, which shares the same design and performance philosophies; as a result, that review will focus on the performance scenarios run by SmallBizVista.com.

HP Personal Workstations

The HP Personal Workstation line is a range of workstations designed to use the latest and greatest technologies the world has to offer in order to allow creative people in all industries the chance to be extremely productive in their respective fields.

However, unlike in the desktop world, HP has created a workstation range that while using best-of-breed technologies, are actually finely-engineered systems in their embrace of those same top shelf technologies.

Design philosophy

One of the most important things HP did with their workstation line was to define a design regimen that would enable the creation of game-changing workstations that would holistically embrace the best the world offers. At the same time, comfort, expandability, power management, and most of all, performance

1. Industry Standard Architecture or ISA. From a compatibility and longevity standpoint, this is big. Unlike the adherents to the closed systems developed by the names in the workstation space in the days of yore, this is a development that protects your investment in this hardware for years.
2. A small footprint. The Personal Workstation line comes in the same form factor we have come to recognize, with the xw6600 being a somewhat slimmer unit.
3. Tool-less chassis. During my day at the HP Workstation BU, I saw several of the units broken down – all without any tools of any sort! For most power users, engineers, and creative professionals, this is a boon, for it allows for greater expandability at the whim of the user.

   This is a very important point that cannot be underscored: all of the power to expand is now in the hands of the consumer, not the system OEM.

   In HP workstations, your finger on green touch-points inside the system case is the tool you need. It is particularly telling that "all user-replaceable components in the system can be accessed, upgraded, or replaced without the use of tools." In my use and review, I concur wholeheartedly. As someone whose system configurations are always in flux, I am pleased.

4. Acoustics. At the (day job) office and at Uni-Matrix Zero One, my desktop systems roar constantly due to the fans that strive to keep them cool. Do not even bring the turbine-like whine of my gaming rig into the equation.

   Well, for the workstation line, HP made noise attenuation and sound acoustics – no pun intended – a priority. These systems are q-u-i-e-t. Eerily so, too.

   The xw6600 in particular is a paragon of quietness. I have, for the first time since we moved systems to under the desk a while ago, placed the xw6600 on my desktop with no discomfort at all. It is that quiet.

5. Energy efficiency. Remember this: 80+. Also known as 80 Plus, this signifies that the power supply unit is certified 80%+ efficient. $5.29/gallon gasoline. Need I say more?
6. Energy Star™ 4 compliance. Basic configurations of most of this entire line meet the Energy Star 4 standard.

Performance philosophy

1. Latest-generation CPUs, GPUs, and chipsets.
2. Dual Gen2 PCIe x16 graphics driving up to four 3D or six 2D displays.
3. A multitude of DIMM slots
4. Integrated 10/100/1000 PCIe GigE
5. Several internal storage bays
6. Integrated SATA controller
7. Optional Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) controller.

Thrown into this mix is HP's Performance Tuning Framework, or PTF. An exclusive free tool for workstation customers, the PTF gives users an incredibly easy way to optimize system performance for the configurations that individual system is tasked with, checking for variables such as the latest certified graphics drivers for installed applications and providing tuning for them, among others.

Oh, and for legacy freaks, there is a floppy disk option!

Save XP? NOT!

Rampant shark jumping on the road to irrelevance.

For the past several months, InfoWorld, that formerly important IT tome, has been beating the Save (Windows) XP drum in an utterly transparent attempt to remain relevant in the collective minds of IT administrators.

In the process, over 210,000 losers supposedly added their names to a forlorn petition to extend the life of XP. Yep, 210,000 yum-yums all dressed up, and nothing to do with their time!

Yesterday, I got some spam from the head monkey at that zoo, Eric Knorr, telling the world of his escapades into the land of fancy.

Really though, did he think he and his online rag mattered? To Microsoft? Or even to us?

Listen Eric, I hate to break it to you publicly like this: you do not matter. You are totally irrelevant to the IT world of today.

Take your crayons and go away.

Save XP my a$$!

CyberLink DVDSuite 6 Ultimate

A changing of the guard!

For the past several years, ahead's Nero had been an essential component of both my personal and corporate toolboxes.

No longer!

There is a new and highly recommended replacement: CyberLink's DVDSuite 6 Ultimate.

Like Nero, CyberLink's DVDSuite is a suite of consumer-class digital media capture and disc burning software. However, unlike it, DVDSuite is a comprehensive and integrated suite of programs that is easy to use, and become proficient with in a very short period.

CyberLink DVDSuite Ultimate

The suite consists of the following programs:

• CyberLink PowerDirector 6.5 HE*.
• CyberLink PowerDVD 7.3*
• CyberLink PowerProducer 4.2*
• CyberLink PowerDVD Copy
• CyberLink Power2Go 6*
• CyberLink PowerBackup 2.5*
• CyberLink InstantBurn 5*
• CyberLink MediaShow3
• CyberLink LabelPrint 2
• CyberLink PhotoNow!
• CyberLink Blu-ray Advisor*

  *Blu-ray-enabled software.

  I did not use the Blu-Ray functionality in the software in my testing and review of this product suite.

  CyberLink PowerDirector 6.5 HE

  For basic movie capture and editing, CyberLink PowerDirector is unbeatable. I was able to use this software proficiently in a jiffy.

  The PowerDirector UI is clean, intuitive, and straightforward.

  PowerDirector is very capable, does not use a lot of system resources, and constantly allowed for the creation of DVDs without errors, something I ran into intermittently with Nero.

  CyberLink PowerDVD 7.3

  For DVD playback on a Windows PC, look no further than PowerDVD. This is what Windows Media Player would like to be when it finally grows up!

  As someone who travels frequently, I consume an appreciable amount of DVD video content using my laptops. Using WMP is OK for music or basic PC-based video content, but for DVDs, it falls flat. PowerDVD comes to the rescue, and does it very well. I was able to watch DVDs of all types effortlessly using this product.

  CyberLink PowerProducer 4.2

  For quickly authoring a training video, PowerProducer is just the tool. While I did not have a Blu-ray writer, I was able to produce a Blu-ray disk's content that just needed a writer to conclude. PowerProducer walks you through the process, and speedily creates the product for you to burn to an acceptable medium.

  CyberLink PowerDVD Copy

  Backup, back, backup. How many times have we heard that mantra? In this day and age, it is not enough to create a backup; we have to create backups of backups, whatever the content may be. Without violating copyright law, PowerDVD Copy allows you to create backups of DVD media

  CyberLink Power2Go 6

  My personal favorite, Power2Go is a multi-format disc burning software.

  This is the fastest disc burning software I have ever used, and by far the easiest. Also allowing for HD burning, including Blu-ray, Power2Go is also the most powerful.

  It very quickly became an essential component in my personal and professional toolboxes, and at the end of my review, was one of the reasons why DVDSuite 6 was named a component of

I have been using DVDSuite for the past couple of months, in consumer, prosumer, and business settings and I have to say that it is with a very heavy heart that I downgrade Nero and declare DVDSuite 6 Ultimate the best HD creation and playback software out there, bar none.

Consequently, I give it the SmallBizVista.com Business Ready Award, and make it a component of the Logikworx Standard Business Desktop.

AMD Tech Day 2008

For several days this past week, I was in Austin, Texas, for AMD's Tech Day 2008, and more.

As is usual with AMD, I was given a very good look into their products, strategy, and pipeline, and as usual, I came away impressed.

In this instance, I was impressed with the quality and quantity of in-depth information that was imparted.

Over the next several posts, I will reveal what I learned to you, giving you my opinion of them as well.

Finally, it was good to see individuals whose writings I read constantly in a social setting again. I will be linking to their posts as I continue my series on this event.

xw6600 - one week

Since I was testing the suitability-to-task of the HP xw4600 for architectural, virtualization, and multitasking scenarios, I decided to use the xw6600 in the following scenarios:

1. Digital content creation, making an actual movie using Reallusion iClone (with expansion packs), and Pinnacle Systems' newly-released Studio 12, which is the Reference DCC software at AbsoluteVista.com
2. Engineering workstation using a Windows SPICE program,
3. PCB board design unit

This is just starting..

The HP xw-series design highlights

This is one of the quietest systems I have ever encountered, the quietest ever being it's sibling, the xw6600.

For the business executive or creative types, the lack of distractions caused by the turbine-like whine of fans in systems such as our current gaming rigs will definitely be a plus.

As I was told, the system was also designed to be as acoustically-neutral as possible, with the design of the chassis and cooling system working in lockstep to provide the best managed airflow in the industry. 

HP Performance Tuning Framework.

This is one of those free deals that makes you realize that you didn't just buy a no-name clone system from Mega-Mart. 

The PTF is a free tool from HP that allows customers to automatically optimize for the system for the task being undertaken at that time!

For example, it checks for components such s the latest certified graphics drivers (for me, the latest Nvidia performance drivers), and provides tuning for these applications.

Just how rad is that?

 A tool-less case.

For you and I, opening up the case is not just something we will do, it is somthing we will do 'just because'!

Well, HP's Workstation BU had us in mind when they created this workstation series, Since I can virtually take the system part with nary a tool on hand! CPU, GPU, hard drives and hard drive cages, RAM, anything installed in this chassis can be reached without the need for the venerable screwdriver. I like, I like.

This is also the case with the xw6600.