The VAR Guy

The Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) battle is getting aggressive. The latest move involves Microsoft and Citrix ganging up against VMware, hoping to switch VMware customers over to VDI solutions that leverage Microsoft and Citrix virtualization technologies. Microsoft is also changing its Windows licensing model to potentially speed VDI deployments. Here’s the scoop.

ZyXEL, the networking solutions company we’ve been tracking for some time now, has announced they’ve done a little spring cleaning with their ZyWALL series. A little polishing, a little upgrading, and some new features. Read on to find out…

It’s not the final nail in the coffin, but it’s yet another sign of Windows XP’s decline. Microsoft is officially dumping Windows XP support in the next iteration of Internet Explorer. Here’s the why and how and what’s next from Microsoft…

Microsoft is getting ready to roll out Visual Studio 2010, the latest version of their pedigreed software development environment on April 12. If you’re a developer upgrading from an older version of Visual Studio, Microsoft has some good news for you. And if you’re looking into buying the professional edition at retail, there’s even better news — it’ll include 20 hours of Windows Azure. Interested?

Wyse Technology, one of the leaders in thin and zero client computing, has joined forces with Microsoft. The result? A sub-$100 zero client that works with Microsoft MultiPoint Server 2010. Aimed at the  education market and keeping costs low, education resellers and VARs may want to listen up.

It’s finally here, Windows Mobile 7, or as it more colloquially wants to be known: Windows Phone 7 Series. It doesn’t really roll off the tongue and it’s not exactly the seventh series of any kind of Windows Phone, but that’s what they’re sticking with. So what’s the scoop on the new dialer from Redmond? Well, it all started at the Mobile World Congress 2010 in Barcelona…

Oh, ye of little faith. Those who mocked the iPad and called it a foolish endeavor; a gadget that would never see the light of enterprise adoption. But now, thanks to Citrix, you can have your Windows 7 experience right at your fingertips. For those who don’t know, Citrix has developed receiver software for the iPhone that’s been in the loop for quite a while. Now it’s coming to Apple’s iPad. Interested, now?

Windows XP is getting closer to kicking the bucket. According to Microsoft, July 2010 is when support for Windows XP Service Pack 2 ends. Plus, a note to all those using Windows 7 RC build 7100, your freebie is about to end. Here’s the scoop on the Microsoft executions — as the software giant seeks accelerate migrations to Windows 7.

A warning to all VARs supporting customers that use any 32-bit Windows version hailing all the way back to Windows 2000: There’s a flaw in the kernel. But don’t press the panic button. Here are some details to put you (and your customers) at ease.

That headline might go a little far, but Microsoft has announced plans to hold workshops across the United States to educate VARs and other IT pros about what Windows Azure is, what it can do, and how best to deploy it.  It seems like the closer we get to the February 1 grand opening of Azure, the more eager Microsoft is to push their new cloud platform.

One of the little gizmos floating around CES 2010 this year was the Dell Mini 5. It’s not a netbook like the Mini 9, but a touch-screen tablet, of sorts. While 5  inches seems a little small for the tablet, it’s got some interesting potential. Read on to see how Dell is adapting to some new trends in the Linux world — even as the PC giant balances its Windows 7 relationship with Microsoft.

Pop quiz, hotshot: You’re a VAR, and you have a client with a network running nothing but Windows XP — and they decide they want to move over Windows 7. Microsoft doesn’t offer an upgrade path from one to the other: you’d need to do a clean install. What do you do? A potential answer: Laplink, whose signature PCmover software apparently offers channel partners the ability to migrate entire networks to new operating systems or new hardware entirely.

For the last week I’ve been playing around with VMware Fusion 3.01 on my Mac. I’ve had the pleasure of running Windows 7 and I’m here to share a quick little rundown of performance and features. For the geek at heart it’s a software marvel. For the cross platform techno-junky it’s a God-send. And for your customers that want to mix and max Windows and Mac applications, it could be a solid choice. But still, it has its caveats. Here’s the run down.

A large number of corporations seem ready to show Windows 7 some love. But here’s the twist: Many of those same corporations say they’ve increased spending with Apple, according to a recent Goldman Sachs survey of Fortune 1000 IT executives. Here are some quick details.

Initially, critics blamed Microsoft for a Black Screen of Death (BSOD) issue that has plagued Windows 7, Vista and XP in recent weeks. But Microsoft points to malware as the potential cause of the problem. Here’s the blow-by-blow.

TeamLogic IT, a US-based network of VARs and solutions providers, says it is now servicing Windows 7. The move is the latest channel-related vote of confidence in Microsoft’s new operating system. But perhaps the bigger news here: TeamLogic IT is using low-cost PR moves to potentially ride the Windows 7 wave into customers’ networks. Rival VARs might be wise to follow TeamLogic IT’s marketing lead.

Apple finally has information on running Windows 7 under Boot Camp. Alas, not all Macs are compatible with Microsoft’s new operating system. Here’s the scoop:

We’ve all heard positive anecdotal buzz about Windows 7. But what do the technical “experts” have to say about Microsoft’s new operating system? Here’s a sweeping look at reviews from CNet, PCMag and several other sites that have evaluated Windows 7. Here’s what the high-tech critics had to say.

Now that Windows 7 is here, it begs the following question: What type of Windows 7 desktops, notebooks and netbooks are hitting the street? The answer: There’s no shortage of hardware from which to choose. Here’s a sampling of options we spotted…

A lot of folks are quick to bash Windows Vista. But few people actually take the time to describe what went wrong with Windows Vista — and how Microsoft (and PC partners) hope to mitigate those problems with Windows 7. During a briefing Oct. 20, Lenovo Director of SMB Jay McBain walked us through Vista’s weak points and specific R&D steps Lenovo took to assist Microsoft with Windows 7. Here’s a  quick rundown:

As Windows 7’s October 22 launch date approaches, Microsoft has started describing why its server counterpart — Windows Server 2008 R2 — could also be a hit with customers. Here’s a quick look at what’s coming in R2, and why VARs should care.

Don’t tell Stephen Hall there’s no money in Windows 7 deployments. The CEO of District Computers LLC, a Microsoft Gold Partner, says his team is booked solid with Windows 7 deployments every weekend (except holidays) through January 2010. Why is Hall seeing so much demand for Microsoft’s new operating system — even before Windows 7 ships on Oct. 22? Here’s the scoop.

Most people like to fix their mistakes, especially the big ones. Anyone who has had even a casual point-and-click encounter with Vista would know that, indeed, Microsoft made a blunder. But my experience with Windows 7 suggests Microsoft is back on track. Here’s what’s right with the new operating system.