May 22nd, 2008
I diverted time away from working with Windows Server 2008 to check out the latest edition of Fedora, released last week. I routinely check out new editions of Fedora when released and put them into production soon afterward. Preliminary reports, e.g., Fedora 9 – an OS that even the Linux challenged can love, made this edition sound at least as promising as usual. Fedora 9 is promising. But it seems doubtful that Linux newbies will find Fedora 9 lovable. If Fedora 9 is comparable to sliced bread, the slices are uneven.
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Posted in operating systems | Comments Off on Fedora 9 uneven slices
May 12th, 2008
Microsoft supported Windows NT4 Server from release to manufacturing in 1996 to the last fixes in 2004. Astonishing numbers of servers reportedly still run NT4 Server, including two that I manage: one is a file/print/directory server and the other is a hot spare for the first one. Both are behind a firewall, and neither is used for email or browsing or other applications likely to be vulnerable to Internet compromise. They’re mostly trouble free. So if it ain’t broke, why fix??
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Posted in operating systems | Comments Off on if NT4 Server ain't broke, don't Windows 2008 fix it?
May 11th, 2008
Week before last I was given a 2002 vintage 700 MHz G4 iMac, one of the ones with the LCD on an arm above a half sphere dome (“pedestal”) system unit. It has 640M of RAM, so I expect it will be useful running (Panther or) Tiger. The hardware doesn’t meet the specs for “Leopard”. Besides, I don’t own a copy of Leopard (10.5), but do own copies of Jaguar/Panther/Tiger (OS X 10.2/3/4, respectively).
The iMac came with Jaguar on it. It had been unused for a while and no one knew the passwords. So it was time to learn about the esoteric Apple boot options and keyboard commands.
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Posted in hardware, operating systems | Comments Off on recycling a six-year-old iMac w/ OS X "Tiger"
April 5th, 2008
In my experience, most of the substance of patent litigation, and the typical outcome, negotiated settlement, is hidden from the public: attorney-client discussions are privileged, experts are cautioned to be wary of items subject to discovery, settlement negotiations and details are privileged and usually subject to confidentiality agreements.
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Posted in video | Comments Off on public display of dis-affection: Avistar patents & Microsoft
March 30th, 2008
Today was my first Capitol 10K. I’d often thought I would participate. Many years ago I ran an informal 10K with friends. I think my time was just under 60 minutes then. I rarely jog more than a few yards at a time any more. But I do go on long walks, usually 3 or 5 miles every other day. So I thought I was ready to walk the 10K.
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