WinInsider

Sun Microsystems has warned customers of a problem with high-speed memory that could cause most of the company's higher-end servers to crash under some rare circumstances. The problem, now patched, afflicts several servers using the 900MHz UltraSparc III processors, Sun said in an advisory posted in January and updated Thursday. The problem crops up through the cache, high-speed memory that stores data that a processor can fetch more quickly than information stored in main memory. In most instances, error-correction mechanisms fix the problem, but in some "very rare instances" multiple simultaneous errors could cause a crash, Sun said in a statement Tuesday.

When Microsoft launches Windows Server 2003 next month, many additional pieces to the operating system will be works in progress. The Redmond, Wash.-based company is taking a more modular approach to shipping the OS compared with earlier Windows Server versions. That could translate into greater flexibility delivering additional components over a longer period of time. The strategy will also let Microsoft release technologies that simply won't be ready in time for Windows Server 2003's April 24 launch.

From a business perspective, the Tablet PC that runs Windows XP Tablet PC Edition is expected to transform the way IT pros work by providing a completely new method for inputting information. This proclamation from our technology sector sounds like a pretty big boast, especially from an industry that was built by working solely with a keyboard and mouse.

While the idea of pen-based computing is not entirely new, making it work in a business environment is. There are bound to be opportunities that will develop because of the Tablet PC, but the real issue is deciding whether it is time to invest in this technology now or whether it is better to wait for the next version. So, if you are on the cusp of making a hardware upgrade soon, it helps to understand your needs before investing in this new technology. Making a business case for the Tablet PC really depends on a few factors, which I'll go over in this article.

Imagine a Windows operating system that makes the physical location of your files irrelevant. Imagine that, regardless of where you save a file, you can search for it, find it, and open it from any location on your computer--so that anytime you need to organize, access, or otherwise manage any file on your system, it's all just one viewing pane away.

That's the concept we see in early builds of Windows Longhorn, the OS Microsoft says will merge all flavors of Windows XP, and, more importantly, overhaul the Windows file system for the first time since Windows NT.

Windows XP Service Pack 1 brought about many fixes for Microsoft's flagship operating system, but a change to the memory management system caused applications on some machines to run much slower. A source told BetaNews that most performance complaints received by Microsoft came from users running a Pentium 4 processor. Microsoft recently acknowledged the problem and privately issued a hotfix, but a patch has not yet publicly appeared on Windows Update or Microsoft's Download Center. Service Pack 1 was released last September after months of beta testing. The upgrade includes many enhancements to Windows XP such as USB 2.0 and the .NET framework.

As it strives to upset AOL's market dominance, Microsoft is readying an update to its MSN Internet Service with Explorer version 8.5. MSN 8.5 serves as an interim release on the road to MSN 9, a major update that will square off with AOL 9.0 as both companies shift their focus to broadband subscribers. Microsoft recently sent customers an invitation to join the MSN 8.5 beta program, although gave no specific details as to new features or changes.

"We're excited to announce our new MSN Beta program and would like to extend this invitation to you, one of our valued MSN Internet Service members, to be a potential beta participant. The feedback from beta participants is extremely valuable in helping us define the features for future releases of MSN products and services," the e-mail invite read. "This particular beta program is for the next release of MSN 8 Internet Services."

Distributors have started taking orders through Microsoft's Open License Value program. The program, first reported on by CRN last November, is targeted at small and midsize businesses and allows end users to pay for licenses in three annual installments. Participating distributors include Ingram Micro, Tech Data, Synnex Information Technologies and D&H Distributing, and the program is also run through Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft executives said.

The long-time debate between PC and Mac partisans over which platform performs better reached an interesting impasse this week when long-time Apple partner Adobe published a document on its Web site supporting claims that the PC is indeed faster. This development is interesting for two reasons. First, Apple has always used specially written Adobe applications to demonstrate the Mac's performance claims, so it's a bit problematic when the creator of those applications basically refutes the information. And second, Apple has actually responded to the charges.

Microsoft in May plans to show early prototypes of computers using its Next-Generation Secure Computing Base (NGSCB) technology, a combination of new hardware and software that Microsoft says will boost PC security but that critics fear could be a scourge for user freedom.

At its Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) in New Orleans, Microsoft also plans to share more technical details of the nascent NGSCB technology, formerly known by its Palladium code name, Brandon Baker, a Microsoft security development engineer, said Wednesday.

Further details and demonstrations of the security technology are planned for October, at the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference (PDC) in Los Angeles , Baker said. NGSCB is to be included in a future version of Windows, possibly in Windows XP successor Longhorn, scheduled for release in 2005, he said.

What happened to the yellow-brick road that was leading to Blackcomb in 2006? It's time for Microsoft to generate one of its trusty MapPoint and plot a clear course for Windows. The starting point is (mostly) certain: Windows Server 2003 (which still has not been released to manufacturing, by the way) will launch on April 24. Whether all of the various SKUs (Web, Standard, 32-bit and 64-bit Enterprise, and 32-bit and 64-bit Datacenter) will start shipping preloaded on various servers on that exact date is another question. But after the 24th, it's anyone's guess. It's not just dates that are all over the map. Even the actual product set does not seem to be set in stone.