News
With the launch of Windows Vista, millions of your customers are
already playing games on this innovative new operating system. There
are many things you should be aware of to ensure they have a satisfying
experience. GDC 2007: Developing Great Games for Windows Vista covers
important Windows Vista concepts and features as they relate to games,
and then discusses the top issues affecting titles on Vista.Topics
include dealing with User Account Control and other security features,
Game Explorer integration, common re-distribution and installation
mistakes, changes to the DirectX runtime, 64-bit desktop computing, the
new display driver model and many other features that can make your
game stand out on Vista. This version is the first release on CNET
Download.com.
Posted on 28 Aug 2007 by Vista Advice
Software incompatibility, the need for hardware upgrades, and comfort with existing versions of Microsoft Windows are all causing businesses that once planned to roll out Windows Vista as fast as consumers to put off their deployments, according to Forrester Research Inc.
According to a report published last week and publicly released on Tuesday, Forrester says "most" of the 45 IT managers it spoke to this spring are waiting for the release of Vista Service Pack 1 early next year before starting to "seriously consider" upgrading to Vista. Many others also cited the late-summer release of System Center Configuration Manager 2007, the upgrade to the deployment software formerly known as Systems Management Server (SMS), as another reason they have not started to move from Windows 2000 or XP to Vista.
The informal survey, conducted by Forrester analyst Ben Gray, follows upon a more quantitative survey of 1,605 IT managers in North America and Europe, conducted by Forrester in May 2006. In that survey, 31% of respondents said they planned to deploy Vista within the first year of release, with 53% saying they planned to upgrade within the first two years.
Those "fairly aggressive" deployment plans, however, failed to materialize because of both "the intricacies of running such large, complex and distributed corporate environments" and "wariness," Gray wrote.
"Many of the IT pros we've spoken with feel like they've just completed their OS migration project and are wary of starting a new one anytime soon," Gray wrote.
Forrester's data, while mostly anecdotal, is further evidence that while Vista appears to be doing fine among consumers and small and medium-size businesses -- with more than 60 million units shipped as of last month -- big business is mostly saying no.
That 60 million figure above excludes volume licenses, and Microsoft Corp. says it does not track how many of its Windows volume license customers have upgraded to Vista -- something they could do at any time.
Another reason for the Vista delay is the operating system's limited compatibility with existing applications. According to Gray, IT pros who were interviewed said compatibility ranged from 60% to 90% for their existing software.
Finally, users are waiting for Configuration Manager to aid in deploying Vista, despite the fact that Microsoft is pushing its Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) offering as the tool for facilitating that process.
The delay is happening in spite of the fact that the 45 IT pros Gray interviewed this year say Vista offers attractions such as better security through its User Account Control and BitLocker Drive Encryption, and better performance through features such as Aero and SuperFetch.
While few are thinking of moving off of Windows, according to Gray, some are thinking about holding off on Vista until the end of Microsoft support for XP and 2000 forces them to upgrade, wrote Gray. Regular support for Windows XP concludes in April 2009; extended support for Windows 2000 ends in July 2010.
Others will start moving with the arrival of SP1, which Gray expects will include more drivers for peripherals, better security, and software updates for better administration and performance. One big change, a court-mandated order to let users turn off Vista's built-in desktop search engine in favor of a third-party tool such as Google Desktop, might not be ready for SP1, Gray wrote. Nor should users expect features such as the WinFS storage subsystem.
Like other research firms such as Gartner Inc., Forrester recommends that companies start planning for Vista now. The Cambridge, Mass.-based consultancy also recommends that businesses start their pilot programs on laptops, since those devices are refreshed more frequently and need BitLocker more urgently than desktop PCs do.
According to a report published last week and publicly released on Tuesday, Forrester says "most" of the 45 IT managers it spoke to this spring are waiting for the release of Vista Service Pack 1 early next year before starting to "seriously consider" upgrading to Vista. Many others also cited the late-summer release of System Center Configuration Manager 2007, the upgrade to the deployment software formerly known as Systems Management Server (SMS), as another reason they have not started to move from Windows 2000 or XP to Vista.
The informal survey, conducted by Forrester analyst Ben Gray, follows upon a more quantitative survey of 1,605 IT managers in North America and Europe, conducted by Forrester in May 2006. In that survey, 31% of respondents said they planned to deploy Vista within the first year of release, with 53% saying they planned to upgrade within the first two years.
Those "fairly aggressive" deployment plans, however, failed to materialize because of both "the intricacies of running such large, complex and distributed corporate environments" and "wariness," Gray wrote.
"Many of the IT pros we've spoken with feel like they've just completed their OS migration project and are wary of starting a new one anytime soon," Gray wrote.
Forrester's data, while mostly anecdotal, is further evidence that while Vista appears to be doing fine among consumers and small and medium-size businesses -- with more than 60 million units shipped as of last month -- big business is mostly saying no.
That 60 million figure above excludes volume licenses, and Microsoft Corp. says it does not track how many of its Windows volume license customers have upgraded to Vista -- something they could do at any time.
Another reason for the Vista delay is the operating system's limited compatibility with existing applications. According to Gray, IT pros who were interviewed said compatibility ranged from 60% to 90% for their existing software.
Finally, users are waiting for Configuration Manager to aid in deploying Vista, despite the fact that Microsoft is pushing its Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) offering as the tool for facilitating that process.
The delay is happening in spite of the fact that the 45 IT pros Gray interviewed this year say Vista offers attractions such as better security through its User Account Control and BitLocker Drive Encryption, and better performance through features such as Aero and SuperFetch.
While few are thinking of moving off of Windows, according to Gray, some are thinking about holding off on Vista until the end of Microsoft support for XP and 2000 forces them to upgrade, wrote Gray. Regular support for Windows XP concludes in April 2009; extended support for Windows 2000 ends in July 2010.
Others will start moving with the arrival of SP1, which Gray expects will include more drivers for peripherals, better security, and software updates for better administration and performance. One big change, a court-mandated order to let users turn off Vista's built-in desktop search engine in favor of a third-party tool such as Google Desktop, might not be ready for SP1, Gray wrote. Nor should users expect features such as the WinFS storage subsystem.
Like other research firms such as Gartner Inc., Forrester recommends that companies start planning for Vista now. The Cambridge, Mass.-based consultancy also recommends that businesses start their pilot programs on laptops, since those devices are refreshed more frequently and need BitLocker more urgently than desktop PCs do.
Posted on 20 Aug 2007 by Vista Advice
What do you get when you take a product used by hundreds of millions of people every day, add a few new features / polish up the interface, and then try to get everyone to shell out a grip of money for this delay- and bug- plagued upgrade? No, we're not talking about New Coke, although Microsoft probably could have learned a lesson from that failed experiment when it went about developing what would end up being Windows Vista, namely that consumers demand more than some glitz and fancy new packaging if they're to abandon an old, reliable friend. And besides that impressive Aero GUI -- which many PCs can't take advantage of anyway -- what is Vista really offering us that XP didn't? A crash-prone new media player? Exclusive "ultimate extras" that have so far amounted to a lame shareware game? A thousand chances a day to feel important when bequeathing "Administrator privileges" on all those demanding processes?
You can probably tell by now that we're no Vista proponents, and having run the new OS exclusively for almost six months at this point, we're actually about to "make the leap" back to XP. But we're not willing to give up on Redmond just yet, and the beauty of all these service packs and "Patch Tuesdays" is that some of our suggestions could conceivably be incorporated into a product that's already hit the market. So, what does Microsoft need to do to make Vista (and its price points) more palatable (short of re-releasing it based on the WinFS file system)? Loosen up the DRM restrictions? Toss the controversial WGA? Put all possible features in a single SKU like certain other companies? Well come on, we're positive that there's no shortage of suggestions out there, so let's hear 'em!
You can probably tell by now that we're no Vista proponents, and having run the new OS exclusively for almost six months at this point, we're actually about to "make the leap" back to XP. But we're not willing to give up on Redmond just yet, and the beauty of all these service packs and "Patch Tuesdays" is that some of our suggestions could conceivably be incorporated into a product that's already hit the market. So, what does Microsoft need to do to make Vista (and its price points) more palatable (short of re-releasing it based on the WinFS file system)? Loosen up the DRM restrictions? Toss the controversial WGA? Put all possible features in a single SKU like certain other companies? Well come on, we're positive that there's no shortage of suggestions out there, so let's hear 'em!
Posted on 20 Aug 2007 by Vista Advice
Fewer businesses are now planning to move to Windows Vista than seven months ago, according to a survey by patch management vendor PatchLink Corp., while more said they will either stick with the Windows they have, or turn to Linux or Mac OS X.
In a just-released poll of more than 250 of its clients, PatchLink noted that only 2% said they are already running Vista, while another 9% said they planned to roll out Vista in the next three months. A landslide majority, 87%, said they would stay with their existing version(s) of Windows.
Those numbers contrasted with a similar survey the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based vendor published in December 2006. At the time, 43% said they had plans to move to Vista, while just 53% planned to keep what Windows they had.
Today's hesitation also runs counter to what companies thought they would do as of late last year. In PatchLink's December poll, 28% said they would deploy Vista within the first year of its release. But by the results of the latest survey, fewer than half as many -- just 11% -- will have opted for the next-generation operating system by Nov. 1.
Their change of heart may be because of a changed perception of Vista's security skills. Seven months ago -- within weeks of Vista's official launch to business, but before the operating system started selling in retail -- 50% of the CIOs, CSOs, IT and network administrators surveyed by PatchLink said they believe Vista to be more secure than Windows XP. The poll put the security-skeptical at 15% and pegged those who weren't sure yet at 35%.
Today, said PatchLink, only 28% agreed that Vista is more secure than XP. Meanwhile, the no votes increased to 24% and the unsure climbed to 49%.
Reconsiderations about Vista have given rival operating systems a second chance at breaking into corporations. Last year, Linux and Max OS X had only meager appeal to the CIOs, CSOs, IT and network administrators surveyed: 2% said they planned to deploy the open-source Linux, while none owned up to Mac OS X plans. July's survey, however, noted a sixfold increase in the total willing to do without Windows on at least some systems: 8% of those polled acknowledged Linux plans, and 4% said they would deploy Mac OS X.
PatchLink's survey results fit with research firms' continued forecasts that corporate deployment of Vista won't seriously begin until early next year.
In a just-released poll of more than 250 of its clients, PatchLink noted that only 2% said they are already running Vista, while another 9% said they planned to roll out Vista in the next three months. A landslide majority, 87%, said they would stay with their existing version(s) of Windows.
Those numbers contrasted with a similar survey the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based vendor published in December 2006. At the time, 43% said they had plans to move to Vista, while just 53% planned to keep what Windows they had.
Today's hesitation also runs counter to what companies thought they would do as of late last year. In PatchLink's December poll, 28% said they would deploy Vista within the first year of its release. But by the results of the latest survey, fewer than half as many -- just 11% -- will have opted for the next-generation operating system by Nov. 1.
Their change of heart may be because of a changed perception of Vista's security skills. Seven months ago -- within weeks of Vista's official launch to business, but before the operating system started selling in retail -- 50% of the CIOs, CSOs, IT and network administrators surveyed by PatchLink said they believe Vista to be more secure than Windows XP. The poll put the security-skeptical at 15% and pegged those who weren't sure yet at 35%.
Today, said PatchLink, only 28% agreed that Vista is more secure than XP. Meanwhile, the no votes increased to 24% and the unsure climbed to 49%.
Reconsiderations about Vista have given rival operating systems a second chance at breaking into corporations. Last year, Linux and Max OS X had only meager appeal to the CIOs, CSOs, IT and network administrators surveyed: 2% said they planned to deploy the open-source Linux, while none owned up to Mac OS X plans. July's survey, however, noted a sixfold increase in the total willing to do without Windows on at least some systems: 8% of those polled acknowledged Linux plans, and 4% said they would deploy Mac OS X.
PatchLink's survey results fit with research firms' continued forecasts that corporate deployment of Vista won't seriously begin until early next year.
Posted on 31 Jul 2007 by Vista Advice