Tom's Hardware Guide: Tom's Hard News
Orlando (FL) - The command line interface to the Windows Server OS will be changed to the new Monad Shell (MSH), in a phased implementation to take place over the next three to five years. This confirmation comes from Microsoft senior vice president Bob Muglia in an interview published today by Microsoft.
"Today's announcement is the first confirmation from a high-level Microsoft source that Monad--a project launched in summer 2001 by Microsoft software engineer Jeffrey Snover--will serve as the command line and scripting language for future Windows servers. "
2005 Southbank-Bristol Arts Trail
Well the web site is there now but its a bit static and only has a couple of pages, so I dont know where the money has gone to that we all paid in. But at least there is up-to-date information there now.
Moving from a Photo to a Drawing - Initial Sketch
I have been working out what need to be done to a sketch or photo to turn it into a finished drawing, and that is
available here.
PeteHaus: "How do you Draw a Picture? Planning!
Well, how do I draw a picture? Well, a good picture comes from careful planning. Whether it's a Japanese style drawing, or a more formal pen and ink drawing, planning is definitely the key. For me, that means photos. And lots of them - so its a good idea to invest in a digital camera."
I have put an article on
PeteHaus on how I start to plan a picture, it might develop into a series on how I plan and then complete an illustration.
Its Time to Fight Back - Just Say No To Linux!
I have come to that point where it just has to be said. I have tried Linux, I really, really have. I have wanted it to work so much, so, so, much. I have played around with it since 1994, I really have given it a good go. And I've had enough. It is just not doing it - work that is. I firmly believe that Linux is the Emperor's new clothes. The Emperor is standing there, stark b*ll*ck naked, and everyone is too scared to say the truth - you aint got no clothes on - you been had. Linux has consistently FAILED to do anything that I have asked of it. And I think it is a failure because it is flawed in certain key areas:
- The business model is all wrong. There is no such thing as a free lunch.
- Technically Linux, and UNIX, which it is based on, is out of date, old technology, flawed in its design. Even its inventor has said so several times and has designed a new OS since.
- Some Linux evangelists, and contributors to the code, are deeply flawed in their thinking, and this gets incorporated into the design of the product, making it flawed too.
- There seems to be a myth that if enough people adopt it, it will all work out OK. I think that some people are adopting Linux at the moment because their technical staff tell them to and they are frightened to do otherwise. I say make software easy to use, and sack all your technical staff. You are probably being held to ransom by these people anyway.
- Technical people like Linux because it keeps people away from the technology, and therefore keeps their jobs safe. It proliferates an older, data processing model of computing that is becoming difficult to justify keeping. Let it all go and get a modern OS that can handle the needs of your company here in the 21st Century.
I say begin the fight back here. Tell your friends about how bad Linux is really. Try it out for yourself, dont take my word for it. It really stinks.
The Microsoft European MIIS User Group Meeting 2004
I am going to the above named user group meeting at the Microsoft Campus in Reading here in the UK tomorrow. We use MIIS (Microsoft Identity Information Server) 2003 here at UWE to manage creation of user accounts on all main systems, and are in the process of moving all of the other systems to MIIS over the next two years. It has been a steep learning curve to learn VB.NET (which has been necessary as it is what you mainly use to customise MIIS) but worth it for the level of control we now have over the creation (and deletion) of accounts. The User Group meeting should be a bit of a training day and I would hope to see at least a glimpse of the next version of MIIS. This has better password management features than the 2003 version and a greater number of management agents, so less custom code has to be written to add a new system.
Microsft Bashing - NOT!
There are those who have said to me lately that I was a bit harsh on Microsoft in the last post. Well, to put the record straight, I am definately NOT a Microsoft hater. Sure there are some things that it could do to improve its image, and sometimes it makes mistakes, but on the whole I like the products that Microsoft are producing right now. I don't think most people are fully aware of the integration level of some of the stuff that is being produced, from BizTalk to MIIS, Sharepoint, Office and so on. There is nothing to compare from any other company, especially at the price that Microsoft charges.
