Classics Rock

Archive: 05-2008

• New software doesn't always mean better software

  New software releases are supposed to make things better. Often, things just get worse. Check out what to do about software bloat and take the poll to see which software has suffered the most from...

  Posted by John Sheesley | May 27, 2008, 1:13 PM PDT

• Classic Tip: Get the best performance out of WINS

  Today’s Classic Tip highlights a feature found in Windows NT Server that was vital to networks in the 90’s, but not so much today: WINS. Even though it’s an old service,...

  Posted by John Sheesley | May 22, 2008, 2:41 PM PDT

• Morphing a 1983 Motorola DynaTAC into an iPhone

  If there’s one thing that has changed as rapidly as the computer in the last 25 years, it’s the cell phone. About the same time IBM introduced the first PC, Motorola introduced the...

  Posted by John Sheesley | May 21, 2008, 12:19 PM PDT

• Computers may have changed in 25 years, but salesmen haven't

  Computers may get cheaper all the time, but the games that vendors play with prices to attract us never does. Case in point - check out this ad from Kaypro. Computers may have changed in 25 years,...

  Posted by John Sheesley | May 19, 2008, 2:13 PM PDT

• Speaking of getting acquired

  CBS decides to buy CNET for $1.8 billion. Not too shabby. CNET has some experience with purchasing companies as well. Check out some of the purchases CNET has made in recent history.

  Posted by John Sheesley | May 15, 2008, 11:34 AM PDT

• Will HP repeat its history by buying EDS?

  HP has announced a major purchase of EDS to make an impact in the field of services. Wait - didn’t they run this play once before when they bought Compaq? Sure enough. Has HP learned from...

  Posted by John Sheesley | May 14, 2008, 11:50 AM PDT

• An old Exchange tip highlights feature creep and overlap

  As a software vendor revs a product, more features wind up getting added to it. Sometimes these features overlap features in another product sold by the same vendor creating confusion. This...

  Posted by John Sheesley | May 12, 2008, 1:50 PM PDT

• Who made the worst PC software ever?

  Everyone loves to beat up Microsoft for making the worst PC software ever. But did they? Plenty of other companies have shipped software buggier than an anthill. Check this list and place your...

  Posted by John Sheesley | May 9, 2008, 11:51 AM PDT

• What Windows Vista might have been

  Check out this concept video from PDC 2003 about Longhorn. Longhorn, of course, became Vista, but there’s very little in Vista that we see here. What went wrong?

  Posted by John Sheesley | May 7, 2008, 9:28 AM PDT

• The Windows Registry has a long history of problems

  The registry has been around since Windows 3.1. Here’s a classic tip from May 2000 that shows one way to keep it straightened out along with some updates and further discussion about the...

  Posted by John Sheesley | May 5, 2008, 11:59 AM PDT