Inside TechRepublic Press

We've just published the second TechProGuild podcast. In the latest installment, TechProGuild commentator (and co-founder) Mike Jackman explores Microsoft's Identity Metasystem proposal, a new Google feature and more, while also introducing you to a new article format being tested on TechProGuild and other timely, time-saving resources. You can download the MP3 file. Don't forget to subscribe to the XML feed.

It took me awhile to jump on the blog bandwagon. But I'm a believer now. Originally I doubted anyone would care what I, or any other Joe, thinks about this or that issue. Online diairies, I thought. That's cool, if you enjoy floating all your dirty laundry for the world to see. But now it's clear blogs are reshaping how information is exchanged.

So, I decided it was time to catch up on what I'd missed. I sat down with O'Reilly & Associate's Essential Blogging. The book's a little dated - it was released in August 2002 - but it still provides a great introduction to the nature of Web logging, how it began and many different tools you can use to be up and running with your own blog in minutes. Notable contributors include Cory Doctorow, who challenged traditional publishing models when he released a free eBook version of his Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom simultaneously with the paper-based version.

Dig into the book, and you'll find new updates exist for all the tools explored - Blogger, Radio UserLand, Movable Type and Blosxom. And there's no mention of Google buying Blogger, among other later-breaking items. But you will find O'Reilly's unwavering commitment to covering technology with the flair, interest and expertise that have become hallmarks of its respected texts.

Though it's a few years old now, Essential Blogging may well prove to be a collectible manual - kind of a version 1.0 - that ends up trading on eBay for well over its original purchase price a few years from now. By then everyone and their mothers have blogs, so you may wish to get a copy now.

TechProGuild's launched a few new items of particular interest.

First, we're experimenting with Lunch and Learn presentations. The idea is these prepackaged presentations save you significant time by eliminating the need for you to conduct your own research and format your own presentation to give end users. For example, TechProGuild members can download the Internet and E-mail Usage Lunch and Learn presentation, whih comes complete not only with the presentation and speaker's notes but also a leave-behind document that can double as your organization's Internet and e-mail usage policy. All you need to do is send attendees an invite (which we've drafted for you, as well), read the speaker's notes and present the document. Try it out and drop me a note with your thoughts.

And just last week we published the third TechProGuild podcast. You can subscribe to the XML feed. Or, you can download the podcast directly. TechProGuild podcasts are available to everyone, incidently. You need not be a TechRepublic or TechProGuild member to listen to them (although you likely will need to be a TechRepublic or TechProGuild member to access several of the resources you may find mentioned).

Publishing these podcasts has forced me to upgrade my RSS knowledge quickly. I tapped O'Reilly's Developing Feeds with RSS and Atom in the process. I'll post a quick review here in the TechRepublic Blogs section soon.

A staunch Windows advocate, I find myself contemplating the unthinkable: switching. Well, not switching, really, as you'd be hard pressed getting me to part with my Windows Media Center Edition 2005 system (as well as a workhorse Win2K unit that doubles as a storage server).

But I find myself slowing to read Apple Tiger news. When I see Mac ads, I actually stop and read them. When I was in Chicago last month, I visited Apple's store on Michigan Avenue. It was there that the festering bug finally caught a serious hold (maybe it was something in the air - does Apple doctor the environs the way casinos have been rumored to?).

Either way, the entry-level iBook's looking attractive. Integrated wireless, full iLife suite, nice form factor, etc. It'll have enough horsepower for the tasks I need from a portable (e-mail, Internet access, digital photo viewing and tweaking and word processing). Editing video or creating slide shows would probably choke it to a crawl, but that's what my almost 4Ghz Media Center Edition system is for, right?

What's going on here? Have I spent too much time in the blazing summer heat, or am I falling victim to the Mac fashion that's so ruthlessly promoted in movies and on TV. Or could it be an iBook is the answer to my need for a smaller but dependable mobile companion?

E-mail me your thoughts. I'll keep you posted as to what happens.

EE

IndyCars go fast. And its computer professionals that make it possible.

TechProGuild editor John Sheesley and I traveled to Kentucky Speedway for the Indy Racing League's Amber Alert 300. We interviewed several race teams, including Rahal Letterman Racing, whose Danica Patrick won the pole position. Look for a few articles soon on what we discovered and how you might benefit by adopting some of the same contingency plans used by IndyCar team engineers, where a lot is literally riding on the technician's ability to keep Windows systems up and running in grueling environments.

Meanwhile, you can browse photographs I've posted to Webshots and Flickr. Soon John and I will publish an entire set as a TechProGuild Photo Gallery.

Awhile back, John (TechProGuild senior editor) and I set to publishing the first TechProGuild podcasts. We recognized the need to include the TechProGuild podcasts we were creating (with the assistance of former TechProGuild alumnus Mike Jackman) in RSS feeds to ensure robust distribution.

TechRepublic's downloads already benefit from their own RSS feed, so we only needed to publish the podcast within the TechRepublic downloads center to officially make it a podcast. But we chose, too, to build a separate RSS feed that could operate independently of TechRepublic's existing XML syndication stream. I'd written XML records before, including for electronic books we'd published on Amazon, but I felt a little out of the loop when it came to RSS.

I turned to O'Reilly's Developing Feeds With RSS And Atom. Ben Hammersley authored the title, which serves as an excellent primer for understanding RSS history, getting up to speed authoring RSS 2.0 feeds (with additional information on RSS 1.0) and understanding and employing the developing Atom standard. Even if most of your skill comes from the administrative side of the IT house, as does mine, you needn't worry. One doesn't have to be a developer to understand and build RSS feeds using Hammersley's book.

If you're supporting corporate blogs, interested in learning more about RSS or need to improve your syndication skills, check out this O'Reilly title. It's as good a place to begin as any.

While knowing (or understanding) some HTML is recommended, numerous code examples are provided (usually in Perl). In just a short time you'll find yourself being able to draft code that allows you to create and publish a feed, tabulate hits, register with all-important aggregators and more.

TechProGuild editor John Sheesley helped me load the Trackside Technology photo gallery. Check it out to see how Danica Patrick, Dan Wheldon and other top IndyCar drivers and teams are leveraging the same technologies you do to win races on the demanding open wheel racing circuit. Note the elaborate pit-side setups, and enjoy some vivid images from the AMBER Alert Portal Indy 300, where Danica Patrick won the pole.

Upon winning the race, Scott Sharp credited his technical team with a big assist. Visit the photo gallery for more details.

My Windows Media Center PC, which is less than a year old, went casters-up this weekend. Worse, it did so for no apparent reason. No failed hard drive, no spyware or virus infestation, no incompatible software install. The culprit? A corrupted registry. I tried everything to recover, including loading the last known good configuration, recovering from the Setup CD and even logging in to the command line to replace the failed files with .bak versions. Nothing worked. I had to run with a fresh install, which required re-installing all the software and applications that didn't come with the system, which is no short task.

Fortunately, I didn't lose any data (I back up regularly to a second hard drive and even back that up monthly to DVD). But I did lose time, and that's just as precious. Makes me glad I bought a Mac. I don't anticipate having to reinstall everything just because, well, the OS is confused irreparably. To everyone who recommended the Apple, many thanks. I especially need to thank Jack Wallen and Eric Brinley, two of the loudest, proudest Mac users I know. They certainly helped steer me in the proper direction.

John and I have published the IndyCar IT content. You can view the Photo Gallery or read the two articles:

• IndyCar IT: The technology that makes Danica Patrick go
• IndyCar IT: Data protection tips from race engineers

Note, the articles require TechProGuild membership, for which a free trial subscription is available.

Let me know what you think of articles that explore the technologies used by race teams or NFL teams or other prominent organizations or people. What other technologies would you enjoy reading about? Drop me a line and let me know.

Think you have a cool home office setup, or do you still live with your mother?

Did you hide all your cables? Do three flat panels adorn your desktop? Send me your photos. I'm going to post the pictures I receive in a TechProGuild photo gallery. Whoever has the coolest home office setup will receive their choice of one free TechRepublic Press ($89 or less) title. But send your pictures soon, the contest closes in two weeks.

Send your pictures!

I've posted a few sample home office photos to get the TechProGuild photo gallery effort started. Check out the home office sample photographs.

Think you have a cool home office? Send me proof. Whoever submits the best home office photo will win their choice of a TechRepublic Press book (any title $89 or less) or a one-year subscription to TechProGuild. But send your photos soon, the contest closes in two weeks.

Think you have the coolest home office? What about the messiest server room?

Send me your pictures for posting to TechRepublic's coolest SOHO/messiest server room contests. You could win a free TechRepublic Press title (priced $89 or less).

Check out the home office photos.

Check out the messiest TechRepublic member server rooms.

WiredNews (spawned by Wired Magazine, which was co-founded by fellow Louisvillian Jane Metcalfe, incidentally) has an interesting story on Apple customers being pack rats.

I have to admit, having purchased my first PowerBook several weeks ago, that the packaging was unlike anything else I'd ever purchased. An attractive and stylish box, with a built-in handle, was only the start. Inside the box the computer and its peripherals (power cord, manual, etc.) were creatively packed, with a space for everything and seemingly the items you need first packed in that order. Apple even took care to insert a small protective sheet between the keyboard and screen, which is not a step I expect every laptop manufacturer takes.

Of course, not every manufacturer's product designs are so stylish. When unloading a new PowerBook or iPod, it only makes sense that such care is taken to protect the contents.

I suspect Apple's invested serious funds in researching its package designs. Does it make a difference? You tell me. I'm beginning to believe I'm the last person on the planet without an iPod. But that'll change soon. And when it does, you can bet I'll keep my Nano's original packaging.

Chances are you're familiar with many of the leading digital photography sites. DotPhoto, Flickr, SnapFish, Webshots (a CNET Networks property, as is TechRepublic) and Yahoo are among the sites that have developed strong photo galleries. But I believe SmugMug is among the first photo gallery sites to map Google's satellite imagery to photo locations.

While there are still a few bugs, (I encountered difficulty getting the Address search locator, or lookup, to return any results outside Sunnyvale, California), you can manually specify a photograph's location. Once you've edited the photo's geographic settings by locating and specifying the photo's original location, you can mark it with a virtual pin. Check out my Moab Mountain Biking Gallery for an example (click the Map This button to view the satellite image of this photo's origin).

Too, the Google engine inside SmugMug's interface seems to respond slowly and without the detail the Google Earth application provides. For example, after a good five or six minutes of trying with the SmugMug locator to zero-in on the Slickrock Moutain Bike trailhead outside Moab, I gave up and settled simply for the city. Using the Google Earth app, though, I'm able to locate the trailhead parking lot inside of a few seconds.

Regardless, it's a cool feature to add to a photo gallery. In addition to mapping your photo locations, it makes it easy to bookmark satellite images of the original location, making it even easier to give friends and others bird's eye views of the places you've been.

I've just spent some time with two Missing Manual guides (iLife '05: The Missing Manualand Mac OS X: The Missing Manual, Tiger Edition). David Pogue does an outstanding job with both books. And before you think I'm on O'Reilly's payroll (I recognize that I tout the benefits of many O'Reilly-affiliated books in this space), know that I purchased the Mac OS X title, full freight, at a Barnes and Noble with my own cash. Sure, I could have gone through traditional media request channels, but the text is so thorough, so clear and so well researched I had to have it. Having recently added a Mac to my home network, I found Pogue's experiences and knowledge just the ticket for getting myself up to speed quickly on not only Tiger's native applets and settings, but the applications I actually bought the Mac for (iPhoto, iDVD and iMovie).

I appreciate the personality that's injected in the Missing Manual series. The author speaks as if he's sitting across the table from you at a Starbucks. The text is very conversational. You feel the author's been there, been doing it for years, actually, and knows just what you're experiencing. Then he tells you what he does to perform the action you're looking to complete. Can't beat that.

Another characteristic of the Missing Manuals is the missing CD. Remember when almost every computer book had a CD pasted inside? Lately, they've been falling by the wayside. Many technology books just skip them altogether, now.

At TechRepublic Press, we make the CD decision based on the title. We ask ourselves if the topic warrants including interactive tools. If the answer is yes, we create a CD. If the answer's no, then we skip it, choosing instead to focus energy and resources on providing the best content for the book we can.

The Missing Manual series foregoes the CD, too. Instead, readers are directed to a Website where specific tools or downloads mentioned in the book are made available.

What's your preference? Do you even still use the CDs packaged with books? Is it easier to just visit a corresponding Web site for specific files (as I did when tracking down the TinkerTool preference settings application described in the Mac OS X title)?

Ever hear of the Das Keyboard? It's the jet-black, stealth keyboard favored by elite geeks. And when I say stealth, I mean stealth. There're no labels on this puppy. None. Check it out (photo courtesy DasKeyboard.com):

Other than the name, Das Keyboard, and the letters designating the LEDs for Num Lock, Caps Lock and Scroll Lock, there's not a single character, letter or symbol to be found. In other words, there are no letters on this beast.

Why not?

Supposedly it makes you a better typist. You can't cheat by peaking at key labels. And with different sets of keys weighted differently, your brain automatically begins to discover the correct locations of the keys you need.

I've just pressed it into service today. But as you can see, no typos so far. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

By now most readers are aware we lost Bob Artner this week. His guidance and vision helped shape TechRepublic and fuel its growth from a small beta site to a destination boasting more than four million registered members. His dedication and commitment to building a compelling site for IT pros was unsurpassed, and he deserves much of the credit for the success.

I still remember interviewing with him at a nearby restaurant, one that would prove to be a popular hangout for us over the years. In that first meeting he explained the company had enough money for six months. After that, who knows? Either we'd be a part of something great or we'd end up on the street, albeit with some intriguing new experiences on our resumes. I was at a pivotal point in my life. Married, with my first child on the way, I wanted my wife to quit her job and stay home. I chose to join TechRepublic, despite circumstances almost any career or financial planner would have told me to avoid. I've never regretted it even during the gut-wrenching years we encountered, like all technology organizations, a few years ago. Everyone should be so fortunate as to have had the opportunity I did to work with such an outstanding, creative, no-limits crew and culture as I did then. Bob was a big part of that.

Having worked with him closely for more than six years, I got to know him well. He could go deeper than Randy Moss on more topics than Terry Gross. That's no exaggeration. From chess to IT to football to theology, he knew his material.

He'll be missed.

I'm not a big fan of pocket guides. I prefer investing in more comprehensive titles. If a text is going to take up space, it might as well serve as a handy resource.

That said, I've been exchanging e-mails with a friend (a former Microsoft employee, incidentally) who I believe I've successfully talked into replacing a Windows machine with a Mac. He's married, with a kiddo now, and he explained he doesn't have a ton of time to invest in getting up to speed on the differences between Windows and Mac OS X. While there are differences, they're minor. Nonetheless, if you haven't worked with the Mac interface, you need to learn a few ins and outs (such as Finder is Mac's answer to Windows Explorer, Spotlight is Mac's answer to a desktop search program, etc.).

My recommendation? I suggested he purchase O'Reilly's Mac OS X Tiger Pocket Guide. The pocket guide, which is actually pretty thick, covers well all of Mac OS X's basics. From explaining Apple's Menu Bar and Dock to configuring and customizing the new Dashboard, the book provides a great launching pad for anyone switching to a Mac from Windows. There are even sections on working with the Terminal and passages describing the use of simple UNIX commands. The book isn't as thorough as Mac OS X: The Missing Manual, Tiger Edition or Mac OS X Tiger Unleashed, but then again, it's not supposed to be. It's a quick hit guide designed to simply cover the basics quickly.

You can't be all work and no play, right?

Thanks to the Internet, I'm headed to my second Bengals home game this year. All the home games are sold out, but Internet ticket sites make it all possible.

A long-time unrepentant Bengals fan, I've suffered through the NFL's longest losing streak. Now that the Bengals are showing life with Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson and a strong defense, there's an incredible energy running through Paul Brown Stadium. You could feel it in the whipping the Bengals put on the Vikings. I'm hoping that trend continues this weekend when the Bengals host the Texans. If it goes well, the Bengals will have started the season 4-0, the best opening record for the franchise in maybe 20 years.

How bad has the Bengals losing streak been? Well, consider this. The last time they had a good year with a playoff appearance (1990), the Soviet Union watched on TV, there were no Internet Web browsers and the 5 1/4 floppy was all the rage (Windows 3.0 still hadn't been released).

I'm toying with the idea of digging into the IT works within the Bengals organization, too. I may try taking an inside look at the different technologies NFL teams utilize in the course of any given week during the season. I'll keep you posted.

Who-dey?!

How long will Microsoft stay relevant? Obviously, most every Fortune 500 company and countless small and medium businesses are dependent upon Microsoft technologies (Windows operating systems, Office applications, Exchange servers, etc.) to transact business. But as business processes and critical applications increasingly move to the Web, even Microsoft itself apparently has struggled with a strategy for remaining relevant.

Personally, I always maintained Microsoft's technologies were critical to an organization's everyday operations. Whether you worked in a nonprofit organization distributing news releases as Word documents, processed sales using commerce systems powered by Windows servers or collected state motor vehicle records in a SQL database, the Microsoft dependency was clear.

Sure, I tried Linux. I always encountered driver issues or configuration errors that required more time to fix than I was willing to invest. But Linux distributions have become much more proficient. BusinessWeek took note earlier this year, devoting significant space to "The Linux Uprising" in a single issue.

Then I bought a Macintosh, and while I don't believe Apple will be the company to win significant business from Microsoft, my experience with Mac OS X has taught me that most of the tasks I now perform, personally and professionally, are no longer Microsoft dependent.

For example, I was preparing to purchase Microsoft Office for Macintosh when a colleague told me to first try NeoOffice, the OpenOffice port for the Macintosh platform. It works so well that I'm sticking with NeoOffice and eliminating the Office purchase. I don't need it. NeoOffice works well with the Office file formats so many other organizations still use, and I'm yet to encounter a compatibility issue. I've had similar experiences with the Thunderbird e-mail client and news reader (also free) and the Firefox browser (again, also free). Mac OS X also boasts new time-saving Widgets, add-on apps developed by programmers within the technology community; the Widgets, too, are free. For me, the time is clear for reexamining the benefits of open source technologies.

Apparently I'm not the only one. At least one state government is beginning to require OpenDocument compatibility in the software its agencies use. This is likely one of the reasons Microsoft is adding PDF support to the next version of Office. But should state and federal governments even be investing tax dollars in proprietary, closed technology systems when so many other options appear to offer equivalent functionality for less? I don't know. There are many other issues that need examining, and likely not everyone's needs can be met with open source technologies.

But other trouble may be on the horizon for Microsoft, which played such a significant role in placing PCs on all of our desks and powerful software on all our servers. Now Google and Sun announce they are combining efforts to promote adoption of Java and OpenOffice technologies. None of that can be good news for Microsoft, which is apparently scrambling to restructure in an attempt to better compete against such threats.

Share your thoughts. Will Google prove key in decreasing dependence on Microsoft technologies, or will Microsoft respond with devastating efficiency as it has so many times in the past?

At least not yet. It's an interesting story, especially considering the issues noted in my earlier post today.

I'm not surprised Microsoft is refusing to port its Office suite to Linux. Were Redmond to do so, it would just make it that much easier for organizations to migrate to Linux-based desktops.

In the end, it may not matter. If organizations determine they're going to migrate to open source technologies, no one should expect Microsoft to assist in the effort, and it doesn't make sense, at this juncture, for Microsoft to make it any easier for them.

I've worked with a variety of audio and video production tools, and I'm always on the lookout for new utilities to mix audio, edit video and burn DVD menus. In the past I've used PhotoShop Elements 3 to edit photos, Adobe Premiere Elements and Windows Movie Maker to capture and edit video, GoldWave to edit audio, Nero to design DVD menus and burn DVDs, and Stomp RecordNow to burn CDs. I've also used ULead's DVD PictureShow to create slideshows. That's a lot of applications for simply burning slide shows with an accompanying music track. Ultimately, the complexity led me to rethink my whole strategy and purchase a PowerBook with iLife 05 preinstalled.

When CyberLink contacted me, and offered to send me a media evaluation copy of DVD Solution 4, I requested the company forward a copy of the software. I knew CyberLink's PowerDVD 6.0 high-definition audio and video to be highly ranked by CNET's Download.com users, so I was anxious to give it a try.

DVD Solution 4 is marketed as being "The ultimate DVD burning and creativity suite," and while Adobe, Apple, Ulead and Microsoft offer tools offering greater complexity, functionality and features, Cyberlink's collected a wide range of programs in a single suite that may well eliminate your need for other audio/video applications, depending upon your specific requirements.

DVD Solution 4 includes applications for performing all of the following:

• Authoring DVDs, including designing menus and burning the DVD.
• Backing up data, either through scheduled backups or drag-and-burn.
• Copying DVDs, including the ability to customize the copies you create.
• Retouch photos. You can rotate, crop, resize, apply effects and remove red eye with simple actions.
• Create MP3s from CDs.
• Make slideshows (with different transitions) and burn them to CDs and DVDs.
• Build your own screensavers.
• Produce streaming video for the Web.
• Perform basic video editing functions.
• Watch DVD movies using a player powered by PowerDVD.

Another feature I thought was interesting is the suite's ability to create Etch Labels. The suite supports using LightScribe technology to etch image designs and text (a special LightScribe burning drive and disc are required) directly on to a disc. You can also use the software to create labels, covers and jewel-case inserts.

Sure, you'll find more photo editing power in PhotoShop and more video editing features in Premiere, but if you're looking for a single suite that will cover the basics, and also provide the ability to burn DVDs, produce labels and backup data quickly, you can try DVD Solution 4 for free. The full functioning version won't bankrupt your budget, either, at $79 and change.

Rumors surrounding Apple's announcement next Wednesday are making the story a most-trafficked piece on CNET News. Apple's designs lead the industry, so it's no surprise everyone's chomping at the bit to learn what the next announcement entails.

Most of the speculation targets a new iPod that plays videos. That's the next logical progression for the iPod line, which has expanded into different sizes, colors, styles and now even cell phones. I was contemplating purchasing a Nano, but I'll wait to see what Apple has in store for us all next week first.

Apple Insider is reporting
analysts anticipate Apple will introduce new hard drive-based iPods and
new Macs next week, which is quite likely accurate. I wish Apple would
introduce a subscription-based component to iTunes, instead, but that's
just me. Were Apple to do so, then I'd be able to use my music
subscription service on any and all of my PCs. Currently I'm shackled
to Windows, as Rhapsody doesn't support the Macintosh platform (one of
the last remaining obstacles my Mac conversion faces). But, I'd jump to
a subscription-based iTunes service in a heart beat. I use Rhapsody to
discover and sample artists new to me (such as Jennifer Knapp, O.A.R.,
Augustana and others I would likely never have heard of), but the
30-second snippets on iTunes aren't sufficient for trying out new
music, in my experience.

CNET News is reporting that the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) has submitted the OpenDocument specification to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The goal is to obtain ISO endorsement for the specification and effectively standardize formats for storing desktop files, such as those used by word processing, spreadsheet and presentation programs.

Why's that important? Because government agencies, in particular, would find it easier to adopt open document specifications with a standard in place. And ISO bears significant weight, having served as the sanctioning body for wired Ethernet networks and the 802.11 protocol, among other technologies.

It's early in the process, but a safe bet that, if the standard passes, Microsoft would have to update its Office suite to prove OpenDocument compliant. Applications that currently support OpenDocument include OpenOffice, Sun's StarOffice and AbiWord.

Apple's due to make a highly anticipated announcement later this afternoon. Most speculation calls for the Macintosh manufacturer to introduce new video iPods and possibly a new music videos feature to iTunes.

Executive Vice President Tim Cook said he thinks Apple "did rather well with the prior lineup and believes that [Apple] will do even better with the new lineup that [it has] for the holiday season, including the new iPod Nano and some very innovative new products that [Apple has] yet to introduce."

Thus, it appears Apple's going to announce an iPod with not just new features, but innovative features. That would seem to discount a video iPod, wouldn't it? Sony's PlayStation Portable already plays videos. Then again, if Apple introduces music videos as an iTunes component, that would qualify as innovative.

I guess we'll all know in a few hours. Stay tuned.

We tested a quick TechProGuild video tutorial last summer. Mostly we just wanted to see if we could produce a video tutorial in-house, how difficult it might be, and how it might look. I learned two things.

One, lighting is critical. In the next two tutorials (how to track and restore Windows XP registry changes using RegSpy and how to accelerate network browse performance for XP users), I'll be sure to have more lighting.

Second, I learned you need a script. You need to know what you're going to say, what you're going to show and where screenshots will appear.

Drafting scripts in Word or another word processing program is insane. If you provide technical services for a media company, an advertising agency, a public relations firm or another organization that produces original video programming, you likely already know that.

For the next videos TechProGuild will produce, I turned to Final Draft, a leading script-writing program used by everyone from scriptwriting wannabes to major motion picture houses. The software installs easily, works equally well in Macintosh and Windows environments, and simplifies script development. The program makes it easier to format script styles, whether a section serves as dialog, action, a setting description, transitions, etc. Final Draft also includes features making it easy to track revisions, compare script versions, number scenes, schedule production and export finished works as PDF files.

If at any point you're asked to purchase, support or otherwise enable video production, I highly recommend you check out Final Draft. While you can attempt to create a custom template in Word or another word processing program, Final Draft boasts so many ready-to-use templates and so much support for other industry standards, including script registry and formatting assistants, that it just doesn't make sense to continue trying to force another business application to fulfill those responsibilities.

Without the dust even having settled from the new video iPod and iTunes 6 announcements last week, Apple's on the move again.

In addition to new dual-processor (2.5GHz) dual-core G5 processor-powered PowerMacs, Apple introduced upgrades to its PowerBook line. The PowerBook line benefits from higher-resolution displays and improved battery life.

On the software side, Apple announced Aperture, a potent professional photography application. While Apple is positioning Aperture as a complement to PhotoShop, at $499 and with integrated support for the most popular professional cameras, the RAW-workflow focused program may well serve as a standalong post-production tool for many photographers.

John Dvorak, the longtime Windows writer, apparently feels Apple earns too much news coverage because a vast majority of journalists use Macs. He claims "90 percent of the mainstream writers" are Mac users, and he attributes this influential majority as skewing publicity toward Apple (from Microsoft).

I'd like to see a copy of his statistical sampling, as the newsrooms I've been in (newspaper, Internet and on-site media center locations) are overwhelmingly Windows-based. In August when I traveled to an IndyCar race - which was very well attended by the world's largest media agencies, including the AP, broadcast television, cable television networks, and hoards of print reporters - I saw one or two Apples in the entire bunch. Windows systems easily outnumbered Macs 20 to 1. More close to home, at TechRepublic and its parent CNET (one of the world's most trafficked Web sites according to independent surveys), Macs are easily outnumbered 10 or 15 to 1 by Windows systems.

Could it be sour apples?

Dvorak adds that he often "confronts these guys with" his assertion that there's a connection between their Mac use and their skewed Apple reporting. "All say that they use a Mac 'because it is better.'" Dvorak writes. But then, in his own piece, he goes on to predict "Microsoft should make some headway with this biased crowd once the fanciful Xbox 360 arrives."

Why? Because, Dvorak writes, "it's got a creative GUI, is easy to use and navigate, and kind of has a Mac look to it."

To me it sounds like Microsoft is adopting many of the very features that make Macs popular. The journalists Dvorak encounters appear to already understand how much easier such features make their lives. Too bad Dvorak appears too consumed with his own biases to recognize that fact.

Programmers yesterday released OpenOffice 2.0. OpenOffice includes a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation and now database applications. In addition, the software is OpenDocument Format compliant.

New features introduced in version 2.0 include:

• An improved user interface.
• Password-protected Microsoft Office files can be opened (assuming the user possesses the correct password).
• A mail merge wizard.
• Enhanced export capabilities.
• Expanded support for the number of rows (65,536) to equal that used by Microsoft Excel.
• Support for digital signatures within documents.

The software can be downloaded for use on Windows, Linux, FreeBSD and Sun's Solaris platforms. Programmers are also at work preparing a Mac OS X version.

I've long enjoyed OpenOffice's ability to create PDFs from standard word processing documents and spreadsheet files. I've been using the 2.0 beta since the summer on my Windows systems, and I'll be sure to load up the new Mac OS X version once it's released for testing.

On October 5th, I posted a blog item exploring Microsoft's challenge to remain relevant in a world that's increasingly dependent upon Web-based applications. My post examined how I'd purchased an Apple Mac, the use of which helped me understand I no longer required Windows software to perform day-to-day PC tasks. I've since loaded Fedora Core 4 on another system, which further confirmed those thoughts.

Today the AP released a story that further explores that argument. While written for a general audience, the piece reviews many of the issues Microsoft faces. It's worth checking out if you have a moment.

If you're looking to switch to a Macintosh, there are several new books out to help simplify the task. I just reviewed PeachPit Press' Cool Mac Apps. Authored by veteran Macintosh writer Robin Williams, the title provides excellent descriptions of, and recommendations for working with, all the popular pre-installed Mac applications, including the iLife 05 suite (which includes iPhoto, iTunes and GarageBand, among others), .MAC accounts, Apple's calendar program and more. It's a great title for anyone new to the Mac.

There's also the new Switching to the Mac Missing Manual. Another in a long line of helpful titles from New York Times technology columnist David Pogue, the text is designed to help steer Windows users making the transition to OS X. The book covers everything from new Mac features to configuring printers and transferring e-mail and other files from your old PC. Also notable is Pogue's co-author in the effort, Adam Goldstein. Apparently Adam's quite a technology whiz who is yet to graduate from high school.

A potentially controversial title (at least in name), new from O'Reilly, is Just Say No To Microsoft. I haven't had a chance to read it, yet, but I have a copy coming. Stay tuned for more on that.

Also, this week, I discovered a few interesting Kevin Tolly articles on NetworkWorld. Apparently he had a similar experience as me, in which his Sony Vaio (running XP) also died inexplicably. And, he's shared some of the same sentiments I have. Worth reading, if you have time.

Back on September 21st, I noted that I'd just received a Das Keyboard. This is the all-black keyboard you may have seen on ThinkGeek. None of the keys are labeled. I promised to follow up and share my experiences. Here they are.

Did the Das Keyboard make me a better typist? Did I type up to 100% faster in a few weeks, as the product's literature suggests? In a word, no. I was already a pretty fast typist, so I'm not sure it was realistic to expect I could increase my speed substantially.

Did the specially weighted keys help me become a more accurate typist? Hard to tell. But one thing's sure, if I didn't get my index fingers centered on the F and J keys, respectively (with their slightly raised bar, as on most all keyboards), I was in a world of hurt. But I found that, when I did take a moment to ensure my fingers were properly positioned, I could rattle off words quickly and without error - and seemingly more accurately than when using a keyboard with labeled letters. I suspect there's a laziness factor that arises when you can just peak at the keyboard to confirm you're on the right letter. With the unlettered keys, I felt as if I were typing more by instinct (as cheating, by glancing at the keyboard, no longer provided any help).

Did I have the coolest keyboard in the building. Yes.

Would I recommend it? You bet. The Das Keyboard's Geek factor's off the chart.

My only recommendations are:

1. Be sure you center your fingers on the proper keys before typing.
2. Favor the number pad when entering digits (such as when mixing numerals with letters to form stronger passwords).

Special characters, for me, proved a challenge, though. I found myself a few times manually counting keys from the left edge in order to successfully combine digits with the shift key to generate special characters.

All in all, though, the keyboard proved fun, productive and comfortable. The keys are responsive and their different weights did appear to help make typing more intuitive. I'm sorry I had to send mine back.

American Express, like many other companies, outsources its career application process to BrassRing. According to a new CNET News article, BrassRing's software doesn't support Mac browsers.

That's too bad, especially as I just learned that there's some scientific evidence my Apple PC makes me more productive and efficient than does a Windows system.

You see, I just read in Peter Morville's new book, Ambient Findability, that Don Norman's Emotional Design "presents scientific evidence that attractive things work better."

How's that?

Quoting Morville, "Since being happy broadens our thought processes and facilitates creative thinking, attractive products that make us happy can improve our ability to use them."

There's no doubt innovative Mac systems are more attractive than boring beige Windows boxes frequently requiring antivirus and antispyware updates and scans, and rebooting, that Macs don't. I love the Mac, with its crisp, efficient operating system, time-saving Dashboard, approachable productivity tools and reputation for robust, trouble-free computing. The design's even better. I love the Mac's clean lines, inviting display and fresh, responsive keyboard. Why is every laptop I see in a Best Buy, CompUSA, Circuit City and Office Max Sunday circular silver now? Apple deserves credit for getting there first; everyone else is just copycatting its successful PowerBook models.

But apparently, using my Mac, I can't apply for a job at American Express. That's unfortunate. I like to think most companies seek bright, motivated and happy candidates looking to tackle challenges by applying their myriad talents in new, creative and productive ways. Instead, it appears American Express, and others, are limiting their application process unnecessarily.

You remember required reading, right? My teachers and professors often assigned specific books, articles and journals that had to be read. Fail to read just one, and that was sure to be the item covered in a pop quiz.

There are no pop quizzes at TechProGuild. Instead, our mission is to provide you with the best resources we can to overcome the information technology challenges you battle every day.

To that end, we?ve created a Required Reading: Windows Vista site just for TechProGuild members. This is no static collection of outdated bookmarks. Instead, the Required Reading: Windows Vista site consists of a vibrant set of resources, grouped by category, that?s constantly tweaked, updated and reviewed to ensure you have all the best Vista information at your fingertips when you need it.

Best of all, the site won?t be just a collection of links an editor?s assembled; your feedback and recommendations will shape the site. Send me your recommendations. I?ll maintain the page to ensure you can find the Vista information you need, whether you?re seeking blog comments, news items, product updates, security guidance or how-to information.

Check out the Required Reading: Windows Vista site, and be sure to forward the Windows Vista resources you find valuable.

Sony has a problem. A new copy-protection technology introduced on some new Sony CDs is causing trouble for the company.

A blogger - and not just any blogger but Sysinternals' Mark Russinovich - encountered a rootkit upon installing the Sony BMG title Get Right With The Man. Rootkits, of course, are very serious business, as they are designed to operate beneath the operating system's radar.

And people wonder why I quit buying CDs in favor of music purchased electronically (both from iTunes and Rhapsody)...

Which reminds me: I've purchased tunes from Sony's Connect store, too. I guess I need to check my Windows Media Center system for any rootkits that could be compromised by an ill-meaning hacker. Time for me, too, to test Rootkit Revealer.

At least I know my Mac's safe as I've only used iTunes on it.

After noting Winternals' Mark Russinovich found that a Sony music CD apparently installed a rootkit on his Windows system, I received a Winternals Software news release announcing the fact. The release describes how Russinovich found the rootkit and the trouble he encountered trying to remove it. The release also states the discovery reinforces the need for software solutions to protect Windows systems from unauthorized applications.

Windows systems certainly have their vulnerabilities. Windows security issues are very well documented, and the list of holes and weaknesses grows every day. That's why the world doesn't need other companies adding to the complexity of the problem by purposefully installing rootkits, especially as rootkits could be compromised by other parties.

Don't get me wrong. Sony has a right (and legal and fiscal responsibilities to its shareholders) to protect its copyrights. But whichever Sony executives signed off on approving the installation of rootkits as part of its DRM controls must not have understood the ramifications. That, or someone received bad advice.

My unsolicited advice? Skip the hard copies. Download your music from Sony's Connect store, Apple's iTunes, Real Networks' Rhapsody or the like. If you must purchase a CD - such as for playing in your car - don't play it on your PC. I've found that, since subscribing to a streaming online music service, I don't really need CDs anymore. When I do find an album I simply must have, I buy the CD for the car, but I continue to leverage the online music subscription for listening to the same music indoors.

A few weeks ago I was in the middle of installing Fedora Core 4 when the PC's BIOS, during a reboot, announced the hard disk was going bad. The drive, a test disk for years, led a tortured life. From running Windows 2000 to Red Hat Linux, it powered test servers and desktops. Now, it was dying. I told the BIOS to ignore it, but after dual-booting in to Win2K to run chkdsk I was greeted with the tell-tale clicking revealing this disk's day was done. So what'd I do? I took it apart. TechProGuild members can review the dissection in the new Anatomy Of A Failed Hard Drive photo gallery.

Speaking of hard disks, I've received three new Western Digital external hard drives to test. All make adding tons of gigs easy. One even glows in the dark! TechProGuild members can check them all out in their own photo gallery.

Walter S. Mossberg, the respected technology writer, proclaims Apple PCs not just superior, but far better, than Windows systems in the December 2005 issue of SmartMoney magazine. In Tempted By The Apple?, Mossberg drops these juicy soundbytes:

• "I believe, at the moment, Apple makes the best computers, and the best operating system, for mainstream consumers doing typical tasks--e-mail, Web surfing, office-productivity functions such as word processing and presentations, photo organizing and editing, playing and collecting music, and editing home video."
• "Of all the major computer makers, Apple is the most focused on consumers and small businesses." (emphasis mine).
• "Apple's iMac G5 consumer desktop is, in my opinion, the single best home computer on the market. It's PowerBook laptops are among the top portables." (emphasis mine).
• "The Mac OS X operating system ... is far better than Microsoft's aging Windows XP and already boasts many of the key features Microsoft plans to include [in Vista]." (emphasis mine).
• "Out of the box, the Mac has better photo, music, video and DVD-creation software than any Windows computer I've seen."
• "Since the OS X operating system came out in 2001, there has never been a report of a successful virus for it."

There's more, much more, but you get the point.

It's your money. Spend it smart.

Apparently First 4 Internet, the company that implements DRM controls for Sony, wants to argue with Sysinternals' Mark Russinovich, the accomplished computer engineer who's earned a doctorate from Carnegie Mellon and who's spent time at IBM's Thomas J. Watson Research Center. Russinovich, of course, is also the gentleman who broke the story on Sony's installing rootkits as part of its DRM effort.

My (unsolicited) advice to First 4 Internet? Stay down. Don't answer the bell for the next round.

The OpenDocument Format appears to be picking up steam. While it's become fashionable among many technology writers to say one's fed up reading about ODF or tired of all the OpenDocument fanfare, apparently several other states are interested in following Massachusett's lead.

With Oracle, Google and Novell joining the party, and more states seeking to adopt Open Document standards, it's going to be hard for the naysayers to continue downplaying ODF.

So happy are iPod purchasers, apparently, that 1,000,000 have switched from Windows to Apple Macintosh systems, so pleased have they been with Apple's design, interface and ease-of-use. I can't say I'm surprised. Expect the number to continue growing.