Windows Weekly 118

Microsoft's death exaggerated, Nokia, Zune HD, upgrading/migrating, Windows Phones, and more.

• Is Microsoft screwed?
  • IThere's a lot of silliness going around that the era of Microsoft is over
  • II looked into this and contrary to public perception, Microsoft's approach to cloud computing is a winning strategy
  • IOpen your eyes: We may never have the same single vendor issue in the PC industry, but Microsoft will remain viable if not dominant in the future
  • IThis was the subject of a talk I gave in Amsterdam a few weeks back
  • IRelated: I will probably be speaking at a Windows 7 launch event in The Hauge, The Netherlands on October 8
• Microsoft and Nokia
  • What this means
  • And why I think Office on the iPhone and Google phones is inevitable
  • Remember "knifing the baby"? This is it, and Microsoft does this all the time
• Zune HD
  • Coming September 15
  • You can preorder today
  • 16 GB is black only (during preorder), $220
  • 32 GB is platinum only (during preorder), $300 - both MUCH cheaper than iPod touch
  • If you wait, you can choose between several colors
  • Looks good
• Upgrading to Windows 7 vs. Migrating
  • Are Windows XP users getting the shaft?
  • Sort of. But two things
    • This isn't "news" - I documented this process back in May
    • Contrary to the conventional wisdom, this doesn't affect a big group of people
• Microsoft rebrands Windows Mobile as Windows Phones
  • No it doesn't
  • Once again, people just aren't paying attention

Tip of the week: Check out Microsoft Springboard for some great in-depth Windows 7 feature walk-throughs and other information about the next Windows. Aimed at IT Pros, and includes some topics I have not examined yet, like VHD booting.

Software pick of the week: Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC Release Candidates - Some interesting functional changes; Final will ship by Windows 7 GA; Discuss: Some misconceptions about what this is for, also that "XP mode" isn't just for XP

Audible pick of the week: The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail, Abridged, By Clayton M. Christensen, Narrated by Don Leslie. For a free credit toward the audiobook of your choice, visit Audible.com/windows.

Check out Paul's blog at the SuperSite for Windows for more information.

Thanks to CacheFly for the bandwidth for this show. The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Derek K. Miller.