Software

Today, Microsoft is announcing its biggest layoff ever and Sun is quietly laying off the first of what may turn out to be an additional 6,000 employees. Red Hat? Total year-over-year up 17%. Novell? Its Linux sales in 2008 were up by 38%. Which companies do you think are doing better?

Overlooked in the Microsoft announcement about its layoffs of 5,000 people over the next 18 months is this startling revelation: The company's revenue decline is due, in large part, to the growth in the sales of netbooks. I've got details in my blog.

Every PC maker on the planet loves netbooks because they're the fastest-growing segment (and the only growing segment) of the PC market. They all love netbooks except Apple, that is. Here's why.

Not happy with the fonts in your Linux distribution, BSD, or OpenSolaris? Then, try Red Hat's open-source Liberation fonts.

Microsoft is clearly positioning Windows 7 as Linux-killer for netbooks. Can it succeed? I've spent considerable time with both Windows 7 and Linux, and here are my conclusions about which operating system is better for netbooks.

In Tuesday's IT Blogwatch, Richi Jennings watches IBM's announce a boatload of news stuff for Lotus lovers. Not to mention how YouTube users can't spell or punctuate...

There are good ways to pick up Linux, and then there are some really bad ones. Here's my pick of the top three Linux ways for a newbie to start using Linux.

Trying to retain the importance of locally run packaged software, Microsoft launched its software + services business. But the company is doing nothing interesting with its own idea.

Here's yet one more piece of evidence you're likely to see Windows 7 launch in 2009, before the announced 2010 launch date: An Intel techie calls Windows 7 "incredibly stable" and is already using a version of it as his primary operating system on his own PCs.

In Friday's IT Blogwatch, Richi Jennings watches bloggers gaze obsessively at leaked Office 14 Alpha screenshots from Russia. Not to mention weird wheels...

Windows, Linux, or Mac OS, most problems still come from the wetware-aka the user-that sits between the keyboard and the monitor. Isn't it time to start requiring computer licenses just as we do driver licenses?

With Bill Gates long gone from Micrsoft and with the news that Jobs is stepping down at least temporarily from the top post at Apple, it's time to consider which of the two will be better remembered by history. I have no doubt that Gates will be long-remembered, while Jobs will most likely be not much more than a footnote.

Windows 7 will crush Linux? Oh please! Get a grip! Desktop Linux is an operating system that's moving forward, Windows 7 is just Windows Vista Second Edition and that's one more reason why Linux will eventually crush Windows.

Google Apps has been far from a raging success, and has yet to make any serious inroads against Microsoft Office. But a new Google partnership with resellers may change all that. Don't expect immediate results, but in several years, Google Apps may start to see some success

In Wednesday's IT Blogwatch, Richi Jennings watches Patch Tuesday get bloggers all in a tizzy. Not to mention cute things falling asleep...