The Evolution of the Windows Start menu

In the early days of development of what would become the Windows 95 operating system, there were three buttons on the lower left part of the screen called System, Find, and Help. The System button had a Windows flag icon and was considered to be the main menu. The icon on the Find button was an eye looking into a magnifying glass, and the icon on the Help button was a question mark along with the letter I for information.

In its final form, Windows 95’s Start menu retained the Windows flag on the button with the addition of the word Start. And, you can see that Help, Find, and Programs were all put on the menu along with Run and Shut Down commands. Also added were Documents and Settings.

Soon after Windows 95’s debut, Windows NT 4.0 made its appearance and it too featured the new Start menu. As you can see it has the same base items, but its name is emblazoned vertically along the side with a colored gradient background.

When Windows 98 hit the streets, its Start menu indicated its tight integration to the Internet via the Windows Update button at the top of the menu and a duplicate of Internet Explorer’s Favorites menu right after the Programs menu. You can see that the Log Off command became a main part of the Start menu.

In Windows 2000, we saw a shift back to cleaner Start menu. Favorites were gone and the Log off command now appeared in the Shut Down Windows dialog box. (However, you could put the Log off command back on the Start menu, if you wanted.)

The Windows Me Start menu basically looked and worked just like the Windows 2000 version.

When Windows XP made its debut, it was immediately apparent that the developers had radically modernized the Start menu. So much so that they provided the option to switch back to the Classic Start menu, so that those who were not ready for a new start menu could go back to something familiar. The Classic Start menu looked and worked like the one from Windows 2000 and previous versions of Windows.

After 6 years of Windows XP, the developers of Windows Vista decided to shake up the user interface with Aero and made many changes to the Start menu. The most obvious was the Start button, which changed from a box with the word Start on it to a glassy orb sporting only the Windows flag. The next major new feature was the Start Search box, which served as the main Search interface for the entire operating system.

The most recent version of the Start menu, in Windows 7 is almost identical in appearance and functionality to its predecessor’s Start menu. However, you’ll notice that the Shut down button has changed back to words and the lock icon is gone. All shut down options appear on a small menu adjacent to the Shut down button.

Google's Android Honeycomb buzzes

On Wednesday Feb. 2, Google offered an in-depth look at Honeycomb, also known as Android 3.0.

Notifications pop up in the lower right hand corner.

You can view your notifications and read, look up or delete them.

There's a customziation tool to set up your home screen.

You can easily view your music apps.

You can use 3D customization tools such as this one for anatomy. Using this you can better describe your symptoms when talking to a doctor, for example.

You can take pictures or videos with the camera app.

CNN is very excited about Honeycomb.

Here's the beginning of a transaction. Again, it's easier to purchase items.

10 things network administrators need to know about Windows Phone 7

Microsoft has spent a fortune on marketing Windows Phone 7, but there are some areas in which the system just doesn’t measure up.

1: The interface takes a little getting used to

Windows Phone 7 uses a new interface that is completely different from anything Microsoft has ever created before. This new interface requires you to use several touch gestures and can take a bit of getting used to. While some areas of the interface are completely intuitive, others may leave you scratching your head.

2: Some of the hardware is optional

Although Microsoft made phone manufacturers adhere to a strict set of hardware requirements, some components are optional. In other words, the Windows Phone 7 OS will support these components, but the manufacturers are not obligated to include them in the phone. Some of the optional hardware components include:

• Wi-Fi (802.11g and 802.11n)
• Bluetooth
• Expandable storage
• A hardware keyboard

3: Some ActiveSync policy settings are missing

Unlike Windows Mobile 6.1, Windows Phone 7 supports only some of the ActiveSync policy settings that are offered by Exchange Server. These Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) policies include:

• Password Required (applicable only to Exchange 2003 SP2)
• Minimum Password Length
• Idle Timeout Frequency Value
• Device Wipe Threshold
• Allow Simple Password
• Password Expiration
• Password History

There are a few other EAS policy settings that are technically enabled, but that will always return a value of True. These include:

• Disable Removable Storage
• Disable IrDA
• Disable Desktop Sync
• Block Remote Desktop
• Block Internet Sharing

All other EAS policy settings always return a value of False.

4: Managing certificates is more difficult

Windows Mobile 6.x had a built-in applet for managing certificates. Microsoft has done away with this applet in Windows Phone 7. Windows Phone 7 devices have built- in trusts for well-known commercial certificate authorities, but there is no interface for managing certificates that were issued by an in-house enterprise certificate authority.

In spite of the fact that the Certificates applet is gone, all is not lost. I have found that you can install a certificate by emailing it to yourself and then opening the attached certificate through the phone. When you do, the mobile operating system will install the certificate.

5: There’s no access to the file system

For as long as I can remember, Windows Mobile operating systems have included an applet called File Explorer that allows you to navigate the device’s file system. This applet has been removed from Windows Mobile 7, and the underlying file system is no longer directly exposed. Unfortunately, it seems that navigating the device’s file system through a PC when the device is connected to a USB port is not an option either.

6: The initial build is incomplete

Less than a month after the Windows Phone 7 launch, Microsoft announced that an update would soon add copy and paste functionality to Windows Phone 7. Since that time, there have been rumors that a much larger update is on the horizon that may add support for HTML 5 and app multitasking.

7: It won’t work with all mobile networks

I have used Sprint as a cellular carrier since the mid-90s, and my last several phones have had Windows Mobile operating systems. Imagine my shock and disappointment when I learned that the only carriers in the United States that support Windows Phone 7 are AT&T and T-Mobile. It is worth noting, however, that there are rumors circulating about an upcoming CDMA version of Windows Phone 7 that will work on Sprint and Verizon networks. In fact, I recently discovered a Web site that allegedly shows a picture of a soon-to-be-released HTC device from Sprint running Windows Phone 7.

8: It’s really a consumer device

When you read about the missing ActiveSync policies, you might have wondered why so many policy settings aren’t supported by Microsoft’s latest mobile operating system. Microsoft’s official answer to this question is that Windows Phone 7 was developed primarily as a consumer device, not an enterprise device. However, Microsoft hints that more enterprise features may show up in future phone updates.

9: Cell providers can block updates

Many of the smartphones on the market can technically be updated, but many of the mobile carriers have a history of taking measures to block updates. After all, it is in a mobile carrier’s best interest to sell you a new phone, not to extend the life of your existing phone.
When Windows Phone 7 was introduced, Microsoft decided to follow in Apple’s footsteps and provide updates to the phone. However, it has recently been revealed that mobile carriers will have the right to block Microsoft updates for their customers, at least for a while. Microsoft’s corporate vice president and director of Windows Phone Program Management, Joe Belifore, was recently quoted as saying, “We build updates for all Windows Phone users but must certify them with the carriers. They’ll happen on a regular cadence like they do on the PC. If a carrier wants to stop an update, they can. But they will get it out on the next release.”

10: The emulator is broken

In recent years, Microsoft has provided an emulator as a part of the Software Development Kit for Windows Mobile. In the case of Windows Mobile 5 and 6.x, the emulator was an exact replica of a physical Windows Mobile device.
Although Microsoft has released an emulator for Windows Phone 7, it has locked the emulator so that most of the operating system’s features are hidden. Almost immediately, someone hacked the emulator and released a patch that will unlock it. Even so, some areas of the emulator are still inaccessible. For example, the options to set up email accounts and social networking accounts do not seem to do anything.

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New LED bulbs for indoor, outdoor use

Two companies, in the LED technology space have come out with new products this week: one, a street lamp for roadway and outdoor area lighting, like you would see in your local community. The second is a prototype of a bulb intended to act as a replacement for the 60-watt incandescent products that we all think of when someone says the word, “lightbulb.” Both of the bulbs are based on technology from LED leader Cree, which is based in Durham, N.C.
Here is the rundown on each of these options:

The new Dialight StreetSense Series LED Street Light (pictured above) contains new performance optimization and thermal management technologies. The luminaire acts as a replacement for the HID fixtures that probably line the streets of your neighborhood. They can output up to 75 lumens per watt, while maintaining 70 percent of those lumens over the 60,000 hour anticipated lifespan of the bulb. Because I know this is a big deal to most of us, the fixtures can be dimmed and they contain a photocontroller, which means they can respond from dusk to dawn according to the lighting conditions.

The other LED bulb that is being talked about is one that has a much larger potential impact. It uses Cree’s TrueWhite technology, which is a big deal because that has been one of the biggest complaints about 60-watt incandescent replacements, that they don’t cast the sort of light that we have become used to expecting. The Energy Star-rated prototype that Cree is showing off right now is being described as a “no-compromise” replacement that is dimmable (we all love our mood lighting dimmers, don’t we?) 

As far as specs go, Cree says the prototype delivers more than 800 lumens while consuming less than 10 watts. Says the company’s vice president of technology, Rob Glass:

“This is the first standard LED A-lamp that combines high output with a very high efficiency, in a small form factor, without the additional cost and complexity of active cooling or other design compromises.”

King of the iPhone clones

It’s time for Macworld 2011 here in San Francisco. The MacGeeks descend in droves to show how real their love is. Be it scary or exciting, there is nothing fake about this crowd.

But a different kind of fake is causing a stir: The SoPhone is being touted as the best iPhone knockoff ever created - and sold, for the low low price of around $209.

That’s 1380 Chinese yuan - yes, this beauty is indeed Made In China. There is even a white version.

At first glance, the SoPhone looks exactly like the iPhone 4. That’s because in this instance, imitation is literally intended to be the sincerest form of flattery. The SoPhone company says that the device is a tribute to Steve Jobs.

This new video landed SoPhone the title of King Clone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4Vo8Og2_by8

Attack of the Clones

Online Chinese tech news media are of the opinion that the video led to last week’s crackdown on China’s huge “shanzhai,” or counterfeit, cell phone industry. However, Liu Sheng owner of the country’s biggest shanzhai phone news website told Shanghai Daily, And as everyone knows, a good secret comes with a 7-day warranty. SoPhone measures in at 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3mm, which is - amazingly - exactly the same size as Apple’s iPhone 4. Drop your SoPhone on the ground on your way to Macworld 2011? No problem if you bought a bumper case - all iPhone 4 accessories fit the fake like a glove.

10 predictions for Windows 8

Although there have been numerous rumors regarding what we can expect from Windows 8, Microsoft has revealed very few concrete details. So I wanted to take the opportunity to present my predictions.

1: ARM support

The one firm detail that Microsoft has released is that Windows 8 will support the ARM architecture. ARM processors are common in various consumer electronics devices, and it seems clear that Microsoft is positioning itself to allow Windows 8 to run on PCs, tablets, and cell phones.

2: Separation from the server

Before the days of Windows XP, Windows Server and the Windows desktop clients were two completely different operating systems. In recent years, Microsoft has tried to cut development costs by designing its desktop and server operating systems to use the same kernel. Even so, I think we may see Microsoft make a departure from the strategy.

3: OS on a diet

For as long as I can remember, people have complained that Windows is an overly bloated operating system. Since Microsoft is going to design Windows 8 to run equally well on PCs and devices with ARM processors, I think that it will have no choice but to trim down the operating system.

4: Goodbye to 32-bit support

Even though there are rumors to the contrary, I expect Microsoft to do away with 32-bit support in Windows 8. Every PC that has been manufactured in the last several years includes a 64-bit processor. There is absolutely no reason why a brand-new operating system needs to continue to support legacy 32-bit hardware.

5: Virtual plug-ins

Believe it or not, I think that Windows 7 was actually a model for Windows 8 in some ways. As you will recall, Microsoft offers something called Windows XP mode in some editions of Windows 7. With Windows XP mode, Windows XP runs as a virtual machine, but in a rather unique way. Users can either use the Windows XP desktop or they can run applications transparently through the Windows 7 desktop, even though those applications are actually running on Windows XP.

6: Heavy reliance on the cloud

This past summer at TechEd in New Orleans, Microsoft placed extremely heavy emphasis on cloud computing. I don’t expect Microsoft to completely abandon its cloud focus just because it has a new desktop operating system on the horizon. Instead, I look for Windows 8 to include heavy cloud integration. For example, I think that Windows 8 will probably provide the ability to make cloud applications appear to users as if they are installed and running locally.

7: Native support for virtualized apps

I think we can expect Windows 8 to offer native support for virtualized applications. Among these applications, I think Windows 8 will be designed to run Internet Explorer in a sandbox. This would help put an end to all the security issues that Microsoft has previously had with the browser, because virtualizing and sandboxing Internet Explorer would prevent malicious Web sites from infecting the core operating system. It may even be possible to reset Internet Explorer to a pristine state after each use.

8: A bigger distinction between consumer and enterprise versions

Ever since Windows XP, Microsoft has offered different editions of its desktop operating systems with at least one version geared toward consumers and another toward businesses. I think that in Windows 8, we will see a greater distinction between the consumer and enterprise editions than ever before.

9: Using hardware to drive sales

One thing that was abundantly clear from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this year is that the PC is in real trouble. Consumers have begun to shy away from purchasing desktops and laptops in favor of purchasing tablet devices. As a result, I look for Microsoft to use native operating system support for specialized hardware to try to woo customers back to the PC. For example, I think we will see an adaptation of Microsoft Kinect for the PC, which will allow interacting with the PC via hand gestures. Just how practical it will be to work with a PC in this manner remains to be seen, but I think it will make a great marketing gimmick.

10: Name change

Even though everyone has been using the name Windows 8, I don’t think that will be the official name of the new operating system. At the moment, Microsoft has a serious image problem. It’s perceived by many as being out of touch and late to the party. While other companies are focusing on tablets and mobile devices, Microsoft is still writing software for the PC. I think that in an effort to lose its dated image, Microsoft may rebrand Windows as something completely different. It might even lose the name Windows.