Tech Glitter

Silicon Valley is the geographic place where the largest number of companies related to information technology exist. Although there have emerged and evolved many companies, no doubt the two companies that have played the largest role in popularizing the micro-computer (PC as we know them now), were Microsoft and Apple, who have been involved in a relationship love / hate. Its two founders are people who can arouse both admiration and hatred.

Since today was the last day of Bill Gates at Microsoft, and probably Steve Jobs, Apple will also be replaced, I think a fitting tribute to see what is undoubtedly the film that more accurately portrays the lives of these two pioneers of the micro computers, the movie is called “Pirates of Silicon Valley”, because in those early years, companies and their leaders were behaving like robbers, who robbed with impunity intellectual property of another, but now that they are rich defending the law.

I read on the blog “Machinist,” the news that Citrix has delivered a $ 2100 for employees who purchase their own laptop, either the Windows or Mac, with appropriate guarantees of 3 years and all the additional software is needed as anti-virus, anti-spam, firewall, etc.., according to projections made by the technical support department of Citrix, the maintenance of a traditional PC can cost the company up to $ 2500, thus giving the money directly their employees to be those who take charge of your own laptop, they can take home and do not just work from the office, but also their personal affairs, even as the CEO of Citrix Paul Martin, employees can keep the laptop with them even if they leave Campania, ie the laptop belongs to the employee. Applying this policy of one laptop per employee, Citrix expects to reduce total cost of ownership per job by 16%.

This idea seems great, because for me it is a trivial task and solve everyday problems with a personal computer, but I wonder if in the event of another branch of a professional such as accounting, administration, legal area, etc. Which or do not know much of the hardware and software for personal computers, they have to pay from their own pockets to pay the cost of repair / maintenance of their equipment, and if they decide to do it by themselves, I wonder if this will not reduce their productivity and they would have to learn an additional set of knowledge / skills to get your computer working 24 / 7. The idea may sound great for any professional ICT, but I do not think that works just as well in areas not directly related to the technical issue.

What you think would be a good idea to give each employee their own laptop to be they who are responsible for maintaining and operating the company disengages itself from the associated cost of maintenance and repairs to make their computer.

Until recently, there were two clear types of computers, the desktop (the version that became steroid servers) and large mainframes, which still dominate the top-end of large corporations. But the emergence of Linux and the possibility of creating large cluesters of cheap PCs that could offer a performance similar to the Mainframes, redefined the top stage and a process that has affected the profitability of companies like Cray and IBM, which leads the industry the Mainframe. Cases I have commented on this blog as the stock exchange in New York or Paypal, have migrated to cluesters of Linux servers instead of using Mainframes, illustrate the nature of the threat to companies such as Cray.

On the other hand in the environment of desktop computers (desktop), Windows with time has a clear leadership position. However in recent years due to the incompetence of Microsoft and its many unfortunate ventures in other sectors (for example the case of Zune), new emerging operating systems such as Mac OS X and Ubuntu Linux, is a real threat today for egemonía on the desktops.

Apparently as a result of the perverse logic dictates that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” I learned today that the manufacturer’s most prestigious Mainframes, Cray has partnered with Microsoft to produce the Cray CX1. According to Microsoft’s own words is the world’s cheapest supercomputer, clear $ 25,000 in the category you intend to compete is a bargain, but Windows 2008 HPC, hardly qualifies as an operating system seriously, at least in the niche where he intends to raid. I believe that this partnership qualifies as a fully fledged union unnatural, something like a marriage between an elephant and an ant, it is up to the reader to decide who is who.

Reflecting on the matter I asked who the scheduled anti-virus for Windows 2008 HPC, it will be Microsoft, Cray, Symantec, or be the user. The most fun for me is how do manage virtual volumes and partitioning of the processor, which is a default in any utility operating system supercomputers, as Microsoft likes to call his foray into this sector. But the truth is that many put Intel processors inside a closet, does not qualify as a supercomputer vitaminizado server, at least not under the canons of large data centers. The supercomputers are designed under one goal to provide the highest possible performance, which is impossible under the design of Windows, and binary compatibility with its absurd PC architecture, designed in the early 80s.

I think that Microsoft still can not find the compass, and do not realize is that trying to enter and compete in an unknown territory that is the surest recipe for failure, repeating more than once this kind of errors. The idea of trying to attack your enemy where he is stronger, has been dismissed from the manuals of strategy, for several centuries. It should also focus its efforts on enhancing its desktop operating system, which is so neglected that even their own business partners like HP, Dell and Intuit, as discussed in a previous post are seriously weighing the feasibility of other operating systems, in response to paralysis in Redmond to enhance Windows.