The IT Skeptic - Microsoft

Interesting comparison between Google and Microsoft product launches

skeptic — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 02:28:32 +0000

We've seen two new-product demoes in the last week or so, one from Microsoft, one from Google. They make an interesting comparison.

I sold my soul to Google

skeptic — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 00:30:39 +0000

Having always been a bit wary of big corporations in general, and one that starts with “M” in particular, it is an uncomfortable feeling when I realise I’ve sold my soul to Google. Not quite a Faustian bargain perhaps but certainly I’ve committed the execution of my business and private computing to them.
I swore I’d never be beholden to a corporation again, and I’ve devoted some effort to disentangling myself from the Seattle megacorp. I’m not there yet but every year I come a step closer.

Microsoft screws me, Google seduces me

skeptic — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:36:26 +0000

Being a bit of a luddite, I'm always a few years behind the game with technology, including developments on the internet. So maybe it will take me a year or two to catch on to Google Wave. But even I can see that Google is transforming the world with their innovations while Microsoft seems capable of nothing but crap software, financial bullying and monopolistic practice.

Microsoft make an even broader patent claim on CMDB

skeptic — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:48:15 +0000

The next time you feel even the faintest twinge of believing that Microsoft are on your side, ask them why they would be wanting to patent the concept of CMDB. To advance ITSM? To create a fair and open market? To increase healthy competition? Maybe Goooogle are exhibiting a few signs of evil but Microsoft hold the franchise.

Will Microsoft ever live up to their MOF promise?

skeptic — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:09:42 +0000

[Updated 18th July - I got it wrong]

The IT Skeptic got all excited about Microsoft's announcement in September last year that they were releasing MOF under a Creative Commons license.

What Microsoft are really up to with Vista??

skeptic — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 09:34:51 +0000

A recent lawsuit suggests that Microsoft Vista might be a ploy to charge even more for Windows XP. It is not as extreme as my suggestion that Microsoft might have engineered the recession to disguise the productivity impact of Vista. You never know...

The Microsoft evil genius of docx format

skeptic — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 05:23:50 +0000

I'm sure I'm not the first to reflect on the evil genius of .docx document format but I feel the need to vent a little spleen. Only the Evil Empire of MickeySoft could be this twisted.

The ITSM community should ponder this for two reasons: (1) just how much do we trust Microsoft's 'free' MOF 4.0? (2) ITIL's inability to play nicely with COBIT or other de-facto standards might result in eventual convergence or it might not - watch the scrap between OOXML and ODF for clues.

Windows Vista - the sick slug

skeptic — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 02:13:25 +0000

Windows Vista makes the claim of "faster boot times". Faster than what? tectonics?

Microsoft ups the ante on ITIL by releasing MOF into the public domain

skeptic — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:09:38 +0000

Just what sort of pacts has OGC signed with the money engines at TSO and APMG, or is HM still her own master? When will ITIL be set free?

The real significance remains to be seen, but Microsoft's announcement that MOF 4.0 (Microsoft Operating Framework, a MS variant of ITIL) is now available under a Creative Commons licence to not only Share but also Remix(!) puts additional pressure on Castle ITIL's proprietary grip on the ITIL content. The explicit mention of ITIL in the announcement suggests to me this pressure is not accidental. MOF was already freely available for download, as also are COBIT and FITS, but this takes open content ITSM another step.

Watch out Microsoft, your spurious patents may be worthless

skeptic — Sun, 13 May 2007 02:22:24 +0000

Microsoft has made a practice of attempting to patent the obvious, not least of which is CMDB, but a recent court ruling gives hope that those they do obtain can be invalidated.

Are Microsoft patenting CMDB? - The IT Skeptic

skeptic — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 10:05:08 +0000

7:06 minutes (2.85 MB)

A recent patent application appears to indicate that Microsoft is applying to patent CMDB. This issue is not attracting the outrage that it ought to.

Software branding seems to be in the hands of imbeciles.

skeptic — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 09:27:58 +0000

What is it about these big software companies and their inability to come up with decent branding of their products (and companies)?

Microsoft are more avaricious than the Fat ITSM Four, by a nose

skeptic — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 20:22:59 +0000

A recent comment (reposted for your convenience) in response to my item about Microsoft trying to patent CMDB, said

Microsoft is worse than ITIL?
The Vendor and British ITIL cabal are busy redefining their closed, theoretical "framework" to include everything under the sun. And, they seem to be doing it for the express purpose of advancing the vendors sales performance.

What ARE Microsoft up to? Patents on RSS, CMDB, IT operations... Can they get away with this?

skeptic — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 19:15:54 +0000

The IT Skeptic recently reported on Microsoft's attempts to patent CMDB and other obvious concepts. Now ZDNet reports they are trying to patent RSS too. This smacks of the lunacy that only lawyers can generate, but what if they actually got away with it? I can believe that as an organisation they are megalomaniac enough to think they can.

Is Microsoft attempting to patent CMDB?

skeptic — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 22:36:29 +0000

A recent patent application appears to indicate that Microsoft is applying to patent CMDB. This issue is not attracting the outrage that it ought to. Next time you see your Microsoft rep, ask him/her WTF they are up to. And if you get anything like a rational answer, post it here so we can all understand.