Marcus Troiano

Introduction
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend the Microsoft Unified Communications Technical Launch event in Toronto, and I’d like to share some of its highlights. Walking into this event, I had anticipated it to be primarily focused on the usual “benefits of VoiP” arguments, things like the potential cost savings, with an added twist of how this could all fit in with productivity software - after all, it was a Microsoft event. At the end of the day however, I walked out refreshed. What Microsoft, along with a bevy of hardware/software partners had showcased was extremely promising, and based on the live demonstrations - it worked.

Unified Communications?
What is Unified Communications (UC)? You’ve probably heard this word thrown around a lot lately, but what does it mean? Well, simply put, Unified Communications (UC) is the integration of the many disparate communications systems, media, applications and devices. In almost every office, a clear division can be observed and experienced, especially between what can be done on the phone, and what can be done on the computer. We’ve all experienced this division, and it’s definitely not a good thing. Having to dial into voice mail is always a pain (not just for users, but for the help desks as well - password resets are quite common). Not being able to see when someone else is on the phone is also an annoyance - in fact, there are so many issues - both large and small - which are a result of this division. As Gartner states, UC’s largest value is it’s ability to reduce “human latency” in business processes, and that’s definitely true.
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written by Marcus

In a press release issued late last month, Microsoft revealed that their upcoming OS, Windows Vista, would be released in November for businesses and in Spring 2007 for consumers. It was originally believed that Vista would ship for consumers by at least holidays 2006, though that is now not possible. It’s interesting to see that Microsoft’s corporate customers would receive Vista before consumers, as businesses are usually the last to adopt new software/hardware systems.

Vista has been plagued by delays, so this isn’t really too much of a surprise. It may be good that they did delay it, as this means more time will be spent on the OS and its many features. Earlier this year, several key features of Vista had been removed in order to release it in a more timely manner, but at this point that shouldn’t be an issue any longer.

In order to reassure consumers who are looking to purchase a new PC, Microsoft has come up with the minimum hardware requirements for Vista Home (the most basic version of Vista). PC’s which meet the requirements will get a “Designed for Windows XP, Windows Vista Capable” sticker on them. So what are these requirements? Well, they’re nothing too demanding, most of you will probably easily be able to run Vista (albeit without all the fancy graphics). Here they are:

• Be able to competently run Windows XP
• A modern CPU
• A minimum of 512MB of RAM
• A DirectX 9 class graphics processor
• Optionally support Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) to take advantage of Vista’s improved graphics

And if you do want to run Vista with all the extras (Aero, et al), you’ll need something like this:

• DirectX 9 class graphics hardware that supports WDDM and Pixel Shader 2.0
• A minimum of 32 bits per pixel
• Appropriate graphics memory for specified monitor resolutions expressed as total pixels (X dimension multiplied by Y dimension)
• Graphics memory bandwidth, as assessed by Windows Vista’s built in system assessment tool WinSAT.EXE, of at least 1,800MB/s at 1,310,720 pixels on a desktop and at the native resolution on a mobile PC

This is definitely a smart move on Microsoft’s part, as when the time comes, and users begin to hear about Vista, they’ll be able to easily upgrade. This will also prevent users from waiting to buy a new PC, as they can get one right now, one which will run Vista.

While Vista is looking very nice and boasts a lot of new features, I’m content with Windows XP for the moment, and can wait until it’s released.

written by Marcus

Late last month Dell finally revealed that it had acquired Alienware for an undisclosed amount of money. While this goes against Dell’s usual reluctance to acquisitions, many are looking at it as a way for Dell to begin offering AMD CPU’s. For those of you who don’t know, Alienware is a maker of high end computer systems for enthusiasts, gamers and professionals. They compete along with companies like Falcon and Voodoo, and offer users the latest and greatest technologies.

Many feared that this was the end of Alienware as we know it, but Dell assured users that it would not interfere in Alienware at all, as it would be a “standalone unit”. Dell reaffirmed its commitment to their own line of high end PC’s, with the launch of the Dell XPS 600 Renegade, a $10,000 computer system targeted at gamers and enthusiasts. It comes fully loaded with NVIDIA’s Quad-SLI graphics, an overclocked Pentium 965 Extreme Edition @ 4.26 GHz and among other great components, their very own 30-inch 3007WFP LCD monitor. Other than Dell, who’s in the mood for buying?
Edit: Anyone who missed their chance to buy Dell’s XPS 600 Renegade is out of luck now, as the ultra high-end, limited edition PC has officially sold out. So, you’ll just have to consider spending your money elsewhere, or wait for the next model, did anyone say XPS 900 Renegade?

written by Marcus

In a bold move by Toronto Hydro Telecom Inc., Toronto will join cities like San Francisco and Philadelphia, in a new era of wireless internet connectivity. Toronto Hydro Telecom plans to utilize its 450KM of underused fiber-optic cables and recently acquired telephone poles (they purchased 18,000 of them from the city for $60 mil.) to provide Toronto with Internet; available for use in coffee shops, parks, offices, or at home. They will place transmitters on the poles and link them up to their already established fiber-optic network.

The network is currently in construction, and service should be available in the financial district by June. The area from Spadina Avenue east to Jarvis Street and from Front Street north to Bloor Street should be covered by the end of the year. The network will reportedly cost the company anywhere between 10 to 100 million, and will cost users absolutely nothing for the first six months of use. Pricing plans haven’t been finalized, and all we know is that it will be affordable, but won’t undercut currently available service. So don’t expect to get service for, lets say $9/month, it just won’t happen.

David Dobbin, the man in charge of the project, is quoted as saying: “I think this is going to be a completely different model that anyone’s ever rolled out,” he said. “This is bigger, better and faster. This is a WiFi zone backed up with fibre optic everywhere.” And, this could give Rogers, Telus and Bell something to worry about. If users can subscribe to Toronto Hydro Telecom’s city-wide WiFi for a fee that will likely be competitive, they might move from their current ISP.

The network is meant to mainly target the business community, although consumers can use it as well, this just means it won’t be marketed as a residential service. They could go down that route, but it would require them to beef up customer support and marketing. Toronto Hydro Telecom also plans to link the wireless service to its “smart meter” plan, which will monitor electricity usage in homes and businesses.

I’m extremely pleased with this news, as is anyone who has a WiFi enabled device. The convenience of being able to connect to the internet wherever you are is great. Sure you can do that now by using your cell-phone’s data plan, but thats costly and slow. This will also help make UMPC’s (Microsoft’s Origami devices), more attractive to mainstream users. Once the service is rolled out…I’ll be first in line!

written by Marcus

Over the past month Sony has let a lot slip about their upcoming gaming console, the PS3. Firstly, they finally admitted to the already widely believed fact that the PS3 would indeed be delayed. Even the most die-hard Sony fanboys knew deep down in their hearts that Sony wasn’t going to make the Spring 2006 shipping date, and it was just a matter of time until Sony admitted this themselves. Well on March 15th they announced that the PS3 would be released early in November 2006. Sony claims that Blu-ray’s copy protection (AACS) was the main reason for the delay.

Sony has also revealed that the PS3 will come standard with a 60GB hard drive, something which should make developers and users quite happy. Microsoft’s stand on the subject has been a little different, allowing the Xbox 360 to be purchased either with or without a hard drive (if purchased without, it can be added in later). The 360’s 20GB HDD is definitely not enough, considering quite a large portion is not useable to the user. It’s not all good news that the PS3 will have a 60GB HDD though…This won’t help with bringing down the already high price point.

Speaking of price, the latest rumours suggest the PS3 will sell for a minimum of $425 US, although other reports have been surfacing which see an additional $300 added to that figure. One thing is forsure, it won’t come cheap.

Sony has also confirmed earlier reports that the PS3 will be region free! That means that you can buy a game in any country, and be able to play it no matter which region your PS3 was purchased in. This is definitely good news for consumers, as region codes have been inconveniencing people for quite some time now. Sony has also announced its online serviced aimed squarely at competing with Microsoft’s very successful Live service. Dubbed “PlayStation Network Platform”, Sony’s online service will allow users to use video chat, create avatar, view player rankings, and partake in other community activities. It will even allow non-subscribers to play some multiplayer games.

Lastly, Sony has also revealed that their boomerang shaped PS3 controller is being re-designed. This is great news, as the controller didn’t look too great, and it didn’t look like it would feel to good in ones hands either. Could it possibly look like the concept controller below?

written by Marcus