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David Pogue delivers his review of the new Zune

A quick update before I head off to deliver a presentation…

David Pogue delivers his review of the new Zune in his review Microsoft gets better at carrying a Zune (International Herald Tribune).  He said that “the Zune has come a long way, with built-in FM radio and wireless autosyncing.”

“Microsoft might finally be getting the hang of hardware. The company’s overall track record for designing gadgets is pretty awful. Remember the Smart Display? The Spot Watch? The Ultra-Mobile PC? The original Zune?

Me neither.

But Microsoft’s new, second-generation Zune music/photo/video player is a pleasure to use. It fixes a long list of things that made the original Zune such a pathetic wannabe…

The Zune store is missing a lot of iPod features, too: TV shows, movies, audio books, monthly allowances and comprehensible pricing.

The bottom line: the iPod is still a more versatile, compact and beautiful machine, but the Zune has come a long way in very little time. Already, its potential audience is no longer limited to a sect of irrational Apple haters. It’s now a candidate for anyone who values its unique powers – excellent built-in FM radio, scratch-proof case and wireless autosyncing – more than they value the richness and choice of the iPod universe.

Origami Experience™ allows you to easily navigate with large customizable icons.And hey, David, Windows UMPCs are still available: see this link for the latest Windows UMPCs… 😉

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Venezuela’s time zone shifts at 3:00AM on December 9, news reports say

Update on Venezuela: as noted previously in my post News: Venezuela to change to a new time zone on December 9, the change to the Venezuelan time zone takes effect officially at 3:00AM local time on Dec 9th.


As Jorge Lopez reminded me, the news articles we have seen thus far state that the change occurs at 3am on 9 December (domingo 9 de diciembre a las 3 de la mañana’).  The Live translator did not translate 3 de la mañana which means 3 in the morning.


You think that I would know ‘de la mañana’ instinctively by now. 😉


The difference will have little real impact to our users, given how our hotfix update works, and how it will likely be deployed.  Nonetheless, we would like to point this out.

As you may recall, Venezuela will move to a newly created time zone, shifting by 30 minutes to -4:30h UTC on December 9th, as noted here for a translated page).  We should see this approved/confirmed later this week as the changes is subject to “constitutional reform.” 

More info coming soon on the DST & TZ hottopics page at http://support.microsoft.com/gp/dst_hottopics.


Tags: Microsoft, Daylight Saving Time, Daylight Savings Time, DST. 4,020,000; 10,600,000; 649,000+

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HP MediaSmart EX475 Windows Home Server review

Per my poster yesterday on the new Windows Home Server, there is a good, initial review of the HP MediaSmart Home Server model EX475 from Terry Walsh on the UK site http://www.wegotserved.co.uk (the self affirmed Windows Home Server Site).

As noted by Philip Churchill on in his post on mswhs.com, “this is one of the most comprehensive reviews that I have seen on the EX475 unit and is a definite must read if you are thinking about purchasing one.”

Terry concludes his review by saying…

The Verdict

Well, I said that HP was a great hardware company and the HP MediaSmart Server has reinforced my belief – it’s small, powerful and looks fantastic. A beautiful pin-up model for the new Windows Home Server category. Sure, there are a couple of niggles I have with its build quality, and the price could be more competitive over here in Europe. But put it up against all of the other hardware options for Windows Home Server right now, and you’d have to have a hard heart not to fall for it.

The big surprise is the thought that HP have put into their software. No bloatware. No terrible drivers. Just a small selection of add-ins which have sympathetically extended Windows Home Server’s media handling capabilities, to maximise the MediaSmart’s usefulness at the centre of the digital home. HP not killing me with terrible software? Must be a dream Smile

But what you’re really purchasing when you buy the HP MediaSmart Server is the stage for a perfect partnership to blossom. The HP MediaSmart Server combined with the Windows Home Server operating system is a fabulous combination of hardware and software. A simple, easy to use home server platform running effortlessly on a simple, easy to use home server – power, simplicity and flexibility in one small package. Oh yeah, and one day, it may just save your digital life. Truly the best of both worlds.

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Your questions: What’s the difference between a Windows PC and the new Windows Home Server?

I received this question (thanks, Mark) about the new HP MediaSmart Home Server…

“What’s the difference between my current PC (with Windows Vista) and the new Windows Home Server from HP?”

Good question.  As noted on our site, Windows Home Server is software that enables families with multiple PCs to easily connect their digital experiences, providing a reliable and familiar way to protect, organize and share treasured digital images, music, video, and documents.  Lots of hardware OEMs and System Builders are offering the new product (see below for a few links).

And one that’s been answered on the Windows products web site…

“Windows Home Server works with the Windows XP or Vista PCs in your home. Windows XP Media Center Edition and Windows Vista Home Premium are designed to run on personal computers and provide acquisition and management of media, such as TV programs, music, and photos. Windows Home Server is designed to make managing a home network, with Windows XP PCs and Windows Vista PCs, easier and more automatic. It does this by acting as a centralized place for storage, enabling remote access and providing automated backup for all PCs in house.”

On a related note, I saw that a number of retailers and etailers will be getting the new Home Server in stock this week, from Amazon, BestBuy, Buy.com, Circuit City, NewEgg and others.  Devices are available from Iomega, Fujitsu/Siemens, HP, Maxdata and Medion among others.

Additional information:

HP’s MediaSmart HDTV for Video, Music, Photos, Online Media – HP Home

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December Cumulative 2008 Daylight Saving Time and Time Zone Update for Windows Released

Thanks to a note from the hard working folks in Windows Sustained Engineering (!), I’m happy to announce that the 2008 Cumulative Time Zone Update for Windows has just been released to the Microsoft Download Center for currently supported Windows Operating Systems (including Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Vista). This update can be found in KB article 942763 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942763)

As noted previously, the 2008 Cumulative Time Zone Update for Windows is an annual update that sets the known, correct dates for 2008 in the Windows OS (including 2008 changes for Australia, Brazil and other countries we know that have changed their observance of DST entry/exit dates or time zones in 2008). This early drop of the update allows IT professionals and sysadmins to test the installation and deployment of the cumulative update roll-ups prior to broad distribution. 

The update packages will be distributed to computers via Windows Update in early December (the second Tuesday, Dec 11).

As I was typing, I was asked: “Does this mean I have to install the updates manually?” 


No.  Generally, consumers should wait for the updates to be installed via Windows Update rather than download and install these from the DLC.  And for end users who have their PCs managed by a central administrator, your IT folks will handle the distribution and updating of your PCs over the network.  (When in doubt, ask. 😉


Tags: Microsoft, Daylight Saving Time, Daylight Savings Time, DST. 4,020,000; 10,600,000; 649,000+