64-Bit

Windows Server 2008 pricing announced

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 06:59:59 -0500

IT admins: this is the moment you've all been waiting for. After years of waiting, Microsoft has gone ahead and announced the availability, pricing and version info for Windows Server 2008, the long-awaited follow-up to Windows Server 2003. Version 2K8 will land on February 27th, 2008 and in classic Microsoft fashion, there are going to be five different flavors to choose from:

Windows Server 2008 Standard: $999 with five client access licenses
Windows Server 2008 Enterprise: $3,999 with 25 client access licenses
Windows Server 2008 Datacenter: $2,999 per processor
Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems: $2,999 per processor
Windows Web Server 2008: $469

All versions of Windows Server 2008 will be available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions, with the exception of Windows Server for Itanium-based Systems, which will be 64-bit only. Additionally, Microsoft's home-grown virtualization technology, Hyper-V, will ship with all 64-bit versions of Windows Server 2008 and vendors like Dell, IBM, HP, and Unisys are already lining up to create solutions that will take advantage of the Hyper-V platform.

For more on Windows Server 2008:
- see this Ars Technica article

Want 4GB of RAM? You'll have to pick up Vista x64

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 20:01:32 -0400

In the geek world, Vista tends to be a divider, not a uniter and one of the main points of contention continues to be the question of how much RAM is enough. Some folks (most of whom reside in a place called Redmond) will tell you that 512MB will get the job done while others find that 4GB is required for optimal performance. Since reading up on the issue, you may have tried stuffing 4GB of RAM in your system, only to find that it won't recognize the full amount. Surprise! If you think back to your freshman year computer science lectures, you'll recall that a 32-bit operating system can only address 32-bits of memory at a time, which means a theoretical limit of 4GB--however, after the memory reserved for video RAM and the BIOS is used up, you're left with just over 3.5GB. The solution? Get the 64-bit version of Vista, of course. No one said this upgrade was going to be cheap.

How to: Choose between 32-bit and 64-bit Vista

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 19:01:32 -0500

So, you've decided to upgrade to Vista but you're not sure which version you need: the 32-bit one or the 64-bit version. ZDnet's George Ou has a quick rundown of each version's advantages and disadvantages, helping you make the right choice for your organization.

ALSO NOTED: HP Update; New MacBook is "fast as all get out"; and much more...

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 19:01:31 -0500

> HP Update: Former HP chairman pleads not guilty. Article

> ComputerWorld thinks that Apple's new Core 2 Duo-based MacBook is "fast as all get out." Article

> Is it time to go 64-bit? Article

> Will poor Microsoft ever be cool? My money's on "no." Article

> Are portable applications coming to a USB drive near you? Article

And Finally... Think your network is pretty fast? Beat this: a group of California researchers have successfully constructed a 100 gigabit per second Ethernet network. Article

Dell unveils yet another AMD laptop

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 19:01:35 -0500

Last week, Dell released the details on their first AMD-based laptop, the Inspiron 1501 series. Yesterday, Dell announced yet another portable with an AMD chip inside and this time around, it's aimed at enterprise customers. The Latitude 131L notebook will ship with either the 64-bit Turion 64 X2 TL-50 dual-core processor or the single-core Sempron 3500+ processor: the two configurations start at $649 and $549, respectively. In case it's not obvious, that's pretty darn cheap for a 64-bit, dual-core laptop--especially for customers who plan to buy in bulk.

For more on the new laptop:
- see this eWeek article

Microsoft blocks Vista hack, opens new can of worms

Sun, 22 Oct 2006 20:01:37 -0400

At the Black Hat convention back in August, Polish researcher Joanna Rutkowska demonstrated a Vista hack that bypassed security in the 64-bit version of Vista to run unsigned driver code, which could be used to install malicious drivers on a user's hard drive. So here's the good news: Microsoft has since made changes to Vista's code that prevent such an attack. The bad news? Apparently, the company addressed the vulnerability by blocking write-access to raw disk sectors for applications that run in user-mode, including those that are executed with administrative rights. While this solution does prevent the specific exploit demonstrated at Black Hat, it introduces a new set of problems: blocking access to raw disk sectors could cause compatibility problems for programs like disk editors and disk recovery tools. What's more, instead of using an unsigned driver, a hacker could simply hijack a legitimate driver in order to execute the same attack. Rutkowska apparently addressed these concerns during her talk back in August, "But it seems that MS actually decided to ignore those suggestions and implemented the easiest solution, ignoring the fact that it really doesn't solve the problem," she recently wrote on her blog. Looks like security vendors won't be the only ones up in arms over the 64-bit version of Vista, eh?

For more on the hack:
- check out this post on Joanna Rutkowska's blog, Invisible Things
- or read the write-up at ZDnet

Microsoft to meet with security vendors

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 20:01:35 -0400

Another day, another update on the continuing saga that is Vista security. Let's recap: Microsoft announced a kernel-level API last Friday that security companies rejected as a "red herring". Well, Microsoft has responded by scheduling a briefing for today to instruct security companies on how to disable Windows Security Center and how to access Vista's 64-bit kernel. It still looks like developers won't have this access until the first Vista service pack is released and it still looks like they're going to have to play by Microsoft's rules--using a provided API to access the kernel. Color me skeptical, but I sincerely doubt that anything Microsoft says at this point will appease their critics in the security industry.

For more on the latest development:
- see this CNET article

Microsoft to security vendors: Hands off my kernel

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 20:01:38 -0400

As you might recall, on Monday we reported on McAfee's public shaming of Microsoft in an advertisement printed in the Financial Times that took the form of an open letter to "computer users around the world." In the ad, McAfee accused Microsoft of incorporating "inherent weaknesses" into their upcoming Vista operating system. Well, The New York Times reports today that other major security companies have joined the fray, making their grievances known both publicly and to officials in the justice department and the European Commission.

So what's all the hubbub about? Turns out that Microsoft is launching their own security solution with Vista and in true Microsoft fashion, they're locking third-party security companies out of the Windows kernel--at least in the 64-bit version of Vista. Additionally, Microsoft's own Windows Security Center will be front and center in Vista and you can bet it won't be easy to disable or uninstall.

Well, obviously, these security companies aren't all too happy that the functionality of their products is being circumscribed by Microsoft (who is now also a direct competitor). But what about the rest of us? Would your enterprise entrust Microsoft with desktop security? Will this prevent you from deploying the 64-bit version of Vista--or from deploying Vista at all? Write in and let me know and I'll post your responses in a future editor's corner.

For more on Vista security concerns:
- see this New York Times article

Red Hat debuts enterprise Linux beta

Sun, 10 Sep 2006 20:01:38 -0400

Red Hat released Enterprise Linux 5 Beta 1 this weekend. The test version of the open-source operating system is two months late because of memory problems in the kernel debugging process. Surprisingly, it includes Xen virtualization tools: Red Hat's CTO recently said Xen was not yet ready for enterprise use. Beta 1 also has client and server versions, clustering options and support for a variety of 32 and 64-bit microprocessors. However, users will have to uninstall it to move from the beta to the final version.

For more on the Linux beta:
- read this Linux Watch article

ALSO: Open-source entangled with .Net. Article

Third Symantec report finds Vista bugs

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 20:01:38 -0400

Symantec says it's found some security flaws in the heart of Microsoft's upcoming Windows Vista software. There are problems with the 64-bit version's kernel, in which malicious code could disable security measures, officials said. That basically repeats what security experts found at last week's Black Hat conference, although in this case Microsoft says it is irrelevant because Symantec tested on older beta versions. There are also critics who assert that Symantec, with which Microsoft now competes, is just spewing FUD.

For more on Vista:
- read this eWeek.com article