Friday, July 14, 2006
You might not have to through out that old PC just yet… Thanks to Microsoft..
According to the information week website in the same week that Microsoft discontinued support for its aged Windows 98 and Windows Millennium operating systems it rolled out thin-client software that turns older PCs into cousins of ones running Windows XP SP2.
Once code named "Eiger," the "Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs" software gives nearly-obsolete systems some of Windows XP's security technologies, notably Windows Firewall and Automatic Updates.
Microsoft made it clear that Fundamentals is not a true operating system. Although it's based on Windows XP Embedded SP2 it "is designed to work with the Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection client or third-party clients such as the Citrix ICA client," the company said on its Web site. Essentially, Fundamentals morphs the PC into a thin-client that runs most of its software from a server.
Fundamentals is available only to customers of Microsoft's Software Assurance (SA) volume licensing program, which gives users update rights in return for annual payments over a two- or three-year period.
This means whilst it won’t really be available to domestic users it may actually decrease the 3 yearly rollover we see in corporate computing environments as PC’s age.
Full story at http://www.informationweek.com/software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=190400424&subSection=Hosted+Software
Once code named "Eiger," the "Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs" software gives nearly-obsolete systems some of Windows XP's security technologies, notably Windows Firewall and Automatic Updates.
Microsoft made it clear that Fundamentals is not a true operating system. Although it's based on Windows XP Embedded SP2 it "is designed to work with the Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection client or third-party clients such as the Citrix ICA client," the company said on its Web site. Essentially, Fundamentals morphs the PC into a thin-client that runs most of its software from a server.
Fundamentals is available only to customers of Microsoft's Software Assurance (SA) volume licensing program, which gives users update rights in return for annual payments over a two- or three-year period.
This means whilst it won’t really be available to domestic users it may actually decrease the 3 yearly rollover we see in corporate computing environments as PC’s age.
Full story at http://www.informationweek.com/software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=190400424&subSection=Hosted+Software
# posted by Peter Saville - IT Consultant @ 11:33 PM 
