Entries Tagged 'Microsoft' ↓

So you use Remote Desktop to connect to a remote Windows system ? Remote Desktop Connection can come in pretty useful when you need to connect to a remote system be it for work, for some files which are in your home PC or just for solving some technical problem you friend is facing.

Once connected, Remote Desktop gives you mouse and keyboard control over your computer while showing you everything that’s happening on the screen. With Remote Desktop, you can leave your computer at the office without losing access to your files, applications, and e-mail.

What Remote Desktop basically allows you to do is work on a remote desktop system as if you are sitting in front of it. So here are two tips which can help you utilize Remote Desktop for Microsoft Windows even better.

1. Transfer files between local system and remote system

Using Remote Desktop for Windows, you can easily transfer files to and fro between your local system and remote system. All you need to do is turn on a simple setting in Remote Desktop.

Open Remote Desktop and go to Options. Then click on “Local Resources” tab and tick the checkbox “Disk Drives” under Local Devices. Now you will be able to transfer files between the local and remote system.

2. Shutdown Remote System using Remote Desktop

By default, Remote Desktop does not give you an option to shutdown the Remote System. Instead you get a “Disconnect” option. But you can still shutdown the system. Here is how. When you finish working on the Remote System, open a command prompt and type shutdown -s.

The remote system will be shutdown after 60 seconds and then you will be disconnected.

That’s it. Do you use Remote Desktop ? What do you like about it ?

The rumours have been settled. Microsoft has formally announced its intentions of acquiring Yahoo! . Leaving aside the complexity of the financial offer, one simple thing is Microsoft is offering $31 per share, a whopping 62% premium on the present share price of Yahoo!.

An excerpt from Microsoft’s press release …

Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) today announced that it has made a proposal to the Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) Board of Directors to acquire all the outstanding shares of Yahoo! common stock for per share consideration of $31 representing a total equity value of approximately $44.6 billion. Microsoft’s proposal would allow the Yahoo! shareholders to elect to receive cash or a fixed number of shares of Microsoft common stock, with the total consideration payable to Yahoo! shareholders consisting of one-half cash and one-half Microsoft common stock. The offer represents a 62 percent premium above the closing price of Yahoo! common stock on Jan. 31, 2008.

But what does this mean for me ?

A bigger competitor for Google but no idea how effective the acquisition will be if at all it happens.

Whatever will happen to Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Messenger and Flickr, three services I use almost all the time.

What do you think of this acquistion ? Does Microsoft buying Yahoo! make sense ?

Microsoft Press Release

The TechCrunch post

If you are one of the many users who is tired with a sluggish Windows Vista even on a high-end system ( with more than 2GB of RAM and a dual core processor ) then it’s time you give Windows Vista SP1 RC a try.

The Vista SP1 Release Candidate fixes a lot of things in the sluggish Windows OS. Here are some of the noticeable changes I found in my system after installing Windows Vista SP1 RC :

1. Start-up and shutdown of Vista is now much quicker. My laptop is now shutting down in less than half the time it earlier used.
2. Checking for Windows updates now takes 1/4th the time it earlier used to take.
3. Time taken for moving or copying files across partitions has decreased.
4. Extracting and creating zip files is faster now.
5. On an overall basis, Windows Vista is more responsive now.

These are just some of the improvements I have noticed. You can find a more complete list of what is included in Service Pack1 here.

Go try Windows Vista SP1 RC.

P.S. - I recommend using Windows Update to get Vista SP1 RC.

Microsoft has released Windows Vista SP1 RC to the public today. You can download it through Windows Update or as a complete package from Microsoft Download Center. SP1 contains changes focused on addressing specific reliability and performance issues, supporting new types of hardware, and adding support for several new technologies. SP1 also addresses some management, deployment, and support challenges. Microsoft has also published documents on how SP1 will affect Vista performance and what are the changes it brings to its operation.

If you have a prior version of SP1 Beta installed, you will have to uninstall it prior to installing RC. Windows Vista SP1 RC will no longer operate after June 30, 2008 and should be uninstalled prior to that date.

Download Windows Vista SP1 RC

Complete list of changes in Windows Vista SP1 RC

Did you try SP1 RC ?

Linux is for geeks. That is the worst cliche I have ever heard. In fact I think that Ubuntu Linux is far more easier to work on compared to Windows Vista.

Now that I have ditched Windows Vista in favor of Ubuntu Linux, I though I would write a post on why Ubuntu Linux is better than Windows Vista.

5 reasons why you should be using Ubuntu Linux instead of Windows Vista

1. Rock solid stability and better responsiveness

I don’t remember a day when Windows Vista had not crashed on my laptop. Running a Bit-torrent client (any one) will show a BSOD every time on my system. On the contrary I do not remember a day when Ubuntu had stopped responding or crashed.

2.Third-party software just a click away

No more clicking through endless UAC dialogs and Next screens to install the software. In Ubuntu Linux just go to Synaptic Package Manager, search for the software you want to install and click the small checkbox next to it. Then click on Apply. Your software will automatically be downloaded and  installed.

3. The wow is here

If you though Vista’s animations and effects were good, you must try Compiz fusion. It is bundled by default in Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon. Provided you have a decent grahics card, you just need to turn on the effects in System —> Preferences —> Appearance —> Effects.

4. Tune thy Ubuntu

There is absolutely nothing about Ubuntu Linux that you cannot change. Do not like the theme, the icons etc. , just download a new theme  from Gnome Look and drag-drop it on the Appearances dialog box. Your new theme is installed.

5. No antivirus, anti-spyware, firewall required

Damn Windows Security Center and anti-virus software. If Vista is not slow enough for you, then install some anti-virus. Cut to Ubuntu, no such thing needed.

That’s it. So when are you going to try Ubuntu Linux.

P.S. - Reason #5 is there just because I wanted to round off things.