RSSMicrosoft: Windows Server to Outpace Linux 3:1 by 2010
By Scott M. Fulton, III | Published May 16, 2007, 11:54 AM
LOS ANGELES - A video just shown here during the Day 2 morning keynote session at WinHEC showed Microsoft's "crack" server team working hard on the critical task of naming its new server operating system. After considering such candidates as "Windows Server Server Edition" and "I Can't Believe It's Not Windows NT," the team leader ends up tinkering with the name "Windows Server 2003" on the whiteboard, changing the "3" to an "8."
The message of the video was well-taken: Microsoft's taking itself a little less seriously now, coming to grips with its own legendary geekiness.
As the company's new general manager for Windows Server 2008, Bill Laing, took the stage, he started making a little news, shedding light on the company's server roadmap. Citing IDC numbers predicting Windows Server installations overall to outpace the growth of Linux, at 8 million versus 2.75 million by 2010, Laing said his company has established a "predictable rhythm of releases" going back to Windows 2000, and that this rhythm will not change going forward.
Laing's statement puts to rest any speculation that WS2K8 will be Microsoft's last "major release" of the operating system, and that the company would begin adopting a regular pattern of semi-annual server upgrades or service packs. He firmly said the company will continue its pattern of major releases every four to five years, with update releases in the two-to-three year intermediate timeframe.
With Microsoft's kernel development now synchronized between client and server lines, this timeframe pattern will likely apply to "Blackcomb" and future Windows client editions.
He followed up by saying that WS2K8 will be the company's final 32-bit operating system, with all future releases moving to 64-bit.
9:15 am PT - Midway through, Laing and product manager Alex Balcanquall revealed some news regarding the "Anywhere Access" program - the ability for networked or remote users to run Windows applications without their actually being installed on their systems. Laing said the company is leveraging some of its virtualization technology to that end, having invested (probably meaning, purchasing from elsewhere) a concept called SoftGrid. It's not ready to demonstrate yet, but it involves being able to "stream" application content from a server to a remote or networked client and have it run within a virtual machine envelope, dedicated exclusively to that application.
Last year at TechEd, we saw the first demonstrations of Vista's ability to run Windows apps via Terminal Services - a browser-based envelope within which Microsoft Office apps can be run on a remote or lower-order client. At that time, when the floor was opened for questions, a number of people shouted, "Printer drivers??" The presenters at that time looked a little red-faced, as if it was the first time they'd encountered the topic.
This year, Balcanquall showed an updated version of the Terminal Services demo. In that demo, a relatively unequipped Vista-based client ran Visio remotely, logging into the terminal server through a single prompt (a big advance for many of you familiar with Terminal Services). After pulling up a graph (for those of you keeping score at home, Visio ran in the Vista Basic theme, not the full Aero scheme), Balcanquall then proceeded to print the graph using the native local printer driver - not a generic or bypass driver. The demo garnered the most applause of the day thus far.
"A video just shown here during the Day 2 morning keynote session at WinHEC showed Microsoft's "crack" server team..."
Wow, now there's a well fitting name if I ever heard one. This retarded nonsense they're babbling can only be the result of a massive consumption of crack XD
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|Installing hundreds or thousands of printer drivers on the terminal server is not a good solution. That's how it works today, and it doesn't always work very well.
It is insanely easy to set up one server, one application, one workstation and one printer to work one time.
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|All this talk of dates and timelines is speculative at best. Anything can happen between now and whenever, even tomorrow, that might cause vendors to extend the life of 32-bit products longer. Or shorten them sooner. Who knows. We're all fleas arguing over the dog. Predicting out to 2010 is fiction. Remember their robust predictions about MS Bob? Remember what they said about FoxPro 10? Don't even bring up WinFS. Those all had stated dates also. Who cares. Linux isn't going away. I hope it keeps improving and gaining market share. Without that kind of pressure on Microsoft, what reason would they have to innovate or keep prices down? None.
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|We are talking new installs. New installs also often replace old servers. I more often see Linux replace Windows. We also see fewer Linux servers running to Windows servers for the same work load.
Let's assume their predictions prove right on the money. They still are losing 25% of the new systems. That still means billions of dollars not going into Microsoft's pockets.
However I will assume that since Microsoft is promoting this prediction that it is not going to be as good as they hope. It almost never is! So we can count on Linux sustaining more than 25% growth and Windows sustaining less than 75% growth in the same period. Where is that Apple server?
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|what about the software WHICH its not compatible with 64-bits OS's????
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|Upgrade, Recompile, or Emulate. Same thing we did with the 16 bit and 8 bit software we all still run.
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|"He followed up by saying that WS2K8 will be the company's final 32-bit operating system, with all future releases moving to 64-bit."
That's the most important part of the whole article and it only got one sentence.
Oh, and I just realised Scott that if you click your username at the top of the article there's a leading space that shouldn't be there in you email address.
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|Everyone should have been planning for "64-bit only" last year. I wouldn't consider rolling out a 32-bit server in 2007. The memory limitation and performance hit is too real.
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|Amen. And all I have to reply with can be in one word. "Finally".
Now I just hope they'll make a desktop OS I actually want to use next time around.
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|Ah, but it's not just the servers (by the sound of it).
"WS2K8 will be the company's final 32-bit *operating system*"
Not just server operating systems.
It has a much wider effect, consumers are going to be effected by that decision and it will no doubt create a large angry mob of people paying for the 64bit OS and trying to put it on their 32bit machines when the sequel to Vista arrives.
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|MS has stated Vienna (the next desktop OS) will be both 32-bit and 64-bit.
However, even if they've changed their minds, the absolute earliest it will be released is 2009.
Anyone using a 32-bit CPU by that time will be in dire need of an upgrade anyway. Those who have 32-bit versions of Vista *can still use them*. it's not like the 32-bit market will dry up instantly,e specially when it makes up a major portion of the market total.
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|From the wiki on Vienna:
"However, Paul Thurrott claims in his Supersite for Windows, that according to Microsoft's x64 migration schedule, Windows Vienna will almost certainly only ship in 64-bit editions."
Obviously that's not definitive, but I believe it's quite possibly true.
And no, you're quite right, it won't just 'dry up'. However, I suspect there will be an angry mob of people that don't understand the 32/64bit difference and will buy it without research.
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|...possibly the same angry mob of people who don't know the difference between RIM's "BlackBerry" and Samsung's "Blackjack" - or those who think a ECONOMY PC which says "Vista Capable" means "Able to run every feature of Vista Ultimate without having to pay for a HIGH-END PC, and get the same results".
64bit obviously means, "double the power of 32bit". Sheesh, I would think this would just be obvious to everyone!!
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|However, I suspect there will be an angry mob of people that don't understand the 32/64bit difference and will buy it without research.
Caveat Emptor. If $200 isn't enough of a cost to you to make sure you know what you are getting than the next $200 to get the right product shouldn't be too much skin off your nose either.
Sorry, I have no sympathy whatsoever for those folks.
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|They should put XP as the final 32bits system. What exactly were they think when 64bits CPU has been available over a year, or maybe even 2 years before Vista RTM.
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|Neither have I, but it would be rather stupid of Microsoft to do it without a very large ad campaign or they'll probably end up with yet another court battle over it, like the one over 'Vista capable' and 'Vista Premium ready' but probably bigger.
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|So ong as the box lists 64-bit CPU as a requirement, any case brought against Microsoft will be dealt with as quickly as this one because they both have no merit whatsoever.
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