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------- THE COURSEY REPORT --------
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October 8, 2004
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Sponsored by Wyse Technology
To discover the advantages that thin clients bring to
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and to learn which factors to consider when choosing a
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Brief, "Migrating Linux to the Enterprise Desktop"
http://eletters.eweek.com/zd1/cts?d=79-1197-20-37-22237-134611-1
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In This Edition
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David Coursey:
1. Gates: Microsoft to Tackle the Spyware Problem
2. WiMax on the March
3. Kim Polese: She's Baaaack!
4. AOL's New Browser
5. The Real Reason PeopleSoft Fired Craig Conway
6. eSeminar: Grid Computing: Tapping the Juice In Underused
Servers
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David Coursey
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Gates: Microsoft to Tackle the Spyware Problem
It had been a few months since I'd seen Bill Gates in a
question-and-answer session and I'd forgotten how
interesting Microsoft's Chairman and Chief Software
Architect can be. Love him or hate him, it's hard for Gates
not to make you think. He's also become an accomplished,
even likeable presenter.
In the 20 years I've been watching him, Gates has learned to
control the forward-and-backward rocking that once caused a
news magazine to wonder in print whether he suffered from a
brain disorder.
He's also developed a greater patience for what he considers
to be less-than-challenging questions. The favorite Gates
put-down used to be answering a question with "I don't know
whether you're technical or not" before launching into an
answer that suggested the questioner lacked the intelligence
given insects or crustaceans. Of course, if the questioner
really was that simple, he or she didn't notice that they
just been insulted by one of the world's richest men.
These days, Bill is on his best behavior, or at least has
been when I've seen him. Last Friday, during a discussion at
the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif., Gates
accepted questions from friends and competitors alike with
no limitations on their content. He gave intelligent
answers, and I learned some things I didn't know.
I think Microsoft would be wise to create a monthly Q&A
television program as a way of getting Gates in front of a
broad audience and promoting a national debate on the things
Microsoft cares about. I've thought for a long time that the
more people saw Gates talking about technology and its
potential, the more they would appreciate Microsoft's
pursuit of that vision.
It would also be interesting to hear Gates talk about
non-technology issues. Most people don't realize how well
Gates understands the work of the foundation that bears his
name. I once heard Gates talk at some length about his
foundation's strategy for curing tropical diseases. He could
discuss the subject at a very technical level and is
apparently equally well-versed in the other projects his
billions are supporting.
My bet is that 100 years from now, Nobel Prize winner Bill
Gates won't be remembered so much for Microsoft as for the
good works his Microsoft money made possible.
Read my news story about Bill's remarks.
http://eletters.eweek.com/zd1/cts?d=79-1197-20-37-22237-134614-1
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WiMax on the March
I am really excited about the potential of an emerging
wireless technology called WiMax. It's supposed to be the
solution for extending broadband (70 Mbps) the last mile
into offices and homes without benefit of the wired
telephone network. Analysts say broad availability could
come as early as 2007.
Read the column.
http://eletters.eweek.com/zd1/cts?d=79-1197-20-37-22237-134617-1
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Kim Polese: She's Baaaack!
Noted this week is Kim Polese's announcement of her new
company, which seems to be doing pretty much that same thing
as Marimba, the company she co-founded in 1995 and then left
at the end of 2003. Polese gets way more attention that her
business success alone would merit.
Read the blog.
http://eletters.eweek.com/zd1/cts?d=79-1197-20-37-22237-134620-1
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AOL's New Browser
Just when we though AOL didn't care anymore, the company is
working on a new standalone browser. It's based not on its
own Netscape technology but Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
Our report says it adds features Microsoft has missed.
http://eletters.eweek.com/zd1/cts?d=79-1197-20-37-22237-134623-1
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The Real Reason PeopleSoft Fired Craig Conway
John Pallatto wrote a great story this week detailing the
spin-doctoring that led to Crag Conway's dismissal at
PeopleSoft. It's sad Conway wasn't entirely the good guy
many of us considered him to be, but in a fight with Oracle
some things become relative.
Check it out.
http://eletters.eweek.com/zd1/cts?d=79-1197-20-37-22237-134626-1
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eSeminar: Grid Computing: Tapping the Juice In Underused
Servers
There's still time to register for my next web seminar,
entitled "Getting Ready for Grid: Tapping the Juice In
Underused Servers." Panelists include eWEEK.com Associate
Editor Lisa Vaas; Mark Linesch, Chairman of the Global
Grid Forum; and William P. Hurley, Senior Analyst,
Applications & Software Infrastructure, at the Enterprise
Strategy Group.
This online event takes place Wednesday, October 13, at 2 pm
Eastern/11 am Pacific. It lasts 90 minutes, admission is
free, and I promise you'll learn something. Visit our site
for more information and registration.
http://eletters.eweek.com/zd1/cts?d=79-1197-20-37-22237-134629-1
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That's it for this week. If you enjoy reading my columns and
blogs, please do me a favor and pass this newsletter on to a
colleague, OK? Thanks!
eWEEK.com Contributing Editor David Coursey has been
listening to Bill Gates for almost 20 years and still finds
him fascinating. You can drop David a note at
[EMAIL PROTECTED] or visit
http://eletters.eweek.com/zd1/cts?d=79-1197-20-37-22237-134632-1
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