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Sunday, November 30, 2003

Random thought:

HEY! Be careful out there!

Remember Hill Street Blues? Actor Michael Conrad as Sergeant Phil Esterhaus reminded all of the officers at roll call to be careful out there. That's good advice if you have a computer, these days, too. Welcome to your new job: (unpaid) chief information officer.

Microsoft employee Joel Scambray has written extensively on hackers and hacking -- and on computer security for network administrators. In large corporations, the information technology department takes care of firewalls and proxies, spam filtering and virus protection, system updates and hardware repair. In the small office or at home, you're responsible for all that. Computers and the Internet do many things that make our lives easier, but they extract a "tax" in the form of maintenance, preparation, and repair.

And you can't just ignore it. There are too many bad people out there who want to do nasty things to your computer -- things ranging from stealing your financial information to using your computer as a server for pornography to running a distributed denial-of-service attack. You don't want any of these activities to occur on your computer, but you don't have an IT department to rely on ...

REAL AUDIO - Joel Scambray 4:20 q-their own purposes

Microsoft has experienced a number of security problems over the years. In some cases, the attacks appear to have been the result of Microsoft's attempt to make applications easy to use and powerful. Microsoft has been criticized for realizing rather late the importance of security. I asked Joel if he feels the criticisms of Microsoft are justified ...

REAL AUDIO - Joel Scambray 1:54 q-your customers' ongoing satisfaction

Joel Scambray's latest book, along with Stuart McClure and George Kurtz, is Hacking Exposed: Network Security Secrets & Solutions, Fourth Edition. The authors deliver the latest in network security technologies and techniques. Included with the book is a DVD-ROM with presentations the authors give at conferences all over the world. For more information, see Hacking Exposed.

Is the best Microsoft Word the one on a Mac?

Say "word processor" to a PC user and you're pretty much understood to mean "Microsoft Word". Sure, there's still WordPerfect from Corel. Or you could use Sun's Open Office or the open-source free version from OpenOffice.org. But for most people, it's Microsoft Word. Increasingly, that's the case on the Mac, too.

Office X for the Mac isn't just a port of Office for Windows. It's unquestionably related to Office on the PC, but it's also clearly a Mac application. That's primarily because Microsoft's Mac developers aren't located in Redmond . They live and work in the heart of Silicon Valley - Apple country. And they've been given the freedom to do the things they feel are right for Office on the Mac.

Software development at Microsoft is very much an iterative process. The company has never been afraid to try something new, even if it stinks. Remember the first version of Internet Explorer? Pathetic. Version 2 was a little better. By version 3, they were getting the hang of it. Today Internet Explorer is the browser that's used by nearly 90% of the people who browse websites. (This is true both on the Technology Corner website and in general on the Internet.)

Netscape Navigator and Mozilla are the same price as Internet Explorer (free) but neither has much market share. Apple users are giving Safari a try, but IE is still the browser most people use because Microsoft continues to improve it with new features, new capabilities, and (sometimes) with new security problems. But that's another story.

Microsoft listens to feedback from customers and tries to incorporate recommendations into new versions of their applications. Office is no exception and, as you might expect, the feedback from Mac users varies somewhat from the feedback received from Windows users.

On the Mac side, for example, there's Entourage. Even long-time Mac lovers who tend not to be impressed by anything that comes from Microsoft have said that this is the e-mail application Apple should have invented. There is nothing like Entourage on the PC and Windows users who are stuck with Outlook or Outlook Express wonder why they can't have Entourage on their computers.

Specialization and iteration

Those are powerful attributes. Give Mac developers the ability to specialize what they do to fit the Mac's hardware, operating system, and users' expectations. Keep the development team on task from one version to the next. This is "business as usual" for Microsoft and despite criticism leveled at the company (sometimes justified, sometimes not) this is a good way to create products that get better over time.

Microsoft recently released Office 2003 for Windows and I haven't yet had time to thoroughly explore added features and improvements, but the Mac version of Office competes well with any office suite on any platform.

The Mac version of Word shares with the Windows version the ability to be customized to work the way the user wants it to work. For example, the primary toolbar comes with the same kinds of goofy functions taking up real estate as on the Windows version. I like to keep my hands on the keyboard. Command-S (Ctrl-S on Windows) will instantly save a file. I don't have to find the mouse, drag the cursor up to a little picture of a disk, and click. Just a quick keystroke. Likewise opening a file, closing a file, or creating a new file. Printing, finding, undo, redo, copy, cut, and paste - these are all things that I do with the keyboard. I don't need those icons on the screen. They take up space I could use for functions that I use occasionally, but not often enough to know the keystrokes for. But that's just me.

If you prefer to work with icons, leave them. That's the beauty of the customization that's built in. It's a shame that more people don't use it. Instead of reading the instructions or using the help file, they'll whine about the way Word does something or complain that Word forces them to do something "Bill's Way". It does no such thing.

When I write, I leave the spelling checker turned on. The grammar checker, too. Autocorrect (most of it, anyway.) The grammar checker is wrong more than it's right for what I write and the audience I write to, but occasionally it catches an ugly blunder that I've missed. My wife, on the other hand, is incensed when Word suggests a change. She doesn't want any of the auto-anything features turned on. Because we each have our own identity on the computer, I get what I want and she gets what she wants.

Yes, it's a little work getting the application set up the way she wants it and the way I want it, but doesn't it make more sense to spend that time understanding what the application does and how, then modifying it to suit our individual needs, than to mutter about "Microsoft's inflexibility". Inflexibility, yes; but not Microsoft's.

There's so much to Word X that it's impossible - in any review shorter than the Oxford English Dictionary - to catalog them all. Suffice to say that if you want to accomplish something, Word will probably be able to do it.

Other applications in the box

Because I'm more a words person than a numbers person, I pay more attention to the word processor component of the package. Excel is in there, too, along with PowerPoint and the previously mentioned Entourage. Unlike on the Windows side, there is no equivalent offering that includes a database management application such as Access. There is a "Pro" version that includes a copy of Virtual PC for the Mac, an application Microsoft recently acquired. I haven't been able to test this application because Microsoft's agency forgot to send a copy, but I know that Connectix had developed a product that worked well under OS 9 and I suspect that, with the added capabilities of OS X, it will be even a stronger performer now.

Technology corner rating for Office X for Mac

NINE CATS: The only thing missing is a database management program. Entourage is a magnificent personal information manager - nearly enough to cause me to think about syncing my Palm device with it instead of with Outlook on the Windows system. The primary application for me, though, is Word and it performs (as always) flawlessly. (And you don't know how hard it is for someone who detested Microsoft Word back in the days when WordPerfect was king to say that!)

How the Technology Corner rating system works.

The Big Switch

On November 24, the FCC's "number portability" rule kicked in and users of cellular phones finally started being allowed to change carriers and take their numbers with them -- at least in the 100 largest metro areas. Those who live elsewhere will have to wait a bit, but it's coming. Some of the cellular service providers have fought against number portability -- the ones that generally feel they have the most to lose from the arrangement. But nobody knows what effect the change will have. There's already a lot of "churn" as users switch from one carrier to another. Number portability is likely to increase that. There's also some evidence that growing numbers of people will drop wired telephone service in favor of wireless service now that they can keep their numbers. A friend of mine and his wife, who recently moved to California, opted not to have wired phones installed; instead, they each carry cellular phones.

Some of the companies will probably win new customers. Others will lose. It would be nice to think that the winners will be the ones with better service plans and better customer service, but (at least in the short term) it might be the ones with the better advertising agencies. Eventually, though, things will sort themselves out and the companies that do the best jobs for their customers will have the most customers.

If you're thinking about changing plans and you want to avoid surprises (large termination fees and the like), take a moment to look over the following suggestions from Sprint:

1. Determine your obligations. Check with your current carrier on contract termination fees and invoice balances under your current contract. If you're making the move to another carrier, early termination fees may apply. Check with your current carrier if you are uncertain when your contract ends.
2. If you do switch, remember: you'll likely need a new phone. Yes, you can take your number with you. But in all likelihood, your old phone won't be compatible with your new wireless provider. That's because mobile phones from one carrier do not typically operate on competitors' networks. On the plus side: this may be the excuse you need to get one of those cool camera phones.
3. Get the most from your mobile phone. Consider this: what, beyond voice service, do you plan to use? Many carriers now offer a variety of exciting and useful data services, such as messaging, games, music, special ringers and screensavers and the sending and sharing of photos. If these services are important to you, ask in advance about data rate plans, coverage and transmission speeds.
4. Consider the "bundled" services approach. To lower overall costs for telecommunications, put your calling into a bundled package that combines local phone service with long distance and wireless. For consumers in many states, Sprint Complete Sense offers bundled solutions with plans starting at $39.99 per month plus a discount on monthly wireless charges.
5. Put your new phone to the test. Many carriers offer trial periods for new customers, giving you the chance to see how well your phone works - and where. Take the phone for a "test spin" to make sure you're satisfied that the device performs reliably for your needs in your local coverage area and elsewhere. If you're not satisfied, you should return your phone during the trial period and get your money back. Note that you may still owe fees for activation and minutes used.
6. Be prepared to experience some possible delays as you make the switch. LNP is an inter-carrier process requiring the cooperation of your previous service provider, and new activations involving a ported number will take longer than traditional wireless service activation. If the transfer process goes smoothly you can expect to be active on your new wireless service provider's network in just a few hours. However, you should be prepared to experience delays as you make the switch - especially during the first few months of LNP. Customers new to Sprint can stay fully informed during the transfer process and can check the status of their port by dialing *2 from their new handset or by logging on to sprintpcs.com.
7. Keep in mind: not all numbers may be transferable. Not all numbers can be transferred in all markets and by all providers. Initially, LNP may only be available in larger markets. Also, remember that transferring your wireless phone number will only work if you are within the same geographic area. In other words, you cannot transfer a New York number to Dallas and activate it as a local number at this time.
8. If you do decide to switch carriers and want to keep your number, here are a few additional tips to keep in mind. Continue to use your current phone until your new phone is fully functional. Service to your old phone will be automatically disconnected once the number has been transferred. It's also helpful to have a copy of a bill from your current service provider on hand. When processing your port request, it's important that your new service provider correctly enter information from your account-like name ("Don" or "Donald"), address, account number, and phone number. If the information doesn't match, the request to transfer your number may be delayed.

While these tips are from Sprint, they generally apply to other service providers.

Nerdly News

More holes in Internet Explorer

Microsoft is looking into reports from a Chinese researcher who has pointed out 7 previously unknown security problems. According to Microsoft, the company isnot aware of anyone actively exploiting the problems.

Two are considered critical and could allow an attacker to delete files, crash the machine, or take over control of the machine.

In security circles, those who discover security problems with a product or an operating system are expected to report the problem to the company before making a public announcmenet. This gives the company time to correct the problem and release a patch. Announcing the shortcoming publicly gives the bad guys an opportunity. Unfortunately, that's what the Chinese researcher did. Microsoft found out about the problem when the holes were announced on public mailing lists.

Some good news for chip makers

Semiconductor chip sales increased nearly 7% in October from September's sales. That the largest jump since March 2002. The rise is the result of strong demand for a wide range of products including chips for cars, personal computers, televisions, DVD players, and mobile phones. On a year-to-date basis, growth was more than 16%.

Figures were released by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics organization. Executives of semiconductor companies usually wait for recovering sales of what are called "commodity chips" before they call a broad and sustainable upturn of the market. Commodity chips were still flat during the summer months.

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