wintel

Trouble in paradise? Cracks show in Microsoft-Intel alliance

When Microsoft unveiled its Surface tablets earlier this year, Intel executives were shocked.

Microsoft started developing its self-branded tablets -- including one that uses an Intel chip -- without notifying Intel or asking for help. Intel, like many of Microsoft's other partners, didn't find out about Surface until shortly before the event, and it did not play a role in the announcement. Microsoft decided to go it alone, much like rival Apple has done.

Microsoft's decision represents new territory for the software and chip giants -- collectively known as the Wintel alliance to many in the industry … Read more

Rumor Has It, Ep. 14: Let's give Kodak an Internet hug (podcast)

We're baaaa-aaack!

And slap-happy after the break, so you may want to sit down to watch this show.

On the first Rumor Has It of 2012, we ask: who will make the next Kindle? Will Apple have some sort of snorefest in NYC? Are Acer and Lenovo Wintel-crazed? And are RIM's co-chairmen getting the boot?

But mostly, we pour one out for Kodak, which is suffering lately. Rumors out of Taiwan suggest it's going to make even fewer cameras next year, as it can no longer keep pace with Canon, Sony, and Nikon. Poor little Kodak: it … Read more

Android and ARM elbow in on Wintel alliance

For many years, the market for personal computing equipment was dominated by the Wintel "duopoly." But no more.

In practice, Wintel wasn't so much two companies scheming together as it was a marriage of convenience pairing two dominant technologies: Microsoft's Windows operating system and Intel's x86 processor family.

It wasn't an exclusive relationship. Microsoft always had Advanced Micro Devices and flirted with chip designs such as MIPS, Alpha, and PowerPC in the early days of Windows NT. And Intel encouraged other operating systems, notably Linux. But the marriage stayed largely intact as the two … Read more

BOL 1045: IE8: World's most secure browser

A new study shows that Internet Explorer 8 is the most secure browser in the world. Who paid for the study? Guess. We also uncover the Twitter mafia and a new alliance to fight malware. And Molly's dream of running her car on chickens comes closer to reality.

NOTE: There is no video for today's episode due to a technical error. That's right, you can go ahead and blame Jason for this one. Sorry. --Jason

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 1045

Apple lead barely shrinks … Read more

Judging Wintel on the eve of a new era

Count on the chattering classes to get it wrong. If I had a nickel for each time some expert or another weighed in over the years with a prediction of doom for Microsoft or Intel, I'd be kicking it in the Bahamas right about now.

There has been no shortage of upstarts, touted at one time or another, as can't-miss candidates to upset the computing world's constellation of forces over the past 30 years. All got bloodied for their trouble.

But have you noticed? As 2009 gets under way, it just seems the new year's outlook … Read more

Being your own IT person still sucks

Last week, my wife's Dell Inspiron decided to stop printing to our wireless HP all-in-one. It was apparently a problem with the spooler, whatever that is. At that point, I had two choices: leave it alone and hope for a miracle, or fix it and perform some upgrades I'd been putting off.

Let me back up and explain something. I hate working on my wife's computer. Whatever I do inevitably screws something up, it takes way longer than I would like, and well, let's just say, my wife is impatient when it comes to technology.

It's OK for a doctor or dentist to poke and prod her, but when I poke or prod her computer, she acts as if I do it for the pure sadistic enjoyment of screwing up her peaceful existence.… Read more

Spam sucks

Monty Python couldn't have come up with a more annoying routine than the infamous spam sketch. But way back in the psychedelic 70s, the comedy troupe couldn't possibly have imagined the disgust and frustration the word "spam" would elicit today, especially among IT professionals.

I managed to defeat hordes of telemarketers by signing up for the national do-not-call registry. But when it comes to spam, I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm ready to throw in the towel and become a computerless monk. I feel like less of a man because I couldn't protect my family from this deadly menace.

Maybe 2% of my emails are actually addressed to me personally. The rest are garbage: spams and scams of every shape, size, and flavor. They run the gamut from those offering me supposedly hot stock picks, loans, and drugs, to others concerned with the size and effectiveness of my manhood.… Read more