Microsoft & SanDisk To Provide Desktop on Thumb Drive 233
Jesus Christ writes "An Information Week article reports that Microsoft is teaming up with SanDisk to provide users a complete image of their desktops in their pockets, allowing them access not only to their data...but also their applications and user interface setup while on the go. 'The companies plan to add a security layer to the offering using SanDisk's TrustedFlash security and digital rights management technology. The effort will elevate "simple flash storage to a whole new level of customer benefit," said Will Poole, corporate VP for Microsoft's Market Expansion Group. Microsoft also plans to seek out third party-hardware developers to support the initiative, the company said. As part of the plan, SanDisk will phase out its U3 technology, which adds some smart features to USB devices. Independent software developers that have created U3-compatible applications will be offered help migrating their products to the new technology, which has yet to be named.'"
portable apps anybody ? (Score:0, Insightful)
TrustedFlash security? (Score:4, Insightful)
Funny, nowadays anything that has "trusted" in it seems to me like something I have to distrust...
Been There, Done That (Score:2, Insightful)
http://www.ncl.cs.columbia.edu/publications/comps
Portable Apps (Score:4, Insightful)
U3, gen 2 (Score:5, Insightful)
I manage college computer labs, and those damn U3 drives have been a recurring hassle. They try to auto-install software on every Windows machine they come into contact with, and require two drive letters (which doesn't work so well in an environment where several key letters are already in use). When used on a Mac, they mount an extra pseudo CD on the desktop, loaded with software that's obviously (but not to many students) utterly useless. If this is in any way an extension or "improvement" upon that, then my job is about to get even harder.
Re:TrustedFlash security? (Score:5, Insightful)
Like the Soviet Russia jokes, only real.
Multi-platforms would be nice (Score:3, Insightful)
I know some things can't be cross-platforms (executables, etc), others can (wallpaper, keyboard, mouse, language, international, email and IM settings, etc).
Put everything in pure (i.e., non-"Microsoft-enhanced")
Seeing as Microsoft is part of this initiative, however, I predict that "cross-platform" will mean "Windows Vista and future versions of Windows".
It's BS (Score:2, Insightful)
It will not be a portable run-anywhere-on-x86-liveUSB like Knoppix or DSL. It will be another useless piece of shit.
Re:TrustedFlash security? (Score:3, Insightful)
Damn, now I hate myself for succumbing to that temptation.
Re:Remember the good old days... (Score:4, Insightful)
Agreed.
But I'm not sure why my RSS reader needs to be skinnable, semitransparent, dockable to other windows, resident in my tray with an animated popup notification, with a media player widget built in, and hooking into task manager to change the process name to show the currently playing track, finally adding an extra button to every window next to minimize so that I can tweak its settings from anywhere.
For too many programmers out there test the limitations of an OS utterly needlessly.
Actually, I do (Score:4, Insightful)
Embrace and... (Score:3, Insightful)
Translation.
'Our U3 technology was crap, especially when compared to what was already out there' (see the other posts on this topic).
"Independent software developers that have created U3-compatible applications will be offered help migrating their products to the new technology, which has yet to be named..."
Translation.
'We're getting into bed with MS, who have a solid history of fucking-over third-party sw developers, and end-users, (the Zune episode springs to mind). So, eh, kiss your investment goodbye, suckers!
Meanwhile, go download the stand-alone versions of Firefox and Thunderbird if you want portability.
But if you're serious about your data, DO NOT mix the OS & application environment with user data on that key. My main PC has a separate partition for data on the disk. If the OS, (any one of them), gets screwed, no problem - reinstall. Data not affected...
Yay..more work for me! (Score:2, Insightful)
Thanks SanDisk and Microsoft!
Re:Let me guess (Score:3, Insightful)
Needless to say, if anyone really used it, that would be a meaningful statement. Now, Joe User will think MS/SD is the ideal solution.
If Linux users want to be relevant, they need to court Joe User and not try to alienate him. They need to provide stuff he wants, like a huge ready to go software base he can get on his next trip to Costco/Best Buy/WalMart. Careful now, you scoff, and you'll be engaging in the exact behavior that turns Joe User off.
You want to take on MS, then take Joe User away from him. Apple was successful in pulling Artsy Fartsy Franky from MS, Linux needs Joe User.
But, if all this doesn't matter to you, then don't complain when MS does something and people like me let you know you had your chance. Win the war, adopt a strategy that will beat MS.
Exactly HOW? (Score:3, Insightful)
The first thing Microsoft cares about in this endeaver is DRM?
And this is going to provide "a whole new level of customer benefit"?
I don't think so.
If Microsoft wants to make USB useful, let Windows XP and Vista be booted off it...(Yes, I know somebody has finally made this possible but success seems to be limited.)
Problem, meet Solution (Score:3, Insightful)
Solution: this thing.