Virtual Desktops in Windows with VirtuaWin

VirtuaWin

  The lack of virtual desktops in Window XP and Vista has slowed my work on Windows boxes for too long. I recently revisited a free Virtual window manager for Windows (Vista, XP, and older) named VirtuaWin.

  <VirtuaWin> is a small, light weight, and minimal virtual window manager. VirtuaWin is found free and open source at our favorite, <SourceForge.net>. The application consists of a system tray icon in your task bar:

(the green box)

  Out of the box you get 4 desktops, although the limit is 20. These are switchable in several customizable ways. The configurable hotkeys and mouse edge bumping seem to do well for me. Virtual desktops and multiple monitors make things even better!

  You can then refine this tool with the <great collection of add-on modules>. Modules provide a desktop pager, auto switching, visual and audio desktop change notifications, and more. The system tray icons can be easily customized by dropping in icon sets. VirtuaWin has quite a <collection of icon sets> you can browse.

[Link] Windows 7 is , You Guessed it, Vista Rebranded

Kernel process profiling shows it looks like a Vista; performance testing shows is walks like a Vista; claims of being a high performing Linux-laptop-killer falling flat on it's face, make it sound like a just another disappointing Vista.

InfoWorld 5 pages (Nov 10, 2008)

<InfoWorld - Test Center benchmarks: Windows 7 unmasked>

New True Crypt Release Features Hidden, Encrypted, OS Partitions

   We know True Crypt as the free-open source application for Windows/Mac/Linux that creates on-the-fly-encrypted drive volumes. You create a file or volume with the combination of several heavy, industry standard, encryption algorithms. With the password, that file or volume can be mounted as a drive letter (in Windows).

   True Crypt has been around a while; it's based on E4M (Encryption for the Masses) and released it's first version at the beginning of 2004. It's popularity exploded when it was the featured topic of a <GRC's Security Now> audio podcast. This was near the popular beginning of the series, which then featured informative, weekly, encryption and network protocol discussions.

   Since it's start, True Crypt has acquired additional innovative features. It can encrypt entire partitions, like an entire hard drive, as well as devices such as USB flash drives. It later featured the ability to create <hidden volumes> through <steganography>(wiki) techniques (hiding the encrypted volume inside a larger one filled with cryptographically random free space).

   The new True Crypt version 6 can not only encrypt your hard drive/partition containing your operating system, prompting you for your password at boot up, but can also make that a hidden volume. This creates an innovative situation of <plausible deniability>.

<www.TrueCrypt.org>
<True Crypt Downloads>

Microsoft Vista Users: Bend Over

  Didn't listen to all those Vista bashers? Chances are your already kicking yourself over issues your having with Vista. Since you're all waiting for some reassuring words from Microsoft, you've got it.
  Last Thursday, at an annual Seattle event Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, called the Vista OS "a work in progress"! I hope they warned you about this when you dropped $200-300 or more on a copy.

You could petition:
<Info World's Save XP Petition>

You could jump on the Linux bandwagon:
<Ubuntu>

Or you could keep your hopes up waiting for the next Windows:
<Windows 7 (Wikipedia)>

Anyone think a Mac is an option? (comments are wide open, as always)

Internet Explorer 8 beta availible for download

Microsoft has made the IE8 betas available for download.
<Internet Explorer 8 beta Download>

To help developers with compatibility testing, Microsoft has made <Virtual PC> images preloaded with XP-SP2 or Vista available with IE6, IE7, or IE8 beta. Microsoft claims they will expire on July 3, 2008.
<VPC Image Dowloads>

[rumor] Vista SP1 to be released Monday

<This site> is claiming that they 'received word' (without mentioning from where) that Windows Vista Service Pack 1 will be released on Monday, February 4, 2008. This report is being echoed by many other Vista fan-boy sites as being accurate.

It's been let on by Microsoft for a couple years now, and later confirmed, that they planned to ship SP1 alongside Windows Server 2008, which is now due in February 2008.

<For quick info check out this knowledgeable SP1 FAQ>