The TWAIN blog

I just read the news that if you are planning to install Microsoft 7 on an XP computer, you have to migrate all your files off because it is a complete reinstall. In other words, EVERY computer you install it on will lose the files and folders (organization) you had on the computer.

However, if you are running Vista the files will stay intact. It is an upgrade.

But for those of us who didn’t go to Vista, we have to move all images, documents, music, etc. and the complete organized file system off the computers for the install. Plus, you have to reinstall all the programs and drivers you have to do with any OS upgrade.

This is not kosher for those of us who manage a large number of computers that may migrate to the new OS in the future. We are excited about the new OS. It sounds like it will be fantastic but is it worth the effort?

Article: Wall Street Journal – Move to Windows 7 Will Be Tough for Some by Walter Mossberg,.

Google and Microsoft are facing off for your consumer….$s? Nope. Not your cash but your cache. The time spent looking at web pages includes the barrage of embedded advertising you may or may not be aware of. Time spent on web pages means revenue for the companies hosting those links and sites.

But in order to compete with Google, Microsoft has to drop their prices. CNN Money reported today that Microsoft will soon announce that the web version of Office 2010 will be free. This is a direct assault on Google who last week announced that they are going to release a web OS that will be free to compete with other OS’s (SP?) on the market.

Google and Microsoft are tearing it up at each other right now which means some really interesting things for those of us in education who need to provide ways to get students using technology at a small price.

So…let’s do some simple math (because I am a simpleton when it comes to Math).

1 Netbook with a Web-based OS + Web 2.0 Tools + Online Office Suite = Rich, collaborative working tools for the cost of the hardware. A Netbook costs in a range from $100 to about $450 without the cost of the operating system.

Microsoft’s licensing for Windows XP is currently running near $100 per machine because they are pushing Vista on us all. Google releases a FREE Web Operating System which will be available in August.

Throw in some neat Web 2.0 Tools that include document, spreadsheet, presentation tools along with photo, audio, and video editors also available online for free.

Or, get access to Microsoft Office 2010 online (document, spreadsheet, and presentation tools) and throw in the other Web 2.0 tools as well.

And you get a fast track to 1:1 computing for your schools. Prices are dropping on the hardware and the giants of industry are competing by literally throwing their purses to the ground.

But what about network infrastructure? With all this need for Web OS, Web 2.0, and all resources online – how do we get high speed Internet. This is the boom to end the war between all these companies. How will the world access high speed Internet? Will it be owned by the government? Will we be taxed?

Aren’t you glad I have talked about this before? See my previous blog post from Feb 5, 2009 about how Google has been working with Motorola and Microsoft (huh?) to use the old American Broadcast System (pre-digital cable) to funnel GB-TB data lines through our existing cable systems. This old system is owned by the people and for use for the people – you and I. The “white spaces” is the old analog system which is not encumbered with broadcast television frequency and allows for some interesting testing right now to push high speed wireless broadband to any home running that old analog line.

I know. This seems ridiculous right? A little too much of a reach? Kind of like my post from September 8, 2008 about Google releasing a new browser called “Chrome” and how I predicted that they would not make an operating system – but a browser operating system??

What’s next? What’s the next prediction?
Riddle me this – I have to open a spreadsheet program now to access a database. I have to open a separate document program to create a document. I have to open another program for photos and a presentation program to work on a that system.

But what if there was only one program that not only had all these programs running simultaneously but allowed collaboration, sharing, and kept a history for the entire project? What if I didn’t need an office suite but a one-stop shop that let me do everything I needed in one window (whether I used Firefox, IE, Safari, Android, Chrome, etc.) and from whatever web device I had?

I believe this is the next WAVE. How long until Microsoft/Apple starts their own? And will they name it something similar to Wave like Tsunami? Current? Tide?

Google has developed the idea of Wave but they haven’t combined all these elements into the one system yet. I think that may be Wave 2.0 or Apple’s Me 2.0 or Windows 7.5…

Whatever the case will be, it looks like the math problem is more simplified if this is the next evolution:

Netbook/Phone + Web (Wave) = Collaboration All-in-one access point

Is this crystal ball prediction correct? We will have to wait and see….

See previews of Microsoft Office 2010 on my summer tech training site (at the bottom of the page).

I have been talking about this idea for some time and Google confirmed it on their blog last night. The are releasing their own Operating System in the form of a browser: Google Chrome OS.

What I find interesting right now is the rivalry between Microsoft and Google. Google has been the powerhouse search engine for years and now MS has released Bing to compete. Microsoft even offers up television commercials touting the new search engine and to make the word “Bing” part of our vocabulary. Sneaky and yet Bing is Google without advertisements.

The design of an OS was really to create a graphic interface to show a person how a computer is accessing data and storing it. However, with Web 2.0 and resources stored online there won’t be a use for hard drive storage and an OS. The applications are online now. The files are online now. What do I need a hard drive for? What do I need an OS for? Why do I need to keep paying Microsoft for an OS that will cost half the price of the laptop?

The new OS is touted as lightweight and will be designed to run on netbooks. I had written before about SkyTone’s netbook that runs the Google Android OS and costs $100.

When the Google OS is available and netbooks in the US cost around $100, what does this mean for 1:1 ratios? In towns where the population is less than 30,000? In towns looking to create a ring wireless network around the entire city to provide portal access to city and district resources?

One of my summer staff development programs this year is to show teachers different resources for finding information without relying on Google simple search. I plan to show them the Advanced Search tools in Google to help them find specific information and in the format they wish to find. I am not knocking Google at all. I love Google. But I want to show some alternatives to finding information. I thought I would share some resources with you all and have you share some with me as well.

Delicious – When people ask me to find them websites, I usually start here by using Delicious Search. What I like about Delicious is that the results aren’t just websites. They are people’s Favorite websites. They have been used and people often write notes about them.

Clusty – I like Clusty because it is a “visual” search tool. It clusters information into groups that make more sense to visual learners. These clusters actually help me because they show other keywords to help me narrow my search.

An addition to Clusy is to make Clusty clouds. These are great because it takes all the keywords associated with the search topic (all the tags associated with the topic) and creates a visual cluster you can embed on a website. So a teacher could make a visual search page on one website that is the Cluster of links on topics.

Another cool visual search tool is Search Cube which posts results in a 3-D cube. You can move the cube around and click on the visual thumbnails of the sites.

Bing – Microsoft has released a new search engine that replaces Windows Live. It works similar to Clusty by organizing information into groups. I haven’t spent much time on it but I must say that it is visually appealing.

Google Squared – This can be found in the Google Labs. The information is presented in a spreadsheet format instead of in its usual list. It pulls information from the sites it finds and puts it into data squares. So instead of searching and receiving a list of links to peruse for the information, the results post neatly into a spreadsheet. It is very similar to the next search tool which I have blogged about before:

Wolfram Alpha – Instead of listing links to sites to find information, the information itself is presented on the search engine. There is less clicking for the user. Less confusion. Information is readily available based on what is searched.

Cuil is another website that pulls information directly onto the page. Again, this idea of instant information removes the need to click through links. All the information is pulled onto the search window.

Looking for someone? Use these search tools: Pipl, Spokeo, LinkedIn, PeekYou, Wink, Spock, and ZoomInfo. Spokeo is a pay service that allows you to monitor people in your social network.

Did you know in SlideShare you can search through presentations and download them to your computer? If you need a presentation on Ancient Greece and don’t have time to make one, simply search SlideShare to find one.

Looking for some audio? Skreemr, Find Sounds, and Midomi which actually lets you sing or hum to find the music. I like the Shazam app on iTunes that lets you find music by listening to it playing.

Video search engines include: TimeTube, Blinkx, Foooooo, and Pixsy.

I know these aren’t all the search sources out there. There are MANY more. If you have some ideas to share for use in education, please post them in comments!

Today, I took part in a webinar on Microsoft Live@EDU and their new Exchange Online services for school districts and I was blown away. I was given a preview to a system that changes how we manage information in our districts. The squeaky wheel lost to a cloud today.

If anything – watch their interactive website which includes animated films designed by students. Link is embedded or find here: http://my.liveatedu.com/

Here is what Microsoft says they will provide FOR EACH USER:
25GB of space on SkyDrive (their own individual home folder)
5GB of space in email
Ability to send 20MB per message
Instant messenger (which can be open for staff and not students)
Microsoft Sharepoint services – collaborative documents shared online
A website that includes blogging, calendars, document sharing, etc.
Microsoft Office Live access (Word, Power Point, Excel) online (no installers)
Microsoft Live Search

In other words, a teacher could upload their files to this system and then open rights up to students to view/edit. Teacher and administrators could create folders to share documents and files. The shared folders on our file server migrate up to this system and then we assign rights to the specific folders.

Microsoft Office Live is the web version of Office – Word, Power Point, Excel. Students and staff would have WEB access to these tools without having to install on their own computers.

Total cost for this: $0.00 for hosting. No advertisements on ANY student access service but staff may have Microsoft advertisements (only in top banner of screen). The advertisements aren’t commercials but a banner about a particular Microsoft service.

Positives:
Hosted off-site (no need for a second NOC….or a first NOC for that matter).
Free – and that is free forever (no fee later)
Web access means all materials are online all the time. No second upload for teachers wanting to post documents on their websites. They simply assign rights to their documents in their folders to who they want to view or edit the docs.
Microsoft availability online means kids and staff access Microsoft Office on any computer with Internet connectivity. Same version for everyone.
Built-in Spam and Virus scanner
Leave-ability: Graduates from district take email and info with them. Account goes from district address to @hotmail.com if they want it. All documents and files go with them and out of our control and management
Lots of space gives 30GB of space per user but may be up to 50GB once we get into the Office/Web apps
Private and secure
Collaborative work environments online
Instant Chat
Student websites – Students could make portfolios for classes and be able to share them with future employers/colleges.
Teacher websites – Teachers can generate websites with blogging, calendars, documents, document sharing, etc.
Syncs with our current Active Directory and setup (all current and archived emails with Folders migrate over)
Mobile phone access is built-in via the web
Low maintenance
Low migration issues
Offers ShareView which includes ability to link 15 users for screencasting

Negatives:
Hosted off-site so if the site is down or Internet is down, we are down.
Advertising on some areas (but it is for Microsoft products only)
25GB of space gives freedom to put music, games, etc. in the system. It will be hard to monitor it but we will look into that and how our network access control can help.
Microsoft – most viruses and hacks are targeted at them but in this day and age, we are all targets
Some migration issues. I think if we are to do this, we pay for the advanced migration tools and maybe hire an engineer to come help us migrate it all over. This could be our only cost.

My district uses Active Directory and Microsoft for everything so the migration will be simplified. The presenter in the webinar shared how universities migrate over 30,000 users in a week. We have 710 staff and have not opened up student accounts beyond the high school.

All this said, does the cloud beat the wheel? Do we migrate completely online? This changes cost dramatically but then the money for our own hosting goes to bandwidth. We open the pipeline!

I want to know from others out there who are experiencing this what their thoughts are. Districts, universities, businesses going Web 2.0 cloud – what do you think? Is it worth $0.00 for this??