Off the leash and checking out the next big thing

Uncle Rabid hardly ever lets me out of the shop, but once a year I manage to escape to Microsoft’s TechEd conference. It’s usually held somewhere nice like the Gold Coast, which is very handy since uncle regards it as part of my annual holidays – what a tightwad! But this year the conference is in Sydney. Puhleese! Who wants to spend a week in Sydney for their annual holidays? Come to think of it, who wants to spend a week in Sydney for any reason?

Well, it’s actually at Darling Harbour, so at least there are plenty of other distractions once we’ve put in an appearance at TechEd and had our picture taken with a few boffins – Uncle Rabid isn’t one to just take your word for anything. The keynote address was all about Live Mash. Not sure if that’s some sort of new funky dance step or a recipe for boiled potatoes with something else added. Oh! Live Mesh!

It must be a new line in stockings!

Or handbags?

Nope, wrong again, it’s Microsoft’s version of Apple’s Immobile-Me and Google’s Docs. Well, as they say, if you can’t beat ‘em, outsell ‘em. Still, another 7GB of online storage could come in handy. Same amount as that Gmail space. And the price is right. It’s free like the new Chrome browser from Google, also coincidentally released right at the start of Microsoft’s TechEd circus. Okay, so does the world really need another free browser? These guys are already arguing about market share – they’re getting advertising revenue, but what’s in it for Uncle Rabid’s shop?

I’ve gotta find some new products here that I can take back home or he’s not gonna let me come next year, and next year it’s back up north in the sunshine. Time to check out the vendor showcase – that’s one thing about being at Darlo, they have oodles of room here for everyone to demonstrate their shiny new software. All the usual suspects are here again, but there’s not so much swag being handed out – don’t they know that all IT is becoming nearly identical and the dude with the best giveaways is the winner? We most liked those hemispheres you turn inside out then let them flip off the table. We’ll definitely look into stocking F5’s network appliances.

But the best new product at the show this year comes from Microsoft itself. The new version of Small Business Server has so many smart wizards even Uncle Rabid could set it up – of course he’ll still make me do it. However, it’ll be lots quicker and I won’t have to spend so many frantic late nights every time he sells a server and forgets to tell me until the day before he promised to deliver the thing. And the Essential Business Server is way good news for resellers.
A version of SBS that you have to run on three or four physical servers? Nice one Mr Gates! Or Mr Ballmer, or whoever is in charge these days.

Well, so much for all the sightseeing activities – it’s been raining here since Thursday. It seems they don’t go jet boating in the rain. It seems Sydney-siders don’t do much of anything in the rain except crash into each other’s cars. But Thursday is the grand TechEd party. They always take us somewhere interesting. Movie World maybe. What’s the equivalent down here? What? No way! They’re having the party in the exhibition hall? Whose lame idea was that? Retro? We’re going retro? Sheesh! I should have let Uncle Rabid take my place. He was born retro.

Oh well, a party is a party. Tooheys New? They only have one kind of beer? Are you kidding me? And all the food is fried? So, what, Microsoft wants to become a major contributor to Australia’s girth? It’s not like this nerd-fest is missing a few wide-bodied geeks already. Okay so there’s lot’s of Xbox consoles, and sideshow alley full of laughing clowns. They actually have moving parts inside – there’s a big silver marble that you bounce around off the walls and stuff – need to ask Uncle Rabid what they call these things.

Gotta go! Extra ball feature is lit!

and big checking leash next off out software the thing