Make no mistake about it, Windows 8 is a significant paradigm shift for Microsoft.Unfortunately, in the process of doing this, desktop users are going to be impacted as a result of the redesign of the traditional Start menu in favor of a tiled main menu screen. Many of the start menu features that users are accustom to have been either moved to new places on the screen or eliminated entirely. This revised interface has been called Windows Metro UI or now simply just Window 8.

In many ways this is similar to the Unity redesign that Ubuntu Linux went through over a year ago. Unity is a revised application launcher menu for Ubuntu desktops, but it lacks the simple organizational structure of the previous launcher. As a result, many users are installing the old menu or switching to distributions like Mint that don’t support Unity.

So how can Microsoft make their tablet redesign into a killer feature for desktops?

1. Restrict the new Start screen to “tablet” mode. Users would only see the new start screen when running a device in tablet mode. Once the machine is either docked or connected to a keyboard it would automatically switch to the standard Windows interface with Start menu intact.

This particular design choice would likely require applications to have two versions; one version that can run as a standard Windows application and another that runs from the new Metro UI.

2. Force everything to run in Metro UI. Use the API hooks for Windows to present a Metro style UI for all calls. For example, when creating an IFileDialog the Metro UI version would pop up instead. This would cascade all the way down to opening the main window for an application, and would in fact force your application to run in a full screen mode.

Obviously, Microsoft would need to handle cases where application windows are small or model, and of course somehow the custom screens that some applications present would need to be fully tested. Games would continue to work well as most of these are a full screen experience anyway.

3. Rely on the tablet hardware. This is another approach, simply rely on the fact that the new Windows 8 tablets are highly coveted and users will retrofit these to run other tablet operating systems like Android.

There are plenty of opportunities for the Metro style UI paradigm evident in Windows 8, but clearly Microsoft is going to need to arrive at a more cohesive approach across different devices.

Unfortunately, Oracle acquired Sun and has since discontinued the project and will return the OpenOffice framework to the developer community. There are a few new projects that have cropped up to address the gaps Oracle OpenOffice may be introducing, including the popular LibreOffice, but in the near term it’s not really clear what the prospects for OpenOffice.org are going to be.

So, despite my better judgment, after more than 10 years with OpenOffice I’m planning to standardize on Microsoft Office for a while. It has only been in the last few years that I have moved from a Linux desktop to Mac, which makes this transition even easier. However, I have a significant number of documents in OpenOffice format that need to get converted into MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Fortunately, I can use OpenOffice to do this for me.

My first step is to create some macros for automating the conversion, you can find this under Tools – Macros – Organize Macros – OpenOffice.org Basic.

Here you can see the macros that I have added under Module1, you may choose to create a new module or simple amend as I have done here. For each core document type, I have added a macro that is able to convert that file.

' Save document as a Microsoft Word file.
Sub SaveAsDoc( cFile )
   cURL = ConvertToURL( cFile )
   oDoc = StarDesktop.loadComponentFromURL( cURL, "_blank", 0, (_
            Array(MakePropertyValue( "Hidden", True ),))

   cFile = Left( cFile, Len( cFile ) - 4 ) + ".doc"
   cURL = ConvertToURL( cFile )

   oDoc.storeToURL( cURL, Array(_
            MakePropertyValue( "FilterName", "MS WinWord 6.0" ),)
   oDoc.close( True )

End Sub

' Save document as a Microsoft Excel file.
Sub SaveAsXls( cFile )
   cURL = ConvertToURL( cFile )
   oDoc = StarDesktop.loadComponentFromURL( cURL, "_blank", 0, (_
            Array(MakePropertyValue( "Hidden", True ),))

   cFile = Left( cFile, Len( cFile ) - 4 ) + ".xls"
   cURL = ConvertToURL( cFile )

   oDoc.storeToURL( cURL, Array(_
            MakePropertyValue( "FilterName", "MS Excel 97" ),)
   oDoc.close( True )

End Sub

' Save document as a Microsoft PowerPoint file.
Sub SaveAsPpt( cFile )
   cURL = ConvertToURL( cFile )
   oDoc = StarDesktop.loadComponentFromURL( cURL, "_blank", 0, (_
            Array(MakePropertyValue( "Hidden", True ),))

   cFile = Left( cFile, Len( cFile ) - 4 ) + ".ppt"
   cURL = ConvertToURL( cFile )

   oDoc.storeToURL( cURL, Array(_
            MakePropertyValue( "FilterName", "MS PowerPoint 97" ),)
   oDoc.close( True )

End Sub

Function MakePropertyValue( Optional cName As String, Optional uValue ) _
   As com.sun.star.beans.PropertyValue
   Dim oPropertyValue As New com.sun.star.beans.PropertyValue
   If Not IsMissing( cName ) Then
      oPropertyValue.Name = cName
   EndIf
   If Not IsMissing( uValue ) Then
      oPropertyValue.Value = uValue
   EndIf
   MakePropertyValue() = oPropertyValue
End Function

The next trick is to automate this, and I did that with a quick shell script. It’s really nothing fancy, and could easily be improved on – the idea is to find all the corresponding document types (ODT / ODS / ODP) and then execute the right macro from OpenOffice to convert from the OOO format into an MS Office file:

#!/bin/sh
export PATH=$PATH:/Applications/OpenOffice.org.app/Contents/MacOS

find ~/Documents -name \*.odt -print -exec soffice -invisible "macro:///Standard.Module1.SaveAsDoc({})" \;
find ~/Documents -name \*.ods -print -exec soffice -invisible "macro:///Standard.Module1.SaveAsXls({})" \;
find ~/Documents -name \*.odp -print -exec soffice -invisible "macro:///Standard.Module1.SaveAsPpt({})" \;

That’s it. With a final backup from TimeMachine, I then went ahead and removed the remaining OpenOffice documents from my Document directory.

After this is installed on your system, it will take over your Windows desktop shell. As a result, when your computer restarts rather than run the standard Windows desktop you will be running Crashes Deliverer instead. This program actually creates a randomly assigned file name for the application and places that in:

%ApplicationData%\User Profile\Microsoft\[random].exe

Where [random] is in fact a random series of letters and numbers. Removal will require something like RKill to eliminate Crashes Deliverer from memory, I will explain in a little more detail how this can work.

1. Run Fake Scan. On reboot, Crashes Deliverer will take over your desktop. Follow the instructions to run the fake scan and then press Fix Errors. You won’t be able to get to your Windows desktop (or at least a crippled version of that) until completing the fake scan.
2. Close Crashes Deliverer Window. Close this window after completing the fake scan. Be aware that the program doesn’t actually exit, it will continue to run in the background thwarting many activities. For example, if you attempt to open Window Task Manager at this time it would erroneously identify that as a virus. Ignore all these warnings, this is not a true anti-virtus program.
3. Run RKill. Use RKill to terminate Crashes Deliverer, since you can’t bring up Task Manager or many other popular utilities for process management, RKill is going to be your best bet. Note that Crashes Deliverer can identify RKILL.EXE, so you must rename the program in order for it to run.
4. Update Your Registry. Remove the invalid registry key for the Windows logon shell, this will be pointing to the invalid Crashes Deliverer [random].exe. The following registry path should be purged: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WinLogon\Shell.
5. Remove Malware Executable. Remove the malware executable under %ApplicationData%\User Profile\Microsoft\[random].exe. You can use the name of the executable from the previous step or look for a sufficiently cryptic program name.
6. Run Anti-Virus. This should be something other than the anti-virus you were running before Crashes Deliverer, since it was unable to detect it. You can use something like Malwarebytes or Spybot.
7. Reboot.

It’s easy to see how you might get lured into running this program, it purports to be a trustworthy source for anti-virus protection. In fact, the only intention is to convince you to spend money on a program that will actually do nothing for you. If you do enter your credit card information, you should contact your credit card company and inform them of what has happened

The most obvious problem is that Microsoft is primarily a software company, so without some help from a PC vendor they won’t be able to offer you the kind of complete solution that you will find at your local Apple retailer. Amazingly enough, the $319 price-tag for something like Vista Ultimate gets you halfway to a Mac Mini, not mention most casual customers will likely need to upgrade their computer anyway to take advantage of the latest features Windows has to offer.

While Microsoft doesn’t necessarily need to get into the PC business to compete, it might be worth reconsidering a physical storefront in favor of a virtual one. The iPod Touch and iPhone offer easily installable applications from the App Store, maybe this model could also work for the largest vendor of commercial software?

Rather than ordering a copy of Microsoft Zoo Tycoon 2, what if you could visit the Microsoft Store from your Windows computer? The installer would integrate with the existing Add/Remove Programs screen, users could simply find software they would like to have and click the Buy Now to automatically download and install the program onto their computer

You wouldn’t have to wait for the CD/DVD to arrive in the mail. Larger titles may take a bit longer to install, but this would also make it easy to break these out into separate downloads. For example, instead of buying Microsoft Office you could pay $25 to install Microsoft Word and maybe decide to buy Microsoft Excel a few months later.

The software distribution model is changing, and Microsoft is still heavily reliant on a legacy shrink-wrap strategy. Consumers today simply download programs they want over the Internet and install them on their desktops. Many competing operating systems take advantage of this paradigm, in particular the Add/Remove capability of Linux based operating systems like Ubuntu make new software installation a streamlined process.

Forget about all the Vista bundles, sell a single version of the operating system and let the users purchase the additional modules they need. So you want a Media Center on your Vista install? Go to Add/Remove Programs, select Media Center for $50 and click “Buy Now”. If you are in a corporate setting with an MSDN subscription, this can integrate with your Windows Live ID to provide seamless installation support for any Microsoft product you are licensed to use.

While the Windows Server environment may not benefit as much from this model, a Windows workstation clearly benefits from some kind of upgrade path. Forget about selling boxes of software in an expensive storefront, offer Windows users an electronic shopping experience that allows them to upgrade Vista for anything new they might want.

At the top of my list for 2008 was a general downsizing at Google. While they have gone through at least one round of layoffs with plans for downsizing the contractor workforce, it’s tough to say this wasn’t instigated by the general downturn in the global economic climate. At this point, as Yahoo! struggles to survive through any kind of acquisition it seems likely that Google may need to adjust further to the changing market.

Meanwhile, SSD’s grew by leaps and bounds with a number of high profile laptops shipping with solid state storage built in. Environmentally friendly PC’s were relatively popular, particularly with the eco-friendly Mac laptops. Set-top devices like Roku and AppleTV were able to demonstrate the viability of on-demand video with plenty of popular TV shows available from both of these services.

So, what’s in store for 2009?

1. Open Source Proliferates. The unfavorable economic climate means that companies will be looking to cut costs. Open source software offers some excellent alternatives to commercial solutions at a fraction of the cost. While this should help Linux adoption rates, we should also see popular open source alternatives like OpenOffice, PostgreSQL, Apache, Firefox and others gain significant market share.
2. Filesystem Clusters. While the cost of storage has been plummeting, the technology for distributed file systems has been advancing steadily. There are consumer grade systems like Wuala and enterprise class clustering environments like MFS (Moose File System). Expect to see many companies adopting systems like MFS and in many cases eliminate the need for tape backups in the process.
3. iPod Alternatives. At the moment, the Google Android is the most likely candidate but it is possible that Microsoft or even perhaps Blackberry could provide a suitable competitor. This may be in tandem with an iTunes substitute; for example, Amazon has an excellent MP3 download service that works on virtually any platform. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the awkward limitations presented by the iPod and Apple’s bundled iTunes services. While Apple sales may not decline overall, expect to see market share shift as one or more other devices gain traction.
4. Borrowed Hardware. Just about every piece of computer hardware has a financing option, when shopping at Dell or Apple you can lease your system for a few dollars every month. This will become increasingly popular in the new year as many customers seek to defray the cost of new equipment.
5. Microsoft Saves Windows? The Vista operating system had a bumpy ride, if it wasn’t for Mohave one might almost think it didn’t work. This year will be pivotal for the Windows family of products, Microsoft must demonstrate that Windows 7 offers improved performance with an easy upgrade path from Windows XP.

There are certainly some other things that Microsoft can do to help the Windows brand, but I will save that for another day. Suffice it to say, if Microsoft fails to make inroads they will continue to lose market share to Apple and Linux.

Another trend worth noting is SSD has been helping the growth in the netbook market segment, many users now shopping for laptop computers tend to favor smaller and lighter netbook laptops. These tend to be less expensive and are easier to carry with you, as these have been selling well there have been significant inroads made to the Linux desktop installation base. This trend should continue into the new year, and if Microsoft is unable to make a strong value propisition for Windows 7 then these users will be upgrading other hardware to Apple and Linux.

In my case, WGA had already executed on my PC. Notwithstanding the fact that WGA had already run with Media Player 11, an attempt to execute a Windows update returned a cryptic error about not being able to install the Windows Genuine Advantage tool. A review of the WindowsUpdate.log file shows the following:

- Install call failed
- Reboot required = No
- WARNING: Exit code = 0x80240FFF; Call error code = 0x80004002

Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) is designed to ensure that your Windows installation is a non-pirated version and that it isn’t using one of the pre-designated Windows product keys that are considered stolen. Since I am certain that my Windows is valid, my next task was to arrive at some method for getting WGA installed again.

If WGA fails you may visit http://www.windows.com/genuine and it will take care of performing the validation task using an ActiveX control in your browser.

While this seemed to fix the WGA error, the next Windows Update for XP SP3 produced the same error. Not having many options left, my assumption is that the WSUS datastore is corrupt and my only option remaining was to reset it:

@rem Stop the Windows Update Service
net stop wuauserv
net stop MSIServer
@rem Purge log and current cache
del %WINDIR%\WindowsUpdate.log
del /f /q /s %WINDIR%\SoftwareDistribution
@rem Re-register System DLLs
regsvr32.exe wuweb.dll
regsvr32.exe wuapi.dll
regsvr32.exe wups2.dll
regsvr32.exe wups.dll
regsvr32.exe wucltui.dll
regsvr32.exe wuaueng1.dll
regsvr32.exe wuaueng.dll
regsvr32.exe wucltui.dll
regsvr32.exe MSXML3.dll
msiexec /unreg
msiexec /regserver
regsvr32 msi.dll
@rem Start Windows Update Service
net start wuauserv

After running another Windows Update, Windows XP SP3 was downloaded and installed successfully. To make matters even better, the total free space on Drive C went up considerably as a result of purging the SoftwareDistribution directory.

This is almost as exciting as trying to stop my Apple iPod from deleting everything on it the moment it plugs into my computer at work. While it’s understandable that companies want to protect their intellectual property, these kinds of draconian measures are going to do nothing but discourage customers from using your products. The fact that a computer specialist may be needed to reconfigure your WGA support is almost as insulting as hiring your automobile service technician to turn your car on in the morning.

Microsoft should either eliminate the complexity of this unnecessary service or anticipate that more users will seek alternate computing platforms when WGA fails them.