This week the Redmond, WA software firm announced that the Resilient File System (ReFS) will make its debut on Windows Server 8. ReFS is the long awaited successor to NTFS, which is nearly twenty years old. While the file format will initially only be featured on Server 8, it is expected to be rolled out onto Work Station versions of Windows as well. The initial release be used for sever storage only, and then client data storage via upgrade. A final update, will allow ReFS to be used as a boot volume on Server 8.

ReFS will be for the most part backwards compatible with NTFS, yet will integrate many new features to help accommodate devices “from the smallest footprint to largest data centers,” according to Microsoft Development Manager Surendra Verma, in the MSDN blog post announcing ReFS. Most of the new features, such as removing the mandatory periodic checkdisk operations, and instead allowing for file system repairs while system remains online are designed with the concept of increasing uptimes and recoverability.

Some of the seldom used NTFS features will be removed or deprecated, among them are the NTFS Object IDs, short names, compression, file level encryption, hard-links, extended attributes and quotas. Most of these features are widely considered to serve little purpose and add unneeded complexity. Other more popular features such as BitLocker, access control, mount points, and volume snapshots will remain.

In addition to being more resilient, ReFS will also offer larger max volume sizes for files, directories, and disk volumes. Listed below is a chart from Microsoft detailing ReFS’s new attributes and limitations.    

Rating: ♦♦♦♦◊ (4/5)

MSRP: $99.99

In The Box:  Harmony Link Module, Mini USB Cable, Power Cable, and 1 IR Blaster

Pros: Sleek Styling, Multiple OS Support, Multiple Device Support, 1-touch Programming

Cons: Programming Software Can Be Buggy, Cost, No Bluetooth Support

                At $99.99, the Harmony Link by Logitech allows any mobile device running, android or iOS to serve as harmony remote for your home entertainment center.  The product provides control for up to eight devices.  It works over your home wireless network (802.11 b, g, or n). The device allows multiple mobile devices to serve as a remote, so any member of your household can use their smartphone or tablet as their own personal remote.  In my home I use with my TV, home stereo, PS3, Home Media Center PC, Sony media box, and digital thermostat.  Because the device does not come with native Bluetooth support, I have to use the Logitech PS3 Bluetooth adapter (MSRP $69.99). 

                My first impression of the Harmony Link was that its small form factor and IR blaster technology seemed like win, especially with concept of replacing my Harmony One remote.  The price point was little more than I wanted for the device, but considering that it was going to turn the smart phones and tablets in my home into harmony remotes, I thought it was worth a shot. I got the device home, downloaded the Harmony software, for my phone, and MacBook… and proceeded to set up the device.

                The initial set up is fairly painless, using the PC software I was able to connect the device to my Wi-Fi network, and from there proceeded to enter the model number for my electronic devices.  The only issue in the initial set up was when it came time to program some special feature that my TV remote had onto the Harmony Link.  The Link requires that the IR from the remote it is learning from be pointed at a 45 degree angle, and if you are even just a 5 degrees off, it will make you repeat the process… after reading some forums, and speaking with Logitech support, the general consensus is that the issue will be corrected in future updates for the device.  

Once the device was configured, I proceeded to place it my home entertainment center, tucked away with just the IR blaster exposed.  The device worked just as well as my Harmony One, and when I installed the app on wife’s Evo 3d it paired up and worked without a hitch.  Additional features allow each user to set up custom favorites on their device. 

                My overall impressions of the Harmony Link, are favorable, the device delivers as advertised, though there are some early adoption hiccups that will need to be ironed out with future software and firmware updates.  If you are looking for one device to control your entire home entertainment experience, and you don’t mind a few tech glitches here and there, then I would definitely recommend the Harmony Link.

     This week Apple launched the iTunes match service, which will hold up to 25,000 songs in your personal library in their cloud, to downloaded and played on your cloud connected iOS devices. The service is 25 dollars per year. The service's real selling point is that as iTunes scans though your music library it will issue a license for each of your songs, no matter the source.

     iTunes match, however, is not without its limitations, among them is that you may not stream your music to your iOS devices, you must download them. Also is the inherent issue that the service limited to iOS environments. What that means is that if you have an android, black berry, or any non-apple device, the music stored in iCloud will not be accessible to you on those devices.

     Also launched this week is Google’s Music 11. The Google Music service allows users to upload up to 20,000 songs into the Google’s music cloud. The service is free, and gives you access to your music on PC, Mac, Android, Blackberry, and Nokia devices. There are some restrictions with Google Music. First of all, users are not allowed to download music to PC’s that were not purchased on Google Music (you may however stream). There is also no official iOS application for Google Music. Users may either go directly to music.google.com, or download the gTunes app.

     Both services have their limitations, and the choice between one of the two of them really comes down to the need of the individual user. If you do not have a need to stream you music, and 25 dollars per year is worth the cost of having licenses for your all of digital music, then iTunes match is a lock. Those users looking to stream media across multiple platforms, or who are looking for a more cost effective cloud based music solution, may find the Google Music will fit their needs. Either way it goes you really can’t go wrong with these two fantastic services.

A lot of discussion has been had in our office recently, especially in light of the passing of Apple founder Steve Jobs, as to whether or not Mac products really have a place in the corporate environment.  I am specifying Mac products, not Apple as whole.  By now most people accept iPads and iPhones are viable office tools. Thus we can, for the sake of this blog; omit those products and focus squarely on Macs.  Whether it is the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Mini, or the Mac Pro we want to focus on devices running OSX 10.6 or higher.  Just to be clear here, I am talking about Intel Macs, not Power Mac G5’s or any of that rubbish.  The reason why I am focusing on Intel Macs is because they can run Windows natively with Boot Camp, which really opened up the Mac experience to those outside of its traditional niche market. 

Before we begin let’s look at some quick facts:

1. Most PC users are still using Windows XP, at around 35%
2. Windows Vista has a larger percentage of market share than Mac OSX
3. October 2010, was the first time since the 1990’s that Apple had more than 10% of the PC market share
4. As of September 2011, OSX had achieved 13.3% total market share worldwide and 15.4% market share in the U.S.

In today’s corporate world Windows, no matter which flavor, is still king.  Hardware prices are more affordable than ever, and even with the price of Windows operating systems, being more than triple the cost of Mac OSX, Windows PCs are still more affordable than most Macs. As an example a brand new 15” MacBook Pro with an i7 CPU @ 2.4 GHz and 4 GB’s of DDR3 Ram costs $2199 before taxes.  A Sony Vaio 16.4” laptop running Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit with similar specs and a Blu-ray drive retails for $1149.99. Adding to this fact is that at the end of the day, most applications are written to run in the Windows environment.  All of these factors have combined to secure Microsoft’s place at the top of corporate mountain over the past two decades.

The reason for Mac’s recent growth in the market is twofold; the first reason is more users are exposed to Apple products than before due to the domination of the iPhone and iPad in the mobile consumer market, and number two, the introduction of Intel chips have made application support, and running Windows applications on Mac Hardware truly viable for the first time.  Whether it be through virtualization apps such as Parallels or just loading up Boot Camp, Mac users are now able to take full advantage of the simplicity of Mac OSX, while have the productivity of the Windows environment all under one workstation. This versatility has opened the enterprise and corporate environments up to Mac hardware for the first time in decades.