Windows 8 Copy Dialogue Box

The only thing I care for in Windows 8 is that nice new copy dialog. I like it very much. It is very pretty and slick.

It shows you in real time the progress of the copies. The graph is pretty cool and shows you the up and down progress. Lot of people will rave about how cool it is and how innovative Microsoft has done with Windows 8.

Unfortunately, this is not new.

It may be built into the OS but the implementation and concepts are not new. I've been doing this for a few years now; using muCommander.  muCommander is an old-school norton like mc file manager (Midnight commander) that is cross-platform. I've been running it under OSX and Linux for years.

I also like the ability to pause /resume my copies and limit the speed with muCommander.

There was also iStat on OSX but that no longer works on Mountain Lion.

You can get similar verbosity in the command line with Rsync. Rsync (by default) won't give a graph but it will give you everything else you need. Like all POSIX cli tools, you can pipe rsync and output to an external log for post analysis. Rsync is great at giving real stats when it comes to viewing sequential and random copies (both small and large). If you are good with regex/grep, I bet one can grep and pipe a 3D overlay graph, generate a PDF report using rsync with ImageMagick/Ghostscript. If you now Python, you can generate an .xlsx Excel file of your copy.

Regardless of who had it first, I still think it is a cool feature. They should implement this natively on other operating systems in the GUI's File Managers. Or use muCommander!

Link: http://www.mucommander.com/

Windows to Go and the OSX take on it.

Windows to Go is making big news in the tech scene this past Summer and Fall. Every where I go, I read something about it. People are making a big deal about it.

So what is the big deal? Windows to Go is a feature in Windows 8 Enterprise that allows you to boot and run from USB. This is different than LiveCD/USB with persistence you find in Linux or previous USB OS installers in Windows. You get to run the full operating system via a USB stick or drive.

It is designed for Windows Enterprise users (Admins) to provision and build custom images for deployment. This is specifically aimed for the enterprise.

Feature Overview: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/f82d1a0a-d8f7-4e8a-86a6-704166969a42#wtg_hardware
FAQ: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/windows-to-go-faqs
Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_To_Go
Enable Apps Store install in Windows to Go Workspace: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/hyperyash/archive/2012/08/15/enabling-windows-store-on-windows-to-go-machines.aspx
Step by Step /how-tos for building a bootable USB image:

• link 1: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/6991.windows-to-go-step-by-step-en-us.aspx
• link 2: http://www.triballabs.net/2012/03/step-by-step-guide-to-install-windows-8-to-go-on-a-usb/
• link 3: http://www.vsszone.com/how-to-create-a-windows-to-go-usb-drive-runs-windows-8-on-older-windows-7-pcs/

Requirements includes certified USB sticks. Currently, only 3 qualify to run Windows to Go at the moment (though it has been proven to work on any normal USB).

This is tailored for the enterprise and Windows 8 Enterprise provide easy provisioning tools.
You dont necessarily need Windows 8 Enterprise and I've found countless how-tos online which drag you along a trail of steps.

The whole process seems convoluted. You have to extract .WIM (Windows Image File) from the Install DVD and prep your USB by format and partitioning.
Then there is the issue of licensing which Microsoft hasn't touched on yet.

Once installed, I've read there are some issues with it such as the physical disks are hidden from view. There are others like performance issues. It seems to me like a form of persistence found in Linux distros and not a true full install.

A Mac user's take on this.

Now, this blog would do an injustice if it didn't show you how it is done on another operating system with a bit more elegance.

Mac OSX has been booting off portable USB/Firewire since 1999. I mean full working OS booting and not some sort of USB installer or some sort of live USB with persistence. In fact, I remember installing OSX and booting off the original 5GB Firewire iPod to do system imaging for Macs.

The preferred way to do this is cloning.

If you ever "ghosted" or clone a machine (regardless of platform), on a Mac, you can boot off the ghost clone on any drive. It is really that simple.  You can do a clean fresh install to any physical media type you wish as there is no limitation in the OS.

Next, there is no concept of "workspace" that Microsoft has implemented. You can see other drives and hardware on your clone boot. Nothing is hidden. And unlike some Linux distros, OSX does not load the OS read-only into RAM. The persistence method found in most Linux USB, to me, is not a full running install.

Moreover, on a Mac, it also doesn't have the limitations such as "apps" being locked to hardware or other issues I've read on Windows to Go.  You install Photoshop and Office on one build, it works once booted off another machine.You can clone off one image and run pretty much on any mac of comparable generation. You won't be able to boot a 2012 Mac off a 2006 clone which is given but you can pretty much go up and down at least 2-3 generation of hardware.

There is no provisioning tool necessary and you don't have to extract anything from any an ISO or DVD like you do with Windows 8.

In fact, you can take your live running mac and do a live hot-clone. All your existing files, emails, applications and preferences will carry right over.  The next time you boot off your USB stick, it will remember where you last left off on your original drive.

No special apps is necessary to accomplish this feat. In fact, you can do it with the built in Disk Utility or simply run from the command line. There are apps that allow you to simplify things like Carbon Cloner (which for years was free). These apps allow you to do things like schedule synching of a working mac. E.G. make nightly clones, synchronize and update your USB stick off your original drive. If you wish, you can sync back from your USB to your hard drive.

The only requirement is that you format your drive in GUID format which you already do anyways on a Macintosh. There is no need to build a boot partition or master boot record.

You don't even need a USB drive. You can boot off Firewire, Thunderbolt, SDcard, and even off another Mac via a normal Firewire/Thunderbolt cable.

Another plus, if you have existing apps on other mounted partitions, no re-installation necessary for 90% of those applications. Since Mac Apps are special clickable folders, all you need to do is click to run. This is equivalent to Windows' portable apps but default on OSX. They are mostly self-contained. You simply copy the app over if you want them permanently installed on your new USB drive. No running "setup.exe" or "install.msi" necessary.

You can boot your OS off USB and run your apps off SDcard if you are limited by storage.

Now lets compare how it is done between the two.

Example how-to build a Win-to-Go. You can read various how-tos online like this. Unless you have the Enterprise provisioning tool, expect to google various how-tos and articles showing you the beauty of it all.

And here how it is done on a Mac with 2 commands in the terminal. This is done on a live running  machine or you can do this clone cold.

asr -source /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/ -target /Volumes/backup -erase -noprompt
bless -folder /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD\ 1/System/Library/CoreServices


No reformat necessary for existing HFS formatted drives.. You can even keep your existing content on your destination drive!

Or, point and click like  below. Clone and live running Mac to USB/SD/Firewire/Thunderbolt using an app such like Carbon Cloner. 

Then boot from your desired drive connection. Below,  I have the same build cloned to a Firewire, USB 3 drive, USB 3 stick, Thunderbolt, and SDcard.

As you can see here, I can select the various bootable volumes. Hit the option key at boot to prompt your boot selection. Notice the nice graphical boot menu which has been around since 1999.

Or if you prefer, boot off another Mac using Target Disk mode by connecting two cables to one another.

Here, I boot off another macbook and clone it's entire working content to another bootable USB-SSD drive.

Thats it.  So you can see why I chuckle whenever I read something on the Internet about Windows to Go. I've been doing this since 1999. In fact, I've probably built hundreds of clones and imaging on various media formats for over 13 years now.

I guess I've taken this feature for granted. I recently bought some external drives and when I format them, I often have a 16 GB partition where I clone over my latest build and I don't even think about it because it comes natural on the Mac.

In fact, I've been booting off a portable Thunderbolt drive and it is faster than running off the internal drive of a 27" iMac. I often swap machines and boot off the same drive on other macs; running Adobe Creative Suite and MS Office all day long. I get 8 second boot, 300 MB/s writes and 400-500 MB/s reads. Photoshop and Dreamweaver launches in 2 seconds flat. This is how I've been taking my work home for years. There is absolutely no difference whatsoever or work-around running from an alternate external boot.

Then if I get bored, I can clone my working, running mac to a disk image and boot that image off a netboot share.

Windows 8 metro UI on a 30 inch screen

Full screen apps look like crap on a 30" 2560x1600 display. So much wasted space.

Metro interface is definitely not designed for power user.

As you can see in the default mail application, there is so much wasted space. No wonder there isn't an Outlook version for Metro yet.

The built in news app shows white space. It looks like it is 20% content and 80% empty space. I rather read news on my smartphone. 3rd party calculator app makes it look like a blown up smartphone. Microsoft's own OneNote looks horrible.

Windows RT Surface RT 13 years ago. The IBM z50

13 years ago,  I got myself an IBM z50 Workpad. It is the grand-daddy of the upcoming Microsoft Surface RT.

In the picture above, it is the device on the left next to the first netbook, the Asus EEEPC 701.

I bought it because I wanted something to compliment my Thinkpad 600E and 701 of that era.

Windows CE promised to do many of the great things Windows 8 RT intends to do: provide portable productivity with the option of a desktop UI and the ability to run Microsoft Office in a thin-n-light form factor.

(Does this image look familar?)

And this is why I think Windows RT will fail. It is the same promises from Microsoft re-hashed for this generation.

I am a long time Windows CE user. I started with the Philips Velo 1, NEC Mobile Pro, Toshiba E-Series, HP Jornadas,  and lastly the Dell Axims at the dawn of the iPhone era.
I still call it Windows CE and never took to the gussied up name changes like Pocket PC or Windows Mobile.

Windows 8 RT is no different. It may have a new set of API and a more focused intent but it isn't true Windows. You can't run legacy apps.

RT's app selection is pitifully lacking. Metro apps pretty much suck. There are about 100 apps and the major ones like Ebay doesn't even work correctly; launching a web browser for every interaction.

Windows RT (ARM edition, aka Windows CE 2012) promises to have a dekstop mode but only Microsoft blessed apps like Office runs on it. I guess the Office code is so old and cruddy they didn't have time to port it to Windows RT.

The name is also confusing. Many of my friends and relatives have no idea that RT will not run their old Corel Draw. I wonder how many people who pick these up during Christmas will be surprised to know it won't run their old apps. Simply, Microsoft is not doing a good job of informing the consumer.

There will be no third party desktop apps. All apps must be delivered in the Microsoft app store. According to Microsoft's own words, there will be no porting or virtualization of legacy apps from x86 to ARM. So forget running VLC, Photoshop, Open Office, or even FireFox.

Running Windows on alternative architecture is a gamble I prefer not to do again. I am one of those old guys who bought DEC Alpha NT Workstations because it was RISC and suppose to blow the pants off the Pentium Pros. Unfortunately, those DEC Alpha boxes pretty much sat and did nothing because of the lack of apps.

Without a vibrant app ecosystem, Windows RT is late to the game.

The z50 had the following specs:
Introduced in 1999
Microsoft Handheld PC 3.0 Professional Edition
HPC 3.0 (Code Name: Jupiter)
16MB
NEC VR4121 131MHZ (MIPS based CPU)
PCMCIA/CF and RS-232 serial (via dongle)
Microsoft Office : Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Explorer.

More info: http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=specs&id=163&c=ibm_workpad_z50

In fact, I have used the z50 for the past 12-13 years. It has a DB9 serial port and I use a pocket hyperterminal app in cases where I need to serial console into a router, switch or old firewall. Battery is shot and the app runs off a 256MB Compact Flash card.


Lastly, the z50, back then cost around $600. I think I spent around $3-4,000 on the latest and greatest Windows CE HPC, Tablets, and pocket pcs. I won't do that again. Over ten years of Windows CE ownership, I am glad to skip this. I might change my mind if there is a $200 RT device that can boot a *NIX operating system like Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, or ArchLinux.

I definitely won't be getting any RT device.

I am also surprised by the fact people are still confused about RT
Here is a sampling of comments on the internet from Gizmodo, Engadget and the Verge.

I expect to see a lot of returns after Christmas. Consumer confusion on this is deafening.

The Surface Pro, is a different subject altogether. It has the ability to run x86 legacy apps.

I would at least hold out for the Pro models coming out later in the year. For now, I will have to see how the ecosystem matures for RT.

Finally, there is one guy that I agree with. From a CNET thread.