Re: [WinMac] MacWorld Expo Report - Something for everyone!

Welch, John C.(jwelch[at]aer.com)
Sun, 25 Jul 1999 09:14:53 -0400

> MICROSOFT:
>
> 1) Outlook client for Exchange: Currently, the MacOS
>version is at 8.2,
> with improved stability. It is available for download from Microsoft's FTP
> site, or on a separate CD. The Mac group is going to an independent release
> schedule - If they happen to fall with the Exchange Server Service Pack CD
> distribution, the CD's will be shipped together.
>
> A new version of Outlook will be shipped in about six months, FINALLY
> matching up with it's 95/NT counterpart with full support for scheduling
> features.

Cool, ONLY 4 - 5 years to do this...MS is getting lazy again. (note, I
mean the MS windows folks, which unfortunately seem to control the Mac
Exchange client. This really needs to get put under Ben Waldeman's group
and fast!)

>
> -> OUTLOOK LANDMINE: If you select "encrypt" for your Mac client offline
> files, you are now forever linked to the Exchange 5.5 Server Service
> account - Typically called "ExchAdmn". If you delete the Exchange Service
> Account on the server with User Manager for Domains, the mail stored on the
> Mac and PC clients *in encrypted form* is forever lost! This is due to the
> client encryption being tied to the SID of the Exchange Server Service
> Account - And the SID is a 35 character long 36 character wide (A-Z, 0-9)
> string. Recreating the Service Account name and password is not enough -
> The SID for the account has to be the same as well, or mail on Mac & PC
> clients stored in encrypted form is LOST!
>
> This landmine is documented in Microsoft's site; but new Mac users of
> Exchange may step on this landmine.
>
> RECOMMENDATION: Unless you NEED to keep your eMail files
> encrypted on your
> local hard drive, DESELECT this default setting and leave your mail on your
> hard drive in plain text form.

Dan, Did Microsoft indicate if IMAP will be available for the Mac
Exchange client?

> RETROSPECT FOR NT: Dantz is currently at work on a full version (in
> addition to their soon-to-be-released agent) for NT. However, when I asked
> about backing up open files, Exchange, & SQL their reply was "In a future
> release."
>
> [Editorial comment for ALL NT users: Stick with UltraBac for your NT
> backup needs - It's the best of the breed by far!]

Note here: There IS an NT client out for Retrospect, I use it right now.
Secondly, Dantz is not trying to get into the Legato/Ultrabac arena. If
you need that level of speed and features, by all means, don't use
Retrospect. BUT, if you are talking about easy and reliable backup of NT
and 9X boxes, and you have a lot of Macs too...Retrospect is a winner. I
know, I run it on a 24x7 schedule.

> CITRIX:
>
> Their booth was staffed by a Citrix reseller, "fishing" for
> customers. Not
> very cool, especially since I wanted to speak to a "real" Citrix salesman
> about becoming a dealer. Talk about arrogance! May Terminal Services in
> Win2K kill these arrogant bastards off once and for all!

Dan, that depends on whether or not W2K terminal Server is going to be a
windows-only playground. Citrix is *CRITICAL* to my Unix users, as
Microsoft's NT group, another collection of 'arrogant bastards', decided
that Terminal Server 4.0 can only handle windows clients. you want to
hook up Unix users to NT TS, you HAVE to use Citrix. Considering that
Microsoft is using Citrix's protocols in TS, the 'arrogant bastard'
comment is way amusing. But I agree with you that Citrix needs a good
smack upside the head.

>
> MacOS STUFF:
>
> System 8.7 (Sonata) was renamed by Steve to "MacOS 9" That
>means we're
> going to have to pay $99 for this set of bug fixes.

As Leonard Rosenthal said, it is a LOT more than bug fixes! (drat those
NDAs). Suffice it to say, $99 will not be a bad price for it.

>
> MacOS X: Lots of questions came up about this in the Pro
> Conference - Much
> more than we expected - And quite frankly prepared for! Fortunately, a
> couple of audience members were using it pretty heavily, so they bailed up
> out! :)
>
> [For the uninitiated, MacOS X (MacOS 10) is Rhapsody renamed. They
> released the server version first, and this winter they'll have a desktop
> version. It runs on an old version of the Mach kernel, and (apparently)
> along side the BSD kernel so that it can execute BSD source - On the Mach
> kernel.]
>
> In any case, several issues arose about OS X:
>
> A) No graceful shutdown in the event of a power failure. There is no
> software that can receive serial port or USB info from a UPS for OS-X (BUT,
> see GeeThree.Com above for MacOS 8.x and PowerChute);
>
> b) No real backup software (except tar and tar.z - Old, but
> it just barely
> works)... Is anyone with initials "P.B." paying attention?! :)
>
> In short, OS X is not ready for prime time - No more than NT
> 3.12 was...

OS X *Server*, (there's a real difference here, so let's keep it
distinct for the sake of clarity) is very ready for primetime. Why is it
Apple's fault that APS didn't get out USB software and cables? Why is it
Apple's fault that Legato, and UltraBac don't support it? I had the DR's
of Rhapsody like everyone else in the developer program. I really think
it sucks that Apple gets hit for NOT providing *every* doodad know to
man in the OS, but then gets slammed when they do, for trying to "kill
the little guys". This latter deal is what MS is getting sued for, BTW.

john

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