Issue 013 - 5/8/97
| Day 4 - Webmaster
at Networking Conference We're on a roll, It's day 4 and there is a ton going on here. As I wrote yesterday, I attended a workshop on DCOM and the future of Distributed Object Computing. It was a real eye opener as it left me with the distinct impression that here was another arena that Bill Gates has flat done a better marketing job than the other guys and looks to have the dominant future. ActiveX technologies are being embraced for all sorts of application development and because of the interoperability with the windows platform gives developers compelling reasons to go this direction. The ABM camp (Anything but Microsoft) can't seem to agree on true standards that would allow for robust competition to Redmond's push. In the exhibit hall, Novell easily has the biggest booth space and really seems committed to trying to regain the mindshare they once held. Intranetware is a compelling product for small LANs that do not want to toss out their current NOS in favor of say, NT. It might just be me, but the ad campaign Novell is running, Rock the Net, is dopey. On Novell's back of course is Windows NT. It is all you hear at the show, and with the pending introduction of version 5.0, many of the knocks on the product look to be solved. Other big topics: Gigabit Routers and Switches. Bandwidth enhancement is huge this year and the underlying infrastructure is being cranked up rapidly. This will help us end users as the majority of the traffic waits are at large ISP/Backbone level. Windows Zero Administration Kit. I hope to really dig into this when I get back and maybe even hold a seminar. This tool is a simple front end for tailoring a windows desktop for specific user profiles with the profile being stored on the server. This could be the answer to many looming issues with public stations in libraries. On the side: The wily webmaster seperated some local poker players from some of their favorite dollars yesterday evening at the Mirage. I'll try not to give it back before I leave. Also, I did the technology rides at the Luxor: IMAX, motion simulator and the virtual talk show. If you are interested in computer graphics or video technology, this stuff was really cool. Send me a note at [email protected] if you want to chat about it. Today is a tutorial on Multicast and the Mbone, a network and protocol suite for more robust video over the Internet. Ken Bell Webmaster NOLA Regional Library System Got a neat idea for fostering communication among members, let us know! |
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