A couple days ago, I posted CMS Report's Top Ten Stories of 2009. The articles listed were ranked by popularity based by how many times viewed and the rate that they were viewed through the year. Popular stories do not always signify well written articles or are always an indication of personal favorites. Each year, I write a number of content management or IT related articles that I love but for various reasons you the people didn't have interest in reading and sharing.

Below are some of my favorite articles written in 2009 that were not a part of the previously posted Top Ten list. If I had a Top 20 Stories list the articles in both of these listings would be included.

• Looking forward to Microsoft's Windows 7
• Reviewing Barrie North's Joomla! 1.5 book and video
• The problem is bigger than SharePoint
• Testing the water with Acquia Search for Drupal
• Shortcomings of Enterprise Wiki Deployments
• Two CMS Worlds on Twitter
• Charging for online news doomed to fail
• Theme development and the GPL
• Judging Five Overall Best Content Management Systems
• Quoting IT: Addison Berry
  

Here is something I haven't seen since Windows 95 was lauched...massive consumer excitement for a Microsoft product. One of the few benifits to Windows Vista is that it forced Microsoft to reconnect with its customers and improve the Windows development process. Microsoft just didn't need to work harder to improve relationships with home and business customers but also with PC manufacturers.

Natali Del Conte's CNET video below spotlights not just the Windows 7 software, but what PC manufacturers and service providers are planning to do with the new operating system. The products from Dell, HP, Acer, and Amazon's Kindle reader all look very cool.

I don't plan on posting any new reviews of Windows 7 since I already blogged about the operating system a few months ago. In November, I do plan on upgrading my home Windows 7 RC 32 Bit machine to Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit. Since the upgrade requires a fresh install I think it will be an interesting experience to write about.

Those that have followed my blogs over the years know full well that I'm operating system neutral. At work I use Windows and Linux right next to each other. At home my family uses a mix of Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux PCs. I have my likes and dislikes with each operating system. I don't drink the kool aid with any of the systems as I'm not easily impressed with what I see.

During the past couple years, I've been extremely disappointed in Windows Vista and consider the experience delivered by the operating system to be just as bad as Windows ME. It has long been my view that if Microsoft screwed up Windows 7 we could kiss the Windows line goodbye and for evermore be just as happy with both OS X and Linux (with Ubuntu as my favorite Linux client). However, it looks like Microsoft's developers have responded well to the criticism and Windows 7 is going to deliver the goods consumers and enterprises need in their operating system.

I've been testing Windows 7 since Beta 2 and currently have the Release Candidate version on my desktop. It is a great operating system and delivers on the performance and stability improvements Microsoft promised but didn't keep in Vista. Surprisingly, my favorite feature in Windows 7 is the task bar. The task bar is a delight to work with and in my opinion outshines the outdated Dock in OS X. Windows 7 is such an improvement that I just don't see myself complaining about this operating system in the same way I did with Vista. Those days are coming to an end.

I forgot who sent the tweet on Twitter but I was pointed to some very interesting research (2005) posted at the Harvard Business School's Working Knowledge site.

Microsoft vs. Open Source: Who Will Win?

Using formal economic modelling, professors Pankaj Ghemawat and Ramon Casadesus-Masanell consider the competitive dynamics of the software wars between Microsoft and open source.

I originally thought the article from Silicon.com, "Naked CIO: Open source ain't cheap" was written by a troll.  Most IT authors realize that the quickest way to get a rise out of readers is to say something negative about one of two topics, Apple computers or open source. This author decided to write about the latter.  Reluctantly, I have to agree with the author that for most enterprises running while open source is no more expensive than proprietary solutions it also certainly is not compellingly cheaper.

A few sources of costs for the enterprise running open source given by the author include:

• The subscription fees for open source products are ongoing costs that for larger organizations can be quite expensive.
• The cost of experienced and knowledgeable support IT support staff can be more expensive compared to support for traditional software platforms.
• The cost of integration in a mixed environment is more expensive than in a pure Windows shop.

In my own organization, I've observed the need to support open source in the enterprise often brings a rise in the yearly subscription costs.  Also, it still is quite a hassle to integrate Linux and Windows clients under one roof (usually by bringing the Linux desktop into Active Directory for consolidated management control).  However, I'll argue by utilizing your IT staff properly, the costs for subscription fees and propriety/open-source integration can be lowered.

So yes, I agree that when it comes to propriety and open source, "in both cases the cost models are significantly different but the total cost of ownership and support are very similar".  However, this fact does not quite answer why open source is gaining traction in the enterprise. Instead, the author points out the very reasons why enterprises are adopting open source solutions.

Have you seen the new PC vs. Mac ads?  No, I'm not talking about those ads by Apple, but Microsoft's latest commercials.  Without taking sides in this war, I have to admit that Microsoft is finally doing a good a better job in their marketing. Of course, just the fact that Microsoft is no longer mentioning Vista by name can be enough to improve sales on PCs.

Early Tuesday morning, Ubuntu Linux and Windows XP joined Windows Vista as available operating systems for the Dell Inspiron Mini 12.  By Tuesday evening, I found myself ordering the Ubuntu version of the Mini 12 with the 6-cell battery and 80GB hard drive.  Despite having installed Linux on countless systems, this will be the first time I've ordered Linux pre-installed for the client PC.  I'm eager to find out how well Dell supports their Linux systems.

While the Mini 12 tops the end of the scale for netbooks due to its 12.1 inch widescreen, I believe the Mini 12 will be a perfect Linux replacement for my aging Averatec notebook.  Although I wouldn't have minded a smaller netbook, the Mini 12 with its 1280x800 screen resolution and comfortable keyboard was just too enticing.  Plus the thought of constantly needing to use the browser's scroll bars with the lower resolution (1024x600) of the smaller netbooks was a concern of mine.