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Sun Java Desktop System Release 2
Jahf writes "Sun is putting out Java Desktop System Release 2. Some overview information is in this article while more technical information about the new management solutions are in this one. Quickly: the desktop environment is essentially the same, though Sun has added support for GIMLET (allows one to change the current input language on a per-window basis), officially supported Japanese and Korean translations, and is including a Java-based online update client. The bigger changes are management items that are normally hidden from the end-user but valuable to the Admin. Configuration Manager allows admins to setup client preferences for remote desktops and 'protect' those settings to create policies. Sun Control Station (the last remaining Sun product from the Cobalt acquisition) can work as a network imaging server, can monitor remote desktops, and can work as a patch server (both by pushing patches out to many desktops and by serving as an online update server for clients who need to pull additional packages)."
Sun is has been going no where fast
I'd say Sun is going no where slow. Just like their products.
Could they make it look any more like Windows
They are probably trying to reduce the amount of effort (and training costs) needed to retrain users that are familar with Windows. Usability is all about having an interface that does what users expect. Right now, they expect it to act like Windows.
Little Bricklets
Could they make it look any more like Windows. This here is a linux OS that is trying to look as much like linux as possible.
Woah, there. That doesn't even BEGIN to make sense. (unless that's some weird, round about way of saying it doesn't look like MS Windows)
Incidentally, I don't think anyones got any business knocking the windows GUI. There are many things wrong with the Redmond family of operating systems but, to give them their due, they've put a hell of a lot of work into making the desktop work reasonably well.
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I hope all of the above. Choice is good, and as long as they interoperate, I believe it would be fantastic to have several "leaders" each with its own look and feel catering to a different class of users.
I am glad to see that Sun is stepping up the features long touted as superior on Windows machines, that is the ease of modifying user parameters based on some policy or other national/language based settings -- it sounds like this setup is geared towards that rising Asian marketshare, as well as towards those Wal-Mart customers. Lest anyone think selling PC's at Wal-Mart is dumb, just count the zero's on Wal-Mart's revenue stream... they aren't #1 on Fortune 500 for NOT selling things!
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Lockdown of the user desktop: In the context of configuration management, lockdown plays a significant role, as it prevents users from changing their default environment and helps administrators provide and mandate simpler desktop environments, which in turn can help prevent users from being distracted from their core work. In the competition with other desktop systems, lockdown plays an important role.
Sun's software now includes blinders! Why wont my opponet debate this issue? Is it because he's a horse... or because he has BLINDERS ON! No periphial vision! *snap* *snap* *snap*
-Imidazole2
In an entire environment based on and tailored toward Java, such as Sun's Java Desktop System, the language really shines. Rapid setup and deployment benefits system administrators, while developer productivity is enhanced by the optimization of the develop, execute, debug and deploy cycle.
This type of setup just makes sense when you're dealing with a network of disparate hardware and software. The more that can be made common and interoperable, the easier it is to get things done. And it looks like Sun Java Desktop System has only gotten more affordable and easy to use.