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As Microsoft prepares Windows 8 and Office 2013, the software giant keeps comparing today’s upgrade opportunities to those from 1995, when Windows 95 and Office 95 reshaped the software market. Then Windows NT Server 4.0?s arrival in 1996 created an even bigger Microsoft revenue wave. But here’s the problem: It’s not 1995, and Microsoft should stop comparing the Windows 8-Office 2013 combination to the Windows 95-Office 95 tidal wave. They aren’t the same. Here’s why.

For years, Ubuntu’s default email client was Evolution. Then, last year, Canonical switched to Mozilla Thunderbird. But now recent doubts over the future of Thunderbird — most of them pretty speculative — have spawned worries that Thunderbird might, in its turn, disappear from Ubuntu. Will it? And more importantly, would it really matter to many people? Here are some thoughts.

When Microsoft killed Windows Small Business Server (SBS) ahead of the Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC12), The VAR Guy wondered: Can Linux somehow invade the small business server market in a big way? After a week of thought, The VAR Guy seriously doubts it. Here’s why.

With the plethora of open source desktop environments available at the moment, it’s hard to keep track of all the different features sets. And since KDE, which has recently become my interface of choice, arguably enjoys less media love than alternatives such as GNOME and Unity, it seems only fair to highlight some of the feature changes in its next upcoming release, KDE 4.9. Read on for a look — and, just maybe, a few compelling reasons to give KDE a try.

These days, it often feels like an operating system is only as cool as its “apps” — which are separate from applications, mind you. And so it’s not surprising to see Canonical pushing hard to deliver more apps to Ubuntu users, an effort highlighted most recently by the upcoming AppsSprint. Yet is Canonical, promoter of the Ubuntu Linux distribution, catering to real demand among users, or simply following hype? Here are some thoughts.

Red Hat is reaching out to Linux application developers and cloud developers, while strengthening a relationship with SAP. Indeed, the open source company has updated its Developer Suite for both Red Hat Enterprise Linux and OpenShift, the platform as a service (PaaS) offering. The moves are part of a bigger Red Hat partner and ISV (independent software vendor) push that’s unfolding this week in Boston, Mass.

Research In Motion is set to announce quarterly earnings this Thursday, June 28. The BlackBerry maker is facing desperate times… and may finally pursue desperate measures. Here’s what you need to know…

At Red Hat Summit and JBoss World this week in Boston, The VAR Guy expects plenty of surprises on the cloud computing, big data storage and Linux fronts. But the first news actually involves JBoss, an open source middleware platform that continues to gain momentum with partners and customers.

A specter is haunting the open source world — the specter of UEFI Secure Boot, or so some Linux fans fear. Recently, Canonical spoke out about its efforts to make sure the new hardware specification won’t prevent Ubuntu users from running their operating system of choice. Here’s what it had to say.

Eucalyptus continues to update its private cloud software — delivering version 3.1 today. And CEO Marten Mickos continues to refine his management style at the open source company. So how has Mickos adjusted his approach at Eucalyptus vs. his previous role as CEO of MySQL, the open source database now owned by Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL)? Here’s the update.

Are Red Hat (NYSE: RHT) and SAP falling in love… or simply countering Oracle Linux and Oracle applications? Either way, Red Hat and SAP seem to be spending more and more time together. Here’s the story.

It’s not uncommon for open source projects — especially those without strict commercial oversight — to treat deadlines loosely. It’s rarer for them to admit publicly when they face structural problems and need to consider new directions. Yet that’s what openSUSE developers did a few days ago when they announced delays in the 12.2 release. I recently spoke to Jos Poortvliet, openSUSE community manager, about this fork in the road. Here’s what he had to say.

Microsoft this week ushered in the era of the cloud OS. But IBM, HP, Intel and other technology giants are set to rally around Red Hat Enterprise Linux (particularly for cloud computing) within the next two weeks. The VAR Guy isn’t picking favorites, but here’s the blow by blow.

Ever wish you could help design the TV of the future? If so, you’re in luck: Canonical developers are currently soliciting the open source community’s feedback to help plan features for Ubuntu TV. Here’s what they want to know, and how you can have your say.

Cloud Sherpas, a Google Apps and Salesforce.com consulting firm, has deployed roughly 50 Google Chromebooks internally and is rolling out the cloud-centric notebooks to some customers. Is this the start of a larger trend for Google’s cloud desktop and mobile strategy? Here’s the update.

I'm trading in my Ubuntu PC for a new Samsung Chromebox running Google Chrome OS. What motivated the move to a cloud-centric thin client? Here’s the explanation.

I've continued to watch the SUSE Linux community closely ever since Attachmate acquired Novell and the SUSE business in early 2011. I've also kept one eye on openSUSE, the community-driven, open-development version of the distribution. So what’s new with SUSE and openSUSE? Here are some guesses based on upcoming conferences.

When the Flame Virus apparently attacked computers in Iran and other Middle East countries, I immediately flashed back to a recent keynote from Kaspersky Lab CEO Eugene Kaspersky. Here's why.

Google Chromebooks, those Web-based notebooks running Chrome OS, have a new sibling called the Chromebox. Indeed, the Samsung Chromebox is a home office device that resembles Apple’s Mac Mini. Why should Google partners and customers care? Here’s the update.

Dell is working closely with Canonical (promoter of Ubuntu Linux) and Cloudera (a Hadoop advocate) to prepare its next-generation ARM servers for so-called “hyperscale” customer environments. Though not available for purchase yet, ARM-based servers from Dell and other PC makers sound promising. The big question: Where is Microsoft and Windows Server amid the expanding ARM-based server discussion? Here's an update.