Jason Brooks

About

As Editor in Chief of eWEEK Labs, Jason Brooks manages the Labs team and is responsible for eWEEK's print edition. Brooks joined eWEEK in 1999, and has covered wireless networking, office productivity suites, mobile devices, Windows, virtualization, and desktops and notebooks. Jason's coverage is currently focused on Linux and Unix operating systems, open-source software and licensing, cloud computing and Software as a Service.

Labs Sees Light at the End of Vista Testing Tunnel

Its been a long and winding road, but the Microsoft Windows Vista release thats been floating vaguely in the near future (for years now) finally appears to be close at hand. First, though, comes what eWEEK Labs hopes to be the last in an extended line of next-generation Windows client test builds: 5744, also known […]

Vista Lockdown: McAfee Learns the Meaning of Proprietary

eWEEK’s Matt Hines offers coverage Oct. 3 on the latest chapter in the mini-saga in which Microsoft’s efforts both to tighten Windows security and to cash in on the security add-ons aftermarket have placed the Redmond giant at odds with various security vendors—most recently McAfee. The stickiest sticking point appears to be Microsoft’s move to […]

SUSE Pairs Well With Xen

On the strength of its broad platform support, approachable configuration tools, estimable set of vendor certifications and solid support options, Novells SUSE Linux Enterprise Server has earned a reputation as a safe choice for Linux at enterprise sites. SLES 10, which Novell began shipping this summer, continues in this vein. It also adds to the […]

RHEL 5 Beta 1: Look but Dont Touch

With the release of the first beta of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, hWEEK Labs was looking forward to getting an early look at the progress Red Hat has made with the platform since RHEL 4. Unfortunately, Beta 1 of Version 5 is too flaky for even testing purposes. The biggest problem we encountered was […]

Mandriva Linux Whiffs on Virtualization Integration

With its Corporate Server 4, Mandriva is challenging the Linux data center operating systems from Red Hat and Novell by offering broader support for virtualization technologies. Its a solid-sounding plan, but eWEEK Labs tests of CS 4 show that its longer on ambition than execution. Mandrivas CS 4 is unique in its support for three […]

Windows Vista: Aero Glass and Java Don’t Mix

Among the wrinkles still to be ironed out of Microsoft’s Windows Vista before the long-awaited client operating system goes gold is the tendency of Vista’s shiny new “glass” UI to balk at Java-based applications. In eWEEK Labs’ Vista tests, most recently with the post-RC1 Build 5728, Aero Glass has reverted to the sans-translucence, sans-3D effects, […]

Microsoft Pledge Is Right

Microsoft is continuing to take steps that recognize the new reality of the software industry. On Sept. 12, Microsoft issued an “Open Specification Promise,” in which the software giant pledged not to sue developers or customers who implement 35 particular Web service specifications, enumerated on Microsofts Web site. The pledge, which has so far received […]

SLES 10 Pairs Well with Xen

On the strength of its broad platform support, approachable configuration tools, estimable set of vendor certifications and solid support options, Novell’s SUSE Linux Enterprise Server has earned a reputation as a safe choice for Linux at enterprise sites. SLES 10, which Novell began shipping this summer, continues in this vein. It also adds to the […]

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Beta 1: Look but Dont Touch

With the release of the first beta of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, eWEEK Labs was looking forward to getting an early look at the progress Red Hat has made with the platform since RHEL 4. Unfortunately, Beta 1 of Version 5 is too flaky for even testing purposes. The biggest problem we encountered was […]

XenSource Steps It Up

XenEnterprise 3.0 is the long-awaited first product from XenSource, the company founded by members of the Xen open-source project to productize Xen virtualization technology and offer it up to enterprises out to boost server utilization and manageability. XenEnterprise 3.0 is the easiest to use and most manageable Xen virtualization solution eWeek Labs has tested. Installing […]