Microsoft

Microsoft is attempting to get people talking about their search engine through the launch of a new campaign strategy that will offer perks to people and advertisers who use Live Search. One incentive is called "Cashback", which will benefit the ... consumer while ensuring a tremendous increase in online sales for companies who advertise with Live Search. When a user selects an ad on Live Search and makes a purchase, Microsoft will use some of the ad revenue to fund a portion of the purchase. (Source: theglobeandmail.com ) Microsoft is also in the trial stages of a "SearchPerks" incentive which ... (view more)

Just in case we forgot Microsoft was leading the charge against pirated software, the company recently revealed that it has filed 63 new actions against counterfeiters in twelve different countries around the world. According to Matt Lundy, ... Microsoft's senior attorney on its anti-counterfeiting team, the actions have been taken against individuals accused of pirating versions of Microsoft Office, Windows operating system XP, and a number of other products. Much of the counterfeit software was resold at online auction sites, says Lundy. Those on the wrong end of legal action hail from just ... (view more)

For the first time ever, fewer than 90% of computer users are running Windows. The figures show the growing success of rival operating systems -- though there's no sign of Microsoft losing its dominant position any time soon. The figures come from ... Internet services firm Net Applications. They regularly measure which operating system users are using when connecting to web sites. While this is obviously not a perfect way to quantify market dominance, it does provide a decent sampling method given how many users have an Internet connection these days. The figure for Windows in November was 89.6 ... (view more)

The antivirus software industry may change dramatically now that Microsoft has announced it will be offering free protection in the near future. The Redmond-based giant has revealed that it will terminate sales of its popular Windows Live OneCare ... security suite and will instead offer a slimmed-down version called "Morro" in its place -- for free. The switch will be effective June 30, 2009 and could have homicidal ramifications for other popular antivirus makers like McAfee, Symantec, and Trend Micro. (Source: pcworld.com ) Some are heralding the move as a sort of socialist godsend. The free ... (view more)

In an attempt to compete with Google and Zoho, Microsoft is reportedly giving away free software to early-state Web start-up companies as part of a recently launched worldwide program called BizSpark. BizSpark wants to help startups by providing ... production licenses and technical support for several Microsoft products. The licenses are free for the first three years. BizSpark gives Microsoft a way to promote the use of its software. ZocDoc, a New York-based company that offers an online service for booking doctor and dentist appoints, became an early member of the BizSpark program. ZocDoc ... (view more)

Despite Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's recent assertions that Windows Vista "is Microsoft's best-selling product ever," there are many indications to the contrary, that reveal just how irrelevant Windows Vista has become and how it has proven to be a ... major flop. (Source: microsoft.com and microsoft-watch.com ) Ballmer boasts that over 180 million copies of Windows Vista were sold in the first 18 months of its release. As infopackets has noted in the past, it's virtually impossible to get an accurate count on the number of Windows Vista units sold since many have been "downgraded" to ... (view more)

Microsoft testers will get their hands on the second major update to Vista next week. It's expected to get a public release in the first half of 2009, with the firm apparently anxious to have it out before Windows 7 hits stores. The update will be ... in the form of Vista Service Pack 2. A service pack is a collection of updates issued at one time to make the updating process simpler. It's not connected with the Windows Update system which concentrates purely on security issues. Microsoft had previously been keeping quiet about Service Pack 2's release schedule, but a posting on its blog for ... (view more)

Ever heard of the Apple Tax? Neither have we, though one Microsoft executive is adamant that to buy an Apple Macintosh computer is to sacrifice hard-earned dollars when customizing your shiny new machine. In a recent interview, vice president of ... Windows Consumer Product Marketing Brad Brooks discussed the additional costs Apple buyers face when trying to pencil in Windows Vista or XP compatibility. Brooks argues that those costs associated with customizing the operating system, applications, and even laptop or desktop colors can make Mac machines much higher than their anticipated cost. "It's ... (view more)

Despite the short-lived Seinfeld commercials and the ongoing ad blitzes , customer demand for Windows XP over Windows Vista has again prompted Microsoft to extend the Windows XP lifeline . Microsoft stopped selling Windows XP on June 30 of this ... year, but Windows XP is still available at some retail outlets, including Amazon.com while supplies last. Larger PC manufacturers can't directly sell Windows XP anymore -- except on ultra-low-cost machines -- but they can sell Windows Vista Ultimate and Windows Vista Business machines with Windows XP discs in the box or they can do a 'factory downgrade ... (view more)

The U.S. House of Representatives shocked the world earlier this week when it rejected a proposed $700 billion bailout bill that could have saved Wall Street from what some worry-warts believe could be the next Great Depression. Now, a new critic is ... shaking its head at Congress: Microsoft. Few have been able to escape news of the bailout's rejection, with the media in just about every circle speculating that the result could be the kind of recession few have ever seen before. It has changed the dynamics of the current election for many; does either John McCain or Barack Obama have the ... (view more)