Microsoft

Flashback to late January 2007 -- Microsoft releases Windows Vista consumer versions of their "latest and greatest" new operating system (OS) with the marketing hype of "the wow is now". The Vista web site even offers 100 reasons you'll be ... speechless. The top reason? "It makes using your pc a breeze" (provided your computer runs once you've installed Vista). Your chances of effectively using Vista improve if you purchase a new computer with the finicky operating system already loaded. Upgrading older computers is a waste of time and money. Unfortunately for Microsoft, their marketing tactics ... (view more)

Microsoft has admitted that many customers are reluctant to switch to Windows Vista because of its sub par reputation, and the company is now trying to convince customers that there is no need to worry. In a newsletter, Microsoft said, "some ... customers may be waiting to adopt Windows Vista because they've heard rumors about device or application compatibility issues, or because they think they should wait for a service pack release." Although Microsoft will be releasing a Service Pack later this year, the company is anxious for users to adopt the new operating system now. (Source: slashdot.org ... (view more)

A few months ago, I reported on Harvard University's decision to award Microsoft chairman Bill Gates with an honorary degree. Despite the fact that the average (and highly ambitious) college kid must maintain phenomenal grades and shell out ... thousands upon thousands of dollars to complete an Ivy league degree, billionaire Gates was awarded one recently, some 33 years after dropping out. Go figure. Luckily, Gates isn't taking the award too seriously. Speaking in front of graduates on June 8, he joked, "I've been waiting more than thirty years to say this: 'Dad, I always told you I'd come back ... (view more)

Talk about deja vu. A Finnish security researcher recently discovered that the same problems affecting Windows XP and recovery disks were inherited by Windows Vista. If you have a Vista install DVD, you can gain administrative level access to the ... hard drive without needing a password. Detailed documentation, including possible workarounds, can be found at Kimmo Rousku's web site . The potential hack was discovered on February 8, 2007 during a Windows Vista training session. It was immediately reported to Microsoft Finland who confirmed it two days later. Apparently, the Command Prompt tool in ... (view more)

Music buffs unite! Microsoft has just launched Ignition, a new music initiative aimed at giving new recording artists exposure via various Microsoft channels. The Ignition program will utilize Zune, Xbox and MSN to offer exposure to new artists for ... over a month. Zune Marketplace and Zune.net will offer free downloads and features, Xbox LIVE Marketplace will feature video downloads, and MSN Video and MSN Music will provide promotional video and music streams. (Source: tech2.com ) As Microsoft's director of music marketing Christina Callo explains, "the Ignition program is designed to help ... (view more)

Over the past year, we have been hearing a lot about Vista from Microsoft. So what is the real truth? I cannot answer that question and I'm not going to try. I will, however, give you some figures that might blow some of Microsoft's 'fog' away. The ... World Wide Web Consortium (also known as W3C) is an organization that tries to establish and control the Web by setting standards for such things as the HTML language (used to create the web pages). They are, perhaps, the only source of information available that is based on gathered data about the usage of the web. Sometimes the numbers point out ... (view more)

The launch of Windows Vista earlier this year may have helped fuel Mac sales according to research conducted by Gartner Research. Mac sales were up 35 percent in the first quarter compared to a year ago. Comparatively, PC sales were up by 9 percent. ... (Source: Kansascity.com ) A lot of technology companies appear to have expectations that computer sales would get a bigger boost with the release of Vista, which requires a lot more computing power than earlier versions of Windows. That expectation may be leaving tech companies with higher inventories and more production capacity than necessary. ... (view more)

For those passionate about their computer hardware, sometimes the argument between purchasing an Apple Macintosh or a Windows PC is a heated debate. Followers of the "Mac" spout a long list of reliability and security factors, while owners of PC ... machines espouse an equally long list of compatible software. With such a rivalry, it's not surprising that the heads of each company are often bickering about who creates the superior product: emotions that have awkwardly moved from one side of the spectrum to the next in recent days. On the one hand, online publication AppleInsider has painted a ... (view more)

Some may wonder what former U.S. president, Bill Clinton, is doing for the world at the present time. The answer: saving the environment. The Clinton Foundation is known worldwide for its goals to supply health care, and to create economic growth; ... however, its most recent project tackles global warming. Clinton's foundation has teamed up with software giant, Microsoft, to develop software and services that can be used universally to monitor carbon emissions. Additionally, cities around the world will be able to communicate ideas about environmental protection. As an added bonus, the ... (view more)

If you're looking to purchase a new computer that comes with Vista and are planning on downgrading back to Windows XP, heed these words of caution: it ain't easy. Many system integrators have been frustrated over the time-consuming process of ... downgrading from Vista to XP. In order to do so, users need to phone a special telephone number and obtain a unique key. (Source: theinquirer.net ) As one system builder noted, this can be a huge problem for large organizations. "... the activation has to be done manually. What if you are a customer with a 100 desktops? You'll have to manually key ... (view more)