windows

Since Vista was released early this year, there has been no shortage of analyses judging the success of sales of the new operating system. But months have passed, and there still doesn't seem to be a consensus on how Vista is doing. Even Microsoft ... CEO Steve Ballmer seems to have changed his mind a few times. A few weeks ago, Ballmer said: "We think in the next three months we'll probably sell five times as many copies of Windows Vista as we ever did [Windows 95] in the equivalent period of time... We'll probably go double what we did with Windows XP." But last week, it sounded like he changed ... (view more)

If you've been subscribed to Infopackets for any length of time, you've undoubtedly seen a program called "SpeedUpMyPC" recommended in our email newsletters. Judging by name, one might think that SpeedUpMyPC is just another run-of-the-mill system ... optimizer -- but don't click away just yet, because this may be one of the most demystifying articles you'll ever read. ;-) Allow me to elaborate. Back in 2003, I reviewed SpeedUpMyPC 1.0 when it debuted: and it impressed the pants off me -- not just because of the results, but also because it's such a unique product. But I wasn't the only one to ... (view more)

The recent release of Microsoft Vista and Exchange 2007 has IT managers and system administrators taking a long hard look at upgrading their organization's infrastructures reports. (Source: processor.com ). While there may be some advantages to the ... new products such as enhanced security features, optimized mobility functions and integrated searching, there are just as many if not more challenges, including hardware upgrades and compatibility issues. Keith McCall, founder and CTO of Azaleos, a company that builds appliances with Microsoft software preloaded and preconfigured then provides ... (view more)

Is Vista worth it? With all the hoopla, hype, and criticism floating around the 'net since Vista's release, it's no wonder users are confused as to whether the leap to Microsoft's new operating system is a good investment. In a recent article by ... Laptop Magazine, author Jeffrey Wilson wrote that "it's no secret that Microsoft's new operating system offers plenty of additional functionality over XP and gives users a much better experience overall." It's also no secret that Vista has taken some serious heat in recent weeks for a number of issues, the most frequently reported surrounding ... (view more)

Microsoft has recently released its updated Visual Studio 2005 Studio Pack 1 (SP1), a revised edition that promises to allow developers to get the most out of future Windows applications. It steps up the initial developments launched with the first ... version of Visual Studio 2005 SP1, in December. The key components in the December version of Visual Studio included .Net Framework 3.0, which is made up of the Windows Presentation Foundation, Windows Workflow, Windows Communication Foundation, and Windows CardSpace. Each of these features have been made exclusively to help developers construct ... (view more)

Users thinking about upgrading to Windows Vista may end up spending more than they thought. Besides having to pay for faster hardware, users should expect to pay for Vista upgrades to a lot of their favorite software. (Source: computerworld.com ) ... Instead of releasing free patches to update existing versions, some major vendors such as Adobe Systems Inc., Symantec Corp. and Intuit Inc. are adding Vista compatibility only to new releases or future products that are still being developed. Most of these new versions will add more features along with Vista compatibility. Vendors argue that if ... (view more)

VMware, a small Silicon Valley software-producing company, is attempting to tackle the industry's leader in software manufacturing, namely: Microsoft. VMware is a relatively young company and has been experimenting with cutting edge technology ... called "virtual-machine software". A virtual machine essentially mimics a computer so that several copies of an operating system can run on one physical machine. Tasks can be completed using less electricity and less space compared to a standard PC. (Source: nytimes.com ) It is also a product that occupies strategic ground in computing, as a layer of ... (view more)

Windows Powershell From Microsoft. Using a new admin-focused scripting language, more than 130 standard command line tools, and consistent syntax and utilities, Windows PowerShell allows IT Professionals to more easily control system administration ... and accelerate automation. Windows PowerShell is easy to adopt, learn, and use, because it works with your existing IT infrastructure and existing script investments, and because it runs on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server "Longhorn". Exchange Server 2007, System Center Operations Manager 2007, System ... (view more)

Technology writer Joe Hutsko did what many devoted Mac fans would deem unthinkable: he switched from Mac to Windows at the launch of Vista, and gave the new operating system a shot at earning his loyalties. (Source: osnews.com ) His final decision? ... Well... you're just going to have to read on. ;-) One thing that Hutsko doesn't hesitate to note is Vista's sleek first impression. The start up screen, desktop, icons, and menus all reflect a new sharpness. Even the new font, Segoe UI, impressed Hutsko. The new Aero features are also a nice surprise to the former Mac user. The Flip 3D feature, ... (view more)

In July of 2005, the U.S. Congress passed the Energy Policy Act in an attempt to establish a comprehensive long-range energy policy. President Bush later signed it into law in August of 2005. The new law changes both the start and end dates of ... daylight savings time (DST). DST now starts 3 weeks earlier and ends 1 week later. The time will now change at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and will end at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday in November. The change in DST applies to the U.S. (with the exception of Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa) and Canada ... (view more)