Microsoft

So, we've read all about Windows Vista in North America. Despite selling some 40 million plus copies, it's generally considered a work in progress (with many consumers avoiding the new Microsoft product altogether). But, what's the mood in other ... parts of the world? In Australia, Queensland Purchasing, part of the Queensland Department of Public Works, procured bids to purchase desktop computers, portable computers and servers for 26 agencies. All the computers are required to be supplied with Windows XP SP2 licenses, Microsoft Office 2003 and media. (Source: InterGovWorld.com ) The department ... (view more)

Is Microsoft finally beginning to get it or is this more smoke? According to Softpedia.com , Microsoft has decided to continue focusing on desktop products. This means Windows Vista and the 2007 Office System will be followed by Windows Seven and ... Office 14. Kevine Turner, Chief Operating Officer at Microsoft, emphasized the fact that Windows Vista will not be the last big operating system release from Microsoft. That also holds true for Office 2007. "There will be another release of and launch of a Vista type operating system. There will be another release of Office, and we're going to ... (view more)

Microsoft put many Xbox users' minds to rest last Thursday, when the company announced that it would be extending the warranty on the Xbox 360. The peace of mind won't come cheap for Microsoft, however, which will take a hit of just over $1 billion ... to provide the extended warranty. "As a result of what Microsoft views as an unacceptable number of repairs to Xbox 360 consoles, the company conducted extensive investigations into potential sources of general hardware failures," Microsoft said in a statement. (Source: news.com ) The company said that the investigations revealed many factors ... (view more)

In another unprecedented move for Dell, the PC manufacturer is "stepping back" from telling businesses to upgrade to Windows Vista due to challenging migration issues and is warning them about hardware issues they'll have to deal with. "They need to ... be looking at the number of images they will be installing and the size of these images" said Dell's European client services business manager Niall Fitzgerald. "A 2GB image for each user will have a big impact." Microsoft has suggested that a 1GB image was fine for Vista, but Fitzgerald says 2GB image sizes are more likely. (Source: Zdnet.co.uk ... (view more)

Although they certainly take a lot of heat from competitors like Google, Apple, or even the Vista-buying public, Microsoft is one of the most iconic and arguably trustworthy names in tech. That's currently working against web mail users, many of ... which are being duped by a security threat that disguises itself as a Microsoft update. Compared to most spam threats, this one is particularly brilliant (and thus, dangerous). The fake emails, which carry and install malware, are actually personalized for the unlucky recipient. According to security company Internet Storm Center, the victim's first ( ... (view more)

Windows Vista Ultimate director Barry Goffe has apologized for Vista's 'Ultimate Extras.' What are 'Ultimate Extras'? Ultimate Extras were initially a key selling point for the Ultimate edition of Windows Vista. When the operating system (OS) first ... launched in January of this year, four extras were released: Windows Hold'Em, 16 language packs, Secure Online Key Backup, and Windows BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool. But since then, the ultimate extras have fallen flat. In fact, not a single extra has been released since January, except for a beta version of a feature known as DreamScene. ( ... (view more)

Although chairman and recent Harvard graduate Bill Gates has bragged that Microsoft has shipped its new operating system, Windows Vista, some 40 million times, there has been much criticism of the product. That's not news. However, word that ... Microsoft will offer more simplified methods of "downgrading" new systems to Windows XP, is. Much to the company's chagrin, customers have demanded that newly purchased computers ship with the outgoing operating system XP rather than Vista, which took some ten years to create. (Source: networkworld.com ) The new, XP-friendly initiative will help customers ... (view more)

Following in the footsteps of other Linux distributors, Mandriva is publicly rejecting Microsoft's advances for a patent protection deal. In the past, Microsoft has signed agreements with Linux firms like Novell, Xandros, and Linspire. The Windows ... developer claims that open-source applications violate many of its patents. However, with these treaties, Microsoft promises (in writing) not to sue the companies for patent infringement. Wait a sec...who's Mandriva? Mandriva is an open source company associated with Linux. Its headquarters are in Paris, where it acts as a founding member of the ... (view more)

...continued from Part 1 and Part 2 . Every year Microsoft introduces the "latest technology", bent on revolutionizing computers or their software. Anyone who's familiar with Microsoft is naturally suspicious when "new" technology is introduced -- ... and for good reason. Web TV, Microsoft TV and WinCE smartphones, Xbox, various versions of Media Center PCs, Watches, Media2go, Xbox 360, and the Zune (to name a few) are all products that either went away rapidly or lost billions of dollars. This year it's Windows Vista, Longhorn Server and a new Computer Table called "Surface" with a hefty price ... (view more)

... continued from Part 1 (of 3). Recently, I laid out some of the reasons why Microsoft's marketing offensive for Windows Vista has overextended the supply lines of reality. Although it looks great and might have potential, there are only a handful ... of reasons to upgrade now. So, what are those flashy features being pushed by Microsoft? Let's take a look at some of the new tools that the company believes make purchasing Vista worthwhile. BitLocker BitLocker is a security enhancement and works by encrypting the data on your hard drive using a hardware key and pass phrase -- but is only ... (view more)