Microsoft

Windows Vista certainly isn't cheap. By most accounts, those users who already own Windows XP will have to pay at least $200 to upgrade their systems to the new OS. That's one less big gift under the tree this Christmas, and reason enough to grumble ... as you approach the cashier with Vista in your hands. Sadly enough, that might not be your only expense. Now it appears as though Microsoft's new operating system will require a substantially powerful graphics card, which might mean yet another necessary update for users interested in the software. If you want to run Windows Vista at its peak ... (view more)

With the world going digital, new online products and services are constantly being introduced. Earlier this month, Microsoft expanded their online offerings by launching a beta version of "Live Search Books." With the consortium of blogs and ... message boards on the Internet, sometimes legitimate information is not so easy to find online. A Microsoft spokesperson said that Live Search Books is helping users sort through information by making trusted sources -- that is, published books -- available online: "Live Search Books is advancing the way people search online by digitizing and indexing ... (view more)

We knew they'd come. Problems for Vista were sure to stand in the way of a flawless launch, which seems just about impossible considering the massive task accorded Microsoft employees in implementing such a major new piece of software. The first ... notable issue is the OS' failure to run the most recent version of SQL Server, a major problem for business who were given the opportunity to use Vista after its launch at the end of November. Microsoft is scrambling to take care of the matter, although a solution probably couldn't come soon enough for business users. In the works is an upgrade to the ... (view more)

Recently, we reported on speculation that the much-anticipated Vista would be the last operating system based on Windows. The rumor -- which is still much supported -- was based on a prediction by tech forecasters Gartner, who believe that Microsoft ... will instead opt for incremental updates to their OS in the future. That may not be so true, however, as an equally aggressive amount of press is now lashing out against last week's predictions. Gartner's belief in the non-future of Windows stems from the immense cost and risk associated with a release like Vista. Microsoft has been working on the ... (view more)

Excited about the pending release of Vista for Home users? Well, prepare yourself for this one: there's much speculation that Microsoft's new operating system could be the last based on Windows, with future operating systems branching out into ... incremental updates instead of massive, periodic releases. Why would Microsoft decapitate an ongoing software project that reaps millions upon millions of dollars? Heck, it's something (almost) everyone needs; one might even consider Windows the oxygen of the computer world. The answer? For one, it costs Microsoft almost as much to create an operating ... (view more)

Microsoft definitely does not need this. Less than two weeks after a rather successful business launch (that did, however, have its own problems), it has become clear that a crack is available to home users that will exploit one of Vista's features ... and allow pirates to use the system for free, for up to 180 days. Although Microsoft is remaining very, very quiet about the crack (with only a rep or two whispering to the media that there's no evidence to support the rumor), it isn't particularly difficult to find a torrent or two offering it up. The key is for the user to obtain a Windows Vista ... (view more)

Did we miss something? On the same day that Microsoft is hurrying out Vista business to the outstretched arms of highly aroused corporate entities, security experts at Symantec and Trend Micro are telling the media that they're still working on the ... operating system. We're wondering what this means for the initial batch of Vista units, which were shipped out to businesses yesterday. In fact, the only selected security company to complete their work with Vista is the well-known McAfee. However, that leaves Symantec, Trend Micro, and CA with a lot of work to do. Although home buyers can be ... (view more)

This is an Editorial. Actually, it is more of a commentary on my last posting concerning Microsoft's CEO and his remarks that declared his 'position' on the Novell/Microsoft agreement. Mr. Ballmer stated that Microsoft was preparing to take Linux to ... task over Intellectual Property rights. He stated he was doing this for his 'share holders' to increase their 'profits'. It appears that Mr. Ballmer was speaking about himself more than anyone else since he owns a fairly large chunk of Microsoft stock. However, there are a few things that Mr. Ballmer needs to be made aware before he speaks out on ... (view more)

Isn't that sweet. Just when you get the impression that no other company -- even a partner like Novell -- can cooperate with software giant Microsoft, along comes Dell. It appears this new relationship has spawned offspring, in the form of one ... heckuva powerful custom-built PC. It's part of Dell and Microsoft's celebration of the Vista release, and either signifies future joint endeavors, or that MS simply pays hardware producers handsomely. Regardless of your feelings towards either company -- whether you're anti-Windows, anti-Internet Explorer, or even anti-Dell -- the two have certainly ... (view more)

For many years now, Microsoft Office has had the market cornered on word processing and spreadsheet software. And with such a stranglehold in place by Microsoft, tech analysts made sure to pay attention when Google recently countered with its own ... set of word processing and spreadsheet utilities. The difference, of course, is that Google's offering -- officially called Google Docs ... (view more)