Microsoft

Microsoft is receiving heavy criticism this morning for one of its recent Internet Explorer 8 TV ads. The video shows a woman who cannot stop vomiting after asking her significant other to use his laptop computer, only to stumble upon his hidden ... adult fetish sites. The Internet Explorer 8 online ads that Microsoft has been rolling out seem to be getting more popular with each passing day. Every ad features former Superman actor Dean Cain addressing a new acronym that stands for a function or task performed using the new IE8 browser. For example, the ad "S.H.Y.N.E.S.S." -- Sharing Heavily Yet ... (view more)

Microsoft appears set to offer a discount for families wanting to run Windows 7 on multiple machines. The deal has not yet been officially unannounced, but has left some users wondering if they've jumped the gun by already placing their orders for ... individual copies. Blogger Kristian Kenney noticed a clause in the licensing agreement for the latest leaked version of Windows 7's Home Premium edition. It reads: "b. Family Pack. If you are a 'Qualified Family Pack User', you may install one copy of the software marked as "Family Pack" on three computers in your household for use by people who ... (view more)

Buyers of Vista's Ultimate Edition have long complained they were ripped off by unfulfilled promises for extra features and better performance. Now they're outraged by feelings that they've been left out of cheap deals for switching to Windows 7. ... Upon its release, one of the top-billed extra features in the Ultimate version of Vista was 'Ultimate Extras'. Buyers were told they would regularly receive updates containing "cutting-edge programs, innovative services and unique publications." In reality the extras came irregularly and were underwhelming to say the least. It's now more than nine ... (view more)

Microsoft is making it worthwhile for consumers to pick up a new Vista PC. Those who buy one can receive a guaranteed free copy of Windows 7 once it becomes available in October. The offer runs between June 26 and the end of January. The catch is ... that some PC makers may tack on an additional shipping and handling charge for the updates. Which PCs Qualify for Windows 7 Upgrade? PCs equipped with Vista Home Premium, Vista Business or Vista Ultimate will qualify for the offer. Any reservations about your current system should be directed to a local computer retailer or tech service provider. A ... (view more)

Facing the rising popularity of rival browsers Firefox and Opera, Microsoft has launched its first-ever advertising deal with Live Nation (a concert ticket search engine) to promote Internet Explorer 8. The agreement promises to make consumers happy ... by offering free content with every download of IE8. Fans of popular Canadian rock band Nickelback will be most pleased with the deal. The agreement means that Internet Explorer 8 and Microsoft have signed on as the main sponsor for the rock and roll crew's Dark Horse tour, named after the band's platinum album of the same name. Something in Your ... (view more)

If you have a friend or relative that is always surprising you with things that they assume you will like (and for the most part, you don't) -- then you can probably relate to consumers disgruntled over 'forced' Windows updates that install without ... consent of the PC owner. Phantom Updates: Started June 9, 2009 According to the Windows Secrets newsletter, a number of people have noticed that their PCs have newly-installed updates and security patches once their machines are turned on or rebooted. These "phantom updates" have appeared as early as June 9th, 2009. (Source: windowssecrets.com ) ... (view more)

Microsoft is now offering users in six countries Windows 7 at around half the standard price -- for a limited time, of course. The deal is open to existing Vista owners and involves paying now then getting the upgrade when Windows is released. In ... the United States, the offer means customers can get an upgrade from Vista Home Premium to Windows 7 Home Premium for $49, and from Vista 7 Professional to Windows 7 Professional for $99. That compares with standard upgrade prices of $119.99 and $199.99 respectively. Surprisingly, Windows 7 Ultimate, the other main retail edition of Windows Vista, is ... (view more)

The old adage is still very much relevant today: there is no such thing as a free lunch. The meaning, of course, is that while something may appear to be free, there is almost always going to be strings attached. Such is the case concerning ... Microsoft with their latest "free" antivirus offering. The new software, Microsoft Security Essentials (also codenamed "Morro") was introduced under the assumption that millions of people would soon get a chance to experience a more secure PC, laptop or netbook . But as the wait time for the beta version release dwindled down to mere hours yesterday, ... (view more)

Don't delay too long if you're thinking of downloading the highly sought after Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC). According to a recent statement from Microsoft, it plans to shut off the downloads on August 15. Installation After Cutoff Date The ... August cut off date -- about seven weeks from now -- doesn't mean that those who've downloaded the Windows 7 RC will all of a sudden lose the ability to use it. In fact, Microsoft says that it can still be installed even after that cut off date. "The [Release Candidate] download program closes August 15. After that, you won't be able to get the ... (view more)

Microsoft has acquired another all-star executive from one of its rivals. This time it's former Yahoo vice president of operations Kevin Timmons, who will now take control of Microsoft's Data Service organization within the company's wider Global ... Foundation Services (GFS) division. The hiring is part of Microsoft's plan to construct a cloud computing network complete with efficient data centers. When with Yahoo, Timmons headed that company's data center strategy and pushed hard to increase the PUE, or Power Usage Effectiveness metric. The PUE metric is used to measure energy efficiency -- it ... (view more)