Microsoft

For those of you who hated the Seinfeld Microsoft adverts -- and your responses tell us there are quite a few of you -- there's good news. The tales of Jerry and Bill are done for now, replaced by a relatively direct response to Apple's ... long-standing campaign, "I'm a Mac, and I'm a PC." According to Microsoft, this was the plan all along: a spokesman says the two Gates and Seinfeld ads were simply a teaser and the firm hasn't cut the series short. That makes the ads -- short on either plot or message -- even more baffling, as well as making Seinfeld's $10 million payoff seem even more ... (view more)

Although Microsoft is trying to keep Windows 7 under wraps, around three-dozen screenshots have leaked on to the Internet. It appears the operating system has had some usability tweaks but doesn't have any fundamental changes. The shots appeared on ... the ThinkNext blog and almost certainly come from one of the people testing the software. Windows 7 is currently in its third (and likely) final 'in-progress' edition. The first beta edition (a complete version of the system ready for testing) is expected out before the end of the year. The biggest functional changes appear to be to the User ... (view more)

A new series of strange Microsoft advertisements have made their way onto YouTube.com in what is said to boost Microsoft product line awareness -- but so far, the verdict is mixed. Although Microsoft has spent a whopping $300 Million Dollars to pair ... Jerry Seinfeld with Bill Gates in the promotion, the ads are random in design and appear to lack any message at all. So, what's up with those strange Microsoft-Seinfeld ads? We asked our Readers to sound-off. Although the majority of the comments received were negative, some ideas offered interesting perspectives. Frank W. and a few others ... (view more)

Microsoft has released the second in its new series of adverts that more closely resemble a Seinfeld episode than what one might expect from a software company promoting its newest, most troubled operating system. The latest instalment runs for a ... staggering four-and-a-half minutes in its uncut YouTube version, though TV spots will be edited down. Seinfeld and Gates spend time living with a 'typical' American family ending with the pair performing manual labor as punishment after the children frame them for stealing a giraffe. Seriously. There's still no mention of specific products; indeed, ... (view more)

As part of its Trustworthy Computing Initiative, based on building the concept of "End to End Trust" proposed by Microsoft in April at the RSA Security Conference, Microsoft reportedly wants to create "digital playgrounds", sites where visitors have ... to prove their age using digital identity credentials. Microsoft is hoping its measures will make the Internet safer for children and adults wanting to conduct business, make transactions, and communicate confidently with people who are who they say they are. Part of the challenge concerns how to add more identity authentication without ... (view more)

Microsoft has aired the first in a series of ads featuring Jerry Seinfeld, former star of the popular 90s sitcom, "Seinfeld". Although he's guaranteed $10 million for the gig, Seinfeld's impact on Vista sales is yet unknown, and the campaign itself ... has done little to win over the mainstream media. The Seinfeld campaign is part of a $300 million marketing blitz to resurrect Vista's damaged image. Other tactics include comparing sceptics to people who once believed the Earth was flat, and a series of videos showing members of the public reacting positively to a presentation of 'Mojave ... (view more)

News has been spreading rapidly across the tech world regarding Microsoft's recent decision to hire Jerry Seinfeld, famed comedian and former sitcom star, as its primary spokesman for an advertising campaign designed to sell Windows Vista, the ... company's down-and-out operating system (OS). Released early last year, Windows Vista has undergone some tough times. Repeatedly berated by tech experts for its design flaws that compromise security or generally dampen system performance, the OS continues to be outsold by its predecessor , Windows XP. In the constantly-changing tech world, that's a bit ... (view more)

A performance and metrics researcher reportedly estimates that more than one in every three new PCs -- approximately 35% of over 3,000 PCs -- has downgraded from Windows Vista to Windows XP, either at the factory or by the buyer. The data was ... provided by users to Devil Mountain Software Inc's. Exo.performance.network -- which it kicked off last year and expanded by partnering with InfoWorld -- to come up with their numbers. By collating things such as the vendor and system model number with manufacturer's catalogs, machines were identified that were probably shipped within the past six months ... (view more)

While Microsoft excitedly tries to sway public opinion by touting that Windows Vista License sales top 180 Million units, Hewlett-Packard (HP) was busy smacking Microsoft down -- reportedly shipping PCs with a Vista Business license but with Windows ... XP pre-loaded in the majority of business computers sold since the June 30 Windows XP execution date established by Microsoft -- casting a lot of doubt over how many copies of Vista have actually been sold. In other words, Microsoft counts a sale for Windows Vista even though the computer manufacturer actually sold Windows XP. It's kind of ironic ... (view more)

After losing its bid to take over rival search engine Yahoo and gain greater influence on the web, Microsoft has shifted its strategy in trying to reach web users. The Redmond-based company announced last week that it will be providing search ... services and online advertising for social networking giant Facebook. No, this is not a case of deja vu. Yes, Microsoft is already working alongside Facebook, but this most recent deal augments their outstanding 2006 advertising agreement in which Microsoft acquired 5 per cent of the social networker for $240 million. (Source: nzherald.co.nz ) How will ... (view more)