Microsoft

According to VAR Business Magazine (VAR), Microsoft recently commissioned an independent research firm to determine the impact of their upcoming (January 30) general release of Vista on the computer industry. The answer? $72 Billion! That's the ... conservative US Dollar amount Microsoft Vista is going to cost the consumers when they upgrade their systems. However, the figure is likely to be much higher. VAR suggested that $18 in hardware, software, and services would be spent for every $1 Microsoft makes from Vista alone. Every PC component and system manufacturer wants their piece of the ' ... (view more)

Microsoft recently revealed details of the Vista Ultimate Extras add-on package. Although there has been talk about Ultimate Extras for months, Microsoft has remained relatively tight-lipped about the specifics. But on January 7th, at the Consumer ... Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Microsoft officials finally detailed the final lineup for the Ultimate Extras package. (Source: zdnet.com ) First up is a Vista enhanced version of the Texas Hold 'Em poker game. (Source: zdnet.com ) Also in the package are multi-user interface language (MUIL) packs. These packs allow users fluent in different ... (view more)

It wasn't so long ago that we reported on a Vista crack , which gave hackers access to the new operating system (OS) without ever paying a dime. Now, it appears that crack has been improved, and it means more headaches for Microsoft as the home ... release of Vista nears in only a month's time. The original crack surrounded setting up a Key Management Server, and then exposing a weakness in Microsoft supported Voice Activation 2.0. By doing this, hackers could gain free access to Vista for 180 days before the activation ran out. That's six months, and although not an eternity, it's certainly ... (view more)

Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced last Wednesday that the two companies will be joining in a $300 million, three year partnership. The aim of the "People-Ready Business" duo is to attract more large business customers. (Source: ... reuters.com ) With HP making the most personal computers and Microsoft holding the title of the world's largest software maker, the partnership offers mutual potential to each party. In a statement released last Wednesday, Microsoft called HP "the most comprehensive partner we have," a great accomplishment since the software giant has over 640,000 partners ... (view more)

That's gotta hurt! As if being portrayed as a rigid dork in Mac commercials isn't enough, Microsoft took another blow when an email sent in January 2004 was made public at an antitrust trial. The email, which was sent from Windows Development Chief ... James Allchin to CEO Steve Ballmer and co-founder Bill Gates, said "I would buy a Mac if I didn't work for Microsoft." Ouch! (Source: macnn.com ) Allchin published an entry on a Microsoft blog on Monday which stated that he only said he wanted a Mac "for effect." His intention was to convey the severity of Microsoft's problems and push for change. ... (view more)

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)