Microsoft

Microsoft has announced a $492 million loss between April and June of 2012. It's the first time the software giant has experienced a net loss in a quarter since its stock was first publicly traded in 1986. The good news for the company is that while ... its day-to-day business is slightly down overall, it is still fundamentally profitable. Most of the loss resulted from an accounting technicality linked to a bad investment. The quarterly loss comes because Microsoft took a $6.2 billion writedown to cover its acquisition of Aquantive, the online advertising business it bought in 2007. The purchase ... (view more)

The European Union (EU) is investigating claims that Microsoft isn't providing other browser makers full access to Windows 8. It comes at the same time the EU is deciding whether to punish the company for breaching previous promises to offer new ... Windows users a "browser ballot" that promotes browsers like Safari and Firefox. The newest probe concerns two allegations: the first covers all versions of Windows 8, the accusation being that Microsoft isn't providing full access to application programming interfaces (APIs). Rival Browser Could Have Limited Windows 8 Access In this context, an API ... (view more)

Microsoft recently touted the new features in its upcoming Office 2013 software suite, including enhanced touchscreen and cloud storage capabilities. That was the good news, but here's the bad: the new Office suite will be available only for the ... Windows 7 and Windows 8 operating systems. Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer offered that revelation at a press presentation in San Francisco on Monday, July 16, 2012. Left out in the cold will be users of Windows XP and Windows Vista; they won't be able to run Office 2013 at all. More Than Half of PC Users Still On XP, Vista Besides the ... (view more)

New reports suggest Microsoft may be planning to force users of build-your-own PCs and machines running non-Windows operating systems (OS) to install the manufacturer version of Windows 8. If true, those users could face some serious drawbacks. ... Normally, the majority of customers buy Windows through one of two routes: either by buying a PC with the operating system (OS) pre-installed, or by upgrading their current computer to the new OS from a previous version of Windows. Those affected by the reported policy change fall into two other, much smaller groups of operating system buyers: people ... (view more)

One of the most visible new additions to Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 operating system (OS) is expanded touchscreen functionality. But it's not just Windows that is getting the touchscreen overhaul, as the firm's Office software is also being ... updated to better accommodate navigation using fingers and styluses. Microsoft recently showed off these new features in a preview of its next version of Office. Touchscreens Supported by Word, PowerPoint, Excel The first thing that stands out about the new Office is the added ability to navigate any program with a touchscreen display. For example, the ... (view more)

Microsoft has revealed that its new operating system, Windows 8, will include a new feature that lets users automatically back up their most important files. If the feature works as advertised, the only data lost in a crash will be whatever is ... produced or saved less than one hour before the unfortunate event. Existing versions of Windows already include a back-up tool, called Windows Backup. However, Microsoft says that fewer than five per cent of home users take advantage of this feature. The company also estimates that, including people who use third-party backup tools on their computers, ... (view more)

Microsoft has acquired a firm that produces massive computer touchscreen displays. According to reports, the company plans to reduce the price of those screens, making them far more affordable for both businesses and home consumers. Perceptive ... Pixel, which was founded in 2006, specializes in designing and manufacturing giant, wall-mounted, touchscreen displays as large as 80 inches across. The screens have advanced capabilities that allow multiple users to operate them at the same time. The company received a major boost four years ago, when CNN used its touchscreens during broadcasts ... (view more)

Get ready, Apple. If Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer is to be believed, the Redmond, Washington-based software giant is coming after you like never before. In a recent interview with CRN, Microsoft's CEO acknowledged that his company ... has "ceded some of the boundary between hardware and software innovation" to Cupertino, California's Apple in the past. But he asserted that trend is about to come to a dead end. "We are trying to make absolutely clear we are not going to leave any space uncovered to Apple," Ballmer said. (Source: washingtonpost.com ) Microsoft Touts Windows 8 ... (view more)

Last week, Microsoft announced it would offer Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 users the option to upgrade to Windows 8 for just under $40. To many onlookers, this offer appeared to be a desperate move designed to arouse more interest in a ... not-so-anticipated upcoming operating system (OS) due later this year. However, it appears there may actually be good reason to make the upgrade: according to recent speed tests conducted by PC Magazine's Michael Muchmore, Windows 8 is legitimately faster than Windows 7 in several key areas. To perform the tests, Muchmore used a single PC: a Toshiba ... (view more)

Former Microsoft chief executive officer Bill Gates recently sat down with PBS interviewer Charlie Rose to discuss his opinion of current technology market trends. Out of that interview emerged one popular topic of discussion for both interviewer ... and interviewee: Microsoft's upcoming Surface tablet computer. Gates made no effort to hide his excitement about Surface, the Microsoft tablet scheduled for release later in 2012. Gates: Surface No "Compromise" Referring to Surface as an "exciting" opportunity for Microsoft, Gates suggested the new device would blur the line between PC and ... (view more)