Microsoft

A leading tech analyst firm has predicted Windows 8 will fail to make a splash among ordinary consumers. The reasoning is that the most prominent new feature in Windows 8 is unlikely to be interesting enough to entice users to upgrade. The ... unflattering prediction comes from IDC, which has published a list of 10 predictions for 2012. The comments are only a matter of opinion and are thus largely speculative, however, they carry considerable weight with financial investors. Metro Interface Not Attractive To Most Users Writing about the new edition of Microsoft's operating system, IDC didn't say ... (view more)

Windows 8 will apparently be much simpler to install and does not require faster hardware specifications than Windows 7, allowing some XP machines to run the new operating system (OS). The changes center around allowing most people to simply ... download Windows 8, unlike previous upgrades that involved great complexity. For example, a user might have to download and run an Upgrade Advisor tool; save files and settings; run the set-up and installation; and finally reinstall all applications and settings. A process like this might involve 60 or so separate screens, many of them repetitive. Windows ... (view more)

Early reports on Black Friday deals being offered by Apple and major U.S. retailer Target emerged a couple days ago. Now, we're learning more about other big Black Friday deals, including Microsoft offers on cheap laptops and gaming devices. ... Microsoft hasn't been a major U.S. retailer for very long, but it's already offering some of the most eye-catching Black Friday deals. The Redmond software giant currently has about 14 retail stores located across the United States, and is hoping to drive foot traffic inside with some serious post-Thanksgiving bargains. Laptop Bargains Cause Most Buzz In ... (view more)

According to Microsoft, Windows 8 will change the way users restart their computers after software updates, making life easier for home users and network administrators alike. Microsoft will be scheduling all Windows 8 software updates for the ... second Tuesday of each month. Dubbed 'Patch Tuesday,' that date already sees all Microsoft security updates. Under the new plan, only emergency security updates will be released on other days. (Source: techspot.com ) Windows Update: New Three-Day Warning Microsoft says it is also simplifying the update process. Under the new scheme, updates will ... (view more)

Rumors are circulating that Microsoft is gearing up to let Silverlight fall by the wayside. The newest version, Silverlight 5, which is reportedly due to be finalized and released for manufacturing by the end of November, may be the company's last. ... Silverlight is used by Microsoft for the creation of rich media and smartphone apps. Its features make it a rival for Adobe's popular Flash application framework. Insiders have also been hinting that the new version of Silverlight will not work with browsers other than Microsoft's own Internet Explorer (Silverlight 4 now works with both Windows and ... (view more)

Samsung has confirmed it will sell touch-screen devices running Windows 8, beginning in the second half of 2012. For Microsoft, this is a positive sign its efforts to adapt the new operating system to ultra-portable devices will pay off. Samsung's ... sales and marketing chief says the new touch screen device will likely be a modified form of the company's existing Series 7 computer, a touch-screen "slate" (a name sometimes used for Windows-based devices known elsewhere as "tablets") that comes with a separate wireless keyboard. (Source: bloomberg.com ) Windows Slate: 'For Professionals ... (view more)

Just 7 years ago (2004), Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) peaked at 95% of the browser market share. Today, that usage has dropped below 50%. According to NetApplications, which offers a monthly tracking of browser market shares, Internet Explorer ... (IE) has lost more than eight percent of the browser market in the last year. In fact, it slipped by more than 1.75 points just in the last month, and by six points in the last six months. In a Nutshell: The Decline of Internet Explorer Before the turn of the 21st century, Internet Explorer was the leading browser by far. It earned that position ... (view more)

With the holiday season right around the corner, Microsoft is set to launch a new campaign designed to entice those who do not run Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) to try out the new browser in exchange for free music and movies. However, critics suggest ... the campaign has little to do with the Christmas spirit of giving. That's because the whole idea appears targeted at helping IE regain lost market share. In fact, a recent study suggests that Google's Chrome has gained a significant share of the browser market, while Internet Explorer has steadily (and continues to) decline. (Source: winsupersite. ... (view more)

Few books in recent years have received the kind of attention given Steve Jobs' newly released biography. One of the more interesting sections in that bio focuses on Jobs' relationship with former Microsoft chief executive officer Bill Gates. In a ... recent interview, Gates discussed (and mostly dismissed) Jobs' criticisms of him. This past weekend Gates appeared on the ABC program "This Week with Christiane Amanpour," where the host asked Gates questions on a number of different topics, ranging from his recent philanthropic pursuits to the state of the American economy and finally his ... (view more)

A new rumor making its way through the Internet's tubes suggests that we might actually see a commercial release for Windows 8, Microsoft's next operating system (OS), as early as next August. What's even more surprising is that Microsoft is said to ... have a Windows 9 release for late 2014. The rumor comes to us in the form of a leaked roadmap available through the minimalist tech blog "MS Nerd." The roadmap reveals Microsoft's tentative plans for future releases and, as usual, the greatest interest has been drawn to the company's popular operating systems. The roadmap shows a Windows ... (view more)