Microsoft

As Microsoft and independent firms alike try to find out more about the " black screen of death " issue plaguing some users of Windows 7, the firm which first reported the problem has earned its fair share of criticism. However, that same firm ... maintains that despite getting the cause wrong, it still has the best solution. Fix for Some, Not All Cases Although it's now clear that Prevx misidentified Microsoft's update as being responsible for the problem, and grossly overestimated how many people could be affected, the firm has produced a fix which is reported to work in many, but not all, ... (view more)

Since its November 10 security update, reports suggest Microsoft has received more complaints about the Black Screen of Death, than ever before. One security firm is claiming that the update has caused the issue, while Microsoft asserts that the ... problem is neither rampant nor is it the result of the November 10 patch. The dreaded "blacK Screen of Death", otherwise known as KSoD, occurs when a user starts their computer but receives only a black screen rather than their desktop. It means that somewhere during startup process the operating system failed to load properly. The problem is ... (view more)

Thus far, sales of Windows 7 have been " fantastic ," and now there's also evidence it's boosting hardware sales -- which will undoubtedly increase this Black Friday with super holiday deals to be had. Manufacturers and retailers on both sides of ... the Atlantic are already crediting Windows 7 with helping move more computers this pre-holiday season. Manufacturer Acer says its recent sales are up 25 per cent on the same time last year -- all thanks to Microsoft's new operating system (OS). The firm, which is the second largest PC manufacturer in the world, says it predicted such an ... (view more)

According to a a recent study, Windows 7 is already being used on more computers than Mac OS. In fact, Windows 7's usage outperforms all versions of Apple's system put together. According to Net Applications, 5.14% of online users were running ... Windows 7 last Sunday, compared with Apple's average of 5% for the week as a whole. However, Windows 7 only averaged 4.15% for the week, which is a fairer comparison. Figures for Sunday alone aren't available for Mac OS yet. (Source: tomshardware.com ) It's possible Apple's figures for the Sunday will turn out to be higher than its weekly average as, ... (view more)

For the past few months, Samir Meghani has been the proverbial "thorn in the side" of Microsoft. First, the co-founder of price comparison search engine Bountii.com posted ways in which users could exploit the Bing cashback rewards program . Now, ... Meghani is claiming that this same promotion is responsible for making some products appear more expensive on the web than their actual retail price. Bing 'Negative Cashback' Rewards Acccording to Meghani, Bing has a hidden feature that he refers to as 'negative cashback'. It is his belief that the program, and more specifically, vendors associated ... (view more)

Microsoft's CEO says Windows 7 is selling twice as fast as any of its predecessors. However, he was careful not to sound too arrogant, noting that even the tiniest fraction of market share lost to rivals is important to the Redmond-based software ... firm. Steve Ballmer last week spoke at Microsoft's annual meeting in Washington state, broadcast live on the Internet. He said Windows 7 had already sold twice as many units as any previous Microsoft operating system (OS) in the same period, calling the sales a "fantastic start". (Source: csmonitor.com ) Ballmer didn't give sales numbers or revenue ... (view more)

Is Microsoft already looking beyond Windows 7 to Windows 8? Well, it can't hurt to be prepared. In a recent presentation at the Los Angeles Professional Developers Conference, Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky revealed two interesting slides that CNET ... News believes confirms the next major release from the Redmond-based firm is pegged for 2012. There's great value for Microsoft in being up front with its home and business customers. For one, being prepared keeps stock value high. Second, it keeps consumer confidence at a peak, and although the initial knee-jerk reaction might be to wonder if news of ... (view more)

Although the next version of Microsoft's very popular Office software isn't set to ship until the new year, the Redmond-based firm recently unveiled a public beta allowing interested users to try new editions of PowerPoint, FrontPage, Word and more. ... Microsoft revealed the beta at the PDC developer event going on right now in Los Angeles. The beta is currently available and can be installed and run alongside older versions of Office, allowing the user to take a closer look at what's new for 2010. (Source: pcworld.com ) So, what new features can we expect in Microsoft Office 2010? First of all ... (view more)

Microsoft has given Internet Explorer 9 its first public airing. The browser looks set to make up a significant gap in speed compared with its rivals but will reawaken controversy over Microsoft's policy on web standards. It's no secret that many ... tests show Internet Explorer is much slower in loading pages, particularly those that use javascript. However, it was still surprising to see the firm's Steven Sinofsky openly admit that gap, with his presentation even noting one test which showed Internet Explorer achieving just 50% of the speed of some rivals. According to Sinofsky, Internet ... (view more)

Thus far, Windows 7 is getting some fantastic reviews. However, that doesn't mean Microsoft will be resting on their laurels, and it appears the company is already readying for Windows 8. How do we know that? There's evidence in a secret job posting ... unveiled for the recruitment of Windows 8 developers. Neowin.net discovered the odd posting in reference to the "next newest" Microsoft operating system. The listing, which has since been removed from the original recruitment site, revealed that the company was seeking qualified personnel for the planning and preparation of the Windows Update ... (view more)