Microsoft

Microsoft has stepped up its marketing by explicitly targeting rival Apple and the Mac. The Redmond-based firm has produced a six-point checklist designed to show the "superiority" of PCs, albeit they're six carefully selected points. In many ... commercial markets the top-selling brand does not acknowledge rivals, while those smaller brands often make direct comparisons to their bigger competitors. Historically, that has been the case with personal computing: while Microsoft has simply touted its own strengths, Apple has run the ongoing "I'm a PC, I'm a Mac" campaign. Microsoft Follows Up on ... (view more)

Compared to Windows XP and previous Microsoft operating systems of years previous, one of the major differences of Windows Vista and Windows 7 is the User Account Control , or "UAC" for short. If you've used Windows Vista with UAC enabled (by ... default), then you know how annoying the feature can be. In fact, many users associate the failure of Windows Vista with the ill-functioning UAC simply because they felt it broke functionality and usefulness of the operating system. (Source: zdnet.com ) Recently, however, Microsoft defended its widely-criticized operating system Windows Vista, ... (view more)

According to a recent study by higher-education research company Student Monitor, more and more university and college students are buying up Apple laptops. Apple's growth in this lucrative market has led one analyst to question whether or not ... Microsoft is staying in touch with younger tech users. Student Monitor says about one in four laptops found on U.S. college campuses are Apple products -- a startling statistic, given that another tech research firm, Net Applications, not long ago estimated that Macbooks represent only about 5 per cent of computers used worldwide. Microsoft Unable to ... (view more)

Microsoft recently dismissed rumors which suggest that PC sales have slowed and are hurting Windows 7 and other Microsoft products. The response was meant to calm Wall Street investors, shortly after JP Morgan analyst Christopher Danely stated that ... PC makers Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Acer had slashed their production of semiconductors due to slacking demand. "We expect the weakness to show up in every end market for semiconductors, just as it always has during downturns," Danely said. "We continue to be cautious on the space due to the large amount of capacity coming online combined with ... (view more)

Microsoft's Windows XP continues to be, by far, the most popular operating system (OS) in the world today. Recently, Microsoft released a security patch for all versions of Windows, but not Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), one of the most-used ... versions of Windows XP. So, is this a strategy to get users off XP and on to the new Windows 7? Computerworld blogger Preston Gralla thinks so. In a report published last month, tech analysts Net Applications showed that Windows XP remains far more popular than either the recently released Windows 7 or 2007's Windows Vista. Almost 62 per cent of the OS ... (view more)

Microsoft two weeks ago cut support for its Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), essentially leaving millions of XP users without software updates to patch MS Windows from exploits (and hackers). However, a security researcher has revealed a new hack ... that can help SP2 users get access to the support many thought was forever lost. Microsoft's decision to cut tech support for SP2 was a controversial move, particularly when a shortcut flaw affecting the operating system emerged at the same time. SP2 users remain more exposed than users of Windows XP SP3 through Windows 7. (Source: neoseeker.com ) ... (view more)

Microsoft is reportedly investigating a new kernel flaw affecting all versions of the Windows operating system (OS), including the new Windows 7. The investigation began on Friday after an Israeli researcher alerted Microsoft to the issue. In ... computing, the kernel is the central component of an operating system which is responsible for bridging software programs to hardware inside the computer. Microsoft says it is working on the issue and will release a patch once it's ready. "Microsoft is investigating reports of a possible vulnerability in Windows Kernel," said the software company's Jerry ... (view more)

Microsoft will break a previous record by addressing 34 security vulnerabilities with this coming week's Patch Tuesday. The Redmond-based firm will issue a total of 14 security bulletins, eight of which are marked critical. According to a statement ... from the company on Thursday, the fixes address flaws in a number of Microsoft products, including the Windows operating system (OS), Office, the Internet Explorer web browser, SQL and Silverlight. (Source: computerworld.com ) Most Security Bulletins Ever "This will be the most bulletins we have ever released in a month; we have released 13 ... (view more)

Microsoft's Windows Shortcut Flaw has certainly grabbed headlines these past few weeks. Fortunately, the company looks ready to move beyond the sensational headlines with a new, permanent fix due out later today. A flaw associated with .LNK ... (shortcut files) in Windows 2000 through Windows 7 was first discovered about two weeks ago by security researchers. At first, the issue involved industrial firm Siemens and could only be transmitted through infected USB key, variants of the bug have spread to common Windows users. Worse yet, researchers found that merely plugging a compromised USB stick ... (view more)

Microsoft Corporation will face tough questions today at the annual Financial Analysts Meeting (FAM), where it's expected the software giant will have to answer for some troubling financial numbers. Topping the list of questions: a struggling ... Internet business, mobile-phone troubles, and where the company sees its future in a constantly-changing PC market. Microsoft shares have dipped significantly this year, down about 15 per cent over the same period in 2009 and just recently emerging from a 52-week low. That's prompted questions amongst financial analysts about how the company is ... (view more)