microsoft

In its attempt to make Windows 7 a success and build a successful chain of retail stores, Microsoft has declared war on one of the most annoying parts of buying a new PC: bloatware. Bloatware -- known less charitably as crapware -- is trial software ... which PC manufacturers include with new computers. To the manufacturers and developers it's a great deal: the manufacturers get some bonus content while the developers can expose their products to new computer buyers. However, many users find the programs useless and unwanted; they usually come with limited functionality until the full edition is ... (view more)

Despite attempts to make itself 'cool' again alongside tacky launch parties for the new Win7 operating system, Microsoft is looking a bit silly this morning after it announced it would cancel a joint television project with Family Guy creator Seth ... MacFarlane. Family Guy is an animated tongue-in-cheek comedy that is known for saying the things some of us think to ourselves but rarely have the courage to say. It insults just about any ethnic, racial, gender, or nationalist group on a week-by-week basis. Microsoft: Show Too Controversial That's part of the reason it's so popular, which is ... (view more)

Unless you've been sleeping in a cave this past week, you're aware that Microsoft's Windows 7 is now available . And, of course, everyone is asking the question, "is it worth the upgrade?" For those of you who frequently rely on your laptop battery, ... the answer might be yes. It's a problem PC makers have yet to completely overcome: short laptop battery lives. Even as computers get lighter, thinner, and faster, the amount of time they can survive "off the cord," so to speak, is rarely over a few hours. Win 7 Cuts Power Usage by 20% Giving that short life a boost in the arm is Windows 7, which ... (view more)

In the aftermath of the much-anticipated Windows 7 release , a large number of users are complaining that their copy of Windows 7 downloaded from Digital River will not install correctly. Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Digital River is the driving ... force behind Microsoft's $29.99 Windows 7 upgrade offer to students. Digital River is no stranger to handling Microsoft transactions, as the company fulfilled a similar role when Windows Vista and Office 2007 were released. Problems Recorded Within Hours Users began experiencing problems shortly after downloading their new operating system. One ... (view more)

Windows Vista was perhaps the biggest disappointment in Microsoft's history. So, what did the Redmond-based company do to improve upon their past mistakes, and how is Windows 7 better than Windows Vista? Windows 7: Improving Upon The Past After the ... embarrassing Windows Vista debacle, Microsoft and the computer makers realized that they needed to work together to make some necessary changes. Windows 7 therefore improves upon the fundamental changes that came with Vista, making it faster, easier to use and more intuitive. (Source: cnet.com ) Close Ties with PC Developers In breaking with past ... (view more)

Well over a year since the HD-DVD format bit the dust , Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has hinted that a Blu-ray drive could be on its way to the Xbox 360 console. Like its nigh-forgotten HD-DVD add-on, a future Blu-ray player would be an accessory ... device, and not built-in as with Sony's PlayStation 3. Microsoft's HD-DVD player, which attached to the Xbox 360 via USB cable, launched about three years ago. Back then, the Toshiba-fostered format was an equal challenger with Sony's Blu-ray; although the latter offered greater disc storage capabilities, HD-DVD players were much cheaper and the ... (view more)

Microsoft is running a series of special promotions in the hopes of kick-starting sales of Windows 7. The company will offer a new deal each day in the first week of the system's release. The most high-profile promotion starting today takes place at ... Best Buy. The store is offering a package, subsidized by Microsoft, which gives users three HP computers -- a desktop, a laptop and a netbook -- plus an LCD monitor, an Internet router and free set-up advice for a total of $1,199. Three PCs for the Price of a Mac Even taking into account that the desktop being offered is a relatively low-spec ... (view more)

With Microsoft's highly-anticipated Windows 7 set for release, the Redmond-based company has finally provided a Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, a tool designed to examine a user's PC in order to determine if it's ready for the new operating system (OS). ... Microsoft's operating system launches on October 22nd, after at least a year of hype and speculation. Microsoft believes the new OS will bring back the "cool" to PCs running Windows, but early reviews remain skeptical -- some critics, including PC World blogger Jeff Bertolucci, just don't think the upgrade is worth $120 . (Source: pcworld.com ) New ... (view more)

Microsoft Photo Story Create slideshows using digital photos. With a single click, you can touch-up, crop, or rotate pictures. Add stunning special effects, soundtracks, and your own voice narration to your photo stories. Then, personalize them with ... titles and captions. Small file sizes make it easy to send your photo stories in an e-mail. Watch them on your TV, a computer, or a Windows Mobile-based portable device. http://www.microsoft.com ShellRunas The command-line Runas utility is handy for launching programs under different accounts, but is not convenient for heavy Explorer users. ... (view more)

Microsoft's chief software architect Ray Ozzie believes the company's upcoming operating system (OS) Windows 7 can and will make PCs just as slick and cool as their counterparts at Apple. Unfortunately, some early reviews of the OS suggest it might ... not be 'cool' enough to justify a $120 upgrade. In an interview with the New York Times late last week, Ozzie bristled at the idea that Windows 7 might change the way people think about PCs and using Microsoft operating systems -- something that in recent years, thanks to an effective Apple campaign making PC users out to be bumbling fools, has ... (view more)