microsoft

Microsoft and the European Union have agreed to a compromise to their ongoing disagreement over the default use of Internet Explorer in Windows. Buyers of Windows 7 on the continent will be offered a choice of browsers at start-up, though the ... changes may not be made in time for the system's release. The European Union has not officially made any final decision on whether Microsoft has breached any competition rules by including Internet Explorer -- and only Internet Explorer -- in Windows. That verdict does seem extremely likely and the only real question at this stage is what punishment ... (view more)

As hype builds for its upcoming Windows 7 operating system, Microsoft continues to face declining revenue in all five of its major markets. Just last week, the Redmond-based company reported miserable results for its fiscal fourth quarter. For the ... quarter ending June 30 Microsoft announced an incredible decline of 29 per cent from last year, with profits of $3.05 billion. The company's stock is also down to 34 cents per share, a decline of 26 per cent from the same period a year ago. Revenue dipped by 17 per cent to $13.1 billion. (Source: crn.com ) Decay Beyond Wall Street Predictions Not ... (view more)

Microsoft has a reputation for rarely admitting or accepting defeat in any market. But the company is now waving the white flag of surrender after admitting that they can no longer keep up with hackers when discovering file format bugs in time to ... stop them from exploitation. That doesn't mean that Microsoft is prepared to let online deviants have their way with software vulnerabilities . Instead, the company has decided to take a " sandbox " approach to Office documents in the next version of the application suite. The Sandbox Technique The sandbox technique will be a new addition to Office ... (view more)

It seems crime does pay, but only if enough people partake in the illegal act. It is believed that an estimated 95 per cent of all copies of MS Office used in China come from an illegal source. In order to stabilize the piracy pandemic in China, ... Microsoft has slashed the price of their MS Office Suite to just $29. While the company would not admit to condoning acts of criminal behavior outright, this is exactly the message they are sending to the rest of the world. Some critics suggest that the reduced price is a reward for years of illegal activity. (Source: idg.no ) Price a Determining ... (view more)

A senior Microsoft figure recently made the statement that the success of Windows 7 could lead critics to change their minds about 'ol Vista. But a major newspaper is predicting Vista's unpopularity means the upgrade process to Windows 7 will be ... "frustrating, tedious and labor-intensive" for many. Steve Guggenheimer is Microsoft's vice president in charge of OEM, meaning he oversees the way the company's products are pre-installed by computer manufacturers. In an interview with ChannelWeb, he argued that once Windows 7 is released in October, people will realize that Vista had its strong ... (view more)

With its October release date steadily approaching, Microsoft announced today that it has released the code for its highly-anticipated operating system Windows 7 to PC manufacturers. It means the company is pacing itself well for the fall release. ... Just a day after Microsoft created a stir with news of a Windows 7 Family Pack , whereby the OS can be installed on up to three computers, the company has kept the hype up with today's announcement that PC makers, including industry heavyweights Hewlett-Packard, Acer, and Dell, will now be loading Win7 on new computers. (Source: arstechnica.com ) ... (view more)

Microsoft has expressed interest in further developing two-dimensional barcodes as part of their future corporate outlook. Two-dimensional barcodes are also called QR (quick response) codes and work like the ones found on product packaging. However, ... two-dimensional barcodes have the ability to store more data, including website information and email addresses. Scan with Your Cellphone Camera The whole process of using 2D barcodes is quite futuristic. People scan the barcode using their cellphone camera, which activates the phone's browser and directs them to a designated website linked to ... (view more)

Worried about having to install Windows 7 on more than one computer? Sometimes copy protected programs can be awfully expensive, but thankfully Microsoft has announced its plans for a Windows 7 Family Pack, which can be installed on up to three PCs. ... Microsoft revealed the new Win7 option late Tuesday afternoon, and the announcement has been generating plenty of buzz ever since. Unfortunately, prices for the Family Pack remain just speculation. What we do know is that the Family Pack will consists of the Windows 7 Home Premium version. (Source: cnet.com ) Family Pack Tops Consumer Wish List ... (view more)

Some senior Microsoft search bosses have reportedly flown to California for face-to-face talks with Yahoo management over a search merge. The two sides are said to be at their closest point to a deal to date. According to a report by the All Things ... Digital site, the two sides are being even more secretive than usual. However, it quotes a source as saying "It is down to the short strokes, for sure; it is just a question if we can finally close this." (Source: allthingsd.com ) Naturally, the finer points of any potential deal are under wraps at the moment. However, some general principles have ... (view more)

A senior Microsoft executive says it will build some of its forthcoming retail stores near those of rival Apple. He also says Apple complained about the recent "Laptop Hunters" campaign, which he feels validates the ads' success. Microsoft announced ... plans to open retail stores back in February, hiring former Wal-Mart executive David Porter to oversee the project. At the time it appeared the firm wanted to take advantage of cheap retail unit rentals thanks to the recession. However, Microsoft's decision to build these stores, and to build them near rival Apple's outlets, might be ... (view more)