microsoft

According to a new Associated Press survey of 1,200 U.S. adults, 52 per cent of respondents haven't heard of Microsoft's Windows 8, which officially launched on October 26, 2012. But the numbers may soon increase. Some experts are suggesting the ... results are due to Microsoft's late start in running national television ads. For example, the first Windows 8 TV spot debuted October 15 during a Monday Night Football telecast. In addition, Microsoft has only started its push to convince consumers to upgrade from previous versions of the Windows operating system (OS). The software giant is ... (view more)

Pricing has been announced for a new version of Microsoft Office 365 tailored specifically to university students, staff, and scholars. Microsoft says the software is available as a four-year subscription for $79.99. That works out to about $1.67 ... per month. Microsoft also says any student who continues their education beyond four years (say, by entering a graduate program) can renew their subscription to the software for four more years at the same price. Documents Automatically Saved to the Cloud Office 365 University automatically saves its documents to Microsoft's SkyDrive cloud storage ... (view more)

Early reviews of Microsoft's Surface tablet computer are beginning to appear online. Though they are mixed, a common theme is that the hardware design is impressive, but the software is a concern. Microsoft's Surface is designed for a niche between ... an iPad and a Windows-based laptop. It ships with only a touchscreen, but with a $100 carry case that includes a physical keyboard it can expand to function like a conventional laptop. The Surface goes on sale October 26, the day Windows 8 is officially released. The first models will run Windows RT, the special version of Windows 8 designed ... (view more)

Microsoft Desktops 2.0 Desktops is a free software utility that allows you to organize your Windows computer applications on up to four virtual desktops. This means you can, for example, read email on one, browse the web on the second, and do work ... in your productivity software on the third, without having to suffer the clutter of windows you're not actively using at the moment. http://microsoft.com MarkdownPad 10.0.30319.1 Markdown is a text-to-HTML conversion tool for web writers working on Windows computers. Markdown allows you to write in an easy-to-read, easy-to-write plain text format, ... (view more)

According to Microsoft, Windows 8 will be available on 1,000 different computer models. The firm says it has certified that number of unique systems and there are more to come. Microsoft Chief Financial Officer Peter Klein revealed this information ... in a recent conference call. The call was primarily intended to discuss Microsoft's last fiscal quarter (which ended September 30). It was a disappointing period: According to the Redmond-based software giant, overall revenue dropped eight per cent to $16 billion. That's a significant decline from quarterly revenue numbers during the same period ... (view more)

Microsoft is giving the music scene another try, this time using its popular Xbox franchise to compete with the likes of Apple and Google. The new service includes an international catalog of about 30 million songs. Consumers can listen to any song ... for free on computers and tablets running Windows 8. Or, they can use their Xbox 360 console. Music Marketplace Vastly Different Microsoft's last foray into the digital media distribution arena went poorly. The firm's hardware device, called the 'Zune', was eventually taken off the market after being unable to compete with Apple's iPod. Zune ... (view more)

After months of speculation, we finally know how much Microsoft's soon-to-be-released Surface tablet will cost: $499 and up. The device goes on sale October 26, the same day Microsoft launches its new operating system (OS), Windows 8. Last week ... industry insider Sameer Singh grabbed media attention by suggesting that Microsoft's entry-level version of the Surface running a slimmed-down edition of Windows 8 known as Windows RT would retail for $399 and up. Surface's Storage, Screen Size Compares Favorably with iPad It appears Singh's prediction was somewhat close to the actual price. Microsoft ... (view more)

As Microsoft prepares for the debut of Internet Explorer on the Xbox 360 video game console, it's also gearing up for the first time release of adult video content on the popular gaming device. An adult entertainment site is planning to take full ... advantage of the Xbox 360's upgrade to web browsing capabilities. According to the company's online blog, Xbox 360 gamers can "rejoice" because "you can now tap into and stream all of your favorite free [adult] videos right from your Xbox!" Gamers Targeted in Illicit Ads Additional messages from the site have been specifically crafted ... (view more)

If you happened to visit the Home Shopping Network website (HSN.com) this past weekend, you might have noticed some rather rare items for sale: Windows 8 PCs. For a few days, HSN.com offered five Windows 8 PCs. That's three weeks before Windows 8's ... official launch on October 26, 2012. According to reports, Microsoft and manufacturer Acer then asked the retailer to remove those PCs from the site. Windows 8 Laptops, All-in-One PCs Available via HSN.com The listed PCs are built by Acer and its division, Gateway. All five of the machines are loaded with the 64-bit edition of Windows 8 (and not ... (view more)

With the holiday shopping season on the horizon, you can bet tablet computers will be under many Christmas trees this coming December. One of the tech industry's most anticipated tablets is Microsoft's Surface, which has been unveiled but not yet ... officially released, or even priced. However, one analyst is now predicting that the Surface will retail for $399 -- and up. Microsoft Out At Least $300 Per Unit: Prediction Sameer Singh is a tech industry analyst with consulting firm Finvista Advisors. In a recent blog post he made some bold predictions about the cost of each individual component ... (view more)