Continuing coverage of Microsoft's Windows 8  Windows 8 is an enterprise 'non-starter' because IT sees no value in changes
Windows 8 faces a number of hurdles in the enterprise, but the biggest reason it won't replace the current corporate champion, Windows 7, is simple: IT shops don't think it's worth the upgrade hassle. Windows 8 isn't New Coke, says top Microsoft exec; it's Diet Coke
Frank X. Shaw, Microsoft's head of corporate communications, defended his company's Windows information disclosure strategy, denying that Microsoft has adopted Apple's "cone of silence" approach to imparting news. Dell slashes its Windows RT tablet price by $200; XPS 10 now sells for $300
Dell drastically cut the online price of its Windows RT tablet, reducing the price by $200 to $299.99 for Dell XPS 10. Microsoft votes for free Windows 8.1, collects kudos
Microsoft today announced that Windows 8.1, the update later this year for Windows 8, will be free to current users of the operating system, confirming analysts' expectations. Windows 8 app store fails Top 10 test
Microsoft's Windows 8 app store failed a test touted by a former Microsoft manager and distinguished engineer as a way to determine an ecosystem's relevance. KiraBook review: An ultrabook for the 1%
Toshiba's new KiraBook ultrabook offers a sleek, rich look along with high-end components, including a fine display and great speakers. The question is: Can you afford it? Microsoft to squeeze more devs into BUILD
Microsoft today said it has increased the head count for its June developers conference, and will sell the extra tickets Wednesday. Microsoft's counter-attack against Windows 8 coverage makes it 'look weak'
Microsoft on Friday called some media coverage of its plans to update Windows 8 sensationalist and an effort to drive website page views. Why Microsoft won't charge for Windows 'Blue' ... this time
Sometime soon, Microsoft will tell Windows 8 users whether they will have to pay for the upgrade code-named "Blue," and if so, how much. Analysts don't expect it to charge anything for the update. Block rogue apps with Windows Server -- for free
It is a lot of work to set up policies; it takes trial and some error, too. But the payoffs are huge. Analysts challenge Microsoft's commitment to Windows RT
One of Microsoft's top Windows executives this week said the company remains bullish about Windows RT, but analysts remain suspicious of RT's chances unless Microsoft makes changes. Microsoft rushes IE8 zero-day fix into next week's Patch Tuesday
Microsoft today said it will issue 10 security updates next week, two rated "critical," to patch 33 vulnerabilities, including the zero-day bug that has been used by cyber criminals to poison "watering hole" websites in attacks aimed at U.S. government workers. Best case, Mozilla's Firefox for Windows 8 will ship in October
Firefox for Windows 8's "Modern" user interface (UI) will likely wrap up development this fall, Mozilla said on its website in a best case-worst case schedule. Estimates peg 59M Windows 8 devices in use
Microsoft this week said that it had sold 100 million licenses of Windows 8 in the operating system's first six months. But how many copies are being used? More support for Windows RT, this time from Nvidia
Nvidia will stay on board with making Tegra ARM-based processors for Windows RT tablets despite sluggish early sales of the devices, making the same commitment that Qualcomm has made, an Nvidia executive said Start button's return to Windows 8? Probably, but there's no guarantee
Microsoft's head of Windows development on Tuesday came close to promising that the iconic Start button would return to the Windows 8 desktop, but never made a guarantee. Microsoft's drip-drip-drip Windows communications strategy dubbed a washout
Microsoft's Tami Reller, the CFO and head of marketing for the Windows division, went on a mini publicity spree today. But she didn't say very much. $300M investment in Nook delivers next to nothing for Microsoft
Microsoft has gotten little from a 2012 investment of $300 million with Barnes & Noble, analysts said, but it's poised to reap some rewards as it and its partners start to ship smaller tablets. Security pros cheer hint of hands-off updates in Windows Blue
Microsoft's apparent plan to automatically update its own Windows Store apps in the next version of Windows 8 is drawing praise from security experts. Gates sticks to company line on tablets, knocks iPad
Microsoft co-founder and chairman Bill Gates today stuck to the company line on tablets, and disparaged rival Apple's iPad for its lack of a keyboard and its inability to run Office. Amazon leaks evidence of first smaller, cheaper Windows 8 tablet
Details of what could be the first smaller Windows 8 tablet leaked Friday when Amazon briefly published a listing for an 8.1-in. Acer Iconia tablet. Google bares Chrome's Trojan strategy with native-style packaged apps
Google's move this week to make it easier for Chrome browser users to find "packaged apps" is part of a strategy to turn any Internet-capable device into a Chromebook wannabe loyal to the company's ecosystem, an analyst said today. Retailers didn't do Windows 8 any favors
Retailers share part of the blame for poor Windows 8 sales and the ensuing decline of PC shipments, analysts contended today. Time to say goodbye to Windows RT tablets?
Windows RT tablets grabbed just 0.4% of the tablet market in the first quarter, a dismal result that led some tech experts to urge Microsoft to scrap the platform that's in its six-month infancy. Windows Blue won't solve all Microsoft's problems, analysts say
Microsoft's failure thus far to significantly spark PC and tablet sales with Windows 8 has put high expectations on an expected 2013 refresh of the OS, dubbed 'Blue.' Microsoft to drive Windows tablet strategy with smaller devices, OS rebates
Microsoft's chief financial officer yesterday confirmed that the company and its hardware partners would ship smaller, lower-priced Windows tablets in the next months. Microsoft: Mum's again the word on Windows 8 sales
Even though PC shipments were down 14% last quarter, Microsoft's Windows division posted revenue about the same as the last year, making up for slumping sales to OEMs with growth in long-term licensing agreements sold to enterprises. Microsoft files patent for new open windows viewer
Microsoft last week filed a patent application for a new method of browsing through open windows on the desktop that builds on an older, now-abandoned feature in Windows Vista and Windows 7. Outgoing Intel CEO knocks Windows 8, predicts $200 touch PCs this year
Intel's outgoing CEO took a few parting shots at Microsoft's Windows 8 Tuesday as he explained a slump in both revenue and profits for the first quarter. Microsoft may backtrack on Start button in Windows 8
Microsoft may recant its Windows 8 design theology, bloggers reported Tuesday, by offering Windows 8 users an option to bypass the "Modern" UI and by restoring the Start button and menu to the beleaguered operating system. Netflix to dump Silverlight, Microsoft's stalled technology
Netflix plans to abandon Microsoft's Silverlight media player plug-in for Windows and OS X in-browser video streaming, and replace it with a trio of HTML5 extensions. Don't blame Windows 8 for PC slowdown; Apple hit, too
Don't blame Windows 8 for plummeting PC sales, a retail analyst at NPD Group said today. Microsoft smart watch would be 'snipe hunt' distraction from Windows 8
Microsoft is reportedly working on designs for a touch-enabled smart watch, a move one analyst called a "snipe hunt" that would distract it from the critical chore of getting Windows 8 off the ground Windows XP's looming retirement won't shake PC business out of sales funk
But Microsoft is likely to reap more revenue from the disappearance of XP than will system builders, as many customers will do in-place upgrades to Windows 7 on current hardware. Windows 8 takes blame for 'brutal' PC sales slide
Microsoft's Windows 8 took another knock Wednesday as research firm IDC laid much of the blame for the first quarter's historically-horrible PC numbers at the feet of the beleaguered operating system. Microsoft must fight to remain influential, say analysts
Stormed by a shift to tablets and smartphones, and threatened, even in its enterprise bastion, by new demands from workers, Microsoft may lose its place at the table reserved for major technology players, an analyst argued today. Microsoft releases Office 2010 SP2 public beta
Microsoft on Monday released a public beta of Office 2010 Service Pack 2, the first major update to the suite in almost two years. Windows 8.1: What's in a name (and why it matters)
The more information that leaks about Windows 8's expected summer upgrade, dubbed "Blue" by Microsoft, the more questions that pop up, analysts said today. Microsoft to patch IE10 Pwn2Own bugs next week, says security expert
Microsoft will ship nine security updates next week, two rated "critical," to patch Internet Explorer, Windows, SharePoint Server, Office Web Apps and the company's anti-malware software in Windows 8 and RT. Microsoft, Google swap April Fools' jabs
Microsoft today took another shot at rival Google with an April Fools' Day prank that turned its Bing search engine into a Google look-alike. Google had its own counter-spoof. Uptake gap between Windows 8 and Vista widens even as new OS gains share
Windows 8 last month fell even further behind the historical adoption pace of Windows Vista, Microsoft's 2007 flop, new statistics showed today. Dell blames 'uncertain adoption' of Windows 8 for some of its financial woes
Dell blamed Microsoft's Windows 8 as one of several causes for its grim financial future, according to a Friday filing with U.S. securities regulators. How Microsoft lost the future of gesture control
Microsoft squandered its five-year head start in gesture control technology and is now falling behind. By the time the company gets Kinect for Windows into the consumer market, Leap Motion may already own that market. Microsoft signals push to smaller, lower-priced Windows tablets
Microsoft has relaxed a Windows 8 certification requirement to allow devices with lower resolutions, a move analysts said means Microsoft could soon join the shift to smaller, less expensive tablets. Microsoft quietly patches first Modern app for Windows 8, RT
Microsoft earlier this week quietly issued its first security update for one of its Windows 8 apps, patching a link-spoofing vulnerability in Mail. Microsoft to expand Surface Pro sales to China next week
Microsoft will start selling the Surface Pro tablet in China next week, the company said yesterday. Windows Blue and Microsoft's continuous upgrade strategy
Microsoft yesterday confirmed Windows "Blue," an upgrade to Windows 8, but analysts remained uneasy about how the faster release cadence that Blue represents will be digested by businesses. Microsoft to host BUILD dev conference on Apple's home ground
Microsoft on Tuesday announced that its BUILD 2013 developers conference will be held June 26-28 on Apple's home turf, San Francisco's Moscone Center. Microsoft confirms it's shut off Windows 8-Google Apps calendar sync
Microsoft confirmed Monday that Windows 8 users who upgrade the Calendar app will no longer be able to synchronize that schedule with the calendar included with Google Apps for Business, Academic or Government. Microsoft faces new EU antitrust probe as Linux group files complaint
A Spanish association of Linux users today accused Microsoft of anti-competitive practices, charging that Windows 8's Secure Boot blocks users from installing rival operating systems on new PCs. Windows 'Blue' shows desktop's days are numbered
Microsoft won't back away from a radical overhaul of Windows and is determined to kill the decades-old, decades-rich desktop, analysts agreed today. Microsoft to refresh Windows 8 core app trio on Tuesday
Microsoft will push updated versions of several long-criticized Windows 8 apps, including Mail, Calendar and People, the "Modern"-style program for keeping track of contacts, to the Windows Store tomorrow. Ad industry threatens Firefox users with more ads if Mozilla moves on tracking plans
The online ad industry has attacked Mozilla over its decision to block third-party cookies in a future release of Firefox, calling the move "dangerous and highly disturbing," and claiming that it will result in more ads shown to users. Windows 8 app store growth slows
Microsoft launched a Windows 8 app-for-cash promotion this week because growth of the company's app store has slowed this quarter, an analyst argued today. Jack Gold: Has BYOD peaked?
Expect enterprises to start instituting stricter policies to make BYOD a more secure and cost-effective policy. Microsoft's cash-for-apps pitch to devs smells like desperation, says analyst
Microsoft yesterday kicked off a promotion that rewards Windows 8 and Windows Phone developers $100 for each app that they publish in the company's app stores. Google Apps broker exploits enterprise concerns about Microsoft's Office changes
A cloud service broker is pitching Google Apps to enterprises by playing on their fears about recent changes Microsoft's made to Office. Insider (registration required) Apple updates Mountain Lion, patches Safari
Apple yesterday updated OS X Mountain Lion for the first time in six months, patching 14 security vulnerabilities and addressing a host of other issues. IDC joins 'ditch Windows RT' bandwagon
Microsoft's two-pronged OS push into tablets -- Windows RT and Windows 8 -- confuses customers, and the company should focus on the more robust Windows 8, an IDC analyst said today. Adobe patches Flash, but doesn't get around to Pwn2Own bug
Adobe today patched Flash Player, the fifth time this year it's updated the vulnerability-plagued software. Microsoft reverses IE10's Flash blocking in Windows 8, RT
Microsoft later today will reverse a months-long practice in how Internet Explorer 10 handles Adobe's Flash Player on Windows 8's and Windows RT's Modern user interfaces. Slick trick: $5 tool runs Modern apps on the Windows 8 desktop
A Michigan developer last week started selling a $5 utility that lets Windows 8 customers shun the new Modern UI by running apps on the classic desktop. A touchscreen on your desktop: Three new displays
With the introduction of Windows 8, touchscreens are coming to the desktop -- but they're not cheap. We look at three of the latest monitors from Acer, Dell and ViewSonic. Microsoft slates IE, Windows, Office updates for next week
Microsoft today announced it will deliver seven security updates next week, four of them rated "critical," to patch Internet Explorer, Windows, Office, SharePoint Server and the Silverlight media software. Researchers rake in $280K at Pwn2Own hacking contest
Research teams Wednesday cracked Microsoft's Internet Explorer 10 (IE10), Google's Chrome and Mozilla's Firefox at the Pwn2Own hacking contest, pulling in more than $250,000 in prizes. Microsoft pulls last lever, discounts Windows 8 to OEMs to spark sales
Microsoft has done something it's historically been loath to do: discount prices for the copies of Windows it sells to computer makers, online reports said today. EU fines Microsoft $732M over browser ballot debacle
European Union antitrust officials today hit Microsoft with a $732 million fine for failing to live up to a 2009 settlement that requires it to offer Windows users a choice of alternate browsers. Windows 8 uptake slows for third straight month
Windows 8's uptake pace slowed in February for the third straight month, Net Applications said today. Second wave of Windows 8 client promotions coming soon
Microsoft is about to embark on a second wave of Windows 8 client hardware promotions and user education, an executive said Wednesday. $15 Windows 8 upgrade ends Feb. 28
Customers who purchased a Windows 7 PC from June 2012 through January 2013 have just two more days to submit their claims for a discounted copy of Windows 8, Microsoft said yesterday. Adobe springs emergency Flash update, says hackers hitting Firefox
Adobe today patched new vulnerabilities in Flash Player that hackers are now exploiting in attacks aimed at Firefox users, the company said. Intel demos perceptual computing software toolkit
Software engineers at Intel are exploring new ways for computers to perceive the human voice, gestures and head-and-eye movements to supplement the traditional ways that people use the keyboard and mouse. Dell Latitude 10 gets some attitude with 20-hour battery, fingerprint reader
Dell has bolstered security features on its Latitude 10 tablet and offers an extended life battery, all in the hope these add-ons will appeal to large institutional users like the government, healthcare operations and the financial services industry. Surface Pro again out of stock; Microsoft underestimated demand, argues analyst
Less than a week after Microsoft began taking reservation orders for its 128GB Surface Pro tablet, the company has again slapped a sold-out sign on its website. Microsoft sells out of 128GB Surface Pro
Microsoft started selling its Surface Pro tablet on Saturday, and quickly exhausted its supply of the 128GB configuration. If the PC dies, Windows 8 will be its killer, says analyst
In another illustration of the diminishing importance of the PC, a research firm today said that more than a third of surveyed consumers who once used personal computers to access content have switched to tablets and smartphones. Adobe releases emergency Flash fixes for two zero-day bugs
Adobe updated Flash Player to patch a pair of zero-day vulnerabilities that hackers were already using to hijack Windows PCs and Macs. Microsoft preps monster security update for next week
Microsoft will issue 12 security updates next week, including two for Internet Explorer, that will patch a near-record 57 vulnerabilities in the browser, Windows, Office and the enterprise-critical Exchange Server email software. Exchange Server 2013: Not quite ready for the data center
Thinking about upgrading? Hang back at least a year before implementing this release, our expert advises. OS X Snow Leopard stubbornly rejects retirement
Apple's OS X Snow Leopard, which shipped in August 2009, continued to resist retirement last month, new data from Web analytics vendor Net Applications showed. Microsoft pitches Surface Pro with Mac-iPad price comparison
Microsoft made the clearest case yet for its Surface Pro tablet when a top Windows executive said it should be compared with not one, but two Apple devices. Review: Surface goes from amateur to Pro
Microsoft delivers an ultrabook in the sleek guise of a tablet. Microsoft to open five more retail stores by summer
Microsoft will open five new retail stores by summer, including one it's transmuting from a "pop-up" outlet created last year to drive holiday sales. Do touch screens belong on PCs? A debate
Is a touch display on a laptop user-friendly or an annoying productivity-killer? Computerworld editors hash it out. Enterprises standardize on four-year-old IE8, says dev
Even as the release of Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) looms for Windows 7, enterprises are standardizing on the four-year-old IE8 instead, a developer of browser management software said today. Insider (registration required) Microsoft issues tools to block IE10 upgrades on Windows 7
Microsoft has released tools to block Internet Explorer 10 from automatically reaching corporate PCs running Windows 7, a sign that the new browser will not release for at least several weeks FAQ: Microsoft rents out Office 365
Microsoft this week launched the first two of its new pay-as-you-go subscription plans for Office. Is this the way we'll get software from now on? Or is it a gamble that could easily go awry? We've got the answers. Windows 8's usage uptake falls further behind Vista's
Windows 8 fell further behind the pace of Windows Vista's uptake last month, a metric company said today, even as usage share of the new operating system continued to slowly climb. IronKey Workspace review: Windows 8 PC on a stick
Imation's IronKey division has introduced a new USB drive from which you can boot up an encryption-secured Windows 8 PC on any computer. Big Windows 8 discount ends today
Today is the last day customers can purchase an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for the discounted price of $39.99. 10 Windows 8 tips, tricks and hacks
Starting to get comfortable with Windows 8? Don't stop now: From invoking 'God Mode' to hacking the lock screen, here are 10 ways to make Windows 8 act the way you want. Surface Pro storage space in short supply
Microsoft's low-end Surface Pro tablet, slated to start shipping Feb. 9, sports just 23GB of free storage space out of the box, Microsoft confirmed today. Microsoft tweaks Mac Office, makes it rental
As expected, Microsoft today updated Office for Mac 2011 to work with the new Office 365 Home Premium software-by-subscription plan the company debuted Tuesday. Office 365 Home Premium review: Is Office better by subscription?
Office 365 Home Premium, Microsoft's new subscription-based version of Office 2013, lets you use your applications anywhere. But does it really cost less than the client version? Microsoft earnings shed no new light on Windows 8 sales
Revenue at Microsoft's Windows division was up 11% in the fourth quarter of 2012, unexpected results that did little to answer the question on analysts' tongues: How did Windows 8 perform in its first sales test? SSD market revenue set to more than double
A new generation of lower-cost and more appealing ultrabooks is expected to lead to a more than doubling of global shipments of SSDs in 2013, according to IHS iSuppli. Microsoft to raise Windows 8 upgrade prices by 5X
Microsoft on Friday announced Windows 8 upgrade price increases of as much as 400% that will take effect Feb. 1, when a three-month promotional discount ends. Windows 8 Pro upgrade price to rise to $199.99 after Jan. 31
The price for upgrading to Windows 8 Pro will shoot up after Jan. 31, when the existing special offers to acquire the new OS lapse. IE10 for Windows 7 nears final release, says report
Microsoft is close to wrapping up work on Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) on Windows 7, according to a report Friday. Pwn2Own hacking contest puts record $560K on the line
HP TippingPoint, the long-time organizer of the annual Pwn2Own hacking contest, has revamped the challenge for the second year running and will offer cash awards exceeding half a million dollars, more than five times the amount paid out last year.
| Our bloggers on Windows 8 Can Microsoft's Surface Mini save Windows RT?
Reports say that Microsoft is readying a smaller, less-expensive version of its Window RT-based Surface tablet, and may announce it as early as June. Will that be enough to save the struggling Windows RT OS?
Europe to Microsoft: We hate Windows 8
PC sales in Western Europe plummeted in the first quarter in the biggest decline the continent has ever seen -- more than 20 percent. And one key reason for the drop is that European users simply don't like Windows 8.
Windows chief: We're with ARM and RT for the long haul; Haswell-based tablets will be ready this fall
Windows RT tablets may have underwhelming sales, and some people believe RT is on a death watch, but a top Windows executive said today that Microsoft won't abandon RT-based tablets and the ARM platform on which they run. That being said, she pointed to this fall as the rollout time for full Windows 8 tablets based on Intel's low-power Haswell chips.
No iTunes for Windows 8? Who cares? What's really needed is Spotify.
Don't wring your hands about Apple refusing to build an iTunes app for Windows 8. Who needs it? What you should be hoping for is a Windows 8 Spotify app, because it's the present and future of digital music, while iTunes is the past.
Go on Microsoft: Give Office for iOS, take iTunes for Windows 8
Microsoft is doomed in its attempt to slow Apple'siPad sales by denying iOS users a mobile version of Office as the iPad maker controls the most searched for app on the Windows 8 store -- iTunes. Surely there's a deal in that?
Acer says Microsoft has finally learned "how people living on earth think"
Acer, which has long been publicly critical of Microsoft's Windows 8 strategy, now says that Microsoft has started to listen to its hardware partners. And the company's chairman has offered a strange, backhand compliment, saying that Microsoft has finally learned "how people living on earth think." With compliments like that, who needs to hear criticisms?
That 100 million sales figure for Windows 8? Don't believe it.
Micrsoft's announcement that it has sold 100 million licenses for Windows 8 is impressive sounding but misleading. It represents the number of licenses shipped, but not actually bought. There's plenty of evidence that not nearly that many copies have sold and are in the hands of users.
Maybe the Desktop really is important, Microsoft admits. Windows Blue to the rescue?
With Windows 8, Microsoft has done everything it could do to kill off the Desktop. But now, after months of getting sometimes angry feedback, Microsoft has finally admitted that people want to use it. Will Windows Blue finally end Microsoft's anti-Desktop fixation?
Bill Gates swats the iPad, says Office will help Windows 8 tablets rule
The iPad may rule the roost today, but eventually Windows 8 tablets will succeed, in large part because they're built to run Office. So says Bill Gates, while also taking a backhand swipe at the iPad.
Here's why Windows 8 will never approach Vista's awfulness
Windows 8 has taken plenty of criticism since its release. But even though it's been called as big a bomb as Vista, Windows 8 will have much more success than that version of Windows. Here's why.
Acer's new Aspire R7 laptop: Innovation for its own sake?
Innovation is a good thing -- unless it is innovation for its own sake. Acer's new Aspire R7 touchscreen laptop may fall into that latter category.
Who wants Windows RT? No one.
Despite a massive marketing campaign for the Microsoft Surface, RT-based tablets have been a bust, with a measly 0.4% market share. So says the latest report from IDC. How long will Microsoft keep propping up this ill-begotten operating system?
Apple drinks the Microsoft Kool Aid, bases iOS 7 on Windows 8 "Metro"
Apple, the aficiando of all things cool, is throwing away its old-style iOS interface in favor of the flat design pioneered by Microsoft in Windows 8 and Windows Phone. So say several reports. Could the move backfire and help Microsoft gain on Apple?
Surprise! Windows tablet market share jumps to 7.5%
Windows tablets aren't dead -- they hit a surprisingly high 7.5% market share in the first quarter of 2013. A 7.5% market share might not seem like much, but consider the woes that Windows tablets have been living through, that's encouraging news for Microsoft. It may mean that despite all the bad news, bad press, and bad planning, there's a real future for the devices.
Windows Blue's Start button -- no, it won't be the real thing
The Start button that Microsoft is said to be baking into Windows Blue may not be the Start button that users are clamoring for. In fact, it is said to do the exact opposite of what people want it to do, and merely bring up the Windows 8 Start screen, but not the traditional Start menu. So reports the Verge, and if true it would be a major misstep for Microsoft.
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