Continuing coverage of Microsoft's Windows 8  Aged Windows XP costs 5x more to manage than Windows 7
Microsoft has added ammunition to its aggressive battle to get users off Windows XP by citing a company-sponsored report that claims annual support costs for the older OS are more than five times that of Windows 7. Microsoft clarifies Ballmer's claims of massive Windows 8 adoption
Reports earlier this week that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer predicted unprecedented sales of Windows 8 were wrong on multiple counts, Microsoft and independent analysts agreed. Windows 8 puts end to endless reboots
Microsoft yesterday promised that a feature it's added to Windows 8 will put a stop to endless reboots. QuickPoll: Why is Microsoft ditching its "Aero" UI in Windows 8?
Microsoft is abandoning the 'Aero' user interface with Windows 8, calling the UI that debuted in Vista and continued in Windows 7, 'cheesy' and 'dated' -- but is that the only reason? Why do you think Microsoft is ditching its "Aero" UI in Windows 8? No price cuts for Windows 8 upgrades, says analyst
Microsoft will not reduce the price of Windows 8 upgrades, as it did three years ago before the roll-out of Windows 7, a retail sales analyst said today. Microsoft dumps 'Aero' UI in Windows 8, 'Metro-izes' desktop
Microsoft is abandoning the 'Aero' user interface with Windows 8, calling the UI that debuted in Vista and continued in Windows 7, 'cheesy' and 'dated.' Microsoft reprises free Xbox back-to-school PC promo
Microsoft will repeat last year's back-to-school promotion, kicking off the deal Sunday with an offer of a free Xbox 360 game console to eligible U.S. students who buy a new Windows 7 PC. Microsoft to charge $15 for Windows 8 upgrade deal
Microsoft plans to charge users who buy a new Windows 7 PC $14.99 for an upgrade to Windows 8. The upgrade program is expected to kick off alongside the delivery of Windows 8 Release Preview in June. Senate to look at Mozilla's browser competition allegations
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee plans to look into accusations by Mozilla that Microsoft is restricting access to important programming tools for browsers that will run in Windows RT. Microsoft preps Windows 8 upgrade deal for early June debut, says report
Microsoft will reportedly kick off a Windows 8 upgrade program for buyers of Windows 7 PCs in early June. Mozilla on new browser brouhaha: Microsoft, Apple different cases
Two wrongs don't make a right, Mozilla's chief counsel said Thursday when asked why his company hasn't lambasted Apple, as it did Microsoft, for blocking rival browsers from its mobile operating system. Microsoft touts Windows 8's ability to detect, fix hard disk problems
Microsoft has revamped the way Windows 8 monitors hard disk operations and detects problems in an effort to make the diagnostic and repair process less intrusive and disruptive, even as disk capacity continues to balloon. Mozilla accuses Microsoft of anticompetitive behavior with Windows RT
Mozilla yesterday accused Microsoft of withholding APIs necessary to build a competitive browser for Windows RT, and said the behavior "may have antitrust implications." Microsoft mute on Nook app's bundling with Windows 8
Microsoft on Monday declined to say whether Barnes and Noble's Nook app for Metro will be embedded into Windows 8 or Windows RT. Slow uptake of Windows 8 preview hints at lack of interest
Windows users appear half as interested in trying out the new Windows 8 as they did three years ago when they jumped at the chance to test drive Windows 7, data shows. Microsoft slates Windows 8 'release preview' for early June
Microsoft's top Windows executive today said that the company will ship an almost-complete version of Windows 8 the first week of June. Is Windows RT on tablets DOA because it lacks needed enterprise features?
Omissions from the feature set of Windows RT are leaving analysts increasingly skeptical that enterprises will gravitate toward tablets running the new forked version of Windows. Is Windows RT on tablets DOA because it lacks needed enterprise features? Did Microsoft run out of time with Windows RT?
Microsoft may have simply run out of time with Windows RT as it tried to keep up with rivals Apple and Google, an analyst said today. Windows sales defy predictions, grow 4%
Stronger-than-expected sales of Windows helped Microsoft post a 6% increase in revenue for the first quarter of 2012, the company said yesterday. Microsoft touts corporate tools in Windows 8 Enterprise
Microsoft yesterday laid out the exclusive features of Windows 8 Enterprise, one of three editions of the upcoming OS and the only one limited to corporate customers. Skepticism mounts over Windows RT's enterprise role
Omissions from the feature set of Windows RT are leaving analysts increasingly skeptical that enterprises will gravitate toward tablets running the new forked version of Windows. Microsoft remains mum on Windows 8 upgrades from Vista, XP
Microsoft today declined to confirm whether users of Windows XP and Vista will be able to upgrade their PCs to Windows 8 when the latter launches later this year. Windows RT, formerly WOA, to have Office apps included
Windows 8 on ARM, now dubbed Windows RT by Microsoft, will include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote applications -- a move that could be used to entice Windows tablet buyers. Mac owners 3X more likely to preview next OS than Windows users
Mac users are nearly three times more likely to be running an early version of the OS X Mountain Lion operating system than PC owners testing Microsoft's Windows 8, the Chitika online ad network said today. QuickPoll: Can Windows 8 work well on both tablets and PCs?
Windows 8 Consumer Preview offers a new look at Microsoft's upcoming interface for both computers and tablets. Can Windows 8 work well in both environments? Windows 8 lets users decide which IE opens links
Windows 8 users will be able to set which version of Internet Explorer 10 automatically opens Web pages when links are clicked, Microsoft said Monday. Late May claim for Windows 8 RC jibes with expected timetable
Microsoft will launch the "release candidate" of Windows 8 in late May or early June, according to a Saturday report by a Dutch blog. Microsoft to launch Windows 8 in October, report says
Microsoft will wrap up Windows 8 this summer, according to a report by Bloomberg on Monday. IT execs still awaiting Windows 8 on tablets
IT managers say they are eagerly awaiting Windows 8-based tablets due out this fall, though some wonder whether it's too late for Microsoft to take on Apple iPads and various Android tablets. Free tool restores Start button to Windows 8
StarDock, a company known for software that customizes Windows has released a free tool that restores the Start button to Microsoft's Windows 8 Consumer Preview. A deep dive into Windows 8 Consumer Preview
Windows 8 Consumer Preview offers a new look at Microsoft's upcoming interface for both computers and tablets. Is one device being shortchanged in favor of the other? Windows 8 preview breaks 1M download mark in first 24 hours
Microsoft on Thursday announced that customers had downloaded more than 1 million copies of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview in its first day of availability. Hands on with Windows Server 8 beta
Our reviewer doesn't like the Metro user interface as the default for a server OS, but other than that lauds its new features. Microsoft releases Windows Server 8 beta
Closely following the company's public preview of Windows 8, Microsoft has released a beta version of its Windows Server 8 operating system. Windows 8: What you need to get started
You have questions about the Consumer Preview for Windows 8? We have answers. Some of them, anyway. Microsoft opens doors to Metro app store for Windows 8
Microsoft today made good on its promise to open the doors to its Windows Store alongside the launch of the public Windows 8 preview. Windows 8 on ARM on track, Microsoft says
Anyone can take Windows 8 for a spin now that Microsoft has launched the so-called "consumer preview" version of the software at an event in Barcelona on Wednesday. Microsoft ships Windows 8 Consumer Preview
Microsoft launched the Windows 8 Consumer Preview today at 9:30 a.m. ET, opening the gates to users who want to try the desktop edition of the company's upcoming upgrade. No webcast for Wednesday's Windows 8 launch event, Microsoft confirms
Microsoft doesn't plan to webcast Wednesday's launch event for Windows 8 Consumer Preview. Analyst: Microsoft won't copy Apple's online-only sales for Windows 8
Microsoft will probably trim the number of Windows 8 editions it will sell later this year, but won't mimic Apple's online-only approach to OS upgrades, a retail sales analyst said today. QuickPoll: Will Windows on ARM be as successful as iOS and Android?
'Windows on ARM,' or WOA for short, is the new edition of the still-under-construction Windows 8 for traditional PCs. Will it be as successful as iOS and Android? FAQ: Windows on ARM explained
In an 8,600-word epistle, Microsoft's top Windows executive pulled aside the curtain on the first version of the company's iconic OS that targets tablets. We dig into the details for you. Windows 8 on ARM, dubbed WOA, to include Office apps for tablets
Windows 8 on ARM, dubbed WOA by Microsoft, could offer a big 'Whoa!' moment for workers wanting to run Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and other Office apps on a touchscreen tablet. Microsoft fixes Windows 8 Consumer Preview launch event for Feb. 29
Microsoft said it will host a launch event for the Windows 8 beta on Feb. 29 in Barcelona, the site of the Mobile World Congress. Microsoft drops Start button from Windows 8, reports say
Microsoft will scratch the 17-year-old Start button from Windows 8, according to reports based on a purported leak of the latest beta build. 13 Windows 8 features worth knowing about
From a Windows app store to support for new wireless protocols, Windows 8 introduces a host of new features. Some will benefit consumers, some businesses -- and some, perhaps, nobody. Is anyone really using Windows 8's preview?
Although millions have downloaded Microsoft's Windows 8 developer preview, relatively few are actually using it, Web measurements show. Microsoft: We can remotely delete Windows 8 apps
Microsoft will be able to throw a "kill switch" to disable or even remove an app from users' Windows 8 devices, the company revealed in documentation for its upcoming Windows Store. Microsoft slates Windows 8 beta for late February 2012
Microsoft yesterday confirmed that it will release a public beta of Windows 8 -- and open its Windows Store to the public -- in late February. Windows 8 will be 'largely irrelevant' on PCs, predicts IDC
Microsoft faces a tough sell with Windows 8, IDC said, because it tries to 'offer the best of both worlds' with a single OS suitable for both desktops and tablets. Microsoft slashes upgrade times for Windows 8
Microsoft claimed yesterday that users will be able to complete a Windows 8 upgrade much faster, in some cases in one-tenth the time it took similar-configured PCs to upgrade to Windows 7. Microsoft to streamline Windows 8's patch process
Microsoft will reduce the number of distracting restarts for updates to Windows 8, part of its plan to simplify how people interact with the upcoming OS, a company manager said today. A deep dive into Windows 8 Developer Preview
Preston Gralla spends several days working with Windows 8 on a PC, and reports on his experiences. Metro apps to be sold only from Microsoft's app store
Metro apps for Windows 8 will be available only through Microsoft's own store, and a primer about the download market said Microsoft, like Apple, will get a 30% cut of all sales. Visual tour: Windows 8 goes Metro
Microsoft's next operating system is not designed for your parents -- or is it? Take a look and see what could be on your next PC, or tablet. Microsoft CEO hints at 'Metro-ization' of Office
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on Wednesday strongly hinted that the company will craft a Metro-style version of the next Office suite. Windows 8 snags an early thumbs-up
Microsoft's long-awaited deeper look at Windows 8 on Tuesday has piqued consumer interest, according to a company that scores online news and social media trends. Echoing Apple, Microsoft bans Flash from Metro IE10 in Windows 8
Microsoft will not support browser plug-ins, including Adobe's Flash, in one of the two versions of Internet Explorer to be bundled with Windows 8, a company executive said today. 10 best new features of Windows Server 8
With Windows Server 8, Microsoft has outdone itself, from a revamped UI to hundreds of new features, including vastly improved virtualization management Will tablet developers rush to Windows 8?
Now that developers have in their hands a pre-release version of Windows 8 running on a special edition of the Samsung Series 7 tablet, analysts are weighing in on how many developers will ultimately build Windows tablet applications. Microsoft: No Windows Server for ARM
While Microsoft is embracing the ARM processor architecture for its next Windows client operating system, Windows 8, the company has no immediate plans to develop an ARM-based version of its next Windows Server, the company executive in charge of Windows Server confirmed Wednesday. Microsoft previews next Windows Server
One day after Microsoft launched the first beta of the next generation of its Windows desktop operating system, Windows 8, the company previewed the next version of its server operating system, Windows Server 8. Windows 8 will run from USB thumb drive
Windows 8 will include a new feature that lets IT administrators provide workers with a portable Windows environment on a USB thumb drive. First look: The two faces of Windows 8 Developer Preview
The first download of Windows 8 Developer Preview reveals an operating system with two different interfaces: a traditional desktop and a smartphone-like Metro. Microsoft opens Windows 8 preview to all
Taking a different tack than it did three years ago, Microsoft has made a preview of Windows 8 available to anyone who takes the time to download it. Microsoft leaves Windows 8 questions unanswered, say experts
Today's long-awaited look at Windows 8 left analysts almost as perplexed as they were before Microsoft's top Windows executive walked onto a California stage. Microsoft launches Windows 8 preview
Microsoft will post the first developer preview beta of Windows 8 late on Tuesday, the company announced as it showed off the new OS running on a Samsung tablet. Windows 8 on ARM to open up for developer scrutiny
Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 OS running on ARM prototype tablets and other devices will be open for developer scrutiny at the software giant's Build conference this week. Windows 8 steps beyond the desktop
On the Windows computer of the future, live tiles will replace icons, touch-based gestures will replace mouse clicks and semantic zooming will replace the arduous traversal through nested menus and folders. Intel to show tablets, ultrabooks running Windows 8
Intel plans to show Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 on tablets based on new Atom processors, and on ultrabooks, at both the Intel Developer Forum and Microsoft's BUILD conference this week, according to a source familiar with Intel's plans. Microsoft to webcast Windows 8 keynote Tuesday
Microsoft will webcast the opening keynote at its developers conference tomorrow when its top Windows executive is expected to reveal more information about Windows 8. Windows 8 desktop to be 'just another app,' says Microsoft exec
The Microsoft executive who heads the company's Windows division said the next edition of the operating system will let users treat the traditional desktop as 'just another app' that loads only on command. Microsoft confirms app store in Windows 8
Microsoft has begun talking about Windows 8 in general terms, reprising a blog-based strategy that it used in the year-long run-up to Windows 7. QuickPoll: Do you like the direction Microsoft is headed with Windows 8?
Analysts parsing what Microsoft revealed of Windows 8 recently are split on how big the company's gambling with its operating system. One key issue is if its "touch-first" plan - aimed at getting Windows on tablets in the Post-PC era -- will alienate enterprise users. Do you like the direction Microsoft is going with Windows 8? Microsoft Windows 8 demos spur developer worry
Thanks to two brief demonstrations of Microsoft's next-generation operating system, third-party Microsoft Windows developers are expressing frustration over what they consider a lack of clear direction on how to develop applications for Windows 8. Shock: Windows 8 optimized for desktop tablets
You might have written off Microsoft as clueless about the future of touch computing, but the user interface for desktop Windows 8 changes everything. How big is Microsoft gambling with Windows 8?
Analysts parsing what Microsoft revealed of Windows 8 this week are split on how big the company is gambling with its operating system cash cow. Windows 8 may give Microsoft a tablet play
Can Microsoft's next-generation, touch-oriented Windows 8 OS give Microsoft a leg-up in the tablet computer market now dominated by Apple's iPad? Microsoft: Windows 8 won't require a new PC
Having learned its lesson the hard way with Windows Vista, Microsoft offered assurances Thursday that its upcoming Windows 8 operating system won't require users to buy a new PC. Microsoft unveils touch-oriented Windows 8
Microsoft today showed the next version of its Windows OS at a press event in Taipei, unveiling a completely new tile-based interface that it hopes will be better suited for the emerging world of tablet PCs. Microsoft backpedals from Ballmer's Windows 8 comments
Microsoft is backing away from comments by CEO Steve Ballmer, who had told Japanese software developers that the next version of Windows would be dubbed Windows 8 and launch in 2012. Ballmer: Windows 8 is coming in 2012
Microsoft's next version of the Windows operating system, dubbed Windows 8, will debut in 2012, company CEO Steve Ballmer said Monday. Microsoft blasts Intel's talk of Windows 8 as misleading, inaccurate
Microsoft today called comments made by an Intel executive about the next version of Windows "inaccurate" and "misleading." QuickPoll: Is Windows 8's ribbon interface a deal-breaker or breakthrough?
Another Windows 8 pre-beta surfaced recently, and it is said to feature a ribbon-based user-interface similar to the one used in recent editions of Microsoft Office. Is Windows 8's ribbon interface a deal breaker or breakthrough for you? Microsoft to put next Windows OS on ARM chips
Microsoft said Wednesday that the next version of its Windows PC operating system will run on ARM processors, part of an effort to adapt Windows to the fast-growing market for tablet computers, where Apple and Google have gained traction.
| Our bloggers on Windows 8 Is Steve Ballmer mad? Or lost in translation?
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) CEO Steve Ballmer is being accused of craziness -- even more so than usual (I kid, I kid). He's reported to have predicted that there'll be half a billion Windows 8 PCs in use by the end of 2013. Yeah, right; Microsoft PR is furiously clarifying the quote. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers sing-a-long-a-Nena.
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Microsoft: Steve Ballmer never said Windows 8 would have 500 million users by 2013
Agence France-Presse (AFP) caused quite a stir when it reported Steve Ballmer saying that Windows 8 would have up to 500 million users by the end of 2013. But Microsoft says that Ballmer never made that prediction, and the AFP article was based on a misunderstanding.
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Microsoft's Ballmer claims 500 million people will have Windows 8 by 2013. Here's why he's wrong.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says that he expected 500 million people to have Windows 8 by the end of 2013. But a look at Windows' sales history and PC growth shows that number is way off base.
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Microsoft will kill the "dated," "cheesy" Aero desktop with Windows 8. Is it a mistake?
Windows Aero lovers, say good-bye to your bad taste in user interfaces. Microsoft says that it's killing Aero in the Windows desktop, which it now calls "dated" and "cheesy." Is the move a mistake?
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Expect Windows 8 PCs to be pre-loaded with bloatware
When you buy that shiny, brand-new Windows 8 PC, expect that it may well be riddled with bloatware, the extraneous junk, trialware, and assorted crud that seems to bedevil any PC you purchase. There's a chance that there may be less of it than in previous version of Windows, but as with earlier Windows versions, if you want it cleaned of junk, you can pay $99 for a bloatware-cleaning service from Microsoft.
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Congressional hypocrisy -- Senate may investigate Microsoft but not Apple for blocking browser access
Politicans are prone to hypocrisy, but now they're carrying it to new heights -- a Senate committee may look in Microsoft's blocking browsers from accessing certain features of Windows RT, but not investigate Apple for even greater browser restrictions.
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Mozilla's hypocrisy: It's OK for Apple to block Firefox, but wrong when Microsoft does it
How's this for hypocrisy: Mozilla says that Apple banning Firefox from iPads and iPhones is no problem, but Microsoft restricting the browser from using some features on some Windows 8 tablets may be illegal.
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Mozilla hates Microsoft for limits in Windows RT (Win 8 on ARM)
Mozilla is criticizing Microsoft because of the API restrictions it's imposed in Windows RT. Windows 8 on ARM won't allow Firefox and other non-IE browsers to run on the desktop. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers wonder if this is an anti-trust violation, or perhaps it's OK, because 'Windows RT' isn't actually 'Windows'? Not to mention: Incredibox...
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Microsoft will cripple Chrome and Firefox on Windows 8-based ARM tablets. Does it matter?
When ARM tablets running Windows 8 ship, Chrome, Firefox, and other browsers will be at a disadvantage, because Internet Explorer will be the only browser allowed to take advantage of certain features of the operating system. Mozilla and Google are crying "foul." Do the restrictions really matter?
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Is the Windows 8 security hole really a big deal?
A security researcher has found a potentially massive security hole in Windows 8 that would expose someone's contacts and other information from social networking services and email including Gmail, Facebook, Hotmail, LinkedIn, and Twitter, among others. It sounds serious, but there may be less to the security hole than meets the eye.
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