Operating Systems Topic Center

Keep up with the latest operating systems news, reviews, advice and more, including Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and Unix

Microsoft knuckles under, yanks YouTube app for Windows Phone

Microsoft has bowed to pressure from Google and pulled the YouTube app from its Windows Phone Store that earlier this month triggered a cease-and-desist letter from the search giant.
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Oracle, managed services provider to settle suit over third-party support

Oracle and managed services provider ServiceKey have come to a proposed settlement of an intellectual-property lawsuit Oracle filed against the company last year.

Google tests enhanced notifications in Chrome browser

Google has released a beta version of Chrome that introduces what the company describes as "richer" notifications from the browser's apps and extensions.

Windows 8 users snub 'Modern' apps, stick to desktop

A majority of consumer and small business Windows 8 PC users launch fewer than one "Modern" app a day, signaling that they're spending most of their time on the classic Windows 7-style desktop, according to data released Wednesday.

Google engineer bashes Microsoft's handling of security researchers, discloses Windows zero-day

A Google security engineer accused Microsoft of treating outside researchers with "great hostility" days before posting details of an unpatched vulnerability in Windows that could be used to crash PCs or gain additional access rights.

HP hopes Envy Rove 20-inch 'tablet' can boost Windows 8

Windows 8 has not found wide adoption among desktop users, so HP has announced a new portable all-in-one and lowered the price of touch PCs so users can take advantage of the operating system.

HP $399 touchscreen laptop breaks price barrier

Hewlett-Packard has introduced a new wave of Envy and Pavilion thin and light laptops, including an 11.6-inch touchscreen model priced aggressively at $399.

Windows 8.1 laptops with AMD's new chips to support wireless display

Advanced Micro Devices hopes to regain share in the PC processor market with its upcoming chips based on the Jaguar core, which will bring console-like gaming and wireless displays to laptops with Windows 8 and its successor, Windows Blue.

Microsoft software satisfaction slumps

Customer satisfaction with Microsoft's software, primarily Windows, dropped slightly in the last year, likely part of the fallout over Windows 8, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

Boutique PC seller laughs all the way to the bank on the back of Windows 7

A boutique system builder has bucked the industry trend of slumping PC sales by continuing to focus on selling Windows 7 machines.

How to Prepare for Windows 8 Even Though It's Not Coming to Enterprises

Windows 8 won't be adopted as a standard at your business anytime soon, according to a new Forrester report. But that doesn't mean IT shouldn't prepare for it to sneak through the BYOD side door. Here are five ways to be ready for Windows 8.

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?

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.

Korora Linux 18 seeks to deliver a friendlier Fedora

This newly updated Linux distro is based on Fedora 18 but adds numerous features for extra usability.

Study lauds Linux code as the 'benchmark of quality'

Most recently, Coverity scanned 7.6 million lines of code in Linux 3.8 and found a defect density of just .59.

Five things to like about Debian 7.0, 'Wheezy'

After more than two years of development, the Debian project on Saturday released the long-awaited Version 7.0 of its venerable Linux distribution.

Dell's Linux laptop has good hardware, plus a decent toolkit

Our Linux pros check out the decked-out XPS 13 'Developer Edition' laptop, preloaded with Ubuntu and other tools.

Review: Xamarin 2.0 brings C# to mobile development

Impressive Xamarin SDK brings native iPhone and Android development to C# programmers, Visual Studio

Ubuntu 13.04, 'Raring Ringtail,' debuts, to be followed by 'Saucy Salamander'

Canonical on Thursday announced the final release of Ubuntu Linux 13.04, 'Raring Ringtail,' for both desktop PCs and servers.

Three quick ways to ease your transition to Windows 8

Over the past few weeks I've had the opportunity to test-drive a couple Windows 8 laptops, and even though I've used the OS intermittently for months now, I still find it jarring every time the Metro interface (a.k.a. Start screen) appears.