Operating Systems Topic Center

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

Apple pours OS X Snow Leopard another Java fix

Apple on Tuesday patched Java 6 for OS X Snow Leopard, Lion and Mountain Lion, fixing 34 flaws that Oracle addressed the same day for Windows.
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Microsoft slashes Surface RT prices by 60% for schools

Microsoft today confirmed that it has heavily discounted the Surface RT tablet to universities and K-12 schools, cutting the price of the entry-level model by 60%.

The Microsoft breakup that never happened

Thomas P. Jackson, the former federal judge who in 2000 ruled that Microsoft should be split into two companies, died Saturday. What if his ruling, overturned before it could be implemented, had gone into effect?

Walmart taking the Chromebook mainstream

Walmart has begun selling the Chromebook in 2,800 of its approximately 4,600 U.S. stores, expanding the reach of this still-on-the-margins platform. Staples too.

As once-mighty Symbian enters hospice, will it be missed?

Shipments of new Symbian smartphones from Nokia are rapidly dying, less than three years after the last time it topped the list of the world's most-used mobile platform.

Best Buy gets the best of Microsoft in Windows Store deal

While Microsoft gained space in 600 Best Buy stores yesterday, the electronics retailer got the better end of the deal, an analyst said.

Microsoft seizes floor space in Best Buy for Windows mega mini-stores

Microsoft has struck a deal with Best Buy to create 600 stores-within-stores in the U.S. and Canada to sell customers on Windows 8, the Surface tablet line, and new PCs and devices from other OEMs.

Nationwide makes SSDs standard on PCs, to employee applause

Nationwide Insurance is moving off Windows XP and the misery of an eight-minute boot-up time for some 40,000 users.

Red Hat shakes up its OpenStack lineup

Red Hat announced a large-scale restructuring of its OpenStack-based offerings today, bundling its Enterprise Linux software with the OpenStack platform, and creating a more comprehensive infrastructure product for private-cloud IaaS.

Best-guess $349 price for smaller Surface RT pits Microsoft against Apple for high-end Mini market

Microsoft will probably price its own 8-in. Surface tablet running Windows RT at $349, just 6% higher than Apple's iPad Mini but nowhere near the basement $199 of Android rivals, an analyst said this week.

IT will have a love-hate relationship with iOS 7, OS X Mavericks and iCloud

Consumers and business users alike will find things to love about OS X Mavericks and iOS 7, says columnist Ryan Faas. But for enterprise IT pros, this week's announcements are a mixed bag.

Forget the keynote. WWDC is still about the developers

As usual, the Apple rumor mill has been on overdrive as WWDC nears. But all the hype about anything CEO Tim Cook might reveal misses the point, says columnist Ryan Faas. WWDC is still about developers.

Why iOS is the future of Apple (and how we got here)

At Apple's World Wide Developer Conference, which kicks off Monday, everyone's expecting updates for both iOS and OS X. But one of those operating systems is more important than the other.

WWDC 2013

Continuing coverage of Apple's WWDC 2013

Smacking SharePoint into shape

More than half of all SharePoint shops have had to add functionality to the core software, which came as a surprise to a number of them. Here's what they're doing.

$99 Linux stick turns any HDMI display into virtual desktop

Similar in many ways to Dell's 'Project Ophelia' PC, this new device targets businesses with full-fledged manageability.

Mageia Linux 3 offers a raft of key updates

This popular Linux distro offers a choice of six desktop environments.

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.

New tablet boots Ubuntu Linux, Android and Windows 8

We've seen several Linux tablets emerge over the past year or so, but examples with triple-boot capabilities are much less common.

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?