Vista SP2 Beta Available To Technet And MSDN Subscribers

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: December 3, 2008 01:31PM
Author: Ben Grantham

At the beginning of the week it was reported that SP2 for Windows Vista would likely see an April launch to manufacturers. If you happen to be an MSDN or Technet subscriber then you will be able to download the first beta of SP2 from today. With that comes a few more details of what we can expect to find from the service pack. As is standard, any updates since SP1 will be bundled, but more interesting is what new features will be added. These include the improved Windows Search 4.0, the Bluetooth 2.1 feature pack and native recording to Blu-ray discs. The addition of Windows Connect Now should also allow you to set up wireless networks more easily. If you don't have a subscription, you can head over to Technet tomorrow and download the beta as part of the Customer Preview Program.

MS Windows Market Share Falls Below 90%

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: December 1, 2008 12:47PM
Author: Dale Shuck

Users running Microsoft's Windows operating system fell below 90 percent market share for the first time in November. Research firm Net Applications Inc. monitors a series of web sites and noted that Microsoft's market share dropped almost a percentage point from the previous month putting its market share at 89.6 percent. Not surprising, Apple Inc's Mac OS X recorded its biggest gain in the past two years to end up with 8.9 percent of the market. Part of the drop can be attributed to the large number of weekends and holidays in November, as Microsoft's market share tends to drop after hours and on weekend due to users logging in from home where there are more users using Macs than at work. One bright spot for Microsoft happened as Vista passed the 20% market share for the first time ending up at 20.45 percent.

Vista SP2 RTM Coming In April?

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: December 1, 2008 09:16AM
Author: Ben Grantham

If sources are correct, we can expect Windows Vista SP2 to be released to manufacturers come next April. When it will launch to the general public isn't known, but you would expect it to follow a similar schedule to the SP1 launch (about a month later). As with previous Microsoft operating systems, Vista SP1 made for a more viable platform, so it will be intersting to see what fixes and improvements are offered with the release of SP2. Once we know the details, we'll be sure to pass them on.

Windows 7 to Introduce WARP

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: November 28, 2008 07:52PM
Author: Brentt Moore

Microsoft has just recently announced that Windows 7 will allow DirectX 10 acceleration support on the central processor unit. The new platform, called Windows Advanced Rasterization Platform, or WARP for short, will allow systems to run Direct3D 10 and 10.1 on the CPU. Microsoft claims that a CPU that has a speed as little as 800MHz can run this new platform, though WARP would obviously work much quicker on a multi-core system with support for SSE 4.1. While the idea may not eliminate discrete graphic cards all together, simple games such as simulations, as well as the new Windows 7 interface, will be able to be run on about every system granted the CPU is fast enough to run the new platform.

Fedora 10 Released

Category: Operating Systems, Open Source
Posted: November 25, 2008 11:35AM
Author: Dale Shuck

The Fedora Project released Fedora Core 10 today that includes enhancements in the areas of virtualization management, boot time and security. The latest release also includes the Open Office 3.0 software suite. System admins will like the new remote virtual host and storage management features. Users can now share their Internet connections and machines can boot quicker using the new Plymouth graphical boot system. PackageKit, introduced in Fedora 9, has been updated to offer to search for codecs used to play media files when a user clicks on a multimedia file to open it. Other features include improved hardware support, support for a wider range of webcams and improved printing capabilities.

Windows 7 Hybrid Graphics Card Woes

Category: Video Cards, Operating Systems
Posted: November 6, 2008 04:29PM
Author: Brentt Moore

Both AMD and NVIDIA have been working on the idea of hybrid graphics for quite a while now. The idea of both, Hybrid SLI and Hybrid CrossFire, incorporate an integrated graphics chip and a discrete graphics card to allow the user optimum performance and battery life by switching in-between the two. Microsoft’s Guidelines in Windows 7 was released yesterday, and outlines the company’s dislike for the technology used by both manufacturers. The guideline itself states that the upcoming operating system by Microsoft, Windows 7, does not natively support Hybrid SLI or Hybrid CrossFire. It also claims that users who use these technologies could experience unstableness as well as poor performance.

Microsoft Windows Home Server Price Drop

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: November 3, 2008 09:21AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Microsoft has announced a price cut for the System Builder version of Windows Home Server. Effective November 1, the price for the software will drop from $150-160US to $100-110US. Microsoft said the price reduction is aimed at promoting the home server market and to provide "additional value to the system builder community". A quick check on several major e-tailer sites showed the software still priced at the $160-170US range though.

New Version of Ubuntu Released

Category: Operating Systems, Open Source
Posted: October 30, 2008 03:23PM
Author: Brentt Moore

Numerous alpha versions of the new Ubuntu have been looming around the Internet for multiple months. Many users have been anticipating the major release of Ubuntu 8.10 due to its many improvements in performance and usability, a brand new connection manager that contains 3G support, and the ability to put a bootable version of the Linux operating system onto a USB drive. Also included are guest sessions and a system cleaner application that will show any unneeded software packages that are on the computer that Ubuntu is installed on. As of today, both desktop and server editions are available for download from the official Ubuntu website. Both editions of 8.10 will continue to be maintained until the year 2010.

Windows 7...Vista, But Better

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: October 28, 2008 02:29PM
Author: ClayMeow

Microsoft is currently holding its annual Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles this week (October 27-30), and it shouldn't come as any surprise that Windows 7 would be a big focus of the event. Microsoft handed out copies of "API-complete, pre-beta of the code" for Windows 7, dubbed "Milestone 3" to hundreds of developers and reviewers. For those eager to give it a try, however, currently Milestone 3 is for developers only, and as usual, Microsoft failed to announce any timetable for a public launch. But what this does mean for us is that we now get more details on exactly what Windows 7 will be like. Windows 7 is not a rewrite; it's basically Windows Vista redone to have better performance, more usability and more compatibility. Currently, even the interface is largely unchanged from Vista, though that could change as development continues. Nevertheless, there are already a ton of differences in Milestone 3 over Vista (way too many to list here), so if you're interested in learning more, you're only a click away.

Microsoft Anti-Piracy Crackdown Upsets Users in China

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: October 23, 2008 08:57AM
Author: Dale Shuck

There are a lot of computer screens going black in China right now and its not because of a power outage. Software piracy is a huge problem in China and when Microsoft kicked off Global Anti-Piracy Day on Tuesday of this week by releasing a new version of its Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) tool to users in China, it left a lot of users literally seeing black. The new version of WGA turns users' screens black and displays a nag in the corner of the screen when it detects a pirated version of its operating system. Users are able to change the background back to normal, but the change only lasts an hour before it goes black again. This has raised the ire of users in China who are furious at Microsoft over the change. In what may be the biggest irony of all, one lawyer labeled Microsoft as the "biggest hacker in China" and claimed what WGA does to users' computers is in violation of Chinese law and went so far as to file an official complaint with the Chinese government. As users posted complaints online, the general sentiment seemed to be that Microsoft should not be punishing users of pirated software but should go after the makers and distributors instead.

Microsoft Releasing Emergency Windows Patch Today

Category: Operating Systems, Bugs / Virus
Posted: October 23, 2008 08:16AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Microsoft has said it is releasing an emergency patch for its Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003 operating systems today. The patch is rated as critical and it being released as an out-of-cycle patch. Normally Microsoft releases its patches on the second Tuesday of each month, but with little information to go on, researchers are concerned that the flaw may be serious and is being actively exploited by hackers. The last time Microsoft released a fix prior to the normal release date was in April 2007. The patch should be available at 10:00 AM PST.

5 Reasons Why Companies Should Not Skip Vista

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: October 22, 2008 03:40PM
Author: ClayMeow

Though the adoption of Windows Vista has increased substantially here on OCC, as many people are aware, companies and organizations have mostly stayed clear. Though it's understandble why companies want to stay clear of upgrading to Vista when XP is suiting their needs just fine, but waiting for Windows 7 may not be the smartest decision. PC World has compiled a list of five reasons why skipping Vista may backfire.

Vista SP2 by Mid-2009?

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: October 16, 2008 04:09PM
Author: ClayMeow

Microsoft is currently working on a second service pack for Windows Vista and rumors are swirling that it plans on releasing SP2 before it releases Windows 7. Information beyond that, however, is fuzzy at best. No details have been released as to what the service pack will include, nor has any release date, even for beta versions, been stated yet either. Microsoft representatives have verified that work has indeed begun on Vista SP2 (as well as Windows Server 2008 SP2) and have stated that more details will be shared in the coming months. Windows 7 is currently planned for the second half of 2009, so unless something changes by then, we should see Vista SP2 before that time.

'Windows 7' No Longer Just a Code Name

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: October 14, 2008 07:59AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Microsoft announced the name for its next operating system will be Windows 7. Microsoft wanted to keep things simple and said since this will be the seventh version of Windows, the 'Windows 7' was a logical choice. Of course, some wags started counting versions of Windows and challenged the assertion this was the seventh release of Windows. With XP's kernel labeled as 5.1 and Vista's as 6.0, that would make the naming come out right though. This is probably the first time a version of Windows has used the code name as it's official moniker. Past names have included Chicago (Windows 95), Memphis (Windows 98), Whistler (Windows XP) and Longhorn (Windows Vista).

Windows Coming Soon to a Cloud Near You

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: October 1, 2008 09:24AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Cloud computing is a hot buzzword these days. In a nutshell, it refers to applications accessed via a web browser with the heavy lifting done some where in 'the cloud', usually a data center somewhere unknown to the user. The benefits arise from the fact the user can access the programs anywhere there is Internet access without having to install the programs locally. In a talk given at a conference in London, Microsoft's CEO, Steve Ballmer, disclosed that his company is getting ready to announce a new operating system designed to assist developers in writing cloud-based applications. Referring to it as "Windows Cloud", Ballmer gave up few details saying he didn't want to spoil the thunder of the announcement due in a month or so.

Windows Seven Beta For Christmas?

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: September 13, 2008 09:55PM
Author: Dave Rattray

There is some talk that Windows 7 might have a beta available for christmas. If this is indeed the case this will add more fuel to the fire of people wanting Vista replaced sooner then later. Either way personally I enjoy tinkering with new OS's as long as they are not as bad as Windows ME was.

Job Ad Gives Clue to Windows Home Server Future

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: September 8, 2008 07:00PM
Author: Dale Shuck

Deciphering a job ad on a Seattle-area computer jobs web site reveals a few clues about the direction Microsoft wants to take with its Windows Home Server product. According to the posting, Microsoft wants to take on Apple's Time Capsule. According to the ad, Microsoft is looking to spruce the Windows Home Serve UI by adding backup and restore features and integration with Windows Media Center and Live Mesh. It'll be interesting to see what the future holds for Home Server.

Microsoft Signs Seinfeld for New Vista Ad Campaign

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: August 21, 2008 10:01AM
Author: Dale Shuck

It's no secret that Microsoft's Vista operating system has not been as successful as first hoped. Microsoft has launched a $300 million ad campaign to help overcome some of the negative perceptions users have about the OS. Apple has seized the opportunity to capitalize upon that perception with its popular Mac vs. PC ads where PCs are depicted by a slow bumbling middle-aged man and Macs are presented by a cool hip young dude. Perhaps the Apple has have been part of the reason Vista is perceived as it is, and sales of Macs with its Leopard OS have risen since Vista’s release. Now Microsoft is planning on some hip of its own by signing Jerry Seinfeld in a $10 million deal. The ads will feature other famous personalities and feature variations of the theme "windows, Not Walls".

Windows 7 Details Coming In October

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: August 18, 2008 01:41PM
Author: Ben Grantham

Microsoft has said it will be giving the first sneak peek at the technology inside Windows 7 during the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference and the Professional Developers Conference. Windows 7 developers will show off their work on the operating system, which is expected to release in January 2010. MS have been tight lipped on its next OS, as it is still focusing on promoting Windows Vista, while also not wanting to talk about features that may not make it to the completed product (as happened when many noted the slated changes that didn't make it into Vista). What we do know about Windows 7, is that it should feature a touch interface and use some core components from Vista. We'll be interested to see what other details emerge in a couple of months time.

Vista & PS3 Don't Mix Well

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: August 5, 2008 09:24AM
Author: ClayMeow

Ever want to run Windows Vista on your PS3? Well now you can, thanks to one very patient and persistent PS3 enthusiast. But the question remains...why? With a 25 minute boot time and insane load times for even the most mundane of applications (Notepad took around twelve minutes to load), it's definitely not for everybody...in fact, it's probably not for anybody. Part of the problem may have to do with the fact that you can't actually install Vista directly to the PS3 (or at least nobody has found a way yet). Instead, you have to install Linux and then use emulation to load Vista. With a miniscule amount of RAM compared to modern-day PCs and emulation, the modder couldn't really be suprised at this poor performance though.

Is Apple Hiding Security Flaws?

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: August 4, 2008 03:09PM
Author: ClayMeow

As previously mentioned, Black Hat is holding its security conference this week, but it appears that some things that probably should be said, won't. Apple pulled the plug on two sessions, one discussing the company's security practices and the other discussing vulnerabilities in Apple FileVault. Though Black Hat founder and director Jeff Moss said that the first session would have cast Apple "in a positive light", one can't but wonder if Apple is simply hiding flaws in their software.

Users Coming Round To The Idea Of 64-bit Windows

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: August 4, 2008 07:40AM
Author: Ben Grantham

We've had processors that will support 64-bit operating systems for years now, but it seems that they are only just now catching on, or more specifically the 64-bit versions of Vista. According to a recent MS blog, twenty percent of Windows computers connecting to Windows Update were 64-bit, compared with just three percent back in March. Part of the reason for this is likely the fact that the mainstream retailers are now offering machines equipped with a 64-bit OS in larger numbers. If you factor in the reason that many performance users will go for a 64-bit operating system, that it supports more RAM (which is ever important), then it is logical that support is growing. With driver issues largely a thing of the past, there really isn't a good reason why you shouldn't go 64-bit for a new PC.

HP Says Majority of Vista Business Purchasers Switch to XP

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: July 29, 2008 08:21AM
Author: Dale Shuck

According to Jane Bradburn, a marketing manager at Hewlett-Packard, a majority of the systems HP sells with Vista Business installed are being downgraded to Windows XP. Although Microsoft officially pulled the plug on XP sales as of June 30, there is an option in the license agreement that allows users to switch to Windows XP from Windows Vista at no cost. Businesses have been reluctant to switch to Vista for a variety of reasons including the increased hardware requirements. Dell has also announced it plans to continue shipping machines with XP installed under this arrangement. What does all this mean for Microsoft? It certainly raises questions around Microsoft's claims of having sold 180 million copies of Vista. While users choosing to downgrade to XP are technically purchasing a Vista license they certainly aren't using the OS. This puts additional pressure on Microsoft to deliver the next version of Windows, due out in 2010, on time and to get it right as many enterprises may be opting to skip Vista all together and wait for Windows 7.

Don't Like Vista? Try Mojave Instead

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: July 26, 2008 12:52PM
Author: Chris Benjamin

Maybe all of Apple's "Mac and PC" commercials really are swaying public opinion. Case in point - last week, Microsoft hosted over 100 average computer users who had negative opinions of Windows Vista under the pretense that they would be test driving a brand new OS under development by the software giant, codenamed "Mojave". These users came from all walks of PC life, and when questioned about their Mojave experience, almost unanimously called their experience a positive one. What a surprise it must have been when the MS officials told testers that they were actually playing with Vista! As part of an initiative aimed at bettering Vista's image, Microsoft will be releasing footage of the Mojave Experiment on the project's official website this Tuesday, July 29th.

Microsoft Finally Fixes Windows Home Server Data Corruption Bug

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: July 21, 2008 07:55PM
Author: Dale Shuck

Microsoft today released Power Pack 1 for Windows Home Server that fixes a data corruption problem that has plagued the software since it came to light over six months ago. This is basically a fresh new start for Windows Home Server that for the first time makes it safe to use for the run of the mill home user. In addition to the corruption bug fix, Power Pack 1 adds support for 64 bit Vista, adds the ability to back up shared folders to external medium and adds additional remote access capabilities. Many of the application affected by the bug were Microsoft's own products, but also included other apps such as  iTunes, Photoshop Elements, Quicken  and QuickBooks to name a few.

Windows XP selling like hotcakes

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: July 10, 2008 10:19PM
Author: Andrew Robinson

Recently Microsoft has announced that they will no longer sell their operating system Windows XP to consumers, the only available copies being sold will be for small system builders (i.e. ultraportables and other small devices). You can however buy the remaining stock of Windows XP discs from any store still having them in stock. Amazon.com has seen a big boost in sales of Windows XP from consumers who want to snatch up the remaining copies before its too late. Windows is not just going quick on Amazon, many other online retailers are selling XP like hotcakes* as well.

*Definition: A mythical cake of the hot variety which apparently sells well enough to be used to compare to any objection in existence that many consumers are buying within a short time frame.

Windows XP SP3 to be added to auto update

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: July 9, 2008 06:30PM
Author: Andrew Robinson

For those of you who are still using Microsoft Windows XP (I don't blame you) and have automatic updates enabled you should expect Service Pack 3 to be downloaded and installed on July 10th. Service Pack 3 for XP is a cumulative update pack containing all the updates released since Service Pack 2, it also contains some features that have been backported from Microsoft's newest operating system Windows Vista. If you are an advanced Windows user and do not care to update to Windows XP SP3 you can follow the above link and obtain information on how to keep your current Service Pack and block all further SP3 annoyances.

Intel Doesn't Embrace Vista

Category: Operating Systems, Manufacturers
Posted: July 2, 2008 02:46PM
Author: ClayMeow

Many users here at OCC have upgraded to Vista, but the corporate world is another story. Chip maker Intel has always had a strong relationship with Microsoft, but when it comes to upgrading its systems to Vista, the relationship ends there. Though the company has been testing and deploying Vista in certain departments, Intel has no plans on upgrading all its computers to Microsoft's newest operating system. According to an anonymous source, the company simply found "no compelling case for adopting Vista." Even as someone who uses and loves Vista, I can't exacly blame Intel for holding back.

Microsoft working on new OS

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: July 1, 2008 08:46PM
Author: Andrew Robinson

With all the ongoing hype of Windows Vista and everyone yearning for the completely new Windows 7 wouldn't you think that Microsoft would try to improve on what they have? According to Mary-Jo of All About Microsoft there is a completely new operating system in the works, so revolutionary that it doesn't even have the Windows moniker. (yet) There really isn't much information about about the operating system they call 'Midori' due to it being in a very early incubation stage. However we do know that it is it being based on their Singularity platform which is a a microkernel-based operating system. Expect this to be far into the future, post Windows 7. (whenever that happens)

Microsoft Pulls the Plug on Windows XP

Category: Operating Systems
Posted: June 30, 2008 10:01AM
Author: ClayMeow

As of today, Microsoft will stop selling copies of Windows XP to retailers and major computer manufacturers. Some computer users protested the move and even went as far to create an online petition, but apparently Microsoft didn't feel the number of protester were large enough to keep Windows XP on shelves. Here at OCC, the acceptance of Vista has grown in recent months, as we rarely see the Vista-bashing that we saw in its infancy.  So this move may not surprise many of you; it certainly doesn't surpise this Vista user of over six months.