Computerworld Windows 8 News

EU to 'remain vigilant' on Microsoft's browser commitments

(Loek Essers) — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:34:00 GMT

Regulators in Europe said Tuesday they will watch closely to make sure Microsoft complies with its commitments to ensure competition in the browser market, after Mozilla complained its Firefox browser is being excluded from Windows RT.

Microsoft to charge $15 for Windows 8 upgrade deal

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:30:00 GMT

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.

Consumer love for mobile sparks discontent with Microsoft's software

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:39:00 GMT

Satisfaction with Microsoft's software slipped last year, part of an industrywide downturn driven by U.S. consumer discontent with traditional PC programs, a national survey said today.

Lenovo working with Intel on ThinkPad Windows 8 tablet

(Agam Shah) — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:06:00 GMT

Lenovo is working with chip maker Intel on a future ThinkPad tablet based on Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system, a Lenovo executive said.

Microsoft: Win8 simplifies, improves parental monitoring

(Juan Carlos Perez) — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:34:00 GMT

Microsoft has designed Windows 8 to make parental monitoring and control of children's computer activities simpler and more effective, the company said on Monday.

EU-Microsoft browser deal requires ballot screen in Windows 8

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:19:00 GMT

Microsoft declined to comment when asked whether it believed it's required to offer a ballot screen in Windows 8 to European users for selecting rival browsers in the new operating system's desktop mode.

MacBook Pro refreshes may be imminent, say reports

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:41:00 GMT

Hints that Apple will soon refresh its iMac desktop and MacBook Pro laptop lines accumulated today as several Mac-centric blogs revealed new details gleaned from the Web and unnamed sources.

Is November Win 8 tablet release too late?

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:08:00 GMT

If Intel-based Windows 8 tablets launch in November, as one informed source expects, Microsoft would face a narrow window to play a role in the important holiday sales period.

Microsoft preps Windows 8 upgrade deal for early June debut, says report

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:52:00 GMT

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

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Fri, 11 May 2012 10:46:00 GMT

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

(Juan Carlos Perez) — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:46:00 GMT

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.

Intel CEO Otellini calls out ARM on Windows 8 tablets

(Agam Shah) — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:59:00 GMT

Intel CEO Paul Otellini on Thursday said that the company has an advantage over its rival ARM on Windows 8 for tablets because of decades of developing x86 chips that support the Windows operating system.

Mozilla accuses Microsoft of anticompetitive behavior with Windows RT

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:24:00 GMT

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 revamps UI on Visual Studio IDE upgrade

(Paul Krill) — Tue, 08 May 2012 21:37:00 GMT

Based on feedback from February beta release, revisions affect coloring, icons, and Metro style

Microsoft pitches SkyDrive over iCloud to Mac Office users

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 08 May 2012 15:39:00 GMT

Microsoft is pitching its SkyDrive online storage service to Office for Mac users, calling Apple's iCloud offering "not enough" for collaboration, file sharing and anywhere-access to documents.

Preston Gralla: Windows 8 tablets in the enterprise: A disaster in the making

preston@gralla.com (Preston Gralla) — Mon, 07 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Microsoft has revealed that Windows 8 tablets powered by ARM chips will be no easier to manage in the enterprise than iPads are.

Bloggers plead for Windows Live Writer's life

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:08:00 GMT

A Windows developer, upset at the likely demise of Windows Live Writer as part of Microsoft's move to retire the Live brand, has launched an online petition drive to save the tool.

iPad share of tablet market jumps as Kindle Fire slumps

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Thu, 03 May 2012 20:23:00 GMT

Apple's iPad reclaimed a larger share of the global tablet market last month, in part because of a more-serious-than-expected slump in sales of the hot Kindle Fire in the first quarter, IDC analysts said today.

Nook deal lets Microsoft integrate e-bookstore with its software, services

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Thu, 03 May 2012 10:38:00 GMT

Barnes & Noble will distribute its free Nook Metro app through Microsoft's Windows Store, putting to rest talk of Microsoft embedding the program in Windows 8.

Microsoft to retire Windows Live brand ahead of Windows 8 launch

(Juan Carlos Perez) — Wed, 02 May 2012 21:43:00 GMT

Microsoft will retire the Windows Live brand as it gets ready to release what it describes as a more connected set of online consumer services with the launch of its Windows 8 operating system.

Mozilla ponders major Firefox UI refresh

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Wed, 02 May 2012 16:47:00 GMT

Mozilla is working on a revamp of Firefox to synchronize its various versions -- desktop, tablet, phone and Windows 8 Metro -- into a single visual style, according to documents posted by members of its UI design team.

Microsoft mute on Nook app's bundling with Windows 8

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:37:00 GMT

Microsoft on Monday declined to say whether Barnes and Noble's Nook app for Metro will be embedded into Windows 8 or Windows RT.

LG backs off Windows Phone for now, report says

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:46:00 GMT

Smartphone-maker LG Electronics has backed off producing Windows Phone devices for now and will instead focus on Android phones, according to a report.

Microsoft-Barnes & Noble deal could lead to Windows-based tablet

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:08:00 GMT

Microsoft's partnership with Barnes & Noble could lead to development of a Windows-based tablet or e-reader, not just a Nook e-reader application for Windows 8, some analysts said.

Slow uptake of Windows 8 preview hints at lack of interest

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:09:00 GMT

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 links Metro theme to jQuery Mobile, Windows Phone

(Paul Krill) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:15:00 GMT

With Microsoft Open Technologies release, websites and mobile apps can use Metro style

Does the iPad cannibalize Apple's laptops?

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 10:31:00 GMT

Is Apple cutting the MacBook's throat with the iPad? Apple CEO Tim Cook seems to think so, and analysts agree.

Ubuntu Linux 12.04 'Precise Pangolin' finally here

(Katherine Noyes) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:05:00 GMT

After months of widespread anticipation, the latest version of Canonical's popular Linux distribution -- Ubuntu 12.04 LTS 'Precise Pangolin' -- was released in its final form early Thursday morning.

Microsoft slates Windows 8 'release preview' for early June

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:16:00 GMT

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?

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:14:00 GMT

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?

Scot Finnie: Playing the wrong hand with Windows 8

scot_finnie@computerworld.com (Scot Finnie) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Microsoft is gambling its reputation with its upcoming operating system.

Did Microsoft run out of time with Windows RT?

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:41:00 GMT

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%

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:58:00 GMT

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

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

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

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:14:00 GMT

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

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:35:00 GMT

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.

Microsoft names Windows Server 2012, commits to launch this year

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:39:00 GMT

Microsoft today gave its newest server software a name -- Windows Server 2012 -- and said it would release the operating system this year.

Microsoft pares Windows 8 to three editions for Intel

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:49:00 GMT

Microsoft said it will sell just three Windows 8 editions for Intel PCs, half as many as the company pushed in 2009 for Windows 7.

Leaked Microsoft roadmap shows 2013 launch for Office 15

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:37:00 GMT

A leaked Microsoft roadmap shows that the next version of Office won't ship until the first quarter of 2013, according to the Dutch developer who found the document.

Don't look for Windows 8 to be ported to current Android tablets

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:26:00 GMT

With a variety of new tablets hitting the market, some IT pros are hoping for a way to convert those tablets to support Windows 8 on ARM. But that may be easier said than done.

Guide to Windows 8

(Network World Staff) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:31:00 GMT

It seems every day there is something new to report on Windows 8 and so far the reviews have been positive. But the Microsoft operating system is far from ready to be put out in the wild. Insider (registration required)

Microsoft patches critical Windows zero-day bug that hackers are now exploiting

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:20:00 GMT

Microsoft today delivered six security updates to patch 11 vulnerabilities in Windows, Internet Explorer, Office and several other products, including one bug that attackers are already exploiting.

Microsoft acquires 20 new Windows security ideas for $13,400 each

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:34:00 GMT

Microsoft has received 20 submissions in the $268,000 contest it hopes will result in new security technologies being baked into Windows, a company security strategist said Tuesday.

Mac owners 3X more likely to preview next OS than Windows users

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 19:12:00 GMT

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?

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:17:00 GMT

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?

Microsoft upgrades Windows Phone SDK for low-cost smartphones

(Mikael Ricknas) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:10:00 GMT

Microsoft has released Windows Phone SDK 7.1.1, which allows developers to customize their apps for cheaper Windows Phones with less memory, and also run the development kit on Windows 8 machines, the company said in a blog post on Monday.

Windows 8 lets users decide which IE opens links

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:43:00 GMT

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

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:37:00 GMT

Microsoft will launch the "release candidate" of Windows 8 in late May or early June, according to a Saturday report by a Dutch blog.

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols: Does VMware have a real future?

sjvn@vna1.com (Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Price is a big weakness when every player in the virtualization market is offering a good-enough free option.

Microsoft to launch Windows 8 in October, report says

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:47:00 GMT

Microsoft will wrap up Windows 8 this summer, according to a report by Bloomberg on Monday.