Microsoft Windows Forum

I read an article on Yahoo Tech yesterday that I have to share with you. The title is "[URL="http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20081028/ap_on_hi_te/tec_microsoft"]Microsoft says next Windows won't be as annoying[/URL]". It's funny that Microsoft realizes, and admits, that Windows Vista is a tremendous blunder. They don't say it as strongly as I just did …

You cannot have escaped the fact that this week is the Microsoft PDC2008. Those attending the Professional Developers Conference, only held every other year, were lucky enough to witness the first full public demo of Windows 7. What's more, PDC attendees even walked away with a full pre-Beta build of …

[I]You can do one of two things; just shut up, which is something I don't find easy, or learn an awful lot very fast which is what I tried to do. ~Jane Fonda [/I] Steve Ballmer doesn't seem to have learned Jane Fonda's big life lesson. In fact, dude doesn't …

Well, as they say in Vegas, in for a dime, in for a dollar. Or in the case of the Congressional bailout that President Bush wasted no time whipping out his sharpie and signing into law, how about $700 billion? The revote in the U.S. House of Representatives was never …

In another interesting development showing that open source truly has a place in corporate computing, Microsoft announced on Sunday that it will be adding the JQuery JavaScript library to ASP.NET. The move came after many ASP.NET developers requested similar features to those that JQuery provides. According to Scott Guthrie of …

Hot off the press comes the [URL="http://groups.google.com/group/mozilla.dev.planning/browse_thread/thread/e047739c7e3345f0?pli=1"]news[/URL] that Mozilla is pushing out yet another Firefox update real soon now, Firefox 3.0.3 will be released as soon as possible to fix a rather serious bug in Firefox 3.0.2 which has not long been released itself. In fact, my 3.0.2 update was …

The market is hovering around positive territory - but barely - after billionaire financier Warren Buffett announced that he was plugging in $5 billion to newly-minted commercial bank Goldman Sachs. The investment was seen as a vote-of-confidence in the splintered financial sector by one of America's most respected market visionaries. …

The second [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBWPf1BWtkw"]Microsoft-Seinfeld ad[/URL] was released Friday. It had a few funny moments, but once again left most people shaking their heads wondering exactly what Microsoft hopes to achieve. I'm not sure they know. Although they may have a game plan, it's hard for anyone to see exactly what it …

If your plan is to strong-arm customers into offering your products exclusively, you had better give them something people want to buy. With Microsoft and Windows Vista, such is not the case, and Hewlett-Packard isn't taking it lying down. HP, the world's number one PC supplier in terms of volume …

If you have to release a statement explaining your commercial, I think it's safe to say it was a failure. The much anticipated [URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM_72QXCtN4]Microsoft commercial[/URL] featuring comedian Jerry Seinfeld debuted yesterday, and quickly rose in the viewer ranks on YouTube. Not only was the 90-second spot not funny, it left …

Has The Idea of one Mega Internet Computer Operating System ever crossed your mind? I have definitely thought about the possibility of a World Wide Operating System but I guess I was not the only one thinking about it. Google started out as a Search Engine, Their next big step …

Wasting little time coming out of the long US Labor Day weekend, Google released a shiny new browser aptly called [URL="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/fresh-take-on-browser.html"]Chrome[/URL]. Why on earth would the world need another browser at this point in the history of the internet is unclear, especially another open source entry, but one thing is …

Google's new venture will go public as most of you are reading this (assuming 'most of you' means our American readers, who I assume are a substantial majority). Google is going to [URL="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7593106.stm"]release a browser.[/URL] It's called Chrome and it's going to be geared towards the things we all want …

To no one's surprise, except perhaps the [URL="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/business/30pipes.html"]New York Times[/URL], internet traffic is going global, and more so with each passing year. The result is that more traffic is flowing through servers outside the United States. The chief concern about this development, according to the NYT article, was the fact …

Look, I know it is fashionable to knock Internet Explorer. It is an easy target, and I will admit to aiming my own fair of kicks over the years. But when Beta software gets slated for having some bugs, well isn't that just taking things a little too far? That …

I can just hear Jerry Seinfeld’s monologue taking jabs at Redmond: “…and what’s with Microsoft Vista—Bob and Windows ME weren’t embarrassing enough?” Who knows, maybe he already has. But now all that must be put aside as he takes on the role of pitch man for Vista. Do the folks …

Device maker Palm this week placed its bet on a pair of pros. First is the [URL=http://www.palm.com/us/products/smartphones/treopro/index.html?creativeID=SP_BB_treopro]Palm Treo Pro[/URL], its next-generation smartphone to rival Apple’s iPhone and RIM’s Blackberry. The other is Jon Rubinstein, the company’s executive chair hired earlier this year and now charged with the company's salvation. Rubinstein …

Microsoft has announced a $300M dollar ad campaign, featuring 90s TV star [URL="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098904/"]Jerry Seinfeld[/URL], which according to multiple reports has been designed to save Vista and salvage Microsoft's battered reputation. There is so much wrong with this strategy, it's really hard to know where to start. First of all, the …

That's the question I had not thought of asking, nor really given much thought to at all, until now. What prompted the question was the appearance of the [URL="http://blogs.msdn.com/e7/archive/2008/08/18/windows_5F00_7_5F00_team.aspx"]Official Engineering Windows 7 blog[/URL]. The third posting proved to be a fascinating read, providing the kind of insight into the development …

Ever wondered how the U.S. diplomatic corps keeps track of all of its quickly changing information? Turns out, the same way all the rest of us do -- through Wikipedia. The diplomatic wikipedia, [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplopedia"]Diplopedia[/URL], is not available to the public, though examples of pages are included in a [URL="http://www.epa.gov/oei/proceedings/2007/proceedings07/johnson.pdf"]publicly available …

Microsoft products have always presented a paradox for organizations. On one hand they seem to be universally derided. On the other, they remain the corporate standard. Open source, SaaS/online and other alternatives have had a hard time gaining widespread traction in large organizations. That's partly because companies would likely rather …

Many of the operating system tools that come with Windows are far inferior to free alternatives, and you can't beat the price. This post looks at some of my favorite free utilities. [URL="http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/"]Firefox [/URL]– Web Browser No round-up of free utilities would be complete without the fabulous Firefox, perhaps the …

Yes, you read that correctly: Servers to Gadgets to Desktop. It seems that Linux Operating System expansion will occur in that order. First, Linux was in the Data Center booting Apache to the top spot for worldwide web services. Next, Linux was found on gadgets as small as cell phones, …

Oil is falling again, off $31 from its July high of $148 a barrel, but some analysts think this is bad news. Paul Kedrosky, a strategist at Ten Asset Management sees oil falling more and settling as low as $90 a barrel and takes his case to Tech Ticker today …

Since most legitimate vendors are no longer able to sell or install Windows XP after June 30, I have an option for you: Use Linux. That's right, retain that XP look and feel goodness without violating any rules or creating other problems for yourself by using the little known [URL="http://www.xpde.com"]XPDE[/URL] …

There’s an old saying, 'What do you want for nothing, your money back?' But the fact is there is lots of good free software out there. Much of it has a much smaller footprint than your typical Windows software from Mega Corporation (you know which companies I’m talking about) and …

Virtualization tools company Xenocode today is set to begin shipping an update to Postbuild 2008 for .NET, which enables developers to deploy .NET applications to systems that do not have the .NET framework installed or have a mismatched version. The update adds support for .NET 3.0 and 3.5, Visual Studio …

Andy Zeigler is the Program Manager for Reliability and Privacy on the Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 team. Now there's a job and a half, it has to be said. Writing on the official [URL="http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/"]IEBlog[/URL] he says "For Internet Explorer, reliability means that the browser should always start quickly, perform well, …

For once someone has done the right thing. You might remember my [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry2881.html"]last post[/URL] was a disappointed rant against China for restricting access to the Internet for journalists covering the Olympics. I can't speak for the US but in the UK it got as far as our National news bulletins. …

Forgive this experiment. I need to know how much the headline matters. If you've already read my Midori article from yesterday (July 30), don't bother to [URL=http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry2885.html]CLICK HERE[/URL]. If you haven't read it (and want to), please do [URL=http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry2885.html]CLICK HERE[/URL]. Thanks.

I first heard about the Mojave Experiment indirectly through Daniweb, whilst reading a [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry2870.html"]blog[/URL] post about something different. I also decided to [URL="http://www.mojaveexperiment.com/#"]check it out[/URL] whilst reading through a [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread136855.html"]thread[/URL] on here. And I'm glad I did, if only so I could get to share my opinion on it. After …

Details of a future Microsoft operating system were revealed yesterday by David Worthington, a guy who works down the hall from me. He has apparently gotten his eyes on Microsoft documents that contained extensive details of a ground-up OS rewrite code-named Midori. Based on those documents, [URL=http://tinyurl.com/5ryum5]he reports[/URL] for SD …

Microsoft it was disclosed today will become a sponsor of the Apache Software Foundation, forking over US$100,000 a year for theprivilege . In return, Redmond will gain access to the [URL=http://poi.apache.org/]Apache POI[/URL] project, a Java port of file formats of Microsoft's Office suite of applications. Based on Microsoft's history, I …

Stocks are up this morning - up 56 points a half-hour after the open - thanks to a higher-than-expected durable goods report. In real-speak, that means that heavy equipment and bulk manufacturing buyers broke open their checkbooks last month and bought more bulldozers and crates of metal than Wall Street …

That's what the [URL="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121623279341859201.html?mod=hpp_us_whats_news"]Wall Street Journal[/URL] seems to think anyway. I can't help but be a little cynical about this, what with their would-be deal with Yahoo! hardly cold in its grave. The cold-hearted journalist in me tends to see conspiracy theories wherever it looks, so please forgive me if …

Here’s a footnote for the current chapter of the Microsoft-Yahoo acquisition saga. Microsoft this week issued a [URL=http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2008/jul08/07-14statement.mspx]statement[/URL] to “set the record straight” about [URL=http://yhoo.client.shareholder.com/press/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=321697]Yahoo’s July 12 rejection[/URL] of the latest acquisition offer from Redmond. Rather than trying to paraphrase, here’s Microsoft in its own words, including references to “activist …

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is not only an apish buffoon, but he also apparently lacks a backbone. It was revealed today in a [URL=http://in.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/idINWNAS033120080707]letter to Yahoo shareholders[/URL] written by “activist investor” Carl Icahn that Ballmer expressed fears that the current Yahoo board—hostile to a takeover by Microsoft—could put the huge …

Here's a story that didn't get much play on the wire services. Microsoft on June 30 published [URL=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc203350.aspx]format specifications[/URL] for Office binary files as well as protocol documentation for Office 2007, Exchange Server 2007, Outlook 2007, Office SharePoint Server 2007 and SQL Server 2005. According to the company, the move …

Microsoft is betting that people would rather fork over $US20 a year for the legal right to use its Office application suite than install an old or pirated copy or use one of a growing number of free alternatives. Having been faced with that exact decision myself this week, I …

The Wall Street Journal reported this morning (and thousands of others since then) in a [URL=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121496732802022117.html] front-page story[/URL] that Microsoft is seeking new channels of opportunity for acquiring the search business of Yahoo. Redmond has reportedly been in talks with Time Warner and WSJ parent company News Corp., cooking up …

According to the official Microsoft Developer Network [URL="http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/default.aspx"]IEBlog[/URL] Internet Explorer 8 will come packed with a whole host of new security features. These will include the SmartScreen Filter which replaces the Phishing Filter in current versions of the browser. Eric Lawrence, Program Manager for Internet Explorer Security says that this …

That’s it. I’ve had enough. Today I draw a line in the sand with me and Windows XP on one side and Microsoft and any of its new operating systems—including Vista—on the other, for ever more. What got me started on this—the reason for this pledge—is simple: Yesterday Microsoft said …

My colleague Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols recently wrote a piece on his fine Practical Technology blog called [URL="http://practical-tech.com/operating-system/dear-microsoft-thanks-for-the-help-linux/"]Dear Microsoft, Thanks for the help, Linux[/URL] in which he argues that Microsoft’s ill-timed decision to cut off easy access to XP tomorrow (June 30th) combined with its announcement it would be releasing the …

It wasn't due for another six weeks or so, but today Microsoft surprised many folk by starting to sell its new Hyper-V server virtualisation software. Microsoft had repeatedly told anyone who asked, and anyone who was listening, that it would be released in August. However, Microsoft customers were alerted to …

Speaking before the start of the Microsoft [URL="http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/jun08/06-25GFWBigPicturePR.mspx"]Big Picture[/URL] gaming showcase in San Francisco, Jon Schappert, a Microsoft Corporate VP, took the opportunity to lay claim to Windows being the biggest gaming platform on the planet. Not Microsoft, you might like to note. Not the Xbox. But rather, and specifically, …

According to [URL="http://www.bt.com"]BT[/URL] the average UK office worker sees less sun than the average coal miner. The growing trend of 'chain-desking' where workers feel that being out of the office is the same as being out of touch, is blamed for the vampire-like existence. The research was conducted on behalf …

Easier installation, 3D desktop effects, digital music and video management and an up-to-date OpenOffice are among the enhancements in openSUSE 11.0, which became generally available this week. Designed for the novice as well the advanced, installation options include a choice of Gnome 2.22 or KDE 4 desktop environments and the …

How much is $630 worth? According to [URL="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/19/ebayer_live_search_game/"]The Register[/URL] the rather surprising answer is $714. That is the price that an enterprising eBayer has put on some money, and by manipulating the Microsoft Live Search advertising cashback offer implemented by Microsoft last month the guy reckons you can turn a …

Yes, I'm afraid it's true; Firefox is the most popular browser out there. Standing at this moment at over 11.5 millions downloads since its production release Tuesday, June 17. How can I make such a sweeping statement? It is the most popular browser ever because of the number of voluntary …

It's up there now and according to the [URL="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7457503.stm"]BBC[/URL] its makers want it to be the most downloaded software in its first 24 hours ever. [URL="http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/"]Firefox 3[/URL] is now available for public download, although the final release candidate has been so close to commercial standard you wouldn't be able to …