In the 15 months since Windows Vista had its mainstream launch, Microsoft says it’s made progress on a number of key metrics: things like application compatibility, availability of drivers, performance, reliability, and battery life.But there is one area where the company has struggled to gain ground: how Vista is perceived.
If you’re running Windows Vista Ultimate and have already upgraded to SP1, then you now have access to two new Ultimate Extras. The first set of new Ultimate Extras is called Windows Sound Schemes and consists of two sound schemes for Windows Vista, appropriately called Glass and Pearl. The second set of Ultimate Extras is called the Windows DreamScene Content Pack #3 and consists of three new video backgrounds. Greg Shultz takes a look at these two new Ultimate Extras.
On two separate occasions yesterday, Microsoft announced a delay in the release of Windows XP Service Pack 3, and later pronounced stopping of automatic updates for Windows Vista Service Pack 1 as well. The delay in XP SP3 and stoppage of Vista SP1 were both attributed by the company to the same problem — a compatibility issue, although no further details were disclosed. However, Microsoft confirmed that due to this problem, Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System would not be able to work with either operating system update.
Although a “significant” number of corporations are hesitating to move to Windows Vista, businesses should bite the bullet because Microsoft Corp. is retiring Windows XP, and there’s no guarantee it will deliver a next-generation operating system on time or with compelling features, a research analyst said.
Like many other PC makers, Dell too had stopped offering machines with Windows XP after the launch of Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system, but later succumbed to popular demand and again started offering Windows XP as option.Yet again, Dell has come ahead and said it will continue to offer Windows XP to consumers even after June 30, the official sales cut-off date announced by Microsoft.
It’s no secret that when you buy a new computer today you have no choice but to get it with Windows Vista; unless you buy a Mac or buy/build a Linux System. For the most part, the average consumer will buy a computer and most of those will head out to the nearest retailer buy an off-the-shelf desktop or laptop which will have Vista on it.This is to Microsoft’s advantage as it allows them to push Vista sales up and really doesn’t offer anyone a choice but this is the way things have always been since Windows 95; perhaps since Windows 3.1. Those of you who want to reminisce about the DOS days feel free to debate amongst yourselves, I wasn’t old enough at the time to remember enough about it nor do I feel like digging into 25 years worth of archives to debate every aspect of it.
Rumors of Windows XP’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. I wrote about Dell’s downgrade program in a post earlier this week . It looks like Dell may have started something. Both HP and Lenovo now plan to offer Windows XP to business customers after Microsoft’s official cut-off date of June 30.
GNUCitizen, a computer security consultancy, on Friday warned of a zero-day vulnerability in Apple’s QuickTime media player for Windows XP and Windows Vista. “A remote vulnerability exists in the QuickTime player for Windows XP and Vista (latest service packs),” said company founder Petko D. Petkov in a blog post. “An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by constructing a specially crafted QuickTime supported media file that allows remote code execution if a user visited a malicious Web site, opened a specially crafted attachment in e-mail, or opened a maliciously crafted media file from the desktop.”
Windows Vista Service Pack 1, as the update is called, has been released in English, French, German, Spanish, and Japanese versions, according to Microsoft. Microsoft on Thursday released the first major update for its Windows Vista operating system to its automated download service, meaning that Vista users could receive the update by default as early as today if they have the service turned on. There is a caveat, however.
Microsoft’s has lost its attempt to overturn a key ruling in the Windows Vista Capable lawsuit. The Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed the decision in a court order yesterday.US district judge Marsha Pechman in Seattle, who originally approved the case, had halted proceedings while waiting for a decision from the appeals court, now the software giant faces a class action lawsuit.
If you listen to the conventional wisdom about Vista, one of the biggest complaints is that it’s a lot more bloated and slow than XP. A lot of current Windows users would be very happy if the next version of Windows was slimmer and faster. But what kind of bloat could be cut out? One reader pointed out that “One person’s bloat is another person’s feature.” Do some users really have to lose their favorite features in the name of performance?
Adobe’s Audition audio production application crashes on computers running a new update to Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system, according to software researchers. It’s the latest in a series of compatibility problems affecting Windows Vista, Service Pack 1, which was released by Microsoft last month.
Earlier this year, Intel announced their new Atom line of processors designed for the ultra-mobile PC and Mobile Internet Device (MID) market. Sharp has now announced the first cell phone based on the Atom and running Microsoft’s Windows Vista. The company released specs on their newest portable device despite Intel’s Atom processors not officially being released until later this year.
Microsoft releases the first so called Feature Pack for Windows Vista. The Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless enhances the Vista Bluetooth support with version 2.1 support, unified pairing user interface and Windows Connect Now updates.
The publication tested two all-in-one desktops and notebooks, one Mac and one PC in each category, using a panel of testers ranging from experts to the I-just-want-it-to-work type of consumer. The results were published in the magazine’s May issue.The Apple Mac runs Windows Vista better than a PC, according to a shootout conducted by Popular Mechanics magazine.
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