11/20, 5:40pm
Next Windows again on 3-year schedule
Microsoft should once again release its next mainstream version of Windows about three years after the last, a roadmap obtained this week reveals. The schedule has the major revision, tentatively titled "Windows 8," launching in 2012 or about three years after Windows 7. It will purportedly keep in step with a rhythm developed by Microsoft that has Microsoft launching major releases four years apart, as Windows Server 2008 is considered a major release where its R2 upgrade and even Windows 7 are both treated as "release updates."
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05/29, 9:40am
Dell Income Drops 63pc
Dell late yesterday reported bleak results for the first calendar quarter of 2009 that showed it faring poorly in the economic climate. The Texas PC builder's net income dropped a full 63 percent from the same quarter a year ago to $290 million and was hurt primarily by rapidly shrinking business sales in the world economic collapse. Large, enterprise-level business revenue fell a significant 31 percent, indicating a steep drop in PC shipments, and was nearly matched by a 30 percent drop in small- and medium-sized business revenue.
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05/26, 12:45pm
MS posts Vista SP2
Microsoft has posted 64- and 32-bit versions of Service Pack 2, a major update for Windows Vista and Server 2008. The downloads measure 577 and 348MB respectively, and include all of the key Windows updates produced since the debut of Service Pack 1. New devices and hardware platforms are also said to be supported, such as Bluetooth 2.1, 64-bit VIA CPUs and Blu-ray data recording.
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05/11, 1:45pm
MS Says Win 7 for Holidays
Microsoft at its TechEd conference today said it expects Windows 7 to ship towards the end of 2009. Although the company has until now maintained that the OS would ship near the three-year anniversary of Vista, or early 2010, senior Windows VP Bill Veghte now says he expects the update to ship before the holidays. He hasn't specified a particular date but says Windows Server 2008 R2, which shares a similar code base, should ship at the same time.
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04/29, 3:35pm
Vista SP2 RTM dated
Microsoft through its Windows blog announced on Tuesday that the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) versions of Service Pack 2 of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 have been completed. The builds include updates found in SP1 and adds support for emerging hardware standards. Both include a single installer for both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, easing the installation, management and support processes for IT professionals.
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04/23, 5:05pm
Microsoft Q3 2009 Results
Microsoft today provided a sharp contrast to Apple's performance and reported a rare drop in its revenue for its March quarter. Compared to the same period in 2008, Microsoft's revenue sank 6 percent to $13.65 billion. The news was also compounded by troubles with income, as it gained 3 percent in operating income but plunged 32 percent in net income to $2.98 billion.
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01/17, 12:10pm
Stealth LPC-650
Stealth in a low-key move has unveiled a new flagship for its compact PCs that fills a performance gap. The LPC-650 is only slightly larger than a desktop DVD drive but fits in high-end notebook parts, including as much as a 2.6GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive. Stealth pictures the new entry as a home theater PC and gives it both an HDMI port for HD, two analog video outs for regular sets, and built-in Wi-Fi with an external antenna for better reception.
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12/16, 3:45pm
IE7 Zero-Day Exploit
A new and previously undiscovered vulnerability in Internet Explorer 7 has triggered warnings to at least temporarily avoid the browser until it can be fixed. The exploit, which takes advantage of the browser's data binding feature to create a memory hole, is unique to Microsoft's code and potentially dangerous due to its usability over the web. A maliciously formed website can use the exploit to steal private data or otherwise compromise the system; some benign websites have been turned hostile using the exploit and other vulnerabilities, the company says.
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