News (355)

Security firms slam Microsoft 'capitulation'

Major security companies have criticised Microsoft's OneCare security software and the software giant's decision to stop charging for the offering. Read more »

Microsoft aims Windows 7 for 2009 holiday season

In a technical session on Thursday afternoon, Microsoft provided the clearest public indication that it is planning on getting Windows 7 completed in time to run on PCs that ship for next year's holiday buying season. Read more »

Windows 7 Server gets its day

After two weeks of focus on the desktop version of Windows 7, it's server counterpart finally got a day in the sun. Read more »

Touching Windows 7

Along with the gestures themselves, Microsoft has tweaked the desktop to support touch, doing things like spreading out menu lists to make the operating system easier to navigate with just a finger. Read more »

Windows 7 pre-beta hits BitTorrent

The pre-beta version of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system released to developers at the Professional Developer Conference has already made it onto prominent BitTorrent sites, where thousands of enthusiasts around the world are currently downloading it. Read more »

Steve Ballmer: Live on Builder AU

Don't miss Builder AU's exclusive live broadcast of a landmark Sydney speech by Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer on 6 November at 3:30pm, AEST. Read more »

Azure manages to avoid a Hailstorm of criticism

Microsoft's Hailstorm prompted an avalanche of criticism when it was proposed seven years ago, but developers seem to have few qualms with Windows Azure, which embraces many of the same notions. Read more »

Windows 7 gets mixed reviews

As developers received their copies of Windows 7 on Tuesday in the US, they offered varied reactions to the Microsoft operating system update. Read more »

Windows 7 pre-beta receives positive response

Microsoft on Tuesday offered up far more details on Windows 7, successor to the company's oft-maligned Windows Vista. Read more »

Windows Server 2008 R2 revealed

Microsoft announced the second release of its Windows Server 2008 operating system at its Professional Developer Conference in Los Angeles this week. Read more »

Features (120)

Microsoft details plans for Visual Studio and .NET

In the wake of the recent PDC and TechEd developer events, Microsoft has decided to put some of its key executives out on the road to explain the innovations that Visual Studio 2010 and .NET 4.0 have in store. Read more »

Batch scripting of Windows host file changes

DNS is the manageable way to resolve computer names to IP addresses, yet Windows admins usually use host files because they always work. But when you need to make a change to a bunch of host entries, where do you start? Read more »

Did Ballmer hint at a Windows AppStore?

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer yesterday appeared to hint at the possibility of a Windows application marketplace that would be similar to the Apple iPhone AppStore. But the idea is not without its share of problems. Read more »

Mono 2.0: .NET goes non-Windows

We interview Miguel de Icaza, VP of Development Platforms and a founder of Mono to find out what is and is not included in the latest release. Read more »

Why would anyone choose Windows over Linux?

Why would anyone choose Windows over Linux? This article lists some of the advantages of Linux over Windows. Read more »

How to create a Blue Screen of Death

Feeling nostalgic about the Microsoft Blue Screen of Death, which used to plague desktops in the bad old days of Windows? No need to keep those feelings locked away. This handy guide will show you how to force your PC to recreate the infamous error. Read more »

Vista is sunk

It's not really a mid-life crisis, not really. But eighteen months after Vista appeared - and eighteen months before Windows 7 - Vista has bought a metaphoric red sports car and a new pair of tight jeans, and is getting ready to go on the pull. Read more »

Five ways Microsoft could change after Gates

Bill Gates has left the building and the question on many people's lips is: will Microsoft change as a result? What influence will Steve Ballmer have and how will the company's strategy alter without Gates? Read more »

Query Active Directory for empty computer account descriptions

It's very handy to populate the Windows Active Directory Description field for computer accounts. Organisationally, you may use the field as an indicator for the system's role. Read more »

Is Java Windows for Unix?

Java is an incredibly successful toolset -- but what is it really and how did it get to be so popular? Read more »

Video (40)

Conroy ducks, Ballmer evades and Android Fails -- Club Builder

Club Builder this week takes a long look at Senator Conroy's recent attempt to explain his Great Firewall of Australia, we chase Steve Ballmer over Sydney, and find Google's biggest bug of the year. Read more »

Is Windows 7 Vista all over again?

Although Windows 7 is still months away from a public release, word on the street is that Microsoft's new OS is only marginally different from Vista. CNET senior writer Ina Fried got her hands on a prebeta laptop with Windows 7 and shares her first impressions with Kara Tsuboi on this edition of the Daily Debrief. Read more »

Disable USB storage under OS X or Windows

Hollywood would have IT pros believe that the biggest threat to network security comes from international super hackers or high school kids trying to download games like global thermonuclear war. In reality, we face a far more mundane threat–our end users, particularly those wielding USB storage devices. Read more »

Ballmer's Best and Firewalls -- Club Builder

With Steve Ballmer in the country this week, its time to present the "Best of Ballmer". Club Builder also looks at the goverment's firewall plans as well as news from Microsoft's PDC conference. Read more »

Microsoft hopes 7 is lucky

A two-day Microsoft developer conference begins Monday in Los Angeles, where the company is expected to give details on its cloud platform and Windows 7. In this Daily Debrief, CNET's Ina Fried explains to Kara Tsuboi why consumers can expect more Read more »

One Windows Laptop per Child

  Read more »

Windows maths and Browser Goodies -- Club Builder

Windows 7 will be code-versioned as Windows 7.0, won't it? On this week's Club Builder we see that it isn't so, as well as get Steve Ballmer thoughts on Vista deployment; plus we see some new HTML5 tricks. Read more »

Ballmer touts Windows 7 features

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer reveals that Windows 7 is going to be a major release, not just a Vista update. He says the new Windows will have a better user interface, information management tools, and performance. It isn't practical to wait for Windows 7 instead of deploying Vista, he says, since both systems are compatible. Interviewers: Neil MacDonald and David Mitchell Smith of Gartner. Read more »

Create a bootable USB flash drive for Windows XP

In this IT Dojo video, Bill Detwiler, TechRepublic's Head Technology Editor, explains the process and pitfalls of creating a bootable Windows XP USB flash drive. You'll learn how to configure a computer's BIOS to boot from a USB drive, how to download and use the free software to create a bootable drive, and how to installed Windows XP on the drive. Read more »

Ballmer's quest to compete with Google

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer explains his long-term strategy to battle Google in the search market. Read more »

Blog (17)

The Best of Ballmer

Staff [blogs:syslog] -- In this week's Roundup we cover Steve Ballmer's talk at the Microsoft's Power to Developers event in Sydney, Saleforce's annual Dreamforce conference and more. Read more »

How many Windows 7s will there be?

Staff [blogs:syslog] -- The internet has been awash with rumours about Windows 7, with a pre-beta release being handed out to attendees at the Professional Developers Conference in the US this week. But how many Windows 7 versions will there be? Read more »

Highlights from the PDC

Staff [blogs:syslog] -- This week we bring you special coverage from the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference (PDC). Read more »

Microsoft's PDC Potpourri

Chris Duckett [blogs:betaliving] -- While not game-breaking in their own right, these little titbits complete the picture from Microsoft's recent PDC conference at Los Angeles. Read more »

Windows Azure: New windows, same tools

Chris Duckett [blogs:betaliving] -- Microsoft was at pains to stress that it will be creating an environment that developers feel familiar towards for Windows Azure development. Read more »

Wired keyboards lead to tin foil hat wearing

Staff [blogs:syslog] -- Just because you don't wear a tin foil hat, doesn't mean they aren't after you keystrokes. Read more »

Flash vs. Silverlight

Staff [blogs:syslog] -- In this week's Roundup we take a look at the latest versions of Flash and Silverlight, Windows 7 and what's new in the world of open source. Read more »

XP stays on life support for longer

Staff [blogs:syslog] -- This week's Roundup looks at Microsoft's decision to extend the life of Windows XP, the release of Microsoft Surface SDK, Firefox's new Geode plug-in, Yahoo's new tool -- Smush It and more. Read more »

Windows 7 is Vista--

Staff [blogs:syslog] -- The prevailing consensus is that Windows 7 will be Vista++, but it may actually be Vista--, as Microsoft confirmed that they would be removing the built-in programs for e-mail, photo editing and movie making Read more »

Share a keyboard and mouse with Synergy

Staff [blogs:syslog] -- Even in the era of virtualization, many IT pros (including myself) have a small army of computers sitting on, under, and around their desks. Read more »

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