Wednesday, November 04, 2009 5:27 PM/CST
Microsoft rolled out a revised version of its MSN home page on Nov. 4, embracing in the process the same ethos of personalization and streamlining that governed Yahoo's own home page redesign in September. Microsoft also cut down on the number of hyperlinks and seeded the interface with in-line connections to Twitter and Facebook.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009 5:12 PM/CST
Microsoft executive Eric Ligman responded in a new Microsoft SMB Community Blog posting to criticism from the Windows community, after he suggested last week that using Windows 7 upgrade discs to install a full version of the operating system on a blank hard drive was ultimately an illegal "hack." Ligman's new missive suggests some commenters to the original post were making pre-determined conclusions about some of his words.
Monday, November 02, 2009 5:02 PM/CST
Microsoft's most recent deal, with OpenX Technologies, which will see OpenX promoting Microsoft's Content Ads, is another partnership on Redmond's part designed to more effectively challenge Google in the online space. Just as with its July Yahoo deal, Microsoft could see partnerships as the best way to gain market share in online search and advertising.
Thursday, October 29, 2009 5:04 PM/CST
Microsoft expanded its retail foray with the Oct. 29 opening of its store in Mission Viejo, Calif., in a mall that also contains an Apple Store. Despite the massive crowds that attended the opening, time will tell whether Microsoft's strategy of aggressively challenging Apple in the retail space will succeed.
Thursday, October 29, 2009 1:40 PM/CST
Microsoft and Yahoo have announced a delay in their search-and-advertising partnership deal, as both sides continue to work out "finalizing the definitive agreements." Despite the agreement to have Microsoft's Bing powering Yahoo's search once the deal is complete, Yahoo is attempting to assert its online identity by rolling out new features for its front-end applications, including Yahoo Messenger and Yahoo Mail.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009 5:14 PM/CST
Microsoft's Technical Preview of Office Web Apps allows Windows Live subscribers to test out browser-based versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint. While Word documents can only be viewed and downloaded, users can perform online edits to Excel and PowerPoint documents ... but only if those uploaded documents have certain file extensions.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009 10:20 AM/CST
Microsoft decided to pull out of sponsoring a Seth MacFarlane program that would have married "Family Guy"-style humor with Windows 7 branding, over concerns that jokes about deaf people and other topics would be too edgy for their intended audience. However, Microsoft will likely continue its branding relationship with Fox. MacFarlane, meanwhile, is looking for a new sponsor.
Monday, October 26, 2009 4:11 PM/CST
Microsoft's first retail store opened in Arizona on Oct. 22, and demonstrated that many of the elements present in the summer's early-concepts PowerPoint leak to Gizmodo found their way into the storefront final version. Much of Microsoft's retail store design seems reminiscent of both the Apple Store and big-box retailers such as Best Buy. Microsoft's retail experience will first compete in close proximity with Apple's in Mission Viejo, Calif.
Friday, October 23, 2009 5:25 PM/CST
As Microsoft rolled out Windows 7 for general release on Oct. 22, Apple stepped up its anti-Windows ad campaign. During the same week, Apple also released new hardware. Although Steve Jobs' company fought to claim some mind share from Microsoft leading up to the Windows 7 launch, the sheer size of Microsoft's customer base--and the rare event of a new Windows operating system--guaranteed Redmond the lion's share of attention.
Thursday, October 22, 2009 10:37 AM/CST
Windows 7 launched in a high-profile event in New York on Oct. 22. In the hours before the launch, headlined by CEO Steve Ballmer, Microsoft executives discussed the process that went into making Windows 7 an improvement over Windows Vista, Microsoft's much-maligned previous operating system.
