Wednesday, March 17, 2010 4:41 PM/CST
A new survey by Dell Kace indicates that 87 percent of responding IT professionals plan on deploying Windows 7, showing an increased confidence in the operating system. However, sizable percentages still voiced concern over Windows 7's performance or are considering alternative operating systems. Since October 2009, some 90 million copies of Windows 7 have reportedly been sold.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 5:00 PM/CST
Around 10 percent of Microsoft employees apparently use the iPhone, according to a recent report in The Wall Street Journal, much to the irritation of certain executives such as CEO Steve Ballmer. While it seems natural that a company would want its employees to use its own products, the presence of the iPhone on the Redmond campus seems, well, not so shocking considering the presence of the device on the smartphone market.
Friday, March 12, 2010 2:36 PM/CST
Microsoft's share of the smartphone operating system market tumbled 4 percent in the three-month period ending January 2010, reports analytics company ComScore, casting into doubt the abilities of Windows Mobile 6.5, released in October 2009, to be the market-share retainer that Microsoft needs until Windows Phone 7 Series, its newest smartphone OS, is released near the end of 2010.
Thursday, March 11, 2010 4:43 PM/CST
Bill Gates is no longer the world's richest man, according to the 2010 Forbes list of the world's billionaires, which puts the former Microsoft CEO in second place behind Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim Helu. The difference between the two men is not substantial by billionaire standards, though, and Gates publicly seems more concerned about his philanthropy work.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 5:09 PM/CST
Data from analysis company ComScore suggests that Microsoft Bing is incrementally gaining in the U.S. search engine market, along with Google, while Yahoo is falling. While that speaks positively of Bing's long-term prospects, it remains to be seen how well the search engine will fare once it expands more into international markets.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 3:12 PM/CST
Microsoft Research technical fellow Charles Thacker was named the winner of the 2009 A.M. Turing Award for his work designing the Alto, the first modern personal computer. Thacker developed the Alto at Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center) in 1973, and went on to contribute to the development the Ethernet, as well as multiprocessor workstations, snooping cache coherence protocols, and tablet PCs.
Monday, March 08, 2010 5:11 PM/CST
More video and photos have leaked of what's purportedly Microsoft's Courier tablet PC, a dual-screen device that not only allows Web surfing and e-reading, but also functions like a traditional paper notebook. However, given Microsoft's oft-stated desire to play in high-volume market arenas, the eventual release of a Courier device will likely be determined by whether tablet PCs succeed as a segment, something that may be determined by the upcoming Apple iPad and its competitors.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 4:50 PM/CST
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer seemed noncommittal at the Search Marketing Expo in Santa Clara, Calif., over whether his company would consider purchasing microblogging service Twitter, with which it has an agreement to incorporate results onto Bing. But as Microsoft's recent dealings with Yahoo have shown, sometimes a simple partnership with a company can extend at least some of the benefits of an acquisition without the drain on cash and energy.
Saturday, February 27, 2010 1:49 PM/CST
A group of technology journalists talked about Windows Phone 7 Series during a spot on the Fox News show "Gadgets and Games" on Feb. 26. Among the discussion points was how Microsoft is attempting to create a serious differentiator in the smartphone OS space, and the potential obstacles that Windows Phone 7 Series faces as it heads toward launch.
Thursday, February 25, 2010 4:48 PM/CST
A leaked Microsoft document details the user information that Microsoft retains from its various online services, as well as what the company is willing to share with law enforcement and under what circumstances. While it says Microsoft retains IP connection history from Hotmail and MSN Groups and personal information from Xbox Live, the document is less clear on what information is retained and accessible from Windows Live SkyDrive and Office Live.
