Microsoft

Microsoft has agreed to drop a rule forcing Office 2013 buyers to re-purchase the software if they bought a new computer. The change follows a hostile response from Microsoft customers. The controversy arose because of the way Microsoft's Office ... 2013 software licensing works. Microsoft has always taken the approach that you don't buy software outright but pay for the right to use it under specified conditions. In the past, most Microsoft licenses were transferrable. This meant that as long as you only ran the software on one machine at a time, you could reinstall the software if you changed ... (view more)

Microsoft is reportedly planning to release seven security fixes as part of its monthly Patch Tuesday update. The update includes fixes for four "critical" security flaws. The March Patch Tuesday's seven fixes, four of which are marked "critical" -- ... Microsoft's highest security rating -- represents a decrease from February Patch Tuesday , when Microsoft issued roughly a dozen fixes designed to address almost sixty vulnerabilities. Internet Explorer Vulnerable to Drive-By Attacks Nevertheless, there are some important fixes for Microsoft users this time around. The most important is being ... (view more)

Microsoft's failure to offer European Windows users a clear choice of Internet browser has proven very costly. The European Union has fined the company a shocking 561 million euros, equivalent to US $732.2 million. Microsoft had agreed to provide ... new Window users with a browser choice screen (or "browser ballot" as it was popularly known). The deal was designed to settle claims that Microsoft's own browser, Internet Explorer, had an unfair advantage over other browsers because it came pre-installed on all Windows machines. Under the agreement, Microsoft began adding the choice ... (view more)

Interested in trading in your iPad, Macbook, or older Windows device for a Windows 8-based computer? Then head on over to Staples, where the retailer is offering up to $400 for older Microsoft and Apple devices. Here's how the deal, which Staples ... calls "Trade up to touch," works: People who buy a Windows 8-equipped touch screen device -- including tablets, all-in-one PCs, or laptops -- from Staples can qualify to trade in an older computer and receive up to $400 off the purchase of their new Windows 8 device. Windows, Apple Devices Qualify for Trade-In Those interested in the deal will need ... (view more)

Microsoft has finally released the latest version of its very own web browser, Internet Explorer 10, for its still-popular Windows 7 operating system (OS). The browser has been available for Windows 8 since that OS launched late last year. Releasing ... Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) as a Windows 8 exclusive was part of an attempt by Microsoft to promote its newest OS. However, with more than 700 million people using Windows 7, the idea of shirking an IE10 release seemed ludicrous. Internet Explorer 10 brings a number of important technical advancements to the table. For one, it offers wider support ... (view more)

Microsoft has acknowledged that its Mac software business unit was recently infected with malware. However, the company insists that the infection did not result in any customer data being compromised. Microsoft Trustworthy Computing Security chief ... Matt Thomlinson recently made this statement on the firm's security blog: "During our investigation, we found a small number of computers, including some in our Mac business unit, that were infected by malicious software using techniques similar to those documented by other organizations." No Customer Data Compromised Thomlinson went on to say that ... (view more)

In a recent interview with CBS This Morning, Microsoft chairman and former chief executive officer Bill Gates said he's "not satisfied" with Microsoft's level of innovation in recent years. However, the comment was not so much a criticism of current ... Microsoft executives, including CEO Steve Ballmer, than a push for the company to achieve greater things. Gates Admits Microsoft Made "A Mistake" in Mobile Market Much of Gates' interview revolved around Microsoft's recent attempt to make a bigger splash in the mobile market -- a sector of the technology industry largely ignored (or ... (view more)

A new report finds that Microsoft's newly-released Surface Pro tablet computer is tougher to repair than an Apple iPad. The device, which officially launched on February 9, 2013, is reportedly built in a way that makes it very tough for an owner to ... perform their own hardware maintenance. The report comes to us from consumer technology hardware blog ifixit, which after performing a teardown of the Microsoft Surface Pro reports that "Microsoft has essentially glued down anything that could be glued, making it incredibly difficult for a user to repair on their own." Battery-Gluing Arouses Anger ... (view more)

Industry insiders are warning potential buyers of Microsoft Office 2013 to carefully read the software's licensing agreement. According to reports, users of the popular software package could be prevented from installing programs like Excel, ... PowerPoint, and Word on more than a single PC. In a recent report, InfoWorld's Woody Leonhard notes that, according to the Microsoft Office 2013 licensing terms, users may have to re-purchase the software if their computer (the PC they originally installed the Office software on) breaks down. (Source: infoworld.com ) New Terms of Service for Home Users ... (view more)

A former Microsoft executive insists that the firm has "lost its coolness." As a step towards improving the situation, Joachim Kempin is calling for Microsoft chief financial officer Steve Ballmer to resign. Kempin formerly led Microsoft's OEM ... group, where he played a key role in overseeing the firm's relationship with its many hardware partners. Kempin left Microsoft in 2002 and has since turned to writing about his experiences in the consumer technology business. Microsoft's "Secret Power Broker" Speaks Out His most recent book, "Resolve and Fortitude: Microsoft's 'Secret Power ... (view more)