Microsoft

According to a recent survey by a Windows support firm, almost one in every three problems with Windows 7 is tied to issues arising during installation. The report highlights consumer difficulties in making the long jump from the nearly decade-old ... Windows XP to Microsoft's latest operating system (OS). 100,000 Customers Surveyed The support company in question, iYogi, found that in a survey of 100,000 customers an estimated 31 per cent of all problems with Windows 7 were issues experienced during installation. Rounding out the top three most-reported frustrations for new Windows 7 users was ( ... (view more)

One of the best Windows 7 retail deals (aside from the $30 student package, of course) was Microsoft's special Windows 7 Family Pack promotion, which bundled three licenses for the new operating system (OS) for the discounted price of $150. Despite ... rumors that the Family Pack is now sold out across the U.S., reports suggest Microsoft's own stores might still have a few copies. Family Pack Sold Out on Microsoft Site A Microsoft spokesperson yesterday told the media that the Windows 7 Family Pack, which includes three licenses (and thus, can be installed on three different computers) had sold ... (view more)

A Windows blogger has discovered that a feature supposedly removed from the starter edition of Windows 7 is in fact simply hidden. Thus, users of the new operating system (OS) can easily access the ability to run so-called ad-hoc networks. An ad-hoc ... network, also sometimes known as a computer-to-computer network, is a way of wirelessly connecting two computers directly rather than through a router. For example, you might use this when the main computer in a home is connected to the Internet through a cable modem rather than a router, with the ad-hoc network then allowing laptops to share data ... (view more)

As Microsoft and independent firms alike try to find out more about the " black screen of death " issue plaguing some users of Windows 7, the firm which first reported the problem has earned its fair share of criticism. However, that same firm ... maintains that despite getting the cause wrong, it still has the best solution. Fix for Some, Not All Cases Although it's now clear that Prevx misidentified Microsoft's update as being responsible for the problem, and grossly overestimated how many people could be affected, the firm has produced a fix which is reported to work in many, but not all, ... (view more)

Since its November 10 security update, reports suggest Microsoft has received more complaints about the Black Screen of Death, than ever before. One security firm is claiming that the update has caused the issue, while Microsoft asserts that the ... problem is neither rampant nor is it the result of the November 10 patch. The dreaded "blacK Screen of Death", otherwise known as KSoD, occurs when a user starts their computer but receives only a black screen rather than their desktop. It means that somewhere during startup process the operating system failed to load properly. The problem is ... (view more)

Thus far, sales of Windows 7 have been " fantastic ," and now there's also evidence it's boosting hardware sales -- which will undoubtedly increase this Black Friday with super holiday deals to be had. Manufacturers and retailers on both sides of ... the Atlantic are already crediting Windows 7 with helping move more computers this pre-holiday season. Manufacturer Acer says its recent sales are up 25 per cent on the same time last year -- all thanks to Microsoft's new operating system (OS). The firm, which is the second largest PC manufacturer in the world, says it predicted such an ... (view more)

According to a a recent study, Windows 7 is already being used on more computers than Mac OS. In fact, Windows 7's usage outperforms all versions of Apple's system put together. According to Net Applications, 5.14% of online users were running ... Windows 7 last Sunday, compared with Apple's average of 5% for the week as a whole. However, Windows 7 only averaged 4.15% for the week, which is a fairer comparison. Figures for Sunday alone aren't available for Mac OS yet. (Source: tomshardware.com ) It's possible Apple's figures for the Sunday will turn out to be higher than its weekly average as, ... (view more)

For the past few months, Samir Meghani has been the proverbial "thorn in the side" of Microsoft. First, the co-founder of price comparison search engine Bountii.com posted ways in which users could exploit the Bing cashback rewards program . Now, ... Meghani is claiming that this same promotion is responsible for making some products appear more expensive on the web than their actual retail price. Bing 'Negative Cashback' Rewards Acccording to Meghani, Bing has a hidden feature that he refers to as 'negative cashback'. It is his belief that the program, and more specifically, vendors associated ... (view more)

Microsoft's CEO says Windows 7 is selling twice as fast as any of its predecessors. However, he was careful not to sound too arrogant, noting that even the tiniest fraction of market share lost to rivals is important to the Redmond-based software ... firm. Steve Ballmer last week spoke at Microsoft's annual meeting in Washington state, broadcast live on the Internet. He said Windows 7 had already sold twice as many units as any previous Microsoft operating system (OS) in the same period, calling the sales a "fantastic start". (Source: csmonitor.com ) Ballmer didn't give sales numbers or revenue ... (view more)

Is Microsoft already looking beyond Windows 7 to Windows 8? Well, it can't hurt to be prepared. In a recent presentation at the Los Angeles Professional Developers Conference, Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky revealed two interesting slides that CNET ... News believes confirms the next major release from the Redmond-based firm is pegged for 2012. There's great value for Microsoft in being up front with its home and business customers. For one, being prepared keeps stock value high. Second, it keeps consumer confidence at a peak, and although the initial knee-jerk reaction might be to wonder if news of ... (view more)