The Steam Hardware Survey for August 2010 has been out for a bit, but it's always interesting to see what trends are influencing PC gamers over a period of months. There's a great deal of data available; we'll break down some of the more pertinent and interesting categories. Video Cards:DX11 Ramping Well The first...Read more...
Wow. Just wow. Sometimes, there's just nothing more to say. And this is one of those times, but we'll try to elaborate anyway. Kevin Turner, Microsoft's chief operating officer, probably pulls home a nice paycheck. He's right up there beside Steve Ballmer's corner office, and when he speaks about Microsoft, people understandably listen. He's...Read more...
Microsoft has confirmed that there's a service pack in the works for both Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 but the company isn't saying when it plans to release the updates—at least not yet. The fact that Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 are built on the same code base should simplify SP1's development. Thus far...Read more...
If Microsoft maintains a list of its least-popular ideas, initiatives, and software programs, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) has to be near the top. Initially marketed as a voluntary tool when it launched in September of 2004, Microsoft announced just six months later that any user who wanted to access non-critical security updates for their...Read more...
The economy as a whole helped to drag Microsoft's profits below where they would have liked them last year, but the company's first quarterly report in the new decade is quite different in nature. Put simply, Microsoft is beaming once more as it rakes in monumental profits, thanks in no small part to the highly...Read more...
Windows 7 has been on the market for over a full quarter now, so it's about time for a check on how the OS is doing. According to figures from Net Applications, the system looks to be doing quite well. So well, in fact, that the growth rate is making Vista's old launch growth rate look mighty bad in comparison. A peek...Read more...
This week may be as big a week in the company's history as Microsoft has ever had. We know, that's a pretty bold statement, but there is a lot of evidence to back that up. Microsoft has been drowning in negative press and negative vibes for most of Vista's life; it has tried for years to spit-shine the image of its "Wow!-inducing" operating...Read more...
This week may be as big a week in the company's history as Microsoft has ever had. We know, that's a pretty bold statement, but there's a lot of evidence to back that up. Microsoft has been drowning in negative press and negative vibes for most of Vista's life; it has tried for years to spit-shine the image of its "Wow!-inducing" operating...Read more...
Heads-up, PC enthusiasts! Windows 7--Microsoft's self-proclaimed "best OS ever" is launching to the public tomorrow. Tomorrow, junior! It hasn't even been three full years since the launch of Windows Vista, but already Microsoft is looking to put the past behind it and get on with the new. A recent survey by iYogi has...Read more...
You've heard horror stories from your pals who attempted to handle data migration processes on their own, and you're scared to death to make the leap to Windows 7. Thankfully, Belkin knows just what a tough spot you're in, and it has devised a dedicated cable to solve the problem that worries you most: upgrading. Of...Read more...
In our 2009 Notebook Buyer's Guide, we discussed the merits and perils of CULV based notebooks. This suddenly popular and quickly growing sector looks to bridge the gap between the bargain basement netbook and the full-size notebook. It makes sense to think that a swath of 13.3" to 14" machines would be needed for those who find 10.1" netbook...Read more...
In our 2009 Notebook Buyer's Guide, we discussed the merits and perils of CULV based notebooks. This suddenly popular and quickly growing sector looks to bridge the gap between the bargain basement netbook and the full-size notebook. It makes sense to think that a swath of 13.3" to 14" machines would be needed for those who find 10.1"...Read more...
AMD will be posting a brand new set of ATI Catalyst drivers to their website shortly that will feature a number of changes and enhancements for Radeon users. The first tid-bit of news is that the ATI Catalyst v9.7 driver package will be AMD’s first official Windows 7 / Windows Vista Unified WHQL-certified driver for the Windows 7 RTM edition.In...Read more...
Good news, Windows fans/users. If you're in need of a PC now, but don't want to miss out on the Windows 7 train which officially leaves the station on October 22nd, Microsoft is stepping in to help. Today, the software giant announced that starting tomorrow (June 26th), consumers and small businesses that purchase a Vista-enabled PC from a...Read more...
Hear ye, hear ye! If you've been tossing around the idea of putting Windows 7 on your rig, you should probably get a move on. The Windows Team has chimed in to remind us all that Windows 7 Beta users will soon be annoyed into upgrading to Windows 7 RC1, while even those on the sidelines best grab the latter soon.Starting on July 1st, Windows...Read more...
Expectations couldn't possibly be higher for Microsoft's next-generation operating system. Amazingly, this will be the first Windows OS that will actually run smoother on current-gen hardware than the prior OS. Indeed, the Release Candidate of Windows 7 that is on the market today runs far smoother on current machines than Vista, and while...Read more...
Just in time to prepare for an upgrade to Windows 7, the U.S. Army is upgrading to ... Windows Vista.The upgrade will include getting rid of all the Office 2003 programs and installing Office 2007 in its place, and is scheduled for a Dec. 31 completion date. Half the Army's computers (they have 744,000 desktop units) have Office 2007 so far...Read more...
Microsoft took a gigantic leap into online entertainment this week with a new partnership with Netflix, the online/mail-order movie rental service. More than 12,000 movies and television episodes from Netflix can now be watched immediately on a PC that has Windows Media Center and runs Windows Vista Home Premium or Ultimate. Of course, you...Read more...
Believe it or not, Windows 7 is about to take the computing world by storm. If all goes to plan, we'll see Microsoft's latest (and hopefully greatest) OS on store shelves by the time 2009 draws to a close, but it remains to be seen who all will be jumping to upgrade. According to Darrel Ward, director of product management for Dell's business...Read more...
Really, Microsoft? Has it come to this? During last night's highly watched NCAA Men's Basketball tournament, Microsoft decided to buy pretty much every single ad slot from the first tip to the final basket in order to grab Apple by the collar, slap it around a time or two and then spit on it as it walked away. We've seen the Mac vs. PC ads...Read more...
NVIDIA Collaborates with Microsoft to make premium, low-cost PCs a reality Microsoft Certifies NVIDIA ION to Deliver a Premium Windows Experience on PCs Starting as Low as $299 SANTA CLARA, CA - FEBRUARY 11, 2009 - In an effort to deliver an outstanding computing experience on small, low power PCs, NVIDIA announced today that NVIDIA ION...Read more...
Sadly, Vista isn’t all it was hyped up to be. Microsoft released its first service pack last March, which helped some in terms of improving the OS’s performance, but Microsoft still hasn’t been able to change the negative perceptions of many. In hopes of improvements, some are looking ahead to Service Pack 2. With any luck, this service pack...Read more...