Critics: Vista Ultimate’s promised add-ons just broken promises

Microsoft Corp. has failed to deliver on its promise of downloadable extras for the highest-priced version of Windows Vista, critics claim. Dubbed “Extras” and exclusive to Vista Ultimate, the downloads were touted before, at and after the launch as one of a handful of features that separated the $399 operating system from the $239 Home Premium. Trouble is, Microsoft hasn’t followed through. Since January, when Vista was released to consumers, no new finished Extra have been offered to Ultimate users. Read more.

Microsoft deletes 900 forum messages about crashing Xbox 360s

In what appears to be an effort to conceal the over 900 replies gamers provided on the official Forzamotorsport.net forums about Forza Motorsport 2 crashing on the Xbox 360, Microsoft has deleted the long thread, now stating that it’s “exclusive content for registered forum users” only. However, the thread was removed entirely, even to registered members. Read more.

Got Vista 64-bit Ed.? No iPhone for you!

Struggling with your new iPhone on a 64-bit Windows Vista or XP system? Take solace, you’re not alone. The error message, “The software required for iPhone is not installed. Run the iTunes installer to remove iTunes, then install iTunes again.” is Apple’s magical way of telling you that iTunes is not supported on 64-bit flavors of Microsoft’s operating systems. Read more.

Microsoft suddenly cuts Vista discounts.

Under the family discount plan, Microsoft would provide up to two Premium upgrades for $50 each to customers buying Windows Vista Ultimate. Considering Ultimate pricing-list of $259 upgrade and $399 full version-customers had to pay quite a bit for the savings. Contrast to Apple, which sells one Mac OS X version for $129 and a family pack of five licenses for $199. “At a time when Vista’s penetration is struggling you would think that Microsoft would add incentives rather than take them away,” Kay said. “A move like this doesn’t win many hearts and minds.”

Microsoft to simplify downgrade process from Vista to XP

Microsoft is simplifying the processes via which its PC-maker partners will be able to provide “downgrade” rights from Windows Vista to Windows XP for their customers. Microsoft will implement the first of the policy changes for its Gold Certified (top-tier) OEM partners within the next couple of weeks. The company will streamline downgrade-rights policies and procedures for the broader channel somewhat later, said John Ball, general manager of Microsoft’s U.S. Systems Group. Read more.

A tale of 11 broken Xbox 360s

Justin Lowe is your average hardcore gamer. He’s fully embraced the HD era, owning both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and loves his Nintendo DS and PSP for gaming on-the-go. He even helps run Aggravated Gamers, an indie gaming podcast. What’s special about Justin, though, is he’s currently on his twelfth Xbox 360. Read more.

My first successful “Switch” recommendation.

Today is a personal milestone for me. As the resident IT guy at my work I’m frequently called upon for my opinion on anything that uses electricity whether it’s an ISP, a computer, or a new microwave. Today I successfully converted the VP of the company to Mac and tommorow he’s buying a MacBook.

The iPhone will be compatible with Microsoft Exchange, after all

Here’s what I’m hearing: Apple will announce this week — possibly as soon as June 27 — that it has licensed the Exchange ActiveSync licensing protocol. Via the licensing arrangement, Apple iPhone users will be able to connect to Exchange Server and make use of its wireless messaging and synchronization capabilities. I’ve asked both Microsoft and Apple for comments on this supposedly imminent announcement. No word from Apple so far. Microsoft’s statement, via a corporate spokeswoman: Read more.

VistaReview: A chronicle of one user’s pains

Follow one user’s experience with upgrading his laptop and OS. “Now that Vista has been officially released, I’ve decided to take the plunge myself and buy a brand new Toshiba Satellite Laptop to test the “Windows Vista Home Premium”. Let’s find out what you can and can’t do with it. I will post everything I learn here on VistaReview.info for you to read. Hopefully it will help some of you make the decision whether or not Windows Vista is something you want to upgrade to or get installed on your new PC or not.” Read the first post. before proceeding to the later ones. Subsequent posts can be read by clicking the link in the upper right above the post’s title. This will allow you to read them in the order they were written.

NoteBookReview.Com: Hasta La Vista, Vista

You’ll probably tell me I am being presumptuous with this article/editorial, and that I am running around with my head cut off screaming “THE SKY IS FALLING! THE SKY IS FALLING!” I wouldn’t totally disagree with you. But here’s the bottom line: Windows Vista’s effect on the market will be catastrophic, and OEMs and PC users alike are in for a very rough go of things over the next year or so. Without further delay, let’s talk about why you should be concerned … and talk about solutions to the problems. Read more.

Microsoft Paid Top Bloggers to Promote Vista

The stodgy old media industry has a rule that newspaper reporters, and TV news hosts, shouldn’t trade on their public trust to endorse products. It’s become redundant: the reading public typically wants journalists to drop the pretense of objectivity, and wear their prejudices in public. (For the record, my current passions are the iPhone and Facebook.) But there are limits to journalistic endorsements, and Federated Media just crossed them. Read more.

Vista games cracked to run on XP

The news is sure to irk Microsoft who may now face an increased delay in some consumers adopting Vista at this early stage. However, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Earlier this month Falling Leaf Systems said in a press release that it believed Microsoft was deceiving consumers by stating that the titles would only work on Vista, and announced its intentions to release compatability software to disprove the claim. Read more.

Vista: They took five years for this?

Linux users can, at times, be the worst kind of ingrates, whining and complaining about what they perceive as missing features in a free operating system. My advice to all such whiners: spend 10 days using the latest version of Windows and you’ll realize that you are living in a world of relative bliss. Read more.

Microsoft admits Vista failure

[Microsoft] is at a dangerous crossroads, if its software bumps up the price of a computer by 100 per cent, people might look to alternatives. That means no [Vista] DRM infection lock in, no mass migration to the newer Office obfuscated and patented file formats, and worse yet, people might utter the W word. Yes, you guessed it, ‘why’. People might ask why it is sticking with the MS lock in, and at that point, it is in deep trouble. Read more.

IT Manager: Vista’s failures explained

Microsoft faces an uphill battle to convince IT managers like me that they are relevant in the face of Google and Linux. If [Vista] is your best response, well, it hasn’t been all that nice knowing you. Read more.

How to Install Mac OS X on a PC

A new guide has surfaced on how to install Mac OS X on an Intel or AMD based PC. Not for the faint of heart. Read more.

VistaRapedMe.Com Introduced

…We don’t hate Microsoft. We like Microsoft. For better or worse we made a choice a long time ago to be “Microsoft guys”. What does that mean? Well it means we work with a lot of MS technology, we generally support the direction they are going and while we don’t necessarily think they make the greatest tools across the board, we also don’t think they are the devil. But what we will not become is Microsoft’s Bitch. Read more.

Amazon.Com: Ubuntu outselling Vista

“If you guys want free chairs, you should check out the Redmond parking lot.” Amazon’s numbers show more people are buying the DVD version of the free Ubuntu Linux than Windows Vista. Yet more validation of the statement Vista sucks. Read more.

Microsoft better at patching XP than Vista

A Microsoft security executive released data Thursday showing that, six months after shipping Windows Vista, his company has left more publicly disclosed Vista bugs unpatched than it did with Windows XP. Read more.

Apple up-to 7.6% at Home Computer Market-share

USA Today claims based on their research that Apple is now up-to 7.6% computer market-share based on home computers statistics. This is a drastic increase in at-home computer market-share from 3.2% only a few years ago! [via SwitchingToMac.Com] Read more.

Microsoft Is Counting Bugs Again

There are some things you count and compare, and some things you don’t. Security flaws should be in the “don’t” category, not that Microsoft seems to get it. For years, the company has used number of flaws as a measure for touting security improvements. Counting is a great security by PR approach, but little more. Read more.

Apple adds Microsoft Word & Excel support to iPhone

Apple revealed that its iPhone will support Microsoft Excel and Word documents, putting to rest one of the major criticisms voiced by potential business adopters [and Microsoft] of the mobile handset. Read more.

One Day… [video]

Held off on posting this one until I was on a PC that had sound. Someone thought it’d be funny to take Microsoft’s promotional video for “Surface” and mock it. They were right. It is.

Microsoft Developer: Installing Vista: My Personal Hell

You know it’s bad when even Microsoft developers blog about the horrors of Vista. Andy Pennell is a developer at Microsoft working on HDi, the interactivity layer for HD DVD. “Short story: Installing Vista for me was a catalog of problems, some mine and some not. It started out with not being able to open the box, and went downhill to include weekend-long unsuccessful installs, bricking my PC, and exercising my Dell warranty to get a replacement motherboard, hard-drive and secondary hard-drive. And after all that, guess what: I still haven’t installed it.” Read more.

Apple notebook sales continue to climb.

The Mac maker climbed almost two full percentage points in mid-spring, securing 14.3 percent of all notebook sales in the U.S. versus 12.5 percent in April. The spike represented a 14 percent step up compared to the earlier period and lifts Apple to fourth place in the notebook sphere, putting it just behind HP, Gateway, and Toshiba. Read more.

The Guide to 100%-Linux/KDE/Desktop-Success (The Linux manifest)

This is a guide on how Linux and especially the KDE desktop could revolutionize the world of computers and operating systems and bring a major breakthrough so Linux would go mainstream. Read more.

Google says Vista search changes not enough

Google chief legal officer David Drummond said in a statement, “We are pleased that as a result of Google’s request that the consent decree be enforced, the Department of Justice and state attorneys general have required Microsoft to make changes to Vista.” Nevertheless, Drummond said that “Microsoft’s current approach to Vista desktop search clearly violates the consent decree and limits consumer choice,”  Read more.

The first iPhone theft

Remember the problems with game consoles being stolen at launch time? Remember armed holdups on people waiting in line with cash in pocket – to buy 360’s, PS3s, and Wiis?

Has anyone stopped to consider what may happen on the 29th with the iPhone?

Another University moves to Macs

Following in the footsteps of Wilkes University, St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, Canada, is dumping all of their Windows machines and transitioning over to shiny new Macs. Read more.

[Most] Vista PCs being sold right now aren’t powerful enough to run Vista

Just imagine what might happen if the majority of Vista PCs now being sold were not up to the job of running Vista. If users were experiencing unacceptably slow performance, although the published minimum specifications were met. 

 In that situation you might expect there’d be a lot of dissatisfied customers right now, and the ranks of the disgruntled would be growing daily as Vista PCs continue to be sold in large numbers. Well, this exactly what is happening at the moment. Read more.

Now three Linux vendors won’t sign patent deals with Microsoft

For a while, it was looking like Microsoft threats (and money) would convince a substantial number of Linux distribution providers to sign “interoperability and IP protection” pacts with Redmond. But as of today, the “deal/no deal” count is even. Read more.

From the “I’m glad I’m not a Vista salesperson” files

I feel for the folks hawking Vista right now. There are too many conflicting pieces of information coming out of Redmond to figure out what to tell customers — especially business customers — who are wondering when/whether to upgrade. Consider the evidence: Read more.

Windows Marketplace Presents: Ubuntu

Ubuntu had been hosted on the Windows Marketplace. Although it’s listing doesn’t seem to be counted when sorting by popularity. It fixes most of the bugs present in Windows and adds some extra functionality.

I wonder if it will do as well on Windows Maketplace as it’s doing on Amazon?

read more | digg story

Laptop Magazine’s Tech Support Shootout. Who’s #1?

Notebook sales have soared in the last year. In the first quarter of 2007, notebooks were so popular that sales rose nearly 51 percent from the same period a year ago, as tracked by Current Analysis. You’re probably wondering what that has to do with technical support. Well, a lot. But it’s basic arithmetic: More computers mean more demand for tech support. Read more.

Microsoft Has Gone Insane

There have been some postings lately about how Microsoft is dead. The most famous probably being the one by Paul Graham. Now granted, Paul wasn’t really saying that they were literally dead, just that other companies and technologies are making them irrelevant. And in this industry, being irrelevant is equivalent to being dead. However, I don’t think it’s other companies that are causing it. I think it is Microsoft themselves. Here’s a little secret: I think Microsoft has gone insane. What makes me think that, you ask? Well, let’s look at some evidence: Read more.

Microsoft Research’s Multi-touch laptop demoed [video]

Linux-Based Websites Beat Windows-Based Sites

Linux websites have better uptime and load faster than Windows-based websites. Research by WatchMouse, a website monitoring company, also shows that web server platform Apache outperforms the Microsoft IIS platform.

read more | digg story

Bill Gates Live Windows 98 Crash [video]

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this one.

I once made an audio clip from it which I used as my Windows error sound effect. I had to get rid of it though because hearing it that many times a week… it got old quick.

“Dad, do you have an unused copy of Windows XP?”

I thought the request was weird. Why? Well, he has a cool MacBookPro and already has Vista running on it with both Parallels and Bootcamp. Read more.

Bill Gates declares Vista could run life support systems in Hospitals.

Journalist: Let’s imagine a hospital where life support systems are running Vista. Would you trust it with your life?

Bill Gates: …The answer to your question is that, absolutely… Read more.

Popular Science: Microsoft Security Grunt #6 worst job in Science

Do you flinch when your inbox dings? The people manning secure@microsoft .com receive approximately 100,000 dings a year, each one a message that something in the Microsoft empire may have gone terribly wrong. Teams of Microsoft Security Response Center employees toil 365 days a year to fix the kinks in Windows, Internet Explorer, Office and all the behemoth’s other products. Read more.

If Microsoft made toasters

I believe that Microsoft’s domination of the PC software market has dulled and altered our expectations of the ‘fit for purpose’ and ‘use from the box’ aspect of all – not just computer software – products we now shell out our hard earned for. Read more.

Don’t wait for Vista SP1, pleads Microsoft

…the link supplied by Microsoft goes to a website which is available only to computer makers who are prepared to sign up to a non-disclosure agreement. Without knowing what’s included in the fact-rich program, it’s difficult to know why people should proceed with confidence. Read more.

Five Ways Intel Will Weaken Microsoft

Intel has opened its wallet again for open source, this time pumping money into Centric CRM. Intel’s open source interests reveal five key trends that should worry Microsoft and other closed-source software providers. Read more.

Xbox 360 Failures Explained

In response to the recent Mercury News interview, a man who has had 8 consoles fail so far explains what he believes the issue with the hardware is.

read more | digg story

Vista SP1 coming this year (in Beta!)

c|net reports that Microsoft plans to release a beta version of SP1 for Vista later this year. Personally I thought service packs were bad enough, but a Service pack BETA?!?! Read more.

Microsoft bows to Google’s Search Complaint.

The latest Department of Justice status report on Microsoft’s antitrust compliance is out. And Microsoft’s concessions to a Google complaint regarding integrated desktop search are a key component of that report. Read more.

SwitchingToMac.com: Which Mac Should I Buy?

This is a bit of a tough question and the answer is different for everyone. Let’s start off with do you need portability? Keep in mind that portability does come with a bit of a cost premium, not as much as it used to but a Mac laptop will still cost more and give you a bit less than a similarly configured iMac. Read more.

iLoad copies DVDs straight to iPods, iPhone

MacNN reports: Silicon Valley’s Wingspan today announced that users can now directly copy a DVD to an iPhone or iPod — without using a computer. The company’s iLoad device can transfer either an entire DVD or CD or the tracks of the user’s choice as well as the album and track information directly to the iPod without using a computer, iTunes or Internet connection. Read more.

68 y/o Grandmother: I Forced a Mac on My Daughter

I’ve been a computer user and fan of the product since the 1980s with my first army-green Kaypro and WordStar software. I eventually graduated to Gateways and Word Perfect. Over the years, I accumulated and discarded several desktops and one laptop. “You’re not a Mac person?” friends with Macs would ask in surprise. “Too tricky to change,” I’d answer, “and besides, Macs are for graphics people.”

Read more.