Microsoft's Windows falls 6% on slow PC sales
Thu, Jan 19, 2012 - Despite meeting expectations for its fiscal second quarter, Microsoft saw a decline in its bread and butter Windows business, causing net revenue fall slightly for the three months ending on Dec. 31. ( 65 comments )
Microsoft shuffles Windows Phone management to build momentum
Tue, Dec 13, 2011 - Microsoft has rearranged its management team for Windows Phone, shifting division head Andy Lees to a "time-critical opportunity" to build momentum for its Windows Phone and Windows 8 operating systems, a move that some have viewed as a sign of failure. ( 43 comments )
Windows Store discounts, optional subscriptions to undercut Apple's App Store
Wed, Dec 7, 2011 - Microsoft released new details of its Windows 8 plans on Tuesday, differentiating its upcoming Windows Store from Apple's own App Store and Mac App Store by offering a 20/80 revenue split to developers after their first $25,000 in sales and allowing third-party in-app purchase and subscription options. ( 46 comments )
Microsoft looking to drum up Windows Phone interest with 55-foot NYC replica
Tue, Nov 8, 2011 - Microsoft has installed a six-story interactive Windows Phone structure in New York City's Herald Square as a promotional stunt to increase awareness of its struggling smartphone platform. ( 56 comments )
Microsoft axed Courier tablet in favor of 'Windows Everywhere' strategy - report
Wed, Nov 2, 2011 - Software giant Microsoft scrapped the Courier tablet project last year because the device diverged from its strategy of bringing Windows everywhere without compromise, a new report claims. ( 53 comments )
Worldwide Mac browser share hits 6.9%, iOS takes 62% mobile share
Tue, Nov 1, 2011 - Apple's presence on the Web continues to expand, with browser use of both iOS and Mac OS X seeing growth in October that propelled the company to new heights. ( 49 comments )
Microsoft faces iPad, iWorks without articulated plan for Windows 8 Office
Mon, Sep 19, 2011 - While eager to demonstrate next year's Windows 8, Microsoft has been reticent to make any promises about a tablet friendly new version of Office sporting the new Metro look, a clear departure from Apple's strategy of presenting the original iPad with a suite of new iWork apps, but only after both were finished and ready to sell. ( 128 comments )
Microsoft jettisons Flash with 'plug-in free' Windows 8 Metro IE10
Thu, Sep 15, 2011 - The tablet-optimized Metro version of Internet Explorer 10 in Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 will be a "plug-in free experience," as the company follows Apple's lead in abandoning Adobe Flash in favor of HTML5 on tablets. ( 120 comments )
Microsoft unveils Windows 8 tablet effort with Samsung prototype
Wed, Sep 14, 2011 - Microsoft offered an extended preview of its upcoming Windows 8 operating system at a conference on Tuesday, providing developers with a prototype Samsung tablet running a "pre-beta" version of the OS. ( 209 comments )
Parallels Desktop 7 upgrade available now, with Mac OS X Lion hosting, integration
Thu, Sep 1, 2011 - A new Parallels Desktop 7 adds faster performance and new support for Mac OS X Lion, including Windows integration of apps in Launchpad and windows in Mission Control and the ability to run an instance of Lion within Lion itself. ( 43 comments )
Microsoft reveals team working on Windows 8 'App Store'
Wed, Aug 17, 2011 - Microsoft on Wednesday revealed that it will follow in Apple's footsteps by building an "App Store" for the next generation of its flagship OS, codenamed Windows 8. ( 82 comments )
Apple issues Quicktime 7.7 for Windows, Leopard and updates printer drivers
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 - Apple on Wednesday issued QuickTime 7.7 for Windows and Mac OS X Leopard, as well as a batch of driver updates for printers and scanners from Samsung, HP and Brother. ( 27 comments )
Microsoft's Windows revenues disappoint with 2% decline in fiscal 2011
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 - After Microsoft on Thursday announced record revenue of $17.37 billion, analysts quickly voiced concerns over the news that revenue from the company's Windows division declined 2 percent in fiscal 2011. ( 57 comments )
Microsoft shoots down Windows Phone 7 tablet hopes, says tablets are PCs
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 - Claiming that tablets should be considered personal computers rather than new age mobile devices, Microsoft on Tuesday again dashed hopes of tablets running the company's new mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7 OS. ( 91 comments )
Gartner cuts 2011 PC forecast; Microsoft considering own-brand Windows 8 tablet
Wed, Jun 8, 2011 - Gartner lowered its forecast Wednesday for global PC growth in 2011 as demand for netbooks continues to slump and Apple's iPad causes disruption, while Microsoft is reportedly considering launching its own brand of Windows 8 tablet PCs next year. ( 50 comments )
Pranksters affix Windows logo to upcoming Hamburg Apple Store
Sat, Jun 4, 2011 - A group of pranksters disguised themselves as construction workers on Saturday in order to post a Windows logo onto the facade of a future Apple Store in Hamburg, Germany. ( 104 comments )
Microsoft demonstrates Windows 8 with HTML5 apps
Wed, Jun 1, 2011 - Microsoft has provided a look at how it plans to bring Windows to more mobile devices in the future, leveraging ARM processors and using HTML5 as the basis of a new app platform. ( 178 comments )
Microsoft retracts Ballmer's Windows 8 in 2012 comments
Wed, May 25, 2011 - After Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer appeared to confirm earlier this week that the next generation of Windows will arrive next year, a spokesperson has clarified the comments as "a misstatement." ( 71 comments )
Microsoft says next-gen Windows systems coming next year
Mon, May 23, 2011 - Speaking at a developer forum in Tokyo, Japan on Monday, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer confirmed plans for a 2012 launch of the "next generation of Windows systems," which will include Windows 8 slates and tablets. ( 66 comments )
Apple's Mac OS X, iOS now fueling 3.5 times the profits of Microsoft Windows
Wed, May 4, 2011 - Apple's dramatic growth in hardware sales has reversed the longstanding notion that software licensing is the best way to make money in the tech industry. ( 34 comments )
Fears of iPad cannibalization drive PC estimates downward
Thu, Apr 28, 2011 - Slowing shipments of PCs have prompted some analysts to revise their 2011 PC shipment estimates downward over concerns that Apple's iPad is eating into sales of PCs. ( 34 comments )
Palm, Facebook investor changes tune on Apple over iPad, apps
Thu, Apr 14, 2011 - In a marked shift from his former belief that sales of the iPhone would dry up after two years, Roger McNamee, a prominent venture capitalist who has invested heavily in Palm and Facebook, said in an interview that Apple will likely lead a 10-year technology growth cycle with the continued success of the iPad and its App Store ecosystem. ( 42 comments )
Early build of Windows 8 suggests cross-platform OS to compete with Apple's iOS
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 - An early build of Windows 8 suggests that Microsoft may transition the next version of Windows to a cross-platform OS scalable across a variety of devices in hopes of competing with Apple's iOS platform, according to new reports. ( 78 comments )
Acer to "overhaul operations" in the wake of Apple's iPad
Wed, Mar 30, 2011 - The founder of Acer, the second largest PC maker globally, has acknowledged that the company must overhaul its operations to focus on profit margins rather than market share in reaction to the success of Apple. ( 48 comments )
HP announces plans to add webOS to its Windows PCs
Wed, Feb 9, 2011 - Almost lost at the end of its more than two hour long webOS event was the news that HP plans to apply its webOS experience on new PCs it sells, initially augmenting rather than replacing Windows in a bid to greatly expand the new environment's installed base. ( 30 comments )
Dell previews conceptual tablet running Windows 7
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 - Without providing a price or release date, Dell has begun showing a non-working prototype representing a 10 inch tablet running Windows 7. ( 55 comments )
ARM posts record profits with help from Apple's iPhone, iPad successes
Tue, Feb 1, 2011 - Bolstered by record sales of Apple's iPhone and iPad, chip designer ARM Holdings announced its highest ever annual revenue and earnings Tuesday. ( 6 comments )
Briefly: Foxconn retail, Samsung struggles, Microsoft ponders Office for App Stores
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 - Cybermart, a retail subsidiary of Apple partner Foxconn, is planning an aggressive expansion in Greater China after winning distribution rights for Apple products, according to a new report. Samsung was unable to capitalize on its iPad and iPhone challengers, posting its lowest quarterly profit in six quarters. Finally, a Microsoft spokesperson said the company was "looking into" a Mac App Store version of its Office productivity suite. ( 65 comments )
Apple must wait another day to best Microsoft on earnings
Thu, Jan 27, 2011 - After numerous analysts had predicted weakened income for Microsoft, the Windows maker surprised Wall Street Thursday by posting a quarterly profit of $6.63 billion, enough to stay ahead of Apple on earnings for the time being. ( 68 comments )
Apple poised to beat Microsoft's quarterly profits for first time in 20 years
Tue, Jan 25, 2011 - Microsoft is expected to report lower profits than last year as PC market growth stalls, making it almost certain that Apple's latest $6 billion earnings record will exceed Microsoft's for the first time since 1990. ( 46 comments )
Apple's Tim Cook dismisses Android iPad competitors as bizarre, vapor
Tue, Jan 18, 2011 - In addressing potential competitors of Apple's iPad, Tim Cook said he has "no concerns" about the the tablets being shown running Microsoft's Windows and Google's Android platform, specifically calling out existing Android offerings as "bizarre" while dismissing future models as vapor. ( 216 comments )
Intel and NVIDIA settle patent dispute with 6-year $1.5B deal
Mon, Jan 10, 2011 - Intel and NVIDIA have announced a six-year $1.5 billion cross-licensing agreement that resolves a lengthy patent dispute between the two companies and could lead to close integration of NVIDIA GPUs with Intel's processors. ( 19 comments )
New Apple patent for network booting could lead to cloud-based Mac OS X
Wed, Jan 5, 2011 - Apple has recently been granted a patent for administering and maintaining a network-booted operating system, possibly laying further groundwork for a cloud-based version of Mac OS X. ( 50 comments )
Report: iPad will grow 250% in 2011 at the expense of PCs
Fri, Dec 31, 2010 - A new report claims tablet sales will more than triple next year, but says Apple will hold on to its dominant position with the iPad, jumping from 14 million units in 2010 to 36 million next year. ( 65 comments )
HP, Microsoft to take on Apple's iPad and each other at CES [u]
Tue, Dec 21, 2010 - Just like last year's Consumer Electronics Show, HP and Microsoft will be showing off their latest tablet competitors to Apple's iPad. This year however, the two PC partners will be tablet rivals. ( 33 comments )
Verizon reportedly sees iPhone as "essential to future success"
Tue, Dec 21, 2010 - Verizon is "still excited" about launching Apple's iPhone early next year "to combat slowing Android momentum in the US," according to analyst Shaw Wu of Kaufman Bros. ( 36 comments )
Microsoft gearing up to reintroduce iPad competitors running Windows 7
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 - Microsoft will again present Slate PCs running Windows 7 at next month's 2011 Consumer Electronics Show, hoping to offer users an alternative to Apple's iPad. ( 80 comments )
Apple iPad widely expected to lead tablet disruption of PCs in 2011
Sat, Nov 27, 2010 - Reports from a variety of analysts predict a huge swell in tablet computer sales next year ranging from 35 to 100 million units in total, with Apple's iPad accounting for the largest number sold by far. ( 121 comments )
Apple iPad rival HP Slate sees demand fizzle at 9,000 units
Sun, Nov 14, 2010 - After announcing that demand for its HP Slate had "exceeded expectations," it has now leaked out that HP only planned to build 5,000 and ended up having to retool to build a total of 9,000 of them. ( 138 comments )
New Windows 7 ad criticizes Apple's lack of Blu-ray support on Mac
Fri, Nov 12, 2010 - Microsoft has once again taken on Apple and the Mac platform in a new advertisement which touts the ability of a Windows 7 laptop to play Blu-ray discs, while a MacBook cannot. ( 411 comments )
Dropping Adobe Flash boosts Apple's MacBook Air battery life by 2 hours
Thu, Nov 4, 2010 - Apple has stopped bundling Adobe Flash on new Macs, ostensibly so users could obtain the latest, secure version themselves, but vastly increased battery life seems to be another leading reason. ( 95 comments )
Apple's iOS pushes Microsoft to dial down Silverlight for HTML5
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 - While Apple's success with its mobile iOS platform is credited with invoking the proliferation of HTML5 video at the expense of Adobe's Flash, it's also causing a major shift in strategy for Microsoft's Silverlight. ( 53 comments )
Apple's Steve Jobs slams Google, RIM, rival tablet makers
Mon, Oct 18, 2010 - In a surprise appearance during the company's quarterly earnings call, Apple's chief executive Steve Jobs hailed the success of the iPhone and Pod while painting a bleak outlook for RIM's Blackberry smartphones, Google's fragmented Android smartphone platform, and the coming trickle of 7inch tablets. ( 181 comments )
Mossberg reviews, recommends Office for Mac 2011
Wed, Oct 13, 2010 - After reviewing Microsoft's upcoming Office for Mac 2011, which now includes Outlook, Walt Mossberg concluded that it was "by far the best Mac version of the suite" and recommended it to users. ( 52 comments )
PC industry customer satisfaction again dominated by Apple
Tue, Sep 21, 2010 - Apple remains the best in its class for customer service, with the Mac maker again leading all other PC makers for the seventh straight year, despite industry-wide improvement, according to a new study. ( 45 comments )
Adobe releases beta of 64-bit Flash for Mac OS X, Windows
Fri, Sep 17, 2010 - A preview release of a 64-bit version of Flash Player 10 is now available from Adobe. ( 22 comments )
Microsoft begins Windows Phone 7 media blitz with new teaser ad
Mon, Sep 6, 2010 - Microsoft has posted its first teaser video advertisement for the upcoming Windows Phone 7. ( 173 comments )
Microsoft site attempts to discourage PC users from switching to Mac
Mon, Aug 9, 2010 - Microsoft has launched a new website that tells users PCs have Blu-ray, more software choices, and a greater array of hardware options when compared with Apple's Mac platform. ( 240 comments )
iPad launches Apple to 3rd place in mobile PC market share
Mon, Aug 2, 2010 - Apple's market share as a mobile PC vendor has surged along with the launch of iPad, breaking 200% year over year growth while vaulting the company from seventh to third place in global portable computing. ( 30 comments )
Steve Ballmer: 'Apple sold more iPads than I'd like them to sell'
Thu, Jul 29, 2010 - Speaking to Wall Street analysts, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer noted that tablets are a big issue for the company and expressed concern about Apple's success with iPad. ( 189 comments )
HP's webOS 2.0 to take on iPhone 4, iPad later this year
Fri, Jul 23, 2010 - After making comments to the contrary this summer, Hewlett-Packard is now positioning its acquired Palm webOS as a competitor to Android and iPhone 4, as well as Apple's iPad, relegating its Windows 7 Slate PC offerings to a business tablet niche. ( 88 comments )
Apple executives dodge data center, FaceTime questions in earnings call
Tue, Jul 20, 2010 - As usual, Apple's executives kept close to a carefully prepared script on the company's stellar financial results, being careful not to reveal too much about the company's future plans, including its data center cloud services and broader open support for FaceTime video calling. ( 35 comments )
Inside Apple's iOS 4: new feature parity with Snow Leopard
Fri, Jun 18, 2010 - Apple's iOS 4 features the biggest foundational leap for developers since the company first opened up iPhone OS 2.0 to development, now catching up to the core features of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. ( 82 comments )
Steam survey finds more than 8% of gamers use Apple's Mac OS X
Sat, Jun 5, 2010 - More users of Valve's Steam gaming service ran a version of Apple's Mac OS X in its first month of availability than the 64-bit versions of Windows XP and Windows Vista combined, according to a new hardware survey. ( 72 comments )
Security concerns prompt Google to switch from Windows to Mac
Tue, Jun 1, 2010 - A major security breach in which Google's Chinese operations were hacked could "effectively end" the presence of Microsoft Windows machines at the search giant, with most systems replaced by Macs. ( 85 comments )
Mac OS X market share up 29%, Leopard still most common
Sat, Feb 27, 2010 - New statistics released this week show that the market share of Mac OS X in Web use has grown by 29.4 percent in the last year, while Windows has decreased 3.8 percent. ( 162 comments )
Parallels faster than VMware in virtualization head-to-head
Tue, Feb 9, 2010 - In a comprehensive set of benchmark tests, virtualization competitors Parallels Desktop 5.0 and VMware Fusion 3.0 were examined head-to-head, finding Parallels to be an average of 30% faster than VMware. ( 71 comments )
Microsoft alters settlement with EU over browser exclusivity
Sat, Dec 5, 2009 - Microsoft has modified its antitrust settlement with the European Union in response to complaints from other browser makers. ( 65 comments )
Microsoft shareholders grill CEO about Apple, iPhone
Thu, Nov 19, 2009 - Shareholders questioned Microsoft execs at their annual meeting about Apple's growing reputation among the "next generation" of technology consumers. ( 79 comments )
Apple's Safari gets prime placement in Windows browser ballot
Fri, Oct 16, 2009 - Microsoft's Windows browser ballot in Europe presents its options in alphabetical order, putting Apple's Safari as the first choice for users to install. ( 74 comments )
Apple plans Mac marketing blitz around Windows 7 launch
Thu, Oct 15, 2009 - Apple plans to counter the upcoming release of Windows 7 with advertisements that will lambaste the upgrade process from Windows XP, and portray Macs as more secure. ( 169 comments )
History suggests Windows 7 launch could boost Mac sales
Tue, Oct 13, 2009 - Rather than negatively impacting Mac sales, a new report provides evidence that the impending launch of Windows 7 could actually be a boon for Apple. ( 230 comments )
Apple takes double-digit home PC market share - study
Mon, Oct 5, 2009 - An estimated 12 percent of all U.S. homes have an Apple computer, though nearly all Mac owners also have a Windows PC in their home, a new study shows. ( 74 comments )
Microsoft's fight against Apple ads seen as waste of money
Wed, Sep 2, 2009 - With Apple's Mac home market share tripling in the past five years, Microsoft has fought back with its own advertising campaigns attacking Apple for the first time, a move one analyst sees as a mistake. ( 124 comments )
Microsoft plans to use Windows 7 to raise netbook prices
Fri, Jul 31, 2009 - The prospects of a premium priced Apple tablet computer may brighten at the hands of an unlikely ally, if Microsoft can carry out its stated goal of raising netbook prices using Windows 7. ( 128 comments )
Steve Ballmer calls Apple's Mac growth a "rounding error"
Fri, Jul 31, 2009 - Speaking to a group of market analysts this week, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer repeatedly mentioned Apple, including a suggestion that a growing rate of Mac adoption is statistically insignificant. ( 275 comments )
AVG antivirus update attacks Apple's iTunes
Mon, Jul 27, 2009 - A database update from AVG over the weekend made the Windows antivirus software attack users' iTunes installations, mistakenly viewing the application's library files as a Trojan virus and placing them in quarantine. ( 66 comments )
Microsoft's latest ad attacks Mac aesthetics, computing power
Sat, Apr 4, 2009 - Continuing its advertising campaign which seeks to promote generic PCs running Windows as more attractive than Macs, Microsoft's latest spot plays up specifications over aesthetics as opposed to just suggesting that PCs are simply cheaper as the previous spot did. However, it ends up making the opposite point instead. ( 521 comments )
Mac web share hits record 9.9 percent in January
Sun, Feb 1, 2009 - Even as the economy has continued to falter, Apple's share of web users has climbed up to a landmark 9.93 percent in the first month of 2009 while Windows' own share continues to slide downwards. ( 52 comments )
Microsoft intros Windows 7 beta, Songsmith app at CES
Thu, Jan 8, 2009 - In Las Vegas to lead his first CES keynote yesterday, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer announced a free Windows 7 public beta, available for download tomorrow, and a new piece of song composition software akin to Apple's GarageBand. ( 157 comments )
Microsoft's Windows 7 to bring Apple-tinged design changes
Tue, Oct 28, 2008 - At its Professional Developers Conference, Microsoft has shown Windows 7 to the public for the first time and has revealed a user interface with some of the largest changes to the operating system's interface since Windows XP -- if not earlier -- and which bear slight resemblances to Apple software. ( 123 comments )
iPhone, iPod updates pad Apple margins; Belgian iPhone; more
Tue, Feb 5, 2008 - Apple's new 16GB iPhone is as much a move to restore comfortably high profit margins as to spark sales, according to one report. Also, Belgium's main carrier may support the iPhone this year, and the chief creator of Linux has chastised Apple's approach to Mac OS X. ( 52 comments )
Mac web share at 7.6 percent for January; iPhone in "almost every country"
Fri, Feb 1, 2008 - Apple's presence on the Internet continues to grow as use of Mac OS X climbed to a record 7.6 percent for January, say reports from Net Applications -- studies which also confirm that the iPhone is already in use around most of the world. ( 30 comments )
