Microsoft Windows - News, Features, and Slideshows

Features

• Microsoft's big decision: Who gets a free upgrade to Windows 10?

  One of Microsoft's biggest decisions this year will be whom to charge for Windows 10, and the dollar figure on the price sticker.

• What Microsoft's 'fresh start' browser strategy means

  Microsoft will unveil a browser not named Internet Explorer (IE) alongside Windows 10, according to an online report.

• 2015 to test Microsoft's resolve and execution

  Microsoft faces not only its 40th anniversary in 2015, but a host of challenges that will define it for years to come, analysts said today.

• Microsoft endorses workaround for botched Windows patch KB 3000061

  This month's Black Tuesday crop of patches held <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/2834535/security/four-more-botched-black-tuesday-patches-kb-3000061-kb-2984972-kb-2949927-and-kb-2995388.html">more than a few surprises</a>. True to form, my choice for the "most likely to splat," the <a href="https://support2.microsoft.com/kb/3000061">KB 3000061</a> kernel mode driver patch, repeatedly fails to install on many machines. Although the Knowledge Base article hasn't been updated, Microsoft support engineer joscon confirmed a workaround for the problem on Thursday afternoon.

• Surprise patch KB 3005628 bodes ill for Microsoft's patching strategy

  Yesterday Microsoft released <a href="https://support2.microsoft.com/kb/3005628">patch KB 3005628</a> for Windows 8, 8.1, Server 2012, and Server 2012 R2. It's a trivial, non-security patch. The fact that it wasn't kept and issued in the normal cadence (patches usually arrive on Update Tuesday, which is next Tuesday) points to either an accidental release to the Automatic Update chute -- which we've seen before -- or an unwelcome switch in Microsoft's patching strategy. Either possibility is troubling.

• Did Microsoft help seed the market for Windows Store scam apps?

  Microsoft has finally begun cleaning out the Windows Store <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2599416/microsoft-windows/microsoft-should-ante-up-to-users-for-scammed-windows-store-apps.html">by killing 1,500 scams and copycat apps</a>. But by turning the other way when bad apps were uploaded, and maybe even paying for them, Microsoft was part of the problem.

• Review: Microsoft Office Online vs. Apple iWork for iCloud vs. Google Drive

  Online word processors, spreadsheets, and presentation apps can be surprisingly useful, or surprisingly lame, and not even Microsoft aces Office document compatibility

• An open letter to Microsoft's next CEO: 12 wishes from the Windows faithful

  We billion-plus customers would like the next head honcho in Redmond to address these dozen action items

• Review: Microsoft Office 365 vs. Google Apps

  Web browser or Office suite? Microsoft's and Google's office productivity and collaboration clouds pit rich and complex against simple and lean

• HP Envy X2: A Windows 8 tablet to covet

  Smart in design and stingy on power, HP's Envy convertible works well as a laptop or a tablet.

• Windows 8.1 Blue preview: It beats Windows 8

  Microsoft's Windows 8.1 Preview does much to improve Metro, but little to make Windows 8 more attractive to either new or longtime Windows users

• Review: Office 365 turns up the heat

  Latest blend of Exchange, SharePoint, and Lync servers in the cloud combines an excellent feature set with easier setup and management

• Microsoft's 13 worst missteps of all time

  DOS 4.0, Zune, and Windows 8 are but a few of the landmarks among 25 years of failures Redmond-style

• 10 must-have features for Windows 9

  Desktop users deserve a significant rethink of the Windows 8 gaffes and omissions for the next version of Windows

• Forget Windows 8: Give us Windows 7.8

  A billion users don't have the right hardware to run Windows 8, even if they wanted to. Here's how Microsoft could give them the best of Windows 8