Windows XP to Live on in Ultra-low-cost PCs

Published by Omkar Joshi | Filed under Microsoft, Windows, XP, Vista, Linux, ULCPC, Windows 7, Intel, Asus, Eee PC, Mobile Internet Devices (MID)

The advent of the new breed of “ultra-low-cost PCs” (ULCPCs) has led Microsoft to extend the life of Windows XP Home to accommodate for them, well beyond the original deadline of 30 June, 2008.

Microsoft has now allowed OEMs to install Windows XP Home on ULCPCs until 30 June, 2010, or until one year after the consumer release of the next client version of Windows, depending on whichever comes later.

Microsoft expects to ship the next client version of Windows, code-named Windows 7 roughly three years from Vista’s January 2007 debut. However, earlier this week, Bill Gates indicated that Windows 7 could come within the next year, far ahead of the development schedule previously indicated by the software maker. It is still however unclear as to whether Gates was referring to early testing of Windows 7 coming within the year, as opposed to a widespread release or debut. An early test geared toward developers would be conceivable. The company has repeatedly said that it will accelerate the development of new Windows versions, largely as a response to Vista’s near five-year gestation period.

Microsoft Bows to Google’s Demands

Published by Omkar Joshi | Filed under Microsoft, Windows, Vista, Google

Microsoft has decided to change the search function present in Windows Vista in response to complaints received from Google and regulators that Vista’s search feature slows down other search offerings such as Google’s Desktop Search.

The changes which will be included in the much awaited Windows Vista Service Pack 1 were announced by Microsoft yesterday with documents detailing the modifications to be made.

As a result of Microsoft’s continuing anti-trust proceedings with US regulators Microsoft agreed to make the changes which were detailed in a status report filed in the case in June. In order to provide the general public with further information, documents were posted online yesterday that detailed how third parties can modify current desktop search applications to work with the proposed changes in SP1. The highly anticipated SP1 is currently slated for release in the first quarter of 2008.

According to Microsoft, it has made modifications to Vista’s built-in search feature in order to enable consumers who use third-party desktop search offerings to have “easy and direct access” to those offerings through the Vista user interface.

Ultimate Team Delivers Only Ultimate Sham

Published by Omkar Joshi | Filed under Microsoft, Windows, Vista, Ultimate Extras

Microsoft has failed to deliver on its promise of providing exclusive downloadable extras for Windows Vista Ultimate, dubbed “Ultimate Extras“.

Microsoft has always touted Ultimate Extras as one of the main features which separate Vista Ultimate from the other versions of its operating system. Vista Ultimate currently retails for US$399 while its next of kin, Home Premium retails for US$239. Ultimate Extras was supposed to provide users of Vista Ultimate a rich feature that would set it apart from other versions of Vista, but it seems Microsoft has failed to live up to its promise.

“These cutting-edge programs, innovative services, and unique publications provide a richer computing experience for Windows Vista Ultimate users.” Since its consumer launch on January 30, the Ultimate Team has not delivered any new finished Extras to consumers.

At Vista’s consumer launch, Microsoft released three Extras including a poker game; an add-on to BitLocker, Vista’s whole-disk encryption tool; and DreamScene, a video screensaver, in beta form. Unfortunately, DreamScene has now been left in beta for more than 5 months.

Vista Reaches 100 Days

Published by Omkar Joshi | Filed under Microsoft, Windows, Vista, WinHEC

Windows Vista has now been available to consumers for 100 days, finally reaching its first significant milestone, but has Vista been a success?

In March, Microsoft announced that Vista sales had broken all previous sales records, with more than 20 million licenses sold in its first 30 days, doubling the rate of its predecessor, Windows XP. This announcement was followed in April with Microsoft crediting its better-than-expected Vista sales for the company’s record quarterly revenue of US$14.4 billion.

Nevertheless Vista continues to be shrouded by controversy. Numerous high-profile technology bloggers have written many articles about switching back to XP or even migrating to OS X, as a result of Vista’s problems. On the internet, there are also many stories about Vista’s lack of software and hardware compatibility, with some even suggesting that Vista be renamed Windows Me 2, after the abysmal release of Windows from 2000. Some desperate bloggers have gone so far, that they’ve even attempted to break down Microsoft’s earnings in a desperate bid to prove that Vista isn’t really selling as well as Microsoft claims.

Microsoft Withdraws Vista Security Claims

Published by Omkar Joshi | Filed under Microsoft, Windows, Security, Vista, UAC, CanSecWest

Microsoft recently made a high-profile announcement, backing down on its security claims in an effort to lower consumer expectations about the security mechanisms built into Windows Vista, particularly User Account Control (UAC).

At last week’s CanSecWest security conference, Mark Russinovich, technical fellow in Microsoft’s Platform and Services Division, informed professionals that even with UAC, Vista will still be susceptible to malware. In his talk Russinovich told of how it would “end up thriving in the standard user environment, setting up botnets, and grabbing your keystrokes”.

Russinovich’s talk was supposed to give professionals an idea of how to work with UAC in order to avoid excessive pop-up warnings and avoiding breaking the UAC model. Russinovich also made clear that UAC was never intended as a “security boundary”, since there are a number of ways to bypass it.

In his talk, Russinovich also predicted that malware would find ways of elevating its privileges, through social engineering or by compromising applications that run with higher privileges.

However, this isn’t the first time Russinovich has thrown cold water on Vista’s security mechanisms, which were initially made out by Microsoft to be one of the key improvements in Windows Vista over Windows XP. In early February, soon after Vista’s consumer launch, Russinovich made the startling declaration that UAC was not really a security feature.