Free, fast Windows updates are the future. Time to move away from Windows 7 ... whoa, whoa, who said anything about Windows 8? Implementing global e-invoicing with guaranteed legal certainty Companies should start planning now to phase out their Windows 7 installations, according to research firm Gartner.
The analyst house said that even though Microsoft has plans to support the OS until 2020, firms should begin drawing up the process of phasing the software out in order to smooth the transition. Stephen Kleynhans, Gartner research vice-president, said the end of support for Windows XP could teach many companies the value of planning years ahead to migrate from an aging platform to new systems. "Microsoft recently ended support for Windows XP and even though the end date was set in 2007 based on a life cycle support policy Microsoft introduced in 2004, many organizations were not able to completely eliminate the OS by the deadline," Kleynhans explained. In order to avoid a repeat of the XP scenario, Kleynhans said companies should start planning how they will migrate their systems from running Windows 7.
Nadella. Work with Microsoft's stuff for a living? Its reorg will mean NOTHING to you. Opinion Microsoft’s massive internal reorganisation has given the IT press plenty to think about over the last week.
Is this Ballmer’s last throw of the dice? Can the Redmond giant better compete with Apple and Google with its new structure? Some pundits have even talked about the reorg as the moment where Microsoft finally self-destructs and pondered whether distribution partners will be left up the creek. Well, to be honest, I think a lot of people are grossly overestimating the impact this is going to have on Microsoft's channel.
Here’s why. Despite all that’s been written about Microsoft’s many problems – the relative failures in smartphones, tablets, web search etc – it is still a $300bn+ company with a lot of talented people and a market leader in several key segments. This will play well with its channel partners, who are likely to get nervous if big changes happen too fast. Yes, reorg could backfire - but only in some small way. Steve Wozniak: Microsoft resting on its laurels. 26 August 2013Last updated at 04:33 ET Apple "found the formula" to remain innovative despite its size Apple's co-founder Steve Wozniak has said that rival Microsoft has been "resting on" the markets it built up a "long, long time ago".
He added that Steve Ballmer's time as the chief executive was not as significant as that of Bill Gates. Mr Wozniak told the BBC that one of the key reasons for the success of Apple was that despite being a big firm, it had remained nimble and innovative. He also gave his backing to Apple's current chief executive Tim Cook. "Steve Jobs had very strong feelings about what makes a company great, what makes products great. BING! Microsoft emplants Xbox Music flagpoles in Android and iOS.
High performance access to file storage Xbox Music is one of Microsoft's best kept secrets - ubiquitous on Microsoft's own consoles but poorly promoted, even on Microsoft Windows Phone devices.
But on the eve of the iTunes Radio rollout, Redmond has woken up and remembered that it exists. The streaming service formerly known as Zune Pass has finally sprouted native apps for Apple iOS and Android devices, Microsoft has officially confirmed. A free web streaming "Pass" has also been launched at music.xbox.com capped to a limited number of hours.
Linkin Park: Like Microsoft, they peaked a few years ago. Xbox Music will also gobble web pages, such as festival sites and band home pages, and attempt to turn them into a matching Playlist. Zune Pass pre-dates Spotify by a couple of years, but failed to achieve critical mass. Apple is also planning a mega-launch of its iTunes Radio service, which is due to be rolled out soon, with big music label deals for "exclusive track débuts". Microsoft announces iPad amnesty for fanbois. High performance access to file storage Sick of your iPad and want to swap it for something that's far less desirable?
Microsoft wants to help you out. Redmond has launched a scheme offering a $200 gift card in exchange for a "gently used" iPad 2, 3 or 4. You'll need to give them your charger cable as well and make sure your fondleslab is wiped clean - both on the surface and inside its memory. Microsoft will be hoping that customers use the dosh to buy a new Surface RT or Pro tablet, perhaps failing to notice the poor reviews it has clocked up. The offer will only run until October 27, which presumably is when Surface 2 is slated to hit the streets. British people are not being offered the gift card, so they'll have to stick to their Apple iPad for the time being (which may come as a relief).
Our cousins at The Channel called Surface a "failure" and reported that it accounted for just 0.5 percent of the total tablet shipments in Q2.