Despite its big push for Vista, Microsoft is quietly allowing PC makers to offer an option that lets users "downgrade" to Windows XP, allowing customers to purchase new PCs but stick with the older operating system.
According to Paul Thurrott, Microsoft is just about to tell all on how many different sorts of Windows 7 it'll ship.
Australian buyers of Microsoft's upcoming Windows 7 operating system will pay between AU$50 and AU$150 more in real terms than US residents for the software, the company revealed this morning.
With Windows 7, Microsoft is trying not to make the same mistakes it did with Windows Vista. That much is clear.
Owners of Vista Ultimate and Vista Enterprise that also run a non-Microsoft operating system on the same PC may not be able to install Vista Service Pack 1 without changing the boot process of their machines.
Time to reflect on the good, the bad, and the nonsensical that comprised the late-night launches along the eastern seaboard of Australia.
The first copy of Windows Vista will be sold as the clock ticks over to midnight on Monday. So who's rocking up to the late-night launch?
As we slowly creep closer to the launch of Windows Vista, it seems that the six different versions of Microsoft's new operating system are for the benefit of the company's PR machine rather than its customers.
The internet has been awash with rumours about Windows 7, with a pre-beta release being handed out to attendees at the Professional Developers Conference in the US this week. But how many Windows 7 versions will there be?
My rant earlier this year about the uselessness of Microsoft's ActiveSync synchronisation manager appeared to strike a chord with readers, and unfortunately that's a gong that Microsoft appears determined to keep banging.
There appears to be no doubt that Windows 7 will be significantly more popular in Australia than Vista was, a reality that will help Microsoft entrench its wider software portfolio even further into the enterprise.
Not ready for a Vista laptop? Simply want to stick to good old XP? Here are your options on the market.
Early this decade, Microsoft weathered unrelenting criticism over a controversial set of technologies known as Palladium, which the company envisioned as creating a kind of secure vault to store passwords or medical records.
Don't expect huge UI changes after installing SP1 -- the changes are small and subtle. In fact, if you're not familiar with Windows Vista, you might miss the SP1 changes. We've put together an image gallery showing some of the most significant changes.
The Enterprise and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista offer BitLocker, a new data protection feature that does volume-level encryption on your hard disk drive. BitLocker complements, and in some cases replaces, Windows EFS (Encrypting File System). Walk through the steps for enabling BitLocker with this gallery.
Windows Vista Ultimate is essentially warmed-over Windows XP. If you're currently happy with Windows XP SP2, we see no compelling reason to upgrade. On the other hand, if you need a new computer right now, Windows Vista is stable enough for everyday use.
A little more than one year after its release, Windows Vista will receive its first service pack update in March. Microsoft says the pack will offer better compatibility with third-party hardware, increased reliability, tighter security, and better performance. Our tests disagree.
Windows Vista was officially released in Australia at midnight. At Harvey Norman's Alexandria, Sydney store, the first official copy of Vista Ultimate -- autographed, rock star-style, by Bill Gates -- was sold to tech professional William Tsang.
All William Tsang wanted from the midnight Windows Vista launch was a free Web cam. Instead, he walked away with the main draw -- a copy of Vista Ultimate, autographed, rock star-style, by Microsoft chairman Bill Gates.
Windows Vista Home Premium is essentially warmed-over Windows XP Home Edition. If you're currently happy with Windows XP SP2, we see no compelling reason to upgrade. On the other hand, if you need a new computer right now, Windows Vista Home Premium is stable enough for everyday use.
Ben Forta: All about Adobe
Take one ColdFusion veteran and mix in a healthy dose of prolific book writing, and chances are you will end u… Watch it now
Google CEO Eric Schmidt
Google's chief sits down for an extremely rare, wide-ranging interview and discusses Google's two operating sy… Watch it now
Telstra shareholders fear break up
What do Telstra shareholders think of the telco's new CEO David Thodey? And would they support the government'… Watch it now
Having problems with complex data center? Simplify your data center now.
Can not-so-smart meters help the NBN?
Can the Telco Reform Act be win-win?
Has New Zealand's smiling assassin delivered?
What makes you click?
Tell us for a chance to win a $1,000 GAME gift voucher.
Click here for more.
Win an iPhone 3GS!
Sign up as a ZDNet Australia member during November and you'll go in a draw to win an iPhone 3GS!
Click here to sign up!
Best Laptops
Check out the best laptops here!
Click here for more.
