Tag Archives: microsoft

Chromebooks’ success punches Microsoft in the gut

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By NPD’s tallies, Chromebooks accounted for 21% of all U.S. commercial notebook sales in 2013 through November, and 10% of all computers and tablets. Both shares were up massively from 2012; last year, Chromebooks accounted for an almost-invisible two-tenths of one percent of all computer and tablet sales.

Stephen Baker of NPD pointed out what others had said previously: Chromebooks have capitalized on Microsoft’s stumble with Windows 8. “

via Chromebooks’ success punches Microsoft in the gut – Computerworld.

Microsoft Warns Customers Away From RC4, SHA-1

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RC4 is among the older stream cipher suites in use today, and there have been a number of practical attacks against it, including plaintext-recovery attacks. The improvements in computing power have made many of these attacks more feasible for attackers, and so Microsoft is telling developers to drop RC4 from their applications.

via Microsoft Warns Customers Away From RC4, SHA-1 | Threatpost | The First Stop For Security News.

The software company also is recommending that certificate authorities and others stop using the SHA-1 algorithm.

Microsoft botches six Windows patches in latest Automatic Update

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In an amazing tour de force, Microsoft’s Automatic Update chute released at least six bad patches on Tuesday. Here’s what’s amazing: It’s just 48 hours or so since the bomb bay doors opened, and Microsoft has acknowledged problems with all of these patches.

via Microsoft botches six Windows patches in latest Automatic Update | Microsoft windows – InfoWorld.

This is why I never do automatic update.

Microsoft to Squeeze Datacenters on Price of WinServer 2012 R2

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Microsoft Corp. plans to raise the price of the Datacenter edition of the upcoming R2 release of Windows Server 2012 by 28 percent, adding to what analysts call a record number of price increases for enterprise software products from Redmond.

According to licensing data sheets available for download from the Windows Server 2012 R2 Website (PDF), the price of a single license of Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter will be $6,155, compared to $4,809 today—plus the cost of a Client Access Licenses (CAL) for every user or device connecting to the server.

via Microsoft to Squeeze Datacenters on Price of WinServer 2012 R2.

Microsoft is cutting the price of its Surface RT tablets, base model to cost $349

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The new Surface RT prices are detailed below.

  • Surface RT 32GB – $349.99
  • Surface RT 64GB – $449.99
  • Surface RT 32GB with Touch Cover – $449.99
  • Surface RT 64GB with Touch Cover – $549.99

via Microsoft is cutting the price of its Surface RT tablets, base model to cost $349 | The Verge.

Still too high.  I can get a decent laptop at Microcenter for $350 and if I want to go small there are plenty of under $200 tablets.  The Surface looks and feels like what they used to call a netbook.  Those didn’t do so well in the market.  I can’t imagine doing real work on one of those.  It’s hard enough with a laptop.  The size of the QWERTY keyboard is a big factor in productivity IMHO.

Microsoft outlines their system for used games, licenses, and family sharing

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The real question is how publishers will deal with used games, and the possibility of “transfer” fees. Suddenly online passes, or their equivalent, are being supported at the console level. One thing is for sure, this is not a good system for any retailer that relies on the sale of used games, and it’s going to be very hard to rent games as well.

via The PA Report – Microsoft outlines their system for used games, licenses, and family sharing.

Microsoft, FBI takedown Citadel botnet

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According to Microsoft pirated Windows XP product keys were used to spread the Citadel malware. Redmond isn’t claiming a full take down because of the sheer size of the botnet but, it is optimistic that the seized equipment will help it to strengthen defenses in the future.

via Microsoft, FBI takedown Citadel botnet – ParityNews.com: …Because Technology Matters.

Prior to take down of Citadel, Microsoft has been a key player in take down of other botnets like Bamital, Kehlios and Nitol botnet

Big winner with Office for iPad and Android delay

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My colleague Zack Whittaker believes Google Docs will take some of these customers away, but that’s not the biggest threat to Microsoft. The longer Microsoft neglects to release the iOS and Android versions of Office, a greater number of customers owning iPads and other tablets will discover competing Office-compatible apps for those platforms. Having used many of these suites for years, it is clear they are robust enough to fill the need for Office for many owners.

via Big winner with Office for iPad and Android delay: Google | ZDNet.

After having used a tablet I can’t see how one could do any real work on one.  Tablets are good consumption devices — reading (and perhaps commenting on) documents produced on workstations with real QWERTY keyboards that fit one’s fingers and hand.