Microsoft Support & Discussions

It was just about a year and a half ago that Google started talking up plans for its Chrome OS. As I recall, a number of bloggers and reporters began tolling the death knell for Windows at that time, claiming Google’s “operating-system-less” OS would trump Windows 7, Windows 8 and maybe even Mac OS X. So where is it? View the full article

Seattle-based Attachmate Corp. is buying Novell for $2.2 billion, the companies announced on November 22. At the same time, Novell announced the “concurrent sale of certain intellectual property assets to CPTN Holdings LLC, a consortium of technology companies organized by Microsoft Corporation, for $450 million in cash.” View the full article

In the latest episode of the Windows Weekly podcast, Leo and Paul discuss Internet Explorer 9 Platform Preview 7, Office 365, the Facebook Messaging update, the return of KIN, Living room technology, including Kinect, Boxee Box, and Hulu Plus, OnLive, and Call of Duty Black Ops, week two. View the full article

Electronic Arts does it again with Need for Speed Undercover, a stellar racing game that improves on the iPhone original by adding Xbox LIVE achievements and leaderboards, and even Avatar integration. View the full article

With today marking the 25th anniversary of Microsoft Windows, I'm taking a stroll down memory lane and looking back at the early years and my complicated relationship with Microsoft's now-dominant OS. View the full article

Here are a few Microsoft-related news items to end the week, including some new roadmap data for System Center and Dynamics ERP, the latest comScore search numbers and information on a Microsoft-Symantec security deal for small businesses. View the full article

D-Link's Boxee Box is a quirky but credible challenger to Roku and Apple TV, offering an interesting collection of web-based TV shows and movies, aggregated into a single, semi-seamless experience. View the full article

As of November 18, Google Apps — the primary competitor of Microsoft’s Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) and Office 365 successor — has gone from being a bundle of eight apps to one with 60. Sort of…. View the full article

The rumors from earlier this month were true: Verizon is again selling the Microsoft Kin phones. This time around, however, Verizon is positioning them as feature phones, not smartphones. View the full article

Microsoft is working on a new video connector update for its Kinect sensor that will bridge the living room and the office. Microsoft announced plans to deliver the Video Kinect update “shortly.” View the full article

Microsoft has made available to a select group of testers a first beta of Service Pack (SP) 1 for Office 2010, Microsoft officials confirmed on November 17. View the full article

Microsoft launched the latest version of its unified-communications server, now known as Lync Server, on November 17. The Lync Server and client aren’t available for purchase until December 1, but a 180-day trial version is available to those interested in kicking the tires starting today. View the full article

Microsoft is making available to anyone interested a seventh developer preview build of its Internet Explorer (IE) 9 browser on November 17. View the full article

Just a year after setting up FUSE Labs as a dedicated social-computing lab, Microsoft is moving the team into its Microsoft Research division. View the full article

Microsoft offers a variety of virtualization solutions for those businessses that are resisting migrating to Windows 7 because of browser compatibility issues. Browsium Unibrows is a simpler, less expensive way to get there. View the full article

A year ago, shortly after the launch of Windows 7, Windows 7 PCs were a hot holiday gift item. But what about this year? View the full article

In this week's mailbag, what's going on with Windows Home Server "Vail," Google and Windows Phone 7, Exchange ActiveSync and desktop PC apps, Windows Phone 7 and wireless sync, differing Zune implementations on Zune HD and Windows Phone 7, and IE search modifications on Windows Phone 7. View the full article

Here’s a quick compendium of the latest on break-ups, HPC in the cloud and more Microsoft news from around the Web. View the full article

Microsoft has applied for a patent for an “automated, static safety verifier” that will help verify the type- and memory-safety of an operating system. And why should anyone care? There are some connections to other Microsoft projects (and potentially, products) worth considering. View the full article

Since April, it’s been quiet on the Windows 8 leak front. But here’s a new tidbit to keep the “what’s next for Windows” faithful going for a bit longer. View the full article

On the day Facebook is expected to throw its hat into the crowded and competitive e-mail ring, it’s worth noting what the current landscape looks like. View the full article

In the latest episode of the Windows Weekly podcast, Leo and I discuss the US launch of Windows Phone 7, what's really happening with Windows Phone 7, software updates, and the wireless carriers, Hotmail full session SSL encyrption, Microsoft Security Essentials on Windows Update, and yes, of course, Call of Duty: Black Ops. View the full article

Electronic Arts brings the classic board game to Windows Phone to great effect, with surprisingly durable gameplay, great graphics, and a good collection of achievements. View the full article