Windows Archive

"I have a huge list of all of the tweaks that have been done to the operating system but I'll save that for next week. Also, if you're wondering, you can expect Windows Mobile 6 devices in the marketplace worldwide by second quarter 2007." More here (screenshots). Betas of WinMob6 also had integrated VoIP support via SIP in them, but it doesn't seem that this was announced along the other features.

Roughly two months after the initial launch of Windows Vista, Microsoft software development leader Ben Fathi said his company is pleased with the security, performance and feedback it has received regarding its newest operating system. Seated in a quiet briefing room removed from the pressing mass of humanity coursing through ongoing RSA Conference 2007, Fathi, corporate vice president of development of Microsoft's Windows Core Operating System Division, appears at ease, and even happy discussing the topic of Vista security. The Onion has its own take, while CNet also has some things to say.

"Windows Preinstallation Environment 2.0 is a slimed down version of Windows (hence all the MiniNT references) that used to be the exclusive domain of OEM's providers. Microsoft has wisely chosen to offer this to the masses as part of the Windows AIK. USB keys can be found just about anywhere these days for next to nothing. Combine the capabilities of WinPE with the portability of a USB key and you just made a very powerful troubleshooting, imaging, and data recovery tool. Here is a quick step by step on how to do just that."

"Windows XP introduced Visual Styles as a mechanism for providing more visual appeal to windows and controls. Menus, however, were not rendered using visual styles for Windows XP. With Windows Vista menus now are part of the visual schema and are rendered using the visual styles engine."

Before you go snag a copy of Vista from the store shelf and install it, you might want to consider the performance differences between an upgraded version of Vista and a clean installation of Vista. ExtremeTech tests a couple of systems running the two different versions of Vista with media encoding benchmarks, gaming benchmarks, and synthetic benchmarks.

"Future versions of Windows are going to bear little resemblance to what we've heard so far officially - and unofficially - from Microsoft and the individuals who love to leak tidbits about the company. In fact, according to one of my reliable tipsters, the new and reorganized Windows organization, led by Senior Vice President Steven Sinofsky, is trying to wean folks completely off the Windows code names they have been using for the next couple of releases of Windows. Welcome to the brave new world of 'Windows 7' (a boringly named complement to 'Office 14', the successor to Office 2007)." More here.

"This story is for anyone considering or interested in switching from Mac to Microsoft's very beautiful new operating system, Windows Vista. I made the switch several weeks ago, from my trusty 12" PowerBook to (at first) a 17" HP widescreen notebook. Was my switch from Mac to Windows Vista easy? Was I able to 'Think Different', the other way around? And a month later, have I decided to stick with Vista or go back to the Mac? Read on to find out - and please, before you send hate mail, read the whole story."

Microsoft released several updates to Windows Vista Monday, the day before the new operating system debuted for consumers and landed on retail shelves. None of the updates were security fixes. The five updates for the 32-bit version of Vista - one was immediately replaced Tuesday with an update to the update - fix difficulties installing the OS on PCs with more than 3GB of memory, troubles connecting with a VPN server, and performance problems with Internet Explorer 7 and its anti-phishing feature. The largest of the five updates, however, is one that addresses incompatibility issues for a host of applications and games.

Today, 00:00 CET, Vista will be on sale here in The Netherlands; some computer shops will even be open tonight to cater to the early adopters. In all honesty, I do not think we will see Windows 95-like craziness, but still, I think a simple poll is in order. What is the feature in Windows Vista you have been looking forward to the most? Read more to pass your vote.

To avoid having 8573 stories related to Vista atop one another, this item groups some of them. Fortune: "After five years in development, Microsoft's new operating system is finally about to hit the street. Is it a keeper? Fortune's Peter Lewis takes it for a test drive." eWeek: "Some have taken exception with Vista's permission-asking proclivity, but it may be that we've just become too cavalier about making fundamental changes to our systems." eWeek: "We check out the first systems bundling Microsoft's newest OS and tell you what you will, and will not, be getting with Vista." Click read more for, well, more items. This item will probably be updated regularly.

"Windows Vista is finally here for everyone and is soon to be made available on store shelves and pre-loaded on new PC's. Windows Vista has been five years in the making; throughout that time we have witnessed Microsoft reschedule the release of this 'major upgrade' over and over and over again. Microsoft, however, throughout that tumultuous time did manage to pick up the pieces and move forward." Read more of the multi-page review at ActiveWin.

Tomorrow, Microsoft will release all 6 versions of Windows Vista; some of us will rush out to buy themselves a copy, some of us will, like, not do that. OSNews will be bombarded with Vista related articles until old CRT monitors will have faint imprints of the word 'Vista' scattered across their tubes. So, to start the whole barrage of Vista articles off, here is a promotional video of Windows 386, released in the late 80s. This video is nothing short of brilliant. I suggest you make yourself a nice, warm tea (or coffee, if it's morning) and sit back to enjoy the wonders of multitasking, the 'just like OS/2' interface, the 80s music, and, lest I forget, the fashion in spectacles. Update: I am currently watching the 1982 classic The Thing, and there's a character in there named 'Windows'. Coincidence? I think not!

A coalition of rivals charged on Friday that Microsoft's new Vista operating system coming out next week will perpetuate practices found illegal in the European Union nearly three years ago. The group, which includes IBM, Nokia, Sun Microsystems, Adobe, Oracle and Red Hat, said its complaints made last year are yet to be addressed just days before Vista is due for release.

"There have been some comments on the blog recently suggesting that the UAC dialog boxes in Windows Vista are not accessible and I just wanted to clear up the confusion here. First, to set the scene though. When a user attempts to access an application or setting that requires elevated privileges to run, they are presented with a UAC prompt, the appearance of which will vary depending on the type of user they are or the type of application that is trying to run."