IE9 and MIX10: six big questions for Microsoft

March 12th, 2010
All eyes will be on the new Windows Phone 7 Series at MIX10 next week. But I’m getting ready to ask a bunch of questions about the other big news set for release in Las Vegas. I’ve got plenty of questions about Internet Explorer 9, starting with “Who cares?” I’m ... read more

Poll: Which office software suite have you chosen?

March 11th, 2010
Microsoft plans to release Office 2010 to manufacturing next month, with availability to business customers in May and in retail channels in June. I’ve put together a poll to help me determine how I cover the product, and specifically which alternative products I use for comparison purposes. Please take a ... read more

Getting ready for MIX10

March 9th, 2010
Microsoft will have side-by-side torrents of news next week at its MIX10 conference in Las Vegas. I’ll be attending (and liveblogging) the show to hear the latest about Windows Phone 7 Series and Internet Explorer 9. Here are the top sessions on my agenda. For the full story, go to ZDNet ... read more

Windows Activation Technologies: an unauthorized inside look

March 4th, 2010
Last month, Microsoft rolled out a controversial anti-piracy update for Windows 7. Everything you’ve read about KB971033 so far, including my report last week, has been based on what Microsoft said it was going to do. But what does this update really do? I took a close look using my ... read more

Confessions of a Windows 7 pirate

March 3rd, 2010
I’ve been hanging out with a bad crowd lately, trying out popular hacking tools and utilities to see if I could install Windows 7 without paying for it. Unfortunately, I succeeded. In this post, I’ll share my experiences, including close encounters with some very nasty malware and some analysis on ... read more

Windows 7 memory usage: What’s the best way to measure?

February 26th, 2010
Windows memory management is rocket science. And don’t believe anyone who tells you otherwise. Since Windows 7 was released last October I’ve read lots of articles about the best way to measure and manage the physical memory on your system. Much of it is well-meaning but just wrong. For the ... read more

Does that new Windows Activation update really ‘phone home’?

February 25th, 2010
This week, Microsoft began rolling out the Windows Activation Technologies update that it promised earlier this month. Some privacy advocates claim that the update “phones home,” an expression that traditionally has been tied to spyware. I disagree with this characterization but recognize that reasonable people can find privacy concerns. Here’s ... read more

Seven big questions about the new Windows Phone 7 Series

February 18th, 2010
I watched this week’s announcement of the new Windows Phone 7 Series from afar. Still, even over the Internet, it was an impressive demo, and the post-announce buzz has been positive. I’ve come up with seven big questions that stand out in my mind, wondering about the missing apps, the ... read more

Windows 7 activation update aims at high-volume pirates

February 11th, 2010
Today, Microsoft announced the imminent release of a new Windows Activation Technologies Update for Windows 7. It’s the latest evolutionary step in the technologies that started with Windows Genuine Advantage in 2006. What’s noteworthy to me is the degree to which Microsoft is going out of its way to disclose ... read more

Touchscreens in the tropics: an unexpected Windows story

February 9th, 2010
I’ve been on vacation for the past week or so, on a beach in Hawaii, mostly disconnected from the tech world. So it was a pleasant surprise today to encounter a relevant tech story in Paradise, one that demonstrates both the strengths and weaknesses of the Windows platform. For the full ... read more