Showing Tag: "windows 7" (Show all posts)

Microsoft: Windows 7 can offer better battery life

Posted by Oyya-Info on Tuesday, September 1, 2009, In : Microsoft

Ruston Panabaker, Microsoft's principal program manager of strategic silicon partnering, shows how later builds of Windows 7 were able to let the processor enter low-power states for longer periods of time, saving more power.

Upgrading a newer machine from Windows Vista to Windows 7 might mean that you get to see the last few minutes of that DVD on a long flight.

At a demo on Tuesday, Microsoft showed two identical laptops playing the same DVD, with the Windows 7-equipped notebook getting ...

Intel, Microsoft event to highlight Windows 7 improvements

Posted by Oyya-Info on Monday, August 24, 2009, In : Microsoft

Intel and Microsoft will hold an event next week to discuss collaboration on improvements to Windows 7.

The event, on September 1 in San Francisco, will "share how the two companies collaborated on key enhancements during the development of Windows 7," according to Intel. Steve Smith, vice president and director, Intel's Digital Enterprise Group Operations, and Michael Angiulo, general manager of Windows Planning and PC Ecosystem at Microsoft, will talk at the event. Microsoft plans to launch ...

Windows 7: 64-bit to go prime time

Posted by Oyya-Info on Monday, August 10, 2009, In : Microsoft

Windows 7 64-bit will soon take over desktop computers.

Consumers have had the option of 64-bit Windows computing since the release of Windows XP Professional x64 Edition in May 2005, four years after the release of Windows XP 32-bit. At the end of 2006, Windows Vista 32-bit and 64-bit versions were released simultaneously. Yet chances are you're currently using a machine that runs the 32-bit version of Windows.

This is about to change. Windows 64-bit has started to gain a significant footho...

Windows 7, new laptop designs to converge

Posted by Oyya-Info on Sunday, August 2, 2009, In : Microsoft

A rip-out-the-carpet PC refresh of both software and hardware is in the offing as Microsoft's latest operating system and new laptop designs converge later this year.

At the Intel Technology Summit in San Francisco on Wednesday, an executive described the imminent mobile future, including a major refresh of Netbook silicon, better-designed "ultrathins," and turbo-powered high-end laptops.

Netbooks may undergo the biggest change. Models that appear after Windows 7 ships in October will see the...

Microsoft: No browserless Windows 7 after all

Posted by Oyya-Info on Saturday, August 1, 2009, In : Microsoft

Microsoft's proposed "ballot screen" that would let users in Europe choose which browser they want on their PC.

(Credit: Microsoft)

It looks like there won't be a browserless version of Windows 7, after all.

Microsoft said late Friday that it won't ship the Windows 7 "E" version of Windows even though Europe has yet to sign off on its revised plan. The plan calls for the company to ship Windows 7 with Internet Explorer, but present a ballot screen in which users in Europe can decide whether ...

Windows 7: A great gaming platform?

Posted by Oyya-Info on Monday, July 27, 2009, In : Reviews

With the release of Windows 7 in October, PC gamers will finally have another platform on which to play their favorite games. Those who didn't quite enjoy Windows Vista as a game platform or have stuck with Windows XP are probably looking forward to the opportunity to buy some new hardware, install Windows 7, and get the most out of their favorite games.

But is Windows 7 a promising gaming platform? Now that its development is over, it's time to ask questions. What kind of gaming experience w...

Windows 7 will give boost to PC hardware

Posted by Oyya-Info on Sunday, July 26, 2009, In : Microsoft

Windows 7 will be more than just a better interface. Under-the-hood changes will allow chips from Intel, Nvidia, and Advanced Micro Devices to ratchet up Windows 7 performance above previous Microsoft operating systems.

Microsoft on Wednesday said it has finalized the code for Windows 7, set to ship with new PCs starting October 22. Improvements will include how Windows handles multitasking, graphics acceleration, and solid-state drives.

Microsoft is working closely with Intel, whose chips w...

Making sense of Windows 7 upgrade options

Posted by Oyya-Info on Tuesday, June 30, 2009, In : Reviews

While it's true Windows 7 doesn't arrive on retail shelves and new PCs until October, Microsoft has announced two programs designed to give a head start to those who know they want the new operating system.

The Windows Upgrade Option, which runs through early next year, allows those buying a new Vista PC to get a free copy of Windows 7 after it hits shelves in October. The other program, which runs only through July 11, allows Windows XP and Vista users to pre-order a copy of Windows 7 Home...

The skinny on power management in Windows 7

Posted by Oyya-Info on Monday, June 15, 2009, In : Reviews

Microsoft has made energy efficiency a key design element of Windows 7, focusing on better power management for end users and centralized tools for IT pros, company executives said Friday.

Company engineers sought to make power management features more accessible than previous versions of Windows while at the same time, giving people the ability to customize settings.

The operating system, which will be released in October, by default is smarter about what to turn on when, according to ...

Who wins, loses with browser-less Windows 7

Posted by Oyya-Info on Monday, June 15, 2009, In : Microsoft

Microsoft's move to offer Windows 7 in Europe without a browser may help rivals, but it could make life more difficult for European consumers, particularly those who want to upgrade their existing machines.

As first reported earlier on Thursday by CNET News, Microsoft plans to ship Windows 7 to both PC makers and retail stores with Internet Explorer removed.

Now, most people will get Windows 7 on a new PC. Presumably, in that case, the computer maker will chose to add back Internet Explor...

Mac OS X vs. Windows 7: Who has the best upgrade?

Posted by Oyya-Info on Monday, June 15, 2009, In : Reviews

Apple and Microsoft are fighting for the mindshare of consumers as both companies prepare to roll out upgrades to their operating systems later this year.

Apple on Monday showed Worldwide Developers Conference attendees Snow Leopard, the next major version of Mac OS X. Apple has been very open about the fact that Snow Leopard is meant to be an under-the-hood maintenance release, focusing on performance enhancements to the operating system.

Windows 7 is essentially Microsoft's maintena...

Pirated Windows 7 RC builds botnet

Posted by Oyya-Info on Monday, June 15, 2009, In : Security

A pirated version of Windows 7 Release Candidate infected with a Trojan horse has created a botnet with tens of thousands of bots under its control, according to researchers at security firm Damballa.

The software, which first appeared on April 24, spread as quickly as several hundred new bots per hour, and controlled roughly 27,000 bots by the time Damballa took over the network's command and control server on May 10, the firm said Tuesday.

The pirated software was spread via popular pir...

Microsoft tightens Windows 7 security for USB drives

Posted by Oyya-Info on Monday, June 15, 2009, In : Security

In the wake of the Conficker worm spreading via removable storage devices among other methods, Microsoft said on Tuesday it is making a change to the way Windows 7 handles USB drives.

As a result of the change, most USB drives will not be able to automatically launch a program using a Windows feature known as AutoRun, Microsoft said in a post on its Security Research & Defense Blog.

So, if an infected USB drive is inserted on a machine then the AutoRun task will not be displayed, Microso...

Microsoft exec: Internet still not safe enough

Posted by Oyya-Info on Monday, June 15, 2009, In : Microsoft

SAN FRANCISCO--Microsoft's operating systems are still vulnerable to attacks, but more often than not it's older versions that are taking the big hits.

That was the message from Scott Charney, corporate vice president in Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing group, when he sat down with me on Tuesday. We chatted about the latest threats, including Conficker. The much-maligned Windows Vista, he noted, wasn't hit in the way that older versions of the operating system were.

"Some of those widesp...

Windows 7 security enhancements

Posted by Oyya-Info on Monday, June 15, 2009, In : Security

Windows 7 makes remote connectivity to corporate networks seamless, protects data on thumb drives, and offers fewer user account control prompts to bug users compared to Vista, Microsoft said on Monday.

The software giant began an education blitz about the security features of the newest version of its operating system at the start of the RSA 2009 security conference.

Windows 7, which was released in public beta in January, will have 29 percent fewer user account control (UAC) prompts ...