Operating Systems

Operating systems news, solutions, and analysis for IT professionals, covering desktop, server, and mobile operating systems, including Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Android, and iOS

Question

What type of enterprise user is going to use Ubuntu Business Desktop Remix?

Posted February 14, 2012 - 1:11 pm

So I see that there is a new version of Ubuntu that targets enterprise users. I have played around with Linux over the years, and it certainly has it's appeal. Even so, I can't really envision using the OS in a corporate environment.
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Linux: Where the jobs (and bigger salaries) are

Posted February 13, 2012 - 5:13 pm

Numerous studies have emerged over the past few years indicating that Linux skills are a hot item in the IT hiring market, but on Tuesday the Linux Foundation will publish a brand-new report suggesting that the search for such talent is taking on a new level of urgency.
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Five ways Windows 8 will make apps more power-friendly

Posted February 12, 2012 - 7:12 am

The Windows 8 beta will be available by the end of February, and Microsoft has given much thought into optimizing it to run well not just on desktops and laptops, but also on tablets and even smartphones. Part of making an operating system friendly for mobile devices is making it power-conscious, able to do everything you want while using as little power as possible.
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A sneak peek raises unknowns about Microsoft Office 15

Posted February 11, 2012 - 9:34 pm

Much buzz around the next major release of Windows has centered around the controversial ribbon interface for Windows Explorer. However, no ribbon appeared in a sneak preview of Office 15--World, Excel, PowerPoint--that Microsoft gave this week in a video about developing Windows On ARM (WOA).
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Sabayon Linux 8 debuts with a dash of Cinnamon

Posted February 11, 2012 - 7:55 am

The Linux Mint project has made quite a splash in the Linux world over the past few months, not just for the growing popularity of its user-friendly operating system but also for the launch of Cinnamon, its brand-new desktop alternative.
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Windows 8 on tablets: What we know so far

Posted February 11, 2012 - 7:15 am

Microsoft is ready to lift the lid on Windows 8 at a preview event at the end of the month. The new OS will be available later this year, not only for PCs, but also for tablets, as Microsoft prepares to take on the iPad. Here’s what we know so far about Windows 8 tablets.
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Download free Time Machine utility

Posted February 10, 2012 - 2:19 pm

Here's how you can download TimeMachineScheduler for free. This utility lets you schedule your Time Machine backups at whatever interval pleases you, among other things.
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Boot into Mac OS X Lion's recovery partition

Posted February 10, 2012 - 2:14 pm

Here's how you can boot into Mac OS X Lion's recovery partition in case you need to reinstall Mac OS X, restore from a Time Machine backup or just figure out what's wrong with your system.
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Delete default applications in Mac OS X

Posted February 10, 2012 - 2:10 pm

Here's how you can get rid of the default apps on Mac OS X. This includes Safari, Facetime, Photo Booth, Mail, Stickies and others.
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FAQ: Windows 8 on ARM explained

Posted February 10, 2012 - 2:04 pm

In an 8,600-word epistle, Microsoft's top Windows executive pulled aside the curtain on the first version of the company's iconic OS that targets tablets. We dig into the details for you.
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Change Launchpad background styles in Mac OS X Lion 10.7.3

Posted February 10, 2012 - 1:56 pm

Here's how you can quickly switch Launchpad's background style in Mac OS X 10.7.3.
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Google expands the scope of its vulnerability reward programs to cover Chromium OS

Posted February 10, 2012 - 12:16 pm

Encouraged by the success of its Web and Chromium vulnerability reward programs, Google has decided to expand their scope in order to cover security issues in Chromium OS as well.
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Five Key Things about Google's Chrome for Android Beta

Posted February 10, 2012 - 11:29 am

There’s no Flash. None. Nada. And that’s just the way Adobe wants it, supposedly.
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Pickpocketing Google Wallet on Android phones

Posted February 10, 2012 - 10:42 am

Simple, non-tech hack opens Google Wallet giving full access to phone funds.
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Surprise! Windows 8 for ARM will come with 'Office 15' apps

Posted February 9, 2012 - 10:18 pm

Since Microsoft shared the first obscure hints of expanding the architecture horizon to include running Windows 8 on ARM processors, there has been rampant speculation and anticipation of what that will really mean when the OS finally launches. Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky is providing some more clarity about Windows 8 on ARM (WOA), including the fact that it will have Metro-styled "Office 15" apps.
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Windows 8 on ARM, dubbed WOA, to include Office apps for tablets

Posted February 9, 2012 - 8:23 pm

Windows 8 on ARM, dubbed WOA by Microsoft, could offer a big 'Whoa!' moment for workers wanting to run Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and other Office apps on a touchscreen tablet.
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Microsoft to issue more critical patches next week for Win7 than XP

Posted February 9, 2012 - 5:40 pm

Microsoft today said it would deliver nine security updates next week, four of them critical, to patch 21 vulnerabilities in Windows, Internet Explorer (IE), Office, .Net and Silverlight.
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Microsoft details Windows 8 for ARM devices

Posted February 9, 2012 - 4:13 pm

Microsoft has released technical design details about the new version of Windows for devices that use ARM chips, outlining in a lengthy blog post different ways in which this OS, called WOA and still in the works, will be alike and different from existing versions of Windows.
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Eight features Windows 8 borrowed from Linux

Posted February 9, 2012 - 3:24 pm

Microsoft has always been accused of stealing left and right from the open source community. Is this holding true today?
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20 popular Ubuntu Linux apps you may want to try

Posted February 9, 2012 - 3:01 pm

As Ubuntu Linux continues to grow in popularity, most discussions of it tend to focus on the basics of the operating system itself, including especially details about its desktop environment and user interface.
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Windows 8: Assessing IT risks of a consumer-driven wave

Posted February 9, 2012 - 2:51 pm

Microsoft is betting big on Windows 8. But will the immense promotional efforts the software giant is putting behind the latest Windows OS pay off? CIO.com's Rob Enderle handicaps the high-stakes game Redmond is playing.
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Even after rewrites, Google Wallet retains gaping security holes, mainly due to Android

Posted February 9, 2012 - 11:13 am

A report from viaForensics makes clear that Google Wallet, despite efforts by Google to tighten up security after a poor evaluation in December, still stores data in too many places and could make it available too easily to be a secure way to buy things using smartphones.
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Mobile apps need clear copy, not a privacy summit

Posted February 9, 2012 - 8:28 am

A mobile app privacy summit? Not a bad idea, but here’s the thing: couldn’t you have made it clear what the app was doing in the first place?
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Windows 8 strives for optimal battery life

Posted February 8, 2012 - 9:10 pm

Windows 8 is stingy doling out power to applications, particularly what Microsoft calls Metro-style applications written specifically for the operating system, all in an effort to prolong battery life.
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Microsoft fixes Windows 8 Consumer Preview launch event for Feb. 29

Posted February 8, 2012 - 2:45 pm

Microsoft Wednesday said it will host a launch event for the Windows 8 beta on Feb. 29 in Barcelona, the site of the Mobile World Congress.
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