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

Microsoft delivers a blow to open source with Visual Studio 11

Posted May 28, 2012 - 9:29 pm

Microsoft has already ruffled more than a few feathers with the exclusionary potential of its forthcoming Windows 8 operating system, and this past week the open source community has been up in arms again.
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Dell Windows 8 tablet specs leak

Posted May 27, 2012 - 7:18 am

Don't expect any big surprises out of Dell's first Windows 8 tablet aimed at enterprise users.
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Aged Windows XP costs 5x more to manage than Windows 7

Posted May 27, 2012 - 7:15 am

Microsoft has added ammunition to its aggressive battle to get users off Windows XP by citing a company-sponsored report that claims annual support costs for the older OS are more than five times that of Windows 7.
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Most OpenOffice users run Windows

Posted May 27, 2012 - 7:11 am

Nearly 9 out of 10 downloads of the new version of OpenOffice have been for Windows machines, rather than Linux, according to recently released statistics from Apache.
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Want freedom from vendor lock-in? Survey says: Choose open source

Posted May 27, 2012 - 7:01 am

It's no secret that open source software is playing an increasingly prominent role in businesses around the globe, but a recent survey has uncovered a few surprising findings about adopters' motivations for choosing it.
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This tiny PC runs Linux and Android 4.0--and costs just $74

Posted May 26, 2012 - 7:25 am

Over the past few months there have been no fewer than three tiny, cheap Linux PCs making headlines, and now there's a fourth to add to the list.
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37 tech shortcuts from the experts

Posted May 26, 2012 - 7:25 am

Make Your Gmail Work for You
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Windows Phone Marketplace goes Mango only

Posted May 26, 2012 - 7:25 am

If you're having trouble downloading apps from the Windows Phone Marketplace, you just might be a pre-Mango Windows Phone 7 user. Microsoft is now enforcing a rule that only users of Windows Phone 7.5, codenamed Mango, can use the Marketplace in any meaningful way. Without the Mango update you can still browse the Marketplace, but you will start getting error messages if you attempt to download, buy, update, or review an app.
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Windows 8 update: Steve Ballmer's 80-inch Windows 8 tablet

Posted May 26, 2012 - 7:13 am

While it lacks the mobility usually associated with this class of device, there's an 80-inch tablet serving the head of Microsoft as a wallboard and as a substitute for other work-related gear.
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Microsoft clarifies Ballmer's claims of massive Windows 8 adoption

Posted May 24, 2012 - 4:44 pm

Reports earlier this week that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer predicted unprecedented sales of Windows 8 were wrong on multiple counts, Microsoft and independent analysts agreed.
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Windows 8 to run Adobe Flash only on some websites

Posted May 24, 2012 - 1:50 pm

The touch-centric Metro version of Internet Explorer 10 in Windows 8 is plug-in free, but the browser may still be able to run Adobe Flash video, according to an online report. Microsoft is reportedly taking the Google Chrome approach with IE10 and building Flash capability directly into the touch-friendly browser. But Flash won't be available for every site on the Web in Metro IE10. Instead, Microsoft will only extend the capability to select popular sites, according to Windows bloggers Paul Thurrott and Rafael Rivera.
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Linux Mint 13 rallies behind Gnome

Posted May 24, 2012 - 12:52 pm

With the new version of Linux Mint, released Wednesday, the developers behind the open source Linux distribution have put all energies behind Gnome, offering two versions of the desktop interface.
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Google's Go programming language feedback

Posted May 24, 2012 - 10:26 am

If you can learn the basics of Go in a couple of hours, is that time well spent?
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Can cheap ARM servers do real work?

Posted May 24, 2012 - 10:17 am

ARM servers are inexpensive and use less power than Intel chip-based servers. Do they belong in the data center?
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Windows Vista infection rates climb, says Microsoft

Posted May 23, 2012 - 9:54 pm

Microsoft said that a skew toward more exploits on Windows Vista can be attributed to the demise of support for the operating system's first service pack.
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Windows 8 puts end to endless reboots

Posted May 23, 2012 - 9:25 pm

Microsoft yesterday promised that a feature it's added to Windows 8 will put a stop to endless reboots.
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Windows 8 touchscreen devices to be priced higher, Dell says

Posted May 22, 2012 - 7:43 pm

Touchscreen laptops and tablets with the upcoming Windows 8 OS will be priced higher than their non-touchscreen counterparts, Dell's CEO said on Tuesday.
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Microsoft: Too old and too big to survive?

Posted May 21, 2012 - 8:46 pm

Microsoft is making lots of weird decisions; has the company reached its dotage?
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Windows RT management could be a key to success for Windows 8 tablets

Posted May 21, 2012 - 2:04 pm

IT management executives from large corporations worry most about how to manage employee-owned devices safely and securely, according to clients of the Directions on Microsoft analyst firm.
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Windows 8 security: What's new

Posted May 21, 2012 - 1:34 pm

When Windows 8 comes out later this year, the new Start screen and Metro-style apps will likely be the first changes you'll notice, but those aren't the only things that are new. Microsoft is also making some serious security enhancements to help keep your system safer and to improve Windows' ability to combat viruses and malware. It just may be the biggest improvement to Windows security yet.
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No price cuts for Windows 8 upgrades, says analyst

Posted May 21, 2012 - 12:38 pm

Microsoft will not reduce the price of Windows 8 upgrades, as it did three years ago before the roll-out of Windows 7, a retail sales analyst said today.
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Linux kernel 3.4 released

Posted May 21, 2012 - 11:33 am

Version 3.4 of the Linux kernel was officially rolled out Sunday, in what maintainer Linus Torvalds called a "calm" release cycle.
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Linux 3.4 released quickly, after smooth development cycle

Posted May 21, 2012 - 11:02 am

Just over two months after its last major release, Linus Torvalds has posted the newest version of the open source Linux kernel, which supports new graphics processors from Nvidia and Intel, improves file system functionality and comes with a new security module.
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Microsoft dumps 'Aero' UI in Windows 8, 'Metro-izes' desktop

Posted May 21, 2012 - 7:15 am

Microsoft is abandoning the 'Aero' user interface with Windows 8, calling the UI that debuted in Vista and continued in Windows 7, 'cheesy' and 'dated.'
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An OS for the home and cool Kickstarter projects

Posted May 19, 2012 - 7:42 am

This week we start with something that has both intrigued and amused me: Microsoft Research has a new operating system in the works targeted at home automation called, with glaring dullness, HomeOS.
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