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

Review

Microsoft System Center 2012 review: Streamlined cloud service management

Posted May 20, 2012 - 7:27 am

With System Center 2012, Microsoft delivers tools to help customers wring more efficiency, uptime and performance out of their existing hardware and software.
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Review

Review: Quickoffice Connect is a poor iCloud clone

Posted May 5, 2012 - 7:30 am

Stick with the original Quickoffice HD app and either Dropbox or Box instead for a more reliable, cheaper alternative
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Review

Hands-on: Nokia Lumia 900 puts Windows Phone back in the race

Posted April 6, 2012 - 6:09 am

The Nokia Lumia 900 puts Windows Phone in with the big kids, offering good performance, a bright display and stylish design.
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Review

First look: Visual Studio 11 beta leaner, meaner for Metro

Posted April 4, 2012 - 9:51 am

Metro-style development support and monochrome obsession are featured in Microsoft's all-encompassing Windows development tool
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Review

Two Windows 7 tablets: HP Slate 2 vs. Samsung Series 7 Slate

Posted March 29, 2012 - 2:27 pm

Two very different Windows-7-based tablets from HP and Samsung offer a variety of features for business and personal use.
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Review

Windows 8 preview beats Windows 7 in most performance tests

Posted March 26, 2012 - 2:34 pm

Windows 8‘s Metro interface may be controversial, but it looks like few PC users will complain about the new operating system’s performance. Our PCWorld Lab put the Consumer Preview of Windows 8 through a battery of tests and found it generally faster -- sometimes a lot faster -- than Windows 7.
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Review

Review: VDI without the server connection

Posted March 20, 2012 - 7:47 am

Virtual Computer NxTop Enterprise 4.0 conquers desktop virtualization with intuitive central management, Xen-based client hypervisor, and strong policy-based controls
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Review

Keeping Windows 8 in sync with SkyDrive

Posted March 12, 2012 - 2:39 pm

Hands-on with SkyDrive. What works, what's missing, and what you can expect.
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Review

A deep dive into Windows 8 Consumer Preview

Posted March 6, 2012 - 8:19 am

Windows 8 Consumer Preview offers a new look at Microsoft's upcoming interface for both computers and tablets. Is one device being shortchanged in favor of the other?
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Review

Windows 8: Something old, something awkward

Posted March 6, 2012 - 7:06 am

Microsoft's old Windows desktop and tablet-friendly Metro UI make strange bedfellows
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Hands on with Windows Server 8 beta

Posted March 4, 2012 - 8:55 am

Our reviewer doesn't like the Metro user interface as the default for a server OS, but other than that lauds its new features.
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Review

OnLive Desktop brings you one step closer to ditching your notebook for the iPad

Posted March 3, 2012 - 8:35 am

The OnLive Dekstop is an app for your iPad that gives you a virtual Windows 7 desktop environment, as well as Office 2010 apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Adobe Reader and other basic Windows apps (Calculator, Notepad, Wordpad, Paint, Sticky Notes).
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Review

OnLive's train wreck: Office on the iPad

Posted February 7, 2012 - 7:11 am

The OnLive Desktop service shows just how wrong desktop virtualization can be
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Review

First look: Windows 8 breaks new ground

Posted January 23, 2012 - 1:32 am

The first public beta for Windows 8 is expected to be released in February, but we've been testing pre-beta code in our lab. Our overall impression is that Windows 8 represents an aggressive effort by Microsoft to deliver a single OS that runs just about everywhere and takes on all of Microsoft's key rivals.
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Review

The best way to run Windows on your Mac

Posted January 16, 2012 - 9:58 pm

There may be times when you need to run Windows on your Mac: perhaps there’s an application your company uses that’s only available for Windows, or you’re a web developer and you need to test your sites in a true native Windows web browser. Or maybe you want to play computer games that aren’t available for OS X. Whatever your reason for running Windows, there are a number of ways your Mac can do it for you.
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Review

The year's best hardware, software, and cloud services

Posted January 9, 2012 - 7:11 am

These 2012 Technology of the Year Award winners make life better for the people who toil in service of the enterprises.
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Review

Mint is fun, client-focused Linux distro

Posted January 6, 2012 - 8:32 pm

When Ubuntu decided last year to abruptly replace the familiar Gnome UI with its own Unity interface, many users were upset. And according to the latest numbers from DistroWatch, Linux Mint has been the major beneficiary, so we decided to test Linux Mint 12.
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Review

VDI shoot-out: Citrix XenDesktop 5.5

Posted January 5, 2012 - 12:29 pm

Citrix XenDesktop shines with unmatched flexibility and all the desktop virtualization bells and whistles
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VDI shoot-out: Citrix XenDesktop vs. VMware View

Posted December 14, 2011 - 7:14 am

Citrix XenDesktop 5.5 and VMware View 5 vie for the most flexible, scalable, and complete virtual desktop infrastructure
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Review

Parallels Desktop 7 makes Windows-on-Mac fast, stable

Posted November 17, 2011 - 3:30 pm

Parallels Desktop 7 is the latest release of Parallels' virtualization program, which allows users to run Windows, Linux, and now even OS X Lion directly within Mac OS X. Since Macworld last reviewed Parallels Desktop 5, the program has acquired an updated interface along with a slew of performance improvements and new features. Among the latter, there's a simplified window for configuring virtual machines, support for Lion's full screen mode, Launchpad integration, an in-app store for purchasing Windows and other programs, the ability to use iSight (and other) webcams within Windows clients, improved virtual printing, and more.
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Review

iOS 5 review: Ambitious update rings in the changes

Posted October 12, 2011 - 10:08 am

It seems like every time a major software revision comes along, it’s described as the “biggest ever.” In the case of iOS 5, though, that might not be hyperbole—there’s hardly a part of Apple’s mobile operating system that isn’t altered in some way by the latest update.
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Review

Mac virtualization face-off: VMware Fusion 4 vs. Parallels Desktop 7

Posted September 21, 2011 - 6:10 am

Neither Fusion nor Parallels offer major improvements for Windows users, but they add welcome support for Mac OS X Lion virtual machines
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Review

Windows 8 and OSX Lion: How do they compare?

Posted September 17, 2011 - 9:06 am

It's still far too early in Windows 8's development cycle to pit the nascent OS against its fully-baked competition. But Apple's recently released OSX Lion offers up the most recent, competing view of what a PC operating system should look like in the age of the smartphone and tablet.
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Review

Windows Server 8: Massive storage enhancements ahead

Posted September 14, 2011 - 11:30 am

The killer feature in Windows Server 8: The new and built-in data deduplication, which detects duplicate data in files and folders, puts it in a separate store and simply gets rid of the redundant bytes.
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Review

Windows Server 8: Highlights of the upcoming server OS

Posted September 14, 2011 - 11:30 am

ITworld got an exclusive first look at Windows Server 8. Highlights of the over 300 new features include some pretty hefty performance improvements and balancing in Hyper-V 3 that's sure to make the virtualization crowd go wild.
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