Gizmodo: microsoft windows

Windows XP Gets Another Six Months to Live: Will Not Go Gently Into that Good Night

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 10:00:00 EDT

According to a leaked email from a PC OEM, Microsoft has officially extended the life of its now-beloved Windows XP, moving the date of planned obsolescence from January 31, 2009 all the way to July 31, 2009. In the wake of its very expensive ad campaign promoting (in a roundabout way) Vista, the move is a bit surprising. Essentially, Microsoft is trying to let users skip Vista completely, moving directly from XP to its forthcoming OS, Windows 7. The deadline for OEMs to include Windows XP recovery discs has been pushed back a couple of times already, and apparently some Microsoft hardware partners want it even further in the future than July. XP has become the Bill Clinton of OSs (stay with me here): yeah, it was great at the time, but it's showing its age and its enthusiasm for the new guy is sometimes suspect. Windows 3.11 in 2008! [The Register UK]

Windows 7 UI To Debut At All Things D Tonight

Jason Chen — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:05:16 EDT

Windows 7's UI is going to be unveiled by Ballmer and Gates tonight at All Things D during their interview. We'll be there, so check back periodically to see what Steve and Bill have, since pretty much all we've seen so far is Windows 7 under a Vista UI. [All Things D - Image Credit (Just a concept)]

Update: We're there live.

Microsoft Cuts Vista Prices, XP Still Better

Haroon Malik — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 03:45:00 EST

Looks like Microsoft is trying another push to get Vista Ultimate running as your OS of choice. The top-end operating system will receive a price cut from $399 to $319, whilst the upgrade version will now retail at $219, a savings of $40 on the original price. Vista Home Premium will also be dropped in price, from $159 to $129. If you were holding out, now seems like a good time as any to take the Vista plunge, or stick with XP SP3 because it kicks Vista-ass. Your call. Note: the Digg badge on this post corresponds to the original news' Digg. [News.com]

Microsoft Bringing Windows to Your Kitchen Counter

Louis Ramirez — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 17:20:03 EDT

It's invaded your living room, your bedroom and even your coffee table, and now Windows has its eyes set on your kitchen with a new PC-like device.

The Microsoft Tablet team is working on a new Kitchen Client that'll include features like a family calendar, recipe center and a digital bulletin board. It sounds like it'll mix all of the features we saw in those Ricavision prototypes a while back. No word on when we can expect to see such a device, but the thought of having my toaster stream video doesn't sound like a bad idea at all. – Louis Ramirez

Microsoft Preps Windows-based Kitchen Client [ZDNet via Clipset]

Vista Battery Life Sucks

Wilson Rothman — Fri, 04 May 2007 14:40:00 EDT

I've complained for months that Vista hogs battery life. Yet whenever I would look a laptop product rep in the eye and ask (most recently, HP and Gateway), I'd get a blank stare that says, "We can't really tell you." Now, the courageous folks at ZDNet have confirmation from inside HP. The Aero Glass interface is, indeed, a leech and a half.

When Aero is turned off, battery life is equal to or better than Windows XP systems. But with it turned on, battery life suffers compared with Windows XP...Laptop users who spent extra money on powerful laptops to handle the graphics requirements of Vista and the Aero interface are forced to run the aesthetic equivalent of Vista Basic, the low-cost version of Vista, if they care about battery life.

Apparently whenever a new OS is launched, battery life suffers at the outset, then settles in once hardware makers figure out how to tweak their systems. The ZDNet report says that HP has introduced its own power management systems that balance performance and battery life, and that Lenovo is doing the same.

I don't know. If battery doesn't improve, we might start seeing more laptops with those static-electricity hand cranks on the side, like the original OLPC. – Wilson Rothman

Vista draining laptop batteries, patience [ZDNet via The Inquirer]