Watch a few online vids, get a free copy of Vista or Office
Want a free and legal copy of Windows Vista, but don't mind jumping through a few hoops to get it? This just sounds too good to be true: get a free copy of Vista Business or Office 2007 Pro just for watching a couple of Microsoft propaganda videos. Apparently Microsoft is either feeling really generous, or doesn't think that people are going to fork over the few hundred bucks to get a copy of Vista before building a little viral buzz, but either way apparently all you've got to do is register at Power Together, and "participate in at least three (3) qualifying web casts and/or virtual lab sessions within 30 days of registration," and then, 6-8 weeks after that, you'll apparently get a real, licensed DVD in the mail. This offer is available only for U.S. residents.
Yeah, we were skeptical too, but then we saw a post on Microsoft's own Channel 9 blog by Mark Brown, a Microsoft developer and platform marketing employee, who confirms that this odd website is his doing. Still, we'll reserve full-blown belief until we see some sort of real documentation that someone actually received a DVD after having watched these vids. And even then we'll probably hold out until Vista Ultimate goes up on the block.
Source: engadget
Watch a few online vids, get a free copy of Vista or Office
Want a free and legal copy of Windows Vista, but don't mind jumping through a few hoops to get it? This just sounds too good to be true: get a free copy of Vista Business or Office 2007 Pro just for watching a couple of Microsoft propaganda videos. Apparently Microsoft is either feeling really generous, or doesn't think that people are going to fork over the few hundred bucks to get a copy of Vista before building a little viral buzz, but either way apparently all you've got to do is register at Power Together, and "participate in at least three (3) qualifying web casts and/or virtual lab sessions within 30 days of registration," and then, 6-8 weeks after that, you'll apparently get a real, licensed DVD in the mail. This offer is available only for U.S. residents.
Yeah, we were skeptical too, but then we saw a post on Microsoft's own Channel 9 blog by Mark Brown, a Microsoft developer and platform marketing employee, who confirms that this odd website is his doing. Still, we'll reserve full-blown belief until we see some sort of real documentation that someone actually received a DVD after having watched these vids. And even then we'll probably hold out until Vista Ultimate goes up on the block.
Source: engadget
Watch a few online vids, get a free copy of Vista or Office
Want a free and legal copy of Windows Vista, but don't mind jumping through a few hoops to get it? This just sounds too good to be true: get a free copy of Vista Business or Office 2007 Pro just for watching a couple of Microsoft propaganda videos. Apparently Microsoft is either feeling really generous, or doesn't think that people are going to fork over the few hundred bucks to get a copy of Vista before building a little viral buzz, but either way apparently all you've got to do is register at Power Together, and "participate in at least three (3) qualifying web casts and/or virtual lab sessions within 30 days of registration," and then, 6-8 weeks after that, you'll apparently get a real, licensed DVD in the mail. This offer is available only for U.S. residents.
Yeah, we were skeptical too, but then we saw a post on Microsoft's own Channel 9 blog by Mark Brown, a Microsoft developer and platform marketing employee, who confirms that this odd website is his doing. Still, we'll reserve full-blown belief until we see some sort of real documentation that someone actually received a DVD after having watched these vids. And even then we'll probably hold out until Vista Ultimate goes up on the block.
Source: engadget
Microsoft to roll out new version of WGA
November 29, 2006 (Computerworld) -- Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday released a revamped version of its Windows Genuine Advantage tool that it hopes will reduce complaints arising from paid-up users of Windows XP caught in the dragnet of the controversial anti-piracy program. The main change in WGA Notifications is a new category of results for PCs with Windows installations of questionable validity.
The change addresses a problem raised by the other half of Microsoft's anti-piracy program, WGA Validation, which was introduced in mid-2005. PCs that were scanned by WGA Validation and failed to prove to Microsoft's satisfaction that they were running non-counterfeit copies of Windows XP were formerly labeled as "non-genuine" by Microsoft. That caused WGA Validation to disallow access to certain Microsoft software, and WGA Notifications to send periodic messages asking users to reinstall XP or buy a legitimate license for it, leading to "nagware" complaints from some users.
Full story: ComputerWorld
Microsoft to roll out new version of WGA
November 29, 2006 (Computerworld) -- Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday released a revamped version of its Windows Genuine Advantage tool that it hopes will reduce complaints arising from paid-up users of Windows XP caught in the dragnet of the controversial anti-piracy program. The main change in WGA Notifications is a new category of results for PCs with Windows installations of questionable validity.
The change addresses a problem raised by the other half of Microsoft's anti-piracy program, WGA Validation, which was introduced in mid-2005. PCs that were scanned by WGA Validation and failed to prove to Microsoft's satisfaction that they were running non-counterfeit copies of Windows XP were formerly labeled as "non-genuine" by Microsoft. That caused WGA Validation to disallow access to certain Microsoft software, and WGA Notifications to send periodic messages asking users to reinstall XP or buy a legitimate license for it, leading to "nagware" complaints from some users.
Full story: ComputerWorld
Microsoft to roll out new version of WGA
November 29, 2006 (Computerworld) -- Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday released a revamped version of its Windows Genuine Advantage tool that it hopes will reduce complaints arising from paid-up users of Windows XP caught in the dragnet of the controversial anti-piracy program. The main change in WGA Notifications is a new category of results for PCs with Windows installations of questionable validity.
The change addresses a problem raised by the other half of Microsoft's anti-piracy program, WGA Validation, which was introduced in mid-2005. PCs that were scanned by WGA Validation and failed to prove to Microsoft's satisfaction that they were running non-counterfeit copies of Windows XP were formerly labeled as "non-genuine" by Microsoft. That caused WGA Validation to disallow access to certain Microsoft software, and WGA Notifications to send periodic messages asking users to reinstall XP or buy a legitimate license for it, leading to "nagware" complaints from some users.
Full story: ComputerWorld
Why Vista Took So Long?
"Following on from Joel Spolsky's blog on the Windows Vista shutdown menu, Moishe Lettvin, a former member of the Windows Vista team (now at Google) who spent a year working on the menu, gives an insight into the process, and some indication as to what the approximately 24 people who worked on the shutdown menu actually did. Joel has responded in typically forthright fashion."
From the last posting: "Every piece of evidence I've heard from developers inside Microsoft supports my theory that the company has become completely tangled up in bureaucracy, layers of management, meetings ad infinitum, and overstaffing. The only way Microsoft has managed to hire so many people has been by lowering their hiring standards significantly. In the early nineties Microsoft looked at IBM, especially the bloated OS/2 team, as a case study of what not to do; somehow in the fifteen year period from 1991–2006 they became the bloated monster that takes five years to ship an incoherent upgrade to their flagship product."
Source: Slashdot
Why Vista Took So Long?
"Following on from Joel Spolsky's blog on the Windows Vista shutdown menu, Moishe Lettvin, a former member of the Windows Vista team (now at Google) who spent a year working on the menu, gives an insight into the process, and some indication as to what the approximately 24 people who worked on the shutdown menu actually did. Joel has responded in typically forthright fashion."
From the last posting: "Every piece of evidence I've heard from developers inside Microsoft supports my theory that the company has become completely tangled up in bureaucracy, layers of management, meetings ad infinitum, and overstaffing. The only way Microsoft has managed to hire so many people has been by lowering their hiring standards significantly. In the early nineties Microsoft looked at IBM, especially the bloated OS/2 team, as a case study of what not to do; somehow in the fifteen year period from 1991–2006 they became the bloated monster that takes five years to ship an incoherent upgrade to their flagship product."
Source: Slashdot
Why Vista Took So Long?
"Following on from Joel Spolsky's blog on the Windows Vista shutdown menu, Moishe Lettvin, a former member of the Windows Vista team (now at Google) who spent a year working on the menu, gives an insight into the process, and some indication as to what the approximately 24 people who worked on the shutdown menu actually did. Joel has responded in typically forthright fashion."
From the last posting: "Every piece of evidence I've heard from developers inside Microsoft supports my theory that the company has become completely tangled up in bureaucracy, layers of management, meetings ad infinitum, and overstaffing. The only way Microsoft has managed to hire so many people has been by lowering their hiring standards significantly. In the early nineties Microsoft looked at IBM, especially the bloated OS/2 team, as a case study of what not to do; somehow in the fifteen year period from 1991–2006 they became the bloated monster that takes five years to ship an incoherent upgrade to their flagship product."
Source: Slashdot
Once more (with feeling): What is Windows Live?
Microsoft has been struggling to explain "Windows Live" ever since Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie officially unveiled Microsoft's Live plans on November 1, 2005. Today, I had a chance to ask Steve Berkowitz, the senior vice president of Microsoft's online services group (and prior to joining Microsoft in April 2006, the AskJeeves CEO) to define Windows Live. He provided what I consider the best and most understandable definition of Windows Live I've seen to date.
Live consists of three distinct, yet interrelated, parts, Berkowitz said. There's the Live platform (about which I'll be blogging more later today); the individual Live services (Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Spaces, Windows Live Expo, etc.); and the Live experiences, or user interfaces. Berkowitz describes experiences as ways to enter the Internet search, commerce, entertainment portals (such as MSN.com) and community.
Full story: ZDNet
Once more (with feeling): What is Windows Live?
Microsoft has been struggling to explain "Windows Live" ever since Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie officially unveiled Microsoft's Live plans on November 1, 2005. Today, I had a chance to ask Steve Berkowitz, the senior vice president of Microsoft's online services group (and prior to joining Microsoft in April 2006, the AskJeeves CEO) to define Windows Live. He provided what I consider the best and most understandable definition of Windows Live I've seen to date.
Live consists of three distinct, yet interrelated, parts, Berkowitz said. There's the Live platform (about which I'll be blogging more later today); the individual Live services (Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Spaces, Windows Live Expo, etc.); and the Live experiences, or user interfaces. Berkowitz describes experiences as ways to enter the Internet search, commerce, entertainment portals (such as MSN.com) and community.
Full story: ZDNet
Once more (with feeling): What is Windows Live?
Microsoft has been struggling to explain "Windows Live" ever since Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie officially unveiled Microsoft's Live plans on November 1, 2005. Today, I had a chance to ask Steve Berkowitz, the senior vice president of Microsoft's online services group (and prior to joining Microsoft in April 2006, the AskJeeves CEO) to define Windows Live. He provided what I consider the best and most understandable definition of Windows Live I've seen to date.
Live consists of three distinct, yet interrelated, parts, Berkowitz said. There's the Live platform (about which I'll be blogging more later today); the individual Live services (Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Spaces, Windows Live Expo, etc.); and the Live experiences, or user interfaces. Berkowitz describes experiences as ways to enter the Internet search, commerce, entertainment portals (such as MSN.com) and community.
Full story: ZDNet
Vista adoption to outpace XP, analyst says
Up to 15 percent of PC users will move to Vista within the first year that the operating system is available, said David Mitchell, the software practice leader at Ovum Ltd. "That would make it the fastest-moving operating system ever," he said. By comparison, between 12 to 14 percent of users switched to Windows XP during the first year of its release, Mitchell said.
Vista will gain traction in the market from quick adoption by both corporate and consumer users. For example, companies that participate in Microsoft's Software Assurance licensing program will automatically get upgrades to Vista, Mitchell said. "On the consumer side, there has been a bit of pent-up demand. Just look at the beta adoption in the consumer space -- it's very high," he said.
Full story: InfoWorld
Vista adoption to outpace XP, analyst says
Up to 15 percent of PC users will move to Vista within the first year that the operating system is available, said David Mitchell, the software practice leader at Ovum Ltd. "That would make it the fastest-moving operating system ever," he said. By comparison, between 12 to 14 percent of users switched to Windows XP during the first year of its release, Mitchell said.
Vista will gain traction in the market from quick adoption by both corporate and consumer users. For example, companies that participate in Microsoft's Software Assurance licensing program will automatically get upgrades to Vista, Mitchell said. "On the consumer side, there has been a bit of pent-up demand. Just look at the beta adoption in the consumer space -- it's very high," he said.
Full story: InfoWorld
Vista adoption to outpace XP, analyst says
Up to 15 percent of PC users will move to Vista within the first year that the operating system is available, said David Mitchell, the software practice leader at Ovum Ltd. "That would make it the fastest-moving operating system ever," he said. By comparison, between 12 to 14 percent of users switched to Windows XP during the first year of its release, Mitchell said.
Vista will gain traction in the market from quick adoption by both corporate and consumer users. For example, companies that participate in Microsoft's Software Assurance licensing program will automatically get upgrades to Vista, Mitchell said. "On the consumer side, there has been a bit of pent-up demand. Just look at the beta adoption in the consumer space -- it's very high," he said.
Full story: InfoWorld