Gizmodo, “Windows 3.x Discontinued”
Believe it or not, up to November 1st many could and still were buying licenses for Windows 3.x (mainly for embedded systems like cash registers and airline entertainment systems from companies like Virgin). But on that day, Microsoft discontinued their licensing of the product. After 18 years, the iconic Windows platform is no more.
Requirements for the OS included a 8086/8088 processor with clock speed of 10MHz, 7MB of storage (better move Police Quest to a floppy) and 640KB of RAM. And when you realize that Vista requires a minimum of 1GHz processor and 20GB of storage, it’s easy to see why at least some low end systems will miss the platform…until they just grab a copy of Linux instead.
Gizmodo, “Windows 7 Walkthrough, Boot Video and Impressions”
Like Elvis in ‘68, Microsoft is itching for a “comeback,” and Windows 7 is the perfect excuse. In fact, this week in LA at the Professional Developers Conference, Windows 7 officially shoved Vista aside. Having suffered through the often deserved criticisms of that ill-fated OS installment, Microsoft’s people are thrilled to tears to be able to talk about something (anything!) else. On Sunday, they took journalists through a lively 7-hour orientation on Win 7, then handed off a Dell XPS M1330 loaded with pre-beta Build 6801. Thankfully for the overworked, underappreciated developers at Redmond, it’s surprisingly stable, and its look and feel already puts Vista to shame.
Here’s a walkthrough of the system I’m looking at, some videos showing its basic performance, and then shots of more interface and system details demoed at PDC that will show up in the first beta build.
Click here for the rest of the article
Thanks Nick
Engadget, “Windows 7 to be officially named… Windows 7”
Microsoft is expected to be handing out pre-betas of Windows 7 to devs at WinHEC and PDC soon, and it looks like it’s settled on an official name for its next-gen OS — ahem, Windows 7. Yep, the code name is the real name, which is a first for Windows. According to Mike Nash on the Vista blog, the company went with Windows 7 because it “just makes sense” as the seventh release of Windows, and MS doesn’t want to come up with a new “aspirational” name like Vista — it “doesn’t do justice” to the goal of staying “firmly rooted” in the ideas of Vista. Which probably explains why it looks so much the same. Sure, call it whatever you like, just get it out the door on time, okay?
How will Windows 7 be different from Vista? Look here.
Gizmodo, “The New XBox Experience Cometh on November 19”
Microsoft’s New Xbox Experience, the upcoming dashboard system that’ll let you create avatars and social network, now has a set date for its worldwide launch—November 19. The guys from Redmond showed a completed version of the NXE at the Tokyo Game Show, with a little XBox Bill Gates announcing that he’s “a PC.” In about six weeks, you’ll get the ability to create your Xbox mini-you, as well as get access to themes and a new games channel, including new games details pages.
FOXNews, “Seinfeld to be pitchman for Microsoft”
NEW YORK — Junior Mints, Yoo-hoo, Drake’s Coffee Cakes, puffy shirts: These are all things Jerry Seinfeld has endorsed at least in his alter ego on his classic sitcom. Now, add Microsoft software.
Seinfeld will be a key pitchman in a planned $300 million fall advertising campaign for the software giant, a person familiar with the plans confirmed to The Associated Press on condition on anonymity because the deal has not been formally announced.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the plans. Citing people close to the situation, it reported the comedian will be paid $10 million for appearing in ads with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.
Continue reading ‘Seinfeld to market for Microsoft’
Yahoo! News, “Microsoft ups Yahoo offer above $31 in bid for friendly deal”
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Microsoft Corp. finally dangled a higher takeover bid in front of Yahoo Inc. Friday, hoping to reach a friendly deal after weeks of saber rattling.
The Redmond, Wash.-based software maker upped its offer beyond the original value of $44.6 billion, or $31 per share, according to a person familiar with the matter. The specifics of the new offer weren’t known by this person, who didn’t want to be identified because the negotiations are still confidential.
Continue reading ‘Microsoft ups bid for Yahoo!, negotiations start’
Microsoft is offering Microsoft Visual Studio 2008, Windows Server 2003, XNA Game Studio 2.0, and more to students for a grand total of $0.00 USD.
Visit Microsoft DreamSpark and start downloading!
Thanks, Nick
Smarthouse, “Blu-ray Xbox 360 Planned By Microsoft”
Rumours were circulating today that Microsoft is set to dump HD DVD and bring out a Blu ray Xbox 360 by as early as May 2008. The move will allow the Company to go head to head with the Sony PS3 gaming console which has been credited with being one of the main reasons that retailers have preferred Blu-ray over Toshiba’s HD DVD.
Insiders at Microsoft in the USA have told SmartHouse that Microsoft has already configured a standalone Blu-ray player that can be connected into an Xbox 360 and that subject to internal marketing and sales approvals the model could be on sale within 3 months.
The Company has also been working on a built in Blu-ray player however insiders are claiming that Microsoft see the HD format battle moving online with consumers offered 1080p movie and content files as a download as opposed to having to buy a HD DVD or Blu-ray disc.
Continue reading ‘From the grapevine: Blu-ray coming to the 360?’
Breitbart, “Yahoo Board to Spurn $44B Microsoft Bid”
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Yahoo Inc.’s board will reject Microsoft Corp.’s $44.6 billion takeover bid after concluding the unsolicited offer undervalues the slumping Internet pioneer, according to a person familiar with the situation.
The decision could provoke a showdown between two of the world’s most prominent technology companies.
If the world’s largest software maker wants Yahoo badly enough, Microsoft could try to override Yahoo’s board by taking its offer—originally valued at $31 per share—directly to the shareholders. Pursuing that risky route probably will require Microsoft to attempt to oust Yahoo’s current 10-member board.
Alternatively, Microsoft could sweeten its bid. Many analysts believe Microsoft is prepared to offer as much as $35 per share for Yahoo, which still boasts one of the Internet’s largest audiences and most powerful advertising vehicles despite a prolonged slump that has hammered its stock.
Yahoo’s board reached the decision after exploring a wide variety of alternatives during the past week, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press. The person didn’t want to be identified because the reasons for Yahoo’s rebuff won’t be officially spelled out until Monday morning.
Continue reading ‘Yahoo! to reject bid, will Microsoft attempt a takeover?’
Yahoo! News, “AP Google Assails Microsoft Over Yahoo Deal”
But Google is painting a starkly different picture, asserting that Microsoft will be able to stifle innovation and leverage its dominating Windows operating system to set up personal computers so consumers are automatically steered to online services, such as e-mail and instant messaging, controlled by the world’s largest software maker.
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| Jerry Yang (Yahoo! CEO) |
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| Eric Schmidt (Google CEO) |
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google Inc. raised the specter of Microsoft Corp. using its proposed $42 billion acquisition of Yahoo Inc. to gain illegal control over the Internet, underscoring the online search leader’s queasiness about its two biggest rivals teaming up.
The critical remarks, posted online Sunday by Google’s top lawyer, represented the Mountain View-based company’s first public reaction to Microsoft’s unsolicited bid for Yahoo since the offer was announced Friday.
“Microsoft’s hostile bid for Yahoo raises troubling questions,” David Drummond, Google’s chief legal officer, wrote. “This is about more than simply a financial transaction, one company taking over another. It’s about preserving the underlying principles of the Internet: openness and innovation.”
Google’s opposition isn’t a surprise, given that Microsoft views Yahoo as a crucial weapon in its battle to gain ground on Google in the Internet’s booming search and advertising markets.
Continue reading ‘Google assails Microsoft over Yahoo! bid’
Yahoo! News, “Microsoft Offers $44.6B for Yahoo”
By joining forces, Microsoft and Yahoo also would widen their narrowing advantage over Google in providing free e-mail accounts — a service that helps foster more loyalty with users and create more advertising opportunities.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Microsoft Corp. has pounced on slumping Internet icon Yahoo Inc. with an unsolicited takeover offer of $44.6 billion in its boldest bid yet to challenge Google Inc.’s dominance of the lucrative online search and advertising markets.
The surprise offer of $31 per share, made late Thursday and announced Friday, seizes on Yahoo’s weakness while Microsoft tries to muscle up in a high-stakes battle with Google likely to define the technology landscape for years to come.
In a statement Friday, Yahoo said it will “carefully and promptly” study Microsoft’s bid.
With its profits steadily sliding, Yahoo’s stock slipped to a four-year low earlier this week and a new management team has been trying to steer a turnaround but sees more turbulence through 2008.
The announcement lifted Yahoo’s share price by almost 50 percent in morning trading, while Google fell almost 8 percent, dragged down by a fourth-quarter earnings report that missed Wall Street expectations.
In conference call Friday morning, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer indicated he won’t take no for an answer after Yahoo rebuffed takeover overtures a year ago.
Continue reading ‘Microsoft Offers $44.6B for Yahoo’
