Monday, February 08, 2010 1:38 PM/CST
The Zune HD 16GB and 32GB, Microsoft's competitors in the portable media player space, have been lowered in price, possibly in advance of new device versions hitting the market. Recent rumors about a "Zune Phone" or smartphone with Zune software being announced by Microsoft on Feb. 15 raise the possibility that the new device could indeed be a mobile device, although issues with Zune branding may also prevent this from occurring. The Zune HD price dip could also be a promotional effort.
Thursday, February 04, 2010 5:26 PM/CST
Microsoft claims to be investigating complaints from users that Windows 7, if installed on a laptop that previously ran Windows XP or Windows Vista, drains battery power at an unacceptable rate. Commenters on the Microsoft TechNet discussion forum have been sharing their own stories about seemingly Windows 7-related battery problems, and occasionally offering solutions.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 5:09 PM/CST
Microsoft executive Mike Nash, currently the corporate vice president for Windows Platform Strategy, will leave the company within the next couple of weeks. Nash spent 19 years at Microsoft, and his departure is not the first among Windows executives in 2010 -- perhaps indicative of a coming brain-drain for the operating systems division.
Monday, February 01, 2010 5:00 PM/CST
Those users still running the Windows 7 Release Candidate on their machines, as opposed to the retail version, will start to experience shutdowns every 2 hours starting on March 1. Microsoft plans on issuing a "The End Is Nigh" notification on Feb. 15, with the shutdowns starting two weeks after that unless the user does a clean install of the retail version of Windows 7. During those automatic shutdowns, work in progress on the user's PC will not be saved.
Friday, January 22, 2010 4:53 PM/CST
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer proved a good sport during a university visit when a student asked him to sign a MacBook Pro. Although Ballmer and Microsoft insisted throughout 2009 that his company's marketing campaign helped hold down Apple's rising PC market share, Apple's upcoming quarterly report will likely be less mixed than Microsoft's, as Microsoft is still wrestling with some issues in the consumer space and a declining revenue trend.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 11:21 AM/CST
Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates has joined Twitter and restarted his Facebook account. Gates' first tweets, perhaps unsurprisingly, focused on aid to Haiti. Since resigning from Microsoft, Gates' primary focus has been on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which promotes initiatives such as disease eradication in the Third World.
Friday, January 15, 2010 10:38 AM/CST
Microsoft veteran Bill Veghte, who helped spearhead the development and management of projects related to Office and Windows, is leaving the company after 19 years. Although Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer wrote in July 2009 that a new leadership role for Veghte would be found after a Windows Division management shuffle, Veghte evidently wanted to explore other opportunities, including perhaps a CEO role at another company.
Friday, January 08, 2010 7:58 PM/CST
Despite Microsoft's massive physical presence at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the company has announced precious few new products and initiatives. In a meeting with a Microsoft spokesperson, Microsoft Watch asked about the possibility of a Windows 7 service pack, group licensing in the mode of the Family Pack promotion and customers switching from XP.
Thursday, January 07, 2010 2:51 AM/CST
A good deal of CES audience attention seemed focused on whether Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer would introduce a tablet PC in partnership with Hewlett-Packard. While such a device was indeed revealed, tablet PCs are very much a sideshow to larger issues confronting Microsoft in 2010 as it attempts to gain or maintain market share in a number of different business areas.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010 4:18 PM/CST
With Apple's supposed debut of its tablet PC rumored to be weeks away, additional scuttlebutt suggests that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer could unveil a competing device during his keynote address tonight at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Unnamed sources cited in The New York Times have hinted that Microsoft could be partnering with Hewlett-Packard to build the device.
