danwarne - Slashdot User

Submission + - Second Google Android phone revealed (apcmag.com)

Submitted by

KrispyDroid

on Wednesday December 03, 2008 @06:25PM

KrispyDroid writes: "The world's second Google Android phone has been unveiled — by an Australian-based electronics company called Kogan. It will ship worldwide on Jan 29. It looks like a surprisingly nice form factor, not unlike a Blackberry Bold. The phones will be sold without a contract at low prices — $A299 ($US192)."

Submission + - XP cheaper than Linux on new Eee PC (apcmag.com) 3

Submitted by

KrispyDollars

on Wednesday May 07, 2008 @03:53AM

KrispyDollars writes: "It sounds crazy to say this, but the XP-based version of the Eee PC 900 (the new version with the 8.9" screen) will actually be considerably cheaper than the Linux based version. At the official launch today, the company told journalists that "Microsoft has been a longstanding supporter of Asus" to explain the price discrepancy. And — get this — only the XP-based machine will be sold at mass-market retailers, while the Linux-based model will be consigned to computer stores."

Submission + - Prepare for your laptop to be searched (apcmag.com)

Submitted by

Nothing to Declare

on Tuesday April 22, 2008 @08:37AM

Nothing to Declare writes: "If your notebook is filled with porn, P2P or even just too many iTunes downloads, you might want to think twice before taking it on your next holiday — especially to the US. An appeals court in California this week unanimously upheld a ruling that border security officers at international airports can search personal computers without requiring any specific evidence of criminal activity. The appeal was made by a US resident, Michael Timothy Arnold, charged with child pornography offences after an airport search of his notebook PC in 2005."

Submission + - ASUS to use special XP build on Eee PC (apcmag.com)

Submitted by

KrispyChips

on Sunday April 13, 2008 @11:53PM

KrispyChips writes: "This could be a first: Microsoft creating a special build of Windows just because Windows doesn't run very well on a certain computer. ASUS' runaway success Eee PC is now "officially" available with Windows XP, but it is not exactly a great experience, says APC magazine which has reviewed the unit. There are none of the nice pre-loaded apps that come with the Linux version, for example. And XP has some real problems coping with the screen size and limited system specs of the unit. As a result, ASUS says it is going back to Microsoft and working on a special XP build that will be lighterweight and more suited to UMPCs."

Submission + - 185 pages of Microsoft emails show dirty truths (apcmag.com)

Submitted by

KrispyRasher

on Saturday March 01, 2008 @05:56AM

KrispyRasher writes: "Even internally, Microsoft couldn't agree on what the base requirements to run Vista were, but that didn't stop it from inaccurately promoting the OS as running on some hardware. 158 pages of Microsoft internal emails reveal scandalous truths about the squabbles that took place in the lead up to Vista's launch."

Submission + - Microsoft battles Vista perception issue (apcmag.com)

Submitted by

LambAndMint

on Wednesday February 13, 2008 @10:20PM

LambAndMint writes: "In what can only be described as an act of utter desperation to overcome Vista's mostly negative public perception issues, Microsoft has put together an online "Fact or Fiction" quiz about Windows Vista. Every person who submits themselves to Microsoft indoctrination gets a free shirt and the chance to win a $15,000 prize. Some of the supposed "fact" will make you feel dirty and ready to get a job as a computer salesman for a mass-market retailer as you go through the quiz."

Submission + - Group puts Windows Update library on CD (apcmag.com)

Submitted by

KrispyKofta

on Monday February 11, 2008 @09:29PM

KrispyKofta writes: "When was the last time you installed a fresh copy of Windows XP SP2? The process is still straightforward and relatively quick...but then you think "I'll just make sure the patches are up to date", and then proceed to stare with horror at the 100+ security updates and critical fixes which Windows Update or WSUS demands you install. And it takes forever. Now, a group has put all of the updates into one downloadable CD, from which you can update PCs without an internet connection. It's poor man's XP SP3, but even when SP3 is out, the project will continue to offer a CD which will install all patches offline."

Submission + - Microsoft junks Vista kernel: new version in SP1 (apcmag.com)

Submitted by

KrispySausage

on Tuesday February 05, 2008 @08:34AM

KrispySausage writes: "One of the "big" features discussed in early speculation of Windows Vista SP1 was the kernel upgrade, which was supposed to bring the operating system into line with the Longhorn kernel used in Windows Server 2008. And yet with Vista SP1 going RTM, there hasn't been so much as a peep from Microsoft about the mooted kernel update. Has it happened? Well the answer is yes it has, and presumably the main reason for Microsoft's silence on the subject is that as they're keen to promote the improvements and enhancements to Vista, rather than placing emphasis on a kernel upgrade, which some people might see as a risk of newly-introduced instability."

Submission + - Windows 7 to be released next year (apcmag.com)

Submitted by

KrispySausage

on Tuesday January 22, 2008 @01:59AM

KrispySausage writes: "A recently-release roadmap for the next major Window release — Windows 7 — indicates that Microsoft is planning to release the new operating system in the second half of 2009, rather than the anticipated release date of some time in 2010."

Submission + - WARNING: driver updates causing Vista deactivation (apcmag.com)

Submitted by

KrispySausage

on Tuesday October 23, 2007 @08:48AM

KrispySausage writes: "After weeks of gruelling troubleshooting, I've finally had it confirmed by Microsoft Australia and USA — something as small as swapping the video card or updating a device driver can trigger a total Vista deactivation.

Put simply, your copy of Windows will stop working with very little notice (three days) and your PC will go into "reduced functionality" mode, where you can't do anything but use the web browser for half an hour.

How can this ridiculous situation occur, and what is Microsoft's response... read on."

Submission + - War on terror overblown, says Microsoft (apcmag.com)

Submitted by

SlinkySausage

on Wednesday August 08, 2007 @10:05AM

SlinkySausage writes: "The endless security measures imposed on society as a result of the "war on terror" have become overblown and intrusive, according to Microsoft Redmond senior security analyst Steve Riley. (The same can be said for some security measures *cough*Vista UAC*cough*). He made the comments in a talk at day one of Tech.Ed Australia about software security.

Riley also fessed up that Microsoft cocked up XP from a security perspective. "We let you down with XP," he said.

Microsoft also showed a very interesting new desktop virtualisation technology called SoftGrid, which allows applications to be virtualised individually, rather than a whole OS. Think Virtual PC or VMware, but instead of virtualising an OS, just a single application is virtualised."

Submission + - Why Linux has failed on the desktop: Con Kolivas (apcmag.com)

Submitted by

SlinkySausage

on Tuesday July 24, 2007 @09:53AM

SlinkySausage writes: "Linux is burdened with "enterprise crap" that makes it run poorly on desktop PCs, says kernel developer Con Kolivas who recently walked away from years of work on the kernel in despair. APCmag.com has a lengthy interview with Kolivas, who explains what he sees is wrong with Linux from a performance perspective and how Microsoft has succeeded in crushing innovation in personal computers."

Submission + - Inflight internet returns to the skies -- Qantas (apcmag.com)

Submitted by

SlinkySausage

on Monday July 23, 2007 @09:28PM

SlinkySausage writes: "Australian international airline Qantas has just announced inflight broadband will be available across all classes in its new fleet of A380s, as well as laptop power in economy and internet access in the seat-back entertainment system! It is also retrofitting existing 747s with elements of the scheme. Interestingly, it is also offering USB and RJ45 (!!) ports to every passenger but has yet to disclose what these will be used for. Full story at APC Magazine."

Submission + - Don't wait for Vista SP1, pleads Microsoft (apcmag.com)

Submitted by

SlinkySausage

on Wednesday June 20, 2007 @12:01AM

SlinkySausage writes: ""Some customers may be waiting to adopt Windows Vista because they've heard rumors about device or application compatibility issues, or because they think they should wait for a service pack release," Microsoft has admitted in an email. The company is pleading with customers not to wait until the release of SP1 at the end of the year, launching a "fact rich" program to try to convince them to "proceed with confidence". The announcement coincides with an embarrassing double-backflip: Microsoft had pre-briefed journalists that it was going to allow home users to run Vista basic and premium under virtual machines like VMWare, but it changed its mind at the last minute and pulled the announcement."

Submission + - Microsoft to dump 32 bit after Vista

Submitted by

SlinkySausage

on Thursday May 17, 2007 @10:27AM

SlinkySausage writes: "Microsoft has used its annual hardware engineering conference to announce that Windows Vista and Server 2008 will be the last versions of Windows capable of booting on 32-bit CPUs such as Intel Pentium 4 and Core Duo. AMD, which introduced 64-bit CPUs early much to the derision of Intel, which said there was no use for them at the time, must be delighted with Microsoft's decision. Owners of first generation Intel Macs which used (32-bit only) Core Duo CPUs may not be so happy."

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