Category: Microsoft

Everything about Microsoft

Windows 7 feature request list leaks out

Paul

Although the Vista transition is far from complete, that doesn’t mean Microsoft isn’t already hard at work on Windows 7, the next version of the venerable operating system — and this list of user-requested features unearthed by the folks at NeoWin might hold some clues as to the future. The “wish list” was sent out by Microsoft before Windows 7 development even began, so most of these features probably aren’t even on the radar, but what’s most interesting is that seemingly small fixes like “Window Update progress indicator” vastly outnumber big-ticket items like “integrated audio / video codec manager” and “Windows ‘Game’ Mode.” We’d say that speaks to a major lack of imagination, so consider this a years-early How Would You Change?, and sound off in comments — personally, we’re hoping for a transactional file system, but we know you all can totally outdo us.

Read — post at ArsTechnica
Read — full list at NeoWin

I think this is so funny, Should check out the full list at NeoWin, I throughly enjoyed it!

Windows Live Calendar Launched in Public Beta

Paul

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Microsoft has gradually granted access over the past few days to its Windows Live Calendar beta, yet another webapp in its newly-out-of-beta Live suite. There isn’t a single killer feature here that isn’t in Google Calendar, but the good stuff is mostly present—imports in iCal and Outlook format, multiple color-coded calendars, sharing and collaboration tools (including a read-only view for non-Live users), and customized email and SMS agendas and reminders. Live Calendar lacks synchronization for now, but it’s not hard to imagine Outlook or Windows Mobile integration in the future. Windows Live Calendar requires a free Windows Live sign-up; check back occasionally if you don’t see it offered at the link below.

Windows Live Calendar [via PC World]
Finally it comes out. I shall have to have fun with it!!

Microsoft apologizes for Windows Update snafus

Paul

Microsoft has been having all sorts of problems with automatic Windows updates lately. First, it was reports of users who had turned off automatic update installations finding that their computers had installed and rebooted anyway without their consent, then some enterprise Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) users found out that Windows Desktop Search (WDS) had been installed without administrator approval. Microsoft acknowledged the first problem but denied the second, then relented and issued an apology via WSUS product manager Bobbie Harder’s blog.

The explanation of the WSUS issue is a tad confusing, but it revolves around a WDS update from February that was an optional update that only applied to people who already had WDS installed. So far, so good. Then last Tuesday, Microsoft revised that same update package to be applicable (but still optional) for all XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003 SP1+ systems. Unfortunately, WSUS users who did not have WDS installed found that they got this “optional” update automatically, because WSUS is set by default to automatically approve update revisions. Confused yet? I sure am.

Harder apologized for the error and posted instructions on how to remove WDS, which adds fast hard drive searching to the Windows desktop at the cost of RAM and CPU resources. For the time being, the distribution of WDS through WSUS has been suspended completely, so the only way to get it is by going to the Microsoft Download Center and installing it manually. Harder added that Microsoft is “working on improving our internal publishing processes to ensure this does not happen again in the future.”

As for the desktop users who experienced unexpected reboots when they thought they had set Windows Update to install manually, the culprit may have been Microsoft’s own OneCare. According to the product team, Microsoft OneCare automatically changes the Automatic Update settings to automatically download and install. This behavior is briefly alluded to in the first dialog box of the OneCare installation screen, but many customers were unaware that installing OneCare would change these settings.

Can you say “OPPS’ i wonder how many of them decided to go to another platform!!

Bungie awards exclusive Recon armor to famous Halo 3 suiciders

Paul

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Bungie Weekly Update: 10/26/07

Posted by Frankie at 10/26/2007 4:40 PM PDT

Banhammery

We’ve mentioned before that we have implemented lots of security and anti-cheating systems in Halo 3. We’ll never have it perfect because we cannot stop people being idiots, but it’s already significantly better than ever before. We’re about to activate a part of it that required a few weeks of folks playing in the wild before we’d gathered enough data to activate it. Well, we’re just about ready to swing the mighty mallet of justice and it should make a couple of types of cheating extinct very shortly.

Halo 3 has been available for precisely one month and we’re going to be working harder than ever to make sure it stays a safe and fair place to play for the next few years. So please bear with us and remember we’re always watching and more importantly, acting on the information we receive, whether it’s immediately visible or not.

Rank Amateurs

I’ve had a lot of mails from skilled Halo players saying things like, “Hey, I am stuck at level 41 skill level and I am not going up, so your skill system must be broken.” Actually, what you’re seeing is that it works. What the system is telling you, is that relative to the other players currently playing Halo 3, you are a level 41. You should not be going up in skill level until you become appreciably and significantly better.

If you suddenly developed a whole new level of headshot ability, for example you’d find that your skill level would rise commensurately. It is not, like your rank, supposed to climb inexorably based on experience, but rather to judge and determine your relative skill and match you with players of like skill. My experience is that games are closer, tighter and more fairly balanced than ever before. The spikes happen at the low end, as you mix it up with folks who haven’t played enough to determine a steady skill level. As you get better, progress will slow and eventually halt as the system determines your overall ability and uses that to find matches.

It’s important to note that it is an increasingly accurate estimate, designed to become more accurate over the long term. So don’t worry about dips in your performance, or unexpected sprees, those dips and spikes are not given much precedence by the system.

In theory, it is trying to put you in the most competitive matches. It is not some goal or trophy – it’s a tool.

Hmm to bad I don’t have a Xbox 360!!! Go check out the videos!!

Leopard vs. Vista: feature chart showdown

Paul

There’s no doubt, Vista and Leopard are both extremely advanced, feature rich consumer operating systems. But way back in January when Vista launched knew we had little choice but pit the two in a head to head chartngraph Thunderdome competition. We know we’re not even going to be able to stop the epic fanboy arguments about break out over this one, so we just ask that you try to keep it fair. Leopard vs. Vista: it’s on.

NOTE: This chart is only for out of box features, and does not take into account 3rd party software. We realize that with a few choice apps this chart would look completely different — but that’s not what we’re after here.

  • Green indicates a category with more and/or better features, and generally a better user experience.
  • Red indicates that a category not quite up to snuff. Either it doesn’t yet exist in the OS or it just sucks more than the alternative.
  • † (dagger) indicates a category we think are too subjective or not similar enough to judge. These do not have any clear winner.
  • ‡ (double dagger) indicates a category that is in many ways subjective, but that we feel one category is still ahead. Your own tastes may vary.
  • Notes help out with a little background, where appropriate.

A great article on the differences and Similarity of Vista and Leopard!!