Blog Profile / Ed Bott's Microsoft Report
| URL : | http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/ | |
|---|---|---|
| Filed Under: | Technology Industry News / Microsoft | |
| Posts on Regator: | 490 | |
| Posts / Week: | 2.9 | |
| Archived Since: | February 3, 2010 | |
Blog Post Archive
A close look at how Oracle installs deceptive software with Java updates
Oracle's Java plugin for browsers is a notoriously insecure product. Over the past 18 months, the company has released 11 updates, six of them containing critical security fixes. With each update, Java actively tries to install unwanted software. Here's what it does, and why it has to stop.
How Apple used its money and muscle to kill an iTunes competitor
Remember Lala, the innovative music service that made a splash in 2009? After Apple bought the company, Lala's services vanished. Now, a candid (maybe too candid) report from an insider explains why Apple was willing to pay $160 million to make this "clear and present danger" to iTunes go away.
Cheap PCs are the present and future of Windows
A new slice of data highlights the incredible diversity of the PC ecosystem. Thousands of unique PC models are running Windows 8 and RT. What does it mean that the top slots on the sales charts are dominated by cheap, generic Windows notebooks?
Why does crapware still exist? Follow the Silicon Valley money trail
If you followed security experts' advice and manually updated Java this week to fix a critical vulnerability, you might have gotten more than you asked for. Oracle probably makes tens of millions of dollars a year from crapware, and big venture capitalists see it as a growth business.
An inside look at Internet Explorer 10's mysterious Flash whitelist
In Windows 8 and especially on Windows RT, your ability to run Flash programs hosted on the web depends on whether a site is included on Microsoft's Compatibility View list. So what does it take to get added to that list? And what can you do if a favorite Flash-based site won't work?
My 60 days with the Surface RT
After more than two months of day-in and day-out use, the strengths and weaknesses of the Microsoft Surface and Windows RT are easier to see. Here's a long-term update.
To touch or not to touch: That is the Windows 8 question
The next time someone complains that Windows 8 touchscreens give you "gorilla arm," you have my permission to stomp on them like that ape in the old American Tourister commercials. The reality is that touchscreens work great on modern laptops, and you might even be able to retrofit touch support on your old trackpad.
Why you should be skeptical of Chitika's market-share reports
Chitika, an online advertising company, has been remarkably successful lately at getting top-tier tech sites to quote its "research reports." But a closer look at this company suggests that maybe journalists should be a lot less trusting of its data.
What's behind the slump in PC sales? Can the industry turn around?
PC makers who were hoping for Windows 8 to kick off a surge in sales have been disappointed. Apparently, no one climbed on Santa's lap and asked for a new PC. The real question now is whether the industry can grind out acceptable results over the next year as it redefines what a PC is.
What's the right response to a cloud outage?
Microsoft's Azure storage service in the South Central US region has been offline for more than 24 hours. The outage has brought one web-based business to a grinding halt. But if you were expecting an angry response, prepare to be surprised.
Your top 10 Windows 8 questions of 2012, answered [Year in Review]
My most popular posts this year were about Windows 8. In fact, I continue to get emails every day asking questions I've covered in posts throughout the year. This post tackles my top 10 questions, including "Is Windows 8 worth the upgrade?" and "Where can I find Windows 7 PCs?"
Google and Motorola tighten their smartphone ties
A new report says Google's wholly owned Motorola subsidiary is working on a top-secret "X phone," with a tablet not far behind. What will its Android handset partners think?
Can Best Buy's PC business survive?
Reports from the field by PC shoppers say Best Buy is doing a disastrous job of showcasing Microsoft's Surface RT tablets. And this is a surprise? The company has offered a miserable retail experience for years. How much longer can they keep this up?
FTC takes aim at data brokers
Shadowy data brokers have turned online and offline data collection into a huge unregulated business. Now the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is demanding details about how these companies work.
Gmail loses Google Sync: How Windows 8, RT, Office are affected
As part of a "winter cleaning," Google plans to drop support for its most powerful sync feature for customers of its free email services. What effect will this decision have on customers using the latest versions of Windows and Offi...
Google drops Exchange ActiveSync support for free email accounts
Google's decision to restrict support for enterprise-class syncing is the latest move in a bid to move customers to its paid products and to push free Gmail users to its mobile apps.
Everything you need to know about Windows 8 upgrades (FAQ part 2)
Upgrading to Windows 8 is a straightforward process, but the details vary depending on your starting point. This second installment of my Windows 8 upgrade FAQ covers the ins and outs of different upgrade paths.
Wall Street ratings firm casts doubt on NPD's early Windows 8 sales data
Last month, a report by NPD suggested that Windows 8 was off to a disappointing start. But a leading credit-rating agency has publicly disputed that report, with an analysis that suggests external factors, including Hurricane Sandy, strongly affected early sales.
Lenovo cleans up its incredibly messy Yoga 13 disk layout
Apparently Lenovo is listening. The default disk partitioning layout for its shape-shifting Yoga 13 steals nearly half the available space. Here's the official fix.
With Windows 8, Microsoft's playing a scene from Groundhog Day
As I read the coverage of Windows 8's initial reception, I feel like Bill Murray waking up in Punxsutawney to relive the same day over and over. We've played this scene out before. So how does it end this time?