Windows Vista Lounge

Microsoft Corp. has announced the next version of its Windows operating system will include a control panel that allows users to turn off Internet Explorer (IE) 8 and other key Microsoft programs.

The new feature is a significant move for the world’s largest software company, which has been accused by rivals and regulators of forcing consumers to use its software and stifling competition.

Indeed, the announcement comes less than two months after the European Commission sent Microsoft a Statement of Objections that accused the company of unfairly bundling Internet Explorer to its Windows operating system, which is used in 95 percent of the world’s personal computers. The company has also fallen under the scrutiny of U.S. antitrust regulators in recent years for bundling key programs with its operating system.

Microsoft’s move to de-bundle IE and other programs is part of the company’s plan to prevent European antitrust regulators from derailing an important software launch.

“In addition to the features that were already available to turn on or off in Windows Vista, we’ve added the following features to the list in Windows 7,” Microsoft program manager Jack Mayo wrote Friday in a post on the company’s engineering blog, listing IE 8, Windows Media Player and a variety of other Microsoft programs.

Although Windows 7, the successor to the much-criticized Vista, isn’t due out until next year, more than a million people are already testing early versions of the software.

The new operating system will make it easier for users to remove any traces of IE, although the software will remain installed on the computer.

In a gesture of protest to Microsoft’s dominance in the Web browser market, Google Inc. joined the Mozilla foundation and Norway’s Opera last month, both of which make competitive browsers.

Original Article: http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1650747/windows_to_allow_users_to_switch_off_ie/

Move over Jetson’s, Microsoft is hinting at what the future will be like with it’s impressive array of integrated technologies. Everything from smart paper to multi touch wall displays.

Some of this technology has been featured in movies where technology was a dominant part of the script: James Bond, Ironman, Minority Report, The Island and many more.

But making it work for a few seconds in a movie is one task, usability on a daily basis is another. We’re still discovering the pitfalls of cell based phone coverage while this stuff comes rushing toward us with far more complexity than a dropped call. But that’s what makes it interesting.

The video below is very impressive and says a lot more about “what” is coming, without going in to how, or most importantly…how much! But then again, it doesn’t matter. People will always find a way to pay for uber sexy technology.

Although most of the attention these days is focused on where things are with Windows 7, Microsoft is getting closer to releasing the next update for Windows Vista.

On Wednesday, Microsoft offered some technical testers a near-final “release candidate” version of the Windows Vista Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2. The company did not say when that version might be made publicly available.

“We continuously engage with our partners and testers on the development of service packs and we will track customer and partner feedback from the beta program before setting a final date for distribution,” Microsoft said in a statement. “We will have more to share on Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 SP2 soon and are targeting final delivery in (the second quarter of) 2009.”

The release of the updated SP2 test version was noted earlier on Thursday by Ars Technica. Microsoft has been working toward the release candidate version for some time now, after issuing a public beta of the update in December.

Meanwhile, Windows 7 is also moving toward the release candidate stage, with some sites noting that recent builds also contain the release candidate nomenclature, although Microsoft often labels its builds based on the version it is working toward.

By Ina Fried

Original Article: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10167618-56.html

Windows Vista editors’ software reviews

Windows Vista Home Basic

Very good
7.0
out of 10

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