Microsoft is predicting that Office 2010 will have the fastest ever adoption than any other release of Office. I tend to agree, as Office 2010 has quite a few things to offer that previous versions did not. With the quick adoption of Windows 7, I’m sure that many are looking to the new version of Office, as well.
Microsoft has released two new security patches today, to fix a critical issue with Outlook Express and Windows Mail and the other for VBA (Visual Basic for Applications). Definitely want to grab these if you need them.
Today are releasing two security bulletins, MS10-030 and MS10-031 to address two vulnerabilities in Windows and Microsoft Office, both rated Critical. As always, we recommend that customers test and deploy both security updates as soon as possible.
There is a new virus in the wild, this time masquerading as a Windows 7 Compatibility Checker. If you get an email requesting that you download the file to see if your computer is capable of running Windows 7, do not download it. For the real Windows 7 Compatibility Tool, go to the Microsoft site.
“Find out if your PC can run Windows 7,” the e-mails read, echoing Microsoft’s Web page. “This software scans your PC for potential issues with your hardware, devices, and installed programs, and recommends what to do before you upgrade.”
Sure, Microsoft gets a lot of flak for their Internet Explorer browser (commonly refered to as Internet Exploder). They get some good press at first, then it all goes downhill as the haters find more tiny reasons to dislike the once innovative browser that knocked Netscape Navigator off the map. Well, Internet Explorer 9 is getting closer to release, and apparently has some good things to report already.
At the risk of being completely alienated by my fellow developers, who
Lifehacker has a nice power users guide to the Windows Taskbar. There are a lot of features packed into this thing that you use many times a day. Personally, I like the clock. 🙂
Before you even get started trying to tweak your taskbar, you should make sure that you understand how to use all of the features, and there might be more than you think
Microsoft has released their second platform preview of Internet Explorer 9. Check it out, and if you are a web developer, you definitely want to grab this to check compatibility. HTML5 compatibility, Faster, and better graphics all come with the IE9 preview.
I am a huge fan of the Terminator franchise, and this video really made my day. The effects are great, and the message is just awesome. 🙂 Definitely not for Apple fans, but it sure gave me a smile!
The pro-Linux guys over at Phoronix have put the recent Ubuntu 10.04 next to Windows 7 for speed tests. This should put a few arguments to rest. Sure, Linux is a great operating system, but there are some fanboys that won’t even give a single nod to Windows for anything. Glad to see some actual numbers to show that they aren’t all that much difference. I know enough, and unbiased enough to know that both operating systems have their strong points and weak points. And NO, WINE is not a solve all for Windows programs on Linux. If I wanted to use a Windows program, I’d use WINDOWS! If an operating system is a one system for all needs and usage for you, you are a fanboy. Windows, Linux, BSD, OSX, etc… My advice: Use what you want, whatever is easiest for you, and the one that gets the job done. For me, that is Windows 7. I use Mint Linux for some development uses, and I enjoy it. But, the majority of my work is done with Windows.
Well, that is part one of our Ubuntu 10.04 LTS vs. Windows 7 testing. As much as we would have liked to see Ubuntu’s Lucid Lynx handily beat Windows 7, this was not the case, but to some extent the opposite. Windows 7 in some of the tests possessed definitive leads over Ubuntu 10.04 LTS with the OpenGL performance when using the proprietary ATI/AMD and NVIDIA graphics drivers, which have largely shared code-bases between Windows and Linux. Ubuntu 10.04 LTS also had its leads in some areas while in many of the tests the differences between the two operating systems were insignificant.
The unannounced tablet from Microsoft, the Courier, has now been rumored to be dead. It would have been an awesome product if it saw the light of day, but they must have something better in the works to scrap it. Right? Dead before it was even announced. RIP, Courier.
As well as the complex UI, the hardware itself was desirable. The renders of what Courier hardware might have looked like showed a leather-bound book-like design. It looked expensive and attractive, with clean lines, two 7-inch screens, and a camera. The book design clearly has practical implications
Get ready for Netbooks to gain a boost in speed. Intel is ready to launch it’s new Ultra Low Voltage Core i5 and MSI is ready to put them in their X-Slim netbooks (or Ultra Slim Notebook, as they call them). This is going to be a nice speed upgrade. Although, with the other limitations, I doubt it really needs it. You’re not going to be doing a lot of CPU intensive work on a tiny netbook.
Well, it looks like Intel will finally be delivering that ultra low voltage Core i5 chip this summer. Though it was revealed back at CES, MSI’s saying the Core i5 520UM CPU will be ready by June, and that it’ll be subbing the 1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 CPU and ATI discrete graphics in its X-Slim Series for the more electrically efficient processor.
