No more trawling the web for the latest media codecs. Windows 7 comes ready to play all your favourite "downloaded" videos.
Windows 7 surprise: DivX built in
Windows 7 surprise: DivX built in
Microsoft chief software architect Ray Ozzie is leading a risky but unavoidable Manhattan Project effort to build a planetary scale cloud computing platform.
Microsoft's Manhattan Project
Microsoft's Manhattan Project
Microsoft this week launched its cloud computing environment, Windows Azure, which is the foundation of the Azure Services Platform for developing applications extending from the cloud to PCs, datacenters, phones, and the Web. Microsoft's goal is to let Windows developers transition from Windows client development to Windows cloud development, using familiar tools, both those from Microsoft and other sources such as Eclipse. Developers would continue to develop apps on their desktops, but the Azure platform would handle the app deployment in the cloud.
The inside view of Microsoft's cloud strategy
The inside view of Microsoft's cloud strategy
Microsoft is putting the Windows client OS on a diet as a way to bring the PC OS into the age of cloud computing.Windows 7, Vista's follow-up, already will be a thinner, more streamlined OS, replacing some of the software Microsoft previously included with the OS with Web-based Windows Live Services. And if comments made by Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie at Microsoft's Professional Developers Conference (PDC) this week are any indication, Windows will slim down even further in the future, returning to the original intent of an OS -- a way to optimize the hardware it runs on -- instead of being a bloated piece of software whose performance and value rely on compatibility with installed applications.
Microsoft points to slimmer future for Windows client
Microsoft points to slimmer future for Windows client
Thousands of enthusiasts around the world are downloading the version from BitTorrent sites like The Pirate Bay and Mininova. And they're not shy about offering their opinions.
Windows 7 pre-beta hits BitTorrent
Windows 7 pre-beta hits BitTorrent
Long Zeng published screenshots of glass, basic, and classic themes in Windows 7
Neowin published an introduction to the Windows 7 UI
Microsoft published a preview of the upcoming new Windows version
Software maker says enterprise and consumer demand both remain "relatively healthy," but it says it's keeping a close eye on expenses.
Microsoft earnings beat estimates, outlook lower
Microsoft earnings beat estimates, outlook lower
Microsoft said via a company blog Wednesday that Service Pack 2 (SP2) of Office 2007 will ship between February and April of next year. The software maker had already said that SP2 will introduce support for the Open Document Format (ODF) used by Office's chief competitor, OpenOffice.org, the Portable Document Format (PDF) created by Adobe Systems, and its own XML Paper Specification (XPS) that is meant to compete with PDF.
Office 2007 Service Pack 2 due in spring '09
Office 2007 Service Pack 2 due in spring '09
The I started something blog reports that Windows 7 is scheduled to be released to manufacturing most likely in late October 2009.
Microsoft has released Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Feature Pack, October 2008
Although Windows 7 was also the product's code name, the forthcoming version of Windows is not Microsoft's seventh iteration, and it won't carry the version number 7.0.
Windows 7 equals some strange math
Windows 7 equals some strange math
Microsoft plans to add voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), collaboration, and Web presence enhancements to the next version of its unified communications software, which is due out in early February 2009.
Microsoft to release OCS 2007 update in February
Microsoft to release OCS 2007 update in February
Microsoft's Mike Nash has announced that Microsoft will officially call the next version of Windows, Windows 7.
Microsoft has released Microsoft Expression Blend 2 Service Pack 1
Microsoft's Silverlight 2 browser plug-in technology for rich Internet applications will be generally available on Tuesday along with supportive development tools, the company said during a teleconference on Monday morning.
RMicrosoft set to release Silverlight 2
RMicrosoft set to release Silverlight 2
Long Zheng reports that the WinHEC 2008 agenda confirms native VHD support
Microsoft plans to improve the much-maligned UAC (user account control) feature in the next version of its Windows client OS, acknowledging that the new security feature it built into Windows Vista has caused unnecessary problems for users.
RMicrosoft to improve Vista's problematic UAC in Windows 7
RMicrosoft to improve Vista's problematic UAC in Windows 7
WinFuture published 34 screenshots of the latest Windows 7 build
Windows 7 Build 6.1.6801 Screenshots
Windows 7 Build 6.1.6801 Screenshots
