Get Over XP 'Worship'

Problems could prompt many to hold out for big '09 upgrade

(NEWSER) - It has been almost a year since Windows Vista was released to businesses, but a spate of hardware compatibility issues has many still waiting to upgrade until the release of the first service pack, scheduled for early next year. With the next version of Windows due in late 2009, PC World thinks many companies may skip upgrading to Vista altogether. More»

Move from XP may require external hard drive, patience

(NEWSER) - The latest Windows incarnation beats Vista and XP, but don’t expect a smooth transition: upgrading from XP to Windows 7 is an ordeal, writes Walt Mossberg in the Wall Street Journal. “In fact, the process will be so painful that, for many XP users, the easiest solution may be to buy a new PC preloaded with Windows 7,” Mossberg notes. More»

Fast-booting Chrome may push Vista out of the market

(NEWSER) - Google has doubled down in its battle with Microsoft. The search giant announced it is bringing out an open-source operating system, named Google Chrome OS, that looks to go head-to-head with long-dominant Windows. Chrome OS is Google's biggest push yet onto traditional Microsoft turf, reports the Financial Times, following free web-based applications, mobile phone platforms, and email. More»

'New' Microsoft OS is major improvement, say critics

(NEWSER) - Microsoft is rolling out a successor to Vista, its universally reviled operating system, with Windows 7 now available in a relatively bug-free beta download. Early users report that the new edition is a marked improvement. David Pogue, in the New York Times, says Windows 7 ends “a big part of the Vista misery,” and Walt Mossberg, in the Wall Street Journal, claims it “leaves Vista in the dust.” More»

(NEWSER) - Microsoft offered an early look today of its new operating system, designed to smooth out the kinks of the much-maligned Vista. The company gave programmers test software of Windows 7, which CEO Steve Ballmer is pushing to release next year, CNET reports. Those with an early look have generally praised the stability of the new system, designed to be faster, smarter, and less of a memory hog, and to have fewer annoying glitches such as dialog boxes with dire warnings. More»