Guess Who's Taking On the Apple Store?

Laptop-browsing spot may be boosting Microsoft's 'value perception'

(NEWSER) - Apple demanded Microsoft ditch TV ads featuring shoppers mulling the relative value of PCs and Macs, CNET reports. In the ads, which Microsoft’s chief operating officer calls “completely unscripted,” shoppers get to keep money they save by choosing a PC over a Mac. “We got a call from the Apple legal department,” Kevin Turner told conference attendees this week, “saying, ‘Hey, you need to stop running those ads, we lowered our prices.’” More»

Operating system needs a fresh start

(NEWSER) - The window on Microsoft’s operating system agility has closed, and to fix it, Randall Stross argues in the New York Times, the tech giant needs to start from scratch. Windows “has become an obese monolith built on an ancient frame,” Stross says, and it “seems to move an inch for every time that Mac OS X or Linux laps it.” More»

(NEWSER) - Windows and Safari mix like virus-vulnerable oil and water, Microsoft warns, and Windows users should stop surfing with Apple’s web browser until the security holes have been patched. The “blended threat” combines a bug in Safari that downloads files to the desktop automatically and a vulnerability in how Windows XP and Windows Vista handle executable files there. More»

23% gains in first quarter; new PC sales drive gains

(NEWSER) - Microsoft yesterday reported a 23% leap in net income and its best revenue growth since the dot-com boom, making it an isolated winner in a tumbling market. The announcement drove up the company's shares 10% in after-hours trading. The sales of new PCs with Windows installed helped drive the gains, especially in developing countries creating large new markets for computers. More»

Jobs sees chance to grab larger share of browser market

(NEWSER) - Apple will venture into Microsoft's turf again, this time making a version of its web browser Safari compatible with Windows. Microsoft's Internet Explorer commands 78% of the browser market compared to Safari's 5%, reports the Wall Street Journal, but Apple's interest in expanding its share is only part of the story: The iPhone, scheduled for release June 29, uses Safari. More»