PC vs. Mac

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 »

Apple chief Steve Jobs will unveil the second generation iPhone today, ending the frantic guessing game about the company's new key product. The future of Apple and its ability to regenerate sales of its computers may depend on how the public responds to the new iPhone, reports the Los Angeles Times . The new version is expected to be cheaper and smaller than the old one, the Guardian reports. More »

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 »

The exclusive club of Mac devotees is quietly expanding from students and artists to the corporate world, BusinessWeek reports. And the change is fueled by workers, not sales calls: In fact, nearly nine in 10 recently surveyed companies admitted that Mac-loving workers are influencing computer buys. And it's contributing to a predicted 33% growth in Apple's second quarter revenue. More »

Microsoft may get nasty now that its deadline for a friendly Yahoo purchase expired yesterday. Talks died quietly after Microsoft refused to up its offer from $29.68 a share on Friday; Yahoo execs wanted $35. Microsoft could now press Yahoo, tack back the offer, or deal directly with Yahoo shareholders, the Wall Street Journal reports. More »

Microsoft's first quarter saw flat sales and dipping profits, all the more reason to make nice with Yahoo, Aaron Ricadela writes in BusinessWeek. Steve Ballmer has said he is ready to walk away from the attempted takeover, but with most of Microsoft's revenue coming from smaller divisions and overseas interests, his company sorely needs a big shot in the arm. More »

Microsoft's profits fell 11% in the third quarter amid concern that corporate clients are cutting back during the economic downturn, Bloomberg reports. The software giant reported net income of $4.39 billion, or 47 cents a share, down from $4.93 billion a year ago. The company's revenue remained flat at $14.5 billion, in line with estimates but disappointing investors, Bloomberg notes. Shares fell 4.5%. More »

Apple's profit surged 36% in its second quarter, beating analysts' estimates thanks to strong sales of laptops, Bloomberg reports. The company earned $1.05 billion, or $1.16 a share; analysts expected $1.06 a share. Revenue grew 43%, to $7.5 billion, despite the sluggish economy. The company sold 2.29 million Macs, with strong sales in particular of its new ultra-thin Air notebook. More »

Microsoft is going to keep Windows XP on the market—but only for a few users and not for the sake of those unsatisfied with its successor, Vista. The company will stick to its June 30 deadline for withdrawing XP from stores but will supply the older operating system for at least two years on low-cost computers such as the Asus Eee PC and Intel Classmate, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. More »

Take Apple’s iPod Touch, give it a little more innovative juice, and you get the next big thing in handhelds, blurring the line between consumer electronics and computers, writes Arik Hesseldahl in BusinessWeek . The Touch, now considered the “flagship” iPod, can already run the major media formats—music, movies, etc.—and access Wi-Fi. With a few changes, it could become a full-fledged computer in your pocket. More »

Many Windows Vista users have struggled to make the operating system work with their hardware, and emails released this week reveal that even Microsoft bosses had a tough time, PC World reports. The emails have been made public as part of a lawsuit that claims Microsoft deliberately misled consumers by slapping "Vista Capable" stickers on machines that weren't capable of running many of the system's important features. More »

Accessing encrypted data can be as simple as chilling a computer memory chip, according to a Princeton research group. The researchers were able to break through encryption in Windows, Macintosh, and Linux operating systems, reports the New York Times , calling into question the security methods that companies, government agencies, and individuals use to protect data. More »

Vista’s first major service pack may do more harm than good. Microsoft is warning that its upcoming update may disable various third party programs, particularly virus protection and security software, which accounted for half of the dozen programs Microsoft listed as victims. Microsoft said that list wasn’t comprehensive, and told users to contact the software developers, not Microsoft, with any problems. More »

Under pressure from strong competition, especially in the cellphone business, Microsoft revealed a major executive shakeup yesterday, reports the New York Times . Mobile communications operations senior VP Pieter Knook is heading off to help Vodafone get into mobile Internet services, according to the Wall Street Journal. Another big departure is Steve Berkowitz, online services senior VP. More »

Microsoft is poised to buy Danger, the maker of the T-Mobile Sidekick, in a move that follows on the heels of Yahoo's rebuff of the software behemoth's $44 billion buyout offer. Microsoft hasn't said how much it's forking over, but called Danger the "perfect complement to our existing software and services," CNET reports. Danger's founder now runs the Android mobile project for Microsoft competitor Google. More »

Sony Ericsson will join most of the world’s other top cell phone makers in offering a smartphone based on the Windows Mobile operating system, leaving only industry leader Nokia without a Windows Mobile version. The first of the company’s new phones, called the “Xperia X1,” will be on sale by the end of the year, reports Reuters. More »

Microsoft is facing vocal opposition to its decision to stop selling the Windows XP operating system June 30, 13 months after the launch of Windows Vista, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Vista has sold well, aided by its default inclusion with new PCs, but users have complained of compatibility troubles. Some have returned to XP or are holding out for Microsoft’s next OS. More »

Apple's Mac OS X operating system grabbed a record 7.57% of market share in January, up 21.7% from the year before, Fortune 's Apple 2.0 blog reports. The computer company’s share grew 3.56% over the course of December, while rival Microsoft Windows faced a .36% loss—though it still holds a wide berth over Apple, with 91.46% of the market. More »

Apple has been around for almost a quarter of a century, but not all of its products were as ingenious as the iPod. Wired highlights the company's biggest flops. The MessagePad (AKA The Newton): Fashioned to revolutionize personal computing, this PDA was too far ahead of its time for consumers. Apple Pippin: Apple's only foray into the world of video game systems got buried by Nintendo, Sega, and Sony. More »

Microsoft topped estimates today, revealing a 79% jump in quarterly profits over the same period last year—and raising targets for the year. On Xbox 360 and Windows sales, the world's largest software maker boasted net income of $4.71 billion for the period ending December 31, up from the previous year’s $2.63 billion. Sales rose 30% to $16.4 billion, Bloomberg reports. More »