Posts Tagged ‘Microsoft’
Hands On with Windows 7’s XP Mode
April 30th, 2009
The Windows 7 Release Candidate ships with a feature called Windows XP Mode (XPM) that has left longtime Windows users excited. XPM is designed to let users continue to run older XP-compatible applications, mostly special-purpose business programs, that won’t run smoothly (or won’t run at all) with Vista or Windows 7.
XPM sounds like the feature that finally kills off XP by persuading XP users to switch to Windows 7 without fear of incompatibilities.
In reality, the beta of XPM is a mixed bag of clever programming, appalling kludges, missed opportunities, and challenges to the ingenuity of even the most experienced Windows user. To be fair, however, this is indeed a beta, and we would hope quite a lot will change between now and the final release.
Microsoft Gains an Ally in Its Antitrust Battle in Europe
April 20th, 2009
Microsoft gained a familiar ally in its latest antitrust battle with the European Commission on Monday when the Association for Competitive Technology (ACT) was accepted as an interested third party in the case.
The software giant has a little more time to muster further supporters: Last week, the Commission granted Microsoft more time to respond to the formal statement of objections it issued in January, after already giving it a two-week extension. The new deadline is April 28.
ACT stood by Microsoft in an earlier case antitrust case that resulted in Microsoft being found guilty of monopoly abuse in 2004. It made passionate interventions during hearings with the European Commission, and during the appeals process at the Court of First Instance in Luxembourg, which Microsoft also lost.
