windows

How popular is Vista?

Considering Vista just had its first birthday, this seemed like a good time to look at some statistics to get a feel for just how popular it is.

Microsoft issues sales figures for Vista licenses, but they have a vested interest and a corporate history that makes trusting them difficult. Market researchers come out with numbers based on surveys but the sample size is always small. That leaves usage statistics, specifically website usage.

The software that runs a web site is called a web server, the most popular programs being Apache and IIS. In addition to serving up web pages, … Read more

A free utility uninstalls apps that Add or Remove Programs can't handle

On Tuesday I reported on Microsoft Outlook 2007's unexcused absence from my Vista PC. I thought the problem might due to Outlook 2003 being installed on the same machine. When I upgraded to Office 2007, the older versions of the apps remained on my system, even though I never used them. This didn't appear to be a problem until Outlook 2007 took a hike.

My second surprise was my inability to uninstall Office 2003. Vista's Programs and Features Control Panel applet (which XP calls Add or Remove Programs) would pop up this error message: "This patch … Read more

Gartner's predictions leave plenty for Microsoft to worry about

Let's start with a disclaimer. Five-year forecasts are nearly always wrong and I have no reason to think Gartner's will be any different. Things tend to happen much faster or much slower than people initially forecast.

That said, if Gartner is even close to on point, there are plenty of trends that could be worrisome for Microsoft. First and foremost is the research firm's prediction that Apple will double its U.S. and western Europe market share by 2011.

Also of concern to folks in Redmond should be some of Gartner's other predictions. One is that … Read more

CNET Live Episode 39 - Show Notes

Paul Kocher, one of the architects of SSL, and president of Cryptography Research joined us to chat about the newest security threats.

Watch the show on CNET TV.

Things we Crave

Garmin Nuvi phone

Connect-A-Desk

First Look

Sony Alpha DSLR-A350

Guest Paul Kocher, president of Cryptography Research

Download of the Week

Notepad2.

TextPad 5.03.

Insider Secret

Optimize RAM.

Best of the Web

Netdisaster.

Your calls

Most common problems with windows Vista..

Dell XPS M1530 vs. Apple MacBook Pro.

Capture streaming videos with KeepVid.com or Video Download Helper for Firefox.

Others' views on Vista's first birthday

OK, I offered several of my own perspectives on Vista's one-year anniversary on Wednesday. Today, I want to share some other takes on the big milestone.

Todd Bishop at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer had one of the most thorough looks at the big milestone, offering an in-depth story that looks at Vista's ups and downs. There were also blogs that looked at one user's struggle with Vista, the operating system's performance, and a computer repair shop that advertises in its window: "We remove Vista."

Windows Vista magazine had a most traditional birthday celebration, devouring a … Read more

Office 2007 sales spur software market

Spurred by sales of Microsoft's Office 2007, the software market hit its highest level since 1999, according to a report released Wednesday by the NPD Group.

Overall, the U.S. non-game PC software market at retail stores totaled $3.3 billion in 2007, a 15 percent increase over the $2.9 billion generated in 2006. The rise is even more notable, as sales had been essentially flat from 2000 through 2006.

But, a whole lot of that is due to Microsoft, largely because of Office, but also because of Vista's debut. According to NPD's Chris Swenson, 80 … Read more

Microsoft doesn't recommend creating Vista 'Lite'

Frustrated with Vista's sluggishness, some people have been turning to a utility called vLite, which out components of the operating system deemed unessential.

Although the move does offer frustrated Vista users an option other than going back to XP or switching to a Mac, Microsoft said Wednesday that it doesn't endorse such changes to Vista's setup.

"Microsoft does not recommend using any tool to strip out applications from Windows Vista prior to installing it on your system, as it may affect your ability to download future Windows updates and service packs, and may cause your system … Read more

Making sense of Vista's first year

Note: This is one in a series of blogs looking at the one-year anniversary of Windows Vista's consumer launch.

While many of you enjoyed "the Mom test," clearly there are lots more ways to look at how Windows Vista is doing. Here are three measures I typically use when trying to assess the impact of Vista.

• The "downgrade" / Stick with XP movement

The downgrade movement is an indicator of how the most disgruntled users feel about Vista. Most people buying a new PC will accept Vista because that's what nearly all computers come … Read more

Exploit targets Microsoft's latest Windows patch

If you needed further proof that you should always patch Microsoft Windows when Microsoft tells you to do so, there's an exploit that will target Windows XP and Windows Vista systems lacking Microsoft's first patch of 2008.

Security firm Immunity has provided its customers a workable exploit of the TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) vulnerability. This is standard practice for subscribers to see whether their system is vulnerable to an attack. However, the presence of an exploit (even one provided under contract) increases the likelihood that someone may offer it or something like it for free … Read more