The European Union’s antitrust agency may force Microsoft to include rival Internet browsers in Windows as soon as they install the operating system, according to a regulatory filing submitted last week by the U.S. software developer, which ruled that in principle at least, the firm gives an unfair advantage to its own Internet Explorer, the default browser in Windows. Microsoft has until late March to contest the ruling and ask for a formal hearing.

Read the rest of this entry »

Microsoft has launched the release candidate of Internet Explorer 8, the first update to the browser since August 2008. The build, dubbed IE8 Release Candidate 1 (IE8 RC1), runs on Windows XP, Vista, Server 2003 and Server 2008, but not on Windows 7 Beta.

Jane Maliouta, Microsoft IE program manager, said on the IE Blog: “If you are running Windows 7 Beta, you will not be able to install IE8 RC1. You will get an error message saying that your operating system is not supported since IE8 already ships in Windows 7. The IE8 RC1 available from the Microsoft Download Center is a standalone upgrade for Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2008 and Window Server 2003 only.”.

Read the rest of this entry »

Microsoft has announced on the Windows Team Blog that they are extending Windows 7 Beta public availability, with downloads being available until February 10. Customers who have started but not completed the download process will be able to do so through to February 12th.

Read the rest of this entry »

Following my previous blog post Microsoft has now restarted its roll-out of the Windows 7 beta 1, 24 hours after it aborted the launch when heavy demand overwhelmed its servers.

Microsoft said that the primary beta download site, an off-shoot of the Windows section Microsoft.com, was now “up and working.”

Users can begin the beta download by heading to this page on the Windows 7 Web Site, then selecting the 32- or 64-bit version, and the desired language. Prior to the download Microsoft will offer users beta activation keys.

.

Microsoft released the Windows 7 Beta1 to TechNet Plus and MSDN subscribers on 7 January 2009, following the opening keynote address of Microsoft’s Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer at the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2009) in Las Vegas.

On the 9 January Microsoft released Windows 7 Beta 1 for download to the general public, users rushed in mass to download this, the huge influx of traffic downed the Windows-dedicated area on Microsoft.com. Microsoft attempted to add additional servers to its infrastructure to cope with the load but without success forcing the public availability to be suspended by the end of the day to an undisclosed date.

Read the rest of this entry »

Forget the leaked copies of the Windows 7 build, Microsoft head Steve Ballmer has announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that the beta1of Windows 7 will is now available for download

The first beta version of the successor to the Windows client operating system, Windows Vista is immediately available as a downloadable disk image to MSDN and TechNet subscribers from here, while the general public will get to test drive the new operating system from Friday 9 January 2009 via the official Windows 7 website.

Read the rest of this entry »

According to TechARP.com, a Malaysian Web site that correctly named the release-to-manufacturing (RTM) dates for several Windows editions last year, Microsoft will unveil a program for Windows 7 offering free or discounted Windows 7 upgrades to users who buy a new computer with Windows Visa after 1 July 2009,.

Read the rest of this entry »