Articles about Microsoft

If you’re still undecided whether Windows 10 is for you or not, or you just want to find out a bit more about the forthcoming OS, Microsoft has a new video designed to walk you through the changes and new features.

The video is presented by Mohammed Samji of the Windows Team, and it’s about as laid back as you can imagine. Samji, dressed in pastel colors, talks in the sort of tone you tend to hear in apps designed to help insomniacs get to sleep, while a similarly relaxing tune burbles along in the background. Is Samji explaining Windows 10’s key principles, or attempting to hypnotize the viewers? Watch the video and decide for yourself.

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So I’ve already listed reasons why people should switch to Windows 10, but here I am telling you why you shouldn’t. Contradictory, right? Except, not really. I will be upgrading to Windows 10 on July 29, because it’s my job to be running the latest version of Windows.

If it wasn’t I don’t know if I would be making the switch. at least not immediately. Windows 10 is a good OS, in my opinion. It’s much better than Windows 8.x, and the price (free!) is certainly attractive. But if you’re on the fence about making the upgrade, my honest advice is to stay there a while longer. Here are 10 reasons to wait.

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We're just 24 hours away from the launch of Windows 10 (actually, we don’t yet know what time the operating system will be unleashed tomorrow). If the stream of videos coming out the Microsoft camp hasn't whetted your appetite, maybe the new Windows 10 portal will do the job.

Microsoft has launched a new site encouraging people to #UpgradeYourWorld and providing everything a would-be upgrader might want to know about Windows 10. For Microsoft, this is much more than just another software launch; the company is pinning a great deal on the success of Windows 10, and the marketing machine is now going into overdrive.

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They say Americans are living longer nowadays, but dang, I am not sure how long that can last. Everywhere I look, I see more overweight people -- myself included. As Americans eat more junk food and spend more time on their butts, heart disease and diabetes are on the rise, cutting the lifespans of many. Reaching 100 years old is becoming much harder to achieve.

Recently, however, a woman named Amor Macias (aka "Mama Moy") did just that -- she celebrated her 100th Birthday! Unfortunately, some of the family was unable to participate in the festivities -- not in person, at least. Instead, the family used Skype to communicate with the non-present family members with great results.

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There has been so much information available about Windows 10, it would be easy to think that you know everything there is to know... and the operating system hasn’t even launched yet! Over the past few months, in addition to the official releases, there have been a number of build leaks to whet our appetites.

With just two days to go until launch, the latest leak is a quick-start guide that tells you everything you need to know about Windows 10. There might not be much that Windows Insiders don’t already know, but for everyone else, the guide serves as a great introduction to the most recent version of Windows.

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Windows 10 is now so close you can smell it. With so many having been more than a little disappointed with Windows 8, Microsoft has to do a lot to convince those that stuck with Windows 7 to make the jump to Windows 10. The latest video Microsoft has released to give the operating system a final push before launch focuses on Continuum.

We've already seen how there are old favorites such as apps, security, and gaming in Windows 10, but people also need new features. Having learned about the likes of Windows Hello, now we are shown how Windows 10's mode-switching Continuum feature could help us.

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Microsoft is good at making software and it should stick to it, analysts say, adding that exiting the hardware business could see the company’s share soar.

According to a recently published report by Reuters, Microsoft’s hardware division, comprising of mostly Xbox and Surface tablets, is showing great sales. However, they contribute less than a 10th of the company’s revenue and they’re barely profitable.

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Microsoft has been listing the top reasons why you should upgrade to Windows 10, with familiarity cited as one of the main selling points, Cortana’s inclusion is another.

Maybe it’s just me (but I expect it isn’t), but I don’t think those are really the best reasons why anyone should switch to the new OS. So I figured I would come up with a list of reasons that genuinely do make the case for upgrading to Windows 10.

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One of the more controversial features of Windows 10 is the automatic, mandatory installation of updates. With launch day now just hours away a problem with NVidia drivers has highlighted just why automatic updates have proved so controversial.

Microsoft has previously said that home users will have no choice but to let Windows 10 take care of updates for them. For those concerned about this, the company has a special tool that can be used to block specific updates to Windows and drivers.

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From the slew of videos flying out the Microsoft stables over the last week, it's clear that Windows 10 is trying to be all things to all people. The ads we've seen so far have promoted security, Windows Hello, Microsoft Edge, and yet another video has been released today that extols the virtues of the built-in apps.

What's different about this video is that it doesn't really focus on anything that's particularly new and exciting. Many of the Windows apps that are features are not new, so this is clearly a video aimed at those who skipped Windows 8 and stuck with Windows 7 or XP. But it's a good opportunity to take a look at the Photos, Maps, Mail and Calendar, Groove, and Movies & TV apps.

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One of the features that has been removed from Windows 10 -- at least for home users -- is the ability to pick and choose when updates are installed. Microsoft has taken Windows Update out of the hands of users so the process is, for the most part, completely automated.

In theory, this sounds great -- no more worrying about having the latest patches installed, no more concerns that a machine that hasn’t been updated will cause problems for others -- but an issue with NVidia drivers shows that there is potential for things to go wrong. Irate owners of NVidia graphics cards have taken to support forums to complain that automatically-installed drivers have broken their computers.

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Microsoft has talked about a lot of the new features of Windows 10, but something that has only really been mentioned in passing is Windows Hello. A couple of weeks ago we showed you a video of the security feature in action and now a new animated ad has been unearthed that shows the benefits the security feature brings.

Unlike the other videos we've shared in recent days, this video is not one that Microsoft has officially released -- not yet at least. If you're still in the dark about Windows Hello, check it out to find out more.

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If you haven't yet upgraded to build 10240 of Windows 10, now is the time to do so. Anyone sticking with an earlier build of the preview will no longer be able to use the Windows Store, and this in turn means they will not be able to update any of the apps they have installed.

Microsoft has been busy promoting Windows 10 this week, providing a number of reasons for people to upgrade from Windows 7 and Windows 8 after July 29, but even before this date the company is keen to move people away from older builds.

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If you're looking for a reason to upgrade to Windows 10 next week -- or whenever the upgrade appears for you -- how about the fact that it is the most secure version of Windows ever released? This is the angle Microsoft takes in its most recent video promoting the up-coming operating system.

We've already been treated to a series of videos showcasing some of the highlights of Windows 10. From gaming to multi-tasking, Microsoft has come out with all guns blazing as it prepares to push its latest baby out of the door. Will security enhancements swing it for you?

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It's not that we're (necessarily) lazy, but technology entices us all to find quicker ways of doing things. The internet is something of a behemoth and there are plenty of tools out there that aim to tame it -- one of which is automation service IFTTT.

Harnessing the power of apps, devices, and the cloud, IFTTT has just unveiled five open source projects. Now available on GitHub, the projects can be used by anyone to integrate IFTTT automation in their apps and services.

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