Stuart J. Johnston

Microsoft is putting out fires over questions regarding a purported “showstopper” bug in Windows 7 that naysayers claim could push back the scheduled October 22 launch date for the new system. The discussion on the Web got so heated that the newly-named President of the Windows Division, Steven Sinofsky jumped into the fray with a […]

Will Microsoft release a version of Office for Apple’s iPhone? That was the speculation Tuesday when Microsoft’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) Mac Business Unit quietly announced it will hold a conference call on Aug. 13, but didn’t disclose the call’s topic — an uncharacteristic behavior for the group. All that’s really known so far is that Eric […]

A final piece of the puzzle meant to smooth the migration of Windows XP holdouts to Windows 7 is now available as a “Release Candidate,” or RC, Microsoft said. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) first introduced what it calls XP Mode (XPM) in April. The Windows 7 add-on provides a virtualized environment where users will be able […]

It’s not yet clear whether talks between Microsoft and the European Commission (EC) are getting closer to a resolution, but the software giant has quietly revealed that it will not ship a browserless release of Windows 7 in the European Union (EU) after all. Dave Heiner, Microsoft deputy general counsel, revealed the switch in a […]

Microsoft revealed Friday that the Windows 7 Family Pack will cost $149.99, and also unveiled pricing for the company’s Windows 7 Anytime Upgrades program. In addition, Microsoft clarified plans to reward its core of technical beta testers with a final release version of Windows 7. The Family Pack, which was announced in late July, will […]

The day after announcing a landmark search deal with Yahoo, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told a gathering of financial analysts at the company’s campus on Thursday that “nobody gets it.” So, he’s going to explain it. During his lead-off speech at Microsoft’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) annual Financial Analysts Meeting (FAM) at its corporate headquarters, Ballmer said […]

While the industry scrambles to sort out the potential impacts of Yahoo’s new partnership with Microsoft, the initial response has been generally positive, particularly for the short term. However, as in most deals that have been as contentious in the making as this one, the real hazards and detours may lurk further down the road. […]

A slide deck showing what Microsoft confirmed are prototype designs for the software maker’s first Microsoft branded retail stores leaked to tech gadget blog site Gizmodo.com late last Friday. Now, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has also confirmed where the first stores will be — and when. “We are on track to open stores in the fall […]

Microsoft today made good on plans to release patches aimed at heading off potentially nasty attacks against Internet Explorer (IE) plug-ins and other programs constructed using a technology called the Active Template Library, or ATL. Additionally, the patches are designed to fix problems that go beyond the software titan, potentially impacting third-party developers who have […]

Much of the IT world is busy preparing for Windows 7’s debut in October. But don’t look now, because Windows Vista is making something of a comeback. A new survey shows that the nearly three-year-old Vista — roundly criticized for being a sluggish, overpriced resource hog that initially had poor driver support and lack of […]

The darkness of the tunnel that has been Microsoft’s long-running antitrust battle with the European Commission (EC) may finally see a point of light at the end. While it might not have been Microsoft’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) first choice, the software giant has offered to ship releases of Windows 7 in Europe with a feature that […]

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) reported year-over-year declines in revenues for both its 2009 fiscal year and fourth quarter. While industry observers had been expecting another slide in sales, it was how much the figures were down that caught investors off guard — with both sets of numbers well below analysts’ earlier predictions. The company said it […]