Tag: RT

Microsoft software is unsafe again

Posted on November 10, 2014 by - News, Products

Stained Glass - picture Mike MageeExpect a slew of critical updates to Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft software this week.

The company last week warned that much of its software needed patches to be safe and sound.  Many will need you to restart your machine or machines.

At the same time Microsoft will release an upgrade to its Malicious Software removal tool, its update services and the download centre.

Affected software includes Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows 8 and 8.1, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows RT and Windows RT 8.1, Windows Technical Preview and Windows Server Technical Preview.

Microsoft doesn’t support Windows XP anymore so you are on your own unless like the NHS or people that use point of sale (POS) embedded software you have additional security built in. You can find the whole sorry tale at the Microsoft site, here.

Microsoft’s Ballmer cries into his beer

Posted on July 29, 2013 by - News

steve_ballmer Microsoft’s delightfully understated CEO has admitted that everything he has done over the last year has been a cock-up.

According to the Verge, Steve “there’s a kind of hush” Ballmer has publicly admitted that Microsoft  built too many Surface RT tablets, and it’s not selling as many Windows devices as he wants.

The confession came during an internal town hall event last week when Ballmer and COO Kevin Turner both addressed the recent $900 million hit for Surface RT and the sales pace of Windows across various devices.

Ballmer tried to cheer himself up by talking about getting Instagram for Windows Phone, and its plans for the next-generation Surface.

He said that Microsoft had built a few more Surface RT tablets than it could sell.  Either that or they had shipped at a price which was so expensive no reseller could get them off the shelves.

Recently Ballmer cut the price of its Surface RT tablets by 30 percent saying that the price adjustment was necessary to sell Surface RT devices.

Ballmer confirmed new devices are currently being tested with incremental improvements.

But Ballmer was even more gloomy when it came to the performance of Windows 8 which shipped as it Microsoft was trying to flog Android instead of its flagship decktop,

He said that Vole was not selling as many Windows devices as it  wanted  and a lack of devices in retail stores hasn’t helped Windows 8’s initial prospects.

Ballmer said that Microsoft was focusing on the back to school period and the holiday season to ensure Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 devices are available.