TameBear: Microsoft Watch
Keeping an eye on monopoly power in the software industry. A TameBear weblog.
- Last build:
- Tue, 15 May 2007 11:28:46 GMT
- Language:
- en-us
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- http://www.wisdomroad.com/tamebear/categories/microsoftWatch/rss.xml
RSS FEED IDEMS: TameBear: Microsoft Watch
Vulnerabilities Don't Equal Attacks: Security pros say Apple's Mac OS X is not a high-risk operating system and is more secure than Microsoft's Windows XP. [Information Week via MyAppleMenu]
Tue, 15 May 2007 11:25:49 GMT
Apple of Our Eye - Macs Save Money: According to this viewpoint, there's been a distinct sea change in the way people think about Apple Inc. in the last few weeks. People have been saying the strangest things about Apple and Macintosh computers; everything is topsy-turvy. Pundits aren't trotting out the old conventional wisdoms any more. They're saying odd stuff, like Macs are good for business; Macs can save money; and that Apple's stock -- at $90 a share -- is a bargain. As a long-time Mac user, The Bear was convinced many years ago of the benefits of Macintosh computers -- especially regarding price. You see, my time is valuable. Therefore when I pay a bit more for a Mac (and mind you it's never been a lot more), the time I save in wasted days not spent in useless troubleshooting has always been a huge benefit. Macs just work, period. My current laptop has been in service for over six years, and it just works. And as for Apple's stock price, well, as an Apple shareholder I can tell you the increase in share price over the past several years has more than paid for all the Apple toys I care to buy. [Wired News]
Mon, 26 Mar 2007 11:00:19 GMT
Apple and Microsoft Users Differ in Age and Outlook: A new report by internet metrics firm Hitwise sharply contradicts an earlier market research survey from MetaFacts regarding the demographics of the two titan's customer base... "The majority of traffic to the Apple web site came from users under 45, while the majority of traffic to the Microsoft web site came from users over 35." And 22% of Microsoft traffic is in the 55-and-over age bracket. Microsoft's new Vista ad personality is 73-year-old actor Tom Skerrit. "It's tempting to say that Microsoft is promoting Vista with the tagline 'The Wow Starts Now' because most of its customers don't have much time left." [Information Week]
Fri, 23 Mar 2007 11:46:00 GMT
Microsoft's OneCare Antivirus Fails Test: Microsoft's Windows Live OneCare security suite has been rated at the bottom of the league in the latest industry antivirus tests. [CNET News]
Fri, 09 Mar 2007 12:01:38 GMT
Time To Get A Mac: When the Windows diehards like Chris Pirillo all begin "upgrading" from Windows Vista to Windows XP, the writing is on the wall. Thomas Hawk advises all his Windows power users to make the switch, and admits that he "should have done it years ago". Now a satisfied Mac user, Hawk has no regrets. [Digital Connection via MyAppleMenu]
Wed, 28 Feb 2007 11:48:10 GMT
75 Percent of Vista Reviewers Compare Mac OS X: Sample quotes from a dozen different reviews demonstrate how favorable comparisons with the more mature Mac OS X operating system are irresistable. More reviewers are acknowleging features of Vista have been in Mac OS X for years. [Ars Technica via MyAppleMenu]
Tue, 20 Feb 2007 11:44:05 GMT
Windows Defections: Scott Lowe speculates about why, when Vista is now available, the Windows power users -- experts who have championed the Windows platform for years --are switching to Mac OS X. [Scott Lowe via MyAppleMenu]
Tue, 20 Feb 2007 11:30:59 GMT
Why Vista's DRM is Bad: Computer security expert Bruce Schneier explains why Microsoft pandering to the entertainment industry has made their new Vista operating system less secure. "Windows Vista includes an array of 'features' that you don't want. These features will make your computer less reliable and less secure. They'll make your computer less stable and run slower. They will cause technical support problems. They may even require you to upgrade some of your peripheral hardware and existing software. And these features won't do anything useful. In fact, they're working against you." [Forbes Magazine via Futurismic]
Thu, 15 Feb 2007 10:34:40 GMT
Uninspiring Vista: From the highly astute MIT Technology Review comes this story about how Microsoft's long-awaited operating system disappointed a stubborn fan. [MIT Technology Review via MyAppleMenu]
Mon, 05 Feb 2007 12:27:00 GMT
Jim Allchin to Microsoft: I Would Buy a Mac Today: The top Operating Systems exec at Microsoft retired a week ago, the day after Windows Vista was officially launched. Presumably now he can buy a Mac. An email Allchin addressed to his bosses Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer nearly three years ago suggests Windows users have a better option in Apple Macintosh computers, because "in my view we lost our way." Read the whole email (PDF) for insight into a very troubled Microsoft. [MyAppleMenu]
Mon, 05 Feb 2007 12:13:03 GMT
How Soon are You Moving to Vista?: The results of a Cnet poll of over 13,000 readers provides this telling statistic... slightly more than half of the respondents indicate they are "Sticking with the Mac -- or moving there soon". [Cnet Polls]
Fri, 02 Feb 2007 12:05:25 GMT
Yawn... After Five Years of Development, a Windows Vista Launch: In spite of the Microsoft spin and fanfare, customers were not pounding down the doors to get their hands on the latest Windows operating system. After years of delays and feature cuts, the new OS is now available. Do you care? [KOLO TV News]
Fri, 02 Feb 2007 11:44:27 GMT
Mac Hack Demo Rigged: All laptop owners were put on notice recently when presenters at the Black Hat security conference used a new MacBook Pro to demo a WiFi-related vulnerability. The presenters said the vulnerability was present on Windows OS computers, but that they demonstrated it on a Mac because of the broad perception that "Macs are more secure." Well, Mac users get the last laugh this time, as the presenters are now admitting they modified the MacBook Pro prior to the demo because the driver the computer comes with isn't actually vulnerable to the attack. [VAR Business via Techdirt]
Sat, 19 Aug 2006 10:25:56 GMT
Homeland Security Warns of Windows Vulnerability: This week the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) took notice when Microsoft released this month's batch of "Patch Tuesday" security patches for a variety of it's OS and applications products, including Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003. The DHS "warned Wednesday that the Microsoft Windows Server flaw could put the nation's critical infrastructure at risk." [Tech News World via Google News]
Fri, 11 Aug 2006 21:19:38 GMT
Apple Thrashes Dell on Mac Pro Pricing: Apple is clearly bent on busting the long-standing myth that Macs cost more than Windows boxes. A well-reasoned price shopping comparison conducted just days after the release of the new high-end Intel-based Mac Pro demonstrates how some configurations can save buyers as much as $462 over an equivalent Windows system from Dell. (And while the Mac can also run the Windows OS and any Windows apps, the Dell will never be able to run Mac OS X!) [The Inquirer via Insanely Great]
Fri, 11 Aug 2006 18:31:08 GMT
