boot13Today is the last day you can buy Windows 8 for a reasonable price: $40. After today, you’ll have to fork out $200 for the new O/S.
Category Archives: Windows
Microsoft blames device builders for Windows 8’s lackluster sales
According to The Register, Microsoft is accusing PC and handheld device manufacturers of not building enough Windows 8 devices. Despite publicly claiming that Windows 8 sales are similar to Windows 7’s at this point, the numbers being flouted are deceptive, in that they include sales to manufacturers. Internally, it seems clear that Microsoft is actually disappointed with Windows 8 sales and is looking for someone to blame.
Windows 8 fast startup comes at a cost
Traditionally, with each successive version of Windows, startup times have grown longer. Even the steady performance improvements in PC hardware were no match for the bloat of Windows.
With Windows 8, Microsoft decided to ‘improve’ startup performance by fooling users into thinking their computer is completely shut down when in fact it is not. It turns out that shutting down Windows 8 actually puts Windows into a suspended state, in which the current state of Windows is stored on a hard drive, ready to be loaded when the computer is restarted.
This kind of sleep/suspended state has been around for a while, and is most commonly used in portable devices such as laptops. However, there are drawbacks to this in Windows 8. Anyone attempting to boot to a different operating system, from another device (besides the default hard drive), or enter the BIOS setup program, will be unable to do so without resorting to special (hidden) methods. Worse, the classic Windows troubleshooting step of rebooting a computer will no longer accomplish much: any problems in Windows that would previously have been cleared by way of a reboot will persist in Windows 8.
I have no problem with Microsoft improving Windows’ startup performance, and I have no problem with them using sleep states to do that, but hiding what’s really going on is just going to cause a lot of confusion and frustration.
Work on Windows 7 version of Internet Explorer 10 ongoing
After announcing that Internet Explorer 10 would only be available for Windows 8, Microsoft relented and started work on a version that will run on Windows 7. Work on that version continues, and no firm release date has been announced. Ars Technica has additional details.
Windows 8 Pro Upgrade price will quintuple at end of January 2013
If you’re going to buy Windows 8, you should do it soon. The promotional price of $40 for Windows 8 Pro Upgrade will end on January 31, 2012. After that, the price will be $200. I had hoped Microsoft would keep the price for Windows 8 low; $200 is excessive, especially if Microsoft really wants people to upgrade. Most people hesitate before spending $200 on anything, but $40 is a no-brainer, and even if you end up going back to Windows 7, at that price you won’t feel like you’ve been cheated. The accountants at Microsoft clearly haven’t yet learned that lowering software prices solves a lot of problems, including piracy.
Implications of Windows 8 Start menu software downloads
Over at The Verge, Tom Warren has an interesting post about Pokki, a Windows Start menu replacement for Windows XP, 7 and 8.
Apparently, the Windows 8 version of Pokki has been downloaded over 1.5 million times since its introduction in October 2012. That would seem to imply that there is a strong demand for a Start menu in Windows 8, which Microsoft consistently denies. Similar surges in downloads of Windows 8 Start menu software like Stardock’s Start8 and Classic Shell reinforce the notion that a significant portion of Windows 8 users are not happy with the lack of a Start menu.
Fix for IE 6/7/8 vulnerability
Microsoft has apparently fixed the vulnerability in Internet Explorer versions 6 through 8 recently reported. The previous ‘Fix-It’ – a temporary solution at best – was rendered ineffective almost immediately. The fix will be available from Windows Update starting at 10am PST today.
Java Update (hopefully) fixes recent 0-day vulnerability
A new update for Java (Version 7, Update 11) was released today. This update is supposed to fix the serious 0-day vulnerability discovered last week. Anyone using Java 7 in a web browser should install this update immediately. Given the recent track record of Oracle/Sun (Java’s developer), it remains to be seen whether this update actually fixes the vulnerability. I will wait for Adam Gowdiak to weigh in before I’m certain one way or the other.
Technical details:
Update 2013Jan17: An interesting post over at NetworkWorld reviews what’s being said about the state of Java’s vulnerability.
Latest Java still vulnerable, new exploits in the wild
A new vulnerability in all the most recent versions of Java is already being exploited in the wild. It’s being called a critical zero-day bug, meaning that the vulnerability can be exploited right now, before the developers have had a chance to fix it, and that it allows for serious security breaches.
The Ars Technica article linked above points out that several hacking toolkits have already been updated to include exploits specific to this vulnerability.
Our advice on using Java remains the same: if you require Java to be enabled in your web browser, use the available security features to prevent Java from running in any context where it’s not actually necessary. If you only require Java to be available outside of a web browser, disable Java in your web browser. If you don’t need Java at all, disable or remove it completely.
For additional details, see the CERT post. Mozilla has a helpful post about protecting users from this vulnerability.
Update 2013Jan12: Adam Gowdiak has weighed in on this issue. According to Mr. Gowdiak, this new vulnerability is the result of a previous vulnerability being improperly fixed by an earlier patch.
And now, an apology: somehow I missed the release of Java Version 7 Update 10, which apparently became available on December 12, 2012. That version addressed a variety of vulnerabilities and other bugs, and enhanced security in general with new features like the ability to prevent any Java application from running in a web browser.
Downgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 7
Lifehacker has an interesting post that points to information from Microsoft on downgrading Windows 8 to Windows 7.
The downgrade option is not available for all new PCs and license types. The Microsoft page linked above goes over the details.
There are a lot of legitimate reasons one might want to downgrade.
It’s no longer possible to purchase a PC with Windows 7, so anyone buying a new PC will get Windows 8 by default. Being forced to switch operating systems by a big corporation is annoying for many people. You know, people who prefer to have a choice.
If you’re not interested in learning the new O/S, or setting the computer up for someone who is comfortable in Windows 7 (say your grandmother) and doesn’t want to change, this is a useful option.
I’ve personally downgraded a set of Windows computers like this, when software required for a business just didn’t run with the delivered O/S. Sure, it’s the developers’ fault, but waiting for a fix wasn’t an option.
You may use hardware and/or drivers that don’t work on the new O/S, in which case, again, you don’t have much choice until you buy new hardware or (if you’re very lucky), the hardware maker produces new drivers.
Corporate IT providers use the downgrade option more than anyone. There’s a constant need to replace aging PC hardware, but upgrading operating systems involves an enormous amount of re-training that most companies would prefer to do on their own schedule, instead of Microsoft’s.
And so on.
Suprisingly, a lot of the comments on the Lifehacker story are negative. “just learn the new O/S” is a common refrain. Unpaid (or possibly paid) marketing drones, all of them.