Category: Microsoft
Chromebooks Receive A $199 Windows Competitor
It looks like Google won’t be eating the very low end market share lunch all by itself as Microsoft & HP have announced two new Windows models that aim to compete with the Chrome OS.
First is the HP’s Stream laptop, which comes with an 11.6 inch screen, HD display, a fanless design, Office 365 and the 32GB of storage, all for $199 while the HP Stream 13 (an 13.3 inch version) will cost you $229. There is also another, 14 inch version, which is coming later.
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Microsoft Reveals Its Chromecast Competitor
Costs $60.
Chromecast, a digital media player that can mirror content from Google Chrome, has been a pretty popular device among techies, especially since it costs only $35.
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Microsoft’s Promised Chromebook Killer Doesn’t Cost $199
Earlier this year, Microsoft has launched a plan to attack Chromebooks with the killer Windows laptop offerings such as $199 HP laptop.
Now, it looks like the software giant has some explaining to do (or the OEM) as the long awaited HP’s Stream laptop will cost a whopping $100 more.
Correction: Not all hope is lost yet as it’s only one of “many” Stream laptops, hopefully, they are cheaper than $299.
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Microsoft Pulls Fake Opera Mini From The Windows Phone Store
App becomes “Mini Web Browser”
If you’re wondering how tight Microsoft quality / fake apps control in the market place is then look no further than at the fake Opera Mini app, which was available for anyone to download for around 6 months.
Now, after nearly 1000 reviews in the US store alone, it was finally removed.
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Microsoft Considers(ed) Rebranding Internet Explorer
Ultron is the name.
In case you’ve missed Microsoft’s IE team AMA (ask me anything) on reddit (with over 8000 comments), then here is at least one interesting fact from the page.
According to comments, the software giant is considered renaming Internet Explorer to Ultron but the lawyers said no. Then they added:
“It’s been suggested internally; I remember a particularly long email thread where numerous people were passionately debating it. Plenty of ideas get kicked around about how we can separate ourselves from negative perceptions that no longer reflect our product today.”
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Microsoft Continues To Attack Chromebooks
Offers various alternatives.
During Chrome OS announcement, former Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, just laughed at Google. Now, it looks like the software giant is getting more and more aggressive towards Chromebooks, with the latest tactic being a new section in its store.
What is it all about? Basically, it matches Chromebooks against Windows machines on the similar price level, such as Dell Inspiron 15 ($249), ASUS X551MAV ($249), Acer Aspire E 15 ES1 ($249).
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Microsoft Starts Blocking Old ActiveX Plugins
Good bye, ActiveX.
In an effort to improve the overall browser security and reduce user frustration, the software giant has announced that it will start blocking outdated ActiveX controls starting August 12, 2014.
According to Microsoft, “Java exploits represented 84.6% to 98.5% of exploit kit-related detections each month in 2013” and “to help avoid this situation with ActiveX controls, an update to Internet Explorer on August 12, 2014 will introduce a new security feature, called out-of-date ActiveX control blocking.”
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Microsoft Touts 6 Things Chromebooks Can’t Do
Another win for the consumer.
Due to the constantly decreasing Chromebook prices and improving OS capabilities, it looks like Microsoft or its partners are starting to feel pressure from the search giant.
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Microsoft Makes Opera A Default Nokia X Web Browser
Now here’s a pretty unexpected move.
Recently, Opera Software and Microsoft have announced a new partnership where Opera will become the default web browser on the software giant’s latest Android phone family: Nokia X.
“Our companies have enjoyed a long history together, and this represents a huge step forward for both of the companies,” says Lars Boilesen, CEO, Opera Software. “We have worked closely with the Microsoft Devices Group on this project, to make sure the users of Nokia X affordable smartphones can have the best web browsing experience right out of the box.”
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Microsoft’s Agency: Write About Internet Explorer, Receive “Compensation”
Dubbed as “Rethink IE program”.
It appears like Microsoft’s marketing efforts got bit too extreme. Thanks to the recently published email by Uncrunched that they have received, we have learned that the software giant’s hired agency is contacting the media, asking them to write about the Internet Explorer.
How is this a bad thing? Well, it’s not about just writing about the IE since journalists are offered “compensations” or even prizes to do so aka “sponsored posts”.
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