XPTV - a new kind of television station. We'll be releasing a new episode every week until Windows XP is in stores, so keep coming back. Kick back. Enjoy. Send to a friend. XPTV. You'll never look at your PC the same way again. Watch latest episode and episode one and two.
WinXP Promotional ad - It features people flying over green fields and office work floors and the such, and other people jumping up and down (presumably trying to fly too) to the sound of Madonna's "Ray of Light" tune. It looks overall like the concept was maintained after the dropping of the "Prepare to Fly" slogan. It all ends with the slogan "Yes You Can" but what you can is left out, lets hope newbies wont be jumping off buildings after they purchase their copy of XP. Er, no.. not because their systems will blue screen alot, but because they may actually think that Microsoft has a mystical power to make you "Fly" after purchasing their product(s) Well we'll see wont we, if we can -at least Microsoft seems to think so. (Thanks to NeoWin)
If you feel some bizarre need to wear Windows Media logo'ed clothes and use Windows Media logo'ed pens and coffee cups, by all means, head over to the new Windows Media Store Web site and go nuts. But honestly, is this anything more than an intelligence test?
From WinInfo Short Takes: Week of October 22
In the past couple months, industry analysts from leading firms Giga Information Group, Forrester Research Inc. and Hurwitz Group have written reports reviewing how Microsoft BizTalk Server 2000 has become a leader in the enterprise integration marketplace after just nine months of availability. The reports establish the solid position of BizTalk Server in the integration industry with a solution based on XML and SOAP that enables companies to integrate disparate applications and orchestrate Web services.
The reports mention that BizTalk Server 2000 has gained market credibility, particularly since Ford Motor Co. decided to standardize its integration platform on BizTalk Server. Ford chose BizTalk Server 2000 for a number of reasons, one being its support of XML and other Web services standards. Ford also was looking for a strong and stable vendor that it could rely on to work closely with it on integration projects.
Brings 20 Years of Experience with Bell Laboratories, Disney, DreamWorks to Position as Architect of Visual C++ .NET.
Stanley Lippman, one of the pioneers of the C++ computer programming language, has joined Microsoft as an architect in the Developer and Platform Evangelism Group. Lippman joins a world-renowned developer organization that includes the talents of key technology architect Anders Hejlsberg, inventor of Turbo Pascal and C#. Lippman will engage in product planning and design efforts for Visual C++ .NET, Microsoft's language for building powerful .NET and Windows applications.
At an America Online staff meeting in 1994, then-President Ted Leonsis wheeled out a wooden cutout of a bare-fanged Tyrannosaurus rex meant to symbolize the company's most menacing enemy: Microsoft. Leonsis' representation was both right and wrong. The software giant indeed presented a major threat at the time--the eve of the launch of its Microsoft Network--but its battle form would come to resemble a multiheaded Hydra more than a prehistoric monster. Rather than full-frontal assaults, Microsoft would attack from many directions simultaneously and regenerate appendages whenever they were severed. "That's the way you win a war; you don't do it with monster battles unless you're sure you can win them," said Carl Howe, an analyst at Forrester Research. "You do it by finding weaknesses in the enemy's lines before you mount your big attack."
Intel is winding down its consumer electronics division as the company continues its return to its core chip business. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based chipmaker Thursday confirmed that its Connected Products Division, which specializes in digital cameras, digital-audio players and toys, is in the process of being phased out. The company will sell the existing inventory of these products, which should last through the first part of 2002. But further manufacturing will cease. "The business didn't meet our requirements for long-term growth potential," an Intel spokesman said.
Microsoft Corp. today announced revenue of $6.13 billion for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2001, a 6 percent increase over the $5.77 billion reported in the prior year. Operating income totaled $2.90 billion compared to $2.78 billion in the prior year. Net income for the quarter was $1.28 billion including a $1.24 billion after-tax charge related to the impairment of certain publicly traded and private equity securities, predominantly in the cable and telecommunications industries. This charge is reflected in the $980 million investment loss reported this quarter. Diluted earnings per share for the September 2001 quarter were $0.23, including a $0.20 charge for net recognized investment losses which includes the impairment charge noted above.
An array of Microsoft competitors, government bodies, and special-interest groups attempted to forestall Windows XP's release, so you might wonder whether you should fear rather than adopt XP. The OS includes several technologies that scare people for a variety of reasons. The biggest bugaboo, Windows Product Activation (WPA), enforces Microsoft's licensing policies. Thus, individuals will no longer be able to use one Windows product key to install one copy of Windows on multiple PCs. For corporate users, WPA is a nonevent because volume-licensed copies of XP won't even include this technology.
Windows Media Technologies site has been revamped (again, 2nd time this year) in the on-going change of the Microsoft Website to reflect the newer look of Windows XP. The site had already seen a change when IE6 was in beta to allow it to be viewed from the then dubbed "Personal Bar" later renamed to "Media Bar".
Plus Microsoft Press site has got new look too. On the MS Press you can buy individual chapters and not the entire book.
The final version of the powertoys were finished last week and will show up on launch day, (October 25th). These have been kept under wraps and Neowin was unable to get them through the source that got us the earlier packages. We can reveal however the Powertoys that made it and those that were dropped. The following toys were included:
- Super Fast User Switcher
- PowerToy Calculator
- Alt-Tab replacement
- Virtual Desktop Manager
- Photo Toys
- TweakUI
- Command Window Here
- Slideshow generator
- Magnifier
- HTML Generator
- TimerShot