Microsoft has announced details surrounding its new file system, known as ReFS or Resilient File System. The Windows team has worked to build the new system "from the ground up" to improve upon the current NTFS technology, maintaining compatibility while expanding features and reducing complexity.
After outlining the improvements to its Windows Server 8 software at the Build conference on Wednesday, Microsoft is now offering the developer preview for download. It relies heavy on the cloud and virtualization technology and gets 300 new features. Although not as aggressive as the home version of the OS, the new platform uses a Metro-style server manager and Windows Phone-like tiles.
The current-run 13-inch MacBook Pro may have given away the first signs that Apple is implementing TRIM support for solid-state drives in Mac OS X. Attaching an SSD to the 2010 system will show an entry for "TRIM support" that doesn't exist on the Core i5 or i7 MacBook Pros or earlier models. The support appears very rough and incorrectly flags TRIM-capable drives as lacking support.
Microsoft has posted some of the first official details of its first service packs for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008. Most of the new developments in Service Pack 1 will be for the server OS, the company said. It adds RemoteFX, a more advanced virtual machine technology that supports newer graphics like Flash or Silverlight, and dynamic memory, which can automatically shift memory to virtual machines that need it.
A new discovery of a recently-departed Microsoft employee's blog has revealed a rough version of Microsoft's roadmap for key software, including Windows 8 (PDF). If a reflection of Microsoft's tentative plans, it would have Windows 8 released to manufacturing (RTM) on July 1st, 2011, or just two years after Windows 7 was finished. Windows Server 2012 and Office 2012 would ship a year and a day later on July 2nd, 2012.
Microsoft should once again release its next mainstream version of Windows about three years after the last, a roadmap obtained this week reveals. The schedule has the major revision, tentatively titled "Windows 8," launching in 2012 or about three years after Windows 7. It will purportedly keep in step with a rhythm developed by Microsoft that has Microsoft launching major releases four years apart, as Windows Server 2008 is considered a major release where its R2 upgrade and even Windows 7 are both treated as "release updates."
Dell late yesterday reported bleak results for the first calendar quarter of 2009 that showed it faring poorly in the economic climate. The Texas PC builder's net income dropped a full 63 percent from the same quarter a year ago to $290 million and was hurt primarily by rapidly shrinking business sales in the world economic collapse. Large, enterprise-level business revenue fell a significant 31 percent, indicating a steep drop in PC shipments, and was nearly matched by a 30 percent drop in small- and medium-sized business revenue.
Microsoft has posted 64- and 32-bit versions of Service Pack 2, a major update for Windows Vista and Server 2008. The downloads measure 577 and 348MB respectively, and include all of the key Windows updates produced since the debut of Service Pack 1. New devices and hardware platforms are also said to be supported, such as Bluetooth 2.1, 64-bit VIA CPUs and Blu-ray data recording.
Microsoft at its TechEd conference today said it expects Windows 7 to ship towards the end of 2009. Although the company has until now maintained that the OS would ship near the three-year anniversary of Vista, or early 2010, senior Windows VP Bill Veghte now says he expects the update to ship before the holidays. He hasn't specified a particular date but says Windows Server 2008 R2, which shares a similar code base, should ship at the same time.
Microsoft through its Windows blog announced on Tuesday that the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) versions of Service Pack 2 of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 have been completed. The builds include updates found in SP1 and adds support for emerging hardware standards. Both include a single installer for both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, easing the installation, management and support processes for IT professionals.
Microsoft today provided a sharp contrast to Apple's performance and reported a rare drop in its revenue for its March quarter. Compared to the same period in 2008, Microsoft's revenue sank 6 percent to $13.65 billion. The news was also compounded by troubles with income, as it gained 3 percent in operating income but plunged 32 percent in net income to $2.98 billion.
Stealth in a low-key move has unveiled a new flagship for its compact PCs that fills a performance gap. The LPC-650 is only slightly larger than a desktop DVD drive but fits in high-end notebook parts, including as much as a 2.6GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive. Stealth pictures the new entry as a home theater PC and gives it both an HDMI port for HD, two analog video outs for regular sets, and built-in Wi-Fi with an external antenna for better reception.
A new and previously undiscovered vulnerability in Internet Explorer 7 has triggered warnings to at least temporarily avoid the browser until it can be fixed. The exploit, which takes advantage of the browser's data binding feature to create a memory hole, is unique to Microsoft's code and potentially dangerous due to its usability over the web. A maliciously formed website can use the exploit to steal private data or otherwise compromise the system; some benign websites have been turned hostile using the exploit and other vulnerabilities, the company says.
