Dell Computer has decided to stop shipping its desktop and notebook PCs with Linux preinstalled, citing weak demand and slow adoption. The open source OS was largely introduced into the mainstream PC market last year, following efforts of Linux advocates to build support on the desktop. Vendors such as Dell and IBM quickly embraced the OS, but now acknowledge that move may have been premature.

Dwindling financials have led many open source companies to slow and even cease development of applications Linux needs to compete with Windows. This in turn has caused a huge problem for PC manufacturers, who sell their computers pre-loaded with software. Dell claims, however, that it will watch the Linux community and when the time is right, consider going back to it.

Continue reading →

A federal appeals court today denied a request by Microsoft to reconsider part of its ruling, and concurrently refused a Justice Department motion to bypass the waiting period required before the antitrust case returns to a lower court. The U.S. government and 18 states had sought to speed up the case seemingly with plans to seek an injunction delaying the October release of Windows XP.

The legal battle is set to resume later this month unless Microsoft opts to appeal to the Supreme Court, an option the company is reviewing.

Continue reading →

Microsoft changes the rules as AOL offers OEMs up to $125 per registration in its war for desktop real estate.

When new computers ship with Microsoft's Windows XP this Fall, desktop space will go to the highest bidder - and AOL is willing to pay handsomely. In a letter sent to partner OEMs, AOL looks to extend upon current agreements to secure exclusive desktop rights. Adding a new twist to the saga, Microsoft responded to AOL's moves late Monday, revealing that PCs shipping with any desktop icons must include one for MSN Internet as well.

Continue reading →

Microsoft today announced the arrival of Windows XP Release Candidate 2, the final milestone before the upcoming operating system is released to manufacturing next month. Sporting build number 2526, RC2 is available for download from WindowsBeta, but will not be sent out on CD. The release will soon be made available to Windows Preview Program participants, but on an incremental basis in order to avoid previous problems. Ecstatic with XP's progress, the software giant proclaimed in an e-mail to testers that, "The end is in sight."

Despite its importance, very little is new in RC2. Microsoft has added an option to uninstall Internet Explorer and has removed the infamous Smart Tags, but claims the code is practically complete. "RC2 is simply a final checkpoint on the way to the final RTM. We are close to release and want to continue to get feedback, but there will be very few if any significant changes between RC2 and RTM," Windows product managers wrote in an e-mail to testers.

Continue reading →

America Online has indicated plans to institute a new messaging system allowing users of competing services, such as Microsoft's MSN Messenger, to communicate with AOL members. The near-complete technology is set to begin beta testing later this summer. This decision comes after increased pressure from the FCC to make future generations of the AOL instant messaging service compatible with third-party clients.

AOL plans to begin the testing phase in union with an undisclosed leading technology company in the next month. Two servers will be linked between the businesses, and a series of trials will be run to test the stability and compliance of the new software.

Continue reading →

In collaboration with USB Implementers Forum, Microsoft has released USB 2.0 beta drivers for Windows XP. The next generation USB 2.0 specification touts performance boosts of up to 40 times current hardware capabilities. The drivers will be available via Windows Update, and a developer beta program has been established to test support on other platforms, including Windows 2000. This release marks a major milestone towards full USB 2.0 adoption.

The USB 2.0 specification went final in April 2000, and subsequent efforts to develop the technology have experienced repeated delays. Microsoft decided not to incorporate USB 2.0 directly into Windows XP due to a lack of supporting devices on which to test. Critics were quick to blast Redmond for its apparent lack of support, but the company has remained adamant that it is committed to the project.

Continue reading →

In a surprise change to its Windows strategy, Microsoft is considering pushing back the release of Blackcomb, and instead following up Windows XP with an interim operating system currently dubbed 'Longhorn'. First reported by eWeek, Longhorn will not contain the .NET-centric core the software giant had planned for the next version of Windows. Blackcomb was initially slated for a late 2002 release, but Microsoft officials now concede even Longhorn may not hit that mark.

It is unclear what will become of Blackcomb, which is currently in early stages of alpha testing, or why a decision was made to postpone its release. Although, Microsoft Vice President Jim Allchin told eWeek the decision had nothing to do with the ongoing antitrust case, suggesting .NET simply may not have been ready.

Continue reading →

America Online is quietly rolling out a new unified sign-in service, similar to Microsoft's Passport, across its properties and partner sites. Codenamed "Magic Carpet" and currently promoted as the "Screen Name Service," visitors will be able to sign in with a single click and seamlessly browse sites supporting the new technology. Additionally, the service will be compatible with AOL, AOL Instant Messenger, and CompuServe 2000 accounts.

A clear competitor to Microsoft's fledgling Passport service, which provides authentication for MSN sites as well as a wallet service for "express" purchases, AOL's Magic Carpet could have a direct impact on the software giant's goal to establish a Web services platform.

Continue reading →

Upset with the software giant's refusal to allow third-party instant messaging and media player applications to ship with Windows XP, Sen. Charles Schumer has called for hearings by the Senate Judiciary Committee into Microsoft's "anticompetitive practices." The Committee will investigate the effect the upcoming OS has on Internet competition, and "discuss the possibility of enjoining the release of Windows XP." These latest hearings are slated for September, and will be overseen by Chairman Patrick Leahy.

Sen. Schumer also sent a letter to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, demanding the company open XP to rival software manufacturers. "If PC makers and consumers can choose their browser in Windows XP, surely they should be able to choose their media player, messenger service and other applications," he wrote.

Continue reading →

Microsoft released to testers late Monday evening the first post-RC1 interim build of Windows XP. Build 2520 contains very few notable changes, focusing on bug fixes in preparation for Release Candidate 2. As first reported by BetaNews, the software giant is expected to deem Windows XP golden by mid-August, with a drop date of August 28. This interim release follows last week's version separation with Windows .NET Server, which will now follow a 3xxx naming convention.

Windows XP will launch nationwide on October 25 in a billion-dollar marketing campaign. PC vendors have already begun preparing for the release, christening systems as "XP Ready" and offering discounts on upgrades to the new operating system. While pricing details have not been officially unveiled, Windows XP Personal Edition is expected to run $99 USD, with Professional Edition carrying a $199 price tag.

Continue reading →

Palm announced Tuesday plans to transition its handhelds to ARM-based processors, partnering with Intel, Motorola, and Texas Instruments. The three chip makers will license components of the Palm OS platform to create processors utilizing ARM technology, much improved over the current Dragonball core. Today's generation of Palm chips run at a speed of 33 MHz, while the new processors will be able to run at speeds up to 200 MHz, giving a boost to multimedia applications on the handhelds like audio and video playback.

Intel and Motorola will specifically work with Palm to optimize the OS for each company's ARM-based offerings. Adding support for Intel's StrongARM chips will be an important step in competing with more powerful PocketPC devices, which currently use the technology and offer superior multimedia capabilities. Palm also plans to make full use of the chip giant's XScale technology, set to debut late this year. Intel XScale processors will run at almost five times the speed of current handhelds.

Continue reading →

In an effort to further promote its Shared Source licensing philosophy, Microsoft posted to the Web late Friday source code to Windows CE 3.0. The company also issued a broader source license for the embedded operating system, citing the code may be used only for non-commercial purposes. Download of the CE source requires a Passport login, as well as Platform Builder 3.0.

Early reaction to the release by Open Source advocates was harsh, criticizing Microsoft for limiting its use and forcing dissemination of the Shared Source license. Fears also arose over the software giant's tracking of downloads, as developers could potentially be sued for similar code despite never actually viewing the source.

Continue reading →

UPDATED Long overdue, we at BetaNews would like to announce our first contest of 2001. Much has changed in the last seven months, and we plan to do more to show our appreciation for your continued support. To take part in the giveaway, all you must do is fill out a short survey regarding BetaNews and what you would like to see offered or changed on the site.

The prizes are as follows:

Continue reading →

In its third and final beta stage, EA's Internet-based Majestic has set the benchmark for other game developers by immersing a player within a plot more than ever before. In the pilot episode, participants must find clues leading to a conspiracy involving mind control devices and aliens using Majestic's homepage, which is full of links pointing to actual Internet locations. The closer the player comes to solving the mystery, the more real it becomes.

When first setting up an account on Majestic, players may optionally fill out their phone number, fax number, and e-mail address. Brining the game into the real world, Majestic will often make phone calls and send faxes,
e-mails and instant messages providing tips and inside information. Reminiscent of The Game starring Michael Douglas, Majestic blurs the line between reality and fiction.

Continue reading →

Sun Microsystems responded Wednesday evening to news that software giant Microsoft will remove support for Java in the upcoming Windows XP. In a prepared statement, Sun officials remarked, "it is
a move that was intended by Microsoft to hurt consumers and the millions of developers
that use the Java platform. Microsoft's attempts to neutralize the innovations brought to the web by the Java platform are widely known." The company added, "Microsoft's action is not so much a swipe at Sun, but at the hundreds of companies and millions of developers who innovate with the Java platform."

Sun refuted Redmond's claims that the removal of Java was due to January's joint settlement. "This move by Microsoft was a unilateral decision by them and was not a result of the settlement of the Sun Microsoft lawsuit. That settlement gives Microsoft seven years to distribute the Java virtual machine," the statement read.

Continue reading →