Articles about Microsoft

Microsoft Surface beats Apple iPad in overall customer satisfaction according to J.D. Power

According to a recent J.D. Power study (2017 U.S. Tablet Satisfaction), Microsoft's Surface tablets have beaten Apple's iPad in overall customer satisfaction. This is significant, as it is the first time it has ever happened. The Windows-maker had not been able to topple Apple in this regard, so surely there is some champagne-popping going on at Microsoft headquarters.

While high satisfaction is definitely something to be proud of, the study is arguably flawed. Why do I say this? The Surface tablets are an entirely different product class than the iPad. True, they are both "tablets" as they are rectangular and feature touch screens, but Microsoft's offerings are desktop and laptop replacements -- Apple's tablet products are primarily secondary devices. It simply doesn't make sense to compare them.

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What's new in Windows 10 Creators Update?

Windows 10 Creators Update, a major and feature-packed update for the OS, starts its official rollout on April 11.

New features include a Paint 3D app and new "mixed reality" VR support; Game Mode to boost performance for demanding games, and built-in game broadcasting; and the Windows Defender Security Center gives one-stop access to your key security settings.

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Project Scorpio specs revealed -- what to expect from the next Xbox powerhouse

The next addition to the Xbox family is code-named Project Scorpio, and today details about the next-generation console have emerged. Rather unusually, these details have come neither direct from Microsoft nor through a series of leaks.

For reasons best known to Microsoft, the company chose to invite Digital Foundry to its Redmond campus and reveal Project Scorpio details. Due for release later this year (Q4 to be a little more precise), the console is said to be running ahead of schedule, and boasts some impressive specs that will have gamers drooling.

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How to install Windows 10 Creators Update on your Mac

If you try to perform a clean installation of Windows 10 Creators Update on your Mac with Boot Camp Assistant you'll quickly find that it is not possible. As Microsoft notes, you'll end up with a Stop error with the code 0xc000000f in winload.efi.

Microsoft has not made it clear just why this problem occurs, but it does not mean that you are not able to install Creators Update. If you're eager to get the very latest version of Windows installed on your Mac, here's what you need to do.

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Microsoft releases Windows 10 Creators Update so you can install it now

The launch date for Windows 10 Creators Update -- the next big update for Windows 10 -- is April 11, but there's no need to wait until Tuesday to get it. While the automated rollout starts next week, Microsoft has released the update so you can install it manually.

We already knew that Microsoft would be making the update available a week early. With the automatic rollout and update process expected to take months, you may well want to jump the queue and grab what Microsoft is calling the "latest and best version of Windows" right now. Here's how to do just that -- you don’t even need to be part of the Insider program.

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Microsoft half-heartedly opens up about privacy, revealing more about the data Windows 10 Creators Update collects

Microsoft has had something of a checkered history when it comes to privacy, particularly with Windows 10. Telemetry concerns have blighted the latest version of the company's operating system for many people, but now it has finally decided to come clean.

Ahead of the release of Windows 10 Creators Update, Microsoft reveals full details of the data it collects about users who opt into providing basic-level telemetry information. The company also provides some details -- but not as much as many would like -- about what is collected when the full level of telemetry is selected. This is Microsoft's attempt to come clean about privacy in Windows 10, but is it too little too late?

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Brace yourself for 'painful' Windows 10 Redstone 3 preview builds

If you have been following the development of Windows 10 with any degree of interest, it can't have escaped your attention that Windows 10 Creators Update is due to roll out next week -- starting on April 11 to be precise. Of course, there's nothing stopping you from grabbing the update right now, but now many people are starting to think about the next stage of Windows 10's future.

The next branch of development is Redstone 3 and Microsoft promises that new builds will start to creep out very soon. Dona Sarkar advises that "you won't see many big noticeable changes or new features in new builds just yet," but that's not to say big changes aren't coming -- such as Project NEON. The focus for now is on OneCore, and Microsoft warns that bugs might be an issue to start with.

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Microsoft is shutting down open source repository CodePlex, offers GitHub migration tool

Microsoft is closing down CodePlex on December 15, 2017. The company says that its repository for open source software projects has seen a dramatic fall in usage, and points to GitHub as the "de facto place for open source sharing."

With 11 years of service under its belt, CodePlex is not just giving way to GitHub, Microsoft is actively recommending migrating to the renowned service -- and is making it easy to do so.

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Windows 10's growth has completely stalled -- can the Creators Update jump start interest in the new OS?

It’s no April Fool -- Windows 10 is struggling. The new operating system enjoyed solid -- and rapid -- growth when it was free (and being forced on to users' computers), but in recent months, it’s seeing little to no increase in usage, according to NetMarketShare.

The OS hit the 25 percent mark in January, but since then it lost a little share in February, and made only very minor gains in March. Windows 7, in comparison, remains the operating system of choice for most people, with its share continuing to rise.

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Microsoft releases cumulative update Build 15063.11 for Windows 10 Creators Update

Although Build 15063 is the RTM for the Windows 10 Creators Update, that doesn’t mean that Microsoft has downed tools and stopped working on the next iteration of its operating system.

The Creators Update doesn’t begin its roll out until April 11 (unless you opt to get it on April 5), which means the software giant will be working hard until then to squash any last-minute bugs and problems.

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Google, Microsoft and Apple will stick to their climate goals in spite of Trump's environmental views

Earlier this week, Donald Trump signed an executive order that effectively killed Obama-era environmental policies. Expressing his love of "clean coal" -- despite such a substance not actually existing --  Trump wiped out Obama orders that aimed to reduce carbon production and signalled an "end to the war on coal."

The signing of the executive order was met with astonishment around the world, and many voices have spoken out against the wisdom of the move. Among those are technology companies, many of whom have said that they will stick to promises they have made to tackling climate change -- something Google is aiming to do by switching to 100 percent renewable energy this year.

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Windows 10 Mobile needs to be put out of its misery

It's time for Microsoft to pull the plug. Windows 10 Mobile has been on life support for a long time, and the software giant is only making things worse by not giving it the mercy killing it deserves. It may sound harsh, but there's no future for Windows on smartphones in its current state.

Microsoft wants to keep the door open to future developments but, let's face it, when it decided to sell Samsung's new Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ through its stores it basically sealed its own platform's fate. There is no turning back from this. We know it and its fans know it too.

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Tame Microsoft's snooping with Windows Privacy Tweaker

Windows Privacy Tweaker is an easy-to-use portable application for viewing and controlling more than 50 Windows telemetry and privacy settings.

Unlike many similar programs, this isn’t just for Windows 10. You’ll be able to see and toggle some settings on anything from Windows Vista up.

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Microsoft launches English-speaking chatbot in India

Microsoft logo under magnifying glass

Microsoft has released yet another chatbot, and this one is aimed specifically at the Indian market. Named Ruuh, the chatbot is said to enjoy chatting about Bollywood, music, humor, travel and browsing the net.

It is available only in India and only in English, at least for now. It was launched on February 7, with Microsoft filing for a trademark on March 15.

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অবশেষে! Bangla language comes to Microsoft Translator

There are a lot of languages in the world -- there are many you probably have never heard of before. Many people think each country uses just one language, and that is it. This is far from the truth, however. Canada, for instance, uses both English and French. Heck, despite English being predominate (for now), the United States doesn't even have an official language!

In the People's Republic of Bangladesh, the most spoken language is Bangla. Despite the South Asian country being the eighth most populous in the world, for whatever reason, Microsoft Translator did not support the language. Today this changes, however, as the Windows-maker finally (অবশেষে) adds support.

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