Computerworld review News

QuickPoll: Why is Microsoft ditching its "Aero" UI in Windows 8?

Mon, 21 May 2012 20:27:00 GMT

Microsoft is abandoning the 'Aero' user interface with Windows 8, calling the UI that debuted in Vista and continued in Windows 7, 'cheesy' and 'dated' -- but is that the only reason? Why do you think Microsoft is ditching its "Aero" UI in Windows 8?

No price cuts for Windows 8 upgrades, says analyst

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:19:00 GMT

Microsoft will not reduce the price of Windows 8 upgrades, as it did three years ago before the roll-out of Windows 7, a retail sales analyst said today.

Microsoft dumps 'Aero' UI in Windows 8, 'Metro-izes' desktop

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Mon, 21 May 2012 10:45:00 GMT

Microsoft is abandoning the 'Aero' user interface with Windows 8, calling the UI that debuted in Vista and continued in Windows 7, 'cheesy' and 'dated.'

Microsoft anti-bloatware service to apply to Windows 8 PCs, too

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:26:00 GMT

A Microsoft in-store program that scrubs "bloatware" from Windows PCs will also be offered when Windows 8 machines reach the market later this year, a company representative said.

HTC Evo 4G LTE review: Almost great

jr@androidpower.com (JR Raphael) — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:24:00 GMT

HTC's Evo 4G LTE smartphone has a lot going for it, but other factors, including the lack of LTE service from Sprint, make it difficult to recommend.

Microsoft System Center 2012 review: Streamlined cloud service management

(Jonathan Hassell) — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT

With System Center 2012, Microsoft delivers tools to help customers wring more efficiency, uptime and performance out of their existing hardware and software.

Crucial Adrenaline review: SSD cache drive speeds up your PC

hardedge@worldnet.att.net (Bill O'Brien) — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT

The Crucial Adrenaline SSD cache drive will enable you to easily improve your PC's performance for less than $100.

Is Apple's OS X Mountain Lion on early-release track?

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Wed, 09 May 2012 19:57:00 GMT

Apple may release OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion earlier than expected, according to a report by a popular blog and clues found within the release dates of the three developer previews of the new operating system.

Slow uptake of Windows 8 preview hints at lack of interest

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:09:00 GMT

Windows users appear half as interested in trying out the new Windows 8 as they did three years ago when they jumped at the chance to test drive Windows 7, data shows.

Google Drive review: Adding cloud storage to the mix

preston@gralla.com (Preston Gralla) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:55:00 GMT

The new Google Drive cloud storage service offers 5GB of storage and some nice features, but it's not yet an undisputed winner.

Microsoft slates Windows 8 'release preview' for early June

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:16:00 GMT

Microsoft's top Windows executive today said that the company will ship an almost-complete version of Windows 8 the first week of June.

From IT to ET: Cloud, consumerization, and the next wave of IT transformation

(Johna Till Johnson) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:32:00 GMT

Businesses, schools, and governments desperately need tech-savvy managers who can innovate quickly, operationalize effectively, and keep their organizations competitive. IT is being replaced by "enterprise technology" -- technology that's no longer confined to offices and office workers, but is embedded throughout the enterprise.

HTC One S review: T-Mobile's new shining star

jr@androidpower.com (JR Raphael) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:01:00 GMT

With its sleek design and excellent camera, HTC's One S sets a new standard for smartphone greatness for HTC and for T-Mobile.

Microsoft remains mum on Windows 8 upgrades from Vista, XP

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:35:00 GMT

Microsoft today declined to confirm whether users of Windows XP and Vista will be able to upgrade their PCs to Windows 8 when the latter launches later this year.

Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight: An e-reader for night readers

bkrasnoff@computerworld.com (Barbara Krasnoff) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:31:00 GMT

Barnes & Noble's new Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight offers readers the ability to read comfortably in sunlight and in the dark. But can it otherwise compete?

Hands-on: 3 comment platforms make blog management easier

thegline@optimum.net (Serdar Yegulalp) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

If you have a popular blog, it can be difficult to keep control of the conversation. We look at 3 comment platforms -- Disqus, IntenseDebate and Livefyre -- that can help.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) review: A nice price, but where's the 'wow'?

jr@androidpower.com (JR Raphael) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 23:01:00 GMT

The new Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) tablet is a good tablet at an excellent price, but how much better is it than Samsung's previous models?

Microsoft patches critical Windows zero-day bug that hackers are now exploiting

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:20:00 GMT

Microsoft today delivered six security updates to patch 11 vulnerabilities in Windows, Internet Explorer, Office and several other products, including one bug that attackers are already exploiting.

Review: Nokia Lumia 900 puts Windows Phone back in the race

preston@gralla.com (Preston Gralla) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

The Nokia Lumia 900 puts Windows Phone in with the big kids, offering good performance, a bright display and stylish design.

Two personal scanners: NeatDesk vs. Xerox Mobile Scanner

bkrasnoff@computerworld.com (Barbara Krasnoff) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Two current scanners, the NeatDesk and the Xerox Mobile Scanner, offer simple ways to digitize and store a variety of paper documents.

Mac owners 3X more likely to preview next OS than Windows users

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 19:12:00 GMT

Mac users are nearly three times more likely to be running an early version of the OS X Mountain Lion operating system than PC owners testing Microsoft's Windows 8, the Chitika online ad network said today.

QuickPoll: Can Windows 8 work well on both tablets and PCs?

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:17:00 GMT

Windows 8 Consumer Preview offers a new look at Microsoft's upcoming interface for both computers and tablets. Can Windows 8 work well in both environments?

8 cool tools for data analysis, visualization and presentation

sharon_machlis@computerworld.com (Sharon Machlis) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Data crunching can be useful for a wide range of analyses; we look at 8 tools that can make it easier to sort your numbers and show them off to their best advantage.

Late May claim for Windows 8 RC jibes with expected timetable

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:37:00 GMT

Microsoft will launch the "release candidate" of Windows 8 in late May or early June, according to a Saturday report by a Dutch blog.

Microsoft to launch Windows 8 in October, report says

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:47:00 GMT

Microsoft will wrap up Windows 8 this summer, according to a report by Bloomberg on Monday.

Mozilla, Google commit to Metro browsers for Windows 8

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:22:00 GMT

Mozilla has kick-started development of a Metro-style version of Firefox for Windows 8, Google has committed to doing the same and Opera Software said yesterday that it's looking into the matter.

Hands on: Firefox 11 improves syncing

preston@gralla.com (Preston Gralla) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:45:00 GMT

Mozilla's Firefox 11 browser features some useful tweaks, especially in its syncing abilities, but no major changes.

Blogging service shootout: Blogger vs. WordPress

preston@gralla.com (Preston Gralla) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:00:00 GMT

We pit Google's Blogger against WordPress to see which service is easier, more feature-filled and better for users who need a simple hosted blog.

Two Windows 7 tablets: HP Slate 2 vs. Samsung Series 7 Slate

briannadel@compuserve.com (Brian Nadel) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Two very different Windows-7-based tablets from HP and Samsung offer a variety of features for business and personal use. Insider (registration required)

Free tool restores Start button to Windows 8

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:37:00 GMT

StarDock, a company known for software that customizes Windows has released a free tool that restores the Start button to Microsoft's Windows 8 Consumer Preview.

A deep dive into Windows 8 Consumer Preview

preston@gralla.com (Preston Gralla) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:45:00 GMT

Windows 8 Consumer Preview offers a new look at Microsoft's upcoming interface for both computers and tablets. Is one device being shortchanged in favor of the other?

Image gallery: 6 data recovery tools for SD cards, USB drives and more

(Serdar Yegulalp) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 11:00:00 GMT

If you've got a damaged USB thumb drive or memory card, one of these 6 recovery tools could help you save your important data.

6 data recovery tools for SD cards, USB drives and more

(Serdar Yegulalp) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 11:00:00 GMT

If you've got a damaged USB thumb drive or memory card, one of these six recovery tools could help you save your important data.

Google's Chrome drops share for second straight month

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 21:13:00 GMT

The browser battle returned to a kind of normalcy last month as Microsoft's Internet Explorer, which had posted its largest-ever share increase in January, declined slightly in February

Hands-on: Dell's XPS 13, a next-gen ultrabook

briannadel@compuserve.com (Brian Nadel) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:20:00 GMT

Dell has introduced its XPS 13 ultrabook, a light, well-designed laptop that offers an impressive balance of style and performance.

Windows 8 preview breaks 1M download mark in first 24 hours

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 22:02:00 GMT

Microsoft on Thursday announced that customers had downloaded more than 1 million copies of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview in its first day of availability.

Windows XP slide continues; Mac OS X posts record gain

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:34:00 GMT

On the heels of yesterday's launch of Windows 8's preview, new statistics show that Microsoft's decade-old Windows XP again plummeted in usage share and will be surpassed by Windows 7 in June.

Hands on with Windows Server 8 beta

(Jonathan Hassell) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 18:50:00 GMT

Our reviewer doesn't like the Metro user interface as the default for a server OS, but other than that lauds its new features.

Windows 8: What you need to get started

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:39:00 GMT

You have questions about the Consumer Preview for Windows 8? We have answers. Some of them, anyway.

Microsoft opens doors to Metro app store for Windows 8

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 21:12:00 GMT

Microsoft today made good on its promise to open the doors to its Windows Store alongside the launch of the public Windows 8 preview.

Microsoft ships Windows 8 Consumer Preview

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:59:00 GMT

Microsoft launched the Windows 8 Consumer Preview today at 9:30 a.m. ET, opening the gates to users who want to try the desktop edition of the company's upcoming upgrade.

No webcast for Wednesday's Windows 8 launch event, Microsoft confirms

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 21:11:00 GMT

Microsoft doesn't plan to webcast Wednesday's launch event for Windows 8 Consumer Preview.

AT&T vs. Verizon: LTE showdown in the Big Apple

briannadel@compuserve.com (Brian Nadel) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:01:00 GMT

AT&T is rolling out its 4G LTE service in selected markets across the country. How does the new network stand up to Verizon's more mature offering in terms of availability, speed and price?

Office on iPad a 'tough decision' for Microsoft, says analyst

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:22:00 GMT

Renewed rumors that Microsoft will publish iPad editions of some of its Office applications surfaced today, with one analyst calling the move a tough decision.

5 free Android security apps: Keep your smartphone safe

(Eric Geier) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT

If you want to keep your Android smartphone safe, these free security apps from the likes of Symantec, AVG, Avast and more will not only keep malware away but help find your phone when it's missing.

FAQ: What's what in OS X Mountain Lion?

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:03:00 GMT

Last week, Apple took most Mac users by surprise when it released a developers preview of Mountain Lion, the company's upcoming desktop OS. We're here to fill in some of the blanks about the new cat.

Hands on: Samsung's Galaxy Note engages, perplexes

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:05:00 GMT

Samsung's latest device, the Galaxy Note, offers a bright 5.3-in. display and a digital pen, making it an interesting cross between a tablet and a smartphone.

Microsoft Office 15 public beta due this summer

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Microsoft has kicked off a 'technical preview' of the next version of its Office suite and promised that a public beta will ship this summer.

Election fever: 6 mobile apps that can keep you informed

bkrasnoff@computerworld.com (Barbara Krasnoff) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:45:00 GMT

The race to the U.S. presidency is on, and there are mobile apps out there to help keep you informed. We review 6 iOS and Android apps to see how well they do the job.

NextAdvisor picks its top cloud storage services for consumers

lmearian@computerworld.com (Lucas Mearian) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:06:00 GMT

Product review site NextAdvisor.com now offers rankings of cloud storage services.