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microsoft

How Does Microsoft Fit Into Dell's $24.4 Billion Buyout?

Posted 02/05/2013 at 1:18pm | by Paul Lilly

81

Comments

Microsoft's $2 billion loan helped Michael Dell and partners purchase Dell for $24.4 billion.

First things first -- if you haven't heard by now, Dell is going private. Michael Dell, with the help of private equity firm Silver Lake and a significant loan from Microsoft, have agreed to pay Dell's public shareholders $13.65 a share, valuing the transaction at $24.4 billion. Now Mr. Dell is free to run the company without having to answer to shareholders, and while it will likely be years before we know if this was in the best interest of Dell, there's an interesting side story involving Microsoft that deserves attention.

» Read More

Why It's Too Early to Judge Windows 8 Sales

Posted 02/05/2013 at 12:12pm | by Paul Lilly

13

Comments

Microsoft exec says Windows 8 sales are "just getting started."

You've heard time and again that Windows 8 is a reimagining of the Windows ecosystem, and there's truth in that statement. At its core, Windows 8 is a faster version of Windows 7 with better security, but on the surface (pun intended), it's an entirely difference experience predicated on touchscreen computing and, to an extent, content consumption. Windows 8 has motivated PC makers to think outside the box and come out with new form factors, and it's for that very reason Microsoft would argue that it's too early to judge sales figures.

» Read More

Steam Database Hints Halo 3 Coming to PC

Posted 02/04/2013 at 10:21am | by Paul Lilly

39

Comments

Nearly five years after it launched to Xbox 360, Halo 3 might finally be headed to the PC.

A small pile of evidence leads us to believe that Microsoft is working on porting Halo 3 to the PC, though nothing has been announced or is even remotely official. That's the word news and rumor site Fudzilla has been hearing from "a number of sources," all of which say Microsoft is planning to release the five-year-old title using both their Games for Windows platform and via Steam. Could it be true?

» Read More

Gabe Newell: Apple Poses a Bigger Threat to Steam Box Than Microsoft

Posted 02/01/2013 at 2:01pm | by Paul Lilly

51

Comments

Valve's Newell believes Apple could roll over the console guys, if it really wanted to.

In this week's edition of "Gabe Newell Said What?," the co-founder and managing director of Valve waxed insightful on the hurdles set before the much anticipated Steam Box, the biggest of which might be trying to overcome Apple's presence in the living room. As you're likely aware, Newell once famously called the release of Windows 8 a "catastrophe for everyone in the PC space," and that it would cause top-tier OEMs to exit the market. That's part of the reason why Valve is forging ahead with a so-called Steam Box in the first place, but it's not Microsoft (or Sony) that poses the biggest threat.

» Read More

Windows 8 Market Share Rises to 2.2 Percent, Windows 7 Down Slightly

Posted 02/01/2013 at 11:44am | by Paul Lilly

11

Comments

As Windows 8 rises, Windows 7 loses market share for the first time since its launch.

After a little more than three months, Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system is installed on 2.26 percent of all desktops, according to market share data provided by Net Applications. Windows 8, which was released to the general public on October 26, 2012, has seen a slow but steady rise, grabbing a 1.09 percent share of the desktop market by the end of November and 1.72 percent at the end of December.

» Read More

IHS iSuppli: Microsoft Surface RT Sales Low, Returns High

Posted 01/31/2013 at 11:36pm | by Pulkit Chandna

33

Comments

Microsoft Surface RT sales “significantly lower” than shipments

Microsoft has been mum on Surface RT sales ever since the Windows RT device first hit the market on October 26, 2012, even maintaining its deathly silence on the subject during its recent fiscal second quarter earnings call. There can be only one explanation for this: Surface RT sales have been low. So low, in fact, that the company is embarrassed even to talk about it.

» Read More

Heads Up: Windows 8 Pro Upgrade Promotion Ends Today

Posted 01/31/2013 at 11:56am | by Paul Lilly

22

Comments

Today is the last day to download Windows 8 Pro (upgrade version) for $40.

Still on the fence about whether or not to make the jump to Windows 8? We feel your pain, but keep in mind that today is the deadline to take advantage of Microsoft's discounted upgrade offer. After today, the Windows 8 Pro upgrade will jump in price from $40 all the way to $200. There's still time to dive in at the discounted rated, which buys you a digital copy, or for $70 you can receive Windows 8 Pro on DVD.

» Read More

The 64GB Surface Pro Ships With Just 23GB of Usable Space

Posted 01/30/2013 at 12:55pm | by Justin Kerr

80

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Surface Pro

64GB Surface Pro? Better read the fine print.

The Surface Pro can be ordered in either 64GB or 128GB storage capacities, but don’t be deceived. 128GB models will only offer users 83GB of usable space, and the 64GB version will supply a paltry 23GB for user files. Extra internal capacity can be added through the devices microSDXC card slot, but it makes the marketing behind Microsoft’s Surface Pro just as shady as it was for the RT version.

» Read More

Microsoft's Cloud Oriented Office 365 Home Premium Touches Ground

Posted 01/29/2013 at 10:31am | by Paul Lilly

19

Comments

Office 365 ushers in an era of subscription billing.

After months of beta testing, Microsoft on Tuesday announced the worldwide availability of Office 365 Home Premium. It's a departure from previous versions of Office, and while Microsoft likes to refer to Windows 8 as a reimagining of Windows, Office 365 is a "reinvention" of Redmond's popular Office product line for consumers. Unlike previous versions, Office 365 is a cloud-service.

» Read More

Bill Gates Continues To Defend Windows 8 and the Surface

Posted 01/27/2013 at 8:51pm | by Justin Kerr

16

Comments

Gill Gates Davos 2013

Bill Gates feels confident in Microsoft’s new Direction, and has no desire to return as CEO.

Okay so he might be just the tiniest bit biased, but Bill Gates claims Windows 8 and the Surface tablet have “done well”. His answer was a response to a CNBC interview question with regards to the future of his company, and if he would ever consider reclaiming his CEO title from Steve Ballmer. According to Gates, Windows 8 and the Surface were both developed without his guidance, and as a result he feels the company is doing just fine without him.

» Read More

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Microsoft's $2 billion loan helped Michael Dell and partners purchase Dell for $24.4 billion.

Microsoft exec says Windows 8 sales are "just getting started."

Nearly five years after it launched to Xbox 360, Halo 3 might finally be headed to the PC.

Valve's Newell believes Apple could roll over the console guys, if it really wanted to.

As Windows 8 rises, Windows 7 loses market share for the first time since its launch.

Microsoft Surface RT sales “significantly lower” than shipments

Today is the last day to download Windows 8 Pro (upgrade version) for $40.

64GB Surface Pro? Better read the fine print.

Office 365 ushers in an era of subscription billing.

Bill Gates feels confident in Microsoft’s new Direction, and has no desire to return as CEO.

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