Desktop PCs - News

Used PCs sought for Windows XP

Some used PCs are being purchased not for the hardware but because people want to get their hands on a copy of Windows XP, according to industry analysts and hardware suppliers.

Mozilla eyes extra beta for Firefox 3.1

Mozilla will probably add a third beta to the development schedule for Firefox 3.1 to get a better handle on remaining bugs and give several new features, including a faster JavaScript engine and a private browsing mode, more testing time, the compan...

Researchers find vulnerability in Windows Vista

An Austrian security vendor has found a vulnerability in Windows Vista that it says could possibly allow an attacker to run unauthorized code on a PC.

Microsoft e-mails detail internal fight on 'Vista Capable'

Numerous Microsoft employees, including some top executives, urged their company to hold the line on the graphics requirements for the "Vista Capable" marketing campaign, both before and after the decision was made to loosen the rules, according to i...

Microsoft e-mails show 'Vista Capable' changes helped Intel

Pressured by Intel, Microsoft relaxed the rules for a crucial Windows Vista marketing program -- a move that let the chip maker sell older graphics chip sets that were incapable of meeting the original requirements, internal e-mails show.

Google patches Chrome file-stealing bug

Google has patched Chrome to prevent attackers from stealing files from PCs running the open-source browser.

Mozilla fixes 11 new flaws in Firefox, six critical

Mozilla on Wednesday patched 11 vulnerabilities in Firefox 3.0 -- and 12 bugs in the older Firefox 2.0 -- that could be used to compromise computers and steal information.

Colombia signs up for OLPC laptops with Windows

Colombia will become the second country to use the One Laptop Per Child Project's (OLPC) XO laptops running Microsoft Windows XP in schools after signing an agreement for pilot programs in two towns, Microsoft said late Monday.

How Windows 7 will, and won't, work better with SSDs

The first generation of solid-state drives (SSDs) introduced in PCs last year failed to live up to the hype.

MS touts Windows 7 integration with Windows Server

Microsoft next week will distribute a pre-beta of Windows Server 2008 R2 to a select group of testers and highlight the software's virtualization capabilities, integration with Windows 7 and other features.

Microsoft: Windows 7 will run on SSD netbooks

Netbooks equipped with solid-state drives (SSD) sporting as little as 16GB of storage capacity will be able to comfortably run Windows 7, Microsoft said on Thursday.

Windows 7 Eee PC demonstrated

Microsoft has demonstrated its Windows 7 operating system (OS) on an Asus Eee PC featuring just 1GB of RAM and a 16GB solid-state drive.

Mozilla adds privacy mode to Firefox test build

Developers working on Mozilla's next browser Tuesday added a privacy mode to the still-under-construction Firefox 3.1, a major milestone in the development of the upgrade.

Firefox cracks 20 percent market share in October, then slips

Mozilla's Firefox climbed above 20 percent market share for two weeks last month, but ended October just under the milestone, a Web metrics company said Tuesday.

Microsoft: Data shows Vista more secure than XP

Microsoft's latest security report shows that the number of new vulnerabilities found in its software was lower in first half of the year than the last half of 2007, with the Windows Vista OS proving more resistant to exploits than XP.