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Dell today revealed that it will restore the option to use Windows XP on some of its home systems, marking a potentially damaging blow to Microsoft's hopes for the newer Windows Vista. The Dimension E520 and E521 as well as virtually all of the company's Inspiron notebooks can immediately be custom-ordered with XP in Home or Professional editions, giving cautious buyers the opportunity to use the earlier OS. The change in policy was the result of user feedback, Dell claims. While a popular request through the company's IdeaStorm website, the choice was substantially outnumbered by requests for pre-installed Linux, US-based...

It appears that Dell, which has slipped to the number two PC maker in the world, is determined to follow the advice of consumers on its IdeaStorm website and see where it takes them. The novel approach has already led Dell to commit itself to bring pre-installed Linux computers to market and the latest move pits the powerful PC vendor against the might of Microsoft. Dell will sell XP Home and Professional on six PC models including two desktops and four notebooks. Although Microsoft has said publicly that it will stop offering licences for XP to PC vendors from January...

A few days ago my wife asked someone to install software on her Toshiba laptop, which runs XP Home. Her account (which she signs on as) is (for this purpose) "M." For whatever reason, the friend created a new account on the computer, call it "K." My wife tried using the computer afterward, and when she signed on as M, found that her data files apparently were gone. However, I looked, and saw that all of them were under a new folder for K, within "Documents and Settings." That part is OK. The real problem, though, is that her Outlook...

Pardon a vanity, please. So many articles are coming out about Vista horrors (I'm on Shadowace's Tech ping list) I need to ask a question and get assistance. My out-of-state sister, a complete computer newbie with absolutely no knowledge of how they work or why except how to save a Word document at the office, went and ordered one from Dell last month so she can get email and do some web browsing when she retires later this year. They sent her one with a Vista OS and what she is finding out is the almost no one can help...

When I left for work this afternoon, the desktop on my Dell computer, running Windows XP Media Center, everything updated as far as security stuff from Microsoft, was as it usually is, with all the icons for my various programs showing little art elements representing said programs. When I got in from work tonight, the icons are still there and they still work, but all of the little art elements are gone. In their place are a bunch of little blue and white windows, like dialog boxes, with arrows down in the left-hand corner. The icons in my start menu...

Microsoft, which will end support of Windows XP SP1 in less than two weeks, incorrectly flags users running Mozilla's Firefox browser that they need to update when they visit the Windows Web site. The Redmond, Wash. developer has warned users of the four-year-old Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) several times that it will stop all support for the operating system Oct.10, the next regularly-scheduled patch date. It has repeatedly recommended that users update to Windows XP SP2, which can be downloaded free of charge from the company's Web site. On that Web site, however, users running Windows XP SP2...

Microsoft on Monday briefly posted pricing for Windows Vista on its Canadian Web site, giving an eye into what the company will charge for the new operating system. The posting indicates that the Home Basic edition of Windows Vista will be priced the same as Windows XP Home, at $233 ($259 Canadian). The Home Premium version, which includes support for Media Center and tablet PC abilities will sell for 13 percent higher rate, a price that translates to about $269 in American dollars. Microsoft quickly removed the price information, but blogger Ed Bott, who spotted the price list earlier Monday,...

You may have bought and paid for Windows XP. But Microsoft decides whether or not you can use it. If your XP software is up-to-date and online, it negotiates its validity with Microsoft servers every day. Nothing personal. Just part of Microsoft's Digital Rights Management (DRM) system protecting Redmond's property... checking to see if your Windows software (and heaven only knows what else) is perfectly valid. Evoking memories of RealNetworks efforts to protect themselves from their loyal customers, innocent Microsoft officials explained to the discoverer, Lauren Weinstein, that this constant DRM enforcer is obviously not a constant DRM enforcer. Instead,...

Despite all the hoopla about the introduction of Windows Vista, the truth of the matter is that the new OS isn't due for at least another seven to nine months — and it will probably be even longer before most of us start adopting it. Meanwhile, we've still got to deal with Win XP. In order to make the waiting easier, we've decided to assemble the greatest tips in the history of Windows XP. Here you'll find the tips that give you the most bang for your buck; that are most useful in terms of security, functionality, and PC performance;...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apple Computer Inc. (NasdaqNM:AAPL - News), the maker of the Macintosh computer and iPod music device, on Wednesday rolled out a first-ever software patch to run Microsoft's dominant Windows operating system on its PCs, a move that could draw millions of new buyers. By enabling the move to Windows, the world's No. 1 operating system, Apple hopes to draw people who want Macs, considered by many as easier to use and more stylish, but prefer the Windows operating system. Apple shares rose 5.7 percent in early trade on Nasdaq. Apple said the "Boot Camp" software, available...

Excerpt - Microsoft Corp. said that it will delay the release of its Windows Vista operating system, a failure by the company that will ripple throughout the personal computer industry. The delay marks the second time the Redmond, Wash., software giant has delayed Windows Vista, which is the first update to its core software program since 2001. In a conference call with press and analysts, Jim Allchin, the co-president of Microsoft's Platforms & Services Division, said that the company plans to release Windows Vista under "general availability" in January 2007. ~snip~

A contest to see who could get Windows XP working first on an Intel Mac has been won, according to the contest’s coordinator, Colin Nederkoorn. The Windows XP on an Intel Mac page provides a link to a download that includes software and instructions for use. Nederkoorn first put the contest together after he ordered an Intel-based MacBook Pro for work. “I told my boss that this would replace my IBM desktop and I could boot Windows XP on it,” he said, and to put his money where his mouth was, he put up $100. He suggested that others with...

How to Reinstall Windows XP Without Having to Reactivate With Microsoft To tell you the truth, I have never understood what the big deal is with product activation. The fact of the matter is that software piracy is fairly rampant and that Microsoft is the target for a large percentage of the piracy due to their dominance in the operating system and office productivity software markets. They have a right to try to stop or at least control that privacy and the product activation seems to be a fair way of ensuring that only legitimate software owners get to benefit...

With the announcement of the first Intel based Macs yesterday, many users have rejoiced in being able to dual-boot both Mac OS X and Windows. Unfortunately, this is not the case; due to Apple's use of the extensible firmware interface (EFI) rather than BIOS, current Windows releases will not run on the systems. On Tuesday at Macworld, Apple senior vice president of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller said the company would not specifically block the use of Windows on Mac hardware. Instead, limitations in Windows itself will prevent its use on the new MacBook Pro laptop and iMac. With...

This alert is a follow-up to a post made yesterday on our blog: http://www.websensesecuritylabs.com/blog/ Websense® Security Labs™ has discovered numerous websites exploiting an unpatched Windows vulnerability in the handling of .WMF image files. The websites which have been uncovered at this point are using the exploit to distribute Spyware applications and other Potentially Unwanted Soware. The user's desktop background is replaced with a message warning of a spyware infection and a "spyware cleaning" application is launched. This application prompts the user to enter credit card information in order to remove the detected spyware. The background image used and the "spyware...

VS. This site attempts to bring some objectivity to the OS wars by comparing over 100 topics relating to Mac OS X (10.4) and Windows XP (Home and Pro). . . .

Fix Windows Now! By Will Smith When I reviewed Windows XP, way back in October 2001, I declared it the best Windows yet, awarding it a perfect score of 10 and the coveted Kick Ass award. Oh how times have changed! After four short years, the sparkling luxury sedan of an operating system that was Windows past has been replaced by an unserviceable hulk of an OS that’s one bad app away from a parking spot on cinderblocks behind KFC. Windows is in sad shape, and it needs a lot more than a Service Pack and a few nag screens...

Any recommendations for a good Internet filter? It should: - Stop my kids from seeing the bad web pages - Cause little or no problems with Windows XP - Cause little or no hassle with respect to the Windows XP multi-user, fast-switching feature I've tried NetNanny, CyberSitter, and McAffee software offerings, and have not been satisfied because of the problems they cause. Any recommendations? Thanks! -- Joe

Use of Microsoft Windows XP has grown inside corporations, but a new study shows that nearly half of business PCS are still running the older Windows 2000. The study, released Tuesday by AssetMetrix, underscores a recurring problem for Microsoft: While the company spends billions of dollars developing new versions of Windows and its Office desktop software, many customers are slow to give up older versions of software that's paid for and works just fine. The AssetMetrix study shows that many companies have moved off of other versions of Windows, including Windows NT 4, Windows 95 and Windows 98. Windows XP...

Here you go, some interesting things on Windows XP that may be of use to you. Windows XP Hidden Applications To run any of these applications, click Start --> Run and type the executable name, for example: charmap 1. Character Map = charmap.exe (very useful for finding unusual characters) 2. Disk Cleanup = cleanmgr.exe 3. Clipboard Viewer = clipbrd.exe (views contents of Windows clipboard) 4. Dr Watson = drwtsn32.exe (Troubleshooting tool) 5. DirectX diagnosis = dxdiag.exe (Diagnose & test DirectX, video & sound cards) 6. Private character editor = eudcedit.exe (allows creation or modification of characters) 7. IExpress Wizard =...