Microsoft can't afford to support OEM Vista?
Microsoft might have $7.6 billion in spare cash in the bank, but when it comes to supporting users who purchase Vista on a new machine, the software giant is all too ready to cry poor.
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15.5.2007 How long will Microsoft support XP and Vista?
In the Talkback section to another post, a reader asks a question about when Microsoft plans to drop support for Windows Vista. I hear variations on this one all the time, so I figured it’s worth covering here.
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22.9.2008 Microsoft shelves RSA SecurID support in Vista
Microsoft has shelved plans to include native support for RSA's SecurID tokens in Windows Vista, even though the company has been trialling the technology for almost two years.
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2.5.2006 Microsoft Raises Consumer Vista Tech Support Costs
More money, less help is the bottom line on Microsoft's Vista and Office tech support.
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8.2.2007 Vista not to support EFI
On Thursday, at the Intel Developer Forum in San Fransisco, Microsoft development manager Andrew Ritz revealed that Windows Vista, the successor to the aging Windows XP expected to be released later this year, will not support EFI booting. Ritz admitted that EFI support will not be seen until Longhorn Server is released in early 2007, and on top of that it will never support a 32-bit processor.
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10.3.2006 Microsoft to support 1394b standard
Microsoft Corp. will provide support for the IEEE1394b standard "within a reasonable time" after the launch of Windows Vista, according to a Microsoft Corp. representative who attended the IEEE1394 Trade Association meeting held here last week.
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1.5.2006 Vista Loader 2.1.3 - Windows Vista Activator 2008 Support SP1 with No Boot String
Vista Loader is one of the most successful Vista activation crack available to date, second only to physical modify (hardmod) the BIOS to include SLIC table to make BIOS Vista activation-compliant.
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15.5.2008 Google Talk 1.0.0.104 gets Vista support
The new version of Google Talk doesn't appear to have any new features, but it does now have support for Windows Vista according to the download and "What's New" pages.
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7.1.2007 Security Vendors Lagging on Vista Support
Windows Vista's revamped security features are posing difficulties for some IT security vendors looking to make their software work on the new operating system.
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2.3.2007 Microsoft and Intel to Support HD-DVD
Microsoft and Intel on Tuesday pledged their support for HD-DVD, the next-generation DVD format created by Toshiba. Microsoft had previously remained neutral in the standards war between HD-DVD and Sony-backed Blu-ray, as the company's VC-1 Windows Media Video codec will be included with both formats.
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Redesigned Microsoft.com doesn't support Firefox, Opera?
Take a trip to the preview site for Microsoft's new homepage and you'll notice a nice shiny new layout with a fresher look and feel to it, provided you're using Internet Explorer.
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30.7.2006 Microsoft to support Chinese document standard
Microsoft is expanding its repertoire of document formats. The company on Monday is expected to announce that it is sponsoring an open-source project to create a converter between Ecma Open XML--a set of file formats closely tied to Microsoft Office--and a Chinese national standard called Unified Office Format (UOF).
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21.5.2007 Native PDF support in Office Vista (12)
Today's another exciting day as we move closer to Beta 1. We are just wrapping up the MVP summit here in Redmond and we've finally announced another piece of functionality I've wanted to talk about for a long time now. This afternoon Steven Sinofsky announced to our MVPs that we will build in native support for the PDF format in Office "12".
I constantly get asked by customers if we can build in this support for publishing documents as PDF files, and now I can thankfully say "yes!" It's something we've been hearing about for years, and earlier in this project we decided that while there were already existing third party tools for doing this, we should do the work to build the functionality natively into the product.
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Partners and retailers rally apps, support for Vista
With the consumer launch of Windows Vista on the horizon, Microsoft's software and retail partners are preparing for the launch with applications and support for the new OS.
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25.1.2007 Apple Releases Boot Camp 1.2 with Vista Support
Apple has posted a new version of Boot Camp today. Boot Camp 1.2 brings several updates, including Windows Vista support.
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29.3.2007 Microsoft adCenter Upgrades Include Firefox Support
Microsoft adCenter has a new release launching Saturday, August 5th, and one of the upgrades includes the long awaited Firefox browser support.
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1.8.2006 Microsoft: Sony's 1080p Support on PS3 is all Hype
It's not uncommon for companies to downplay features that its products don't have in comparison to its competitors. Companies will usually talk about how customers won't likely use the feature or how it's not cost-effective to implement such features at a certain price point.
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19.8.2006 Microsoft to end Windows XP SP1 support
It has been well-known that Microsoft has ended extended support for Windows 98, 98 SE, and Windows ME. This support ended on July 11 of this year.
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30.8.2006 Microsoft bumps support prices for Windows, Office
Microsoft's per-incident customer support prices were quietly bumped last week as the company rolled out the newest version of its operating system, Windows Vista.
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6.2.2007 Microsoft boosts support for rival formats in Office
On Wednesday, the company said it plans to add new formats to Office 2007, including the Open Document Format (ODF), Portable Document Format (PDF), and XML Paper Specification (XPS).
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21.5.2008 Microsoft Pledges Windows XP Support Through 2014
In an unprecedented move, Microsoft has committed to providing support services for its soon to be retired Windows XP through 2014 -- a full 13 years after the operating system was originally released.
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29.6.2008 Microsoft to Expand Bing Translator Language Support
Moving forward with its machine translation technology, Microsoft has indicated that it plans to expand the service in order to cover additional languages.
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7.7.2009 Microsoft Denies Preparations To Support OpenDoc in Office 12
Redmond (Washington) - In a statement to TG Daily, a Microsoft spokesperson has officially denied that the company is making plans to support OpenDocument Format (ODF), the XML-based file structure developed for Microsoft Office's open-source competitor, OpenOffice.org.
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TeamDirection Pledges Support for Microsoft Office Groove 2007
TeamDirection, creator of the
project management and dashboard tools for Groove Virtual Office Project
Edition, today announced support for Microsoft Office Groove 2007, as well as
continued support for TeamDirection Project and Dashboard for Groove Virtual
Office version 3.1 customers. Together the TeamDirection tools and Groove
Virtual Office allow distributed teams to coordinate their activities in a
digital project workspace.
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22.2.2006 Microsoft Announces Extended Support for XP Home/ MCE
Today, Microsoft is announcing the addition of an Extended Support phase for the Windows® XP Home Edition and Windows XP Media Center Edition operating systems, providing consumers with an additional phase of support.
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24.1.2007 Microsoft Adding Sony Blu-ray Support To Windows
CEO Steve Ballmer said his company is working on Windows device driver support for the Blu-ray high definition movie format.
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12.3.2008 Microsoft: June 30 not end of Windows XP support
April 29, 2008 Concerned that customers are confusing the impending end of Windows XP retail availability with the end of support, Microsoft Corp. has reminded users that the aged operating system will be supported until early April 2014.
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2.5.2008 Microsoft Hardware Support for the Windows 7 Operating System Beta Release
If your computer is running a beta version of the Windows® 7 operating system, the following information can help you select the correct beta software to download for your Microsoft Hardware product.
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23.1.2009 Microsoft courts open-source vendors to support Win Server 2008
When Microsoft officially launches Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008 in one fell swoop on February 27, it will have a cadre of software, hardware and services partners backing its play.
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27.2.2008 Live.com Adds Firefox Support
Just one week after the launch of Live.com, Microsoft has added support for Firefox to its new services-based Web site. But the upgrade is not entirely bug free; a minor flaw causes the tabs in search results to display improperly. The problem will be fixed shortly, according to developers.
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Microsoft: No Vista on Intel
Macs
Microsoft confirmed reports
that at least the initial
Intel Macs from Apple would
not support Windows Vista,
telling BetaNews Friday that
its next generation operating
system would not support the
EFI boot process being used by
the new systems...
betanews.com -
11.03.2006Microsoft offers free support for Vista SP1 installs
Microsoft Corp. is offering free support to any
Windows Vista user experiencing
problems with installing Service Pack 1 (SP1), according to a company spokesman.
"
needing technical support regarding
your installation of Windows Vista SP1, please go to the following URL and choose the bottom option that says, 'Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (All
Languages),'" said Brandon LeBlanc, a Microsoft employee who posted several comments to the company's Vista blog. The link LeBlanc pointed users to led to a Vista
SP1-specific support site.
"You have a variety of options you can choose for support, all of which will not cost you any support fee," said LeBlanc. "I repeat:
Support for SP1 will not cost you anything."
winbeta.org - 24.03.2008
Microsoft comes clean on Vista SP1 driver and vLite issues
As you may have been aware having certain drivers installed on Vista will prevent SP1 from installing. Microsoft had not exactly been forthcoming on
which drivers but has now made the list available to the public.
The company listed the affected drivers in a support article. It consists of mostly audio and display drivers but there are
warnings for fingerprint readers as well.
Additionally, users are warned against using vLite to strip features out of a Vista
installation and install using it. Microsoft says that could also prevent the installation of Vista SP1. The previous support article lists
possible causes and solutions.
winbeta.org - 19.03.2008
Adobe Reader 8.1 Brings Vista Support
Adobe on Tuesday released the
first major update to both
Acrobat and Reader 8.0, adding
support for Windows Vista and
remote printing capabilities
through a partnership with
FedEx Kinko's. Version 8.1
also brings integration with
Microsoft Office 2007...
betanews.com - 07.06.2007
DirectX 11 coming to Vista
As with Windows Vista, the newest version of Windows brings with it a newer version of Microsoft's DirectX. Windows 7 was released with Direct X
11 support, and it was initially thought that Direct X 11 support would remain a 7-only technology. Reports indicate that a platform update is being
pushed via Windows Update that will enable DirectX 11 support on Vista PC's. With an impressive lineup of Direct X 11 games announced which
includes Crysis 2 and The Lord of the Rings Online, Vista users will be happy to know that they can go out and purchase a Radeon 5870 and use it to
its full potential.
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 03.11.2009
Windows Vista SP1 Application Non-Compatibility List
Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista is an important update for Windows Vista. Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) contains many security, reliability, and
feature updates for Windows Vista. A program may experience a loss of functionality after you install Windows Vista SP1. However, most programs will
continue to work as expected after you install Windows Vista SP1.
This article lists programs that have been reported to
experience a loss of functionality when they are installed on a Windows Vista SP1-based computer.
winbeta.org - 19.02.2008
Microsoft Vista SP2 beta: Nothing new has been added (yet)
If you install the beta of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) expecting to see visible changes to your version of Vista, you'll be sorely
disappointed. At least in this initial beta, all the changes are under the hood, and even they are far from earth-shaking. Microsoft says that it has
fixed compatibility problems with the third-party Spy Sweeper and ZoneAlarm security applications, enhanced hardware support for Direct X, improved
Wi-Fi connections after a system resumes from sleep, improved Windows Search, added support for the newest Bluetooth specification (2.1) and rolled up
all previous Vista updates.
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 09.12.2008
ZoneAlarm Security Suite 7.1 Adds Vista Support
Check Point Software today
released ZoneAlarm Internet
Security Suite 7.1, a
Vista-compatible version of
its flagship security suite.
Vista-compatible versions of
ZoneAlarm Antivirus and the
popular free ZoneAlarm
Firewall are also available.
Past versions of
ZoneAlarm's products have
relied on Microsoft's TDI
(Transport Device Interface)
to track network behavior.
Windows Vista retains support
for TDI, but introduces the
new Windows Filtering Platform
(WFP). While porting to Vista
using TDI would have been
easier, Check Point chose to
support WFP for this
Vista-compatible version. When
installed on Windows 2000 and
XP, however, version 7.1 will
still use TDI.
Check
Point is the first major
security vendor to make use of
the Vista-specific Windows
Filtering Platform. Company
representatives explained that
Microsoft will stop fixing
problems with TDI in the
future, so by utilizing WFP,
users can be prepared for
Vista threats...
winbeta.org - 14.06.2007
Five years support for Vista Home, Ultimate
Microsoft Corp. yesterday said
it would limit support for
three versions of the Windows
Vista operating system,
including its most expensive,
to five years rather than the
usual 10 years.
The company defended
the difference by noting that
the clock just started
ticking. "End of life-cycle
support for Windows Vista is
still five years out," a
spokesperson said in an e-mail
response.
However, the software maker
left the door ajar. "As
we've done in the past,
Microsoft will continue to
evaluate the support life
cycle for Windows Vista and
make decisions about extending
support if and when it is
necessary," the spokesperson
added.
jcxp.net - 03.03.2007
Microsoft: Just five years support for Vista Home, Ultimate
Microsoft Corp. yesterday said
it would limit support for
three versions of the Windows
Vista operating system,
including its most expensive,
to five years rather than the
usual 10 years.
The
company defended the
difference by noting that the
clock just started ticking.
"End of life-cycle support
for Windows Vista is still
five years out," a
spokesperson said in an e-mail
response.
However,
the software maker left the
door ajar. "As we've done in
the past, Microsoft will
continue to evaluate the
support life cycle for Windows
Vista and make decisions about
extending support if and when
it is necessary," the
spokesperson added.
neowin.net - 01.03.2007
Windows Vista Interface Causes Problems For Consumers, Support Firm Says
Navigating Windows Vista's
Aero user interface is a big
problem for many consumers
learning Microsoft's
6-month-old operating system,
a technical support company
said Thursday.
Support.com<
/a>, which offers technical
support to consumers, said the
top three reasons people
called for Vista help were to
solve navigation problems,
device incompatibility, and
home networking issues.
While Vista is "a leap
forward in terms of usability
and functionality," it
requires consumers used to
working with older versions of
Windows to learn something
new, Anthony Rodio, chief
marketing officer for
Support.com, said in a
statement. "We know very well
that any major switch in
operating systems can
initially cause confusion and
problems for end-users," he
said. "Consumers often suffer
from frustrating issues that
prevent them from using their
computer for its intended use,
whether it's simply accessing
their e-mail system or
printing a document."..
winbeta.org - 13.07.2007
Apple Adds Vista Support to Boot Camp
Apple on Wednesday pushed an
update to its Boot Camp dual
booting feature, providing
support for the 32-bit version
of Windows Vista, as well as
updated drivers for various
hardware included with Intel
Macs...
betanews.com - 29.03.2007
Microsoft won't ditch Vista until at least 2011
Even after the release of Windows 7, it looks like Microsoft won't be quick to ditch Vista according to Computer World. Microsoft plans to
continue selling Vista until January 2011. However, they will drop support for Vista in less than 3 years. This seems to go against an earlier hint
by a Microsoft General Manager that the company would get rid of Vista as soon as Windows 7 was released. However, Microsoft not ditching Vista as
soon as Windows 7 is released shouldn't come as a surprise. It's a company policy to keep an OS in distribution for 4 years after its debut.
So what do you think, Neowin?
Read
full story.....
neowin.net - 05.05.2009
Microsoft can't afford to support OEM Vista?
Microsoft might have
$7.6 billion in spare cash in
the bank, but when it comes to
supporting users who purchase
Vista on a new machine, the
software giant is all too
ready to cry poor.
Conventional wisdom
holds that if you feel the
urge to upgrade to Windows
Vista, buying it pre-installed
on a new machine is the best
way to go. The advantages are
allegedly twofold: there
should be fresh and functional
drivers for all the built-in
hardware, and you get OEM
pricing (much lower than the
retail $400-$700 price range)
for your new OS.
That
discount pricing comes with a
nasty twist, however. Because
you've purchased an OEM copy,
Microsoft won't extend to you
the courtesy of a 90-day
support period for Vista,
which it does offer to
customers who struggle through
the upgrade process on their
existing machines. Instead, it
will direct you straight back
to your hardware manufacturer...
winbeta.org - 15.05.2007
Announcing (English only) support for Vista CPP participants
Nick White of Microsoft writes
on the Windows
Vista Team Blog: We're
pleased to announce the
addition of best-effort phone
support (in English only) to
North America CPP participants
of the Windows Vista Customer
Preview Program (CPP) using
English-language versions of
early test builds of Windows
Vista (Beta 2, RC1 or RC2).
This is another step
in our process of ramping up
preparations for the 30th
January general availability
of Windows Vista. We'll of
course begin offering product
phone support to the general
public on the first day of
Windows Vista's
availability.
For
all CPP participants, the newsgroups remain the most valuable
channel for finding helpful
information on general issues
related to Windows Vista.
Volume License
customers looking for Windows
Vista Enterprise- or
Professional-level support
today should visit the Microsoft
Windows Vista Solutions
Center and the Windows
Vista Help & Support
page.
neowin.net - 14.12.2006
Adobe Lightroom 1.1 Supports Vista
Adobe on Wednesday rolled out
version 1.1 of its Photoshop
Lightroom application, the
company's image processing
application for professional
photographers. The update
brings support for Windows
Vista, a new image management
system, improved noise
reduction and sharpening, and
additional RAW file support...
betanews.com - 27.06.2007
Fix Windows Vista Help and Support
If you have been getting the dreaded "Internet Explorer cannot download / from help" error message when attempting to open Help and Support in
Windows Vista, try this fix. It re-associates the .xml file type with its default settings. Once you've merged this into the registry, re-launch Help
and Support and it should work.
You can download the fix here.
winbeta.org - 02.01.2008
Microsoft to Drop PDF Support
in Office
Amid threats of a lawsuit from
Adobe, Microsoft acknowledged
Friday that it would remove
support for saving files in
PDF from Office 2007, as well
as dropping its own rival
format XPS from the
productivity suite and Windows
Vista...
betanews.com - 03.06.2006
SP2 for Vista, WS2K8 to enter beta Wednesday, will support Blu-ray
With Microsoft picking up the pace in both the development and marketing of Windows 7, it's also finding itself moving ahead with the next amendment
package for Vista not too long after the release of SP1...
betanews.com - 25.10.2008
Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless
Microsoft has released a "Feature Pack" for Vista, providing the operating system with enhanced wireless capabilties.
The Microsoft
Support page lists the following features:
▪Bluetooth version 2.1 support
▪Unified Pairing user interface
▪Windows Connect Now updates
Windows has never traditionally had Feature Packs on the client side, though such releases have
been made for Server operating systems.
Although details relating to the release are publicly available on the Microsoft Support site, no
download link is available, and users are required to contact their computer manufacturer for a copy of the feature pack.
jcxp.net - 18.04.2008
