Technology News: Operating Systems

Google's Strange and Shiny New OS
November 20, 2009

Google just keeps invading new territories, and its latest target is your computer's operating system. It's officially released the open source code for its Chrome OS, an operating system that will turn up in third-party vendors' netbooks. Those devices should start selling next year. With Chrome, Google takes a very different approach than major OSes like Windows, Mac OS, or even most Linux distributions.

Google Spills Chrome OS' Guts
November 19, 2009

Google on Thursday opened the source code for its fledgling Chrome operating system to developers. This means "Google developers will be working on the same tree as external developers, and we're looking forward to working with the open source community," said Sunder Pichai, vice president of product management at Google.

Windows 7: Burning Simplicity to Save the OS
November 19, 2009

The reason Windows Vista seemed slow, and somehow, strangely seemed even slower over time, is now abundantly clear to Microsoft's architects: The evolution of computer hardware, particularly the CPU, exceeded anyone's expectations at the time of Vista's premiere in early 2007.

Maemo Edges Out Symbian in Nokia's N900 Smartphone
November 18, 2009

Three months after Nokia announced its N900 smartphone, the device has arrived in the United States. The N900 runs on the Linux-based Maemo platform, and Nokia's hype around it raises questions about whether the company plans to replace its older Symbian platform with Maemo. Meanwhile, rumors that Nokia might purchase device maker Palm have been swirling around in the market.

Microsoft Goof - One Small Snag in a Code-Licensing Quagmire
November 17, 2009

Microsoft will soon release the source code and binaries for a Windows 7 tool that was recently found to contain code licensed under the GNU General Public License. The tool in question is the company's free Windows 7 USB / DVD Download Tool, which enables consumers to create bootable USB drives or DVD backup media from the electronic software edition of Windows 7 that comes in an ISO format.

Microsoft Addresses Prickly Pair of Windows 7 Flaws
November 16, 2009

Windows 7, which was publicly released Oct. 22, has been hit by at least two security flaws. One of these lets hackers execute code remotely; the other lets them trigger an infinite loop remotely, causing a kernel crash. Both are flaws in SMBv2, security researcher Laurent Gaffie, who posted details about them on his blog, told TechNewsWorld.

VMware Fuses Performance With Convenience
November 16, 2009

There's more than 50 new features in the latest version of VMware Fusion -- an application that allows Windows and OS X to run together in a virtual environment on a Mac -- but the one that has users raving is the big boost in performance. "I installed VMWare Fusion 3.0 just a few days ago," Leon Kotovich, president and CEO of AgileSequent told MacNewsWorld.

Rumor: Google Greasing Chrome OS for Launch
November 13, 2009

Google will release its Chrome operating system for download within a week, according to a report in the blog TechCrunch, which sited an unnamed source. Launching the OS as soon as possible makes sense, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group. "I would expect the Chrome OS will show up shortly because they need the ecosystem ready by the end of 2010," he told TechNewsWorld.

The Netbook OS Enigma
November 12, 2009

On Monday, Apple rolled out the 10.6.2 update to its Snow Leopard operating system, which concentrated mostly on general bug fixes and stability issues as well as some issues in Mail, MobileMe and Safari. In all, there are more than 100 improvements, and more than 40 security-related fixes. However, the big talk today is that this update officially terminates support for Intel's Atom processor family.

Windows 7 Gets a Bye on Latest Patch Tuesday
November 11, 2009

Microsoft's newest computer operating system has survived its first few weeks on the market without needing any security fixes. Microsoft plugged several security holes Tuesday, but none are aimed at Windows 7, which was released Oct. 22. That's to be expected, said Ben Greenbaum, a researcher at the antivirus software company Symantec.

Snow Leopard Smashes Atom
November 10, 2009

Apple on Monday issued its latest update to its Snow Leopard operating system. Mac OS X 10.6.2 fixes a slew of bugs and glitches that users had been complaining about. It also froze out Intel's Atom chip, leaving "hackintosh" users -- people who use do-it-yourself methods to run Mac OS X on Intel-powered netbooks -- out in the cold.

Will Hardware Block Moblin's Path to Netbook Nirvana?
November 09, 2009

Until recently, netbooks seemed to be computers designed by a subtractive process. That is, you start with a notebook design, and you scale back on the cost by equipping it with lower-power processors, less on-board storage, smaller screens, and either open source software or truncated desktop operating systems.

Security, Speed and the Trouble With Transparency
November 08, 2009

The key selling point for Windows 7, as emphasized in a concerted advertising campaign that stretches across both TV and the Web, is that it's leaner, simpler and faster. It doesn't have to complete the phrase "faster than ..." because we all know how to complete that phrase. Microsoft's bet for Windows 7 is that users smart enough to complete that phrase, care.

Windows 7 Flies Off the Shelves
November 06, 2009

Sales of Microsoft's Windows 7 boxed software over the first three days of its release have vastly surpassed those of its predecessor, Vista, for the same time period, according new figures from the NPD Group. Specifically, NPD's weekly tracking service is reporting that Windows 7 software sales in the U.S. were 234 percent higher for those three days, compared with Vista's sales.

Does Wine Make Linux Too Loose?
November 05, 2009

Following the Karmic Koala's joyful reception last week, sentiments toward the FOSSy marsupial have become distinctly less enthusiastic in recent days -- at least for some. "Early adopters bloodied by Ubuntu's Karmic Koala" was the headline on a piece that ran in The Register on Tuesday, which chronicled multiple cases of frustration among some users upgrading to the new version.

Sony Ericsson Starts Some Early Buzz for a Late Android
November 03, 2009

Handset maker Sony Ericsson on Tuesday announced the new Xperia X10 smartphone. It will run on the Android 1.6 mobile operating system, also known as "Donut." The Xperia X10 will begin shipping to select markets next year. In announcing the Xperia X10, Sony Ericsson named the handset as the flagship device of a family of phones coming to market during the first half of 2010.