Windows 8 - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

• Windows 8 launch offers brief mention of enterprises

  Microsoft gave a faint wave to enterprises during its Windows 8 launch party, but held off on the details.

• Microsoft showcases Aussie apps at Windows 8 launch

  Microsoft Australia this morning staged a local launch for the latest incarnations of its Windows operating system: Windows 8 and Windows RT.

• Windows 8 coming out party: New Microsoft OS runs on all kinds of hardware

  Windows 8, Microsoft's bold new operating system, officially debuted this morning at a coming out party in New York City highlighted by a display of the wide variety of devices on which it can run - from PCs to tablets to hybrids to laptops to notebooks.

• Microsoft's Wave of Office, Server Product Releases Brings Flood of Questions

  Amid the Windows 8 buzz, Microsoft has released to manufacturing Office 2013, Exchange, SharePoint and Lync server products. Not surprisingly, there's a heavy emphasis on the cloud. There's also already talk of what might appear in the first service pack releases, which brings into question the whole RTM model.

• Microsoft seeks to catch up in tablet market with Windows 8

  Windows 8 is finally here and the stakes are sky high for Microsoft.

• In Pictures: 13 new Windows machines that aren't Surface RT

  Microsoft's Surface RT tablet has been consuming daily news cycles lately, but there are plenty of other manufacturers fighting for attention as we approach the Windows 8 launch day on Oct. 26. Luckily, Microsoft's partners (we can still call them that, right?) are all providing some truly unique and intriguing hardware options. They're not getting the attention of Surface RT, but who knows, maybe one of the following 13 machines is really the new Windows device to beat. After all, we only gave Surface RT 3.5 stars out of a scale of 5. We start our tour of Surface alternatives with the Asus Vivo Tab RT, shown here.

• In Pictures: 9 things enterprise IT will like about Windows 8

  Microsoft has simplified its versioning system, which was much too complex. Instead of up to nine different options with Windows 7, Windows 8 comes in Home, Professional and Enterprise.

• In Pictures: The new breed, Windows 8 PCs that innovate

  These eight next-gen tablets and laptops show a new spirit of innovation in PCs

• Microsoft dropping physical box sales of Windows 8 in China

  Microsoft will not sell Windows 8 as a physical boxed product in China and instead will only distribute the OS through downloads and pre-installs on devices, in a move that could help the company drive consumers away from pirated copies of its products.

• Dell's $US499 XPS 10 matches price of Microsoft's Surface tablet

  Dell's XPS 10 tablet with Windows RT will start at $US499, matching the price of Microsoft's Surface tablet that became available last week.

• Acer Q3 profit up from previous year's financial loss, but revenue down

  Taiwanese PC maker Acer reported a small profit in the third quarter, after a larger loss a year earlier. However, revenue decreased as the company transitions to selling new PCs running Microsoft's new Windows 8 operating system, it said Monday.

• In Pictures: 15 hot Windows 8 hybrid notebooks and tablets

  Microsoft's Windows 8 launch on October 26 is nearly here, and new device announcements are coming so fast you need a scorecard to keep up. One of the big themes with this touch-centric Windows release is touchscreens on everything including Ultrabooks, tablets with keyboard docks, or new all-in-one convertible PCs. Some critics aren't buying the hybrid device craze that Windows 8 is inspiring, but if you ever wanted to a touch-enabled laptop, there's never been a better time to buy.

• Windows 8 picture password is 'Fisher-Price toy' says father of 2-factor authentication

  The <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/79442">Windows 8 feature</a> that logs users in if they touch certain points in a photo in the right order might be fun, but it's not very good security, according to the inventor of RSA's SecurID token.

• Tech stories of 2011: Jobs, Android and Anonymous rank in top 10

  In 2011, the increasingly mobile and socially networked world of technology became more intertwined than ever with politics and the law. Patent wars shaped competition in tablets and smartphones, hacktivists attacked a widening array of political and corporate targets, repressive regimes unplugged citizens from the Internet, and the U.S. government moved to block the giant merger of AT&amp;T and T-Mobile USA. With the passing of Steve Jobs, the world lost a technology icon who redefined the computer, entertainment and consumer electronics industries. These are the IDG News Service's picks for the top 10 technology stories of the year:

• Windows Store to be available in February

  Microsoft will open its new Windows Store to customers in late February together with the beta of Windows 8, an executive of the company said Tuesday.