Operating Systems

Microsoft are launching Windows 8 on October 26th this year. Steve Sinofsky, the Windows OS chief unveiled the date at the Microsoft annual sales meeting. To add weight, Microsoft updated a blog post with the information. Having tried the operating system I do remain completely unimpressed, particularly with the Metro …

Mozilla are planning to release the FireFox Operating System, based entirely on HTML 5 and open web standards. The plan is to unlock many restrictions of mobile Web development. Mozilla aim to target the emerging markets, starting with Brazil in 2013. They posted a blog yesterday to say that the …

With Windows 8 retail just around the corner, it would appear that the general feeling from the press is that the operating system might be a step backwards from the excellent, current Windows 7. One of our writers, Harrison recently tried to install Windows 8 on his Core i7 desktop …

As the gates of Computex 2012 are about to open up, Microsoft unloaded the public preview of Windows 8. A quick check in electronics super stores will reveal that many products like printers etc are already claiming compatibility with the new OS – but not many are doing it as …

Interesting morning here at KitGuru central. While we do know several people who have managed to download and install Windows 8, many of us had not given it any thought yet – waiting instead for something closer to a Release Candidate. But, this morning, we thought “What the hell” and …

I installed Windows 8 around a month ago on a spare machine and I have been battling with some aspects of the interface. I am still not sold that this is the ‘next greatest' thing, after using Windows 7. Perhaps it will take some time to adapt to the changes, …

Typically, when a new Windows operating system is launching soon, Microsoft tempts consumers to buy that new desktop or laptop sooner rather than later. How it did this in the past was by offering a free upgrade to the new edition of Windows once it's released. According to reports, this …

Windows 8 is like marmite, you either hate it or love it, according to independent research. Microsoft have a lot riding on the success in the next 2-3 years, especially in the mobile marketplace. They have said that they are going to issue a ‘release preview' of Windows 8 in …

If Microsoft could go back in time and fix mistakes, then alongside the late move to creating a decent browser, no doubt it would also want to reduce how many versions of Windows Vista it put onto the market. While Apple offers ‘products with an operating system that just works', …

Windows 8 hasn't been getting the warm reception from the enthusiast desktop PC audience that Microsoft would have hoped. Many people who have tried the consumer preview are very unhappy with the new interface and can see very few benefits to ‘upgrading' from Windows 7. One of the main sticking …

Ever since Google's mobile operating system, Android, was first released way back in late 2008 it has been Linux without quite being Linux. This is largely in part due to disagreements between developers but thanks to some resolutions Android code has been integrated into the Linux 3.3 kernel. “Various Android …

Microsoft plan on releasing Windows 8 in October according to people who have knowledge of the schedule. The operating system will support both ARM and Intel processor technology. Bloomberg said that their sources didn't want to be named because the plans are confidential. The operating system will support five ARM …

Anonymous have released a new operating system based around Linux which offers a lot of security and sniffing tools. According to reports, more than 30,000 people have downloaded it already. Interestingly however, this appears to have been created by a few members, and the official Anonymous group are distancing themselves …

Following the release of the Consumer Preview of Windows 8 and with many folks trying it and feeling terribly lost without their beloved Start Menu, a third party has come to the rescue and provided a free substitute that does its best to mimic the Start Menu as closely as …

Windows 8 may be floundering in the shadow of the iPad 3, but the consumer test for the upcoming operating system has been met with mixed, yet mainly positive reaction. Microsoft are offering a free download (classed as a preview) for the latest beta version of the operating system which …

For the statistic lovers among us there is a new number to compliment the Windows 8 boot time figure we saw yesterday, the Consumer Preview has already been downloaded one million times. This achievement comes just 24 hours after it was available for download. The new Microsoft operating system “beta” …

The release of Windows 8 looms ever closer and the operating system is already getting a mixed reception. Windows 7 has proven to be almost as popular for Microsoft as Windows XP, so a little hostility was expected, especially with such dramatic interface changes. Microsoft let consumers try the latest …

One of the biggest issues facing PC users is how to get enough Microsoft operating systems to go around. While Apple might offer amazing deals on a complete OS for just over £20, Microsoft has been bleeding users dry for up to £100 at a time – for decades. Now …

Without any real prior confirmation, Research in Motion (RIM) has released its second generation OS for its BlackBerry Playbook tablet today. BlackBerry OS 2.0 for the Playbook brings with it quite the list of updates, some of the most notable being much needed native email, contacts and calendar apps, BlackBerry …

According to ViewSonic's product marketing director in the Asia Pacific region, Max Liu, ViewSonic is planning to expand on its ViewPad line of Android-powered tablets and bring some Windows 8-based models to market later this year when Microsoft outs its next Metro UI wielding OS. During his brief discussion with …

We're hearing of another new feature Microsoft is working on rolling into Windows 8 with the primary objective being to extend battery life further while also improving the OS' performance – App Suspension. Essentially it's an optimization within the kernel whereby any applications currently running in the background that show …

In sunny Monte Carlo, the haute couture revelations are matched only by the inside info unleashed by the major corporation's executives. While Microsoft themselves were tight-lipped, we managed to discover the Windows 8 mega-beta-launch date. The huge freebie period of global beta-testing that Microsoft employed with Windows 7, will be …

Some fresh screenshots shared online of one of the latest builds of Windows 8 (8220) give one significant point of interest and difference in relation to past builds; that being in the way of our beloved Start Menu that has only had subtle changes over many years of Windows releases. …

Microsoft provided a brief overview on Tuesday of its Internet Explorer 10 web browser that will be a part of Windows 8. The details shared confirm that there will be two versions of it; a normal Windows application not unlike existing versions of IE, and a second “Metro-style” touch-friendly browser …

Things look to be moving well for Microsoft's Windows 8 developer team with indication on a Windows developer build tracking site that the next Microsoft OS has just reached final pre-beta build (8189.0.winmain.120120-1830) status; another big milestone met in timely order. The next step in the works requires Microsoft's own …

One of MSDN's most recent blogs goes into detail about Microsoft's efforts to vastly improve wireless connectivity in Windows 8 to the point of even providing native connectivity support for 3G and 4G networking. As it stands now, specialized applications from hardware providers are required for mobile connectivity. The idea …

According to the organisers and exhibitors of the Consumer Electronics Show in Lost Wages, Nevada, Microsoft is the past and – it would seem – that Google is very definitely the future. KitGuru battles insomnia/Jet Lag to check the facts. We all think of the world as windows-based, multi-tasking, interwibble …

Microsoft's Windows 8 is making lots of positive noises to the market. Everything for everyone, it seems. Can Bill Gates' legacy manage to produce a better, faster, cheaper, lighter operating system that can match Apple's locked-down fascism on everything from mobile phones to tablets and desktops? KitGuru places a door …

Every day, we can feel the power of Apple grow, while Microsoft looks increasingly like someone's dad dancing to dubstep. The latest legal action from Bill Gates' legacy has put one of its biggest customers in court. KitGuru watches re-runs of West Wing and prepares to get indignant. Imagine being …

Amazon's Kindle Fire has been a huge success so far, thanks to the low cost and high standard of online store support. That said, many reviewers and consumers have been complaining about the lackluster performance. Amazon have taken the criticism on board and have announced they will release a software …