Articles by Paul Thurrott

Short Takes: May 24, 2013

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:30:00 +0000

An often irreverent look at this week's other news

An often irreverent look at this week's other news, including a new report about Windows 8 usage that has been misunderstood by most, a hope that Intel’s Haswell chip will save the PC industry, an ITC ruling that clears Microsoft of violating Google patents, an FTC probe of Google display ads, Samsung sells 10 million Galaxy S4 handsets in less than a month, and a US District Court judge preliminarily sides with DOJ in its price-fixing suit against Apple.

Lenovo Again Defies PC Market Slowdown

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:04:00 +0000

Record highs in annual sales, pre-tax income, earnings, and PC shipments

Lenovo on Thursday announced financial results for its most recent fiscal fourth quarter and full year, and the world’s second-biggest PC maker didn’t disappoint. Despite an ongoing PC market slowdown that is hobbling its rivals, the firm posted record highs in annual sales, pre-tax income, earnings, and PC shipments.

Microsoft Reveals Next-Gen Console, Xbox One

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:43:00 +0000

The next Xbox is looking good, but no surprises yet

At a gala event at its Redmond campus, Microsoft on Tuesday revealed that its next-generation Xbox video game console will be named Xbox One and will include the expected feature-set, including a bundled next-generation Kinect sensor and Blu-Ray optical drive. The system will hit the market in November alongside Sony’s PlayStation 4.

On Eve of Xbox Reveal, Microsoft Issues Defense of Gaming Market

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:20:00 +0000

If only things were really this rosy in the video game market

While Xbox has given Microsoft a valuable consumer brand with absurdly loyal customers, it has also paradoxically never directly repaid the billions of dollars in R&D that Microsoft invested, let alone the unexpected warranty repair costs of the current-generation console. But on the eve of a reveal event for its third Xbox device, Microsoft issued an interesting defense of the video game console, arguing among other things that more people are playing games than ever before.

Azure Is the Future of Microsoft

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Windows, Windows, Windows . . . Hmmm . . . Maybe not anymore

The market for on-premises servers and infrastructure is coming to an end. The future is the cloud, which for Microsoft means Azure.

The Microsoft Transition and How It Will Affect You

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:02:00 +0000

Where is Microsoft going with Windows, Office, and its other products in this age of services? Paul examines Microsoft's ongoing transition and evaluates how it will affect you.

Yahoo! to Purchase Tumblr for $1.1 Billion

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:54:00 +0000

Yahoo takes a step into the 21st century with a new media brand

Struggling online giant Yahoo this morning revealed its plans to purchase Tumblr, a blogging service with over 300 million unique users. In a quirky press release, the firm said it wouldn’t “screw it up,” and would instead allow Tumblr to be independently operated as a separate business.

Short Takes: May 17, 2013

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:28:00 +0000

An often irreverent look at this week's other news

An often irreverent look at this week's other news, including Google and Microsoft find some common ground in an unexpected place, Microsoft renews campaign to kill off its best-selling product ever, Dell tanks while Carl Icahn tries to rob its corpse, Gates is ironically number one again thanks to monopoly busting, the DOJ details its evidence against Apple in ebook price-fixing case, and Apple responds by pointing in the other direction.

Larry Page Blames Microsoft for Rift with Google

Wed, 15 May 2013 21:35:00 +0000

Let’s not pretend that Google and Microsoft are anything other than competitors

Google CEO Larry Page got tripped up by a bit of hypocrisy during his appearance at his firm’s annual Google I/O developer conference. At an event at which the firm didn’t announce a single product or service that runs natively on Microsoft’s Windows platforms, Page complained that Microsoft recently added support for Google Chat to Outlook.com without enabling the reverse.

Report: Smartphone Market Moving to Android Monopoly

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:51:00 +0000

But the big story, perhaps, is the fall of Apple

Just last year, industry analysts spoke of a duopoly in the smart phone market, with Google’s Android and Apple’s iPhone slicing up the market between them. But today, it’s pretty much an Android monopoly, with iPhone market share falling precipitously.

City of Boston Drops Microsoft for Google

Tue, 14 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Google snags a high-profile win and Microsoft fires back with its own list

Last week, the City of Boston announced that it's "moving to the cloud" by adopting Google Apps for all city workers and schools. Google Apps will replace "multiple aging on-premises email systems currently in use"—read: "Exchange Server"—and will save the city money each year. But I think it's a huge mistake.

Samsung Claims 5G Wireless Technology Breakthrough

Mon, 13 May 2013 23:23:00 +0000

Wireless is going to be fast ... in the future

Samsung this week claimed to have made a technological breakthrough that will enable true 5G wireless networks with speeds “several hundred times faster” than today’s wireless networks. The catch? It won’t be commercially available until as late as 2020.

Microsoft Reportedly Offers to Buy NOOK for $1 Billion

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:50:00 +0000

No, the firm is not interested in its own Android-based tablets

A report claims that Microsoft is close to purchasing Barnes & Noble’s NOOK business for $1 billion. But Microsoft apparently isn’t interested in the chain’s struggling ebook reader devices. Instead, the firm is looking to obtain NOOK’s digital assets, which it could integrate into its growing digital content ecosystem.

Short Takes: May 10, 2013

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:33:00 +0000

An often irreverent look at this week's other news

An often irreverent look at this week's other news, including an Apple snub of Windows 8/RT, comparisons of Windows 8 license sales and usage, the ever-quotable Acer CEO, Android’s utter dominance of the industry continues, no change of strategy for Nokia, the Chinese invade the US … smart phone market, and a sensitive new driver for the Surface Pro pen.

Microsoft Names New CFO

Thu, 09 May 2013 13:18:00 +0000

Amy Hood is now the highest-ranking woman at Microsoft

Microsoft this week named Amy Hood as its next Chief Financial Officer, replacing outgoing CFO Peter Klein. Hood formerly served as CFO of the Microsoft Business Division, which is responsible for Office, Microsoft’s largest business.

Nokia Shareholders Express Growing Impatience with Turnaround Efforts

Wed, 08 May 2013 13:13:00 +0000

Nokia CEO is running out of time

In early 2011, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop asked exasperated shareholders and fans of the company’s products to give him two years to turn around the company’s fading smart phone market share and financial fortitude. But with those two years expired, the firm has little in the way of positive news to report. And shareholders are getting increasingly edgy.

Is Microsoft Set to Add Hosted VDI to Azure?

Tue, 07 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

A project called Mohoro could soon expand Azure into hosted VDI

If a recent rumor is true, Microsoft is preparing a dramatic expansion of Windows Azure that will include an Azure-hosted desktop virtualization service, or what I think of as a hosted VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) solution. Is VDI about to get a lot less expensive and complex?

Microsoft Has Sold More Than 100 Million Windows 8 Licenses in First 6 Months

Tue, 07 May 2013 03:01:00 +0000

So far, Windows 8 sales mirror those of Windows 7

Microsoft revealed today that it has sold over 100 million licenses to Windows 8 in its first 6 months in the market, equaling the tally for its well-received predecessor, Windows 7, for the same time frame. But this means that Windows 8 is also tracking well below the average monthly sales of Windows 7 over its three years in the market.

Amazon Accidentally Previews First Windows 8 Mini Tablet

Mon, 06 May 2013 12:17:00 +0000

The first of many Windows 8 and RT mini-tablets coming in 2013

We’ve known for months that Microsoft will improve Windows 8 this year to support a new generation of mini-tablets and that it will prep its own 8-inch Surface to take on the Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HD. But this past week, Amazon offered the first conclusive evidence of this next generation of machines when it outted a coming 8.1-inch Acer tablet by mistake.

Short Takes: May 3, 2013

Fri, 03 May 2013 15:01:00 +0000

An often irreverent look at this week's other news

An often irreverent look at this week's other news, including an incredibly inexpensive new Windows 8 tablet, a new rumor about the name of the next Xbox, Nokia’s plan for winning over customers in the United States, the Windows 8 page on Wikipedia is vandalized, Internet Explorer 10 usage surges at the expense of Chrome, NOOK continues to be a bur in Microsoft’s sock, Intel does the obvious, and Activision announces Call of Duty: Ghosts.

Report: Microsoft Surface Already Impacting Tablet Market

Wed, 01 May 2013 22:32:00 +0000

We're number 5! We're number 5!

With just two quarters of Surface sales under its belt, Microsoft is already one of the top five tablet makers in the world, a report from IDC claims. And the firm sold an estimated 900,000 Surface RT and Pro tablets in Q1 2013, despite limited availability of the latter.

Microsoft Stock Surges as Windows 8 Sputters

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:48:00 +0000

Evidence mounts that Windows 8 just isn't taking off with users

Microsoft is experiencing an unexpected surge in its stock price this week after a decade and a half of stagnation. But don’t look to the recently released Windows 8 as the catalyst for this change: According to the latest usage share statistics, Windows 8 is barely moving the needle.

Report: Windows Phone Sees “Steady Growth” in the United States

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:22:00 +0000

A report claims that Microsoft's smartphone platform is moving up in the world

When it comes to Windows Phone, you need to take the good news wherever you can find it. And this week, a report from Kantar Worldplanel claims that Microsoft’s beleaguered smart phone platform has seen “steady growth” in the crucial US market, jumping to its “highest sales share figure so far.”

Microsoft's Billion-Dollar Businesses, Past and Future

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Look at Microsoft's biggest businesses, and a clear picture emerges

People like to compare Microsoft and Apple, but the companies couldn’t be more different. Microsoft's businesses are more diverse than Apple's and are far more business oriented.

Tablet Growth Tied to Success of Mini Devices

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:32:00 +0000

Mini devices rule the tablet market

Apple should be credited for creating the market for media tablets, but it didn’t see the biggest sales trend in this market: the rush to smaller, 7" devices. That misstep has destroyed Apple’s lead in this new market as hardware makers rush to push inexpensive mini tablets out to consumers. But where’s Microsoft?

Short Takes: April 26, 2013

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:43:00 +0000

An often irreverent look at this week's other news

An often irreverent look at this week's other news, including questions about Windows 8 sales, an epic patent fail for Motorola Mobility, my expectations for a Nokia teaser, a really inexpensive Lumia hits T-Mobile this weekend, and Samsung dominates the smartphone market yet again.

Here Comes the Next Xbox

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:27:00 +0000

Microsoft's next Xbox will be revealed in a series of events in the first half of 2013

Microsoft on Wednesday confirmed that the next Xbox video game console, codenamed Durango, will be revealed to the public at a special event at its Redmond campus on May 21. That event will kick off a multi-event unveiling which will continue through June, and then the release of the device, which is expected in early November.

Apple Profits Drop for First Time in Nearly a Decade

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:28:00 +0000

Apple sells more iPads, but those iPads are much cheaper than previous iPads

Apple’s normally triumphant quarterly financial results were undercut by a rare lapse: This was the first time in nearly a decade that the consumer electronic giant’s profits fell year-over-year.

ZTE Signs Patent License Agreements with Microsoft

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:54:00 +0000

Another Android maker bows to common sense

China-based smart phone giant ZTE has joined an ever-growing list of firms that make Android-based devices in licensing Microsoft patents. But this agreement is unique in that it covers ZTE phones, tablets, computers and other devices running both Android and Chrome OS.

Microsoft Begins Consumer Privacy Campaign

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:09:00 +0000

Left unsaid: If you use Google products and services, you're getting Scroogled here, too

Coming in the wake of its eye-opening “Scroogled” campaign, Microsoft’s latest promotion won’t surprise you: This one focuses on consumer privacy and the company's efforts to rally the industry around technologies that protect individuals from being tracked online.

In Fixing Windows 8, Microsoft Is Doing Right by Customers

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Microsoft returns to a core piece of its success: Give users choice

Good news: Microsoft will make changes to Windows 8 in the “Blue” update that will ship later this year, to accommodate users who were disgruntled by the removal of key legacy interfaces.

Surprisingly Strong Quarter Suggests Microsoft Transition Is On Track

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:44:00 +0000

Microsoft is on a roll during a time in which PC sales are falling

For the naysayers writing the obituaries for the PC industry and for Microsoft over the past several weeks, the firm’s surprisingly strong quarterly results—including record revenues of $20.49 billion—must have come as a shock. But this isn’t the first time Microsoft has confounded its critics, who routinely overlook the company’s successful transition to the cloud.

Short Takes: April 19, 2013

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:48:00 +0000

An often irreverent look at this week's other news

An often irreverent look at this week's other news, including a notably missing Windows 8 sales update, a confirmation of smaller Windows devices coming this year, the Start button and ability to boot to desktop are coming to Windows 8.1, Google sells ads and that’s how it makes money, and Wall Street turns it back on Apple, if belatedly.

Microsoft Reports Record Revenues in PC Slump

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 21:07:00 +0000

PC sales slump? What PC sales slump?

In a quarter in which PC sales fell dramatically, Microsoft reported record revenues and earnings per share, confounding expectations. But a surprising uptick from the Windows division was somewhat illusory, and the firm admitted that it would face challenges going forward.

A Jump in Lumia Sales Is the Sole Good News in Nokia Earnings

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:45:00 +0000

Nokia continues to struggle, especially in the US

Struggling smartphone maker Nokia delivered preliminary first-quarter earnings on Thursday, reporting sharply improved sales of its Lumia lineup of Windows Phone handsets. But other bad news dampened any excitement about Lumia sales as the firm continues to fall short of its own promises.

Intel Profits Decline 25 Percent as PC Sales Slide

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 23:54:00 +0000

As the PC market goes, so goes Intel

Declining PC sales hit Intel profits in the most recent quarter though the company posted strong results overall. The company chose to highlight the positive, noting that it generated $4.3 billion in cash in the quarter and maintained revenues despite a soft market.

Sprint’s Future Up in the Air as Second Suitor Emerges

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:54:00 +0000

Sprint receives offers from both Softbank and Dish Networks

The US market for cellular service has been poised for change since AT&T’s aborted merger with T-Mobile in late 2011. This week, the latest attempt to remake this market emerged with two companies, Softbank and Dish Networks, now seeking to take over Sprint, the smallest of the four biggest players.

In Praise of the PC

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

The PC ain't dead yet, Jim

Gartner and IDC industry analysts are at odds about the cause, but they agree on one thing: PC sales are falling far faster than expected. But don’t write off the supposedly beleaguered PC just yet: Most of us will be using these endlessly versatile devices for years to come.

Google, EU Regulators Reportedly Reach Antitrust Settlement Deal

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:49:00 +0000

The EU gets concessions that never occurred to regulators in the United States

According to a report in The New York Times, Google and regulators from the European Commission have reached a settlement after a two-year investigation into the online advertising giant’s search engine. Under terms of the settlement, Google will allegedly change the display of search results to call out its own properties clearly.

Short Takes: April 12, 2013

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:11:00 +0000

An often irreverent look at this week's other news

An often irreverent look at this week's other news, including North Korea’s threats to Microsoft about Windows 8, more rumors of a smaller Surface, a tough reception for Blackberry 10 in the US, Microsoft exec departs after being cyber-bullied, silly Xbox rumors, and Google’s not-quite-enough concession to EU antitrust regulators.

PC Sales Tank Again in Q1 2013

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 23:04:00 +0000

Market analysts from IDC and Gartner report that PC sales dropped off a cliff in the first quarter, falling 12.5 percent, year over year, to 77.75 million units. To blame: Slower than expected Windows 8 PC sales and the continued migration to content consumption devices like smart phones and tablets.

Scroogled: Microsoft Takes Google to Task for Privacy Violations

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:43:00 +0000

Is the best way to win a debate to change the conversation?

Microsoft this week launched a third round of attacks on Google via its “Scroogled” campaign. This time, Microsoft claims that Google shares personal information when a user downloads apps its Play store. Once again, Microsoft is right about Google and raises important issues about this company. But once again the reaction from tech quarters is overwhelmingly negative.

Dead OS Walking: XP Has One Year of Support Left

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:00:00 +0000

The clock is ticking on the Windows XP support lifecycle

This week, Windows XP enters its final year of support. How did a product that was released over a decade ago come to dominate the market, and what are we going to do about the hundreds of millions of XP-based PCs still in use worldwide?

Microsoft, Nokia Accuse Google of Antitrust Violations in European Union

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:17:00 +0000

The charge? Google dumped Android for free to extend its search dominance to mobile devices

An industry consortium that includes Microsoft and Nokia in its member base has formally complained about Google’s Android mobile OS to antitrust regulators in the European Union. The goal? To curb Android’s unfair dominance of the mobile industry.

No Evidence Microsoft Is Merging Windows with Phone

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:42:00 +0000

Wishful thinking?

A report from Digitimes claims that Microsoft is merging the next versions of Windows 8 and Windows Phone into a single product line. But one might argue that Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 are essentially part of the same product family already, with their shared cores and other technologies. Is something deeper in the works at Microsoft?

Short Takes: April 5, 2013

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 03:25:00 +0000

An often irreverent look at this week's other news, including a 1981 photo recreation with Paul Allen and Bill Gates, the Facebook phone that’s more software than hardware, Windows RT price cuts trigger questions, Android dominance will continue and even grow but Windows will always beat iOS, Office for iPad is on the way with even better licensing, Microsoft updates Visual Studio 2012 again, Samsung preps mini-stores to deliver its Apple coup-de-grace, Kindel heads to Amazon, and Apple’s next campus is way over budget.

Reflecting on 3 Years of iPad

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 15:49:00 +0000

Apple has once again changed computing and that's true whether you use an iPad or not

Three years ago this week, Apple invented a new market for tablet computing devices when it unleashed its first iPad on US consumers. Since then, this market has turned into a major business for Apple and, more recently, other companies as well, and I thought this might be a good time to reflect on how the firm has, once again, changed everything.

Microsoft Courts iOS Developers for Windows 8

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 05:01:00 +0000

Microsoft this week began aggressively courting the developers who currently target Apple’s iPhone and iPad, offering them Windows 8 Pro and a Mac-based virtualization solution for next to nothing. The offer is called Windows QuickStart Kit and is aimed at pulling developers out of their current comfort zone. And it was so popular it sold out in just hours.

Windows 8 Usage: Glass Half Full or Glass Half Empty?

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:29:00 +0000

Where Windows 8 usage statistics go to die

How you view usage statistics about Windows 8 probably says more about your outlook on life than it does about how well the OS is actually selling in the real world. Still, it’s always interesting to peer through the looking glass and see what’s happening.

Windows Live Messenger, R.I.P.

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:27:00 +0000

Microsoft's venerable IM client heads off into the sunset

Messenger, you had a good run. But nothing lasts forever. On April 8, 2013, Microsoft will begin a phased end-of-life migration for an instant messaging (IM) application that is still used by hundreds of millions of people. Fortunately, these customers won’t be left hanging with no one to chat with online. Microsoft is moving them to Skype.