Microsoft will give those at next week's Professional Developer Conference a chance to do more than just write software for the Surface. They'll also have the opportunity to buy a developer version of the machine.

The good news is that PDC attendees will get a 10 percent discount. However, the bad news is the machine will set them back $13,500 even with the discount.

The cost for developers is higher because it includes five software developer kit licenses. However, even commercial customers are paying $12,500 for the Surface. That's above the $5,000 to $10,… Read more

With Microsoft earnings due after the market closes Thursday, here's my top five list of things to watch for:

1. The economy It's obviously top of mind for everyone right now and it will be interesting to see how one of the companies with the strongest balance sheets and most predictable revenue streams expects to be affected.

2. Hiring plans Microsoft has already said it is "rethinking" its staffing plans in the wake of the economy. Word is that some departments have been told to put the brakes on hiring, while Microsoft has said there is … Read more

While most of the excitement around Windows and Office is around the next full versions of the products, Microsoft is also working on the next service pack updates for each product.

In a blog posting on Wednesday, Microsoft said that Office 2007 Service Pack 2 will come sometime between February and April of next year. It also listed many of the features in the update, which includes previously announced support for the Open Document Format.

The Windows team, on the other hand, is offering far less detail.

It will confirm that there is a Service Pack 2 for Vista, but … Read more

Former Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporter Todd Bishop launched his new Web site on Wednesday with an interesting post on what Bill Gates is up to.

The software icon and philanthropist is affiliated with something called BGC3, essentially the name given to Gates' non-Microsoft, non-foundation office. Bishop's source says it's not a commercial venture, while the company's trademark application covers "think tank services."

The company applied for a trademark on the BGC3 name and a C3 logo on September 29. Just what the company plans to do with that trademark remains to be seen.

Gates told CNET … Read more

Microsoft plans on Tuesday to announce "Global Anti-Piracy Day," an effort to gain attention for the steps the company undertakes in order to thwart those who would profit from illegitimate software.

As part of the event, Microsoft is highlighting recent antipiracy efforts in 49 countries, ranging from the filing of lawsuits in the U.S. to a seminar for journalists in Pakistan.

It's the kind of thing that Microsoft does all the time, although the company is aiming for some added ink by grouping together so many actions at once.

"One of the things we want … Read more

Windows 7 and Windows Cloud may be the stars of Microsoft's Professional Developer Conference, but the next version of Office has also landed a role in the production.

Office 14, as the product is code-named, will be discussed at next week's event, with attendees likely to get a peek at a couple of its features, according to sources. Unlike Windows 7, though, folks shouldn't expect to leave Los Angeles with a copy of their own.

In particular, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has talked recently about the idea that the next version of Office will be able to … Read more

Microsoft got another &#@*%-ing patent.

The software maker last week was granted U.S. patent No. 7437290 for, essentially, a technology that lets the company bleep out words in an audio stream that match a list of predefined bad words.

Ars Technica, which reported on the patent both when Microsoft applied for it in 2004 as well as now that it has been granted, notes that the technology could be used for more than just censoring profanity, suggesting that perhaps China or another government would want it employed for other phrases, such as Tibet or free speech.

Ars notes … Read more

Bill Gates may not be hanging around Microsoft's research labs 24/7, but his vision for going beyond the mouse and keyboard seems to be doing pretty well without his day-to-day oversight.

At a user interface conference this week, the software maker plans to present several research papers, including a number designed to take the multitouch interface used in Microsoft's Surface and expand it into new arenas.

Although Microsoft's tabletop computer is still in the midst of its earliest commercial deployments, the company is already hard at work trying to figure out where the technology can go … Read more

Got questions about Windows 7, Windows Cloud or other Microsoft-related topics?

Well, I'm sure I don't have all the answers, but I'm going to be doing my best to tackle questions on all things Microsoft later today as part of our new Editor's Office Hours feature. It's all part of our special coverage leading up to Microsoft's Professional Developer Conference, which takes place at the end of the month in Los Angeles.

You can submit questions here now, and I'll be on live at 11:30 a.m. PDT at the same link. … Read more