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Judging by its initial sales, Windows 7 is certainly proving more popular than Vista.

Microsoft sold 234 percent more boxed editions of Windows 7 than it did Vista in the initial releases of both products, according to research released Thursday by NPD Group.

In actual dollars, Windows 7 has also been more successful than Vista. However, early discounts on pre-sales copies and a lack of a promotional boost behind Windows 7 Ultimate led to revenues only 82 percent greater than those of Vista.

"Ultimate was a much bigger part of what Microsoft did with Vista, whereas this time I … Read more

Perhaps you are impressed with pilots who stealth-bomb unsuspecting parts of America. Like Texas.

You know, the pilots who frighten horses while delivering an explosive new device to American soil--the Motorola Droid. Well, perhaps, then, you are male.

Somehow, viewing Motorola's televisual covert activities leaves one with a troubling instinct that the Droid brand will be somewhat different from the iPhone. Somewhat more male, to be precise.

One of Apple's most brilliant and constant talents is to make its brand and the design of its products appeal equally to both sexes.

Apple's music is often sung by … Read more

There are many ways of showing respect to those you don't actually respect.

So it's touching to see that Apple has not only produced a few "Get A Mac" ads to darken the hearts of those about to upgrade to Windows 7, but has also donned its Wellington boots, gone down on its knees, and offered a dig in the grubby world of search.

I am grateful to The Next Web, who discovered that Cupertino has been throwing a few grenades into Google searches such as "Download Windows 7" and "Windows 7 download.&… Read more

Have you ever been hurt by a lover who went back to her ex?

Have you ever experienced that constant troubling frisson, even when you were with them, that it was only a matter of time?

Well, might I offer you a little televisual solace? Jerry Seinfeld, he who walked a mile in Bill Gates' shoes with the man himself, has gone back to his first wife, the Mac.

It seems almost a movie from an alien world to remember Jerry and Bill buying shoes and moving in with a normal American family.

I know some found these ads bizarre. … Read more

The jingle competition held recently by Microsoft must be tattooed to the tips of your tongues.

For those who might have been attending a serious yoga retreat at the time, a man called Jonathan Mann won $500 for a ditty that some described using a word that rhymes with ditty.

It seemed to me to be rather good business at the time. Microsoft spent very little money and received much publicity. However, some new footage of the Bing jingle being performed has struck me in the eyes and buried itself in my worried parts.

You see, it features many, many … Read more

Perhaps you are one of those who saves your credit card information on your Xbox remote so you can buy points at the very time your mood demands them. Perhaps you also have a dog. Then this story from Fox News will be important to you.

Greg Strope and Christine Payne of Richmond, Va., were lying in bed one night, when Greg got an e-mail from Microsoft. No, Redmond wasn't wondering if they'd like to buy a slightly used copy of Windows 7. Nor was this a late-night Bing jingle phone karaoke invitation.

Did I mention Greg was … Read more

Humans are essentially post-rationalizers.

We go off into the world and do things and then work out reasons why we've done them in order to create some sense of, well, order in the mess that we continually create. We claim that the reasons we have for doing as we do are good. But how good are they really?

Which is why I wonder what will happen when people come face to face with Verizon's new Motorola Droid.

I have been staring at CNET's pictures of the smartphone. I have scoured the Web for pieces of footage. To … Read more

Perhaps you were one of those who voted for your favorite corpse to be one who will participate in the Tweance.

The Tweance? Yes, the Halloween seance to be performed upon the heavenly medium that is Twitter.

Famous and entirely reliable psychic Jayne Wallace is to tweet her way to and through heaven and hell this Friday, between the hours of 10 a.m. and midday British Thoroughly Awful Time (3 a.m. to 5 a.m. Pacific)

We, the grieving earthly leftbehinds, were asked by the organizers--some folks called Angels Fancy Dress--to vote for our most cherished and lost … Read more

Art knows no boundaries. Neither does the level of emotion inspired by an assault on the culture of Apple.

Just last week, Verizon's Droid attempted to offer a hearty dose of spittle to the iPhone, so one upset Apple aficionado has decided that the Good Empire must strike back.

He has created a YouTube rebuttal that, he believes, offers some perspective.

He says: "iDon't need scare tactics." He says: "iDon't need to imitate." And he declares that the force is with him because "iDon't need a Droid...unless it's R2D2.&… Read more