Windows

Windows 8 will have sole custody of DirectX 11.1, according to a Microsoft engineer.

Responding to a question on an MSDN forum, Daniel Moth, a Microsoft program manager, broke the news that "at this point there is no plan for DirectX 11.1 to be made available on Windows 7."

That same holds true for versions prior to Windows 7, leaving the new DirectX version exclusive to Windows 8, Windows RT, and Windows Server 2012.

DirectX is a collection of programming interfaces from Microsoft that enable 3D animation and other multimedia effects used mostly in games. Developers … Read more

The election is over, the iPad Mini was revealed, and that can only mean one thing: it's finally Humiliation Day time. But before we get to that, we talk business. Namely the fact that Microsoft is rumored to be working on something that would make Karyne quit her job and become a full-time gamer. It's possible that nobody is as excited as she is about this news. Anyone?

Also this week, we mention the rumor that must not be mentioned anymore because it's been talked about to death; we wonder what the point of Google Wallet is; … Read more

Microsoft is trying to help new Windows 8 users by sending them e-mails that explain the new environment.

Users who set up a new Windows 8 PC or tablet and associate it with a Microsoft account will receive two separate e-mails.

The first e-mail, dubbed "Getting Started with Windows," sheds some light on the Start screen with a brief description of Live Tiles. Another section displays and explains the different charms in the Charms bar. And two other sections clue you in on how to switch between or view multiple Windows 8 apps.

Each section offers a "… Read more

The Taiwanese company, best known for its low-cost Netbooks from several years ago, has been one of the most outspoken opponents of Microsoft's new hardware push since the software giant first revealed its plans in June. Comments have ranged from pleas for Microsoft to change its plans to predictions Surface will flop. The common theme is that Acer believes Microsoft should stick to what it knows -- software -- and leave the hardware to its partners.

The problem with that criticism, though, is that it makes Acer look like a … Read more

Videos from Microsoft's Build Conference, an annual event for developers, are now online for anyone to check out.

Posted over the weekend to Microsoft's Channel 9 page, the videos deliver a great deal of coverage of Microsoft's four-day event, including CEO Steve Ballmer's keynote and sessions on developing programs for the company's new Windows 8. Microsoft has also posted videos of its Windows Phone 8-related sessions.

Ballmer's keynote was one of the more newsworthy highlights from last week's event. During his discussion, he noted that his company has sold 4 million Windows 8 … Read more

The company's legendary co-founder was his mentor, and in many ways he embodied what's good and bad about his employer. He had a habit of picking political fights with fellow executives, many of whom say he zealously promoted his group's work at the expense of the rest of the company.

Am I talking about Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky, the Windows chief who was onstage last week for the launch of Windows 8, or Apple's Scott Forstall, the iOS software chief who is being shown the door after the disappointment of Apple maps (and perhaps making too … Read more

Mac owners who use a Windows Phone device now have a new and improved app for syncing their information.

Released yesterday in the Mac App store, the Windows Phone 3.0 app lets users sync movies, videos, documents, and other files between their Macs and Windows Phone handsets. The latest version now supports Windows Phone 8.

Users can drag and drop files between their Windows Phone 8 devices and the Mac desktop or the Finder file manager. They can see the state of the phone's battery charge and take advantage of better support for ringtones. The new app also … Read more

Windows 7 increased its lead over XP in October.

As recorded by Web tracker Net Applications, Windows 7 scored a market share of 44.7 percent last month, a slight gain from September's 44 percent. Over the same time, XP's share fell from 41.2 percent to 40.7 percent.

Though the gap between September and October is hardly earth-shaking, the numbers show that Windows 7 is slowly grabbing more users from the now 11-year-old XP. After years of XP holding the dominant position, Windows 7 finally won the top OS spot in August, according to Net Applications.… Read more

Let me get the bad news out of the way up front: installing personal computer operating systems isn't easy, and Windows 8 is no exception.

I've installed more versions of DOS, Linux, Windows, Mac OS, OS X, Android, and iOS than I can remember over more than two decades, and the fact of the matter is that there's a basic level of technical difficulty. How many average people actually know the name of their hard drives?

It is getting better, particularly with iOS and Android updates or with PC upgrades. But PCs are complex beasts with complex … Read more