Microsoft launches new Vista version of Windows
490987
Microsoft Corp.  launched Windows Vista for businesses on Thursday and said that by the end of next year more than 200 million people would use the new version of its dominant operating system or new office software and server computer products.
575407
Microsoft will introduce a new system for fighting software piracy with its upcoming Windows Vista and Windows Longhorn Server operating systems, the company said Wednesday.
542839
(InfoWorld) - Microsoft kicked off the day-long launch of itsÂ Vista operating system,Â Office 2007 suite, andÂ Exchange Server 2007Â applications for enterprise users with events at three locations in Asia Thursday. It's the first time that new versions of Windows and Office have been launched simultaneously since 1995 and that makes it one of Microsoft's biggest launches in years. The three products became available Thursday to volume licensing customers. Consumer versions won't be available until next year. "I'm super excited about this launch today. It's been a very long journey but now I can say that we have truly arrived," said Darren Huston, president and chief executive officer of Microsoft's Japan unit. The launch, which began with an event Sydney and was followed with similar events in Tokyo and Beijing, provided Microsoft a stage from which to talk-up the three products and showcase some of the businesses that have already committed to roll-outs. Microsoft Japan already has 57 companies that have said they'll roll out at least one of the three products. The list includes some big names like Sharp, Sanyo Electric, McDonalds Holdings Company (Japan), Nikon, major electric power generator Chubu Electric Power Co., computer game maker Capcom Co., and trading company Itochu. Interest from potential usersÂ in Japan has been high, said Huston. Of 5 million downloads and 1 billion user sessions conducted as part of the beta testing for Windows Vista, about 20 percent have been by users in Japan. The country accounts for about 10 percent of the global IT market. Speaking in Tokyo Jay Jamison, leader of Microsoft's Windows business group in Japan, said, "We are hopeful and optimistic that in Japan Windows Vista will be the most successful business OS release of Windows ever." In Australia companies including BDO Chartered Accountants & Advisers and alcoholic beverage manufacturer and distributor Lion Nathan have already begun testing the products. Later Thursday Microsoft will hold launch events in Munich, London, Paris, Toronto, and New York. A consumer version of Windows Vista is due on Jan. 30 next year in many countries. (Rodney Gedda of Computerworld Australia contributed to this report)
236880
The latest beta release of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is available to the general public as a free download. Microsoft decided to release the update publicly several weeks earlier than planned, easing Vista early adopters' year-long wait for enhancements to the desktop operating system.
653823
Microsoft Corp.  said on  Wednesday it plans to release the first major update to its  Windows Vista operating system early next year.
436303
By GILES TURNBULL  So, Microsoft's new operating system, Windows Vista , has arrived. But what does that mean for ordinary computer users like you and me?   There's a lot more to it than just some swish new special effects, which look nice but don't really add much.
100943
OS, Office and Exchange hit corporates today Microsoft finally launches Vista, Office 2007 and Exchange today. Sort of.â¦
635138
But the battle's not over yet Microsoft launched its latest operating system - Windows Vista - on Monday, a move that will make finding easily exploitable vulnerabilities a lot harder, according to security researchers.â¦
396488
By Bob Mims, The Salt Lake Tribune  Jan. 31--Microsoft's retail launch of its new Vista computer operating  system was marked Tuesday not with a bang, but with something more than a  whimper.
580735
But the fight's not over yet Microsoft launched its latest operating system - Windows Vista - on Monday, a move that will make finding easily exploitable vulnerabilities a lot harder, according to security researchers.â¦
547528
Microsoft Corp rolled out Windows Vista at retailers in 70 countries yesterday, delivering a new computer operating system that aims to better manage the explosion of digital media and protect users from the dangers of the Internet.
737804
By Jessica Mintz  NEW YORK - Acrobatics, blaring music and plenty of hype accompanied Microsoft Corp.'s long-delayed debut of its new Windows Vista operating system.
333365
After five years of development and repeated delays, Microsoft is releasing its Windows Vista operating system for sale to corporate customers tomorrow.
338653
InfoWorld - Hoping to accelerate the adoption of Vista for businesses, Microsoft&#160;on Tuesday unveiled tools&#160;that will&#160;help companies deploy the new Windows client OS, including software that allows older versions of Windows to run virtually alongside Vista.
386524
The new version lets customers upgrade a virtual Windows XP system to Windows Vista and includes USB 2.0 support, among many other new features.
698032
(InfoWorld) - Microsoft will introduce a new system for fighting software piracy with its upcoming Windows Vista and Windows Longhorn Server operating systems, the company said Wednesday. Called the Microsoft Software Protection Platform, it's a collection of technologies that aims to do better at detecting pirated versions of Windows, and will also force unauthorized versions of its software into a limited-functionality mode, encouraging users to obtain a legal copy. People using unlicensed copies of Vista will be blocked from accessing certain features, including a new interface design called Windows Aero, and software for fighting pop-up advertisements called Windows Defender, Microsoft said. The company has already used a reduced functionality mode with Windows XP. Users with an unlicensed versions of Windows will also see a persistent reminder message in the corner of their screen, reading "This copy of Windows is not genuine." The new software is bound to come under scrutiny. Microsoft's previous attempt to reduce unauthorized use of its software, Windows Genuine Advantage, was partially rolled back after it wasÂ criticized as "spyware"Â for stealthily installing itself on users' PCs and reporting information back to Microsoft. Microsoft said the new technologies are necessary to fight software piracy, and said end-users can also benefit because they are less likely to be exposed to faulty or compromised software. End-users installing pirated Vista copies, or who don't register their software using a product key within 30 days, will have their OS functionality reduced. The product key is an ID number assigned to customers for each purchase of Windows. The company said it will also be able to track more easily when products are activated with product keys that have been stolen from a business. Regardless of the authenticity of their Vista copy, all users will have access to Microsoft security updates, the company said. For businesses that use volume license keys for Vista and Longhorn Server, Microsoft will introduce new, policy-based tools for activating those systems. The new tools, called Microsoft Volume Activation 2.0, won't be linked to Microsoft's software billing systems, the company said. Windows Vista and Windows Server Longhorn -- the code name for the next version of Microsoftâs server software -- will be the first products to ship with the antipiracy technologies, but they'll eventually be used in more of its products. Around 35 percent of all software installed worldwide in 2005 was pirated or unlicensed, Microsoft said, citing a figure from the Business Software Alliance, an industry group. More information isÂ available here.Â
743964
Microsoft releases the second beta of a new server aimed at giving users a way to connect and manage Windows Vista PCs, devices, and printers in their homes.