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Microsoft has been forced to change the red "x" notification on its Windows 10 upgrade prompts after users reacted angrily to the misleading button. Microsoft dispensed with the historical function of the red "x" in the upgrade prompts to instead use it as authorisation for the upgrade process; clicking the button meant users gave their consent for the upgrade to take place. But backlash from users over the perceived trickery has pushed Microsoft to pledge to modify the button back to its original function. Now, clicking the "x" will dismiss the upgrade prompt and won't initiate the Windows 10 download,...

One thing that really annoys us about Windows 10 is Microsoft’s aggressive upgrade strategy. Steve Jobs famously said “people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” Microsoft must think this is true for Windows 10. And so its developers keep finding new ways to trick Windows 7 and 8 users into upgrading because surely they will like Windows 10 once the see it. Or they’ll just surrender. ... Microsoft acts as if its goal for 1 billion Windows 10 users supersedes the company’s responsibility for its existing Windows customers. This reckless battle has unintended consequences that...

Microsoft has given notice to its original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners that they must no longer sell personal computers with operating systems older than Windows 10 from the middle of next year. Windows 8 PC sales must end July 1 next year Australian time. Windows 7 Professional and Windows 8.1 can no longer be preinstalled on new computers from November 1, 2016, Microsoft said in its updated Windows Lifecycle Fact Sheet. The Home Basic, Home Premium and Ultimate editions of Windows 7 were sunset on November 1 last year by Microsoft.

Just a heads up, if you're stuck with Windows 8 there is a free program called "CLASSIC SHELL" which gives you a start button. You can even choose to simulate XP.I'm stuck with this rig, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna put up with it!

Windows 8 was released late last week, and already this week French security firm VUPEN says it has broken Microsoft’s latest and greatest security features. The company claims it has developed a 0-day exploit for Windows 8 and IE10, by chaining multiple undisclosed flaws together. The announcement came from VUPEN CEO Chaouki Bekrar on Twitter: We welcome #Windows8 with various 0Ds combined to pwn all new Win8/IE10 exploit mitigations. Congrats to our mitigation mitigator @n_joly— Chaouki Bekrar VUPEN (@cBekrar) October 30, 2012 If you’ve never heard of VUPEN, that’s because it isn’t your typical security company. The firm finds exploits...

Microsoft is onto something. With Windows 8 it's better positioned than both Apple and Google to ride the coming laptop-tablet convergence wave.It might even eventually give Microsoft a shot at the all-important smartphone market. To understand why, let's count the ways in which Windows 8 is best.1. Tablet-laptop convergence Laptops and tablets are converging. And only Microsoft has an OS that's fit for that coming unification of devices.Apple has no convergence strategy at this time. That's because it fiercely guards product-specific profit streams and just doesn't go in for making things that cannibalise its own sales.So, Mac Mini is hobbled...