In surprising news, Microsoft CEO and longtime employee Steve Ballmer announced Friday his plan to retire within twelve months following the selection of a successor.
How to Customize a PC’s Manufacturer & Support Info in Windows
Anyone who has ever used a PC from a company like Dell or HP has likely noticed the custom manufacturer and support info in the Control Panel. But what if you’ve built your own computer or installed a fresh copy of Windows? Here’s how to add your own custom system information and logo.
How to Choose Between the 32-bit and 64-bit Versions of Office
Many PC users have upgraded to 64-bit versions of Windows and third party software, and they enjoy the increased access to system memory and speed that the architecture provides. But it’s not a good idea to run every app in 64-bit mode. One example is Office, and we explain why some users may prefer the 32-bit version.
Popular Cross-Platform Benchmark Tool Geekbench Hits 3.0
Primate Labs, the company behind the popular multi-platform benchmarking tool Geekbench, released a major update to the software late Thursday. Version 3.0, a paid update, introduces dozens of new and revised tests, separate scores for single-core and multi-core performance, a new file format for storing results, Dropbox integration, and a completely revamped interface across all versions. Geekbench measures processor and memory performance only, and does not consider factors such as drive speed and GPU capabilities while calculating its score. While…
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Microsoft Confirms October 17 as Windows 8.1 Launch Date
Following up on the Windows 8.1 launch rumors from earlier this week, Microsoft on Wednesday announced the official rollout schedule for the anticipated update. Windows 8.1 will launch to the public digitally starting at 4:00 am PDT on Thursday, October 17 (7:00 am EDT). It will be available via retail locations the following day. The Windows 8.1 update brings many changes and refinements to Microsoft’s controversial Windows 8 operating system, which launched last October. While not abandoning the core design…
Windows 8.1 on Track for Late August RTM with Mid-October Launch
After announcing last month that the upcoming Windows 8.1 update will ship to vendors (otherwise known as “release to manufacturing,” or RTM) in late August, Microsoft is gearing up for a mid-October public release, according to sources speaking Monday with ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley. Notably, it looks like TechNet and MSDN subscribers won’t be getting the final build early, and will have to wait until the public launch: The new word, one of my best tipsters tells me, Microsoft is…
Keep Windows XP Looking Fresh with the Royale Theme
After multiple extensions, Microsoft is finally ending support for Windows XP on April 8, 2014. While recent hardware and software advancements require newer versions of Windows, many users prefer the user interface and relative simplicity of Microsoft’s nearly 12-year-old operating system. Windows XP is starting to show its age from a design perspective, however. The default “Luna” theme really looks out of date compared to more modern designs. Thankfully, it’s easy to keep Windows XP looking fresh with themes. One…
Create Apps in Your Browser with Windows Phone App Studio
Microsoft this week launched a novel new app development tool aimed primarily at first-time programmers. The tool, called Windows Phone App Studio, is a free, web-based platform for developing Windows Phone apps, and gives practically anyone with access to a modern browser the ability to create fully functional, if limited, apps which can be shared locally or published to the Windows Phone Store. We’ve heard from many potential Windows Phone developers who have great ideas, but who might not have…
How to Create a Windows USB Installer
More and more Windows PCs are shipping without optical drives, making it a bit more inconvenient to reinstall Windows from a disc. There’s always the option to attach an external DVD drive via USB, but a better and more future-proof method is to create your very own Windows USB Installer. Here’s how. Download or Create an ISO The first step to creating a Windows USB Installer is obtaining the source data. If you purchase Windows online or opt for a…
How to Bypass or Disable the Office 2013 Start Screen
Microsoft Office 2013 uses a default start screen that lets users choose a document template and gain easy access to recently saved documents. While this can be handy, some users prefer to always have Word, Excel, or PowerPoint open with a fresh, blank, new document. Here are two ways to bypass or disable the Office 2013 start screen. Disable the Office 2013 Start Screen on a Per App Basis If you’re a heavy Word user and always want Word 2013…