Tag: microsoft

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Windows gets bash(ed) plus a full shot of Ubuntu

More importantly than bringing the shell over to Windows, developers will now be able to write their .sh Bash scripts on Windows, as well (or use Emacs to edit their code). Microsoft noted that this will work through a new Linux subsystem in Windows 10 that Microsoft worked on with Canonical.

— Microsoft is bringing the Bash shell to Windows 10 | TechCrunch

So this if what all those Microsoft folks at Great Wide Open were so damn giddy about a couple of weeks ago. I must say I’m dumbfounded. Bash will roll out in a Windows 10 update this summer, sooner if you’re part of the Insider program.

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Microsoft ports SQL Server to Linux

The new Microsoft has placed an increased importance on the cloud, and with other companies following suit, reliance on server solutions has increased.  Today the company announces that it is bringing SQL Server to Linux.

Both cloud and on-premises versions will be available, and the news has been welcomed by the likes of Red Hat and Canonical. Although the Linux port of SQL Server is not due to make an appearance until the middle of next year, a private preview version is being made available to testers from today.

— Microsoft brings SQL Server to Linux | BetaNews

This is a big deal, even though it isn’t open source. It is Microsoft acknowledging the increasing dominance of Linux in the data center.

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MSFT Encourages Use of Latest Versions of IE, Urges Upgrades of Commercial Installations

Microsoft recommends enabling automatic updates to ensure an up-to-date computing experience—including the latest version of Internet Explorer—and most consumers use automatic updates today. Commercial customers are encouraged to test and accept updates quickly, especially security updates. Regular updates provide significant benefits, such as decreased security risk and increased reliability, and Windows Update can automatically install updates for Internet Explorer and Windows.

After January 12, 2016, only the most recent version of Internet Explorer available for a supported operating system will receive technical support and security updates. For example, customers using Internet Explorer 8, Internet Explorer 9, or Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 7 SP1 should migrate to Internet Explorer 11 to continue receiving security updates and technical support. For more details regarding support timelines on Windows and Windows Embedded, see the Microsoft Support Lifecycle site.

As some commercial customers have standardized on earlier versions of Internet Explorer, Microsoft is introducing new features and resources to help customers upgrade and stay current on the latest browser. Customers should plan for upgrading to modern standards—to benefit from the additional performance, security, and productivity of modern Web apps—but in the short term, backward compatibility with legacy Web apps may be a cost-effective, if temporary, path. Enterprise Mode for Internet Explorer 11, released in April 2014, offers enhanced backward compatibility and enables you to run many legacy Web apps during your transition to modern Web standards.

 

via Stay up-to-date with Internet Explorer – IEBlog – Site Home – MSDN Blogs.

Even though January 2016 may seem like the distant future, it’ll be here before you know it. If your still using apps that rely on IE 8 or 9 you’d better get those upgraded or risk running into issues later.

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Finally! MSFT Surface Windows 8 Pro Arrives In January, 2013

There was no word on the Surface Pro though, until now. Tami Reller, Windows and Windows Live Division chief marketing officer, reveals at the Credit Suisse Annual Technology Conference 2012 that Surface Pro will launch in January 2013. Today, Microsoft also revealed pricing: $899 (64GB); $999 (128GB).

via Microsoft Surface with Windows 8 Pro arrives in January.

This version of the Surface will be a fully powered Windows tablet and should make it a popular choice in the business market since it run legacy x86 applications as well as apps from the Windows Store.

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MSFT Reporting Long Awaited Demise of IE6

http://techcrunch.com/2012/01/03/microsoft-celebrates-the-demise-of-ie6-in-the-us

Internet Explorer 6 — long a thorn in the side of many web developers because of its quirks, limited feature support, and cockroach-like resistance to extinction —is finally on its last legs in the United States. And Microsoft is celebrating. In a post on the Windows Team blog, Roger Capriotti, Director of Internet Explorer Marketing, writes that Internet Explorer 6 is now down to less than 1% market share in the United States according to the most recent data from Net Applications. It’s far from the first country to reach that milestone — Austria, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Norway have done it already — but it also had far more Internet users to convert. Alongside the US, Microsoft also notes that the Czech Republic, Mexico, Ukraine, Portugal and the Philippines have all dipped below the 1% mark as well.

And while it might sound a bit odd to hear about Microsoft celebrating the demise of software it built long ago, this isn’t a change of heart for the tech giant — the company has been doing its part to help IE6 die for quite a while.

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MSFT 2nd GPL Release is a Live Services Plug-in for Moodle

Today, Microsoft announced the Live Services Plug-in for Moodle, a free download released under the General Public License v2 that integrates Microsoft’s Live@edu services such as email, calendar, instant messaging and search directly into the Moodle experience.

What’s even better is that this new, integrated experience is accessible via a single sign-on, which lets teachers and students access the resources and services they need to efficiently communicate, collaborate and learn.

via The Microsoft Live Services Plug-in for Moodle Debuts – Port 25: The Open Source Community at Microsoft .