operation

Windows RT could become the platform that helps Microsoft gain tablet market share. But before that can happen, vendors are going to have to pay a hefty sum just to get their hands on it, according to a new report.

Tech site VR-Zone reported yesterday that it recently spoke with several tablet vendors at last week's Computex trade show in Taiwan. And in those discussions, it found that Microsoft is charging between $80 and $95 for Windows RT, the company's ARM-ready operating system. The majority of those vendors said that they were quoted $85.

Microsoft is facing an … Read more

Mountain Lion, originally seeded to developers in February, will be available from the Mac App Store in July for $19.99.

Apple's new operating system takes the Mac OS in a new direction, with Apple integrating a number of iOS-inspired features from its mobile devices. Apple SVP Craig Federighi says the new OS has over 200 new features, including notifications, Reminders, Game Center, Documents in the Cloud, and Messages. Many of these features are standalone programs, but some such as the Notification Center and sharing tools are systemwide services. Apple is also enhancing security options with its Gatekeeper technology, … Read more

Windows RT won't provide much of a kick for Windows 8 tablets and PCs over the foreseeable future.

At least, that's the outlook from J.P. Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz.

In an investors note out today, Moskowitz said that Windows RT may be an interesting long-term bet. But several challenges await.

The Windows 8 version cooked up for ARM-based processors faces a lagging ecosystem, Moskowitz said, which means a lack of compatible apps and hardware devices and limited backward compatibility with existing applications.

ARM also faces competitive pressures from Intel, which is pushing its x86-based ultrabooks and other … Read more

As is always the case with every Apple event, there's really no way we can know what the company will announce at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference keynote on Monday. I'm personally hoping Tim Cook will walk out there with the iPhone 5 (my iPhone 4 is getting a little rough around the edges), but others are saying that won't come until fall. We're probably about due for a Mountain Lion update as well, but many are saying that won't be here until later in the summer.

Of course that leaves a ton of possibilities, from new laptop refreshes to Apple TVs, and who knows what else Apple has up its sleeve. But most people agree that an announcement about iOS 6 will probably be a major part of the presentation this Monday.

With that in mind, I've got a few things on my personal wish list for iOS 6.… Read more

Look out Windows XP, Windows 7 is hot on your tail.

After a long reign as the world's dominant OS, XP is in danger of being knocked off its perch by the current flavor of Windows.

Surveying the OS landscape in May, Net Applications pegged Windows XP's market share at 44.8 percent and Windows 7's at 40.5 percent. That's the narrowest gap between the two since Windows 7 debuted in 2009. It's also a significant change from April when XP held a 46 percent share and Windows 7 a 38.8 percent share.… Read more

Those of you who want to try out the new Windows 8 Release Preview can install it from an ISO file or run a full setup that guides you through the upgrade process.

If you want to skip to the chase and just download the ISO file, you can find it at Microsoft's own site or through CNET's Download.com.

Microsoft provides both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 8 RP across a variety of languages. After you download the ISO file, you can burn it onto a DVD using the Windows Disc Image Burner in Windows 7 … Read more

Android continues to dominate the U.S. smartphone market, according to data released today by market researcher ComScore.

Google's mobile operating system captured 50.8 percent of the market for the three months ending in April, a 2.2 percent increase over the three months ending in January. Meanwhile, Apple's iOS accounted for 31.4 percent of the market in April, a 1.9 percent increase over January.

The gains by Android and iOS were made on the back of Research In Motion's struggling BlackBerry OS, which lost 3.6 percent of its market share to finish … Read more

The bottom line: If at first you don't succeed, update and update again. Regular Chrome OS updates over the past year have made it faster, with better offline support and more compatibility with traditional file formats. But it's still only for die-hard Googlers.

Review: Welcome to the Chrome channel. Google's operating system started off last year as being little more than all Chrome, all the time. Updates made over the past year have given Chrome OS users better file format support, faster navigation, revised menus, dramatically improved offline abilities, and a new, traditional-looking desktop.

But if you … Read more

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer didn't actually say that there will a half-billion Windows 8 users next year, despite earlier reports.

Earlier this week, AFP reported that Ballmer told attendees at the Seoul Digital Forum in Korea that there could be 500 million Windows 8 users worldwide next year. As one might expect, the online world was set ablaze by the news, since it took Windows 7 some 18 months to hit only 350 million licenses.

However, soon after the report was published, Microsoft issued a statement to Computerworld saying that Ballmer's comments were taken out of context, and … Read more