Category: Microsoft

Microsoft PR:

Microsoft Corp. today announced that Co-Founder and Technology Advisor Bill Gates stepped down from the company’s Board of Directors to dedicate more time to his philanthropic priorities including global health, development, education, and his increasing engagement in tackling climate change. He will continue to serve as Technology Advisor to CEO Satya Nadella and other leaders in the company.

On June 27, 2008, Gates transitioned out of a day-to-day role in the company to spend more time on his work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He served as Microsoft’s chairman of the board until February 4, 2014.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is doing world-changing work around the globe, and I think it only benefits from more of Bill’s attention and time.

Microsoft has introduced its new lineup of hardware, and all of it looks pretty great. MKBHD has posted a great overview of the hardware coming this fall:

There’s also the Surface Neo, coming at the end of next year:

The Neo will run Windows 10X, a new lite version of Windows that retains the ability to run legacy Windows apps, but is designed for new dual-screen devices, complete with a revised Start menu.

Hi, it looks like you want to read an article about Clippy. I can help you with that!

A really cool move on Microsoft’s part.

Zac Bowden at Windows Central:

Microsoft today confirmed plans to rebuild its Edge browser using Chromium, in a move designed to improve web performance and app availability across platforms. Windows Central reported earlier about the shift in strategy and now it is official.

The new version of Edge is expected to start shipping as a beta in the coming months, and will run on Windows 7, 8, 10 as well as macOS. With Chromium under the hood, users should can expect a better and faster browsing experience than Edge or IE before it could ever offer.

Microsoft Edge coming to the Mac will be the first time Microsoft's flagship browser has been on the platform since Internet Explorer 5.2.3, 15 years ago

— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) December 6, 2018

Microsoft:

Microsoft Corp. on Monday announced it has reached an agreement to acquire GitHub, the world’s leading software development platform where more than 28 million developers learn, share and collaborate to create the future. Together, the two companies will empower developers to achieve more at every stage of the development lifecycle, accelerate enterprise use of GitHub, and bring Microsoft’s developer tools and services to new audiences.

“Microsoft is a developer-first company, and by joining forces with GitHub we strengthen our commitment to developer freedom, openness and innovation,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft. “We recognize the community responsibility we take on with this agreement and will do our best work to empower every developer to build, innovate and solve the world’s most pressing challenges.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will acquire GitHub for $7.5 billion in Microsoft stock. Subject to customary closing conditions and completion of regulatory review, the acquisition is expected to close by the end of the calendar year.

I’m not sure I could think of a better home for GitHub.

Tom Warren at The Verge:

IBM’s first ThinkPad debuted exactly 25 years ago today, with a bright red TrackPoint nub and a classic design that still exists in a modern form. Lenovo, the company that bought ThinkPad from IBM, is celebrating the laptop’s 25th anniversary today with a special anniversary edition of the ThinkPad. Even if every ThinkPad looks retro, this is a particularly retro version of the ThinkPad design based on the current ThinkPad T470 model.

I’ve long said that if I were to switch to Windows, I’d run it on a Thinkpad. If I was buying a PC laptop today, it would be this one.

You can pick one up for $1,899 from Lenovo.

Microsoft’s new desktop has drawn a lot of attention, and some reviews went up earlier today.

The Verge’s Tom Warren thinks the large touch screen and pen support are going to tempt current Mac users:

The fact that Microsoft is even being considered an alternative to Apple’s line of machines for creatives is not something anyone, not even Microsoft, was expecting for the Surface devices. The Surface Studio won’t take over Mac-focused design houses just yet, but that it’s even a possibility is remarkable. The Studio is special because it knows exactly what it is and who it’s for — and it’s largely spot on. If Microsoft keeps developing its strengths here, some of Apple’s most loyal customers might well be tempted to switch camps.

Norman Chan at Tested believes the Studio is a new type of computer, not a direct competitor to the iMac. I tend to agree with this line of thinking — the Studio is a more of a Wacom Cintiq with a computer inside than an traditional desktop.

Devindra Hardawar at Engadget:

The Surface Studio is both familiar and new. It empowers us to work the way we always have, while also giving us entirely new modes of productivity. Personally, that’s a philosophy I can get behind — especially when compared with Apple’s habit of pushing consumers down new roads that aren’t necessarily improvements (hello, dongle life). But the Surface Studio’s high price and lack of expandability could make it a tough sell for an already niche market, especially for people already devoted to their Wacom tablets.

I don’t think this computer is going to be a huge hit, but I like that it exists. Microsoft is doing some really interesting stuff, and that’s good for the entire market.

I believe Apple when it says that touch is wrong for macOS, but this sort of product sure makes me wonder what professionals could do with it.

With that quote, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella closed yesterday’s big keynote in which the company announced a new Microsoft Band, new phones that can become computers when docked, a new Surface and its first-ever laptop computer.

The Surface Book is an incredibly interesting product. It’s a convertible (with an insane hinge) that can become a tablet with the release of a button. It’s built by Microsoft, something that I didn’t expect from a company who has depended on a bunch of OEMs for hardware for decades.

In an interview with The Verge, Nadella didn’t seem phased by the thought of going up against OEMs, saying it allowed Microsoft to push the ecosystem forward.

It and the Surface Pro 4 are more powerful then ever, with seemingly better pen technology than anyone else right now.

All of these devices – and more — are powered by the new Windows 10, arguably Microsoft’s best OS to date. In addition to syncing things across devices easily, Microsoft is betting big on having a single set of development tools for all of these different screens. It’s a different approach then what Apple’s doing with OS X and iOS, and Google with Chrome OS and Android, but I think it can be successful, if the company can prove investing in their platform is worthwhile for developers.

There’s no doubt that the company is on a roll, and these new products extend that further. Yes, the Surface is kinda weird, and yes, Windows Phone feels basically hopeless, but all in all, Microsoft products feel like they’re on the right track.

As an Apple user, I’m glad to see this. Apple needs aggressive competition, and Microsoft seems to be delivering that again.

I grew up in a PC household, and didn’t use a Mac with any regularity until my sophomore year of high school.

The first computer I ever used was my dad’s NEC laptop, running Windows 3.1. A few years later, my parents bought a Gateway PC running Windows 95, which blew my mind as a 9 year old kid.

What I remember most is being impressed was the user interface. It was much easier to use than Window 3.1, with the Start menu leading the way to a new, more organized world.

I wasn’t aware of the massive marketing push behind the OS, obviously. While I’ve read some about it in the years since, this article really is wild.