Windows Weekly 164

Windows Weekly Episode 164

Topics

• Exclusive: Windows 7 Family Pack is making a comeback
  • This holiday season, all markets
• Microsoft layoffs
  • Let the hand-wringing begin, I guess, but this is nothing like last year. I found out about this a month ago, was told this was to send a message to shareholders.
• Xbox Live is apparently a much bigger success than Microsoft let on
  • $1.2 billion in revenues over the last year, about 50 percent of customers are paying $50 a year
• Windows InTune
  • Microsoft is working on a cloud-based PC management solution. Why isn't this available now, and why can't consumers subscribe to this?
• Windows Phone update
  • I've finished the first three chapters in the book (of 16). Will have the device any day now. (Finally.)
• Digital Media Core, the reawakening
  • I'd like to kickstart my Digital Media Core series again. Let's talk about music ripping. I've moved onto 256 Kbps AAC (from MP3). Here's why.
• I bought a new iPhone 3GS
  • Why?

Windows 7 Feature of the Week: Internet Explorer 8

• The web browser in Windows 7 isn't as bad as you think it is, and it is already the world's most-often-used browser.
  • Key features: Web Slices, Accelerators, InPrivate browsing, tab grouping and coloring, visual search in the search box, etc. Honestly, the best reason to upgrade is for the security and stability enhancements.
  • Dubious features: Favorites Bar takes up onscreen real estate, add-ons can quickly kill performance, standards support is iffy (though to be fair, this isn't an issue on the real world web today at all).

Windows 7 Tip of the Week: Use Windows Backup to make a pristine restore point

• Saddled by a PC maker-supplied version of Windows 7 with crapware? Fear not, Windows Backup can help you restore your PC to where you want it.

Software Pick of the Week

• Mozilla Firefox 4 Beta 1 - That was quick!

• And for web developers: Microsoft Web Platform with all-free tools like Internet Information Services (IIS), SQL Server Express, .NET Framework and Visual Web Developer, and more. New version shipped this week.

Significant Products

• Link URL and optional brief description

Sponsors

Audible

• Audible.com/windows
• ad times: 1:07-1:14 and 1:37:28-1:45:38

Picks

Suck It, Wonder Woman!: The Misadventures of a Hollywood Geek by Olivia Munn, Mac Montandon (UNABRIDGED) Narrated by Olivia Munn

GoToMeeting

• GoToMeeting.com/WindowsWeekly
• G2M #8
• ad times: 0:34-0:48 and 21:08-25:03

Drobo

• Drobo.com/windows
• Drobo #6
• ad times: 0:49-1:05 and 1:21-1:25

Production Information

• Edited by: Tony
• Notes:

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