Video game retail sales continued to slide in December, down 22% from 2011
The PC industry isn’t the only one that had a rough time over the holiday quarter. Per VentureBeat, the latest data from the NPD Group …
Microsoft
Samsung cancels Windows RT plans in U.S.
In a major blow to Microsoft (MSFT), Samsung (005930) revealed that it has canceled plans to launch Windows RT devices in the United States. The …
Holiday PC sales declined in 2012 for first time in five years
The post-PC era is arriving faster than many of us had expected. New research from IDC shows that global PC sales in the fourth quarter of …
Expect more suffering for Microsoft and Intel in 2013
The PC industry is in shambles and no one is going to be hit harder than Microsoft (MSFT) and Intel (INTC), according to the latest …
‘Apple is done’ and Surface tablet is cool, according to teens
Apple’s (AAPL) staggering success over the past few years can be attributed to the combination of several key factors. Great leadership is one, great products …
Don’t count gaming consoles out in 2013
Gaming consoles had a rough year in 2012 as sales reached 34 million units, a 24.4% decline from 2011. Research firm IDC believes that sales will …
Google halts ITC patent case against Microsoft in wake of antitrust agreement
The Federal Trade Commission seems to be getting results so far: CNET reports that Google (GOOG) has decided to withdraw a patent complaint against Microsoft (MSFT) …
Microsoft has sold 60 million Windows 8 licenses since launch
Despite initial concerns that Microsoft’s (MSFT) Windows 8 operating system wasn’t living up to expectations, a company executive on Tuesday revealed that sales have been …
Days after defending Windows 8, Acer president bashes Microsoft for ‘confusing’ marketing
It seems that Acer (2353) president Jim Wong can’t decide whether to praise Microsoft (MSFT) or to bury it. Just days after Wong defended Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system, …
iPad growth, Windows 8 ‘confusion’ projected to make PCs a niche product
It’s not hard to come across bearish assessments of the PC market, but Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu has delivered one of the most pessimistic projections of …
Get ready to love touchscreens, soldier: Pentagon signs three-year Windows 8 licensing deal
Whether they’re ready or not, America’s fighting men and women are about to be powered by Windows 8. Business Insider reports that Microsoft (MSFT) has …
Business customers could save the Surface Pro from bombing like the Surface RT did
Microsoft’s (MSFT) Surface has, by all indications, been a dud in the consumer market so far. And while it’s unlikely that Microsoft’s $899 Surface Pro …
Microsoft’s huge R&D budget is useless if its best ideas are poorly executed or never released
PC World’s Matt Smith has a lengthy article highlighting all of Microsoft’s (MSFT) coolest research projects to show that, contrary to popular opinion, the company …
Microsoft called a failing giant that only survives by charging prices that ‘bleed customers dry’
If you want to read a truly pessimistic take on Microsoft’s (MSFT) current problems, look no further than Forbes‘ Roger Kay, who declares that Steve …
One month after its release, Windows 8 desktop share approaches 2%
Congratulations, Microsoft (MSFT): your latest operating system is starting to make its mark. According to new data from NetMarketShare, 1.72% of all desktop computers in December …
Microsoft lashes out at Google’s decision to spurn Windows Phone
Dave Heiner, vice president and deputy general counsel for Microsoft (MSFT), took aim at Google (GOOG) and the company’s unwillingness to develop for Windows Phone …
Windows 8 has problems, but it doesn’t deserve the dreaded Vista comparison
OK, so we all know that Windows 8 is a flawed operating system. In particular, the OS has rather awkward and counterintuitive controls for switching …
Windows Phone Store doubled in size this year
Windows Phone has had a difficult time battling Android and iOS in the mobile space this year thanks to a glaring lack of apps. Unfortunately …
Yet another Microsoft partner says Windows 8 demand is weak
As Microsoft (MSFT) does its best to paint a positive picture of its Windows 8 launch, the company’s PC vendor partners continue to report weak …
New alleged details of Microsoft’s Windows 8 successor emerge
Microsoft (MSFT) is rumored to be switching to an annual release for its operating system starting with “Windows Blue” in mid-2013. According to a PCBeta forum user who …
Microsoft Surface trampled at the bottom of the tablet pile this Christmas
While it does have drawbacks just like anything else, Microsoft’s (MSFT) Surface is a great slate for those looking for a fresh new take on …
Microsoft uses the cloud to cut power-hogging GPS chips’ battery consumption
One sure way to deplete your smartphone’s battery life is to leave GPS services turned on for a prolonged period of time. But now researchers …
NYT: Windows 8 fails to excite, sales off to slow start
Windows 8 has failed to draw the excited masses that some earlier versions of Microsoft’s (MSFT) PC operating system had attracted, according to a report …
Nokia Windows RT tablet will reportedly have a Surface-like keyboard cover, 10-hour battery life
New details on Nokia’s (NOK) rumored 10.1-inch Windows RT tablet have leaked out from The Verge. The tech blog says Nokia’s tablet will go head-on with Microsoft (MSFT) Surface tablet with …
Windows already threatening iPhone in Southern Europe
Kantar Worldpanel’s report for November came out and much has been made of the iPhone market share surge in the United States. What I find interesting …
HTC brushes off Microsoft’s earlier rejection, will reportedly make Windows RT tablets after all
Microsoft (MSFT) may have barred HTC (2498) from participating in the first wave of Windows RT tablets, but that apparently hasn’t stopped the company from …
How times have changed: Microsoft now eagerly courting Apple developers for Windows Phone 8
A decade or so ago, Apple (AAPL) was the company that had to work its tail off trying to get developers to port their Windows-based …
Microsoft says 88% of users shown Windows Phone end up liking it more than their current phones
As the underdog, Microsoft (MSFT) is putting its weight behind educating consumers on the advantages of Windows Phone. The company’s Windows Phone Blog announced that its …
Consumer Reports lists all the reasons to avoid Windows 8 for now
Like a lot of people right now, you might be thinking about buying a new PC for the New Year. But according to Consumer Reports, …
Xbox SmartGlass updated with second-screen ESPN and NBA Game Time app experiences
Little by little, Microsoft’s (MSFT) Xbox SmartGlass app is becoming more useful. Microsoft Director of Programming for Xbox LIVE Larry “Major Nelson” Hyrb announced on Monday the release of the Sports Picks …
