If Steve Ballmer’s still pumped 8 months after, there’s a good reason — Windows 7 has reportedly sold its 150 millionth duplicate, only two months after crossing the 100 million mark. If you run a numbers — as well as you have — that translates to roughly seven licenses sole per second given launch, the very available series for Microsoft to tout in their marketing communications from here on out. Perhaps execs can applaud with the good Windows 7 Whopper, surfaced with a fresh .dll plight.

RRoD may be left by omission, though that doesn’t mean your new Xbox 360 won’t spasmodic give you a evil eye. Case in point: this 250GB section spotted over at NeoGAF, that has a red dot pound dab in a center of a energy symbol. What message is it perplexing to convey? Find out after the mangle.

Microsoft’s leaving nothing to possibility –this Xbox 360 takes care of itself.

Before you start removing vehement for something along the lines of Vista’s famous SP1, you should know that the Windows 7 Service Pack 1 that Microsoft plans to recover before long is merely a combination of existent updates, outward of a new Remote Desktop to await brand-new Windows Server 2008 SP1 facilities. Still, that’s not exactly the bad thing: Windows 7 doesn’t require same arrange of use container “rescue” Vista did, and Microsoft’s goal is that the feature-stable, total refurbish could foster some enterprise holdouts to finally take a plunge. The open beta of SP1 will be expelled during a finish of July, with the final version to as if be released shortly after.

There hasn’t just been a ton of Windows Phone 7news to come out of Microsoft’s TechEd conference this week, though the association did take the event to release an updated build of the mobile handling system, that should be one of the final before the release to production. That expectedly brings only teenager changes, including smaller text on the close screen, though it is pronounced to crop up “some-more complete as well as responsive” in demonstrations than prior to, that is always the welcome growth. Hit up a source link next for the few some-more pics.

Up until right away, we’d listened as well as believed which Windows Phone 7 would be based upon Microsoft’s time-tested Windows CE 6 heart — aging, approbation, but still extremely newer and some-more technically modern than a CE 5 upon that Windows Mobile 6.x operates. Thing is, Windows Embedded preacher Olivier Bloch only forsaken a believe this week that a company’s all-new phone height will essentially be “based upon a Windows Embedded Compact 7 core,” that sounds a lot to us similar to Redmond skipped right over CE 6 as well as went straight for a latest as well as greatest (and still taken to a general open things.

[Thanks, Jeff]

That might really good be the case, but Microsoft’s central reply upon a matter is the little reduction transparent. Basically, they’re saying which Windows Phone 7 was built upon the latest release of CE 6 (R3, in case you’re curious), though which they took it serve as well as “incorporated innovative features as well as functionality upon top of a platform.” If you had to theory, what they’re perplexing to say is which the Windows Phone 7 plan was started when a Compact 7 heart was still nothing more than a wink in Steve Ballmer’s eye, so they took a ultimate formula and proposed mucking with it to encounter their needs. It’s wholly probable which a Compact 7 team took which code behind and kept operative upon it to emanate what would in conclusion become what you know as the Compact 7 heart, though that’s not something the company is commenting upon. At least, not directly. Anyhow, here’s a central wordiness:
Windows Phone 7 is formed upon a Windows Embedded CE kernel – a next era of the Windows Embedded CE height will be Windows Embedded Compact 7 when released, as well as a stream chronicle is Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3. Although Windows Phone 7 was built on the Windows Embedded CE heart during the core, a Windows Phone group has incorporated innovative facilities as well as functionality on top of a height to develop an OS specifically written to encounter a needs of mobile phone manufacturers.Oh, as well as only the note: based upon which matter, you competence be wondering how you deduced which they’re observant they proposed with a CE 6 core. Basically, Microsoft is in a surrounded by of becoming different naming conventions in the Windows Embedded operation; the stream recover of CE is 6 R3, though a full name of the subsequent chronicle is Windows Embedded Compact 7. The association states which “Windows Phone 7 was built on the Windows Embedded CE kernel during the core,” so yeah, there you have it.

It’s frequency been a secret which Windows 7 was upon lane to turn Microsoft’s fastest-selling handling system, but a association has only right away eventually made which designation central, as well as additionally revealed which a OS has crossed a enchanting 100 million licenses sole mark in a process. In alternative difference, that translates to Windows 7 being commissioned upon a single in 10 of a world’s PCs only six months after it launched, that is flattering damn considerable any way you cut it — or punch it, as a box may be.

From the common HD-DVD-playing beginnings, a Xbox 360 has grown into the full-fledged set-top box which pulls down HD calm from Netflix, a Zune Store as well as Sky TV (for Ireland as well as a UK). Now, rumors prove an Xbox TV channel competence be subsequent in line. Bloomberg writes which former News Corp. boss Peter Chernin discussed a probability of adding unchanging disdainful programming to a console during an April 12th assembly with Microsoft, as well as reportedly referred to the $1 to $2 enlarge in Xbox LIVE monthly fees to cover a one more price. However, given Microsoft assumingly hasn’t rigorously responded to a offer, this might only be an additional siren mental condition — from a male who suspicion we’d compensate $30 per film for on-demand HD, no reduction. ‘Course, with all this speak of Hulu starting paid, you suspect only about anything is probable.

As most as Microsoft has suggested about Windows Phone 7 to illustrate distant in a past dual months, a single vicious, differentiating component that it’s starting to be means to duke over the competitors — loyal Office await — has been the bit of the black box. We’re starting to see the small bit some-more about a Office team’s next-gen mobile product right away, yet, interjection to the span of new videos which have been published this week. The initial focuses upon a email as well as monthly calendar knowledge, though you do see a single flattering overwhelming trick when a demo opens the PowerPoint file inline from a email customer, edits it, as well as sends it behind to a strange sender. The second video dives deeper upon a tangible Office heart, where you get the discerning look during a Word editor — as well as as you competence design, it’s squeaky-clean as well as scarcely UI-free, only similar to flattering most all else in a height. Peep a videos after a mangle.

[Thanks, skipper]

We’re not utterly certain why it’s taken Microsoft so prolonged to recover it to a general open, though anybody with Windows 7 as well as the touchscreen will no disbelief yet be blissful to know which a formerly OEM-only Windows 7 Touch Pack is right away accessible as the giveaway download. That includes touch-enabled favorites like Microsoft’s Surface Globe as well as Surface Collage, as good as the handful of games together with a Pong-inspired Rebound as well as a “willing” Garden Pond. All set? Then strike up a source couple next to find a 239MB download as well as a finish sum upon what’s enclosed.

About an hour prior to a company’s researcher call, Microsoft has unloaded the third entertain mercantile formula, that to be brief, have been the noted alleviation over final year’s useful (but not in the great approach increase downturn. Reported income is $14.5 billion for a entertain finale March 31st, violence Wall Street expectations as well as culminating in the $4.01 billion net income. Those total bar the $305 million deferral associated to Office 2010 though do embody $78 million a folks in Redmond gave to Yahoo! in the poke understanding. That didn’t assistance a Online Services Division’s bottom line — it reported the $713 million detriment this entertain, compared to the $411 million detriment this time final year. On a splendid side, a Entertainment as well as Devices multiplication (of that Xbox is the partial available $165 million in gain, up from the $41 million detriment year-over-year. Windows as well as Windows Live continues to be a breadwinner, unsurprisingly, with the $3.061b handling income (versus $2.273b in 2009 — prior to Windows 7’s entrance. We’re still sifting by a office work as well as will additionally be listening in upon Microsoft’s 5:30PM ET call, so stay tuned!

Update:Market Watch is stating which Apple has currently surpassed Microsoft upon a S&P 500, with the float-adjusted marketplace top of $241.5b, compared with Microsoft’s $239.5b. Exxon is still during a tip. It’s value observant which this is the free-float index which usually considers bonds straightforwardly accessible for trade, as well as not free-floating bonds such as those hold by association insiders. According to a Wall Street Journal, which critical premonition explains a inequality in between those total as well as what we’re saying in full marketplace worth, where Microsoft’s $275.3b top still bests Apple’s $241.63b. So that is a largest tech association formed upon marketplace capitalization? That depends upon how you magnitude.

Update: The call is upon as well as approbation, we’ll be liveblogging.
3:11PM Natal being previewed during E3 in June, unsurprising… as well as that’s it!
3:11PM Last subject. Q: “Windows 7 ascent cycle… it appears which the lot of business have been starting to insert a ascent with the server 2008 R2 ascent.” Are you intuiting which, as well as would which check a standard cycle as well as / or enlarge server sales? A: “A tall commission of the business have been possibly in commander or prelaunch for deploying Windows 7.” We haven’t seen which materialisation… see? You weren’t blank most.
3:08PM As you might’ve guessed, no, analysts aren’t meddlesome in yet-to-be suggested Halo Reach multiplayer maps.
3:03PM “Multinational OEMs have been being the some-more poignant apportionment of a PERSONAL COMPUTER marketplace.” Piracy is additionally assumingly down, upon the tellurian scale.
2:57PM Most of these questions so distant have been essentially associated to financial, annuities, etc. We’re gonna try to refrain from relaying which as well as only let you know if they speak about any luscious hardware / program sum.
2:55PM Q: “Return to normal seasonality in unmerited income…” as well as so upon. A: Not critical.
2:53PM Q&A time!
2:53PM To explain, which equates to a second half of this monthly calendar year. And we’ve well known all which.
2:52PM Entertainment as well as Devices in initial half of mercantile year. Natal (and launch pretension, Halo Reach, Fable 3, as well as Windows Phone 7. That’s a many sparkling partial we’ve listened nonetheless.
2:47PM Entertainment as well as Devices as well as Mobile groups were discussed quickly — 1.5 million consoles sole, program insert rate 8.8%, initial celebration program income declined before to Halo Wars. Substantially disappoint by Xbox LIVE membership. And only similar to which, we’re behind to some-more numbers.
2:45PM Starbucks, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, as well as others have been “all starting to a cloud cover” with Microsoft. How does this start a normal consumer? It doesn’t unequivocally, though you suspicion we’d share something so you knew you weren’t blank most.
2:44PM “Last Friday, you expelled to production Office 2010.” First accessibility in May, general accessibility in June.
2:43PM Search outperformed marketplace. “We goon to be eager with Bing’s movement.” 10 months of expansion. 11 percent share of poke marketplace.
2:39PM “We guess PERSONAL COMPUTER marketplace grew 25 percent year over year. Within which, you guess consumer PCs grew roughly 30 percent whilst commercial operation roughly 14 percent.”
2:37PM Bill Koefoed, General Manager of Investor Relations, is upon a line right away. Before which was CFO Peter Klein. More monetary total.
2:36PM So distant we’re only listening to someone review from a evidence cards — zero brand-new or sparkling nonetheless.