Windows XP Turns 10 On USENET

Windows XP officially turned 10 years old on USENET newsgroups on Tuesday. Microsoft introduced the software back in 2001, following development under the code name Whistler. It featured numerous enhancements compared to its most immediate predecessor, Windows 2000. XP introduced a streamlined, task-based user interface that allowed advanced users like USENET newsgroup subscribers to more quickly find their go-to applications and files through the Start Menu or lockable Taskbar.

Windows XP didn’t boast exciting new features or radical changes, but it was nonetheless a pivotal moment in Microsoft’s history. It was Microsoft‘s first mass-market operating system in the Windows NT family. It was also Microsoft’s first consumer operating system that offered true protected memory, preemptive multitasking, multiprocessor support, and multiuser security.

When it launched, Windows XP was brilliant. It looked cool and modern compared to Windows 95, 98 and – yikes! – Windows Me, and it introduced a whole bunch of important improvements.

Windows Explorer was overhauled, the system was made much more reliable, driver support was massively improved, ClearType improved legibility for incoming LCD displays, the networking was beefed up, security was tightened, the graphics system was improved… upgrading to XP especially for USENET newsgroup subscribers was a big deal.

By 2006, XP had reached a milestone of 400 million active copies, according to an IDC analyst. The successor Windows Vista was launched in January of 2006, but enthusiasts as well as the notebook segment held on to XP and widely rejected Vista. Microsoft announced the discontinuance of Windows XP several times, but delayed the end of retail sales until June 30, 2008. OEM distribution of XP ended on October 22, 2010. Extended support for XP users is still available until April 8, 2014.

Even if it is a decade old, Windows XP is far from being dead. Industry discussion groups on USENET suggests that Windows XP lost its OS market share leadership position to Windows 7 this month. Windows 7 has 40.41 percent of the market, while XP has fallen to 38.51 percent. This is still far more than Vista ever reached; Vista peaked at 23.60 percent in October of 2009. The new and revised Windows 8 is due out sometime early next year.

From: http://www.newsdemon.com/blog/windows-xp-turns-10-on-usenet/

Windows XP Turns 10 On USENET http://www.newsdemon.com/blog/windows-xp-turns-10-on-usenet/

Is Microsoft Manipulating Ratings to Call IE the Safest Browser?

At risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist, could Microsoft manipulate browser ratings so that its Internet Explorer always comes out on top? USENET newsgroup subscribers are noting the point in many Microsoft related newsgroups.
“Microsoft has always been fond of paying analysts to say that its products are best,” one USENET post reads, “or having partners release reports showing how their rivals’ products are second-rate, and, now, Web sites that ‘show’ how Internet Explorer (IE) is better than Chrome and Firefox when it comes to security.”
They argue that Microsoft manipulates the important aspects of rating browsers. Explorer was given high marks for including the SmartScreen malware detection program that allows software signed using a trusted certificate will be allowed to run, while Chrome allows unknown dangerous programs to be saved but stored in a sandbox to make it difficult to attack the system. Automatic updates with Chrome keep security at a high level, though. Microsoft does not, yet no points were deducted for this shortcoming.
Just as browsers should take security seriously, so should Usenet providers. If you’re in the market for a Usenet provider, make sure they offer SSL encryption security technology to protect your data and system while you browse and share on Usenet. NewsDemon.com Newsgroups offers SSL security encryption for its subscribers.

From: http://www.newsdemon.com/blog/is-microsoft-manipulating-ratings-to-call-ie-the-safest-browser/

Is Microsoft Manipulating Ratings to Call IE the Safest Browser? http://www.newsdemon.com/blog/is-microsoft-manipulating-ratings-to-call-ie-the-safest-browser/

FCC Plans to Bring Broadband to Rural Areas

The Federal Communications Commission plans to bring access to broadband service to Americans currently unable to take advantage of the service. The plan is to adapt the Universal Service Fund to allow the FCC to bring broadband to those who do not have access.

The fund is a 14-year-old government fund worth about $8 billion that helps to bring telecom services to low income and rural areas. The new plan would transfer some of that money dedicated to phone services to a broadband fund. The idea is that by making broadband access more readily available in these areas it will help the country keep pace with the growing technological market.

“If we want the United States to be the world’s leading market for innovative new products and services that drive economic growth, job creation and opportunity, we need to embrace the essential goal of universal broadband, and reform outdated programs so that we are investing in 21^st century communications infrastructure all over the country,” said FCC chairman Julius Genachowski.

The FCC will vote on the new plan at the end of October. It would help to bring broadband access to hundreds of thousands of homes in 2012, and would help to cut in half the number of Americans that are currently unable to access broadband internet over the next five years. The goal is to achieve universal broadband access within the next ten years.

With greater broadband access, business in the area would be better connected, which could allow for business growth in those areas. The FCC also points out the job creation that could take place in the construction industry from building the new infrastructure in the areas.

Usenet, an active community of sharing, debate and discussion of varying topics, could see an increase in its community as more people have access to high-speed internet. Premium providers such as NewsDemon typically allow users connection speeds as high as is allowable by their internet provider. With higher speeds, files download faster and activity could increase in those areas.

Usenet has been around since before the Internet and continues to benefit from the new technologies and greater internet access around the world.

From: http://www.newsdemon.com/blog/fcc-plans-to-bring-broadband-to-rural-areas/

FCC Plans to Bring Broadband to Rural Areas http://www.newsdemon.com/blog/fcc-plans-to-bring-broadband-to-rural-areas/