Tag Archives: WindowsXp

Adobe Photoshop won’t support Windows XP in next major release

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If you still cling to that Windows XP-powered PC as your graphics workhorse, Adobe reckons it's time you upgraded. Photoshop CS6 will be the last release to support Microsoft's venerable operating system, with Adobe stating that advances in more modern OS' and graphics processing have allowed for more 3D and Lighting Effect improvements -- ones that cannot be rendered within the older Windows iteration. It's also worth noting that Vista doesn't support CS6 either, so anyone thinking of upgrading will have to look towards Windows 7, or wait a little longer for the next big thing. Adobe added that specific Creative Cloud updates will also skip over Windows XP users -- even if they still take up fair chunk of the PC crowd.

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Adobe Photoshop won't support Windows XP in next major release originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 02:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista  |  sourceAdobe Photoshop Blog  | Email this | Comments

Google Apps to shed support for Internet Explorer 8, your Windows XP machine won’t cut it

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Google Apps logo

Google has been aggressive about keeping Google Apps owners on the same (web) page. The company's cloud platform typically won't acknowledge any browser more than one version out of date, and it's about to put that rapid upgrade strategy to the test by dropping support for Internet Explorer 8. On November 15th, shortly after IE10 arrives in sync with Windows 8, Google will leave IE8 web app users to fend for themselves -- and, by extension, Windows XP users without an alternative browser. While the cutoff doesn't amount to a full-fledged block, Google Apps users still stuck in 2009 will be reminded that they're on their own until they upgrade. Is it the end of the world for web apps on older PCs? No, but it's clear that their days are numbered.

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Google Apps to shed support for Internet Explorer 8, your Windows XP machine won't cut it originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Sep 2012 20:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceGoogle Apps Updates  | Email this | Comments

Hate Windows 8 already? The Pro OEM edition will let you downgrade as far back as Vista

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Hate Windows 8 already The Pro OEM version will let you downgrade, even to Vista

Relax, Gabe Newell. If you buy a new Windows 8 Pro PC and discover that you really do detest the OS that much, you may be able to switch back to an older version -- either Windows 7 or Vista, but not near-death XP -- under the same OEM license. Will many folks want to do that? Probably not, and in any case these so-called downgrade rights are actually only helpful in specific circumstances and they don't come with boxed retail versions of the software. The main practical benefit (albeit still a niche one) is that a manufacturer could technically offer a Windows 7 disc in the box with a new Windows 8 machine and give customers a choice of OS. Alternatively, the manufacturer could install Windows 7 by default (effectively a factory downgrade) and supply Windows 8 Pro installation media so that customers can upgrade for free when they feel good 'n ready. At some point, of course, staring at a redundant UI-switching button is going to grate.

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Hate Windows 8 already? The Pro OEM edition will let you downgrade as far back as Vista originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Sep 2012 08:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PCWorld  |  sourceKenny Chan (Linked In)  | Email this | Comments

Google Chrome for Windows gets more secure Flash player, gives users a browsing sandbox safety net

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Google Chrome for Windows gets more secure Flash player, gives users a browsing sandbox safety netChrome turned 21 last week, and in that new version, Google's made playing Flash videos in its browser even safer... for Windows users, anyway. This latest release puts Adobe's Flash Player plug-in for Windows in a sandbox, much as Chrome 20 did for Linux. This sandbox is "as strong" as Chrome's extremely robust native version -- even in Windows XP -- which means that Flash-borne malware can't hurt Microsofties. Securing the Flash Player plug-in is the result of two years of work, and was made possible by a new plug-in architecture Google co-developed with Adobe. In addition to the security benefits, the architecture has also brought performance improvements by way of a 20 percent decrease in Flash crashes and GPU acceleration for smoother scrolling and faster Flash rendering. And, while the immediate good news is for Windows users, Google has assured us that a port for OS X is in the works, and it hopes to ship that Mac version soon.

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Google Chrome for Windows gets more secure Flash player, gives users a browsing sandbox safety net originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 19:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Verge  |  sourceChromium Blog, Google Chrome Blog  | Email this | Comments

StatCounter: Windows 7 now powering most PCs, passed 50-percent threshold in June

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StatCounter Windows 7 now powering most PCs, passed 50percent threshold in June

Windows 8 may be on the horizon with a fall 2012 release, but Microsoft's current OS, Win 7, just became the world's most prolific PC operating system, passing the 50-percent threshold last month. According to StatCounter, Windows 7, which overtook XP around the time of its golden anniversary last fall, has made its way onto 50.2 percent of the world's computers, compared to 29.9 percent for Microsoft's eXPerience during the same period. Launched in 2001, XP remains in the runner-up position, but shows a steady decline along with Vista, which never had much of a share to begin with. Oddly enough, iOS also appears as a modest portion of StatCounter's chart, which we presume represents iPads, which in this case fall within the same category (the company tracks mobile operating systems separately, where Android has ticked slightly ahead). If you own a PC running Windows 7, you can rest assured knowing that you're in good company. And we imagine that an even greater number of those current XP users will depart come 2014, when Microsoft has pledged to discontinue support of the aging millennial. Hit up our source link below for all of StatCounter's charts.

StatCounter: Windows 7 now powering most PCs, passed 50-percent threshold in June originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 10:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CNET  |  sourceStatCounter  | Email this | Comments

Microsoft reportedly plans Windows 8 upgrades all the way from XP, wants us to just let go of the past

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Windows 8 Release Preview hands-on

Microsoft has been promising a cheap-and-cheerful upgrade path to Windows 8 for those who buy new PCs. But what about that five-year-old PC in the basement? If the historically well-connected Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet is right, the upgrade path will go further back -- much further. Although upgraders will still want Windows 7 if they need to carry over absolutely everything, tipsters claim that settings can transfer from releases as old as Windows Vista SP1. Those with truly ancient PCs (we're looking at you, corporate customers) can even bring over personal files from an OS as dated as Windows XP SP3. Like we saw last time around, some of the 7-to-8 upgrade rules are a bit Byzantine -- 7 Professional users can't step down to the non-Pro Windows 8 release, for example, and it's equally verboten to change language editions or move from 32- to 64-bit code without a full-scale reinstallation. The extra-long olive branch will be slightly unusual for Microsoft if it's confirmed, but then the company is also trying to move along a user base that in some cases has clung to XP for more than a decade. Redmond is no doubt eager to get rid of our dependency issues.

Microsoft reportedly plans Windows 8 upgrades all the way from XP, wants us to just let go of the past originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DICE to require 64-bit OS for some 2013 games, that Windows ME box in the den isn’t cutting it

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DICE to require 64-bit OS for some 2013 games, that Windows ME box in the den isn't cutting it

We're entering a world of mainstream 64-bit computing -- whether we like it or not. Just weeks after Adobe started requiring 64-bit Macs for CS6, DICE's Rendering Architect Johan Andersson has warned that some of his company's 2013 games using the Frostbite engine will need the extra bits as a matter of course. In other words, it won't matter if you have a quad Core i7 gaming PC of death should the software be inadequate; if you're still running a 32-bit copy of Windows 7 come the new year, you won't be playing. The developer points to memory as the main culprit, as going 64-bit guarantees full access to 4GB or more of RAM as well as better virtual addressing. Andersson sees it as a prime opportunity to upgrade to Windows 8, although 64-bit Vista and 7 (and presumably OS X, if and when Mac versions exist) will be dandy. Just be prepared to upgrade that Windows XP PC a lot sooner than Microsoft's 2014 support cutoff if you're planning to run the next Battlefield or Mirror's Edge.

DICE to require 64-bit OS for some 2013 games, that Windows ME box in the den isn't cutting it originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 14:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Eurogamer  |  sourceJohan Andersson (Twitter)  | Email this | Comments

Ariel Atom-inspired simulator touts world’s first 180-degree spherical projector screen (video)

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The Ariel Atom is arguably one of the greatest bangs for the buck in terms of sports car performance, so it's no surprise that the automaker has paired up with Motion Simulation to design a particularly special simulator for both hardcore fans as well pro racing drivers and pilots. The TL1 has the world's first 180-degree spherical projection unit (technically, three projector screens acting as one) to give you that advance view of the apex without display bezels getting in the way. Its seat not only adjusts to fit different breeds of cars and aircraft but, if you opt for it, tucks in a motion transducer that will properly jolt you when you hit a bump in the road. What may please extra-serious racing game fans the most is the off-the-shelf nature of the computer needed to drive the TL1 properly: as long as your graphics hardware can handle the extra-wide 5760 x 1200 resolution, any typical Windows XP or Windows 7 desktop will do. The real question is whether your wallet can handle it, as the £11,500 ($18,573) PC-less starting price will make it tempting to buy a real Atom instead.

Continue reading Ariel Atom-inspired simulator touts world's first 180-degree spherical projector screen (video)

Ariel Atom-inspired simulator touts world's first 180-degree spherical projector screen (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 May 2012 23:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Autoblog  |  sourceMotion Simulation  | Email this | Comments

Microsoft talks DVD, Media Center support in Windows 8 and why most won’t miss it

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If you have to issue an explanation to follow up an explanation, then it's pretty safe to say the first one wasn't clear enough, and it's under those circumstances that Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky and the Windows 8 team are returning to the subject of Media Center and DVD movie support. After addressing both a few days ago, the internet backlash was (predictably) quick to finding out that Media Center would be available only as an upgrade to the Pro version of the OS, and that without it Windows wouldn't natively play DVDs. What many may not know however, and the new FAQ points out, is that this is not an entirely new thing -- Windows XP did not have support outside of specialized editions or add-ons, several versions of Vista did not play DVDs and on Windows 7 the Basic and Starter editions lacked the add-on. Of course, for most users this doesn't matter in the least since brand new PCs tend to ship with third party software to play DVDs (or Blu-ray movies where applicable, which no version of Windows has or will natively support). Answering the question we had of what this means for users upgrading their own computers, they'll either need to see if they have existing third party software to play DVDs that is compatible with Windows 8, or acquire Media Center post-upgrade.

Continue reading Microsoft talks DVD, Media Center support in Windows 8 and why most won't miss it

Microsoft talks DVD, Media Center support in Windows 8 and why most won't miss it originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 May 2012 10:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBuilding Windows 8 Blog  | Email this | Comments