it would not surprise me to see this platform installed on desktop Thin Clients

Posted on July 4, 2012 by newsblog

The Google Cr-48 on vacation in Marco Island, Florida

As I type this, I’m sitting on the balcony of my vacation timeshare in Florida overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.

I considered leaving all of my primary computing devices home this Christmas vacation, and seeing if I could “Rough it” with just our Android-based smartphones.

Instead, I decided I would compromise — this vacation, I left my prized iPad and my work laptop PC home, and brought along two unproven traveling companions — a Google Cr-48 Chrome OS-powered notebook and another device which I’ll discuss in a future article.

As it has been widely reported already by ZDNet and other technology news outlets, the Google Cr-48 is a limited-production notebook computer, of which only 60,Office 2010 pro key,000 have been produced and which will serve as a technology demonstrator and large beta test of Chrome OS, Google’s 100-percent Cloud-dependent operating system.

Beta testers are invited to apply to join the program, but only a lucky few will be chosen. Only certain members of the press were given access to these systems — as it turns out, I was not one of them and Google has declined my request to put the device through an extensive formal review process, citing availability and high demand for the units.

However, one of my industry colleagues who received the unit to evaluate felt I could do a much better job putting the Cr-48 through its paces than they could, so we met the night before I departed for Florida to share dinner and drinks and to transfer the goods. My wife and I have been using it as my main computing device on vacation ever since.

Chrome OS is little more than a Linux kernel which allows the core services and the hardware drivers of system to function and to support its only “App” and central UI, the Google Chrome 9.0 browser. The Chrome browser in turn acts as a front-end to Google’s services,storage server 2008 key, such as GMail, Google Docs and their Web Store, which allows a multitude of other web-based apps to be plugged into a centralized menu screen.

If you know how to use a web browser,Office 2010 Pro Plus key, you pretty much already know how to use Chrome OS.

ZDNet Coverage: Google Cr-48 and Chrome OS

While Chrome OS’s source code is Open Source, you can’t easily install the latest Google build of the software on any old x86 hardware yet like you can with a typical Linux distribution such as Ubuntu or Fedora.

It is expected that other vendors are going to pre-load this software on future mobile computing products. This begs the question of whether or not Google is actually going to provide some sort of installable “distribution” for hobbyists and OEMs,Office 2010 Key, or if a 3rd-party is going to take the source code and run with it, such as with the early “Hexxeh” builds that were made available by a UK-based college student this last year.

As it is a pilot program, the Cr-48 is meant to be something of a reference platform for future mass-produced Chrome OS netbook hardware, but to say that the template is set in stone is highly unlikely. There will almost certainly be different variations on screen sizes,Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade Key, battery life and connectivity options for Chrome OS-based products.

Additionally, it would not surprise me to see this platform installed on desktop Thin Clients, such as on devices produced by WYSE and similar manufacturers addressing that vertical market as well as for end-users in the consumer space.

The hardware on the Cr-48 is specifically designed to take advantage of this minimalist approach. The Pegatron-produced device resembles a standard Intel Atom-based netbook computer with a 12″ screen,Vista Key, but that is where the similarities end. For example, the keyboard has been optimized to discard all legacy keys from Windows and even the Mac.

All of the function “F” keys have been eliminated, and replaced with browser action keys, such as Page Back/Forward, Page Reload,Visio 2007 Key, Fullscreen toggle and Window toggle. The Caps Lock key has also been eliminated, perhaps as a nod to conventional Internet messaging etiquette.

For mouse navigation, Google has provided an oversized trackpad manufactured by Synaptics (The “Clickpad” ) which can either be lightly tapped to confirm dialog activity or mechanically depressed. There are no mouse buttons, and the “Right-click” function is done by either using “Alt-tap” or “Alt-depress” or actually hooking up a two-button mouse to the notebook’s single USB port. Cursor navigation is provided using arrow directional keys.

In my use of the device,Windows Xp Key, I’ve found that an inexpensive two button optical mouse with scroller (which I purchased from the local Radio Shack down here in Marco Island) goes a long way towards preserving your sanity and vastly improves the overall experience using Chrome OS, particularly if you are used to working with PCs and/or the Chrome browser on Linux or Windows.

[EDIT: Apparently, you can also right-click by tapping or clicking on the Cr-48 trackpad with 2 fingers, side by side, OS X style. It also supports 2-finger scrolling.]

Next: The Browser-only OS Learning Curve »

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see my earlier review of the IE9 beta

Posted on July 4, 2012 by newsblog

Update: Now that Microsoft has released the final version of IE9, this FAQ is out of date. Please see the expanded and updated IE9 FAQ: How to install, uninstall and tweak the final release of IE9

This morning, Microsoft officially made the long-awaited Release Candidate build of Internet Explorer 9 available to the general public. As usual, my inbox is overflowing with questions. Here are the answers.

How is the Release Candidate different from the beta?

I’ve published a write-up that covers the important differences: IE9 Release Candidate review: will Microsoft’s big browser bet pay off? For an overview of the differences between IE8 and IE9, see my earlier review of the IE9 beta: Internet Explorer 9 beta review: Microsoft reinvents the browser . Microsoft has an official document listing new features in the RC,Windows 7 Product Key, which is available in both PDF and XPS formats here .

Will there be additional changes in the final release?

In terms of features or the user interface, no. What you see in the RC is what you will get in the final release. As for when it’s ready, Microsoft isn’t talking, but the smart money says it will be on or around the MIX conference in April.

I’m running Windows XP. Can I install IE9?

No. XP is officially out of the mainstream support phase and is not eligible for updates like this. Plus, many of its features are specifically tied to Windows features found only in later versions.

Where can I download the release candidate code?

Direct download links are here: http://www.beautyoftheweb.com/#/download

You’ll find separate versions for 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) Windows.

Should I install the x86 or x64 versions?

You should choose the installer that matches your version of Windows. The setup program installs a 32-bit version of IE9 and makes that the default choice when you launch IE. If you’re running 64-bit Windows, use the 64-bit installer. It installs the 32-bit IE code and also installs the 64-bit version. Even on 64-bit Windows, IE makes the 32-bit version of IE the default. For most users, that’s the correct configuration. The 32-bit browser is preferable,Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade Key, primarily because most add-ins aren’t available in 64-bit versions yet.

Can I install over the IE9 beta?

Yes, that is a fully supported installation scenario. You don’t have to uninstall the beta. If you were running any interim builds,Exchange Server Key, however,Activate Windows Server 2003, I strongly recommend uninstalling those builds first.

How do I uninstall IE9? It’s not in the list of installed programs.

That’s because it’s considered an update to Windows, not a program. To find the uninstall link, open Control Panel,Office 2010 professional key, got to Programs and Features,Storage Server 2008 Key, and click View Installed Updates. (You can also type Installed Updates in the Start menu search box to find a direct link.) Scroll down to the Microsoft Windows section, select the Windows Internet Explorer 9 Release Candidate link,Buy Windows 7 Product Key, and click Uninstall.

Can IE9 coexist on a PC with earlier versions of IE?

No,Office 2010 upgrade, unless you use virtualization software to run the other IE version in a separate virtual machine.

Page 2: Tweaks and customizations –>

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Server 2008 activation

Posted on July 4, 2012 by newsblog

A security researcher has released proof-of-concept code for an unpatched security vulnerability affecting all versions of Windows,Server 2008 activation, prompting a warning from Microsoft that remote code execution attacks are theoretically possible.

Details on the vulnerability were released on the Full Disclosure mailing list earlier this week and Microsoft followed up with two separate blog posts discussing the ramifications of the problem and suggesting workarounds until a patch can be created and released.

According to Microsoft’s Mark Wodrich,storage server 2008, the vulnerability was identified in the BROWSER protocol  and although all versions of Windows are vulnerable,Project 2007 key, the issue is more likely to affect server systems running as the Primary Domain Controller (PDC).

“In environments following best practices,Buy Windows 7 Upgrade, the BROWSER protocol should be blocked at the edge firewalls thus limiting attacks to the local network,Visio Key,” Wodrich said.

Wodrich provided technical confirmation of the buffer overrun vulnerability and explained that a malformed BROWSER message would cause the Master Browser to hit a portion of vulnerable code to trigger the vulnerability.

He warned that remote code execution (highest severity) may be possible in certain circumstances.

“While [remote code execution] is theoretically possible,Window Server 2003 Cd Key, we feel it is not likely in practice,storage server 2008 key,” Wodrich said,Windows Xp Pro Key, noting that a more risk attack scenario would be denial-of-service attacks.

Microsoft has not yet issued a formal security advisory with mitigation guidance or workarounds.

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that was the idea anyway. But the add-on has been found to cause serious performance problems

Posted on July 4, 2012 by newsblog

Mozilla has announced that it will pull the plug on the Skype add-on toolbar for Firefox and remotely disable it following a spate of crashes and performance issues.,Project 2010 key

The Skype Toolbar add-on comes bundled with the chat program and is installed automatically with the main application. One of the features of the add-on is that it transforms telephone numbers found in web pages into clickable hyperlinks for easy dialing.

Well,Server 2008 activation, that was the idea anyway. But the add-on has been found to cause serious performance problems,Office 2007 Key, as well as being crashing the browser a total of 33,Windows Xp Serial Key,000 times in a single week.

After spending almost two weeks trying to contact someone at Skype who might be able to fix the problem, Justin Scott of the Mozilla add-ons team decided it was time to pull the plug on the add-on:

Over the past 2 weeks we’ve doubled our efforts to contact the Skype extension team and several people at Skype have told us they pinged the extension team for us. We did not receive a response from them until this afternoon.

Given the volume of crashes, the extent of the performance impact,Office 2007 download, the fact that users don’t actually choose to install this add-on, and the extension team’s lack of response during the weeks we were giving them to solve these issues,Windows Server 2003 Key, we should continue as planned to soft-block all versions of Skype in all versions of Firefox immediately.

This will supersede our previous soft-block of versions lower than 3.3.0.3970. I would like to wait on hard-blocking for a few days to see how helpful the soft-block is.

…

If these issues are fixed in a future version, we will be happy to reduce the block to only the affected versions. But with 33,Office 2010 download,000 crashes in the last week,Office 2007 keygen, this can’t wait any longer for a fix from Skype.

A soft-block will remotely disable the add-on but give users the option of overriding the block. A hard-block would disable the add-on and not give the user a chance to override the block. Mozilla hope that by soft-blocking the add-on this will encourage someone at Skype to come out of the woodwork and fix the add-on.

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Sql Server 2008 R2 Key

Posted on July 4, 2012 by newsblog

Google on Monday launched a feature in its Chrome browser that allows you to permanently opt out of ad tracking cookies.,Project Standard Key

The feature,Windows Vista Key, an extension for Chrome,ms Project Serial Key, can allow a user to opt out or tailor the personalization of ads.

The search giant’s move comes as rival Mozilla is also exploring features to make it easier to opt out of behavioral targeting. The Federal Trade Commission has pushed for a Do Not track mechanism to better guard privacy.

Google said in a blog post that it has 50 companies that will allow you to opt out. But Google also added:

The industry has faced a recurring technical challenge with these opt-outs and controls. If you clear your browser’s cookies,Windows Vista cd Key, all customized settings — including these opt-outs — are lost. Another challenge is that sometimes new companies offer opt-outs,Sql Server 2008 R2 Key, so you’d have to check frequently to make sure you’re opted out of what you want. A better “Do Not Track” mechanism is a browser extension that means you can easily opt out of personalized advertising from all participating ad networks only once and store that setting permanently.

Related: Do Not Track technology gains steam,SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard Key, but hurdles remain

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Product Key Windows Vista

Posted on July 4, 2012 by newsblog

A draft proposal for the Firefox roadmap shows that at least four versions of Firefox, one of the worlds most used browsers, will be released this year.

Firefox 4 will of course bring an entirely new user interface while catching up with rival browsers. Firefox 5 will include 64-bit support on Windows and improve the account manager. Firefox 6 will optimise JavaScript and support future versions of Mac OS X, improve HTML5 and CSS3 rendering,Windows 7 Upgrade Key, and Firefox 7 will break down operations into separate processes. The full roadmap can be found here.

But will Mozilla really bring out four new major versions of Firefox,Windows Professional Xp Key, or is it just fudging the numbers?

There is an argument that Mozilla are splitting down the development process either into traditional,Windows 2008 Key, much faster milestones, progressing from Firefox 4 to Firefox 7. Considering the previous versions, it has taken nearly 3 years to get from Firefox 3 to 4,Windows Xp Product Key, though it took Microsoft nearly half a decade to get from Windows XP to Windows Vista.

These things take time, and most consumers are adjusted to a particular kind of lifecycle: major milestones are given different names and numbers, and minor revisions are split into numbered subdivisions.

Or,Windows 2003 Key, Mozilla is taking an entirely different approach and getting rid of the number subdivision like Firefox 3.1 to 3.2 and going with a ‘major milestone’ number each time instead. If so,Product Key Windows Vista, consistency could be a problem to the end user, and seemingly upgrading to a brand new browser every quarter could be confusing and unsettling.

The fact of the matter is that people don’t like change. Younger users in particular,Office 2010 product Key, tempted by newer, cleaner browsers like Chrome, might be persuaded to make that leap if they feel too much is changing too quickly.

Granted, some people enjoy a new operating system or a new version of a product to see the brand new shiny features and user interface. It can be clean,Activate Server 2008, fresh and exciting. But then others complain on mass when a social network changes a layout or implements a new feature. There is seemingly no correlation and no way to determine what will work and what will not.

If Mozilla can get the balance right and not alienate the end user, then it can probably maintain what marketshare it has in the browsing arena.

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is the most secure

Posted on July 4, 2012 by newsblog

A new critical security vulnerability in Internet Explorer has been exposed, allowing attackers to obtain personal information by running malicious scripts on websites.

As Adrian Kingsley-Hughes reports, this affects all users of Windows. In total,Exchange Server 2007-2010 Standard and Enterprise Editions Key, its estimated to affect 900 million people worldwide.

Nearly one billion people. That’s nearly one in six of all people on the planet. Enough is enough. I think it’s time to jump ship,Windows 7 cd key, don’t you?

For me, this is too much,Exchange Server 2010 Key, and one step too far. There is near no doubt that Internet Explorer 9, the latest incarnation of the browser, soon to be out in release candidate stage, is the most secure,storage server 2008 key, dynamic and powerful yet.

But without effective systems in place to prevent lax security and quality assurance, to the actual fixes themselves, millions of users, in particular pirate copy users of Windows will go about unpatched.

The simplicity factor in being able to patch the browser is another problem users of Internet Explorer have.

Both Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox update on a regular basis with fixes,Server 2008 activation, tweaks and community submitted reports. Firefox reports on these changes and asks for permission to update – seemingly out of respect and courtesy, whereas Chrome updates constantly through a running background service.

But when Internet Explorer is found to suffer from such wide scale vulnerabilities,Office 2007 serial, the general public have to resort to being told by the technology media,SQL Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Key, rather than the browser itself.

And in my experience,Office 2010 activation key, the Windows Update service is too slow. Nearly a full day after this was discovered, the only update I have on my machines is a definition update for Microsoft’s anti-virus program. It’s not good enough.

With this particular flaw exploiting scripts and attaining information held on the computer, combined with the fact that so many enterprise workplaces and universities run the browser on their Windows machines, huge quanitites of data could be harvested.

Is it time for an Internet Explorer mass exodus?

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up from 5.89% in December to 6.30% at the end of January. Firefox continues to slide

Posted on July 4, 2012 by newsblog

With another month checked off,Buy Windows 7 Upgrade, it’s time to trawl through the NetMarketShare data for January to see who are the winners and who are the losers.

First, lets take a look at the browsers. Chrome makes the headlines for breaking the 10% usage share barrier,Windows 2008 Key, up 0.72% on December’s numbers to end January at 10.70%.

Safari also made modest gains,Office 2007 serial, up from 5.89% in December to 6.30% at the end of January. Firefox continues to slide,Office 2010 upgrade, down from 22.81% to 22.75%,Office 2010 Pro Plus key, and Internet Explorer is also down, from 57.08% to 56.00%.

It’s not all bad news for Internet Explorer though, as the data shows that Internet Explorer 8 gained 1.15% to end January at 34.17%.

On the operating system front,microsoft storage server, Apple’s iOS makes the headlines by breaking 2% usage share mark worldwide, and hitting over 5% in the UK and Australia. New devices received as gifts over the holidays helped to boost these figures, as is normal for this time of year.

Along with iOS, Mac OS X was also up in January,Office 2007 upgrade, from 5.02% in December to 5.25%.

Windows sees its overall usage share fall slightly (down to 89.70% from 90.29%),Product Key Windows Vista, but Windows 7 shows strong growth, up to 22.31% from 20.87%. All other Windows versions show a steady decline.

NetMarketShare uses data captured from the 160 million unique visitors browsing some 40,000 Web sites it monitors for clients.

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Apple still has the upper hand.

Posted on July 4, 2012 by newsblog

Just as all of the big content providers were starting to get chummy with Apple and its media savior – the mighty iPad – ol’ Steve Jobs went and pulled a fast one on his new publisher buddies.

He changed the rules of the game and hit them with a new revenue-sharing structure that essentially forces publishers who charge subscriptions outside of the app to either cough up a 30 percent tax on subscriptions purchased from inside the app or do business elsewhere.

And just as anyone could have guessed,Office Project Key, the cries of “antitrust” have already begun – even though that argument won’t stand a chance once everyone remembers that a flood of tablets are about to hit the market.

You see, while publishers may want to cry foul over having to pay such a high premium,Office 2007 product key, they really can’t. Plain and simple, Apple is charging the equivalent of a luxury tax,Office 2007 keygen, a premium that a publisher must pay for the privilege of conducting business in Apple’s neighborhood,Windows 7 Key Generator, just as luxury retailers pay a premium for a storefront presence along New York’s Fifth Avenue or Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive.

If they don’t like the new rules,Windows 7 Upgrade Key, of course, they don’t have to play by them. They can always pull the app out of Apple’s neighborhood and continue to charge a subscription through a browser transaction that they control (including the customer information,microsoft storage server, valuable data that Apple also controls under its rules.) Not everyone has to have a Fifth Avenue presence, even though that’s where tens of millions of people are reading, shopping, playing and otherwise “iPad”ing.

Or do they?

Certainly, any publisher that’s looking broaden its reach – and which ones aren’t – has an iPad strategy. But,Windows 7 Product Key, as Larry Dignan suggested in a post yesterday, it may be time for the big players who would be hardest hit – folks like Netflix, the New York Times, Hulu,Office for Mac Home and Business 2011, Sirius XM and others – to take a stand and pull their iPad apps in protest.

In essence, they’d be calling out Steve Jobs, publicly reminding him that those 60,000 apps don’t mean squat if the iPad doesn’t have the biggest and most popular apps. Apple could, of course, counter back with a “dumping Flash didn’t seem to hurt sales” argument or even just a quick “you need us more than we need you” jab to remind the publishers who’s holding the cards.

But here’s a thought: If Apple loses some big-named apps over this latest change of the rules, then how long will iPad owners continue to tolerate a compromised experience – all in the name of Apple’s personal business battles? They’ve already accepted that anything Flash isn’t going to play. What’s next? A big publication? E-books? Streaming music? At some point, even those who line up by the millions to buy the latest and greatest from Apple will start to wonder why their iPad can’t do this or can’t do that.

At this point, it’s a question worth pondering, but not one that Apple should be losing sleep over. The iPad will continue to do well, breaking sales records and making more money for the shareholders. In this game of chicken, Apple still has the upper hand.

For now.

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Microsoft was found guilty of antitrust violations for its browser practices

Posted on July 4, 2012 by newsblog

A recent industry trope on the Microsoft-Nokia deal is that this is just another example of Redmond making smart business plays to buy technology, distribution and market reach. The current logic counts Microsoft’s infamous cross-patent agreement and payment to Apple during the summer of 1997 as one of many such deals. Wrong!

Here’s what I saw passed around the social networks this past weekend,Project Professional Key, unattributed. (I’ve added links to source documents in case you’ve forgotten some of the deals.)

Buying technology, distribution & market reach (Microsoft invested in Facebook 2007, offered generously for Yahoo, invested in Apple in 1997 & $1b in Comcast same year – to gain IP, partnerships & rapid market access – once market parameters are established). Smart business plays.

My head is reeling from the spin. Perhaps Microsoft’s failed 2008 hostile takeover bid for Yahoo can be seen as a similar play to the Nokia technology deal, but the Facebook investment and Comcast deal? No way.

Worse, there is no truth to the claim that the money paid to Apple was a similar “investment” and a simple “smart business play.”

As I’ve written before, Microsoft didn’t “save” nor truly “invest” in Apple with its payment of $150 million during the summer of 1997. The truth is more complicated and nuanced. Here’s the story:

This announcement was made by Steve Jobs at the keynote address for the 1997 Boston Macworld Expo. I sat in the hall that morning. Then Microsoft CEO and Chairman Bill Gates appeared from above on a projection said that Microsoft had bought $150 million in Apple stock and that Microsoft would continue to develop Office for Mac for at least 5 more years,Office Visio Key, starting with the release of Mac Office 98.

“We’re also excited about Internet Explorer. And we’ve got a very dedicated team that’s down in California that works on that product. The code is really specially developed for the Macintosh. It’s not just a port of what we’ve done in the Windows environment,Windows Xp Professional Cd Key,” he said.

“And so we’re pleased to be supporting Apple. We think Apple makes a huge contribution to the computer industry. We think it’s going to be a lot of fun helping out,Office 2010 activation key, and we look forward to the feedback from all of you as we move forward doing more Macintosh software. Thanks.”

No, thank you,Product Key Windows Vista, Pappa Bill. What a nice thing for those kind folks up in Washington to do for us poor Mac users, right? It’s an “investment” in the Macintosh, “helping out” that fun little platform — even if you would be better off using a real operating system like Windows 95.

Unsaid, the truth was that Microsoft wasn’t investing. Rather, it was making a payoff for stealing Apple video code, making sure that its Internet Explorer would be the industry standard browser, and ensuring that Windows had some antitrust cover.

Check Out: Stop the lies,Vista Ultimate Key! The day that Microsoft ’saved’ Apple

The investment lie. Microsoft’s $150M stock “investment” came as the result of a settlement of a lawsuit. In fact, the said investment was just an initial payment for other “substantial balancing payments” that would be spread out over then next few years, then Apple CFO Fred Anderson said at the time.

The payments totaled more than $500 million, according to reports.

Antitrust cover. Of course, Microsoft was also worried about the collapse of the Mac market, not so much for actual business reasons – despite the millions of Mac Office customers that Gates mentioned in his speech — but instead for antitrust cover. After spending years attacking the Mac platform and killing Cupertino’s forays into the business,Windows Xp Key, government and higher education markets,Windows download, Microsoft management realized that there might be a difference between being an actual monopoly rather than just kicking its competition with monopolistic practices. Even if the Macintosh held less than 5 percent share of the desktop market, the Mac was still the only alternative at the time to the Wintel platform.

The browser wars. Younger readers may not remember that the Internet was just becoming The Internet in the 1990s. Netscape Navigator was still the primary browser in the mid-1990s and was responsible for common technologies such cookies and JavaScript. It was only with the release of IE 4.0 that Microsoft took significant market share from Netscape.

Jobs announced at the Expo hall that Apple would make Internet Explorer its default browser. Here’s a bit of what he said after Gates’ presentation”

“Another bolt of lightning is that Apple plus Microsoft equals 100 percent of the desktop computer market. And so, whatever Apple and Microsoft agree to do — it’s a standard,” Jobs said.

“I think that you’ll see us work with Microsoft more because they’re the only other player in the Desktop Industry; and I think that you’ll want to see Microsoft work with Apple more, because Apple is the only other player in the Desktop Industry. So I hope we have even more cooperation in the future because the industry wants it.”

The outcome: Apple survived, Microsoft was found guilty of antitrust violations for its browser practices, and for years Microsoft print servers supported the Classic Mac OS better than Apple did. Go figure.

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