Microsoft Looks to Apple

Included in these presentations is a rather telling (but obvious) slide which shows that Microsoft is clearly paying attention to Apple while planning Windows 8. Titled, “How Apple does it: A virtuous cycle,” Microsoft has broken down Apple’s UX/Brand Loyalty cycle and cited its value. Though it’s fairly obvious, the takeaway here is that Microsoft is aiming to give Windows the very same “it just works” status that Apple’s products are known for:

New in Version 257.21

• Adds support for Blu-ray 3D with NVIDIA 3D Vision technology. Learn more about the hardware and software requirements here .
• Increases performance for GeForce GTX 400 Series GPUs in several PC games. The following are examples of some of the most significant improvements measured with GeForce GTX 480. Results will vary depending on your GPU and system configuration:
  • Up to 14% in Aliens vs. Predator (1920x1200 noAA/AF – Tessellation on)
  • Up to 4% in Batman: Arkham Asylum (1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF PhysX=High)
  • Up to 5% in BattleForge (1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF – Very High settings)
  • Up to 5% in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF)
  • Up to 4% in Crysis: Warhead (1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF – Enthusiast setting)
  • Up to 24% in Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (1920x1200 no AA/AF)
  • Up to 9% in Far Cry 2 (2560x1600 8xAA/16xAF)
  • Up to 25% in Just Cause 2 (2560x1600 no AA/AF - Concrete Jungle)
  • Up to 7% in Metro 2033 (1920x1200 no AA/16xAF – Tessellation on)
  • Up to 40% in Metro 2033 with SLI ((1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF – Tessellation on)
  • Up to 8% in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat (1920x1200 no AA/AF – Day)
  • Up to 110% in Stone Giant with SLI (2650x1600 – Tessellation on, DoF on)
  • Up to 6% in The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Athena (2560x1600 no AA/AF)
  • Up to 9% in Unigine: Tropics (2560x1600 no AA/AF – OpenGL)
  • Up to 5% in 3DMark Vantage (Performance and Extreme Presets)
  • Up to 19% with Transparency AA (1920x1200 4xTrSS – measured in Crysis)

Today Microsoft published their advance notification for the June security bulletin release, scheduled for release next Tuesday, June 8. This month's release includes ten bulletins addressing 34 vulnerabilities.

• Six of the bulletins affect Windows; of those, two carry a Critical severity rating and four are rated Important.
• Two bulletins, both with a severity rating of Important, affect Microsoft Office.
• One bulletin, again with a severity rating of Important, affects both Windows and Office.
• One bulletin, with a severity rating of Critical, affects Internet Explorer.