NewsFactor – Microsoft released a software update Thursday that eliminates some of the hardware requirements for running Windows XP Mode on Windows 7 PCs.

PC World – Ncomputing on Friday announced a chip that could turn devices like TVs or set-top boxes into virtual desktops through which users can run Windows applications or access the Internet.

PC World – Just a few weeks after Microsoft pulled the plug on its Windows Essential Business Server (EBS), IBM has beefed up its own pre-integrated package for small and medium-sized businesses, called Lotus Foundations.

PC World – As more details emerge regarding the upcoming Windows Phone 7 series, it seems to be defined more by the features and functions it lacks than the ones it delivers. Microsoft did throw out the playbook and start over with Windows Phone 7–but the new playbook may have been stolen from Apple’s locker room.

A senior architect for Microsoft Windows has said that operating systems may need to be fundamentally redesigned to take advantage of the multicore processors that are standard in today’s IT equipment. Dave Probert, an architect on the Windows kernel (the core of the OS which co-ordinates the hardware components), told a conference yesterday he believes the poor performance of contemporary systems despite the abundance of processing power indicates a need for a fundamental rethink.