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Microsoft is working on a new keyboard design that features modularity of key-clusters, the model Sidewinder X6 features a modular num-cluster that can be positioned for convenience of both left and right oriented users. Additionally, A row of programmable keys for binding game macros and a “cruise control” feature that will repeat keystrokes without the need for holding down a key (like the Turbo buttons on some SNES gamepads).Expect an official announcement from Microsoft in the near future as the Sidewinder X6 is expected to launch in September at a US $80 price-point.

Soon, among your usual utility bills of electricity, water, gas, telecom, could be a new addition, software. Microsoft has come up with a new subscription model, where instead of outright buying a license to use the software, consumers can subscribe to use it. A monthly or annual subscription charge has to be paid by the user (subscriber) to continue using the product.

This scheme for now covers products such as Microsoft Office and One Care security software. Analysts are already beginning to predict this will be Microsoft’s next big business model which will fuel its growth in the years to come. There’s much in store for both consumers and the company.

For the consumer it means value. Let’s say I subscribe to Microsoft Office 2007 for this year at a charge of US $70, the next year, if Microsoft comes up with a new version of the software, say Office 2009, I can simply unsubscribe to this and switch over to that, a lot more convenient than if I were to buy a $350 copy of an Office 2007 variant at the store, and next year Microsoft comes up with the new version, I end up spending a lot more to be able to use that software.

For the company it means higher income, since each legitimate subscriber will have his own usage account and illegal copies of the software won’t run since the user still needs a subscription account with Microsoft to even run the software or end up using the pirated product disc as paper-weight. While it’s only limited to Office and One Care now, it wouldn’t be too far-sighted to think other Microsoft products, even Windows for that matter, could come with subscription plans.

Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 7 is on track for release in 2010. During its internal “MGX” global sales meeting this week, Microsoft witnessed that the code name for Vista’s successor is “Windows 7″ and the project is due to see light in approximately three years.

The Financial Times citing an unnamed senior executive reports that rivals Sony and Microsoft are discussing the possibility of offering a Blu-ray drive for the Xbox 360. Sony Electronics US president Stan Glasgow also noted that the company was holding discussions with both Microsoft and Apple over Blu-Ray. The report even claims that there is also the possibility of an internal Blu-ray drive being incorporated into a new, more expensive Xbox 360 model, as it is already done in the PlayStation 3. Currently all Xbox 360 consoles support the HD-DVD format only, but since Toshiba abandoned production last month, Microsoft has no choice but to reconsider Blu-ray as vital step forward. Microsoft refused to comment on the story.

It turns out that stability isn’t the only problem Vista SP1 has with the world. There are plenty of products that simply won’t work with Service Pack 1. Now wait a minute, you might ask. This has been going on since every operating system update from the beginning of computers, what makes this one so special? When the products are from big shots like Trend Micro, Zonelabs, BitDefender, and Novell, Microsoft is more than willing to consider delaying Vista SP1 to make sure that everything will work properly. While some products are fortunate, and merely have a couple glitches, the majority of the programs listed on Microsoft’s great list of incompatibility won’t even start properly. The main cause of this could be anything from coding differences in the kernel to being flat out blocked. Hopefully, Microsoft will fix this by the time SP1 is released.

Face it, the Windows XP code is reliable, practical, useful, secure and cost-effective. Most people, especially those in the business sector, simply don’t see the need to upgrade to Windows Vista. It’s no news that Windows XP Service Pack 3 is coming out soon. However, Microsoft may not have considered the effect XP SP3 may have on Vista sales. If a lot of users adopt XP SP3, they may be even less tempted to move on to Windows Vista, which is ultimately what Microsoft would like their customers to do. However, Microsoft may find that XP SP3 doesn’t have any effect on Vista sales at all. After all, those who want Windows Vista will upgrade to Windows Vista, no matter what XP offers. Those who want to stick with XP will stick with XP, and may not even upgrade to the latest service pack.

Microsoft Corp.’s Macintosh Business Unit today announced the official availability of Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac at the Macworld Conference & Expo 2008. Office 2008 for Mac is significantly enhanced to provide a simplified user experience that helps beginners and longtime experts alike deliver professional documents that are compatible for co-workers and friends on Macs and PCs. The suite provides the Office tools Mac users rely on, with a Mac-like approach and style. In addition to Office 2008, the Mac BU Web site, Mactopia (http://www.microsoft.com/mac), features a dramatic transformation to provide an even more resourceful hub for all things Mac BU.

Microsoft recently launched the beta version of the new Microsoft Download Center website that intends to be more convenient and easier to navigate than the current version. The new website is powered by SilverLight technology which is Microsoft’s anti-creation of Adobe Flash. You must have the SilverLight plugin for Firefox or Internet Explorer in order to view this new beta site. From now on when you enter the Download Center you’ll be asked to try the new SilverLight Beta Center.

Hot on the heels of the announcement of two Devil May Cry 4 bundles for the PlayStation 3, Microsoft and Capcom have announced a Devil May Cry 4 Xbox 360 bundle. Available for only ¥37,800 ($330), the Xbox 360　Devil May Cry 4 Premium Pack includes a Japanese Xbox 360 “Standard Model” (which is almost identical to the U.S. Premium Edition except for the lack of a headset) and a copy of Devil May Cry 4. Furthermore, this pack is ¥10,000 cheaper than the PS3-DMC4 bundle. The Xbox 360 Devil May Cry 4 Premium Pack is scheduled for release on January 31, 2008.

Source: TeamXbox

Microsoft Corp. will change how users activate Windows XP when Service Pack 3 launches in the first half of 2008, a company white paper said. New installations of Windows XP SP3 will give users the same 30-day grace period currently offered to Windows Vista customers before they’re required to enter a product activation key, the 25-character code that proves the copy is legitimate. “As in Windows Server 2003 SP2 and Windows Vista, users can now complete operating system installation without providing a product key during a full, integrated installation of Windows XP SP3,” the Microsoft paper stated. “The operating system will prompt the user for a product key later as part of Genuine Advantage.” With earlier editions of Windows XP, users must enter the activation key during the installation process itself; failing to do so, or using an invalid key, would result in the installation being blocked. The white paper, however, noted that the change does not apply to existing Windows XP installations upgraded to SP3. Those copies, which have presumably passed the activation stage previously, will not request the key again, Microsoft said.

Source: Computerworld