Just a week ago, reports were cropping up regarding Microsoft's decision to give Vista Business / Ultimate customers a "downgrade to XP" option amidst complaints over its latest operating system. Now, the Redmond powerhouse has decided to "keep selling Windows XP until the end of June 2008, delaying a scheduled transition to its newer Windows Vista software by five months." Originally, the planned phase out date for XP was January 30th of next year, but now the firm has decided to "extend XP sales in response to feedback from computer manufacturers who said there were customers who still wanted to buy the older operating system." Of note, Mike Nash, a Microsoft corporate vice president, was quoted as saying that the company was "a little ambitious to think that it would need to make Windows XP available for only a year after the release of Windows Vista," referring to the fact that it typically makes its older OS available for two years after the launch of a new one.

Thankfully for us all, the iPhone launch is but hours away, and what better way to make those last second decisions on braving the crowds (or not) than to read over what's likely to be the last pre-iPhone-launch interview with both Apple and AT&T's head honchos? Sitting down with USAToday, Steve Jobs and Randall Stephenson faced a number of dutiful questions, and a few of the answers were intriguing to say the least. Besides bragging about revolutionizing the mobile phone industry and finally producing "a phone people like," the duo noted that the 6:00PM launch time was chosen to give "everyone the same shot" at nabbing one, and they both made it seem like shortages wouldn't be too much of an issue. Most noticeable was the dodging of the inevitable EDGE inquiries, as both execs spent more time boasting of the iPhone's ability to "fluidly switch from EDGE to WiFi" than actually responding to the "sluggish" criticism received thus far. Furthermore, Jobs noted that Apple was already working with a number of companies in regard to corporate email, and while he wouldn't budge when questioned about an overseas release, he did state that "selling 10 million" during its first year was a "realistic goal."

Considering just how many copies of Windows Vista that Microsoft has moved, it's not too surprising that a few (potentially rightful) whiners are calling the new operating system out for glaring issues. Not too long after users were complaining over sluggish file movements and bogus ads, it seems that the Aero Glass interface is the latest target of concern. Reportedly, the battery life of laptops is being diminished by having the eye candy cranked up, all while Microsoft claims that the OS touts "improved power management capabilities." Of course, Core Duo users cried this same river when trading more horsepower for minutes, but engineers from HP and Lenovo have actually concocted their own power settings after finding the canned options unsuitable. Still, it seems to make perfect sense that flipping on a glitzy interface that obviously requires more juice to run correctly would negatively impact the battery life, but until we start strapping potent fuel cells into our portable machines, this unfortunate trend is likely to continue.

As a good few PC users will tell you, sometimes the only solution is the three fingered salute, and for TiVo users having an array of troubles with your DirecTV service, it seems the answer could be as easy as flipping the power switch. Oddly enough, it seems the list of recent complaints surrounding unexplainable deletions and problems with Season Pass recordings can be remedied with a simple reboot. A DirecTV spokesperson even stated that "a reboot will clean things up and the unit will start recording again," but we've got a sneaking suspicion there's just more to it than that. Nevertheless, that's the word from the higher-ups, so if you're on the verge of a total meltdown due to AV misbehavior, try the trusty restart trick a time or two, and if it still doesn't get things ironed out (read: the likely outcome), at least you now know precisely who to yell at.

[Via PVRWire]