Microsoft News Tracker

For a week seemingly dominated by consumer electronics of the non-PC variety, there was still an abundance of Windows Vista news. I’ve already mentioned the December sales estimates and the craplets, but here are more that didn’t get a post of their own:

Windows Vista Named “Best of CES” at the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show in the computers and hardware category.

UK schools advised to hold off on Vista, Office 2007

Microsoft needs to make a stronger case for U.K. schools to upgrade to Windows Vista and Office 2007 as neither product contains essential new features, according to a report from a British educational advisory group.

Ouch! The full report is here, but part of their beef was also the potential for expensive Microsoft lock-in and in response, Microsoft makes changes to education licensing, promises more.

Conspiracy theorists start your engines, NSA Helped Microsoft Make Vista Secure.

Vista Casts A Pall On PC Gaming, most particularly casual downloadable games.

iDefense offers bounty for Vista and IE7 flaws. The good guys are offering $8,000 (actually up to $12K). Less savory characters apparently are asking $50K for their Vista exploits.

Who’s Inflating Vista Security Expectations?

Vista marketing fun:

• Who Wants to Win a Trip into Space?
• Show Us Your Wow which is hopefully unrelated to the Wife with Windows Vista Program.