Technology, Windows | featured news

Microsoft should once again release its next mainstream version of Windows about three years after the last, a roadmap obtained this week reveals. The schedule has the major revision, tentatively titled "Windows 8," launching in 2012 or about three years after Windows 7.

At Microsoft's Professional Developer Conference, Seesmic's founder and CEO Loic Le Meur just announced that the company will release a native Windows version of its popular Twitter client later today. Seesmic developed this client on top of .NET.

Microsoft says it is pleased with the demand for Windows 7 as it reports an 18% fall in quarterly profits.

Windows 7 is hardly flawless, but here's an in-depth look at how Microsoft has changed its OS — mostly for the better .

Microsoft Corp. issued a record number of security patches for its software Tuesday as part of its regular monthly update. The software maker plugged 34 holes and designated most of them "critical," Microsoft's most severe rating. Among them are fixes for Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000 and even Windows 7, which doesn't go on sale to consumers until Oct. 22 but has been in use by early testers and software developers.