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Filed under: OS Updates, Microsoft

Microsoft allowing PC makers to offer XP downgrade from Vista

Lenovo offers downgrade
Windows Vista is pretty. Nobody disputes the fact that the Aero interface is pretty, and in some cases even useful. And there are a lot of security measures built into the operating system. But many users have reported software they rely on isn't compatible with the latest operating system from Microsoft. Power management features often don't work the way they're supposed to. And sometimes too much security isn't a good thing (for example when your computer asks for your permission to perform what seem like the most basic tasks.

It turns out Microsoft has not turned a blind eye to all these complaints. And while most computer makers are offering Vista on their new PCs, Microsoft has made it easy for PC manufacturers to offer a downgrade option to Windows XP.

The downgrade option is only available for Windwos Vista Business and Ultimate editions. And PC makers get to decide if and how to offer the downgrade. Fujitsu has begun including an XP disc in boxes of computers it ships, while HP offers customers the ability to configure business models with XP. Lenovo will be selling XP "recovery discs" to customers who buy Vista Business or Ultimate until July 31, 2008. Hopefully by then Windows Vista Service Pack 1 will be out and will address most, or at least some of the major complaints.

[via
Engadget]

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Featured Time Waster

Civiballs is a beautiful, soothing physics puzzle Time Waster

CiviballsI have an absolute weakness for physics games, and while Civiballs isn't the strongest physics-based game, what it lacks in the physics department it makes up for a few times over in style and fun.

In Civiballs, you are presented with a few colored balls, and your goal is to get those balls into the same-colored urn on the level. The "civi" part of Civiballs is that there are 3 sets of levels to play, each representing a different civilization. While the civilization doesn't affect gameplay, the artwork for each level is beautifully themed to it's appropriate era.

To play the game, you are given only one tool - a sword with which to cut the chains that are holding the balls. The puzzle part of the game is in figuring out what order, and with what timing to cut each chain. Do it right, and all the right balls end up in the right urns, with no stray balls entering an urn (a no-no). Do it wrong, and you get to start over again.

Civiballs is not terribly deep on gameplay; the entire game can be completed in about 15 minutes. But if you enjoy this type of game, it will be a very enjoyable 15 minutes.

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