Microsoft has conceded Bing’s performance was under-par in dealing with the death of Michael Jackson. The firm says in future it will consider manual alterations to the system to cope with major news events.

A year after Windows XP was withdrawn from sale – and a month before it’s next expiry deadline will surely be ignored – it’s still the system of choice among businesses buying Vista machines. And while only a small majority of home users have downgraded, Microsoft is struggling to win over the holdouts.

Search engine statistics for the whole of June give the clearest indication yet that Bing is helping Microsoft increase its position in the U.S. search market. But it’s barely a dent in Google’s dominance, and isn’t translating internationally.

Four days after going on sale, the cut-price ‘pre-order’ of the Windows 7 upgrades is proving a success through at least one retailer. The Home Premium and Professional upgrades are firmly atop the Amazon software chart.

Businesses planning to buy new computers in bulk may be better off waiting until October. It’s emerged that a Microsoft scheme offering free upgrades to people buying Vista machines this summer has a maximum limit of 25 machines for businesses.

Microsoft has released details of Windows 7 pricing, including a special offer allowing Vista users to pay for an upgrade in advance for as little as $49. This article aims to answer your questions about how much Windows 7 will cost in your circumstances.

Microsoft has received a double dose of good news about Bing. Figures suggest that the new search engine is helping the firm get a bigger share of advertising clicks, while the brand itself is achieving an increasingly positive reputation.

An advance test of Microsoft’s new free security package suggests it avoids the bloatware problems associated with both antivirus software and Windows itself. The package, codenamed Morro, is released today with a supposed limit of 75,000 downloads.

Fujitsu has confirmed that it will impose an upgrade charge on customers who buy a Vista machine before Oct. 22 and then upgrade to Windows 7. The full details of Microsoft’s upgrade scheme are due to be unveiled this Friday.

Microsoft has confirmed that people buying machines with Windows 7 pre-installed will be able to downgrade to XP until April 2011. It strongly appears this has been increased after a poor reaction to initial plans.

The head of the firm behind games such as Demigod is encouraging PC gamers to upgrade to Windows 7. It’s a boost to Microsoft after game developers reacted underwhelmingly to the Vista market.

Microsoft has warned users of Google Apps that a new tool for syncing the system to Outlook is faulty. Using the tool unintentionally stops Windows Desktop Search from accessing Outlook messages.

Microsoft is suing three people for click fraud: repeatedly clicking on adverts simply to waste the advertiser’s money. The case, aimed at a relatively small-scale operation, appears to be both a warning and a test of the law.

Microsoft has revised its Bing search engine to make it easier for parents to block content unsuitable for children. It follows complaints that the site allowed users to view hardcore pornography clips without leaving Bing.

European Union officials have already rejected Microsoft’s offer to sell Windows in Europe without any browser. The quick response suggests officials are not interested in doing a deal and still intend to hit Microsoft with a big punishment.