Operating systems Reviews

Windows Vista SP1 review

Review It's always good to install the latest code for any operating system, but installing Windows Vista SP1 will require some users to spend a few hours without any visible or tangible improvements to their systems.

Inside Apple's Time Machine, Part II

Photos We discover how easy it is to recover files from a Time Machine snapshot.

Inside Apple's Time Machine, part I

Photos We take a step-by-step look at configuring and using Apple's Time Machine system backup software.

Ubuntu 7.10 review

Review Although it's not a massive jump from the previous version, Ubuntu 7.10 is slightly more usable if you're more accustomed to Windows, and is now better at co-existing with Windows on the same machine.

Inside Mac OS X Leopard

Photos Leopard has a slicker, more reflective look than previous versions of OS X. Check out our screenshot gallery for the details.

Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard review

Review The grace of Leopard's interface enhancements makes productivity more pleasurable with a Mac, as more than 300 functional and fun features top off this update.

Photos: Ubuntu 7.10

Photos Ubuntu 7.10 (a.k.a. 'Gutsy Gibbon') is released today (18 October). Here's a screenshot gallery showing the popular desktop Linux distribution in action.

Photos: installing Vista SP1 beta

Photos We've downloaded the standalone installer for Windows Vista SP1 build 6001.16659 and installed it on a few systems. Here are some of the most significant changes.

Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure review

Review This is an excellent tool for replicating virtual machines (VMs) running on VMware ESX Server 3.x and VirtualCenter 2.x. Although the suite is relatively new, impressive usability features hint at Double-Take’s long history in replication.

Vizioncore esxEssentials review

Review Vizioncore esxEssentials is a software bundle for companies using VMware’s Virtual Infrastructure 3 server virtualisation tools. It comes with excellent backup/restore, resource utilisation and VM replication tools.

10 ways to increase Vista's performance

Tech Guide Windows Vista has some great new security and functionality features, as well as a host of graphical tricks. However, if you find Vista's performance lagging, take heart: here's how to make Vista run faster.

Windows Server 2008: preview, part 2

Preview In the second part of our preview of Windows Server 2008, we examine its new virtualisation functionality, take a look at the enhancements to Terminal Services, and more.

Ubuntu 7.04 review

Review Ubuntu is very user-friendly but not right for everyone. Oddly, both casual and advanced users will find this operating system wonderful, while day-to-day users may rail against Ubuntu's incompatibility with certain popular software applications. Still, this is a great leap forward for Linux with the mass audience.

Vista in the enterprise

Tech Guide Things move slowly in the enterprise market, so Windows Vista is currently a rare sight on the corporate desktop. But will Vista's undoubted benefits eventually unblock the upgrade path?

VirtualCenter for VMware Server review

Review VMware VirtualCenter provides some top-notch management tools for companies running VMware Server, VMware’s free server virtualisation suite.