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Michael Cross: Many duels are being fought over the future of the NHS, but one of the fiercest is between two American billionaires - Microsoft's Bill Gates and Oracle's Larry Ellison

Microsoft extends Windows CE’s ‘shared source’

Microsoft has expanded its "shared source initiative" which enables device manufacturers to change the Windows CE operating system and ship products based on their derivations, reports Reuters. But no, you are not goingto be able to reprogram your CE-based phone, till or petrol pump, and no, it doesn't make it either open source or free software.

Windows timeline

Creamhackered has posted a guide to the various versions at Neowin, and the screen shots have some nostalgia value.

British company picks Transmeta for Tablet PC

ZD Net says "Viglen will use Transmeta's Crusoe processor in its new eXaro" pen-driven tablet running Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. Transmeta has struggled since its chip was launched -- an event that was overhyped mainly because one of its workers happens to be called Linus Torvalds. Microsoft's Tablet PC initiative gave Transmeta a boost, but Intel is targeting that market with its lower-power Banias version of the Pentium and Wi-Fi friendly Centrino chip set, which is being launched on March 12.

Windows 2000 Web site makes the Netcraft top 50

A site hosted on Windows 2000 has, for the first time, appeared in Netcraft's 50 sites with the longest uptime -- the longest period of time since the last reboot," reports the Sydney Morning Herald. www.byteandswitch.com has been running continuously since November 2000. The Top 50 is usually dominated by versions of the BSD version of Unix, which emerged from the University of California at Berkeley at the beginning of the 80s. (It is also the operating system that underlies the Mac OS X interface.) It's unusual for Windows 2000 to go more than a year without rebooting, mainly because Microsoft has some sort of phobia about making machines reboot when users add or update the software.

Bill Gates show loses its lustre

The Microsoft boss usually puts on quite a performance when he opens the Comdex computer show. But this year's keynote, delivered last night, fell flat. Jack Schofield reports from Las Vegas.

Xbox wins race of the also-rans

After a troubled first year, Microsoft's Xbox has secured the number two position in the games console market, writes Steve Boxer.

Xbox Live could miss top spot

August 14: Sony's two-month start on Microsoft in launching an online gaming system might prove crucial in maintaining its lead, writes Danny Penman.

Old Bill’s police tactics

Microsoft's plans for a 'security' chip are making net activists anxious about the future for PC users, says Neil McIntosh

Breaking up the Office romance

When it comes to choosing operating software, most businesses automatically opt for Microsoft. But there are alternatives, some of which can work out cheaper. Guy Clapperton looks at the options.

It’s all part of the package, but do you really need it?

When you buy a PC, you will probably find that Microsoft Office has been thrown in as part of the package. But is it what your business really needs, or should you be looking elsewhere for office software? Guy Clapperton surveys the competition and looks at the pros and cons of each product.