Week In Review (Mar 4 – Mar 8)

Call it a surprise or call it a shock, but this week the Surface Pro was barely in the highlight. Microsoft is probably hard at work bringing the tablet to as many retail locations as it can back in the United States, and the slate should see a European debut reportedly before the end of the month.

But it is the end of the week today, and here is everything that kept us busy:

Fine of the Week

The European Union has a long standing affinity with Microsoft. EU Commissions have fined handed several hefty fines to Microsoft, sometimes amounting in billions. The company got into a tangle with authorities again as it was hit with a $731 million penalty for failing to provide a browser ballot screen.

Oops of the Week

Mistakes happen, even ones as amusing as this. While Microsoft finished up most of its Windows 8 discounts last month, a surprising one popped up on its UK website. The Pro version of the new operating system was put up at less than a quarter of its regular price due to a system error.

Screenshot of the Week

The early preview build of what is being called Windows Blue is out in the wild, and like most things anticipated, screenshots have continuously been leaking of the upcoming update to the Windows OS. One such alleged image floated up showing the Start Screen of the new version.

Battle Cry of the Week

There is no love lost between Google and Microsoft. While Redmond’s Scroogled campaign against the search engine giant reached its climax, the company apparently has a lot more in stock. It confirmed that something similar is in the works and be ready to for another Google attack soon. Stay tuned.

Statistics of the Week

Windows 8 may be slow off the blocks, but one demographic where it is making impressive strides is the gaming community. The new OS overtook the 11-year old Windows XP in inspiring fashion in the latest Steam hardware survey. Gamers usually are one of the earliest adapters of new technology.