The 60-Second Microsoft Roundup: Ballmer Out, Windows 8 Issues and More

Christmas is almost here and the Redmond-based technology titan Microsoft still continues its efforts to show everyone that Windows 8 and the Surface RT are two excellent products.

On Monday, for example, a Microsoft spokesperson officially said that Windows 8 hasn’t missed sales expectations, adding that the new operating system is actually selling very well.

A web analytics firm revealed that hacking Internet Explorer is pretty easy due to a new vulnerability, while new data indicated that Windows 8 is now almost as popular as Linux. Despite all of these, Ballmer could be out if Windows 8 fails to impress.

On Tuesday, Microsoft publicly admitted that it was very surprised to see Google killing one of the key Gmail features, while Bill Gates has been accused of planning to control the world.

A Microsoft PR official repeatedly attacked a Google spokesperson on Twitter and a few hours later, Windows boss Julie Larson-Green talked about how important the Start Screen actually is for Windows 8 users.

VLC developers released the first mockups of the Windows 8 app on Wednesday, the same day when Microsoft explained why it decided to kill Pinball after Windows XP. Microsoft Surface was voted one of the best product names of 2012 and Windows 8 was described as an operating system that can become a seismic event for the industry.

The Redmond-based software giant released some advice on how to protect against Windows 8 hacks on Thursday, while the IE team continued to poke fun at critics by rolling out a new funny ad.

During the same day, it has emerged that Windows 8 is the first Windows version featuring the original American language thanks to a standalone language pack.

Finally on Friday, Microsoft officially relaunched a Patch Tuesday update to fix a Windows 7 font bug, while the company decided to kill off the Expression software tools. Microsoft sales have been disappointing, an analyst said and the company has tried once again to attract iOS developers to the new Windows 8 platform.