Are the days of PCs and Windows really numbered? Will the world eventually convert to Macs? Maybe these sound like rather wild suggestions but what's clear is that Apple Macs are selling better than ever before - and in a time when economies around the world have started to slow down.

Fortune recently reported that Mac sales worldwide went up 60% last month compared to the same period in 2007. At the same time, Apple's share of the US Market has almost doubled from 9% to 14% over the same period. Fortune reports that in dollar terms, Apple captured a full 25 percent of the U.S. computer market last month.

These are pretty impressive figures for a company that traditionally has only accounted for a very small percentage of computer sales. As many Mac converts will tell you however, this ascendancy has been in the pipeline for a very long time. One aficionado comments:

At last large numbers of people are coming to realize (what old Macheads knew all along) that Mac OS is simply superior to Windows. This difference in technology prowess between Microsoft and the new Apple is so clear: Zune vs. iPod Touch, Windows Mobile vs. iPhone, Vista vs. Leopard. People think that Apple is a dwarf next to Msft’s. juggernaut but Apple’s revenues were over half Msft’s last year (which is not so small and the think the gap is going to close up). Apple stock was up 1500% in the last five years, Msft. was only up 30%. And wait until the new iPhone and iPod Touch apps come out after the SDK release. People are salivating to try out the apps. As people like John Doerr (Google, Amazon financier) believe, it’s the birth of a new platform as big or bigger than the PC.

Predictions that Macs would start to sell like hot cakes did in fact began as far back as 2006 when Arstecnica rightly pointed out that new features such as Boot Camp (allowing you to run Mac OS and Windows on a Mac), the adoption of Intel processors by Mac and of course the iPod (and now the iPhone) have all helped boost sales.

However, if Macs do continue to sell apace, Apple may become a victim of its own success according to one report. Although Apple stores are outselling PC stores, the cost of supporting those customers - at least in the USA - is coming at a very high price for Apple. As AppleInsider reports:

With staffing levels to provide sales and technical service climbing much higher than they normally would be at other stores - averaging at 40 workers per store - Apple's expenses for taking care of customers are growing faster than for store profits. Profit margins at the retail stores were just 21.3 percent during fiscal 2007 versus 24.7 percent for every other division. iPod sales for each official store have also dropped by about 50 percent on average over the last year placing more pressure on Apple to fare well in its Mac business.

However, the future looks bright for Apple with the iPhone set to become one of the biggest selling mobiles ever and Windows Vista likely to suffer ever increasing vulnerability attacks and slowdowns. Let's hope that the temptation for Apple will not be to skimp and save on components or outsource too much of its IT support because the irony could be, that the high quality advantages that Macs have over PCs, may be lost in the effort to stop Apple becoming a victim of its own success.

So the first major update to Windows Vista is here at last, fourteen months after Microsoft's latest operating system was finally released. Many potential Vista customers were advised at launch to "Wait for Service Pack 1" - so was this advice valid?

Click here to read the Softonic review for Vista Service Pack 1.

If you're anything like us Softonic editors, you probably have a multiple-column Windows Start menu that is not useful anymore. So if you have decided to bring back its functionality as application launcher, you'd better put some order into that chaos before it's too late.

The first – and most obvious – tip is, of course, not to install software that you don't really need. Unless you work as a software journalist, you probably need only a few applications in your PC so simply don't overload it with extra apps that will only eat disk space and system resources. Use the Control Panel to uninstall those apps you no longer need and you'll contribute to cleaning the clutter in the Start menu.

Many newly installed applications add a complete collection of shortcuts to the Start menu. Think about Adobe Acrobat Reader or IZArc: you never actually launch those apps from the Start menu, but rather double click on PDF files or archive files to open them. Go ahead and delete those entries from the Start menu by right clicking on the correspondent folder and selecting Delete.

For further customization, right click on the Start button and select Properties. Then, in the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window, click on the Customize button and you'll access a complete settings window for the Start menu: the General tab lets you choose the icon size, limit the number of frequently used programs and disable the Internet and email icons, while the Advanced tab lets you choose exactly which icons should be displayed and which shouldn't.

Finally, don't forget that there are software tools with which you can clean up the Start menu, add new functionalities to it or make it look like Vista. If you're interested in boosting up your Start menu, have a look at the Start Menu Utilities category at Softonic and you'll find lots of tweakers and power-ups to improve the Windows native menu.

After spending so many hours sitting in front of your computer day after day, you've probably grown tired of its standard Windows XP appearance and feel like changing it in some way. Lucky you, there are plenty of software tools that can help you change the way XP looks and even make it resemble a completely different operating system.

To begin with, you may apply some easy, subtle changes such as using a different theme color. Both the Royale Noir XP and the Royale Remixed themes are an excellent choice for a dark, sleek Windows XP look. Another good way to start modding your XP is by replacing standard icons with new ones, using an application like IconTweaker or an icon pack like Vista Ultimate Icons. Finally, you can also change your desktop wallpaper and get a fresher look almost immediately. Vistamizer Windows Vista Wallpaper Pack and Windows Vista Desktop Wallpaper Pack are two great wallpaper collections you can use for this purpose.

But if you're looking for a full revamp, then you should turn to complete visual themes that can make your Windows XP look like another totally different OS – without giving up on XP. So if you want to have Windows Vista, you may use Vistamizer; if you prefer the Apple style, you can install FlyakiteOSX; and if you'd like a more open-source appearance, get Ubuntu XP.

There are other software tools that can help you customize Windows XP look&feel, but they do more than just updating the wallpaper, changing icons or coloring the toolbar. Apps like Windowblinds or Aston replace the Windows shell completely and let you enjoy a brand-new computer – at least in appearance – without having to upgrade hardware.

[Via: OnSoftware Spain]

Just when you thought Vista's teething problems couldn't get worse, Microsoft have warned of yet more mayhem for users. If you use BitDefender Antivirus, Trend Micro Internet Security and several other minor security applications, then you may find they don't work when the next Vista service pack prompts you that it's time for an update. Microsoft have taken the unusual step of warning such users that the forthcoming SP1 update for Vista may actually stop certain security programs from working properly.

The update will be available in mid-March and will affect the programs in one of three ways either blocking them completely, disabling certain parts or not allowing them to run properly. Whatsmore, Microsoft are warning that there could be many other programs affected and the full casualty list will not be known for some time. Most of the applications that are expected to be hit are either niche Asian market products or specialist security packages that most English home users won't have. However, Softonic users that have installed BitDefender Antivirus and Trend Micro Internet Security will be affected. If you want to be on the safe side, there are many other alternatives available of which I would recommend Kaspersky Antivirus, Panda Antivirus or Avast!.

When the update is released, let us know if any of your programs are affected and we will do our best to suggest some useful or equivalent alternatives.

Windows Vista may not have been the success story that Microsoft hoped but it has given users more control over certain aspects of their operating system. One area where it still hasn't plugged the gap however is the configuration of Vista's boot sequence and loader.

In particular, if you're running Windows Vista and want to install a second operating system or manage the boot configuration, it's not easy if you're not familiar with the BCDEdit File, hidden in the System32 folder. One of the best solutions to this problem is VistaBootPro which utilises a user friendly interface to do everything you can do with BCDEdit. This excellent program clearly presents the current settings, allows you to backup settings and of course edit the bootloader. All you need to do is check and uncheck the options you want included. If you need to access the bootloader to install another operating system, then you can't do much better for free than EasyBCD which again, presents Vista's boot data via an easy to use GUI which prepares your system for an alternative installation.

One of the most annoying things is when you lose your Vista installation key and need it to perform a new installation or reset your administrator login details. The key is hidden within Vista's boot sequence but not easy to access. In which case, Windows Key is your best bet which runs via the Command tool and can instantly extract the key for any operating system installed on your machine. Finally, the best way to prevent boot problems at a later stage or require you to access the boot loader is to get it configured correctly in the first place. vLite is probably the most comprehensive program for giving you complete control over all aspects of a Vista installation. This is a program for customisation of the entire installation of Vista including removal of all those Microsoft add-ons that you don't need but it also allows you to configure the boot loader through an attractive GUI.

For more information on configuring Vista's boot loader plus links to Microsoft for warnings and guidance when doing so, check out the Wikipedia entry here.

One way Microsoft attempts to protect it's software from piracy is via product keys. In the case of Vista, this backfired spectacularly but If your PC came already installed with Windows XP, you should have received a recovery disk with the product code clearly visible. If you didn't, or if you had to install XP yourself but have lost the product key, then you won't be able to reinstall it without the key.

Annoyingly, although the Product Key is stored on your computer, Windows scrambles it so that you can't read it. One handy solution is Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder to recover and decipher the product key for you. However, if Windows XP came packaged with your computer and is not the retail version (with box), the key recovered by these tools may not be that of your own machine but the OEM's bulk install key.

In which case, it's worth trying RockXP which may be able to recover your individual keys although there's no guarantee it can help. The advantage of this program however is that it can also recover product keys for many other Microsoft programs including MS Outlook and MS Office.

One of the 'new features' included with Windows Vista was the completely overhauled Start Menu. The old version, as seen in XP, is occasionally temperamental and certainly looks messy after you've installed a few dozen apps. It can be pretty hard to spot a favourite program you installed a while back and a wrong move with the mouse results in the whole thing disappearing again.

The new Start Menu is, unfortunately, also no paragon of usability. While the idea of using mouse-overs to display or hide the entire menu is not perfect, it is arguably superior than the new method of clicking a very small spot at the bottom of the menu to display your applications in a small, cramped menu. The fact that what is then displayed needs to be scrolled through, and that the program group icons each need to be clicked on actually make this a 'browsing' experience, rather than a traditional menu navigation experience.

And I've not even mentioned the useless icon at the top of the right-side panel which changes appearance depending on which element your pointer is hovering over. Instinctively, your eye will follow the pointer, meaning that you probably didn't even notice this feature.

OK, I admit it: I'm not a fan of the Vista Start Menu. But I'll give it one thing: that 'quick search we invented that looks nothing like Spotlight on Macs' is pretty darned useful. So if you want to add that feature to your XP start menu (the only possible answer to my questioning title), here are two options for you: ViStart and Vista Start Menu. They're fairly similar but ViStart probably has the edge on VSM because it's completely free (without a 'Pro' version). Alternatively, go the whole hog and convert your XP to look like Vista completely. You won't be missing out on much and you'll save $400.

Vista theme packs are undoubtedly the most popular themes for Windows XP at the moment but they're not the only way of transforming the operating system. There are several other alternative themes out there that might not have the modern appeal of Vista but certainly give it a much needed face lift. If you're getting bored of the XP style, spice up your life with these.

• Flyakite OSX - Give XP the Mac OS X look complete with cursors and sounds

• DameK UltraBlue - Makes your XP look like the Longhorn beta versions

• My Frame Panel ActiveX - Customise and design your own themes

• Xbox XtremeXP - Give your operating system the Xbox makeover

• Crystal Clear - Minimise and customise the look of XP for a more elegant feel

This great tip I found today on the excellent How-To-Geek blog tells you how to easily browse through your Windows Start Menu to find the application you want. Hold the "Shift" key while clicking on one of the selected programs. This will open it while keeping your start menu visible.

The How-To-Geek blog post got me wondering if there were any good applications to handle your Start Menu and possibly make it easier to use. Vista Start Menu shows programs in a table, divided in sections and has a sleek and shiny Vista look to it (though it only works for Windows 2000 and XP). Similarly, LaunchIt NOW! Plus displays your Start Menu items as shortcuts in a well structured multi-tabbed interface. Tidy Start Menu is a pretty handy tool when your menu is getting overcrowded. You'll be able to reorganize all items into clean categories. I also quite like JetStart, which shows items as you type their name, lets you organize them by relevant sections and activate programs via hotkeys.

If like Dell, you've gone back to XP after being left thoroughly unimpressed with Vista, you probably won't be missing the various problems it caused but you may well be missing the slick graphics and look of Vista. Or maybe you don't see much point in upgrading but like the look of Vista. If so, you can have the best of both worlds by installing a Vista theme pack. Theme packs don't convert your operating system to Vista but they give it the same look. Most packs differ in what they offer from just a few icon changes to a complete look. Here are our top five Vista themes for XP:

• Vista Transformation Pack - Changes your start-up screen, cursors, sounds etc to Vista
• VistaXP v2 VS - Contains both black and silver Vista themes plus icon sets
• Universal Vista Inspirat BricoPack - Includes Vista wallpapers, icons and menus
• VistaXP V3 WB - Does not include Vista background or innovative desktop features
• VistaMizer - Allows you to select which components you want to change

Although Microsoft still refuses to admit that it exists, the first Service Pack (SP1) for Windows Vista is definitely on its way. Currently in beta testing, SP1 will include fixes for many of the bugs discovered in the new OS since its launch last year.

So what can we expect from this new Service Pack? The most visible change will probably be the way the built-in desktop works if you install desktop search from another provider (like Google or Yahoo). Microsoft have had to correct this behaviour after complaints from competitors. Otherwise, SP1 will mainly consist of bug and security fixes, many of which have already been released. Also likely to be included is an update to the Vista kernel (the core of the OS) and changes to the Kernel Patch Protection element to allow anti-virus products to work more closely with Vista. More detailed info on the coming chages can be found at Paul Thurrott's excellent Windows SuperSite.

While no roadmap has been officially announced it looks likely that Vista Service Pack 1 will be released at the beginning of 2008. It's also expected that XP Service Pack 3 will be released at around the same time. In the meantime, we'll keep an eye on reports from beta testers for any more juicy morsels of information.

We've already seen a few Vista themes for Windows XP but none of them included the new Vista start menu, which enables you to find and open files and applications just by entering the first few letters of their names. Now you can have that on Windows XP with ViStart, a Vista start menu clone that replaces the standard XP menu and adds that same Vista functionality. It's just the perfect complement for your Vista themed XP!

There are reports this week that IPv6, the 'Next Generation Internet' is suffering from some poor support in Windows Vista. Carolyn Duffy Marsan at Network World gets some great detail on the story. Apparently, it's all about IPv4 and IPv6 not playing well together: the recommendation is that IPv6 be removed from workstations for the time being.

Microsoft has released an updated version of the Windows Mobile Device Centre, fixing a problem which prevented the latest WM6 devices from properly syncing with Vista. No more having to type in your PIN every time you try to sync!

LogonStudio has long been a popular way to customise the way your Windows login screen looks. They've got a new version out for Vista and the guys at WinCustomize.com have put together a nice guide to the new app.

Finally, some good news for Mac OS X Tiger users. Apple have revealed the latest version of their Boot Camp, the utility which allows users with the latest Macs to boot into Windows. Beta 1.3 includes some bugfixes, better support for Vista, improved graphics drivers, improved support for international keyboards and... that's about it. Also updated is the popular alternative, Parallels, which lets users run alternative operating systems from their Mac OS desktop without restarting. The new version includes better CPU and RAM handling, but most importantly the new SmartSelect technology that allows seamless integration of Windows applications into the Mac OS environment.

A few months after Vista's release some users haven't made the change yet. Whatever your reason for sticking to XP may be, here's a perfect way to enjoy the best of both systems. VistaMizer applies an eye-catching Vista appearance to your XP computer, modifying the Explorer shell, wallpaper, icons and more than 300 other elements. Give your PC a brand new Vista look, for free!