One of the advantages that PC users always tout over Linux and Mac users is the compatibility of the Windows platform. Most things are designed for PCs, so naturally the PC works with the widest range of software and hardware. Still, with such a wide range means that there could be many things that might be incompatible or cause conflicts within the system. To mitigate this, Microsoft has created a logo program that identifies a product as "Compatible with Windows 7."

Mozilla executives today took shots at Google for pitching its Chrome Frame plug-in as a solution to Internet Explorer's poor performance, with one arguing that Google's move will result in "browser soup."

The Mozilla reaction puts the company that builds Firefox on the same side of the debate as rival Microsoft, which has also blasted Google over the plug-in.

Microsoft's new antimalware solution, Microsoft Security Essentials, is now available for Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. Ars puts MSE through its paces and finds an unobtrusive app with a clean interface that protected us in the dark corners of the Internet.

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Windows Vista never was particularly speedy in most people's eyes. Whether it deserved the reputation or not, the word on the street was that Vista was both slow and bloated.

Given that, it's no wonder that improving performance was one of Microsoft's design goals with Windows 7. Many reviewers have said that the new operating system feels faster than Vista. In our extensive PC World Test Center evaluations comparing the two, we found an increase in speed, though the overall improvement wasn't dramatic.

Researchers are looking to change the face of cybersecurity by attacking internet worms before they infest networks and PCs. The idea is to take an offensive front by mimicking the behavior of ants, or rather, their ability to readily adapt to changing threats. The concept, called "swarm intelligence," enables "computer ants" to wander through computer networks looking for threats rather than remaining static, waiting for the offending intruder.

On Tuesday, Google announced the release of Chrome Frame, an engine that can be used within Internet Explorer 6, IE7, and IE8 that allows Chrome to render Web pages rather than Microsoft's IE engine; Chrome Frame also executes Google JavaScript programs. To enable Chrome Frame within Internet Explorer, surfers simply must install a plug-in while Web developers must insert a line of code into their pages that speaks directly with Chrome Frame upon each visit.

Microsoft's Internet Explorer zips through JavaScript nearly 10 times faster than usual when Google's new Chrome Frame plug-in is partnered with the browser, benchmark tests show.

According to tests run by Computerworld, Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) with the plug-in was 9.6 times faster than IE8 on its own. Computerworld ran the SunSpider JavaScript benchmark suite three times each for IE8 with Chrome Frame, and IE8 without the plug-in, then averaged the scores.

Google has released a Chrome Plug-in for Internet Explorer in an effort to please those still stuck using Explorer for one reason or another.

Plenty of people are still using Internet Explorer 6 because their place of work won't upgrade to the updated version of Microsoft's browser. With the introduction of Chrome Frame, Google is looking to help employees move on without forcing their bosses to do the same.

Regardless of which side you're on (though as a true computing enthusiast, you shouldn't be taking sides), you've heard the arguments back and forth on the which operating system is truly safer – Mac OS X or Windows.

It is of the opinion of Charlie Miller, a well known Mac security guru, that even Snow Leopard, the latest version of Mac OS X, isn't as safe as Windows.

One key point is that Snow Leopard still doesn't have ASLR, or address space layout randomization, which randomly arranges the position of key data making it harder for hackers to target for exploits.

In software your security track record is ideally judged by the products you release, not the products you are developing. Nonetheless, Microsoft is drawing flack over an unpatched vulnerability in the beta and Release Candidate versions of Windows 7; Windows Vista; and Windows Server 2008. With attacks incoming, Microsoft and security experts are urging testers to run a workaround to disable to exploitable component in the meantime. The entire mess, though, goes to demonstrate both the dangers and benefits of thorough software testing.