While that other big tech press event soldiers on, Microsoft just recently wound down itsE3 media briefing with a long-awaited bit of news: the Xbox One will launch sometime this November, and gamers in the U.S. will have to shell out $499 to get their hands on one.

Don’t live in the U.S.? No problem. Microsofthas said that the console will be available in 21 (currently unspecified) markets, and shared some pricing details for those living across the pond. Folks in the U.K. can claim their One for £429, while those in the rest ofEurope will pay €499.

To no one’s surprise, Twitter is already lighting up with gamers who don’t agree with Microsoft’s pricing decision — the original Xbox 360 launched with a seemingly crazy $399 price tag back in 2009, a price point that some analysts figured Microsoft would revisit with the Xbox One. It’s hardly a shock to see that the new Xbox is a costly package though, especially since the console comes with an upgraded Kinectright in the box.

Now that Microsoft has laid its Xbox One cards on the table, all eyes are on Sony to pull back the curtain on its much-anticipated PlayStation 4. The company held a New York press conference back in February that was unfortunately light on the juicy details, and Sony is widely expected to out the console in a big way at its own E3 press event later tonight.

Source-Techcrunch

Windows 8 is in stores today -- are you buying a copy?

By Jon Fingas  posted Oct 26th 2012 at 4:00PM

That special moment has come which usually rolls around only once every three years: Microsoft has released a new version of Windows. For the version 8 update, though, the stakes are higher than ever. Redmond isn't just trying to convince legions of existing Windows users that they should break their PC update cycles. It's trying to reclaim a foothold in a tablet space that's now dominated by Apple and Google -- and it's dipping into self-designed computers for the first time with a Surface tablet that theoretically represents Microsoft's perfect vision. But how well is Windows 8 resonating with you? Did you download a copy as soon as the servers were warmed up, or do you see it as a calamity that restricts a perfectly good platform? Sound off in our poll and in the comments below.