Windows 8 delivers the goods on benchmarks

Posted by Harshad

Windows 8 delivers the goods on benchmarks

Windows 8 delivers the goods on benchmarks
iOS 6 jailbreak gets full, built-in support for Cydia store
Adobe launches new versions of Reader and Acrobat

Posted: 15 Oct 2012 05:14 PM PDT

A few of the coming Windows 8 computers.

(Credit: CNET )

CNET Labs has released its system benchmarks comparing Windows old and new, and they've discovered that Microsoft's controversial new operating system doesn't steamroll over Windows 7 as much as it gently shoves it out of the way.

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Operating system	Boot time	Shutdown time	MS Office performance	iTunes decoding	Media multitasking	Cinebench
Windows 7 SP1	45.2	7.7	408	127	343	16985
Windows 7 SP1	47.5	7.8	412	124	344	17,116
Windows 8 RTM	31.4	8.8	372	123	340	15,300
Windows 8 RTM update	26.4	11.7
iOS 6 jailbreak gets full, built-in support for Cydia store Posted: 15 Oct 2012 08:56 AM PDT A hacking group has updated its iOS jailbreak, Redsn0w, with full support for an unauthorized app store and the ability to re-restore a device to an older version of Apple's mobile operating system. The updated Redsn0w jailbreak hit the Web yesterday, enabling iOS 6 users to get full access to the third-party application store Cydia. Previously, Redsn0w users were forced to install Cydia manually. Now, they will find the app marketplace -- which includes programs that are not authorized for Apple's official App Store -- built in. The hacking group, which calls itself the iPhone Dev-Team, announced its iOS 6 jailbreak less than a day after the latest Apple operating system launched last month. Apple frowns on users jailbreaking devices. The company argues that it eliminates some security features and leaves users open to potentially malicious programs prowling unauthorized app stores. Jailbreakers, however, view the activity as a fine way to take control over a device they own. Related stories Leaked images allegedly show Google's iOS Maps app iPad Mini: What we don't know ... [Read more]
Adobe launches new versions of Reader and Acrobat Posted: 15 Oct 2012 06:56 AM PDT (Credit: Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET ) Adobe Systems has kicked off a new version of its industry-standard Reader with several notable improvements. Debuting this past weekend, Adobe Reader XI strengthens the commenting feature, so you can now add stamps, file attachments, audio recordings, and other items to a PDF. New markup symbols include text boxes, lines, arrows, circles, and other shapes. Further, you can fill out, sign, save, and send a marked up PDF without having to print it first. Many of these features were formerly found only in Adobe Acrobat, so their addition to the free Reader is a nice bonus. Adobe Reader has been dinged in the past for security holes, requiring the company to push out one patch after another. The new version of Reader comes with an "enhanced" Protected Mode, according to Adobe, to better defend against theft of your data. A new Protected View isolates Reader in a type of sandbox to protect the rest of your system. Like many products these days, Reader taps into the cloud by letting you create PDFs online, save them as Word or Excel files, and send them to be signed and tracked through ... [Read more]