Regardless of what side of the fence you sit on when it comes to the battle of the desktop and mobile operating systems, everyone wants to experience the right blend of form and function. Gone are the days when a powerful OS was enough, and with the birth of mobile software like iOS and Android, users have come to expect a certain amount of glitz and glamour to be built right in to newer versions of things like Windows and Apple’s OS X.

Although we’re closing in on the end of Q2 already this year, there’s still plenty for us tech enthusiasts to look forward to. Microsoft’s release of the Windows 8 operating system is one of them, and according to a number of reports, the Release Preview (formerly referred to as the Release Candidate), has been built, which means the end-user release of Windows 8 is now in sight.

When purchasing a PC from one of the main manufacturers, the “unboxing” experience is swiftly marred by the barrage of unnecessary programs pre-loaded onto the computer. Known as “bloatware”, it can be anything from free trials of various internet security suites, to vendor-specific programs – none of which the consumer has asked for.

Although Microsoft has born the brunt of much criticism throughout the tech industry over the years, the Redmond-based software maker has had a comparatively good last couple of years. The Xbox 360 is the number one console, Windows Phone is growing steadily, and the Windows 8 Consumer Preview dropped earlier this year to widespread critical acclaim.

With Windows 8 set for launch later this year, the debate is still raging on about the relatively radical design changes implemented by Microsoft in the OS. Now, before I go on, I want to note that I’m not the type that’s resistant to change. Improvement and progress is welcome, and I really don’t mind adjusting to changes of any sort. But, the issue isn’t with people like me; it’s with users that struggled to understand Windows as it was before these radical changes.

As if students needed any more reasons to procrastinate and waste time gaming instead of studying, Microsoft is set to re-introduce its “buy a PC, get an Xbox 360 free” deal – another great offer in the Redmond-based Windows maker’s push to get as many of the consoles in living rooms as humanly possible.

Steam has finally added remote game downloads to its service, and from what we’re able to gather, it’s a pretty seamless experience. The very latest version of Valve’s Steam client allows users download and install games remotely, from any device.

Having built up the anticipation among its army of fans over the past few weeks, Diablo III has gone live, and can be downloaded right now from your Blizzard account. The title, which amalgamates great gameplay with a significant cinematic aspect, is the third installment of one of the most popular franchises around, and if the premise is anything to go by, it certainly looks to be another smash hit.

Google’s Chrome browser has been updated to version 19, and apart from an array of bug fixes and performance enhancements, the Big G’s iconic browser will also be offering integrated tab-syncing.

In order to reassure buyers that they aren’t purchasing a PC in vain – with Windows 8 on the horizon and all – Microsoft will be conducting a special promotion (as Mary-Jo Foley revealed last week) during which they will provide Windows 8 Pro to buyers of Windows 7-based PCs (on or after June 2) for a low cost. But how low? Today, Paul Thurrott reported that he’s hearing word from his sources that this promotional offer will be priced at $14.99.

The research and development teams over at Microsoft Labs can pride themselves on being the people who managed to come up with the fantastic Kinect motion-sensing hardware, a handy piece of kit that uses a built-in camera to detect and interpret motion. Since release, the Kinect has been super successful, both with owners of the Xbox gaming console and those technology enthusiasts who have sought to produce open-source software for the hardware.

So, what has been foreshadowed and rumored over the past couple of months was recently officially announced by Microsoft in yet another fairly lengthy post on the Building Windows 8 blog: The company will be ditching the Windows Live brand. The products will continue to exist, of course, but they will no longer be under the umbrella of the Windows Live branding; instead, everything will be unified through what is called a Microsoft Account, formerly known as a Windows Live ID. We’ll have SkyDrive, Hotmail, and Messenger as services, which will be accessible on Windows 8 via the SkyDrive, Mail, and Messaging apps, respectively (this begs the question; is the future bleak for the actual Windows Live Messenger client?)

One of the most popular aspects of previous versions of the Windows operating system has to be the inclusion of Media Center which provided a rich multimedia experience to users. The news that the new Windows 8 OS won’t come bundled with Media Center may have filtered down to prospective purchasers, but for those who were a little disappointed with that may be a little perturbed to find out that it isn’t the only part of the Windows media experience that is missing in action.

With the Call Of Duty franchise breaking its own incredible sales records in unprecedented fashion on an annual basis, many wondered – particularly given the regularity of releases – whether Call of Duty: Black Ops II would once again capture the imagination (or at least, the dollars), of consumers once again.

Although there tends to be a gap of several years between each new iteration of Microsoft’s Windows operating system, Apple runs a much more regular release cycle, and despite releasing OS X Lion only last year, its successor Mountain Lion looks geared up for a late summer release.

Are you a Call Of Duty video game fan who has been suffering from intense withdrawal symptoms after finishing the last Black Ops game? Do you long to be thrown back into the world of a heavily armed foot soldier looking to right the wrongs of the world? Well my friends, good news could be on the way for you as the official UK Call Of Duty website has now confirmed the much talked about sequel to the Black Ops game, Black Ops II.

One thing game makers know only too well is just how beneficial the cinematic aspect of some titles can be just as awe-inspiring as the game itself, and Blizzard, the team behind the upcoming Diablo III, certainly have the balance down to a fine art.

Those in any way affiliated with the tech industry will know of Microsoft’s plans to release Windows 8 to the consumer pretty soon, and from what’s been showcased hitherto, most have been impressed. While the latest iteration of the software maker’s operating system has many strengths over preceding versions, the Metro user-interface has been the most celebrated by consumers, and although perhaps better suited to the tablet, it’s been running nicely on the PCs of those running the Consumer Preview.

While Google Music is gathering some steam in the United States, it remains a myth to the rest of the world. Following the usual trend of beta testing Stateside before worldwide implementation, it remains to be seen whether – in a field dominated by fierce rival Apple with its iTunes service – the Big G can make a significant impact.

We all live our lives online. Be it Facebook, Twitter or any of the myriad other social networks, the chances are that you have plenty of online presence strewn across a variety of networks. Throw the recent Facebook acquisition, Instagram, in there as well, and there’s plenty of photos, comments and the like to be taken into consideration, too.