While Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8 operating system offers a lot of interesting new features, there are plenty of time-saving tips you can use for your existing PC in the meantime that you likely never heard about. Some are tied specifically to Windows 7, but the rest work for all Windows versions released in the past decade.

While Windows 8 has received more coverage for its new display and user interface, it possesses a large number of security features that businesses should find useful, especially the Pro and Enterprise versions.

Perhaps the most exciting news for GURU partner Microsoft this year is the announcement of its up-and-coming laptop/tablet hybrid known as Surface. While Surface has yet to be given a launch date, its excellent design and intuitive user experience might make it the “Bring Your Own Device” product of choice for SMBs.

Microsoft has released a security alert stating that its MS-signed certificates have been compromised by the complicated malware known as Flame, which can now use Microsoft Update to dispense malware and attack computer systems under the guise of Microsoft. Microsoft has released a patch to protect PC users from the problem.

Microsoft’s next-generation operating system, Windows 8, is expected to release this fall, offering plenty of drastic (and a few not-so-drastic) changes from previous Windows operating systems.

It’s no secret that Google has never been very friendly about using Microsoft products. Google’s engineering-driven culture necessitates that software tests be done on multiple systems, but lately Google has begun to move away from Windows. Google has traditionally given employees the choice of operating systems, however new employees at Google are no longer allowed to request Windows PCs. They are instead given the choice of Mac or Linux systems. This news was reported by The Financial Times, after an attack on Windows and Internet Explorer 6 specifically, resulted in the theft of intellectual property from Google. Rumor has it source code was stolen late last year which facilitated Google’s decision to avoid the notoriously vulnerable operating system. Since so much testing and software engineering requires the use of Microsoft software, some employees will still get to use Windows PCs, but they will need special permission.