Tip Windows 8 Click Here !!

Why Windows 8 Is a Huge Gamble for Microsoft

2012-04-21T01:59:00.000-07:00

Windows 8 officially goes on sale this fall, but Microsoft has made its next-generation operating system available online for anyone who wants a sneak peek at the future of Windows. With a slick new interface of touchable, customizable tiles, the new Metro interface is built to help Microsoft compete in the fast growing tablet market. Apple's tablet hegemony is indisputable at this point, but it doesn't owe anything to the iOS's endless field of icons. In this play for tablet relevancy, however, Microsoft risks alienating its traditional base of desktop and laptop users. Because, as cool as Metro is, it kind of sucks without a touch screen. Here in our labs, we have loaded the pre-release version of Windows 8 on laptops, desktops, convertible tablets, and all-in-ones. Just for fun, we even loaded it on a MacBook Air. It is remarkably stable, although as you would expect, it is short on drivers and you hit the occasional beta glitch. My only frustration is that using a mouse and keyboard seems awkward.

There are ways to open up an interface that is close to the Windows 7 experience, yet Microsoft doesn't make it easy to find. The software is months away from release and there are already dozens of online tutorials on "How to get the Classic Start Menu in Windows 8." Not a good sign.
If your system doesn't have a touch screen, Microsoft hopes you will use your laptop touchpad to swipe through the Metro interface. The drivers for this are still being worked on, but it doesn't seem like an ideal interface to me. It also doesn't solve the problem for traditional desktop users who will still use a keyboard and mouse.
Obviously, Microsoft wants PC vendors to build as many touch-sensitive laptops and desktops as possible. In the desktop space, you can already see the trend; all-in-ones are among the fastest growing segments. But do we really want touch-sensitive laptops? I can see a market for a convertible laptop/tablet hybrids, but I don't want a touch screen on my laptop. The ergonomics are all off.
The Old Look at the Touch of a Button
The solution here is simple: give users one-button access to the existing Windows 7 desktop. Make Metro the default, but let users hit a button to get back to the interface Microsoft has spent the last 10 years training us to use. That way, Windows 8 could be presented as an upgrade that takes nothing away from existing Windows 7 users. Users would have an easy way to get back to an interface that was optimized for the keyboard and mouse.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like Microsoft is going to do that. The company is betting everything on Metro and seems to believe that users need to be forced into the new paradigm—whether they have a tablet, laptop, or traditional desktop. It doesn't want Windows 8 to be an incremental upgrade; it wants to push past the desktop interface altogether and create something that can span a smartphone, tablet, laptop, and even the TV via an Xbox 360. For that, it needs to be bold.
And Microsoft may be right. I can't imagine Apple would ever hedge and give users access to an older interface just to make them more comfortable. Apple forces its users to adopt new interfaces all the time and users love the company for it.
Then again, Apple still has very different interfaces for its touch-screen and non-touch-screen devices. And at the moment, it hasn't put a touch screen on any of its MacBooks or iMacs.

Windows 8 for ARM, x86 to launch at the same time

2012-02-10T02:13:00.000-08:00

Microsoft President Steven Sinofsky has announced that Window 8 for devices with ARM-based processors is on track to launch at the same time as Windows 8 for computers with x86 and x64 chips. He’s also confirmed that Window on ARM (WOA) will look and feel almost exactly like WIndows for x86 — but there will be some key differences.

What to expect from WOA (apps, user interface)
Windows on ARM will have the same login screen, start page, and Metro style user interface we’ve seen on Windows 8 for other platforms. However Microsoft has confirmed that WOA will also have the desktop-and-taskbar view that gives you a more traditional Windows experience.

That means if you pick up a Windows 8 tablet with an ARM-based chip, you’ll be able to plug in a keyboard and mouse and treat it like the desktop or laptop computer.
However expected, WOA will not be able to run apps designed specifically for x86 or x64 architectures. That includes virtually every Window app that’s been designed to date. The only way to support those apps would be to write some sort of chip architecture emulation software which would kill some of the benefits of ARM-based hardware such as long battery life.

Microsoft also points out that virtually all of the legacy apps that WOA won’t run were designed for keyboard-and-mouse input, and many Windows 8 ARM computers won’t have that hardware. Instead the company is encouraging developers to write new apps that take advantage of the finger-friendly Metro user interface.

Microsoft Office 15 and other apps
Interestingly though, Microsoft Office 15 won’t be a Metro app. The company’s next-generation office suite will run on WOA, but the new versions of PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and OneNote will run in desktop mode.

There will also be Metro-style apps for mail, calendar, photos, and other functions. We may see some of these apps in the upcoming Windows 8 Consumer Preview.

Advantages of WOA

So why buy a Windows 8 device with an ARM chip instead of an x86 processor? Here are few reasons:

These new devices will have lower power usage and longer battery life.
They’ll support a “connected standby” mode instead of sleep, hibernation, or “off” modes — allowing the device to spring to life as soon as you hit the power button, and continue collecting information from the internet even when they screen is off.
Low-power ARM chips generate less heat and will enable thinner and lighter fanless Windows devices.

WOA restrictions: You can’t install it yourself, you can only get apps from the Windows Store

Microsoft is working closely with Qualcomm, NVIDIA, and Texas Instruments to develop Windows on ARM — and each of those companies is working with hardware partners. Unlike Windows for x86 and x64 chips, it looks like you will not be able to purchase WOA and install it on off-the-shelf hardware yourself. If you want a WOA computer you’ll have to buy one that comes preloaded with the software.

In other words, it doesn’t look like we’ll be running Windows 8 on the HP TouchPad anytime soon.

There will also only be one place to download new software for WOA — Microsoft. The company will only offer software updates through the Microsoft Update process, and the only place to download WOA apps will be from the new Windows Store.

On the one hand, this will ensure that you won’t accidentally try to install legacy x86 apps on a tablet that can’t possibly run them. On the other hand, I suspect this will lead hackers to try to jailbreak Windows 8 hardware in order to install apps that are rejected from the official Windows Store for one reason or another… or apps which simply aren’t submitted at all.

Testing Windows 8 and WOA

Microsoft will launch the Consumer Preview of Windows 8 for x86/x64 at the end of February.

Soon the company will also make a limited number of test PCs with WOA available to developers and hardware partners. These machines will be available for testing purposes only and will probably look different from the WOA hardware expected to go on sale later this year.

Repairing Windows 8 tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:48:00.001-08:00

If Windows 8 stops working at some point (quite likely - it's a very early version) then there are new ways to restore normal operations.

If Windows will start, select the Metro Control Panel app, and click "General". Choose the Refresh option to essentially reinstall Windows while keeping your data. Alternatively, choose the Reset option: this restores Windows but removes your data and applications as well.

Windows 8 won't start? Then boot from your original installation disc, instead; choose your language and keyboard; click "Repair your computer", then select "Troubleshoot". Again, you may refresh or reset your PC. Click Advanced Options, though, and you'll find tools to restore Windows from a previous restore point or system image file, as well as an Automatic Repair option which looks for and fixes some common startup issues.

Or, if you don't like Metro, open the new Recovery applet in the old Control Panel: it has all these options and everything else you need to get your system working again.

Windows 8 crashes tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:47:00.001-08:00

When Windows 8 has a blue-screen crash it displays a far less intimidating status message than previous versions of the operating system. It also has much less information about the cause of the problem, though if you look immediately below the "now it needs to restart" message you may see something helpful.

Troubleshoot performance problems tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:46:00.003-08:00

If your Windows 8 system seems sluggish and you don't know why, the new Task Manager may be able to help you uncover the cause.

Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to launch it, or right-click the taskbar and select Start Task Manager,

The Processes tab then gives you a detailed view of what's currently using your CPU time, RAM, hard drive and network bandwidth. The Performance tab gives you a graphical view of resource use, and the App History dialog shows which app is the most resource-hungry.

Improved file copying tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:46:00.001-08:00

Try copying files in Explorer and you'll see an enhanced dialog which provides more information about what's happening. If there's a problem, you can click the Pause button to stop the operation for a while. And, if there are conflicts, deciding which files to keep and which to drop is easier than ever.

Quick Access Toolbar tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:45:00.001-08:00

The latest Explorer features a Quick Access Toolbar immediately above the menu, providing easy access to options like "New Folder", "Minimise", "Undo" and more.

This is customisable, too - click the arrow to the right of the default buttons, in the Explorer window caption bar, and choose whatever options you need. And you can include add any other ribbon option on the Quick Access Toolbar by right-clicking it and selecting Add to Quick Access Toolbar.

An Explorer secret tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:44:00.001-08:00

Windows Explorer now includes a Ribbon interface. This is context-sensitive, which means it displays different sections according to what you're doing - and so until you click on an executable file in Explorer, for instance, you'll never know that it has an Application section. Click this, though, and you'll find options to pin the file to the taskbar, run it as an Administrator, or another user, or troubleshoot compatibility issues if it won't run at all.

Similarly, there's a "Shortcut Tools" which appears when you select a shortcut, although this only has one option: to open whatever folder the shortcut is pointing at.

Touch Keyboard tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:42:00.001-08:00

By default the Touch Keyboard will try to help you out by, for instance, playing sounds as you type, capitalising the first letter of each sentence, adding a period if you double-tap the spacebar, and more. If any of this gets in your way, though, you can turn the relevant feature off: just go to Control Panel > General and customise the keyboard to suit your needs.

Simplify Search tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:41:00.002-08:00

By default Windows 8 includes every bundled app in its Search results. If you'll never want to use some of these - the Store app, say - then click Control Panel on the Metro screen, select Search, choose which apps you don't want included, and your search list will be more manageable in future.

Control Panel tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:41:00.000-08:00

The process of customising Windows 8 starts when you click the new Metro Control Panel tile.

Click Personalise, for instance, and you can change your lock screen image in a click or two. Click User Tile at the top of the screen, though, and you can also change the picture representing your account, including grabbing an image from your webcam, if you have one.

USB drives tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:39:00.001-08:00

You don't need a large external drive to use File History - a USB flash drive will do. Just connect it to your Windows 8 system, choose "Configure this drive for backup using File History" from the menu, and by default your libraries, contacts, favourites and desktop contents will immediately be backed up. (Use the settings options mentioned above to tweak how this works.)

Windows 8 File History tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:38:00.001-08:00

Windows 8 includes an excellent File History feature, which can back up your selected files whenever you like. To set this up, go to the desktop Control Panel, and open the File History applet. Click Exclude Folders to decide what you're saving, Advanced Settings to choose the backup frequency, Change Drive to choose the backup destination, and Turn On to enable the feature with your settings.

And once it's been running for a while, you can check on the history for any file in Explorer by selecting it, choosing the Home tab and clicking History.

SmartScreen tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:37:00.001-08:00

Windows 8 now uses IE's SmartScreen system-wide, checking downloaded files to ensure they're safe. In general this is a good thing, but if you have any problems then it can be tweaked.

Hold down the Windows key, press R, type control.exe and press Enter to launch the old-style Control Panel.

Open the Action Centre applet, and click Change SmartScreen Settings. Here you can keep the warning, but avoid the requirement for administrator approval, or turn SmartScreen off altogether. Make your choice and click OK to finish.

How to Restore the Start menu tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:36:00.000-08:00

If you've explored Metro but don't like it at all, there's a way to restore a more traditional look.

Launch REGEDIT and browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer.

Double-click RPEnabled, and change it from 1 to 0 to remove Metro, the new Task Manager, Start menu and more.

Alternatively, set RPEnabled to 2 to remove Metro, restore the Start menu but keep most of the other improvements.

How to Shutdown shortcuts tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:34:00.000-08:00

The fastest way to shut down your PC is via a suitable shortcut.

Launch the desktop app, right-click an empty part of the desktop and click New > Shortcut.

Enter

shutdown.exe -s -t 00

to shut down your PC,

shutdown.exe -h -t 00

to hibernate it, and click Next.

Type a shortcut name - Hibernate, say - and click Finish.

Right-click the shortcut and select Pin to Taskbar, or copy the shortcut to the C:\Users\<AccountName>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs folder.

Hold down the Windows key and press F to open Search.

Type the name of the shortcut, click Apps beneath the search box, and it should appear on the left.

Finally, right-click the app, select Pin and it should appear on the far right of the Metro screen - just drag it wherever you like.

View all installed programs tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:33:00.000-08:00

Windows 8 no longer displays a Start menu, which means you can't easily see all the non-Metro programs on the system.

Unless, that is, you hold down the Windows key, and press F to see the Search dialog. Click Apps and you'll be left with an alphabetically-sorted list of installed apps and applications - just click one to launch it, or right-click one and select Pin to add it to the Metro screen for easier access later.

Log in automatically tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:31:00.001-08:00

Tired of manually logging in every time Windows 8 launches?

Hold down the Windows key, press R, type netplwiz and press Enter to launch the User Accounts dialog.

Clear the "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer" box and click OK.

Enter the user name and password of the account that you'd like to be logged in automatically, click OK, reboot, and you shouldn't be prompted for your login details again.

Check the Weather tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:29:00.000-08:00

Many of the bundled Metro apps can be reconfigured, and this usually starts with a right-click.

By default the weather app will show the current conditions in Anaheim, California, for instance, but if you'd prefer to view conditions in your local city then click Weather to launch the app, right-click and select Add City, type the name of your nearest city, and choose it from the list, when it appears.

See more apps tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:28:00.000-08:00

Metro apps normally run full-screen, but if you're using a touch interface it's possible to view two at once: just swipe from the left, drop the thumbnail onto the screen, and one app will display as a sidebar while the other takes the rest. (You can swap these by swiping again, but it's not possible to have each app take half the screen.)

Metro Internet Explorer tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:27:00.000-08:00

Click the Internet Explorer Metro pane and a full-screen version of the browser will appear. This is touch-friendly, and has some pluses for mouse users: right-clicking lets you pin a site to your Metro screen, for instance, or open a new browser tab or switch to an old one.

But if you prefer the old-style IE interface, that's available, too - open the desktop and launch it, or just hold down the Windows key and press 1.

Task switching tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:25:00.000-08:00

The Metro screen doesn't have a taskbar, so you'll soon lose track of the apps you've run. To see what's running, though, just press Alt+Tab. Pressing Win+Tab will switch from one running app to the next, and on a touch screen, swiping repeatedly from the left also cycles through running apps.

You could also simply launch an app again and, if there's another copy running, that one will be displayed.

If you have a keyboard, repeatedly pressing the Windows key will always toggle you between the Metro screen and the last app.

And if you have a mouse, move its cursor to the far left of the screen (roughly in the centre, vertically) and a thumbnail of the last app you used should appear. Click this to relaunch it.

Simplified Start menu tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:23:00.000-08:00

Metro has its own Start menu containing just a few simple options; Settings, Devices, Share and Search. Swipe from the right side of a touch screen, or move the mouse cursor to the bottom left of the screen to view and explore this.

The Metro home screen tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:21:00.000-08:00

Once you've logged on then the new Metro start screen will appear, packed with tiled apps. So packed you'll probably need to scroll horizontally to see them all (scrolling the mouse wheel, if you have one, will do this for you).

You don't have to put up with this arrangement, though. Click on individual apps to see what they do; press the Windows key at any time to return to the Metro screen; right-click (or swipe down on) apps you don't need and select Unpin to remove them; and drag and drop the other tiles around to organise them as you like.

Lock screen tip windows 8

2012-02-08T23:17:00.000-08:00

Launch Windows 8 and you'll first see the Lock screen, which appears whenever your system boots, resumes or you otherwise need to log on. If you have a touch screen, swipe up to clear it and enter your password; otherwise, drag up with the mouse, use the mouse scroll wheel, or just to tap the spacebar to clear it and move on.