Windows 8 - Mobile Phone - Surface - Tablets

Surface Pro is the Real Tablet while Surface RT was just a Teaser.

2012-11-29T23:41:00.000-08:00

By Prad B -

Fast and the furious, the real surface tablet wasn't the Surface RT, it's the Surface Pro. The World Wide Web seems little complaining more on the pricing of Surface Pro. More than the iPad? Yes ! Microsoft offers it's Surface RT right around the iPad price which we saw a month back in store shelves while the new Surface Pro versions will cost you more than an iPad but don't worry, it will just cost you a dollar less than a thousand bucks. And the reason it costs you more is because it's the real deal, it's the REAL tablet. Surface Pro isn't an ordinary tablet. It's a complete fully functional Hybrid, more powerful, more processing steroids and more HD. Everything is more in Surface Pro.

Surface Pro will compete with the iPad. Many consumers are likely to line up for an iPad just because it costs you less WHILE the real tablet buyers, desktop fans and on the go professionals will definitely line up for Surface Pro. The 64 GB Surface Pro will cost you $899 and the 128 GB will cost you $999.

Both Surface Pro versions are packed with:

- Full version of Windows 8 (Unlike Surface RT which didn't come with a full Windows 8 version)

- Intel Core i5 Processor (Surface RT came with Quad-Core NVIDIA Tegra 3)

- Intel HD Graphics 4000

- 4 GB memory (RAM) (Unlike Surface RT with 2 GB Memory)

- Full HD (1920 X 1080) (Surface RT wasn't FULL HD)

- 10 Point Multi-Touch Display (Unlike Surface RT with 5 point Multi-Touch)

- 10.81 x 6.81 x 0.53inch, Less than 2lbs

- VaporMg casing, Dark Titanium color

- Pen input and pen (included with purchase)

- More Battery Power (42 W-H)

- Full size USB 3.0

- Two Microphones

Unfortunately Touch cover or Type cover costs you an extra $100, isn't included on the Surface Pro purchase. As mentioned earlier, Surface Pro comes in 2 versions, the 64 GB for $899 and the 128 GB for $999. Surface Pro is more powerful and it can be used as a full Hybrid (Tablet, Laptop or a Desktop).

" The Real Tablet war is now ON, Surface Pro competes the iPad "

- FC, Fingers Crossed :-)

Awesome Tips: How to buy a Windows 8 device?

2012-11-15T17:53:00.001-08:00

By Prad B -

Every time a new gadget hits the store, the first thing on your mind is 'Should I buy it or opt for another brand or wait for the price to fit my budget?'. It's a good time around to get into Windows 8 if you did not make the move already. If you already bought/upgraded, don't hesitate to drop your Windows 8 Voice here. And if you just happened to visit this site, feel free to drop your vote on the right hand side Poll. Every vote counts !

Tips on How to buy a Windows 8 device

It's as Simple as 1 to 5 :-)

1. Visit a MS Store, electronics store or just a search online.

2. Look the specifications. Choose One.

3. Use the ATM or your credit card. Verify if the site is safe and secured/certified.

4. Make the payment. Unbox once you receive it. Read the manual if required.

5. Don't judge, don't compare, relax. Windows 8 is cool. Happy Windowing !

Extra Things to keep in Mind

1. Is it on Sale? - Don't buy stuffs just because it's on SALE. Buy if you need it. If you don't, shut your brains, save your money !

2. Looking for a new gadget: If you are looking for a new Phone/Tablet or a Laptop, Windows 8 is here. If you are a smart tablet buyer, buy the surface. Why choose Windows 8 over MAC or the iPhone? Read this article on How Windows 8 eats the other half of apple (The reasons behind why Windows 8 is better than iOS). If you are looking for the best Windows tablet, wait for the upcoming Surface versions with Windows 8 Pro on Intel X86 processors which will hit the store shelves soon.

3. But He/She has an iPhone 5 or other brands: Wait a minute ! Every one doesn't drive a Honda or a BMW. Buy what you need, why you need and what fits your needs. Don't think, don't compare.

4. Don't ask stupid questions to the Salesman: Does windows phone have a camera?, And does it have a front facing camera too?, Can i watch Youtube?, I use fb a lot and i hope this phone has it, How about Skype, Netflix and Need for Speed? Every phone has it. Those are just the basic apps and it's not Windows or Android or Apple that build these Apps. It's the particular company that creates one for these devices. Every one is on the race, the rat race to keep their apps available and up to date on all these new gadgets Windows, Android or Apple. If they don't, they loose their business.

5. But Apple or Android has more apps. I heard it. So I don't like Windows 8 :-( : Windows 8 is new in town. Though it already has 150,000 + Apps and since it's going to be one of the most popular Mobile OS, the app store will have tremendous apps in the coming days. And, all those basic and productivity apps are already there, just search and download it to your gadget.

Most of the people don't even know why they own a device they are holding in their pants right now. Most of them buy what others buy. I am not insisting you to buy a Windows Phone or the Surface. I am not paid to write this. It is your decision. Buy what fits your need. For me, what I need is Windows 8 coz I am used to Windows since I started computing/surfing and it provides all my needs from daily surfing to productivity, from MS Word, Excel, Metro Apps to the desktop interface. It's the next thing close to what I call 'Awesome'. Happy Windowing. And yes, no doubt - I am a Windows fan!

"According to a survey on the internet, Most of the Apple users (more than 90%) get an Apple product just to show that they can afford one :-). "

Windows 8 eats the other half of Apple

2012-11-05T00:21:00.000-08:00

By Prad B -

The Underdog fight begins after the Windows 8 launch, Microsoft Windows 8 certainly eats the other half of the Apple. Well, its not quite the underdogs fight, Microsoft is already dominating the world of OS and PCs since decades and still has the largest shares far better than Apple and it's iOS whose market shares equal roughly 10%, while android slightly more than that which brings the giant Microsoft to an unbeatable share market, nearly impossible for Apple to surpass not even in the next few years.

"4 Million Windows 8 copies were already sold out on the third day of it's Launch"

Most of the users already upgraded to the new Windows 8 interface be it with an upgrade or a new purchase. Whether you own a Windows Phone, Tablet or PC, you will know why it is incredible, unbeatable, better than before and better than all including the iPad, mac or the iPhone.

The Other half of Apple is deliciously delicious - Yummy !!! - Windows 8

The top 35 reasons on how Windows 8 eats the other half of the Apple:

1. Live Tiles

2. More personalized screens

3. Best of both worlds: Metro or the classic Desktop

4. More robust cloud computing

5. Faster and sleek

6. Apps and Games

7. Xbox is inbuilt

8. Better Multi-Tasking

9. You can unlock the device in Style

10. All Companies now focusing on Metro Apps for Windows 8

11. Developers all aroud the world joins the Metro App Development community

12. Reasonable upgrade price

13. Microsoft always offers good deals for Students on Windows 8

14. You still have the classic Desktop and Start screen integrated

15. Fastest growing Microsoft App Store

16. Download apps directly from Microsoft store.

17. Reliable Microsoft App store, less vulnerable to viruses and trojans

18. Tablet - laptop convergence. Same interface on Windows 8 Phones.

19. ARM and X86 CPU support

20. Backward compatibility to Old windows

21. Better Security, less intrusive updates

22. Apps update themselves and shows updated news without even having to open them

23. You can get rid of Mouse and Keyboard completely or you can still stick to traditional way.

24. Fully customizable apps, you can group your favorite apps and modify as per your needs.

25. Easy swipe to running applications equals more work productivity

26. Windows Phone even supports SD Cards - Additional storage steroids

27. Apps notifications, live messaging and Lock Screen notifications

28. More manufacturers to choose from - You can get it on Samsung, Asus, Acer, Dell, Lenovo, HTC, Nokia or any brand you prefer.

29. Nokia Maps are incredible and Windows 8 runs on 4G and 4G LTE

30. Windows 8 ensures long battery life

31. Touch covers, Phones and Devices comes in different colors of life

32. You can take your business apps, productivity suites, email programs, Office suites with you or on the cloud.

33. More stylish and fun for kids and people of all ages

34. Good customer support

35. More settings, configurations and functionality than any other OS including the iOS.

The list goes on and Windows 8 already takes a bite from the other half of Apple.

Add your comments below on what you liked about Windows 8 and why you think Windows 8 is better than the Apple iOS.

Why Microsoft tablet goes by the name Surface?

2012-10-26T14:45:00.000-07:00

By Prad B -

Wondering why the Redmond tablet goes by the name SURFACE? Coz First you can lay it down on the Table surface any way you want it with or without the Keyboard, second its lighter on your lap, third its Type Cover a.k.a The Keyboard is sleek and responsive and finally Fourth coz its really tough for the Cupertino iPad. Well, what is an iPad? just a BIGGER version of the iPhone. No Offense, but yes it is.

But why do they call it Pad with an "i" ? Google or Bing the word "Pad". The "i" basically means when I purchase it, no body else but "i" own it. Jokes apart, the Surface looks as promised and the price just fits the Tag. Without the keyboard, you get it for $499 and with the Type Cover it's $599. Got extra $$ on your pocket? You better get the 64 GB Surface Tablet for just $699.

Hats OFF for Microsoft again. Windows 8 is an incredible design and the surface just shows the beauty of the most anticipated master piece hardware everyone was searching for decades. Surface with Windows 8 is the best tablet so far, What a design! You get the best of both worlds: Traditional Windows Style or the new sleek Metro Style. The Choice is yours! Finally, we all have to agree on the fact that iPad is already dead. Why dead? Well, innovation needs a warm welcome. After all, you cannot imagine your grand children 20 years down the road screaming "iPad 10" on Christmas. The "i" chain should get a break now.

Lets go back to the Surface. Microsoft recently announced that Surface Tablet with Windows 8 is available for Pre-Order. Three different flavors for different budget price tags. The Surface version with Windows 8 Pro is coming soon.

First Flavor: Windows 8 RT on a 64 GB surface for $699

Second Flavor: Windows 8 RT on a 32 GB surface for $599

Third Flavor: Windows 8 RT on a 32 GB surface (Without the Touch Cover) for $499

If you can spend the extra $$, its better to go for the 64 GB surface. And if you are running out of budget, I would recommend the $499. If you need a key board, you can hook up the one you have OR get a cheap keyboard and plug it in (whenever you feel the need of typing the way we've done for decades).

The Touch Cover is simply sleek, light and soft. It feels like nothing because you don't have to Type, you just Touch the keys ! The 3mm Touch Cover comes in different colors of life from blue, red, pink, black to white. With the unique magnetic dock connector, the Touch Cover attaches with the surface tablet. You can easily flip it around 360 degrees to cover the screen, sit on the back while you use the screen or sit flat on a table or your lap as you type on its touch-sensitive QWERTY keys.

Touch Covers for Microsoft Surface are sleek and incredible unlike traditional Keyboards.

Do you think the Surface Price Tag fits the innovation? Also, do you agree the Pad with an "i" looks like its going to be dead now?

Free XBOX or 14.99 upgrade, there's a deal for everyone

2012-10-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

-By Prad B.

It's not REALLY a deal breaker, though it is where we should keep an eye now. The software giant Microsoft was offering a deal "Get a X BOX 360 for free when you buy a Windows PC for college". On top of that, now students can get an upgrade to Windows 8 just for $14.99. Isn't that cool? Wondering if you should go to school again just for this great combo deal with the upgrade offer? Well, we don't mind. And there is a twist on that, the PC has to cost $699 and it must be ordered/purchased from Microsoft Store, the online New Egg store, Best Buy or from Dell or HP.
It is a great deal for a student looking to add a new gaming system and a PC to their wish list. The X BOX 360 S model you get in the deal is a newest and slimmest 4GB model.

Deal For new Windows PC buyers

Ok, so you didn't know Windows 8 is the latest version, you walk down the store and grab a Windows 7 or XP PC, there is a deal on that too. If you buy previous version of Windows PC, you will get the Windows 8 upgrade just for $14.99. But there is a twist on that too, lets look at it below:

The PC must be bought between June 2012, and January 31st 2013
The PC must have a valid Windows 7 (Product key located on the back of the PC)
It must have Windows 7 already installed on it when you originally purchased it.

How to upgrade? Well, you should go to Microsoft's promotional site and they will send you a link to your email inbox for the necessary downloads. It's super easy ! You can make a CD out of it or copy it into USB. for DVD copy, you have to spend a little extra and they will ship it your door.

I am not a Student neither i Bought a PC recently. Is there a deal for ME?

Yes, there is a catch. If you have Windows Vista, XP or Windows 7 you can get the upgrade deal for just $39.99. You need not buy a new PC. Also, Windows 7 PCs and Laptops price will go down and there are really good offers on Windows 7 PC in the market right now. Either get the upgrade on your old PC or get a new PC with windows 7 and upgrade it for just $14.99. Whatever fits your budget !

Call the store you are buying from or talk to the sales man and don't hesitate to ask to get the most out of your purchase. If you are student, you get the XBOX and the $14.99 upgrade , if you are not there is still a $14.99 upgrade for new computers and if you never bought anything recently, there is a $39.99 deal to upgrade your PC now. There is a deal for everyone.

Features of Windows Mobile Phone 8 that counts

2012-10-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

- By Prad B.

Are you ready for Windows Mobile Phone 8? Microsoft, the software GURU a.k.a The Software Giant finally announced the metro style Windows Phone 8 previously named Windows Mobile 8, the new version of its smartphone operating system. Windows Phone 8 is built on the same logic and base as Windows 8. All devices, phone gadgets will come with turn-by-turn navigation integrated along with offline map viewing feature.We will get to use IE 10 with a fully malware protection feature. Internet Explorer 10 runs JS (JavaScript) efficiently and effectively supports HTML version 5. What we get at the end, the end result is a fully dynamic system for which developers around the globe can easily write/develop apps, software, tiny code snippets, interfaces and drivers for one code base which is the base code running on all Windows 8 phones, laptops, PCs and devices.

Let us look at some of the key features of Windows Mobile 8.

Support for Multi-Processing

Voila !, Windows 8 supports a complete multi-processing and developers can easily develop, write extra feature rich powerful applications. Windows phone now supports Dual and Quad processors. This will now create a platform which can easily beat current top phones including the iPhone, Android and Galaxy Phones.

As we look back into history, Microsoft Windows Mobile Phones including the Phone 7 did not even run on a dual core processor. It's hardware incapability was a hurdle for app makers and developers alike for not being able to accomplish & develop feature rich apps. It did not compete the battle among iPhone and Android Phones. It's not an issue anymore :-)

The redesigned Start & Tiles

Wait a minute? Are we talking the same tile style apps & screen? Yes, Yes Yes. But it's completely re-designed from the scratch. We call it Metro. Though it still looks the same but they are more customized, you can re-size them easily, the arrow sign on the screen has been taken out to make it look more spacious. You can either re-size them to 1/4 of the space that Windows phone 7 tiles used to occupy OR you can re-size them to fully spacious width.

HD resolution & Micro SD

How much HD is too much on a gadget that fits your palms? Your pant pockets or your purse? You define it and Windows Mobile Phone 8 just provides that. It supports the classic 800 by 240 OR 1280 by 768 and even 1280 by 720 (720p). You can watch HD videos, pictures and the screen looks more sleek and performs well with the touch flow. And good thing is that, it already is a multi-tasking phone system which adds a great feature to compete with all kinds of phone that currently exists. And adding more memory to the Phone is just a matter of replacing the SD card. Yes, it supports Micro SD which means you can use as much memory as you need to without the hassle of purchasing new phones when you run out of memory.

Voice over IP (Skype) & The Wallet

Wow ! VOIP calls are cheap as free, they are just ordinary now. Skype and VOIP apps can easily be used to make internet calls. All windows 8 phone devices will have near field communication , short form NFC, support and not to mention the Wallet Hub which will allow your phone to be used as a wallet in reality. The NFC supprt provides extra capabilities just like Apple and Google Phones.

The Faster than Light Browsing

Well quite not as fast as light but yes, IE 10 is faster and loads pages quite brilliantly than it's previous versions Internet Explorer 9. Though people still say it's not as fast as it should be. Microsoft knows that and they are working on optimizing it to a point where you feel like the load time is nothing. For now, yes it is faster , way faster than any other Internet Explorer we have used so far.

Feature rich & Multi user Apps

Nokia develops it's own in-house apps, great apps for all the Nokia Lumia Phones especially designed for Windows Phone 8. The great thing, a great favor from Nokia is that their apps including the Nokia Maps can be used on phones from other vendors like HTC, Google, Motorola or Samsung. You can even share, watch and play games seamlessly between Windows 8 Tablet/Desktops and Windows Phone 8.That is so cool. Isn't that?

Is it backward Compatible?

Not really, Old windows phone do not meet/support the requirements for running Windows 8 but there is a good news for all the Windows Phone 7 users. You can update your old Windows 7 Phone with the updated code base which is referred to as Windows phone 7.8 , a newer version that supports the re-designed screen and few features. So, if you really want to use Windows 8 version on Phones, you better buy a new windows phone device with Windows 8.

Are you ready for the new Windows Phone 8?

Windows 8 on ARM is a great move for ultrabooks

2012-10-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

Windows 8 on ARM - Microsoft's bold move

-By Prad B.

The WinTel move, a bold move in the world of processors, going forward will drive high end PCs, desktops and laptops with speeds we never saw before. Until now Intel X86 was the major processing backbone for all PCs including the Macs. Since 2006, Apple is using the Intel processing engine on all their Desktops/Laptops. ARM which was only running to serve mobile devices has now collaborated with Microsoft to be the next rival in processor world. Windows 8 on RT will be run on ARM processors. And, Windows 8 indeed adopts ARM brilliantly - a great achievement or maybe pitfall (Time will tell) for the software giant, and not to mention that their share on the mobile phones, tablets and computers is increasing exponentially. And does Windows 8 on ARM (The WinTel Move) really mean a lot to the Ultra Book Market?

ARM, an add-on flavor of Windows 8 referred to as ‘Windows on ARM’, is being launched with the revolutionary new Microsoft Windows 8 commonly known to us as ‘Windows RT’. Well, we can only say that there is only few things that differ it from the regular flavor.

Yes, both the regular flavor and the ARM share a lot in common though Windows RT, the base engine that runs and drives the Metro style apps has some limits. Despite acquiring the hardware, it is limited to the Metro interface only (few exceptions) which means previous Windows PCs were just a thing of the past - locked off, for ARM users (though doubtless a route around this will be figured out in time). This is a great move - Metro is vastly different to Explorer, and those familiar with the older interface may find themselves a little nonplussed by the differences in a touch screen digital world.

Quite more differences? Yes ! While users of the standard Windows 8 (Intel x86 processors) will have to shell out of Microsoft’s Office 2013 software bundle, purchasers of ARM based tablets and ultra books will get a copy of Microsoft Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote without any cost. It’s a much more logically out connected user experience; this is where Microsoft is looking to challenge Apple. The Cupertino Apple Inc. is well known for its hardware.

Althought Microsoft Office will be supplied by default, Windows 8 RT will not include the latest Media Player. Isn't that a surprise? Assuredly there will be a different environment for accessing media and songs, perhaps more deeply compatible with the OS itself.

The other huge difference, going forward increasing the ‘Appley-ness’ of this new RT affair that the apps and software directly downloaded from Microsoft App Store will be allowed to run on the devices. Incorporating this method, Microsoft is providing a fully-coherent ecosystem not dissimilar from Apple’s App Store. Microsoft's Windows 8 RT System will only be available for purchase if you are a device manufacturer - Microsoft is not directly and completely giving away the new Metro Operating System to end users establishing a new era of OS control and as with the Cupertino competitor Apple, it’s something you can always opt in to OR opt out of looking at your own Windows needs.

Up until now for decades Intel X86 processors, was leading the processing behind all PCs, Desktops and Laptops. Now, ARM that used to drive/process most mobile cell phones has improved on speeds that could easily handle/process today's high end Tablets/PCs. Microsoft and ARM - the WinTel move has made possible for ARM to enter the world of Desktops and PCs and will be running Windows 8 on upcoming Windows RT Laptops and Desktops.

Know these before upgrading to Windows 8

2012-09-09T01:36:00.001-07:00

-By Prad B.

Upgrading from Old Windows to the new Windows 8 will be hassle free if you read this article before upgrade. Microsoft has a tiny easy to use application Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant that will guide you step by step to complete your upgrade. Caution: Upgrading wipes out your Old Operating system. It doesn't hurt knowing these answers below before you make the jump into the new Windows 8.

Windows 8 Upgrade FAQ

Question: Which previous version of Windows are eligible for upgrading to Windows 8?

Answer: If you currently have Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7 Laptop, Desktop or PC then you can upgrade to Windows 8.

Question: How much do i have to pay for the upgrade?

Answer: If you purchased Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 PC, desktop or laptop before June 2, 2012, then you can get the upgrade deal for just $39.99. If you bought or will buy a new windows or non-windows PC, Laptop or Desktop between June 2, 2012 & January 31, 2013, you can get Windows 8 upgrade for just $14.99.

The Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant will guide you the process

Question: Can i get the Windows 8 copy on DVD or Other Physical media?

Answer: Yes! Of course. When you download the upgrade from Microsoft, you will be provided an option to get the upgrade on DVD for just an extra $15. The boxed DVD version of Windows 8 Pro is just $69.99. When you upgrade/download online, you are also provided to burn a DVD copy for yourself or get a boot-able copy that you can carry on your USB drive. And that costs you nothing extra.

Question: I don't know the different versions of Windows 8

Answer: No problem ! Windows 8 comes in different flavors that suits your needs. All windows 8 versions come in as 32 bit or 64 bit. The 64 bit is more common these days. So if we narrow it down, Windows 8 has 4 different versions. The Windows 8 RT flavor (version) comes only with tablets or hybrids like the Surface. If you are a consumer, you can only upgrade to either Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro. Corporate or bulk buyers can take the advantage of the Enterprise version.

Question: Can you tell me the difference between Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro?

Answer: If you are normal user or typical computer user and do not need or use additional Microsoft technologies besides surfing the net, working on your word/power point documents, playing games, movies and just chit chat then Windows 8 is right for you. The Pro version, Windows 8 Pro is for tech geeks, business professionals and for people who need extra Microsoft technologies besides normal computing. Most consumers won't miss technologies like the Client Hyper-V virtualization and the disk encryption tools.

Also, one thing to keep in mind that the Windows Media center and DVD player is no more available as a standard in both Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro but you can download them separately from the Microsoft Store.

Hope this helped. If you are still confused, its better to talk about your needs to the sales person before the purchase so that you know which version is best for you.

Windows Media Center & the DVD player are no more basic software in Windows 8

Question: I have an old computer and I do not know if it meets the upgrade requirements

Answer: No problem. It's always wise to first check if your computer meets the following basic requirements:

- 1GHz or even faster processor is better

- At least 1GB RAM for a 32-bit or at least 2GB RAM for 64-bit

- For 32 bit, minimum 16GB available on your hard-disk or minimum 20GB free space for 64-bit

- For graphics, DirectX 9 graphics card with WDDM 1.0 or better if love high graphics games
- Resolution of 1024 x 768 or 1366 X 768 for snap (apps resize & position) feature
- Touch screen monitor would be great but not a compulsory. You can still use it with Mouse & Keyboard.

Microsoft's Windows 8 Compatibility Center can help you check your system meets requirements or not.

Question: After upgrade will I loose my applications and settings?

Answer: Not all old Windows are eligible for upgrade. You might need to do a fresh install of Windows 8 which will wipe out your old system, applications and settings. However, if you are upgrading from windows 7 and Windows Vista, you don't have to loose everything you had.

1> If you are upgrading from Windows 7, you will not loose anything. Most of your Windows 7 settings, software, personal files and profiles remain intact. It will be a happy upgrade :-)

2> If you are upgrading from Windows Vista, only your files will remain intact. Most applications won't work with Windows 8 and you need to re-install all or those that don't work anymore.

3> If you are currently using other versions of Windows, you are not eligible for upgrade. So, please back up your important files and folders to a USB drive or external hard drive or on the cloud before you install a fresh copy of Windows 8. Also, make sure your hardware meets the minimum Windows 8 requirements (Mentioned in above Question/Answer).

Question: I want to make sure if i won't face any hardware/software problems after upgrade?

Answer: Almost all of the programs which worked for Windows 7 will work as is in Windows 8. For Windows Vista and other Windows, you will have to re-install those programs or games again after the upgrade.

To ensure you won't face any hardware issues, it is always better to check if your hardware meets the requirements. Microsoft has a easy tool on it's website called the Compatibility Center which will help you verify if certain programs will work or not and also if your hardware meets the upgrade eligibility or not. You will be provided with a complete report once you finish the compatibility check.

Hope you all have a happy upgrade ! Any questions, comments, suggestions, tips, ideas, brain storming are welcome !

Microsoft Surface Tablet - The iPad Killer

2012-06-21T00:35:00.004-07:00

Microsoft Surface Tablet - The iPad Killer.

-By Prad B.

Surface Tablet from Microsoft is going to be really really tough and unbeatable for the Apple iPad. For years, many tablets looked pale in front of the iPad and finally here we are; Surface tablet has all the instincts of the best tablet we have so far. Surface tablet was designed, manufactured and innovated precisely by Microsoft keeping in mind the corporate's 30 years of reputation.

The iPad is only 9.5 inches in length, 0.37 inches in width and is 1.44 pounds and the other hand, the Series 7 Slate PC, slightly heavier with 11.66 inches in length, 0.51 inches in width, about 2 pounds in weight. Surface tablet will be close to iPad in weight and size. Yes, it’s a hybrid so you can’t even compare it side - by - side with the iPad because Surface can be used as a tablet or a laptop or even a desktop. It has best of both worlds: The Metro Style tablet and the Classic Windows Desktop style.

The Surface tablet has a dock that includes a full-size HDMI port, USB port, and gigabit Ethernet port. You can hook up a large monitor, a USB cable to connect with other devices, or you can even use it as a laptop PC.

Two editions of Surface is available, Surface for Windows RT and Surface for Windows 8 Pro.

Surface for Windows RT tablet

Processor: NVIDIA Tegra-based ARM chip

Weight: 676 grams

Thickness: 9.3 millimeters

Display: 10.6-inch ClearType HD capacitive touchpanel

Battery: 31.5Wh

I/O: microSD, USB 2.0, Micro HD Video, 2x2 MIMO antennae

Software: Windows RT + Office Home & Student 2013 RT

Accessories: Touch Cover, Type Cover, VaporMg Case & Stand

Capacity: 32GB / 64GB

Availability: In Stores Now

Pricing: $499(32 GB Tablet only), $599 (32 GB with touch cover), $699 (64 GB)

Surface for Windows 8 Pro tablet

Processor: Intel Core i5 (Ivy Bridge)

Weight: 903 grams

Thickness: 13.5 millimeters

Display: 10.6-inch ClearType Full HD (1080p) capacitive touchpanel

Battery: 42Wh

I/O: microSDXC, USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, 2x2 MIMO antennae

Software: Windows 8 Pro

Accessories: Touch Cover, Type Cover, VaporMg Case & Stand, Pen with Palm Block

Capacity: 64GB / 128GB

British Schools waiting for Windows 8 Tablets

2012-06-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

A new study shows that many British schools are still waiting to see the benefits of windows tablets in the classroom. The British Education Suppliers Association (BESA) has carried out a survey of 500 UK schools, which reveals that many schools are holding back to see what Windows 8 brings.

The 'Future of tablets and apps in schools' report found that 6% of all “pupil-facing computers” will be non-Windows tablets by the end of the year (4.5% in primary schools, 6.9% in secondary schools), with this figure shooting up to a considerable 22% by the end of 2015.

British Schools waiting for Windows 8 Tablets.

The study indicates that 72% of schools want more evidence on the benefits of tablets before deploying any units, and the BESA says that schools may be holding back for Windows 8, which will work across desktops and tablets.

However, further adding to this, the report reveals that many schools are still cautious about deploying tablets because of security and installation issues. Indeed, BESA found that 85% of the schools are worried about managing and securing these devices, with 71% concerned with the installation and purchase of apps.

Somewhat unsurprisingly given the nature of the education sector, 82% of UK schools highlighted financial constraints as a possible hindrance in deploying tablets.

What is more surprising is that the report suggests some primary schools still want backing from the British government before deploying such devices, even though UK schools were granted the autonomy to make their own ICT buying decisions in 2010.

Samsung Windows 8 Tablet - The Windows 8 Slate

2012-06-05T23:49:00.000-07:00

Samsung Windows 8 Tablet - The Windows 8 Slate.

If you aren’t fan of Android or iOS, then Windows 8 might just be your cup of tea. Samsung has just unveiled their powerful Windows tablet, running Windows 8; moreover, it shows that a tablet can be as “strong” as laptop.

The Samsung's new Windows 8 powered device combines the functionality of a laptop and a tablet, including support for the S Pen stylus from the Galaxy Note.

PC Pro says that the Series 5 Hybrid includes an 11.6-inch screen-toting tablet, the largest produced by Korean firm Samsung. The device is said to feature a magnetic docking keyboard that transforms the Series 5 Hybrid into a "traditional clamshell laptop", similar to the Transformer Prime launched last year by Asus.

Specs of Samsung Windows 8 Slate:

- Sandy Bridge Core i5 processor

- 4GB of memory

- 64GB SSD

- 11.6” Super PLS screen (with the 1366 x 768 resolution)

- Micro SD slot

- Front 8.0 Mega Pixel and rear 2.0 Mega Pixel facing cameras

- USB port

- Mini HDMI port

The laptop does not feature any additional battery space, but Samsung claims that users will get up to 10 hours of use from the tablet.

It will run Windows 8, Microsoft's much hyped new touch-enabled operating system.

According to PC Pro, the Series 5 Hybrid will come in two versions - one with Intel's new 32nm Atom 'Clover Trail' processor, and another with a more powerful Core iX processor.

As the slate will not be based on ARM chips like the Galaxy Tab 10.1, but rather X86 PC, it will run the full version of Windows 8 and not the RT version, noted Engadget.

Due to the hybrid functionality, the device will also come with the S-Pen and S-Memo technology from the Galaxy Note smartphone-tablet product, enabling users to write notes and drawings directly on the 11.6-inch panel.

The Series 5 Hybrid is said to be "early work in progress", and Samsung representatives told PC Pro that the magnetic docking mechanism would be strengthened in the final production units.

The Samsung windows 8 slate will come with Micro SD, Micro HDMI, USB 3 and a 3.5mm headphone output, along with a 2-megapixel front-facing camera and 8-megapixel rear camera with flash.

However, Samsung stressed that all these specs are subject to change.

Last week, Microsoft launched the latest preview of Windows 8, bringing various improvements to what the firm is billing as the "most important piece of work we've done".

Samsung has also confirmed plans to release its Series 7 All-in-One touchscreen PC with Windows 8, presumably when the final version of the OS goes on sale in the autumn, three years after Windows 7.

The price of this Slate will be around $1000 USD. But it's a great deal as you can get rid of your desktop, laptop and tablets. This is Hybrid that will be your One Gadget replacing everything. Isn't that COOL ?

Windows 8 should NOT compete iPad Price

2012-05-02T01:53:00.000-07:00

If reports from Taiwan are to be believed, hardware manufacturers are struggling to create Windows 8 on ARM (Windows RT) devices that are competitively priced against Apple’s iPad and Amazon’s Kindle Fire. The reason? According to Digitimes, OEMs have to pay Microsoft $90-100 for a Windows 8 license.

While that $90-100 figure sounds a little bit on the high side (Microsoft historically charges OEMs around $50 for desktop licenses and $30 for Windows Phone 7 licenses), it doesn’t really matter: Even at $10 or $20, Microsoft (and OEMs) would be hard pushed to compete with Amazon and Apple on price. Apple effectively gives iOS away (it’s a hardware company, after all), and Amazon gets Android for free. Microsoft has to charge for Windows 8 and Windows RT because it’s a software company; if it didn’t, it wouldn’t make any money, which shareholders might see as a bit of a problem.

The other important thing to bear in mind is that it’s virtually impossible for OEMs to create a tablet that’s comparable to the iPad, for the same price. Apple’s design, supply chain, and manufacturing dominance is so stellar that the iPad is actually one of the cheapest tablets to produce. Famously, the fat, plastic-body, WiFi-only HP TouchPad cost more to manufacture ($318) than the 3G iPad 2 ($310). Once you factor in the additional cost of a Windows license, there simply is no way for similarly-outfitted Windows tablets to compete on price. (As an aside, this is the same reason that OEM ultrabooks are struggling to match the MacBook Air’s specs.)

Where does this leave Windows 8/RT tablets, then? Well, for a start, Apple applies a huge markup to its tablets: The original $310-to-produce 16GB 3G iPad 2 sold for $629 (this is why Apple is the second most valuable company in the world). Windows OEMs can always undercut that price, but once they factor in license fees the profit margins will drop precipitously. It will also be interesting to see if Intel can price its SoC Atom parts (Medfield and Clover Trail) to compete with ARM. It is due to the double whammy of Intel and Windows “taxes” that Dell, HP, and other desktop PC makers only have a profit margin of around 5% (while Microsoft and Chipzilla laugh all the way to the bank with margins of 20-30%).

As long as someone is willing to take a hit to their profit margins, then, it should be possible for Windows ARM tablets to compete with the iPad and Kindle Fire. Of course, all of this speculation doesn’t take into account the fact that Windows RT could be more desirable than iOS; users might actually be willing to pay a premium for Windows tablets. For that to happen, we’d need hundreds of thousands of Windows RT apps, though, and so far it doesn’t look like that will happen. We should also remember that Apple could quite easily block the entrance of Windows RT by dropping the price of its iPads, and still remain healthily profitable.

In conclusion, the price facts as of now might just be rumors. Windows 8 tablets will be in the shelves soon. But if it's going to cost you close to $500, Windows 8 tablets will be screwed and indirectly making Apple tablet going to win the whole tablets business.

Early Problems before Windows 8 release

2012-04-27T01:40:00.000-07:00

Brad Wardell, president and CEO of software company Stardock, recently said that the upcoming Windows 8 operating system is so severely flawed that it will hurt the PC experience and, therefore, PC gaming. How bad does he think Windows 8 is?

Since he's using the preview version and runs a successful PC software company that also publishes some great games, we figure he's a qualified expert. We asked him to explain (since we've also heard some wonderful things about Windows 8). He obliged.

Here's Brad:

Windows 8 has a lot of features to recommend it. It's smaller. It's faster. It's smoother. However, it has three flaws that worry me a great deal.

#1 It's schizophrenic. Is it a tablet OR a desktop OS? It tries to be both…and neither.

Let's say you're on the desktop and you want to load up Mass Effect 3 or Microsoft Word. You are expected to move your mouse to the bottom left, wait for a tile to be displayed, click on the tile. That action whisks you away from the desktop to the Metro environment where you can then look for those programs.

The Windows 8 experience involves jumping back and forth between the tablet environment (Metro) and the desktop. They have nothing in common. Metro's task list won't list desktop apps and the desktop won't list recently active Metro apps. They're separate and yet you have to use both.

#2 Forcing apps to be full screen is obnoxious. Imagine Notepad running full-screen with no border, no title bar, and no menu bar on a 21 inch monitor. That's what a Metro text editor would be like to use.

Metro apps want to be full-screen. Always.

You can snap them to use 1/3rd or 2/3rd of the screen, vertically, but that makes usability even worse in most cases. Take your most common apps and resize them vertically as mentioned and tell us what you think of that.

Try getting any serious work done like this.

#3 It's a usability nightmare. Let's assume you can accept/adapt to items 1 and 2. You're adaptable. What's the problem? Answer: The rest of the user base.

Less savvy users are in for some serious grief.

Nothing is visually discoverable. There are no visual cues. It's all based on touch, which means for most users, moving the mouse moving around the screen until it finds an invisible hotspot.

There's no Start button or Start menu on the desktop (unless you use a third-party utility like Start8 which is not going to be acceptable for corporate customers).

Multi-monitor user? Forget it. Metro doesn't support multiple monitors, at least presently. Additional monitors can be the Windows desktop but Metro always reserves one monitor for itself.

Why are they doing this? I can't think of any reason why they would do this—except for the hypothesis that they are obsessed with some group of users who would be better off with a tablet.

Microsoft: Don't party like 1999 anymore.

I've seen Windows 8 advocates say that if you don't have a tablet you should just stick with Windows 7. I think a lot of people may do that.

But here's the problem for Microsoft: This isn't 1999 where they could ship a Windows ME type product and users had no real alternatives. 2012 is the year in which millions of users are using an iOS or Android device.

By the time Windows 8 is released, it's going to be facing a market where displays are going start including AirPlay and/or Intel WiDi. That means mobile devices will be able to stream their output to large screens. Connect a Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, gamepad and suddenly that mobile device could become a real threat.

I'm a PC developer. I want Windows 8 to succeed. I have Windows games and software in development with releases dates far in the future. It's a pretty big deal to us that Windows 8 not fail.

Lest you think I'm yelling about falling skies or preaching doom, let me say that I have great faith that between now and the time Windows 8 ships that someone at Microsoft will realize the peril they're putting their flagship OS in.

Microsoft can fix these issues before Windows 8 ships. Don't force users to jump around between Metro and the desktop. Allow users to live within a single, consistent environment if they so choose. All we need is for Microsoft to release a solid, non-crazy version of Windows 8.

Brad Wardell is president and CEO of Stardock. He's been previewing Windows 8 for some time. Stardock is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. The company is the world's largest Windows desktop customization software provider with products like WindowBlinds, the Object Desktop suite, Object Dock, Fences and more. They also publish the hit strategy game Sins of a Solar Empire.

Windows 8 stealing the Android and iPad sales

2012-04-19T23:30:00.000-07:00

Windows 8 stealing the Android and iPad sales

Windows 8 Consumer Preview, which was released months back, saw over a million downloads within the first day, so there's clearly interest among users to test-drive the new OS. The bar to become No. 2 in the tablet market isn't high, so all Microsoft has to do is clear hurdle with Windows 8 to make it a success. It doesn't need to even remotely approach the levels that Windows 7 has, in the hundreds of millions -- it just needs to catch up Android's slowly growing 12 million.

Let us read how Jack M. Germain from LinuxInsider writes about how Microsoft will have to struggle the battle in the tablet market to find a place in the top 2 tablet OS.

Thwarting Android Sales

Windows 8 on tablets may arrive just in time to deter some buyers from supporting Android and Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) tablet sales . Despite earlier indications that the Android market is sluggish, sales forecasts are changing.

Global tablet shipments so far this year are stronger than last quarter's projections. Android tablets are showing a surge over the lead Apple's iPad showed at the end of last year, according to analysis from research firm IDC.

For example, IDC now calls for global tablet shipments to reach 106.1 million units this year. That revised forecast is up from earlier expectations of 87.7 million units.

Crunching the Numbers

Consumer interest in using tablets to host e-reader apps contributed to the increased tablet sales. It is this market segment that contributed to the boost in Android tablet devices, according to the IDC analysis.

For instance, the Android operating system developed by Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) is used in Amazon's (Nasdaq: AMZN) Kindle Fire tablet as well as Barnes and Nobel's Nook tablet.

Still, Apple led the tablet sales charts by shipping 15.4 million iPads in the fourth quarter of 2011. But non-Apple tablets surged 56.1 percent in quarter-to-quarter growth worldwide in the final three months of last year, according to IDC's numbers.

Marketing in a Void

Enterprise needs aside, the fragmented Android market is for some buyers less appealing. Another deal factor is often the more tightly controlled app marketplace that Apple maintains for its iPad users.

Performance is also a key buying factor, noted Miguel de Icaza, the chief technology officer of Xamarin. His company allows developers to build cross-platform mobile apps using C# and .NET.

He does not see the Android tablet performance measuring up to the performance available on the iPad. iPad apps add a definite value that is not equaled in the Android marketplace, he said.

"Microsoft is prepared to fill this void in its marketplace for apps fine-tuned for Windows 8 on the tablet," he told LinuxInsider.

Firing Up Competition

Windows 8-powered tablets could bring ready-made solutions to enterprises and consumer needs alike. Tablets could be less costly to deploy than laptop computers. And IT departments would have a more seamless integration than Android now offers.

"The only real competition for Microsoft might be the success of the Kindle Fire tablet. If Microsoft can match that price, it will be fine," he said.

Microsoft can avoid the fragmentation and other performance troubles that Google has had with the Android devices, he contended. With a Windows 8 tablet, businesses will not have to worry about who the provider is.

"That is not exactly what happens with Android devices. Despite that, the Kindle Fire is a very good off-branch of Android," de Icaza said.

No Wow Factor

In his dealings with Microsoft in discussing the Metro-driven tablet, Artyom Astafurov, senior vice president of DataArt, did not get much insight to how Redmond's upcoming release would address the Android obstacle. His company is a custom software development firm that builds advanced solutions for select industries.

He asked about how Microsoft was planning on competing against the Android market and claimed he did not get a response.

"I do not see consumers switching from their current devices to a Windows 8 device," Astafurov told LinuxInsider.

OS Shell Game?

However, he said, the new devices will take market share from Android. From what he saw at the Consumer Electronics Show in January and what he is seeing now, Astafurov views Microsoft as taking its desktop OS and putting a tablet shell over it.

"It will probably increase their market share by attracting users who see the tablet as another form of a laptop PC in their briefcase," he said.

But more so than just another tablet option, Astafurov sees Microsoft's integrated tablet OS with its desktop platform as an attention-gaining approach that will change how enterprise adapts to tablets in the workplace.

Finger-Pointing Control

For example, the tablet is fundamentally a new portable device and should not be considered as a replacement for the notebook in the briefcase, he explained.

"I've been thinking a lot about what I've been hearing about how the new Metro UI will force users to adopt a new approach to computing," said Astafurov.

Computer users have the keyboard and mouse to navigate. The Metro interface will have the full power of multi-touch. That will require users to adjust to using gestures for touch commands, he said.

Game Changer in the Making

Having an integrated operating system for the Windows desktop and new tablet could offer a winning combination. If so, Microsoft could nudge both Apple and Android tablets out of further boardroom considerations.

"Absolutely this has the potential for being a game changer," said SWC Technology's Lee. "Now with Windows 8, Microsoft has a complete line operating on one platform. Windows 8 will run on tablets, desktops, mobile devices, etc. It's a seamless integration."

This will involve more than a mere software upgrade from Windows 7 for users, however. Adopting Windows 8 will be a big step up from the previous desktop OS, noted Lee.

Windows 7 is not primarily designed as a tablet operating system, and Microsoft is only in its infancy with phone technology compared to the Apple iPhone and the Android phones, Lee explained.

The App's the Thing

One clear edge on which Microsoft can capitalize to compete against Android is how it deploys apps for its new tablet platform, suggested Lee. Microsoft is already working well with its third-party partners. So Windows 8 will have much less trouble utilizing other technology with the Metro interface.

"It's interesting that Microsoft is finally doing this tighter cooperation with its partners. But the growing competition has forced them to take this approach," he said.

The competition -- Google and Apple -- are way ahead with developing third-party app sources. That is one thing that Microsoft is going to have to catch up on. Over the last few years, Microsoft has opened up access to its platform, Lee added.

This now enables app developers to use different programming languages, for instance. That is going to be a key. Users are not going to adopt the Windows 8 platform if they do not have many applications, he said.

Not There Yet

Just how forthcoming Microsoft is in this regard may still be a point of contention. DataArt's Astafurov is not sure just how seamless that process will be compared to working with the Android platform.

"As an app developer, I will have to jump through hoops to recompile my existing products to get them to run in both Windows environments. From my understanding, we will have to do much more tweaking in porting our apps from the Windows 7 phone to the Windows 8 tablet. That isn't the way it is in integrating apps between the iPhone and the iPad or Android phones and tablets," said Astafurov.

The cost to vendors for doing this for Windows 8 tablets will be higher than what it costs them to work in the Android environment or iPad, for instance. Potentially, this can be a problem for Microsoft, he warned.

"I can see some companies being sluggish in porting their apps to the Windows 8 tablet. This is especially likely given how slow the apps market for Windows Phone 7 is," Astafurov said.

Time Will Tell

At least at this point, the Windows 8 and Android-driven tablets are really two different markets. For people who want to be comfortable sharing files between their Windows PC and their tablets, Windows 8 tablets will be an obvious choice for consumers, de Icaza suggested.

All things considered, he thinks Microsoft has a much better chance with the tablet than it did with Windows Phone 7.

"It looks like Microsoft finally got its mojo back. I think it is going to be a very worthy tablet competitor," de Icaza said.

Microsoft is pushing its new Metro UI and Windows 8 against the inroads made by Android tablets. It will take the progress of time, added Lee.

"But eventually users will adopt the new touchscreen computing methods," he predicted

In conclusion, Can Windows 8 beat the Android and Apple iPad sales figure ? How ?

Download Windows 8 Beta (Consumer Review)

2012-04-18T21:06:00.004-07:00

Want to try how Windows 8 looks like, how does it feel, how is it different from all the other Windows OS we have seen so far ? . Here it is, the Windows 8 Beta (Consumer review), download it, feel it, experience it and write a review below about your experience.

This is a detailed preview of the next major release of Windows, code-named "Windows 8". From the chipset to the user experience, Windows 8 brings a new range of capabilities without compromise.

Windows 8 is designed to be the first Windows client to support systems on a chip (SoC) architectures, including ARM, and since it will be pre-installed on a range of next generation devices, it will also feature Metro, a NUI + GUI interface on the surface combined with a new application platform under-the-hood designed to enable the creation of immersive experiences.

The latest iteration of Microsoft's operating system brings an innovative new platform and tools to developers. Windows 8 apps can use a broad set of new libraries and controls, designed for fluid interaction and seamless connectivity. Apps can add new capabilities to Windows and to other apps, connecting with one another through the new interface.

Requirements:

· 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor;

· 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit);

· 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit);

· DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver.

· Taking advantage of touch input requires a screen that supports multi-touch

Note before download: The following download (Windows 8 Consumer Preview Setup) will check to see if your PC can run Windows 8 Consumer Preview and select the right download. This is the easiest way for you. Setup also features a compatibility report and upgrade assistance. Built-in tools for creating an ISO or bootable flash drive are available for some previous versions of Windows (excluding Windows XP and earlier).

Download Windows 8 Beta (Consumer Review)

If you would prefer not to use Windows 8 Consumer Preview Setup, you can download Windows 8 Consumer Preview in ISO format instead from Here.

The easiest way to convert an ISO file to a DVD in Windows 7 is to use Windows Disc Image Burner. On a PC running Windows XP or Windows Vista, a third-party program is required to convert an ISO file into installable media - and DVD burning software often includes this capability. One option is the USB/DVD download tool provided by the Microsoft Store. You can also download Windows 8 Consumer Preview Setup, which includes tools that allow you to create a DVD or USB flash drive from an ISO file (Windows Vista or Windows 7 required).

Please jot down your experience, your comments, your review as a Windows user below.

We appreciate your comments/reviews.

Windows 8 Tablet Vs iPad 3 - The Tablet war

2012-03-10T23:53:00.013-08:00

Let us compare the Windows 8 Tablet Vs the new iPad 3. The real tablet war begins in 2012. Now that the new iPad has been revealed, everyone's chiming in on whether it's a disappointing incremental upgrade or a fantastic breakthrough. None of that matters to its success, of course. If every single previous iPhone and iPad product launch is any indication, Apple is going to sell truckloads of these things no matter what any expert, hater or fanboy says.

However, there's one thing that makes this iPad release different from ealier ones: The new iPad will be the Apple device that goes head-to-head with Windows 8 tablets when they arrive later this year. Microsoft's new OS will spawn an entirely different species of tablet than the Android devices that have so far been Apple's main competition. And if Microsoft plays its cards right, it could be the one that finally gives the iPad a serious challenge in the market.

So far, no product has been able to do that. The first "real" Android tablets, like the Motorola Xoom, were largely ignored by consumers. The newer tablets and latest Android upgrades are certainly better, but they're still hampered by an amorphous ecosystem. Those examples of up-scaled phone apps on Android that Tim Cook cued up in his keynote were pretty damning, and he also said there were 200,000 iPad apps in the App Store. Google doesn't give an official count of tablet-specific Android apps in Google Play, but estimates are in the thousands.

Tablet Non-Contenders

Non-Android tablets look even worse. RIM fumbled the launch of the BlackBerry PlayBook so badly that the tablet -- and possibly RIM's whole credibility in the space -- will never recover. HP killed its consumer tablet offering, the TouchPad, mere weeks after launch upon realizing the iPad was an opponent it couldn't hope to defeat.

Certainly, the Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Nook are success stories, but they kind of cheated. Both have only managed to carve out a niche market among tablets by selling their devices at a rock-bottom prices (the Kindle Fire's is so low that Amazon may be selling it at a loss). They can only do this by using the device itself as an outlet to sell specialized content. These products aren't going toe-to-toe with the iPad -- they're fighting over the scraps of the market it's left behind.

So far no device has been able to seriously challenge the iPad experience in its entirety. Basically, the tablet market has yet to see its Motorola Droid, the phone that finally showed, along with Android 2.0 software, that the iPhone wasn't the end-all-be-all of smartphones. Android's success skyrocketed after its release.

Windows 8 Tablet to the Rescue?

Could the tablet market's dark horse be a Windows 8 device? It's possible, but it hinges entirely on how consumers respond to the new user interface, Metro.

The thrust of Windows 8 -- and why it's such a big gamble my Microsoft -- is that it brings the same UI to tablets and traditional PCs (desktops and laptops). Metro is ideally suited for touchscreens, but it works with a mouse and keyboard, too.

There's a reason Microsoft has done this, and it's not really the spirit of bringing tablet features to your laptop. Quite the opposite, in fact. In order to have any hope of succeeding in tablets, Microsoft has to convince its army of Windows developers to make software for those tablets. But no one's going to develop software for an unproven OS where the company has seen little commercial success (no current Windows tablet has significant market share).

However, if your entire OS, including traditional PCs, is running the same software, then developers almost have no choice but to design apps for tablets. Windows 8 essentially turns all Windows developers into tablet developers, potentially giving the Windows 8 tablet platform the fuel it needs to expand rapidly and finally give the iPad a real opponent.

The Catch: Metro

Again, almost. There's one thing that could hold it back: consumers rejecting Metro. You see, Windows 8 lets any user turn off Metro and just use the traditional desktop. If enough of them do, many developers may simply choose not to create Metro apps. After all, if most of your customers are just switching to the old Windows environment anyway, why bother?

That would let the air out of the expanding Windows 8 tablet balloon pretty quickly, and that's even before we consider the wild cards of potential device fragmentation, how Windows will work on ARM devices and whether or not consumers will even accept a tablet as their main computing device.

Microsoft needs to get Metro 100% right if Windows 8 tablets are going to have any hope. If users like Metro, then the developers will follow, and a real ecosystem will emerge. If not, the iPad will probably be the only tablet worth talking about for a long, long time.

Windows 8 Tablet Vs iPad 3 - The Tablet War Begins

Microsoft's Windows 8 Consumer Preview was made available to download yesterday, giving everyone a chance to experience the company's most revolutionary change in user interface since Windows 95. The interaction paradigm has shifted from a mouse-centric desktop to a touch-friendly, highly visual Metro style UI. The old Start orb has been retired and replaced by a Charms bar, which is brought to life with an inward swipe from the right. A swipe from the top down dismisses the app you're in and returns you to the home screen, and the left and bottom edges also have actions associated with them. Gestures play a very significant role in Windows 8, but they're only one aspect of a truly gargantuan list of changes.

While the Consumer Preview software remains at the beta stage, its central concepts have now been fleshed out, so we thought this would be a fitting time to compare them against Apple's iPad, the incumbent leader in the tablet space Microsoft is seeking to become a player in. iOS 5 and Windows 8 share a few similarities, but the user experience is fundamentally different and informed by different interaction metaphors. You can see those detailed in the video below, and if you care to learn more about what else has changed under the Windows hood with version 8

Metro Style Apps on Microsoft Windows 8 OS

2012-01-21T23:42:00.000-08:00

Ok, we saw Windows Phone 7 and the introduction of Live tile style Apps. The concept kicks into Windows 8 OS which will show up in all Windows 8 devices pretty soon. Same concept will drive Microsoft's windows mobile phone 8 and all tablet PCs.

Software Companies are already deciding NOT to wait until Windows 8 gets an official release date and are already moving forward to Metro Style themes. "Skype appears to be ready for a Windows 8 Metro style already". So is Twitter.

How about Android Apps on Windows 8 Mobile Phones, PCs, laptops and tablets ? Sounds Interesting ? "BlueStacks is already on its way helping over 400,000 Android applications to go Metro Style for Windows 8. The company has already released its "App Player" for Windows 7 in October, good news is that it's now compatible with Windows 8. All of the popular Android apps will NOT need any porting and will be capable of running as desktop apps under Windows 8, just like previous Windows 7 app without the need of porting.

Lets look at some SAMPLE Metro style Apps on Windows 8 OS:

1. The Weather App

2. The News App

3. The Communication (People) App

4. The Sky Drive Feature on Windows 8 OS

First Look at Microsoft Windows 8 OS

2012-01-21T23:41:00.001-08:00

Windows 8 Demo, let's take a first look into the Windows 8 platform. Jensen Harris, director of PM from Windows User Experience channel gives the first demo on the Windows 8 interface.

When I say Windows 8 Demo, it's a standard OS for all upcoming Windows Devices (PCs and Laptops including the upcoming Windows Phone 8). So, the following demo shows you a sneak peek into what experience users will get on a Windows Mobile Phone 8 (will most probably be a tweaked light version of the same Windows 8 OS).

Key things to notice as you watch:

Apps form a tile-based Start screen fully customizable and scalable with full-screen views
Each app shows LIVE updates (new message, fb notifications, counters, timers...)
Fast switch between screens and apps
Move, replace, resize icons with just finger taps
Multi-touch flow, mutli-apps running on the background
Most apps rely web connections, updates on the background utilizing HTML 5 and JS
Latest IE Explorer, fast optimized browsing and smooth touch flow

Looking at the demo, i already feel Windows 8 will definitely be a huge success. My only concern with this design is Performance. I cannot estimate the minimum Memory requirement to run a Windows 8 OS ? Tablet PCs aren't yet as powerful as desktops or high end laptops. Same holds true for Mobile Phones.

Feel free to drop in your thoughts below.

Which feature did you like the MOST ?
Any feature that could be improved ?
Any critics so far ?

Is Microsoft gambling with Windows 8 on Mobile Phones?

2011-08-21T22:23:00.000-07:00

World has gone mobile, and online. And good old-fashioned Windows, that bastion of traditional desktop computing, will undergo a radical remodel in an attempt to keep up with the likes of Apple and Google and everybody else. According to leaked reports, Microsoft and Intel have joined their hands to launch Windows 8 on mobile phones. The main aim of Microsoft behind Windows 8 mobile computing is to provide better portable environment for its users so that users can experience new innovative Windows 8 exposure.

In the process, Microsoft will be taking an enormous gamble, overhauling the centerpiece of its business — a product responsible for more than $18 billion in annual revenue, and familiar to hundreds of millions of people. If the strategy works, it could keep Windows relevant for years to come. If it doesn’t, it could accelerate the company’s decline.

It’s the biggest change since Windows 95, said Microsoft executive Julie Larson-Green yesterday at the D9 conference in California, where she and Windows chief Steven Sinofsky debuted the new approach.

- Todd Bishop

“An average person walking into Best Buy and going to look at a Windows laptop is going to be shocked when they look at that,” said Walt Mossberg, the conference co-host and influential Wall Street Journal columnist. He called it “jolting.”

“It’s definitely different,” acknowledged Larson-Green. “It really takes into account all the changes that have happened in the industry, and all the technologies. While we just showed the user interface here, every subsystem of Windows has been reimagined to be modern.”

And that was the big shocker from the Windows 8 unveiling. Microsoft wasn’t just showing a new Windows for tablets, as many had expected. Microsoft was showing a new Windows … period.

“It’s going to run on laptops, it’s going to run on desktops, it’s going to run on PCs with mouse and keyboard,” says Microsoft’s Jensen Harris after demonstrating the Windows 8 interface in the company video below. ”It’s going to run on everything.”

Also significant is Microsoft’s focus on web-oriented HTML5 and JavaScript applications in the new Windows development platform. We’ll hear much more about this at Microsoft’s “Build” developer conference in September.

Users will still be able to run traditional Windows software, and opt for the traditional Windows desktop, but the standard experience will be the new interface shown by the company this week.

The scale of the change underscores just how much Windows needs to adapt to the new world. Particularly interesting during the D9 demo was the brief glimpse of the “share” icon built into a default Windows 8 command menu. This is Windows for the web, more than any previous version of the operating system.

At the outset of the D9 session yesterday, conference co-host and Wall Street Journal columnist Walt Mossberg asked Windows chief Sinofsky how he felt about Microsoft being left out of Google chairman Eric Schmidt’s “Gang of Four” list of top consumer platforms: Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook.

“The thing that struck me the most was, it’s an interesting group of companies, lots of creative work,” said Sinofsky. “But the one thing thing that gets left out of that discussion is that the way 90 or 95 percent of the world gets on the Internet in the first place is through Windows.”

Microsoft isn’t saying when the new Windows will come out, but it’s widely expected in 2012.

With leaked information, it's already clear that Windows 8 will be the base OS for Windows Smart Phones which includes the next Windows Phone 8 by Microsoft. The point is will Microsoft deliver the so called Windows 8 as a killer OS that will out perform earlier desktop versions?

At the end, is Microsoft gambling and taking a huge risk at using the same OS concept for Windows Mobile Phone 8? Google and Apple are definitely keeping a close eye on this. The battle begins soon and it's already a tough way up for Microsoft with Google's Android and Apple's iOS already taking most of the shares in Smart Phones.

Suggest a Design for Microsoft. What do you expect in Windows Mobile 8?

2010-09-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

I have collected some cool smart phones design for Microsoft. I would like the new smart phone from Microsoft to be different, hi-tech design, big screen, multi-features, true HD and more..What's your thought on these Design? Which one do you like? Please suggest your design as well.

Windows Mobile Phone 8 Design #1

Windows Mobile Phone 8 Design 2

Windows Mobile Phone 8 Design 3

Windows Mobile Phone 8 Design 4

Windows Mobile Phone 8 Design 5

Windows Mobile Phone 8 Design 6

Windows Mobile Phone 8 Design 7

Windows Mobile Phone 8 Design 8

Windows Mobile Phone 8 Design 9

Windows Mobile Phone 8 Design 10

Windows Mobile Phone 8 Design 11

Windows Mobile Phone 8 Design 12

Windows Mobile Phone 8 Design 13.1

Windows Mobile Phone 8 Design 13.2

13.3

Your comment, suggestions and design would be highly appreciated.

How should Windows Mobile 8 be ?

2010-09-28T22:24:00.000-07:00

I was a very big fan of Microsoft's Windows Mobile Operating System. I have extensively used Windows Mobile 5, 5.5 and 6.0. It was after the 6.0 version that I decided to move to Apple's iPhone. I didn't find Apple's iOS very useful despite the fact that it is very fancy, stylish and has a good touch flow. Since last year, I am with Android and love their new Android 2.2 version.

Having said all these, I still search for Windows Mobile OS on the internet. I still believe in Microsoft and their Mobile OS and I am desperately waiting to see their new Mobile OS. They recently have Windows Phone 7 which was built on a pretty bad concept (from reviews, photos and videos). Microsoft still needs to learn what consumers want and not what they can provide. With android beating iphone's sales figures and a high competitive market, it's almost impossible for Microsoft to get their position back. However, Microsoft is already planning for their New Windows Mobile 8 OS.

According to my experience, I think Microsoft should keep the following things in mind.

-> Use their touch flow technology (Microsoft Surface Technology) and integrate them into the new Mobile Operating System.

-> Listen to what people want.

-> Make the third party companies build a Sleek, slim and big screen device.

-> Integrate HD technology.

-> Multi-touch and Multi-processing OS

-> Powerful processor (at least 2 GHZ)

-> Faster and simple internet experience

-> Make it open source

-> Not stick to AT&T or any companies but make it available everywhere.

-> Free Applications and Games

-> Very large App Store

-> True HD camera (at least 12 MP) with Flash Light.

-> Real in-built HD camcorder (1080 p)

-> Big icon, easy to customize and smooth touch flow

-> Make Live TV on the go

-> Real Time GPS navigation with turn by turn voice

-> Cheaper Price (at least cheaper than new Android devices)

-> Free updates and a very good Customer Support

And what else? Well, What's your thoughts and what do you want to see in the new Windows Mobile Operating System?

Your suggestions and comments will be highly appreciated.

Microsoft Outlines Windows Mobile Phone 7 and 8

2010-09-28T22:06:00.000-07:00

Microsoft isn’t offering up any dates or final product names, but it is breaking with Windows Mobile tradition and is talking about future features.

It’s not hard to see why Microsoft’s Windows Mobile team is uncharacteristically willing to share its roadmap. The Apple iPhone has all the buzz and, according to at least one market researcher, more of the the Web-browsing market share than Windows Mobile does.

Here’s what Microsoft has shown/told a select handful of bloggers, journalists and other sundry “influentials.”

Next on the horizon is Windows Mobile 7, which will add zooming, scaling and a new suite of Win Mobile apps, including Internet Explorer, email, SMS and photo/music management, according to Gizmodo’s account. Gizmodo says “there’s talk about doing some sort of collaboration with the Zune team, but that’s still up in the air.”

(I’ve been hearing talk that Microsoft is working on a suite of Live services that will work across Windows Mobile, Xbox 360, Zune and possibly Microsoft TV. Perhaps this will debut in the WIndows 7 timeframe, whatever that is.)

After Windows Mobile 7 is … tada … Windows Mobile 8. Gizmodo’s synopsis:

“This (Windows Mobile 8) is the version you’ve been waiting for, implementing a completely redesigned user interface, ‘revolutionary’ features like global search, and new concepts such as automation and connections within the phone, ideas borrowed from other smartphone operating systems. This means that you’ll be able to go from viewing a person’s address info in his contact card to seeing where he lives in map view in one click. There will be much more of this intuitive flow, and far less digging through menus.”

Microsoft mission with the next few releases of Windows Mobile is to take a product that the company built to satisfy business/enterprise users and make it more palatable to consumers. Meanwhile, Apple is looking to do the inverse with the iPhone: Take a consumer platform and make it appealing to the business community by integrating more tightly the iPhone with Exchange Server, etc.

Will Windows 7 or 8 Take over iPhone and Android? Will Windows Mobile phones catch up the ease-of-use and/or coolness meters any time soon?

How will Microsoft Fix the Windows Mobile Platform?

2010-09-28T22:01:00.000-07:00

- Gizmodo
Even when using a super sluggish WinMo phone, it's less an example of a manufacturer not meeting the minimum requirements for RAM, ROM and CPU power, and more a problem of software which has not been optimized to run on it. This is often the service provider's fault. For example, two phones with the same 400MHz processor can be totally different depending on how much optimization the provider decides to do. When you're using a slow phone, blame the provider.

On the same token, the Windows Mobile OS team actually does set a minimum hardware requirement for the "core" features of the OS to make sure the user experience is a good one, but the minimum-requirement bar may be set too low. When companies add apps ontop of the core, things start to wobble. Product manager Derek Snyder told me that Microsoft will raise the bar for minimum requirements to a level where phones can be loaded with more software without slowing down the most basic of tasks (e.g. sliding open the AT&T Tilt from portrait to landscape mode).

That's not to say Microsoft isn't dodging the problematic UI and the other software shortcomings. Derek admits that, up until now, the team has focused too much on the enterprise side, attracting IT customers with vertically useful features like Exchange support, not on ease of use. Starting from here on out, they're going to be more consumer oriented. "The business stuff has been taken care of," he says.This focus can be clearly seen when you look above at the leaked Windows Mobile details we showed you last week. There's an much more streamlined home screen that puts only a few things in your face at once. There's a caller-ID box that lets you easily see who's calling. There's threaded SMS. There's a recent programs list in the Start menu. They are great updates, but they are tweaks, not huge fixes, baby steps toward a goal that may not ultimately be reached until one or two major revisions down the line (read:Windows Mobile 7 or 8).

It is the next version of Windows Mobile that looks promising. First, Microsoft will retool the main suite of applications such as IE, email and SMS. According to them, they will try to bring IE up to par with the iPhone's Safari browser, and deliver "desktop grade" browsing with zooming and scaling and all that good stuff. Then there's the improved music and photo experience, taking what they can from other smartphone designs like Palm, iPhone or Symbian, and integrating it into their own apps. There's talk about doing some sort of collaboration with the Zune team, but that's still up in the air.

I'm holding out for the next, next version of Windows Mobile (WM8). That's the one that will be started completely from scratch, with "new plumbing." This is the version you've been waiting for, implementing a completely redesigned user interface, "revolutionary" features like global search, and new concepts such as automation and connections within the phone, ideas borrowed from other smartphone operating systems. This means that you'll be able to go from viewing a person's address info in his contact card to seeing where he lives in map view in one click. There will be much more of this intuitive flow, and far less digging through menus.

Derek sums it up like this: right now the Windows Mobile user experience is lacking. The features are there, but actually using these features is another story. Normal people can't figure it out. He says it's like using a Creative Zen vs. using an iPod or a Zune. You actuallywant to use a device that does the work for you, instead of making you do all the work. It took guts for Microsoft to admit what its mobile OS was lacking; we're going to do our part and accept their word that a more robust platform followed eventually by a more headache-free interface is where Windows Mobile really is headed.

Windows Mobile 6.1 pictures courtesy Boy Genius Report; Dialer screen courtesy ZDNet; WM Standard courtesy Into Mobile

Contact information for this author is not available.

Windows Mobile 7 and Windows Mobile 8 - Microsoft's Next Mobile Lineups

2010-09-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

-From Gizmodo.com

We just got the scoop from Microsoft on Windows Mobile 7 and Windows Mobile 8, the two upcoming platforms that will fix what is undeniably broken about theWindows Mobile platform to date.

This was originally going to be a piece about how Microsoft had no idea what the consumer wanted, where I would explain what I thought Microsoft needed to do to fix it. Oh, I still discuss the flaws, but while talking to the Windows Mobile team, I learned about the next two versions of the mobile OS. Turns out, Microsoft knows exactly what's wrong with the WM platform, and it knows what to do to fix it. Trust me: there's hope on the horizon.

Before I get to the big Windows Mobile fix, it's important to see where it is now. Take a look above at the Windows Mobile Professional (the touchscreen version) and Windows Mobile Standard (the non-touchscreen, usually slimmer version). Got a good look?

The number one biggest problem with Windows Mobile is its UI.

I have no problems with Windows itself, and I work on a Vista PC (along with a Leopard Mac) every single day. WM's problem is that it isn't Windows. Here are a few of the unnecessarily complicated attributes that Windows Mobile doesn't share with desktop Windows:

• It's very hard to multitask. Multitasking is there, and you can run multiple programs at the same time, but everything is "full screen" and there's no easy way to switch between apps. There's no task bar to see what apps are open, and there's no indicator to the user that anything else is open. You actually have to dig into the Start menu, then Settings, then the System tab, then Memory, then the Running Programs tab just to see what's going on! Microsoft fixed this by inserting a dropdown task manager in more recent builds of Windows Mobile 6, but you still can't jump from app to app with ease. Which leads us to...

• Closing a program doesn't really close it. You'd think that pressing the "X" button on an app closes it, but all it does is minimize it. You have to dive into the menus to terminate a program or, on a newer build, go back to the Home/Today screen and close via the top-right icon. Not exactly what we call convenient.

• Different builds work differently. We can see why there are two major versions of Windows Mobile for phones—Professional and Smartphone—since different form factors require different UI philosophies for input. But when you compare the Tablet PC version of Windows with the standard desktop version, there isn't that huge of a difference. If you know how to use one, you should know how to use the other. Not quite so when you switch from the stylus input of Windows Mobile Pro to the D-Pad of Windows Mobile Smartphone. This isn't noticed by the masses, since most people only use one Windows Mobile device, but it is a telling concern. Plus, getting around with that D-Pad sucks.

Beyond OS structural design, the day-to-day usage of Windows Mobile isn't what you'd call "friendly," either. In fact, it'd probably punch you in the face if you even made eye contact. Take dialing, for instance. How can the main purpose of a phone—calling someone—be so hard to do? If you're using a Windows Mobile Professional device, you have a few options, none of which are good:

• You can pull out the stylus to tap in the digits. This requires two hands.

• You can try and use your fingertip to call, which doesn't normally work, so you'll use your fingernail, which does work but, as it results in many misdialed numbers, takes forever.

• You can slide out the keyboard and find the dialpad buried among the QWERTY keys and dial, which requires two hands and intense concentration.

• You can try and bring up the contact list, which takes a long-ass time to scroll through, or you can slide out the keyboard again and search by name. Again, two hands.

• Voice Command has been an option for years, but then again, it kinda works, but it doesn't work well.

• Probably the best way to go is to program your most important numbers into speed dial, as you'll be able to actually talk to the correct person within, say, three button presses.

Compare that to the iPhone, which has just a touchscreen, but gets you to the keypad, your favorites, recent calls or your contact list, all within two key presses of the home screen. Dialing shouldn't be this hard, and the fact that it is just illustrates how bad the rest of the UI is. We will cover What's wrong with Windows Mobile and How Microsoft is going to fix it in next article post.

Microsoft Windows Mobile Phone 8 Release on the way?

2010-09-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

Probably not. To think that a company like Microsoft isn’t already thinking about Windows Phone 8 is short-sighted, but then again, to hear that they may be already working on it is another story entirely. There’s a job ad that’s bringing all of this up, and while the ad’s title notes Windows Phone 7, the body of the text clearly states that the focus of the new position is on the “next version of Windows Mobile.”

Windows Mobile Phone 8 Release Date

Now, we can see where Windows Phone 8 might be the “logical” conclusion to take from this job ad, but we aren’t going to bite. Why? Because Windows Phone 7 isn’t out yet, and that means that this ad is more than likely still talking about the “next version of Windows Mobile.” And that would be Windows Phone 7. The story would be completely different if, for example, Windows Phone 7 was already release, for sure, but it isn’t.

The ad’s the general kind that you’d find from a company looking for a Customer Experience Engineer: they want someone who will put the customer first, and create a product that makes those customers happy. Essentially. The ad’s clear statement is that the customer is first, and would lead us to believe that Microsoft is genuinely making Windows Phone (7) far more consumer-friendly, rather than business-oriented. Still, just to ask the question, is Microsoft already working on Windows Phone 8? What do you think?