Windows 8 Release Expected in 2012 article says that Windows 8 will be with us in 2012. Windows 8 Features And Release Date article expect Windows 8 to be launched sometime in mid-late 2012. For details how Windows 8 looks take a look at Building “Windows 8″ – Video #1. For latest details check also Microsoft Newsroom on Windows 8 and Windows-ARM.Com.
The biggest changes in underlying technology is that Windows 8 is supposed to run on either the x86 or ARM architectures. Microsoft is in the process of rebuilding Windows for the post-PC era, by stepping back from its core roots (Intel processors) and embracing ARM. Windows-on-ARM Spells End of Wintel article tells that Brokerage house Nomura Equity Research forecasts that the emerging partnership between Microsoft and ARM will likely end the Windows-Intel duopoly. ARM-based chip vendors that Microsoft is working with (TI, Nvidia, Qualcomm) are now focused on mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.).
Making the Windows to run other platforms than x86 seems to be a big change, but this is not the first time Microsoft has tried that (there has been once Windows NT for DEC Alpha and still Windows Server 2008 for Itanium). ARM is now hot and Microsoft is active pushing Windows 8 to use it. Sinofsky shows off Windows 8 on ARM and Office15 article tells that Windows boss Stephen Sinofsky has ended months of speculation with the first (fairly) detailed drilldown into Windows 8 on ARM (WOA) platform, and says it should be ready for a simultaneous launch with its x86/64 counterpart. WOA includes desktop versions of the new Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. WOA is, as Sinofsky said, “a new member of the Windows family,” but it’s not Windows 8. It’s entirely new, and because it works only on ARM devices. Windows on ARM software will not be sold or distributed independent of a new WOA PC. In other words, WOA is to Windows as iOS is to Mac OS X.
Devices running WOA will come with both a Metro touch-based interface and the more traditional desktop, and will run Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote applications with full document compatibility with x86/64 systems. One thing was made crystal clear by Microsoft: Windows 8 on ARM will not be the same experience as Windows 8 on Intel-AMD.
How the two flavors of Windows 8 will be different article gives some details how Windows 8 on ARM is different from Windows 8 on X86. Windows 8 on ARM will not be the same experience as Windows 8 on Intel-AMD.
Building Windows for the ARM processor architecture article from Building Windows 8 blog is a goldmine to all you who are interested in more details on Windows 8 on ARM (WOA) platform. This post is about the technical foundation of what we call, for the purposes of this post, Windows on ARM, or WOA. WOA is a new member of the Windows family, much like Windows Server, Windows Embedded, or Windows Phone.
WOA builds on the foundation of Windows, has a very high degree of commonality and very significant shared code with Windows 8. Many low level details needed to be rewritten, but there is a significant portion of Windows that is generally built with code that can be made to work on ARM in a technically straightforward manner. These subsystems include the Windows desktop and applets and supporting APIs, though those needed to modified for better resource and power utilization. Enabling Windows to run well on the ARM architecture was a significant engineering task.
Here are my collection of the most important points I found from How the two flavors of Windows 8 will be different and Building Windows for the ARM processor architecture articles.
Windows 8 ARM devices will run on ARM processors from Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, and Nvidia, all running the same Windows OS binaries. WOA PCs use hardware support for offloading specific work from the main processor to integrated hardware subsystems to improve performance and battery life. ARM SoCs for WOA have DirectX capable GPUs (DX) for accelerated graphics in Internet Explorer 10, in the user interface of Windows, and in Metro style apps. WOA PCs are still under development, and thee goal is for PC makers to ship them the same time as PCs designed for Windows 8 on x86/64.
Windows 8 on ARM will not run traditional Windows 7 stuff (WIN32 x86 applications) because the processor is completely different and WOA will not support any type of virtualization or emulation. WOA does not support running, emulating, or porting existing x86/64 desktop apps.
Labeling to “avoid confusion”: When a consumer buys a Windows on ARM PC, it will be “clearly labeled and branded” so as to avoid potential confusion with Windows 8 on x86/64. Device makers work with ARM partners to create a device that is “strictly paired with a specific set of software (and sometimes vice versa), and consumers purchase this complete package, which is then serviced and updated through a single pipeline.”
Windows on ARM devices don’t turn off: You don’t turn off a WOA PC, according to Sinofsky. WOA PCs will not have the traditional hibernate and sleep options. Instead, WOA PCs always operate in the Connected Standby power mode, similar to the way you use a mobile phone today. Read Engineering Windows 8 for mobile networks for more details.
WOA supports the Windows desktop experience including File Explorer, Internet Explorer 10 for the desktop. Out of the box Windows on should ARM will feel like Windows 8 on x86/64. Sign in, app launching, Internet Explorer 10, peripherals, the Windows desktop and Windows Store access are the same. You will have access to the intrinsic capabilities of Windows desktop with tools like Windows File Explorer and desktop Internet Explorer if you want to use your mobile device in this way. Or you can use the Metro style desktop and Metro style apps (like what you see on Windows phone smartphones) if you like that more.
Metro style apps in the Windows Store can support both WOA and Windows 8 on x86/64. Developers wishing to target WOA do so by writing applications for the WinRT (Windows APIs for building Metro style apps) using the new Visual Studio 11 tools in a variety of languages, including C#/VB/XAML and Jscript/ HTML5.
Together talking on launching Windows 8 Microsoft also talks about new Windows Mobile Phone 8 and it’s integration with Windows 8. Windows Phone 8 Detailed article gives some details what integration with Windows 8 means. Windows Phone 8 won’t just share a UI with the next-generation desktop and tablet OS, apparently: it will use many of the same components as Windows 8, allowing developers to “reuse most of their code” when porting an app from desktop to phone. The kernel, networking stacks, security, and multimedia support as areas of heavy overlap.
Windows Phone 8 is the version of the platform currently being referred to by codename “Apollo” (the one scheduled for deployment after the upcoming Tango update). Microsoft insider Paul Thurrott has published a post confirming many of the details.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
Significant booting challenges on EFI systems when upgrading to Windows 8
http://www.edn.com/design/systems-design/4403981/Significant-booting-challenges-on-EFI-systems-when-upgrading-to-Windows-8
The new Windows 8 and Server 2012 will be the base operating systems for upcoming new computers, laptops and servers. UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) is the recommended platform for all of them. In spite of all of its advantages, many users are still not familiar with UEFI. There are known issues which may arise when you decide to manage EFI boot options or migrate to an EFI-based computer from another one. In most of these cases, your OS will simply not boot.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How Microsoft became a control freak with tablet makers
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57561849-75/how-microsoft-became-a-control-freak-with-tablet-makers/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=title
The way Microsoft works with its hardware manufacturers fundamentally changed with the release of Windows RT. Now those longtime partners are figuring out how to deal with it.
Microsoft took control of partners working with the new Windows RT software that ran on low-power chips normally used for cell phones. It held regular meetings with the small group of companies in its development program and dictated to a large extent what the devices looked like. Details were everything. Microsoft even told one company to move the location of its Windows home key, the button that toggles between the Metro-style interface and the traditional desktop view.
But at the same time, Microsoft was developing its own tablet, Surface, that would compete with its partners’ products. It didn’t tell PC makers about the device until shortly before work on Surface was announced in June in Los Angeles.
The new relationship with Microsoft may be a tough one for PC makers, but they don’t have much choice. The development of Surface was a nasty lesson that Microsoft can and will go it alone if need be. Don’t forget, it already has with its own very successful gaming consoles. And a firm nudge may be what PC makers need since they’ve failed to come up with compelling designs consumers have craved.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amazon’s top selling laptop doesn’t run Windows or Mac OS, it runs Linux
http://www.zdnet.com/amazons-top-selling-laptop-doesnt-run-windows-or-mac-os-it-runs-linux-7000009433/
We all know now that Windows 8 sales have been…. disappointing. You can blame the hardware. You can blame Windows 8′s mixed-up interfaces. You can blame the rise of tablets and smartphones. Whatever. The bottom line is Windows 8 PC and laptop sales have been slow.
So, what, according to Amazon, in this winter of Windows 8 discontent has been the best selling laptop? It’s Samsung’s ARM-powered, Linux-based Chromebook.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft: 60 million Windows 8 licenses sold to date
http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-60-million-windows-8-licenses-sold-to-date-7000009549/
Summary: Microsoft has sold 60 million Windows 8 licenses to PC makers and those upgrading as of early January, officials said at the Consumer Electronics Show.
That 60 million figure includes “sell in to OEMs for new PCs” and upgrades, said Reller. She didn’t explicitly cite whether the figure also includes any Enterprise Agreement/volume license sales.
“Windows 8 is a big, ambitious change,” Reller acknowledged. She reiterated that Windows 8 sales are roughly in line with Windows 7 sales.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft pats self on back over Windows 8 sales
The figures are trending upward, but what do they mean?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/01/09/microsoft_windows_8_sales_up/
Think Windows 8 isn’t performing as well as Microsoft expected? Think again! The software giant says sales of its new OS are chugging along quite nicely, thank you very much, in much the same fashion as Windows 7 before it.
Computer technologies for 2013 « Tomi Engdahl’s ePanorama blog says:
[...] Windows 8 slow start continues. Windows 8 sales are well below projections. Computer sales dropped after release of Windows 8. U.S. consumers hesitant to make switch to Windows 8. Uncertainty could turn Windows 8 into the next Vista. Independent report says that Windows 8 Even Less Popular Than Vista and Microsoft voice says that its new OS are chugging along quite nicely, thank you very much, in much the same fashion as Windows 7 before it. Who to believe? Let’s wait and see what happens. I expect that some users will get Significant booting challenges on EFI systems when upgrading to Windows 8 [...]
Tomi Engdahl says:
Unsigned code running on Windows RT
http://hackaday.com/2013/01/09/unsigned-code-running-on-windows-rt/
A crack has been found in the armor of Windows RT.
Circumventing Windows RT’s Code Integrity Mechanism
https://surfsec.wordpress.com/2013/01/06/circumventing-windows-rts-code-integrity-mechanism/
It’s taken longer than expected but it has finally happened: unsigned desktop applications run on Windows RT. Ironically, a vulnerability in the Windows kernel that has existed for some time and got ported to ARM just like the rest of Windows made this possible. MSFT’s artificial incompatibility does not work because Windows RT is not in any way reduced in functionality. It’s a clean port, and a good one. But deep in the kernel, in a hashed and signed data section protected by UEFI’s Secure Boot, lies a byte that represents the minimum signing level.
It can, however, be changed in memory.
Finding this byte in the kernel takes a while
Windows RT is a clean port of Windows 8. They are the same thing and MSFT enforces Code Integrity to artificially separate these platforms. It does not stop pirates from modifying store apps (and their license checks) because store apps are the only things that can actually run unsigned. The fact that this method works on Windows 8 as well shows how similar the systems are. You can even enforce Code Integrity on Windows 8 to see what Windows RT feels like!
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows RT Jailbreak tool released, opening up the door for a Microsoft Surface homebrew community
http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2013/01/10/windows-rt-jailbreak-tool-released-opening-up-the-door-for-a-microsoft-surface-homebrew-community/
Earlier this week, reports surfaced that the Windows RT operating system had been jailbroken to allow for the execution of unsigned ARM desktop applications. Microsoft quickly issued a statement saying it does not consider the findings to be part of a security vulnerability, and applauded the hacker for his ingenuity. Now, an enthusiast over at XDA Developers by the name of netham45 has released a Windows RT Jailbreak tool.
The tool is simply a batch file that automates the jailbreak process discovered by the hacker clrokr, who was able to change a setting in the Windows RT kernel after tracking down the right value to open up the types of apps that the OS can run. As we outlined before, the exploit is limited by the fact that the setting needs to be changed each time the PC boots up (it can’t be permanently altered on devices enabled with Secure Boot), and it only works for unsigned ARM desktop apps.
Tomi says:
Microsoft declares Windows RT Jailbreak tool is safe, says it ‘appreciates the work of researchers’
http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2013/01/11/microsoft-is-investigating-windows-rt-jailbreak-tool-says-will-take-appropriate-action/
On Thursday, the Windows RT Jailbreak tool was released, opening the door further for a Microsoft Surface homebrew community.
Microsoft quickly issued a statement saying it does not consider the findings to be part of a security vulnerability, applauded the hacker for his ingenuity, and said it would “not guarantee these approaches will be there in future releases.”
Now that this tool is out, however, and there’s already a a growing list of homebrew apps, Microsoft is taking notice again.
Microsoft has two options here. The first is to ignore what is happening and quietly support the work of enthusiasts who ultimately promote their product, much like it did with Kinect. The other is to shut it all down, only to have someone figure out a fresh workaround.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Uh-oh, Windows RT, Samsung’s got second thoughts
http://ces.cnet.com/8301-34439_1-57563340/uh-oh-windows-rt-samsungs-got-second-thoughts/
Mike Abary, the head of Samsung’s PC and tablet business in the U.S., tells CNET that the company will not be releasing its Windows RT device in the U.S. because retail partners don’t see strong demand and because the value proposition for Windows RT isn’t clear to consumers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft’s partners fly the Windows 8 flag, but the future is Surface
http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/13/3867246/microsoft-ces-2013-partners-fly-the-windows-8-flag
Microsoft might not have been at CES this year, but its partners and OEMs were out in full force. A quiet showing from Redmond at a time when the company is trying to push Windows 8 to the world could be seen as an unusual move, but looking around the show this week it made a lot of sense. Why waste millions of dollars on a CES booth to promote Windows 8 when your struggling PC OEMs can do it for you?
And that’s exactly what happened.
Sony had rows of Windows PCs with specific areas of focus on photography, applications, and more. While Samsung had an equally impressive range of Windows 8 devices and Panasonic unveiled a 20-inch 4K Windows 8 tablet.
If last year’s CES was a focus on Android tablets, this year was very much Windows despite Redmond’s absence.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft’s ARM blunder: 7 reasons why Windows RT was DOA
Redmond’s low-rent tablet OS was doomed from the start
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/01/18/7_reasons_windows_rt_was_doa/
Analysis Industry doomsayers were circling Windows 8 like buzzards before it even launched, but they picked the wrong carcass. Microsoft’s real 2012 roadkill was Win8′s ARM-powered cousin, Windows RT.
The chattering class’s comparisons of Windows 8 and Windows Vista are premature – it will take several more quarters before we can gauge how Redmond’s latest OS will play out in the marketplace. But with the holiday season behind us, it’s now plain that Window RT is a flop.
The problem is that Microsoft chose to launch Surface based on an ARM processor running Windows RT, a misguided stab at a tablet-centric user experience that hoped to capture something of what made Apple’s iPad so successful. Instead, Redmond delivered an oddly hobbled OS that’s neither fish nor fowl, one that falls somewhere between Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 – but with the advantages of neither.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft to end Windows 8 discounts on January 31
Here’s what it will really cost
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/01/18/win8_upgrade_discounts_ending/
Say what you will about Windows 8; at least the upgrade from Windows 7 is cheap. Or it is for now. After January 31 will be a different story.
Ever since Windows 8′s October 26, 2012 launch, Microsoft has been offering retail Windows 8 Pro upgrade DVDs for $69.99. Online upgrades have been even cheaper, at $39.99.
Microsoft always said these rates were temporary, but lots of pundits didn’t believe it.
In a blog post on Friday, Microsoft confirmed that when it said its discounted Windows 8 upgrade pricing was for a limited time only, it really meant it.
Starting in February, all editions of Windows 8 will sell for their full list prices, which means the cheapest Windows 8 upgrade will go for $119.99.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows 8 proving less popular than Vista
http://www.kitguru.net/software/operating-systems/benjamin/windows-8-proving-less-popular-than-vista/
The slowdown for Windows 8 adoption is a bad sign for Microsoft who experienced great success with the release of Windows 7.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft’s Surface Pro gets a price and date for US release
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2238229/microsofts-surface-pro-gets-price-and-date-for-us-release
The Surface Pro will be available in the US and Canada from 9 February, Microsoft revealed, at stores including Staples, Best Buy and Microsoft’s own retail outlets.
Along with a release date, we’ve also been given our first hint at the tablet’s pricing, with Microsoft revealing that the Surface Pro will be priced from $899.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft Surface Pro: The movie
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57565435-75/microsoft-surface-pro-the-movie/
Microsoft’s Surface Pro promo has arrived. The message: it’s a PC and can do everything a PC can do.
Microsoft is heralding the Surface Pro tablet’s February 9 arrival with a teaser about its PCness.
“Sleek, light, and durable meets powerful PC,” is how Microsoft begins the video. The latter part of that ad copy is probably the most relevant for prospective buyers.
That’s alluding of course to Windows 8 Pro running on a real PC processor — Intel’s Ivy Bridge: That combination should allow Surface Pro to run applications more like a laptop than a tablet.
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Windows fails to boost Microsoft stock – graphic of the day
http://blog.thomsonreuters.com/index.php/new-windows-fails-to-boost-microsoft-stock-graphic-of-the-day/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows RT shipments less than half of targets, say Taiwan makers
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20130129PD216.html
There have been about two million Windows RT tablets shipped globally, fewer than the 4-4.5 million units originally expected to be shipped as of the end of 2012, and actual sales so far are likely to be less than one million units, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows 8 used in more than 2% of desktop computers.
On the end of January 2013 Windows 8 was used in 2,26 percent of desktop PCs.
It is almost as popular as Mac OS X 10.8 ( 2,44 % )
Source: http://www.digitoday.fi/data/2013/02/04/windows-8-ohitti-ei-ihan-niin-merkittavan-virstanpylvaan/20131868/66?rss=6
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft Surface Pro versus the competition
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-3121_7-57567773-220/microsoft-surface-pro-versus-the-competition/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=title
How does the Surface Pro measure up against other top tablets and laptop alternatives?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft ‘touches 16k shop workers’ to flog Windows 8 hard
Ambitious OS wasn’t explosive, confused shoppers, admit top bods
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2013/02/06/microsoft_windows8_fowle_epstein/
Microsoft says Windows 8 PC sales were cursed by the unholy trinity of a slow economy, incursions by Apple and Android tablets, and the “ambitious” user interface design.
“If I had a crystal ball at the time of launch, what would I like to have been able to do? I would have liked to marry up configurations and SKUs that we saw the greatest demand for,” he told The Channel.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Review:
Microsoft Surface Pro
Don’t Call It a Tablet
http://www.wired.com/reviews/2013/02/microsoft-surface-pro/
The Surface Pro looks like a tablet, but it’s not a mobile device. It’s a portable device.
Rating: 7/10 Very good, but not quite great
$900 for 64GB, $1,000 for 128GB
WIRED Sleek and well-designed hardware. Sharp, beautiful touchscreen. Speedy performance. Runs all legacy Windows desktop applications. Great pressure-sensitive pen. Additional USB port on the charger so you can charge your phone at the same time. Type Cover is pleasant and forgiving.
TIRED Lacking in usable storage space. Short on battery life. Non-adjustable kickstand becomes a burden with long-term use. Pricey; you’ll need to drop extra money on several accessories (mouse, keyboard cover, external storage). Too hot, heavy and thick to comfortably use as a tablet.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft can’t even shift Window 8 slabs in the middle of a tablet frenzy
Halve the price of RT then we’re talking, says analyst
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2013/02/07/canays_q4_tabs_pcs/
Microsoft can’t tap into the fast-growing tablet market, according to new figures that reveal lacklustre sales of Surface RT and other Windows 8 slabs.
Canalys figures for Q4 show a 12 per cent growth in the worldwide PC market, fuelled by a 75 per cent rise in tab shipments to 46.2 million units. Notebooks sales were flat (58 million), desktops declined 5 per cent (28 million) and netbooks took their last gasps of breath.
“Windows 8 launched late in the year and was a massive departure from the existing operating systems, so consumers played a wait-and-see game,”
“We expect Microsoft to rethink its pricing strategy for RT in the coming weeks. Dropping the price by 60 per cent should get OEMs back onside,”
But the fact RT was not compatible with legacy applications left punters reliant on Microsoft’s app store which was another reason it failed to get off the ground, Canalys said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
200 Million Workers Want Windows 8 Tablets, Not iPads
http://readwrite.com/2013/02/04/200-million-workers-want-windows-8-tablets-not-ipads
Good news for Microsoft: 200 million information workers want Windows tablets, a report from Forrester claimed Monday, quite a few more than the 900,000 Surface RT tablets that IDC estimated have already been sold into the channel.
If Forrester’s numbers truly reflect reality, they indicate a huge pent-up demand for the Surface Pro, which goes on sale this month. The report concludes that both Apple and Microsoft will go at each other’s throats to win knowledge workers to their respective camps, riding the wave of the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend. And believe it or not, those workers want Windows tablets like the Surface more than they want iPads.
So what did Forrester’s report conclude?
1.) Apple will win the next-gen smartphone war.
2.) Windows tablet demand tops Apple.
3.) More workers are bringing their own devices to work, and more are paying for them, too.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft’s ‘Blue’ wave is coming to more than just Windows
http://www.zdnet.com/microsofts-blue-wave-is-coming-to-more-than-just-windows-7000010998/
Summary: Blue isn’t just the codename of the next version of Windows. It also is the codename for updates to Windows Phone, Windows Server and Windows Services, I’m hearing.
As we’ve known for a few months, the Windows client team at Microsoft is working on its first “feature-pack” update for Windows 8, supposedly due this summer/fall, which is codenamed “Blue.”
But it turns out Blue isn’t a Windows thing only
Blue represents a major change in how Microsoft builds, deploys and markets software and services. To date, many Microsoft teams like Windows, Windows Live and Windows Server have been focused on delivering major platform updates every two to three years. The challenge is to get them to pivot around yearly platform updates, the first of which will hit as part of the Blue wave.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Running x86 apps on Windows RT devices
http://hackaday.com/2013/02/18/running-x86-apps-on-windows-rt-devices/
Windows RT, the version of Windows being loaded onto ARM-powered tablets and netbooks such as the new Microsoft Surface, has one drawback: there are tens of thousands of apps written for x86 hardware that simply won’t run on this new ARM-powered architecture.
It seems with a lot of black magic, [mamaich] over at the XDA Developers forum has a solution for us. He’s created a tool for running x86 Win32 apps on Windows RT. Basically, he’s created an x86 emulator for ARM devices that also passes Windows API calls to Windows RT.
Tomi Engdahl says:
[Beta version] Running x86 apps on WinRT devices
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2095934
This tool supports only 32-bit windows native applications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft job post gives more info about ‘Windows Blue’
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57569770-75/microsoft-job-post-gives-more-info-about-windows-blue/
A new job posting by the company verifies that Windows Blue will include user experience improvements, not just under-the-covers interface tweaks. Bonus: There’s a reference to “Windows Phone Blue” on Microsoft’s job site, too.
If there’s any doubt that the Windows client team is laser-focused on the coming Blue refresh of Windows 8, a new Microsoft job post makes it even plainer.
Blue is the codename for the next wave of Windows-related operating system and services updates from Microsoft, according to my contacts. There will be a Blue update to Windows 8, Windows Server 2012, Windows Phone 8 and the Windows Services like Hotmail and SkyDrive — all of which are slated to wash up in roughly the same timeframe, my sources have said. Last year, one tipster told me Microsoft was aiming to deliver Windows Blue around late summer 2013.
Tomi says:
New Windows 8 PC phone revealed, plus tablet and desktop
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/brierdudley/2013/02/25/new-windows-8-pc-phone-revealed-plus-tablet-and-desktop/
One of the most intriguing new phones being unveiled at this week’s big wireless show in Barcelona, Spain, may be a sleek new Windows model developed in Redmond.
t looks similar to the latest jumbo, slab phones, but it’s a more potent machine inside. The phone runs on Intel’s “Clover Trail” hardware and Windows 8 Pro, so it’s a full-blown PC capable of running most desktop software.
Called the Intelegent, the device could go on sale this summer for $750, which is less than the price of an unlocked iPhone 5 with the same amount of storage capacity.
The phone is more powerful than most tablets. It has an Atom processor, 2 gigabytes of RAM and 64 gigabytes of storage. It’s designed to work with HSPA+ and LTE 4G wireless networks and have up to 10 hours of talk time.
I-mate will sell the phone alone or as part of a $1,600 desktop hardware suite including a docking station, called the “hub.”
Morrison also sees an opportunity to sell corporate users a reasonably priced desktop suite — including a PC, tablet and phone — all powered by the phone.
Morrison said i-mate will manufacture the phones in the U.S., using screens from South Korea, touch panels from Miami and hardware boards made in Japan.
A facility in California is ready to assemble 10,000 units a week, he said.
The company also is benefiting from Intel’s big push to become a player in mobile devices, beyond the laptop. After years of trying, it gained a legitimate toehold in phones last year.
Atom-based Android phones went on sale in India, Europe and other overseas markets, with producers such as Motorola, Lenovo and Acer on board.
Tomi Engdahl says:
SAMSUNG: No One Is Buying Microsoft’s Surface, Windows 8 Isn’t Very Good
More bad news for Microsoft and its new operating system, Windows 8.
The president of Samsung’s memory chip division, Jun Dong-soo, had a lot of negative comments about Microsoft in a meeting with reporters. The Korea Times transcribed his quotes.
First, he said the obvious: “The global PC industry is steadily shrinking despite the launch of Windows 8.”
Then he added this: “I think the Windows 8 system is no better than the previous Windows Vista platform.”
Vista is considered to be one of the biggest disasters for Microsoft. It’s not good for a partner to compare the new Windows to Vista.
This wouldn’t be so bad if it were just one guy talking. But, he’s just the latest to pile on. Executives at Asus, Acer, and Fujitsu have all had bad things to say about the state of Windows.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-exec-on-windows-8-2013-3#ixzz2NE3E2u4E
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft enabling Flash by default in Internet Explorer 10 starting March 12th
http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/11/4090878/microsoft-enabling-flash-by-default-windows-8-rt-march-12
Microsoft has just announced that it will permit Flash content to run by default in both Windows RT and Windows 8 beginning tomorrow, March 12th. Until now, compatibility in Internet Explorer 10 has been limited to a select number of sites whitelisted by Microsoft. (Windows 8′s traditional desktop mode has offered full Flash support from the get-go.) But moving forward — and after users apply a software update — the inverse will be true. Microsoft has apparently concluded that web developers have made sufficient progress in bringing touch interactivity to Flash content.
“As a practical matter, the primary device you walk around with should give you access to all the Web content on the sites you rely on. Otherwise, the device is just a companion to a PC.” That last tidbit seems like a clear shot directed at the iPad, which has lacked support for Flash since its release in 2010.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MSFT: Win 8 Failing to Stem Tablet Tide, Says Nomura
http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2013/03/13/msft-win-8-failing-to-stem-mobile-tide-says-nomura/
Windows 8, which went on sale at the end of October, has proven “awkward,” writes Sherlund, given that it is trying to bridge the PC and the tablet world, though the situation may improve with time:
Some of the reason is Windows 8’s awkwardness and compromise in trying to bridge the two platforms and some is that it will take time to deliver more compelling form factors and lower prices and a richer ecosystem of developers and apps for the Microsoft store. There is room for skepticism after the sluggish start so far with Windows 8, but there is also reason for optimism about the second half of calendar 2013 when several improvements converge.
The best hope for Win 8 at the moment are the enterprise customers
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft’s Surface Tablet Is Said to Fall Short of Predictions
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-14/microsoft-s-surface-tablet-is-said-to-fall-short-of-predictions.html
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) has sold about 1.5 million Surface devices, people with knowledge of the company’s sales said, a slow start in its bid to crack the fast-growing tablet market to make up for slumping personal-computer demand.
Microsoft has sold little more than a million of the Surface RT version and about 400,000 Surface Pros since their debuts, according to three people
The poor reception for Surface, unveiled last year, adds to challenges facing Microsoft’s Windows unit, which brings in a quarter of the company’s revenue.
By contrast, Apple Inc. sold 22.9 million iPads in the quarter that ended in December. Worldwide tablet shipments reached 128.3 million units in 2012, according to IDC. Apple’s iPad accounted for 51 percent of the market.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft’s first PC lives!
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57574691-75/microsofts-first-pc-lives/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=title
opinion The Surface Pro has survived Round One. I would even call it a success. And, yes, Microsoft should definitely stay in the PC-making business.
“Surface Pro is easily the fastest tablet on the market today,” Anandtech said.
The basic point being that Intel’s Ivy Bridge silicon crushes Apple’s A6X-based iPad and ARM-based Android tablets in most benchmarks.
And it’s not just numbers — you feel it. Everything pops and there’s almost none of the lag you invariably run into with other tablets.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lenovo: Windows 8 is so good, everyone wants Windows 7
We’ll just leave Redmond’s latest OS on this DVD, over here. When you want it
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2013/03/18/lenovo_windows8_meh/
You don’t notch up 15 consecutive quarters of growth in a declining market without doing something right – so what’s PC maker Lenovo doing right?
Well, many things. But it can’t do any harm that Lenovo is protecting enterprises from the waterboarding torture of the Microsoft Windows 8 operating system. The majority of Lenovo’s enterprise shipments have Windows 7 installed; the touchscreen-friendly Windows 8 is discreetly bundled on its own separate disc.
Lenovo has learned from the Windows Vista experience that the official Microsoft “downgrade” path can be painful. So the machines are “downgraded” to Windows 7 by default. Of course, that’s exactly what customers want – and Lenovo is reaping the benefit of listening to those customers.
Tomi says:
Microsoft tempts Windows developers with $100 cash for new apps
http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/19/4124548/microsoft-paying-developers-cash-for-windows-apps
Microsoft wants Windows 8 and Windows Phone developers to create apps for its platforms, and it’s tempting them by offering up hard cash. In a new US marketing effort, Microsoft is offering developers $100 per app for newly published applications submitted to the Windows Phone Store or the Windows Store by June 30th. Developers can net $2,000 in total by submitting up to 10 apps to each store.
The terms and conditions are fairly straight forward.
the offer is limited to the first 10,000 qualified entries until June 30th. The promotion started earlier this month, but Microsoft has not yet been heavily promoting it.
The latest promotion could be a good way to generate interest in the platforms, but it’s questionable whether this will generate quality applications vs. quantity.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Yet another boss was disappointed with the Windows RT
“We believed to sell more – so be sure everyone thought,” laments Nvidia CEO Jen Hsun Huang Windows operating system RT-poor success.
Despite the bad start, Microsoft should continue to invest in an arm-chips to the planned operating system, Huang says.
Nvidia manufactures Tegra processors that work with Windows RT.
Research firm IDC released last week estimates that Windows RT to achieve this year, two per cent slice of the market.
Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/taas+yksi+pomo+pettyi+windows+rthen/a888312?s=r&wtm=tietoviikko/-20032013&
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft starts to roll out Windows 8 in embedded flavors
Full and cut-down Windows for dumber devices
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/03/20/windows_8_embedded_launch/
Microsoft has announced the general availability of two flavors of Windows 8 for embedded systems; the Standard and Pro editions.
“Windows Embedded 8 coupled with the full breadth of Microsoft technologies for intelligent systems helps enterprises gain lasting competitive advantages in retail, manufacturing, healthcare and a variety of industries.”
The Pro edition is basically a full version of Windows 8 with some extra software tweaks to suit various embedded device manufacturers, while the Standard edition allows vendors to strip out the parts of Windows 8 they don’t need.
In both cases some attributes of the Windows 8 not-Metro interface can be partially stripped out.
By the beginning of April, Microsoft will also release a Windows Industry edition, which is specifically designed for point of sale devices and other specialized hardware.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows Blue: a video preview of what’s next for Windows 8
http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/25/4144618/windows-blue-video-preview-screenshots
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Official Microsoft Blog
Looking Back and Springing Ahead
http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2013/03/26/looking-back-and-springing-ahead.aspx
Now, the look ahead. With a remarkable foundation of products in market and a clear view of how we will evolve the company, product leaders across Microsoft are working together on plans to advance our devices and services, a set of plans referred to internally as “Blue.” – N.B. chances of products being named thusly are slim to none. And don’t start with the “so you’re telling me there’s a chance” bit.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft’s Windows Blue looks to be named Windows 8.1
http://www.zdnet.com/microsofts-windows-blue-looks-to-be-named-windows-8-1-7000013391/
Summary: The Windows Blue operating system update is likely to be named “Windows 8.1″ when it hits later this summer, according to sources.
Tomi Engdahl says:
PC Shipments Post the Steepest Decline Ever in a Single Quarter, According to IDC
http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS24065413
Worldwide PC shipments totaled 76.3 million units in the first quarter of 2013 (1Q13), down -13.9% compared to the same quarter in 2012
The extent of the year-on-year contraction marked the worst quarter since IDC began tracking the PC market quarterly in 1994.
Despite some mild improvement in the economic environment and some new PC models offering Windows 8, PC shipments were down significantly across all regions compared to a year ago.
“At this point, unfortunately, it seems clear that the Windows 8 launch not only failed to provide a positive boost to the PC market, but appears to have slowed the market,”
“Although the reduction in shipments was not a surprise, the magnitude of the contraction is both surprising and worrisome,”
bed&breakfast roma says:
Wonderful website you have here but I was curious if you knew of any forums that cover the same topics discussed here? I’d really love to be a part of group where I can get advice from other experienced individuals that share the same interest. If you have any recommendations, please let me know. Cheers!
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows 8.1 May Restore Boot-To-Desktop, Start Button
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/13/04/16/1824225/windows-81-may-restore-boot-to-desktop-start-button
“According to media reports about leaked Windows 8.1 code, the next incarnation of Microsoft’s flagship operating system will have an option to boot directly to the desktop.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Code in leaked Windows 8.1 reveals boot to desktop option
http://hexus.net/tech/news/software/54153-code-leaked-windows-81-reveals-boot-desktop-option/
Microsoft’s Windows Blue (Windows 8.1 for PCs) update may well bring with it an option to boot straight to the desktop. This built-in option would be popular with a vociferous section of PC users who see the new Start Screen as inferior to the old Start Menu and don’t even want to see it once per reboot.
A Russian website called Microsoft Portal first revealed the “boot to desktop” code, which is found inside a system file called twinui.dll.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft’s Blue: What will developers do?
http://www.zdnet.com/microsofts-blue-what-will-developers-do-7000014354/
Summary: If Microsoft brings back the Start Button and adds a boot-to-desktop option with Windows Blue, should Windows developers still be counting on Metro as their future?
One of Microsoft’s goals with Windows 8, sources have said all along, was to try to convince the developer community that it is/was still worth writing “killer apps” for Windows. But if Blue, a k a Windows 8.1, allows users to opt to boot straight to the Desktop and avoid the Metro Start Screen as much as possible, doesn’t this undermine the message that Metro is the future? What’s the reason Windows devs should bother putting their eggs in the Windows 8/WinRT — rather than the tried-and-true Win32 — basket?
Right now, we don’t know exactly how the Start Button, if and when it returns to Windows 8 with Blue, will work.
So far, there hasn’t been a leak of “Visual Studio Blue,” but this is believed to be coming this year. The VS Blue release supposedly will support Microsoft’s work to bring more into alignment the app platforms for Windows Phone and Windows 8, from what I’ve heard from my sources.
Development for both Windows RT and Windows Phone can be done in Visual Studio. Windows Store/Metro apps are distributed via the Windows Store in Windows, while Windows Phone apps are distributed via the Windows Phone Store.
With Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, Microsoft took steps toward bringing these two different app platforms closer together. Developers can write Windows 8/Windows Phone 8 apps that share a lot of code. But they also can end up writing apps that can’t be ported at all across the two platforms. (If a phone dev writes an app using XAML plus the .Net API set, it can mean a huge rewrite is needed to bring that app to Windows 8, one of my contacts told me.) And they still need to submit their apps to two different stores with different approval procedures and rules.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows 8 may reject the correct password
Googling revealed that others had encountered the same problem. But only one had found a solution to it : apparently Windows 8 has a bug that causes it to forget the password is case sensitive. Page of a wink to write the password on a full (special characters were allowed to remain) really helped and I was able to log on Surface RT Windows. After that, everything was back to normal.
It’s absolutely unbelievable how there can be such a bug.
It may very well be that many continue to use the password only lowercase letters and, therefore, have not noticed the size of the problem.
Source: http://bittimittari.blogspot.fi/2013/05/windows-8-voi-hylata-oikean-salasanan.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft drops the Blue codename, confirms Windows 8.1 will be a free upgrade available later this year
http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/14/windows-blue-details/
Now, Microsoft is officially rechristening the platform, and with a more staid name: Windows 8.1.
The upgrade will be free and available from the home screen when it launches, while a preview version will be opened up to the public on June 26th at the beginning of Build 2013.
As anticipated, the Windows 8.1 update will come to both the full version of the OS as well as the ARM-friendly RT.
Tomi Engdahl says:
More than half of Windows 8 users just treat it like Windows 7
Almost nobody using Windows Store apps, survey finds
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/22/windows_8_soluto_survey/
For all Microsoft’s hype about The Interface Formerly Known As Metro (TIFKAM), more than half of all Windows 8 users ignore the new Start Screen and treat the OS as if it were Windows 7, according to a study by PC management firm Soluto.
61 per cent of desktop PC users launched a TIFKAM app less than once per day. The same was true for 60 per cent of laptop users.
Tablet and touchscreen laptop users did launch TIFKAM apps more often, but 58 per cent of touchscreen laptop owners still did so less than once per day. Same for 44 per cent of tablet owners.
Taken all together, tablet users launched a TIFKAM app 2.71 times per day, on average – which is pathetic, when you consider that tablet owners are meant to be doing absolutely everything with touch.
Put bluntly, it would be fair to say that most desktop PC users never use Microsoft’s vaunted new UI at all – or they only do so when they absolutely have to.
Tomi Engdahl says:
In Blue: Start Experience Changes
http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/blue-start-experience-changes
I can now confirm that most of the rumored coming changes to the Start experience in Windows 8.1 “Blue” are correct. And I’ve got a few screenshots to help demonstrate how these changes are implemented.
Start button
It’s back, baby. And if you are familiar with how Start 8 looks and works, this will look awfully familiar. Here, confirmed for the first time, is the Windows 8.1 Start button.