Samsung has unveiled the 10.1-inch ATIV Tab 3 at its “pop-up themed” ‘Premier 2013′ event today in London.
The device runs a full version of Windows 8, rather than Windows RT and weighs in at a little over half a kilo (550g). It measures up at just 8.2mm thick making it one of the thinnest full Windows 8 tablets on the market.
Other key specs of the device include a claimed 8.5 hour battery life, 10.1-inch display and Samsung’s now familiar S-Pen stylus. Buyers also get a copy of Microsoft Office 2013 for free.
As well as the ATIV Tab 3, Samsung also announced a raft of other products (as well as five new colors for the range-topping Galaxy S4) including the ATIV Q tablet that runs Windows 8 and Android side-by-side.
The flurry of releases joins the more than 20 mobile products that Samsung has already announced this year, cementing its efforts to push into every conceivable market sector. Notably, the one thing it doesn’t seem do is focus exclusively with the use of premium materials like rival manufacturers.
Instead it tries to make its devices stand out from the crowd by differentiating through software features, such as Smart Stay and Smart Translate.
2013年6月20日星期四
2013年6月14日星期五
Windows 8 Update: Microsoft teams with Best Buy to boost Windows 8 sales
Microsoft is placing Microsoft Stores within about half the U.S. Best Buy locations and creating a parallel online store on the Best Buy site in an effort to drum up more consumer business, it seems, for Windows 8.
These stores-within-a-store will range in size from 1,500 to 2,200 square feet and feature Windows-based PCs, ultrabooks, convertibles, detachables and all-in-ones. Microsoft Surface will have an area of its own within these Microsoft stores.
They will also stock Windows 8 applications, as well as Microsoft Office, Skype, Xbox music and games, the company says.
The Microsoft areas will be located in 500 U.S. Best Buy stores as well as more than 100 Best Buy and Future Shop stores in Canada, Microsoft says in a press statement.
Currently Best Buy sells a variety of Windows 8 devices including Surface tablets but they are jumbled in with other machines including those based on Linux, iOS and Mac OS.
Microsoft already has sales specialists working in Best Buy locations, but will train more than 1,200 Best Buy sales people to quickly scale up the force it needs to staff the stores.
By carving out its own clearly defined space within the stores Microsoft might be able to distinguish its Windows 8 gear more clearly among other alternatives. Well trained sales staff could also help customers clarify what Windows 8 offerings from competitors.
Surface updates
Update includes these firmware and performance improvements:
Surface RT: Surface Home Button driver update that improves the reliability of the devices waking up immediately on the first button press. Firmware update for Surface Type Cover and Surface Touch Cover that improves functionality for both accessories. Includes the ability to toggle function keys, new shortcuts, and helpful keyboard navigation improvements.
Surface Pro: LifeCam driver that enhances clarity for low light operation and improves reliability when switching between the integrated camera and an external camera.
Upgrade to Windows 8.1, reinstall apps
HP to push Windows 8
As businesses move from Windows XP to something newer, HP wants to be their guide, according to the company’s sales and services senior vice president Enrique Lores.
That means many will be upgrading to Windows 7 or Windows 8, and HP hopes it can turn that into sales of more hardware that businesses might buy to support new operating systems.
Does that mean the demise of XP is a bigger factor than the advent of Windows 8 for promoting PC sales? 'Yes, significantly more, especially on the commercial side,' he told Computer World.
A reference design for a 7-inch Windows 8 tablet
Inventec has come out with a reference design for a Windows 8 tablet with a 7-inch screen that runs on an Intel Atom Bay-Trail M system on a chip, an x86 processor.
That means the device can run a full version of Windows 8, not the ARM-based version called Windows RT that can’t run non-Windows 8 applications.
As a reference design it isn’t a commercial product, just a product that is engineered and that OEMs could pick up to create their own versions for consumer sales. Price estimates for the device are around $350.
IE 10 pinches power
When run on Windows 8 Internet Explorer 10 uses less power than competing browsers, at least according to Microsoft.
Checking IE 10 against Chrome and Firefox, the company found that its own browser used less power when accessing popular Web sites. It was the clear winner for all but one of the site tested – Craigslist – which looked like a three-way tie.
These stores-within-a-store will range in size from 1,500 to 2,200 square feet and feature Windows-based PCs, ultrabooks, convertibles, detachables and all-in-ones. Microsoft Surface will have an area of its own within these Microsoft stores.
They will also stock Windows 8 applications, as well as Microsoft Office, Skype, Xbox music and games, the company says.
The Microsoft areas will be located in 500 U.S. Best Buy stores as well as more than 100 Best Buy and Future Shop stores in Canada, Microsoft says in a press statement.
Currently Best Buy sells a variety of Windows 8 devices including Surface tablets but they are jumbled in with other machines including those based on Linux, iOS and Mac OS.
Microsoft already has sales specialists working in Best Buy locations, but will train more than 1,200 Best Buy sales people to quickly scale up the force it needs to staff the stores.
By carving out its own clearly defined space within the stores Microsoft might be able to distinguish its Windows 8 gear more clearly among other alternatives. Well trained sales staff could also help customers clarify what Windows 8 offerings from competitors.
Surface updates
Update includes these firmware and performance improvements:
Surface RT: Surface Home Button driver update that improves the reliability of the devices waking up immediately on the first button press. Firmware update for Surface Type Cover and Surface Touch Cover that improves functionality for both accessories. Includes the ability to toggle function keys, new shortcuts, and helpful keyboard navigation improvements.
Surface Pro: LifeCam driver that enhances clarity for low light operation and improves reliability when switching between the integrated camera and an external camera.
Upgrade to Windows 8.1, reinstall apps
HP to push Windows 8
As businesses move from Windows XP to something newer, HP wants to be their guide, according to the company’s sales and services senior vice president Enrique Lores.
That means many will be upgrading to Windows 7 or Windows 8, and HP hopes it can turn that into sales of more hardware that businesses might buy to support new operating systems.
Does that mean the demise of XP is a bigger factor than the advent of Windows 8 for promoting PC sales? 'Yes, significantly more, especially on the commercial side,' he told Computer World.
A reference design for a 7-inch Windows 8 tablet
Inventec has come out with a reference design for a Windows 8 tablet with a 7-inch screen that runs on an Intel Atom Bay-Trail M system on a chip, an x86 processor.
That means the device can run a full version of Windows 8, not the ARM-based version called Windows RT that can’t run non-Windows 8 applications.
As a reference design it isn’t a commercial product, just a product that is engineered and that OEMs could pick up to create their own versions for consumer sales. Price estimates for the device are around $350.
IE 10 pinches power
When run on Windows 8 Internet Explorer 10 uses less power than competing browsers, at least according to Microsoft.
Checking IE 10 against Chrome and Firefox, the company found that its own browser used less power when accessing popular Web sites. It was the clear winner for all but one of the site tested – Craigslist – which looked like a three-way tie.
2013年5月30日星期四
Windows to get its 'start' button back
Hoping to win back customers put off by Windows 8, Microsoft Corp. is bringing back the Windows "start" button and including other enhancements in a stripped down version of its operating system.
The world's largest software company is looking to re-energize sales of its latest Windows version, which has not made the splash with computer users it was hoping for. Executives say the plan is now to update Windows periodically, rather than waiting three years or so between big releases.
Although Microsoft has sold more than 100 million Windows 8 licenses since October, broadly in line with Windows 7 three years ago, the company must tackle a dwindling PC user base and its inability to make a mark in the exploding tablet market.
Shipments of traditional PCs - the most reliable gauge of Windows' popularity - are expected to fall almost 8 percent this year, while Microsoft's Surface has taken less than 2 percent of the tablet market.
Windows 8 was designed to be used both on touch-screen tablets and traditional PCs. But while touch-screen users tend to like the new “tile”-based interface, many mouse and keyboard users complained that the new design was confusing.
Confirming speculation, Microsoft said the Windows 8.1 update will have a button in the bottom left corner of the screen that acts like the “start” button in previous versions of Windows. Although it will not be labelled "start" it features the Windows logo and takes the user straight to a grid of applications.
“The work you are seeing us do here is continuing to advance the modern (interface), while really taking into account some of the things we've learned from people who still want to use the desktop, to make the transition easier,” Antoine Leblond, corporate vice president of the Windows unit, said in an advance briefing on the Windows 8.1 update last week.
Microsoft is only making features of the new software public on Thursday.
Windows 8.1, previously known by the code name "Blue," will be available for free to all Windows 8 users some time later this year. Microsoft will make a test version available at its annual developer conference on June 26.
The world's largest software company is looking to re-energize sales of its latest Windows version, which has not made the splash with computer users it was hoping for. Executives say the plan is now to update Windows periodically, rather than waiting three years or so between big releases.
Although Microsoft has sold more than 100 million Windows 8 licenses since October, broadly in line with Windows 7 three years ago, the company must tackle a dwindling PC user base and its inability to make a mark in the exploding tablet market.
Shipments of traditional PCs - the most reliable gauge of Windows' popularity - are expected to fall almost 8 percent this year, while Microsoft's Surface has taken less than 2 percent of the tablet market.
Windows 8 was designed to be used both on touch-screen tablets and traditional PCs. But while touch-screen users tend to like the new “tile”-based interface, many mouse and keyboard users complained that the new design was confusing.
Confirming speculation, Microsoft said the Windows 8.1 update will have a button in the bottom left corner of the screen that acts like the “start” button in previous versions of Windows. Although it will not be labelled "start" it features the Windows logo and takes the user straight to a grid of applications.
“The work you are seeing us do here is continuing to advance the modern (interface), while really taking into account some of the things we've learned from people who still want to use the desktop, to make the transition easier,” Antoine Leblond, corporate vice president of the Windows unit, said in an advance briefing on the Windows 8.1 update last week.
Microsoft is only making features of the new software public on Thursday.
Windows 8.1, previously known by the code name "Blue," will be available for free to all Windows 8 users some time later this year. Microsoft will make a test version available at its annual developer conference on June 26.
2013年4月24日星期三
Search for Dubai in the Windows 8 app store
Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system has arrived to a very mixed reception: users are fundamentally split over whether they love it or loathe it. The new interface is heavily biased towards use on ‘touch-enabled’ tablets and laptops; so desktop users have found it to be a little cumbersome to use with some applications.
But there’s plenty to like in Windows 8 if you find the ‘swipe-able’ charms bar on the right of the screen to suit your preferred way of working. Here you can find the search and share function tool that will work inside some Windows 8 applications, the Windows 8 app store, plus also help you navigate around the operating system itself. Users without touchscreen devices can just hover their mouse icon into the top right hand corner of the screen until the same options appear.
A friendly swipe and search inside the Windows 8 store is where the real fun starts. Not only can you search for specific games or applications, you can also start to search through all the apps simply with a chosen keyword. Enter “Dubai” and the Windows 8 app store will throw up a list of over 10 apps tailored to the region.
You might like to sort out your household arrangements first. Download the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s own app. There are payment and customer service options here as well as a news feed to keep you up to date. You can even log customer complaints and watch videos to find out how Dewa operates.
Radios in Dubai
The Emirates has a great selection of radio channels and if you like to stay tuned in pretty much all the time, now you can stay with the vibes while you are using your Windows 8 machine. A selection of Arabic and English channels are available.
Dubai Cinemas
UAE residents love the cinema and there are more of them every year. Now you’ll be able to find which movies are playing where by downloading this free app to your Windows 8 device. The app lists every single movie playing along with its screen times. You can even get details on the cast with pictures. In some cases there are also trailers.
Dubai Airport and Hotels
The dedicated Dubai Airport Windows 8 app is a great way of finding out the status of your flight before you are due to depart, or checking arrivals as they line up to land in the Emirates. All flights are shown with colour logos belonging to the airline carrier operating the route. There’s also a travel planner. While you’re in travel mode you might like to check out Hotels Dubai with its promise to find you the best rooms, at the best prices, with a clickable map and lots of pictures.
DubaiPedia
The purple-logo behind the DubaiPedia (yes, that’s one word!) app is designed to get you to dive into this tourism guide and explore hotels, nightspots and the culture. It’s one of the new apps, but don’t let that put you off from having a quick browse — it’s free to look, as the shopkeepers would say.
Gulf News
The newspaper has its own built Windows 8 app. It lets you view news by section in much the same way as the website, but with the additional benefit of touch screen swipe-ability between sections and stories.
The list of apps here is growing all the time and it is worth coming back to Windows 8 app store searches and using Dubai, Emirates, Gulf and other related terms from time to time as the number of related apps continue to grow.
Adrian Bridgwater is a freelance journalist who specialises in software applications, gadgets and games.
But there’s plenty to like in Windows 8 if you find the ‘swipe-able’ charms bar on the right of the screen to suit your preferred way of working. Here you can find the search and share function tool that will work inside some Windows 8 applications, the Windows 8 app store, plus also help you navigate around the operating system itself. Users without touchscreen devices can just hover their mouse icon into the top right hand corner of the screen until the same options appear.
A friendly swipe and search inside the Windows 8 store is where the real fun starts. Not only can you search for specific games or applications, you can also start to search through all the apps simply with a chosen keyword. Enter “Dubai” and the Windows 8 app store will throw up a list of over 10 apps tailored to the region.
You might like to sort out your household arrangements first. Download the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s own app. There are payment and customer service options here as well as a news feed to keep you up to date. You can even log customer complaints and watch videos to find out how Dewa operates.
Radios in Dubai
The Emirates has a great selection of radio channels and if you like to stay tuned in pretty much all the time, now you can stay with the vibes while you are using your Windows 8 machine. A selection of Arabic and English channels are available.
Dubai Cinemas
UAE residents love the cinema and there are more of them every year. Now you’ll be able to find which movies are playing where by downloading this free app to your Windows 8 device. The app lists every single movie playing along with its screen times. You can even get details on the cast with pictures. In some cases there are also trailers.
Dubai Airport and Hotels
The dedicated Dubai Airport Windows 8 app is a great way of finding out the status of your flight before you are due to depart, or checking arrivals as they line up to land in the Emirates. All flights are shown with colour logos belonging to the airline carrier operating the route. There’s also a travel planner. While you’re in travel mode you might like to check out Hotels Dubai with its promise to find you the best rooms, at the best prices, with a clickable map and lots of pictures.
DubaiPedia
The purple-logo behind the DubaiPedia (yes, that’s one word!) app is designed to get you to dive into this tourism guide and explore hotels, nightspots and the culture. It’s one of the new apps, but don’t let that put you off from having a quick browse — it’s free to look, as the shopkeepers would say.
Gulf News
The newspaper has its own built Windows 8 app. It lets you view news by section in much the same way as the website, but with the additional benefit of touch screen swipe-ability between sections and stories.
The list of apps here is growing all the time and it is worth coming back to Windows 8 app store searches and using Dubai, Emirates, Gulf and other related terms from time to time as the number of related apps continue to grow.
Adrian Bridgwater is a freelance journalist who specialises in software applications, gadgets and games.
2013年4月11日星期四
Microsoft Blue to Help Merge Windows Phone and Windows 8
What is Microsoft’s Project Blue? The company recently confirmed that it’s working on a secret project under that name, and other reports suggest that it will eventually launch as Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 RT. We have also heard that Project Blue will involve Windows Phone in some fashion, and now DigiTimes said it has learned more details on that plan.
Apparently Microsoft is worried that Google’s Chrome OS and Android tie-in so nicely together that consumers will naturally gravitate towards a Chrome OS computer and an Android-powered smartphone. In an effort to compete, Microsoft wants Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8 to tie-in together better than they currently do.
Sync between Windows Phone and Windows right now is pretty seamless, but it’s mostly done through Microsoft SkyDrive, Music and Office 365. You can snap photos on a Windows Phone 8 device, for example, and quickly see them on any Windows 8 computer with access to the cloud. There’s certainly room for tighter integration, however. We would love to see Microsoft enable NFC support in Windows 8 for tap-and-go file transfers. That’s just one idea, but there could be several other options, especially when it comes to enterprise and device management capabilities.
Windows 8.1 is expected to launch in August, but it remains unclear how that will apply to existing Windows Phone devices.
Apparently Microsoft is worried that Google’s Chrome OS and Android tie-in so nicely together that consumers will naturally gravitate towards a Chrome OS computer and an Android-powered smartphone. In an effort to compete, Microsoft wants Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8 to tie-in together better than they currently do.
Sync between Windows Phone and Windows right now is pretty seamless, but it’s mostly done through Microsoft SkyDrive, Music and Office 365. You can snap photos on a Windows Phone 8 device, for example, and quickly see them on any Windows 8 computer with access to the cloud. There’s certainly room for tighter integration, however. We would love to see Microsoft enable NFC support in Windows 8 for tap-and-go file transfers. That’s just one idea, but there could be several other options, especially when it comes to enterprise and device management capabilities.
Windows 8.1 is expected to launch in August, but it remains unclear how that will apply to existing Windows Phone devices.
WINDOWS BLUE RUMORED TO MERGE WINDOWS PHONE AND WINDOWS 8 INTO ONE PRODUCT
Microsoft’s (MSFT) next version of the Windows operating system, codenamed Windows Blue, will reportedly help merge its PC and mobile platforms, according to Digitimes. Windows Blue is said to currently be in development separate from the Windows 8 and Windows Phone units. Microsoft’s overall goal is said to have the operating system compete with Google’s (GOOG) Android and Chrome platforms.
The company is reportedly worried about its manufacturing partners cooperating with Google on Chromebooks and rumored Android-based laptops. It won’t be that simple to merge the two platforms, however. Microsoft is expected to run into problems, like Google has, because of the time it takes to properly integrate many related technologies into one product.
The latest rumors suggest that Windows Blue will be announced in June for an October launch.
The company is reportedly worried about its manufacturing partners cooperating with Google on Chromebooks and rumored Android-based laptops. It won’t be that simple to merge the two platforms, however. Microsoft is expected to run into problems, like Google has, because of the time it takes to properly integrate many related technologies into one product.
The latest rumors suggest that Windows Blue will be announced in June for an October launch.
Product snapshot: ASUS Transformer AiO PC blends Windows 8 and Android
ASUS has released a triple threat of a machine that should do well to confuse lots of non-technical people (and even many techies). Its Transformer AiO (all-in-one) desktop product looks like a regular all-in-one PC, but there is something special about it: its 18.4in monitor is actually an 18.4in Android tablet that can be used independently of the system (and Windows 8). You can pull it out of the base and take it with you to use on the couch, at the dinner table or anywhere else around your home. But the big question is, who wants to use an 18.4in tablet?
Let's explain the product a bit more: when the screen is docked to the PC on the desktop, it acts as a monitor so that you can run Windows 8 normally as you would on any other computer. As soon as you pull the screen off the dock, the screen automatically turns into a tablet that runs the Android 4.1 operating system rather than Windows 8. It's this bit that has the potential to be confusing, but what you need to know is that you are essentially getting two products in one: a desktop PC and an 18in tablet that doubles as the 18in monitor for that desktop PC (so three products if you want to count the monitor).
Here's the 18.4in tablet being held out of its PC base.
The Transformer All-in-one has two CPUs to facilitate this design: an Intel Core i5 CPU is what runs in the desktop base (or a Core i7 depending on the model), while an NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor is what runs in the tablet itself.
The reason for this double operating system solution is basically to make the tablet as portable as possible. If the tablet were to run Windows 8 natively, then all the processing power of the base would need to be in the tablet instead, and the tablet would only be docked just to access more ports, the optical drive and to charge up. By using the Tegra 3 processor to run Android 4.1 on the tablet, you get a thin, passively-cooled product that still runs a feature-rich operating system — and it won't need as much battery power to do so. (ASUS claims the battery in the tablet can last up to five hours).
Because the tablet can't run Windows 8 natively, ASUS has installed a 'mode' app that allows you to connect to the desktop PC wirelessly so that you can control it remotely. What you'll see on the screen is a stream of your desktop and you'll be able to use Windows 8 as if it were installed on the tablet (it will be good for most things, including accessing documents and media files, or browsing the Web).
Here's the 18.4in tablet in action. You can see that through the Android app, the Windows 8 desktop doesn't respond to portrait orientation.
For the most part though, you can use the tablet's Android operating system for Web browsing, streaming video and anything else you might normally use Android for (as long as there is a tablet app for what you want to do). When you dock the tablet back to the desktop, there is a little blue button on the tablet that you'll need to press in order to get it back in to plain monitor mode.
The hardware design seems to be good. The base with the Core i5 CPU in it sits on the table heavily and its stand allows for some tilting when the tablet is docked. The tablet screen can be easily lifted out of it with one hand (there is a flap handle on the rear) and it's just as easy to place it back into the dock once you're done.
At 18-inches, the screen is large and it feels substantial to carry around or sit in your lap. Luckily, it has a stand on it similar to a photo frame, so you can just plonk it on a table in an upright position if you want to view photos or videos. It has a typical, 10-finger capacitive touch interface, so if the tablet is resting on your lap you can type easily with both hands on the touchscreen.
In a nutshell, the Transformer All-in-one is an all-in-one desktop PC that uses an Android tablet as its monitor. You can use it as a regular desktop computer (it has four USB ports, three of which are USB 3.0, as well as a built-in optical drive, SD card slot, audio ports and HDMI) or you can rip off its monitor and use that as a stand-alone, 18.4in tablet.
Let's explain the product a bit more: when the screen is docked to the PC on the desktop, it acts as a monitor so that you can run Windows 8 normally as you would on any other computer. As soon as you pull the screen off the dock, the screen automatically turns into a tablet that runs the Android 4.1 operating system rather than Windows 8. It's this bit that has the potential to be confusing, but what you need to know is that you are essentially getting two products in one: a desktop PC and an 18in tablet that doubles as the 18in monitor for that desktop PC (so three products if you want to count the monitor).
The Transformer All-in-one has two CPUs to facilitate this design: an Intel Core i5 CPU is what runs in the desktop base (or a Core i7 depending on the model), while an NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor is what runs in the tablet itself.
The reason for this double operating system solution is basically to make the tablet as portable as possible. If the tablet were to run Windows 8 natively, then all the processing power of the base would need to be in the tablet instead, and the tablet would only be docked just to access more ports, the optical drive and to charge up. By using the Tegra 3 processor to run Android 4.1 on the tablet, you get a thin, passively-cooled product that still runs a feature-rich operating system — and it won't need as much battery power to do so. (ASUS claims the battery in the tablet can last up to five hours).
Because the tablet can't run Windows 8 natively, ASUS has installed a 'mode' app that allows you to connect to the desktop PC wirelessly so that you can control it remotely. What you'll see on the screen is a stream of your desktop and you'll be able to use Windows 8 as if it were installed on the tablet (it will be good for most things, including accessing documents and media files, or browsing the Web).
Here's the 18.4in tablet in action. You can see that through the Android app, the Windows 8 desktop doesn't respond to portrait orientation.
For the most part though, you can use the tablet's Android operating system for Web browsing, streaming video and anything else you might normally use Android for (as long as there is a tablet app for what you want to do). When you dock the tablet back to the desktop, there is a little blue button on the tablet that you'll need to press in order to get it back in to plain monitor mode.
The hardware design seems to be good. The base with the Core i5 CPU in it sits on the table heavily and its stand allows for some tilting when the tablet is docked. The tablet screen can be easily lifted out of it with one hand (there is a flap handle on the rear) and it's just as easy to place it back into the dock once you're done.
At 18-inches, the screen is large and it feels substantial to carry around or sit in your lap. Luckily, it has a stand on it similar to a photo frame, so you can just plonk it on a table in an upright position if you want to view photos or videos. It has a typical, 10-finger capacitive touch interface, so if the tablet is resting on your lap you can type easily with both hands on the touchscreen.
In a nutshell, the Transformer All-in-one is an all-in-one desktop PC that uses an Android tablet as its monitor. You can use it as a regular desktop computer (it has four USB ports, three of which are USB 3.0, as well as a built-in optical drive, SD card slot, audio ports and HDMI) or you can rip off its monitor and use that as a stand-alone, 18.4in tablet.
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