Like a vast number of other tech-minded students, I am a voluntary slave to Apple. Through college, I have been a devoted disciple to the gospel of Steve Jobs while turning my nose up at the site of a Window’s home screen. Don’t get me wrong, Microsoft has made strides in keeping up with its arch-competitor. The ante has been upped once again with the introduction of Windows 8, and it aims to change the game and most notably, their look. The latest operating system from the Bill Gates camp promises users interface changes geared toward accessibility.
When I first heard the news, I instantly remarked at how uncreative the name of the new operating system was, marketing itself in the same vein as the NOW music franchise. Needless to say, I was apprehensive.
After reading numerous reviews and tutorials on the new system, it became clear that Microsoft is using this new OS to provide customers with a fully integrated experience. By giving users the power to sync Window’s phones, tablets and computers on a linear platform, it seems like Windows is finding a new niche in the ever-changing tech world. Along with advancements in touch screen capability, Windows 8 may prove an enjoyable experience for users on all devices, but I had to try for myself.
Putting my personal bias aside, I fired up a Windows machine and navigated the new Microsoft platform – I was intrigued at the layout. When the demo at Best Buy booted, the new look instantly projected a corporation in the midst of transition. “Still keeping up with the Joneses,” I thought when first seeing the layout, but the features seemed to compensate.
For a novice Windows user, the new perpetually updating tile layout may be a breath of fresh air in the wake of the little-evolved Windows home screen. I believe that Microsoft is trying to convey a more visually appealing, interactive layout that gives the user a creative alternative to the normal Start>>All Programs>> Accessories>>Solitaire routine.
I was surprised at the boot time, which makes the new image seem fresh. In comparison to its ancestors, Windows 8 appears more fluid and refined in terms of startup.
While playing around on the new OS, I learned of Windows To Go. This new feature allows users to copy their entire operating system, apps included, to a USB thumb drive. If opened on another computer that runs Windows 8, you can fully boot your operating system to another machine – a pretty savvy feature in my opinion.
Similar to Windows To Go, Windows Live Sync gives customers yet another way to access their personal files when away from their primary devices. This new addition could save the day at presentation time when you need to access that PowerPoint you forgot to load on your flash drive.
Another nuance introduced in the latest wave of Window’s software is the ability to integrate Windows 8 across all devices, including phones. This gives the user a smooth experience when transitioning from different devices and provides users with a congruent feel and little change. My cherished MacBook doesn’t even offer that kind of integration, and considering the subtle differences it has from desktop to touch screen device, it seems that Microsoft may have beaten Apple to the punch on something.
With the new features in mind, I am impressed but not enough to jump the Mac OS ship. However, my eyes have been opened to what Microsoft is doing to change the tech game, and the result is a fresh transformation that is, at the very least, visually appealing. Microsoft is an enduring company, and its past success may be in resurgence. One thing is certain, with these titans of industry battling for tech supremacy, the result can only be evolution in usability and design aimed at customer’s wallets.
2013年4月24日星期三
2013年4月10日星期三
Quickflix Launches Free Windows 8 Trial, Amazing Time-Lapse Moon Video, Cancer: The Video Game
The movie/TV streaming service Quickflix has just launched a Windows 8 app in Australia, with a free one-month trial available to Windows 8 users. The service currently has a handful of free classic movies and HBO TV shows, with newer titles available on a pay-per-play basis. You can download the app here. [Via istartedsomething.com]
Amazon is currently offering the ebook 30 Delicious Family Favorite Cake Recipes for free (get it here). The digital recipe book includes step-by-step instructions on how to bake everything from a Chocolate Eclair Refrigerator Cake to Mini Cheesecakes. Hnngh! [Via OzBargain]
Most video games are about excitement and escapism, but occasionally a developer reaches for something more. That Dragon, Cancer is an adventure game about “hope in the face of death”. It follows the plight of a married couple and their four-year-old son who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Players relive memories and follow a path of hope and optimism in the face of inevitable death. Find out why it brought a Kotaku journalist to tears here.
A keen-eyed photographer in the US has produced a 15-second time lapse video of the moon rising over Los Angeles. The moon’s ascension is quite mesmerising as it paints a glittering arc across the sky. Watch the video here.
The 5 Best Windows 8 Tablets
Tablets have moved from the gimmicky fringe to the mainstream, with multiple new touch-friendly models released by every major manufacturer. Spurred on by the tablet-friendly Windows 8 and new hardware that fits PC power into slimmer and lighter devices, these handy PCs won't be going anywhere. But just because they're the hot new thing doesn't mean that every tablet PC is great, which is why we're here in the first place—to weed out the clunkers and help you know what's best, and why.
We've seen several variations on the Windows tablet, from Atom-powered tablets that last all day long to beefy laptop alternatives with Intel Core processors. We've seen standalone tablets, dock-friendly slates, and a collection of accessories that range from keyboards to gamepads to variations on the simple stylus. The unifying thread that runs through all of these top picks isn't hardware, or even accessories, but software. Setting these tablets apart from all of the iDevices and Androids is Windows 8—and not the hobbled look-alike Windows RT. This is full-blown Windows 8, with x86 support for all of your software.
The switch from laptop to tablet also brings some new features to these handheld PCs. Sensors previously seen in smartphones bring new ways to interact with your PC, with accelerometers, gyroscopes, and e-compasses providing positional awareness both for automatic screen rotation and new immersive applications. And let's not forget touch. With capacitive screens that track 5 or 10 finger-tips at a time, you can pinch, swipe, and tap your way through any task, even those that would have required a keyboard and mouse only a year ago.
It's a brave new tablet-filled world, but it's not without new concerns. The thin confines of a tablet make concerns about heat buildup all the more important—especially when that heat is literally in hand. Touch screens add a new opportunity for frustration when taps and touches won't register properly, and the opportunities offered by docks and accessories also open up the chance to misplace a valuable part of your PC while out and about—say what you will about tablets, but you'll never misplace your keyboard while using a laptop.
We've gone wading through the tablet swamp so you don't have to, testing and comparing dozens of tablet PCs to tell you what works and what doesn't. We've picked the best, but this is far from a complete list, so don't forget to check out all of our reviews to learn more.
We've seen several variations on the Windows tablet, from Atom-powered tablets that last all day long to beefy laptop alternatives with Intel Core processors. We've seen standalone tablets, dock-friendly slates, and a collection of accessories that range from keyboards to gamepads to variations on the simple stylus. The unifying thread that runs through all of these top picks isn't hardware, or even accessories, but software. Setting these tablets apart from all of the iDevices and Androids is Windows 8—and not the hobbled look-alike Windows RT. This is full-blown Windows 8, with x86 support for all of your software.
The switch from laptop to tablet also brings some new features to these handheld PCs. Sensors previously seen in smartphones bring new ways to interact with your PC, with accelerometers, gyroscopes, and e-compasses providing positional awareness both for automatic screen rotation and new immersive applications. And let's not forget touch. With capacitive screens that track 5 or 10 finger-tips at a time, you can pinch, swipe, and tap your way through any task, even those that would have required a keyboard and mouse only a year ago.
It's a brave new tablet-filled world, but it's not without new concerns. The thin confines of a tablet make concerns about heat buildup all the more important—especially when that heat is literally in hand. Touch screens add a new opportunity for frustration when taps and touches won't register properly, and the opportunities offered by docks and accessories also open up the chance to misplace a valuable part of your PC while out and about—say what you will about tablets, but you'll never misplace your keyboard while using a laptop.
We've gone wading through the tablet swamp so you don't have to, testing and comparing dozens of tablet PCs to tell you what works and what doesn't. We've picked the best, but this is far from a complete list, so don't forget to check out all of our reviews to learn more.
Samsung accidentally leaks $1,200 Windows 8 ATIV Book 6 for the U.S.
Although the still unofficial ATIV Book 6 (NP680Z5E) was only online momentarily before it was yanked from Samsung’s website, Sammyhub still got a good look at some of its hardware specs.
The ATIV Book 6 has a 15.6-inch display with 1920 × 1080 resolution, which makes us think it will be more a desktop replacement than an Ultrabook, but we don’t have any sense of its physical dimensions or weight to point us one way or another. Under its hood, this Windows 8 laptop is powered by a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, AMD Radeon HD8770M discrete graphics, 8GB RAM, and 1TB HDD.
Besides its computing prowess, the ATIV Book 6 sounds like it will make a great home media hub too. For one thing, it supports Wi-Di, which means you’ll be able to wirelessly stream content (even HD movies) from the ATIV Book 6 to your HDTV. Other features include JBL stereo speakers, Bluetooth 4.0, 720p HD webcam, Gigabit LAN, HDMI and VGA ports, USB 2.0/3.0 ports, and even a RAM accelerator. The ATIV Book 6 should be good for 8 hours between charges according to Samsung, but we won’t know for certain until we can put it through its paces.
In Sammyhub’s opinion, the ATIV Book 6 sounds a lot like the Series 7 Chronos. Best Buy in America offers a variant of the Chronos for $1,200 (it is different from the one that was announced at CES 2013). Available in Mineral Ash Black, the ATIV Book 6 will be retailing at $1,200 in the U.S. No ship date on this yet, but we expect to hear more about this laptop very soon.
Research firm: PC sales plunge as Windows 8 flops
The ailing personal computer market is getting weaker, and it’s starting to look like it will never fully recover as a new generation of mobile devices reshapes the way people use technology.
The latest evidence of the PC’s infirmity emerged Wednesday with the release of two somber reports showing unprecedented declines in the sales of desktop and laptop machines in the first quarter.
If that news weren't troubling enough for PC makers, it appears that a pivotal makeover of Microsoft’s Windows operating system seems to have done more harm than good since the software was released last October.
‘‘This is horrific news for PCs,’’ said BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis. ‘‘It’s all about mobile computing now.’’
First-quarter shipments of PCs fell 14 percent from the same time last year, according to International Data Corp. That’s the deepest quarterly drop since the firm started tracking the industry in 1994. Another research firm, Gartner Inc., pegged the first-quarter decline at 11 percent.
The deviation stemmed from the firms’ slightly different definitions of PCs.
No matter how things are parsed, this is clearly the worst shape that the PC market has been in since IBM Corp. released a desktop machine in 1981.
In an attempt to keep the PC relevant, Microsoft released a radical new version of Windows last fall. Windows 8 has a completely new look that’s similar to the design of the software running the most popular smartphones and tablet computers. The overhaul requires a relearning process, a leap that many consumers and corporate buyers aren’t ready to take.
All signs so far point to Windows 8 being a flop.
‘‘Unfortunately, it seems clear that the Windows 8 launch not only didn’t provide a positive boost to the PC market, but appears to have slowed the market,’’ IDC vice president Bob O’Donnell said.
The newest version of Windows is designed to work well with touchscreens, but the displays add to the cost of a PC.
Representatives of Microsoft Corp. were not immediately available for comment.
Microsoft shares fell 63 cents, or 2 percent, to $29.65 in extended trading, after the release of the report. They had gained 67 cents in regular trading.
Hewlett-Packard Co., the world’s largest maker of PCs, saw a 24 percent drop in shipments in the first quarter compared with the same period a year ago. The industry’s number two player, China’s Lenovo Group, is benefiting from sales to first-time buyers in China and other developing countries. As a result, it held sales steady, alone among the world’s top five PC makers, according to IDC’s figures .
The latest evidence of the PC’s infirmity emerged Wednesday with the release of two somber reports showing unprecedented declines in the sales of desktop and laptop machines in the first quarter.
If that news weren't troubling enough for PC makers, it appears that a pivotal makeover of Microsoft’s Windows operating system seems to have done more harm than good since the software was released last October.
‘‘This is horrific news for PCs,’’ said BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis. ‘‘It’s all about mobile computing now.’’
First-quarter shipments of PCs fell 14 percent from the same time last year, according to International Data Corp. That’s the deepest quarterly drop since the firm started tracking the industry in 1994. Another research firm, Gartner Inc., pegged the first-quarter decline at 11 percent.
The deviation stemmed from the firms’ slightly different definitions of PCs.
No matter how things are parsed, this is clearly the worst shape that the PC market has been in since IBM Corp. released a desktop machine in 1981.
In an attempt to keep the PC relevant, Microsoft released a radical new version of Windows last fall. Windows 8 has a completely new look that’s similar to the design of the software running the most popular smartphones and tablet computers. The overhaul requires a relearning process, a leap that many consumers and corporate buyers aren’t ready to take.
All signs so far point to Windows 8 being a flop.
‘‘Unfortunately, it seems clear that the Windows 8 launch not only didn’t provide a positive boost to the PC market, but appears to have slowed the market,’’ IDC vice president Bob O’Donnell said.
The newest version of Windows is designed to work well with touchscreens, but the displays add to the cost of a PC.
Representatives of Microsoft Corp. were not immediately available for comment.
Microsoft shares fell 63 cents, or 2 percent, to $29.65 in extended trading, after the release of the report. They had gained 67 cents in regular trading.
Hewlett-Packard Co., the world’s largest maker of PCs, saw a 24 percent drop in shipments in the first quarter compared with the same period a year ago. The industry’s number two player, China’s Lenovo Group, is benefiting from sales to first-time buyers in China and other developing countries. As a result, it held sales steady, alone among the world’s top five PC makers, according to IDC’s figures .
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