At last Microsoft has listened to the majority of their current customers who are still using (and prefer?) a keyboard and mouse!“We Love Touch” But Windows 8.1 To Focus On Non-Touch; Windows Phone Eyes Wide-Ranging OEM Plan | TechCrunch:
At last Microsoft has listened to the majority of their current customers who are still using (and prefer?) a keyboard and mouse!
Microsoft's Joe Belfiore conceded at the Mobile World Conference that Windows 8 was too touch oriented. Quote "Some of those touch affordances weren’t really tuned as well as we could do for those mouse and keyboard users," says Belfiore. "We found people weren’t aware of where they should look in the UI. Those are the things we’ve really started to improve for this update coming this spring."
This $200 Chromebox comes optionally with an Intel Celeron, Core i3 or Core i7 processor. Cloud connected it comes with Wi-Fi and Ethernet. Add your own screen, keyboard and mouse. An interesting unit!
Making "boot desktop" as default for devices without touchscreens seems pretty obvious! There are several other rumoured changes including bringing back the Windows 7 Start Menu (not mentioned in this article).
Not sure about the description "It might help if you think about it as a tablet with a keyboard instead of a touchscreen." Seems to miss the point that the HP Chromebook is running Chrome OS not Android!
Good to see free antivirus software reviewed regularly. A few new names but mostly the same old crowd!
It is to be hoped that schools don't expect every child to have access to a 3D printer!
Whilst I think it would be the right decision for laptop/desktop installations of Windows 8, I would see it as a major retreat from the Modern interface by Microsoft. However, it would show that they are eventually listening to their customers!
Interesting university research using a smartphone app to gather their data.
I don't really don't need to add a comment here!
I guess it is this sort of research and development that produces useful by-products. I wonder what will come out of this.
Quote "Extrapolating the best model into the future suggests that Facebook will undergo a rapid decline in the coming years, losing 80 per cent of its peak user base between 2015 and 2017."
More changes to the dual user interface (UI) of Windows 8(.1). It is slowly returning to Windows 7. Rumoured this will be out in April 2014.
I have tried to do this on my two year old HTC One but not had much success so far! Must give it another try.
Most smartwatches have to be tethered to a mobile phone with 3G/4G. The Omate smart watch is fully self contained and has its own 2G/3G. Not bad for $249!
Battery drain issues have got to be the number one frustration for all smart phone users.
Note that you can control how this new feature works in your Gmail Settings. I have mine set to "Circles" only.
Between Android, Chrome OS and, of course Apple's OS X and iOS, Microsoft's new CEO is going to have earn his money in 2014!
Couldn't agree more with the sentiment expressed in this article. The recent appointment of a new Microsoft CEO might bring back some common sense and an ear to what Microsoft's customers actually want.
At least the LED globes should last up to 23 years so that's not as expensive as it first appears! These globes are equivalent brightness to a 60W globe, fully dimmable and, of course, remotely controlled by a smartphone app!
Hope Microsoft has it right this time! There is a company called www.one.com that offers a cloud drive product similar to SkyDrive/OneDrive.
Smart watches might be getting some traction but I think fitness bands and bio-monitors are more useful and may become far more popular.
An ASUS Transformer based on an Intel Core i7 running Windows 8.1 and Android 4.1 with 128GB SSD or up to 1TB of hard disk. Now this is really getting interesting! It could be expensive!
GM, Honda and Hyundai join Audi in the Open Auto Alliance.
It would appear to be the case although teens are finding it less attractive since the whole family is watching them! Their private conversations have now moved to other more private apps. Whilst there are over a billion Facebook accounts I still think usage is dropping.
This is a very good article discussing the pros and cons of moving from Windows to a Chromebook. Are you ready? I am wondering when Androidbooks will be available??
Some interesting reading if you are an Apple fan!
The specs and price are similar to a smartphone or tablet but with far more connectivity, an 11.6" screen and full keyboard. Just wish it also had an Ethernet port!
My only concern is that Satya Nadella has been too entrenched in Microsoft (22 years) to really "look outside the square" and be disruptive enough to make up for Microsoft's recent lack of product innovation.
Stockholders are probably happy to see Bill Gates planning to take a more "hands on" roll than just being Chairman of the board.
Two more posts to follow on this very important announcement! Look for the link in this article to Satya's "letter to employees" and within that link the video of his first interview as CEO.
I read through these 15 items (admittedly rather quickly) and ended up thinking why is this all so complicated? Both the problems and the solutions! I am sure we didn't have anything like the level of annoyances in Windows 7. Does that mean the software is getting too complicated or just badly designed?
Click on the Boston Dynamics YouTube channel link and have a look at some of their robots in action - well worth a look!
Well worth a read particularly "A lament from a teenager Felicity Light" at the end of the article! Great picture by the way - says it all!
Previously you had to have a paid account to use Spotify on mobiles.
This could be very handy for backing up photos and files or just giving a copy to someone else!
I don't believe Microsoft went far enough in 8.1 to appease traditional Windows users. Here are some of the remaining frustrations.
This has always been a good discussion topic. It seems that the bigger the better!
Data roaming is so expensive it is about time the Telcos were given some competition!