Windows 8 prognosis for sales: not that good. That is the latest finding from research entity Gartner. The expectation is that Windows 8 will not be the PC soul wave that will revitalize PC sales. Small wonder, since tablets, and mobile phones are the biggest challenges to the PC market.

Both HP and Dell, are hoping to see new sales growth because of the new OS. But realistically, ordinary consumers, who need Internet connections, and person-to-person communications and specific applications, are finding that the PC is not the way to go.

Good PC technology or not, good operating systems technology or not, other alternatives are making headway. Consider that ordinary people used to buy PC’s but they limited their use to specific operations, like document writing, or playing music, or sending e-mail. The rest of the PC sat there. So the tablets, and mobile phones took it to task and we are where we are.

PC Growth

Both Dell and HP are expecting growth. Consider where they are in the market place. Here is a look at the stock price.

Then compare that with the standing among other PC manufacturers.

This shows that there is still growth in the PC industry, at 1.9 percent in the first 2012 quarter. HP did show growth, not like Lenovo or ASUS. But Dell and Acer Group showed a drop in growth.

So expectations for a new push with Windows 8 are high, but that is not what analysts are projecting. For one, Windows 8 tablets are not expected to rise. For another, the Consumer Electronics show, earlier made clear that the PC is in trouble, at least as reported by those attending the show.

The distinction in Operating System use from personal to business use will be more dramatic than before because Microsoft is pushing the Azure Cloud, and that is key for business use.

Source: Gartner

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Not everyone knows, but all of our brilliant Windows 7 Themes here at Everything-Microsoft also work perfectly fine on Windows 8. So if you’re looking to give your Windows 8 Desktop a bit of a refresh, be sure to go and check out our extensive gallery of Windows 8 Themes.

Today I have 4 Water Inspired themes which will work on both Windows 7 and Windows 8. There’s nothing more majestic and graceful than flowing rivers, gushing waterfalls and churning seas which is why this selection of themes will be be brilliant for any Windows 7 or Windows 8 desktop.

Blue Water Theme

Bodies of water in all their varied magnificence are seen in this free theme for Windows 7: reflecting the lights of the city, flowing under picturesque stone bridges, winding through rolling hills, and glowing with a tropical ocean blue.

Blue Water Theme

Download

Australian Shores

The best of Australian beaches and waterways are on display in this free Windows 7theme by photographer Anton Gorlin, including alpine lakes, beaches lit up with pastel sunsets, and towering hills of sand under brilliant blue skies.

Australian Shores

Download

Aqua Dynamic Theme

Churning seas, rushing rivers, and gracefully curling waves are just a few of the images you’ll get with this free Windows 7 theme. Water: powerful, serene, and dynamic, captured by our community of contributors in splendid color and form. This theme updates automatically through an RSS feed.

Aqua Dynamic theme

Download

Waterfalls Theme

Gurgling canyon creeks, rushing mountain streams, and cascading, terraced rivers: Waterfalls in all their glorious diversity are featured in this free theme for Windows 7.

Waterfalls Theme

Download

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The Europeans have had fun with Microsoft. An anti-trust suit filed in Europe in the late 90′s forced Microsoft to open it’s Operating system to other browsers besides the Internet Explorer. Now with Windows 8 in the mix,  and especially with Windows 8 RT a potential anti-trust investigation is possible.

First the US Senate is poised to investigate Microsoft for its actions to see if it is in violation of the agreement it entered in the late 1990′s on its monopoly activity. (funny…it was found to be a monopoly but what happened…not much…big deal…See the CNN Summary.)

Europe in 2003 also went after Microsoft for it’s OS and media player connection. A judgement forced Microsoft to detach the media player from the OS.  And later, the “Browser” deal went into affect, which untied Internet Explorer from the Operating System, allowing other browsers to run on the OS.

Now  a new look at Microsoft is underway, because the question is a tablet a PC? The original judgement applied to PC’s and Servers, not tablets. Microsoft now has tablets in the works, and there are two variations, Windows 8 and Windows 8 RT (or ARM). There are investigations questioning how much compliance is necessary to the judgement. But one problem with this is that the ARM version, comes from a new design in Chip technology.

What is ARM?

ARM refers to devices that use technology  from ARM Holdings PLC, a company based in the United Kingdom. It develops intellectual property  for semiconductors.  But instead of manufacturing actual semiconductor chips, ARM develops the technology and then licenses its intellectual property to partner companies that produce the semiconductors, chips, and devices. So ARM partners utilize ARM technology to produce system-on-chip designs, paying ARM a license fee for the original IP, plus a royalty on every chip or wafer produced. Right now it is a technology is currently being used in 90% of smartphones, 80% of digital cameras, and 28% of all electronic devices.

Windows 8 and ARM

Microsoft will release two versions on Windows 8, one running ARM, and one without. ARM devices will feature a Metro mode, that is a tile-based, touch-optimized interface, as well as a more traditional Windows desktop mode. Now here is the important part. Apps designed for the Metro interface will be supported on both ARM and Windows 8 on x86/64, and ARM includes support for hardware-accelerated HTML5. It will offer desktop versions of the key apps in the new Office 15 like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.

But the kicker is that legacy Windows apps will run under Windows 8 on PCs, but not on ARM devices. This means that developers will not be able to recode their current Windows apps for ARM, under desktop mode. And that is where the problem comes in for other software manufacturers. This is the original problem they had with Microsoft 10 years ago. Can their software run on the Microsoft platform, or are there restrictions, and are these restrictions in violation of the 2004 agreement?

That is what the Europeans will try to determine.

Source: zdnet

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It’s not long now until we will get our hands on the release preview of Windows 8. Microsoft are said to be announcing the Release Preview around the beginning of June and in it one of the new features that we will be coming across is “Family Safety”

In a post over on the building Windows 8 blog, Microsoft announced the new built in parental controls that will allow parents to monitor their child’s activity on their Windows 8 machine.  ”Family Safety”  is relatively simple and straightforward for parents to set up. All they have to do is check a box saying that a new Windows account is for a child and it will be activated.

The feature will automatically generate weekly reports for parents and guardians which will include data like how long their child spends online each day, as well as details on their web searches and what sites they visit the most. It also keeps track of the games that they play the most and how long they spend on the PC.

A few of the other advanced tools allow parents to set up web filtering as well as implement restrictions on applications and games based on their age ratings. Parents can also set up timers to restrict their child from being on the PC too long as well.

All in all I think these are family safety features can only be good for parents. Up to now Windows hasn’t really had great family protection features like this in it so I’m sure plenty of parents will be happy that they can now monitor little “Timmys” web habits.

What do you think of these new family safety features?

Let us know in the comments below

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When new hardware or software is released, there is a period where some users with buying intentions wait for the new hardware or software to be released before they make the purchase. That’s bad for business, as hardware and software sales may suffer during this period. That’s one of the reasons why Microsoft will allow Windows 7 PC to Windows 8 Pro upgrades starting June 2.

We have already mentioned previously that Microsoft will run a promotion to avoid a drop in sales during that time period. New details have come to light, which we would like to share with out.

Consumers who buy a PC running Windows 7 from that day will have the option to go to Microsoft’s special offer site at windowsupgradeoffer.com, to redeem a code that updates the PC’s operating system to Windows 8 Pro.

It is not clear right now if all PCs that you can buy from June 2 on will have the code included, or if there will be PCs and Windows 7 versions that do not. I’d advise anyone to check with the retailer before making purchases, to make sure you get the upgrade code.

The price for the update will be $14.99, and the PC will always be upgraded to the retail flagship version Windows 8 Pro. This is different from Microsoft’s last promotion, where Vista users were only able to upgrade to the Windows 7 version closest to the one that the PC came preinstalled with.

It is also interesting to note that the offer will start around the time that Microsoft intends to release the Windows 8 Release Candidate to the public.  The operating system itself is expected to be released in the fourth quarter of 2012.

It is not clear yet if eligible customers can redeem the code right away, or if they have to wait until Windows 8 gets released before they can do so. We will keep you in the loop when additional information are released by Microsoft.

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Microsoft is expected to bring out the next version of its operating system sometime in the 3rd quarter of this year. That said, there are a lot of expectations about what it will contain, how it will work, and whether it will live up to its hype as the biggest change in Microsoft’s family of OS’s since Windows NT more than 15 years ago. Indeed, the model is changing because of the new types of computers that have entered the market place, the mobile phone system, and the tablet PC system. They have changed the landscape considerably. In the middle of this is whether Windows 8 and Windows RT and the new touch-centric Metro interface will be available. So, the question is, which has the most promise?

Windows 8

These tablets and convertibles will run the full-blown Windows 8 operating system. So what do they have in store?  The tablets come from device vendors such as Hewlett-Packard, Dell, and Acer and they will use Intel’s ”Clover Trail” Atom processor. Some convertibles will also tap higher-performance Ivy Bridge processors. And, of course, chips from Advanced Micro Devices.  Furthermore, the breadth of compatibility with existing Windows applications combined with the ability to use Metro mode or revert to a more traditional Windows interface to run older applications can help make this a solid product. Plus, Windows 8 Pro will be more corporate-enterprise friendly, including features like PC management, domain connectivity, and remote desktop operations. But there is an expected downside. Price. These devices are expected  to be pricey, at least when compared to Windows RT devices.

Windows RT

Given the change in technology that Microsoft is pushing, it is no surprise that they would also use a different chip to run the operating system. So Windows 8 on ARM (WoA) — officially renamed to Windows RT by Microsoft — will run on processors coming from Qualcomm, Nvidia, and Texas Instruments. This is the first time a mainstream Windows operating system will be powered by chips from these ARM silicon suppliers in addition to those of Intel and AMD. Intel will run the others.

Is this good or bad? Well for the most part  the good side will be price, battery life, and size. These devices will likely be inexpensive, have a good battery life feature, and be thin and light. And, it will come with Microsoft Office, whereas if you purchase the Windows 8, Intel based OS, you will have to purchase Office separately. More than that, consider that ARM will not runWindows 7, and older, stuff. So if you need to run any existing x86/64 software, then it will be best served with Windows 8 on x86/64.

All in all, you have two clear choices to consider. Take your pick

Source: Microsoft Blog

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Introduced last year as Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Microsoft Window’s new OS already boasted 300 new innovative features and gave users a taste of what to expect from the full release.

Microsoft officials revealed that the new operating system powered by 32-bit and 64-bit x 86 chips will be released in two varieties – Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro. The new operating system, as Microsoft further revealed in their press conference, is designed for tech aficionados and professionals who are on the lookout for revolutionary software that can be used with various platforms. The new Windows operating system is set to do just that as it is compatible with platforms such as computers, tablets, phones, and even the Xbox.

Some of the cool features are the touch keyboards and snap multi-tasking, which will allow you to use multiple apps simultaneously in a single screen. Moreover, these apps can be switched, resized, and placed on the Start menu or your desktop.

The 5 Coolest Windows 8 Features

With all its cool new features, it is really difficult to tell which features will stand out. But for the sake of giving you a preview or taste of what is to come, here is a list of 5 of the most notable features of the Windows 8 OS.

The all-new Metro User Interface – Most often referred to as the Metro UI

This feature has already been present in Windows phones and used by Xbox Live users since 2010. By including this feature in the new Windows software, it will replace the Start menu, giving your laptop or desktop a phone-app feel to it. This is where snap multi-tasking comes in, as you can open each tile and view different apps simultaneously. Moreover, you can also use Windows 7 apps on your Windows 8 operating system, although you have to use a different built-in user interface in order to access the Windows 7 apps. For those who are worried if the new Metro UI is mouse and keyboard compatible—Microsoft officials have assured users that it is.

The Task Manager

The Task Manager on the Windows 8 OS has been simplified for easy navigation. This decision to simplify the Task Manager came after studies revealed that 85 percent of Windows users use the task manager to perform even the simplest task of shutting down an unresponsive application. Therefore, instead of finding a series of windows and tabs to do a task, all you need to do is click a certain application to accomplish the task. There is a word of warning, though; be careful since there will be no prompt to ask you to save your files. If you want more information about certain components of your system, you can just click the “More Details” button to give you more comprehensive data.

The Windows Store

This looks like the Mac app store, and requires a Windows Live ID, which you can get through your Hotmail or Windows Live Messenger account. This will allow you to access new apps and display your own.

SkyDrive

This is the cloud-storage service of Windows 8, which can store all types of files and automatically circulate them in various platforms. The SkyDrive feature can be used either as a standalone app or part of the Metro UI. As a standalone application, SkyDrive will let you access files easily; while as part of the Metro UI, it will enable you to easily send files and pictures through mail.

The Refresh and Reset Features

This feature will allow you to partially reinstall the Windows OS without worrying about losing your files and applications. Based on the Windows Image Manager, the Refresh feature allows you to replace damaged files while preserving other components which are not damaged saving you both time and effort.
Other Notable Windows 8 Features

Aside from the five features listed above, there are other features Windows 8 have that are worth waiting for such as charms, the control panel, enhanced copy features, and many more.

Charms allow you to arrange and organize the settings of various apps which can be dragged, dropped, or swiped. The control panel, on the other hand, can be personalized or customized according to your taste; while the enhanced copy features allow you to easily copy files on different apps simultaneously. When Microsoft introduces Windows 8 to the market later this year, you will find even more interesting features, giving you the ultimate PC experience.

5 Things that will be Different in Windows 8 was posted on Everything Microsoft - Latest Microsoft News, Guides, Reviews & Themes. If you are not reading this content in an email newsletter, it is being used without permission.

Microsoft normally start a special promotional offer coming up to the release of their new operating system to try stop users from holding off on buying computers until its launched. Microsoft offered a free upgrade to Windows 7 for all Windows Vista users who purchased new machines that came running Windows Vista in the months leading up to the release of Windows 7.

While we are yet to hear of an official offer from Microsoft, PC World have received some information from their sources with regards to a similar promotional offer for Windows 8.

Apparently Microsoft will be offering anyone who purchases a Windows machine running Windows 7 a reduced price to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro. When customers make their purchase, they will receive special promotional coupons which will entitle them to Windows 8 Pro at a special price, but it won’t be for free.

The below image is apparently the promotional flyer that Microsoft have been sending around to their retailers and partners.

What makes me curious about this offer though is the fact that the upgrade is to Windows 8 Pro. Most users won’t actually have a need for Windows 8 Pro. It’s more aimed at businesses and tech enthusiasts with features like  includes encryption, virtualization, PC management and domain connectivity.

Surely it would make more sense for Microsoft to offer similar upgrades like they did with Windows 7. ie. Windows Vista Home Premium -> Windows 7 Home Premium etc.. It seems odd that they’re trying to get all Windows 7 users to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro even though many users will have no need for it.

Of course, this upgrade offer isn’t set in stone, and until we receive official word on it from Microsoft, we can’t be certain that it’s going to work like this.

Microsoft are expected to announce this upgrade offer around the 2nd of  June, along side the announcement of the Windows 8 Release Candidate. Microsoft will be aiming to make the most of the back to schools season with this offer because Windows 8 probably won’t be released until after this window.

It will be interesting to see what the offer is that Microsoft come up with.

What do you think it will be?

Let us know in the comments

Source:

PC World

Details of Microsoft Windows 8 Upgrade Offer For Windows 7 Users Emerge was posted on Everything Microsoft - Latest Microsoft News, Guides, Reviews & Themes. If you are not reading this content in an email newsletter, it is being used without permission.

All the major PC manufacturers are currently hard at work designing completely new hardware including tablets, ultrabooks and hybrids to launch alongside Windows 8 later on this year. Because Windows 8 has given Windows such a radical overhaul Microsoft need their PC partners to launch completely new hardware to take advantage of it more than ever.

HP had promised to deliver a Windows 7 powered slate to the masses when Microsoft launched Windows 7, but that project got delayed, pushed back and cancelled before HP quietly released a tablet for businesses that didn’t really gain much traction. So this time around I’m sure they’re hoping to do a bit better.

Neowin is reporting from their trusted sources that HP are hard at work on an x86 tablet that will be thinner than the iPad as well as having an impressive 8-10hrs of battery life . It will weigh in at 0.68kg and couple that with a 10.1in screen and you’ve got yourself a nice piece of hardware right there.

The below slide is said to be a rendered image of what this new tablet will in fact look like.

HP are aiming this at the business side of things, as a result it won’t be an ARM processor since ARM based tablets won’t support legacy Windows applications.

Neowin are insisting that this is an official HP slide and it is a genuine mock up design for the new tablet as well as those specifications.

If these details and more importantly that tablet design turn out to be true, HP could have quite an appealing tablet here and will certainly be a good alternative to the iPad. It’ll be very interesting to see all the new hardware that comes out with Windows 8, manufacturers need to be careful though, they need to make sure that they will all be available immediately alongside the launch of Windows 8 in order to get some momentum going.

What do you think of this tablet mock up?

Let us know in the comments

Source:

Neowin

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If you are using Windows Media Center regularly on XP, Vista or Windows 7, you may now want to take note that changes are coming to the media player in Microsoft’s upcoming operating system Windows 8.

According to a recent blog post on the Building Windows 8 blog, Windows Media Center will only be available as a (paid) feature upgrade on Windows 8.

Windows 8 (regular) and Windows 8 Pro users will notice that Windows Media Center is not included in their operating systems by default, even if they have upgraded to Windows 8 from a system where they had access to the software.

That in itself may be a big issue for users who made use of the software to record TV shows, playback their video collection, view photos, listen to music, or who have been using some of the plug-ins to integrate third party services like Netflix into the media player.

The main reason for the move are licensing fees, that Microsoft partners were worried about.

Our partners have shared clear concerns over the costs associated with codec licensing for traditional media playback, especially as Windows 8 enables an unprecedented variety of form factors. Windows has addressed these concerns in the past by limiting availability of these experiences to specialized “media” or “premium” editions.

As a result, Windows Media Center is made available as an upgrade to Windows 8 customers via the Add Features to Windows 8 control panel applet (formerly Windows Anytime Upgrade).

Windows Media Player will remain available on both editions, but without DVD playback support. Yes, you read that right. If you want to play DVDs on Windows 8, you either have to add Media Center to the OS, or use a third party solution like VLC for that job.

It is also interesting to note at this point, that the upgrades are named differently. Windows 8 Pro users need to acquire and install the Windows 8 Media Center Pack for their operating system, while Windows 8 (regular) users the Windows 8 Pro Pack. Both will end up with Windows 8 Pro with Media Center.

Microsoft has not revealed any pricing information yet, but it is likely that the upgrade for regular Windows 8 users will be pricey, as it will upgrade the operating system to Windows 8 Pro in the process.

Windows Media Player on the other hand won’t receive DVD playback capabilities after the upgrade, so that DVDs can only be viewed in Windows Media Center on the computer or a connected device.

Windows Media Center Available Only As Paid Upgrade On Windows 8 was posted on Everything Microsoft - Latest Microsoft News, Guides, Reviews & Themes. If you are not reading this content in an email newsletter, it is being used without permission.

We’ve heard rumours before that Microsoft were gearing up the ditch the Windows Live brand and integrate the suite directly into Windows 8. In a recent post over on the building Windows 8 blog Microsoft have announced just that.

When Microsoft originally launched the Windows Live suite of apps back in 2005, the aim was to have these apps separate from the operating system and they would be closely linked with the cloud as well as being regularly updated. However now Microsoft have changed tactics completely as they attempt to create a unified ecosystem to provide users with a seamless experience.

All of their Windows services will now be combined under a single Microsoft account. Currently with the Windows 8 consumer preview you log in with your Windows Live ID. From now on this shall be known as your Microsoft account. This is what you will use for accessing pretty much all your services including SkyDrive, Messenger and Hotmail.

By eradicating the Windows Live branding Microsoft are solving a couple of problems. First off nobody who wasn’t somewhat tech savvy had any idea what the Live brand was all about. Secondly Microsoft will be including all of these Live services in Windows 8. They’ll be built into it directly and be tightly linked with the cloud instead of the user having to download them as an additional extra.

Because all of your Windows services will be linked to this one Microsoft account, it means you’ll get a more unified experience from machine to machine. Once you log in with your Microsoft account into Windows 8, you’ll immediately be logged into these services too, regardless of what machine you use.

Here’s a chart of all the Windows Services:

This is certainly a big step for Microsoft, they’re making a leap into trying to create one big ecosystem in an attempt to make everything easier for the consumer, and I say it will make things much easier for their branding department!

What do you think of Microsoft dropping the Windows Live ID? Is it a good or a bad thing?

Let us know in the comments below

Source:

Building Windows 8

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Microsoft has just confirmed that the company intents to make available the third public preview of their upcoming Windows 8 operating system in the first week of June. The Release Preview marks the third step in the development progress. While the company did not reveal information about new features that ship in the release preview, nor an exact date for the release, it is reassuring that Microsoft seems to be right on track to release the final version of Windows 8 later this year.

Microsoft confirmed the news later the day with a post on the company’s own Twitter account:  Announce…Windows 8 Release Preview first week of June. Here’s the announce from Japan’s Windows 8 Dev Days

The release preview is identical to a release candidate build. When you look back at how Windows 7 development progressed, you will notice that Microsoft has changed the terminology slightly, but not the steps of the process. The next step afterwards is the release of the Windows 8 RTM version which will be identical to the retail version of the operating system.

Microsoft earlier this month noted that interest for the consumer preview version of Windows 8 was twice as high as the interest for the beta of Windows 7.  While that is certainly an impressive feat, it remains to be seen how the operating system will fare when it is released to shops and retailers worldwide.

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With the Windows 8 consumer versions revealed two days ago (that is Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, and the ARM-version Windows 8 RT) came the announcement that Windows 8 Enterprise would naturally be made available as well to business customers.

Windows 8 Enterprise for the most part is identical with the Windows 8 Pro version, which means that it will offer business customers all the features or the professional version, plus features that have been designed exclusively for business environments.

The following key features are available exclusively in Windows 8 Enterprise:

• Windows To Go is a fully manageable corporate Windows 8 desktop on a bootable external USB stick. This will allow IT organizations to support the “Bring Your Own PC” trend and businesses can give contingent staff access to the corporate environment without compromising security.
• DirectAccess allows remote users to seamlessly access resources inside a corporate network without having to launch a separate VPN and helps IT administrators keep remote users’ PCs in compliance by applying the latest policies, software updates, is easier to deploy, and it can be implemented with the existing IPv4 infrastructure.
• BranchCache allows users’ PCs to cache files, websites, and other content from central servers, so content is not repeatedly downloaded across the wide area network (WAN). When used with Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 brings several improvements to BranchCache to streamline the deployment process, optimize bandwidth over WAN connections and ensure better security and scalabilty.
• AppLocker can help mitigate issues by restricting the files and apps that users or groups are allowed to run.
• VDI enhancements: Enhancements in Microsoft RemoteFX and Windows Server 2012, provide users with a rich desktop experience with the ability to play 3D graphics, use USB peripherals and use touch-enabled devices across any type of network (LAN or WAN) for VDI scenarios.
• New Windows 8 App Deployment: Domain joined PCs and tablets running Windows 8 Enterprise will automatically be enabled to side-load internal, Windows 8 Metro style apps.

Microsoft interestingly enough mentioned that the enterprise edition of Windows 8 would ship with additional features including ” improvements to the fundamentals, including end-to-end security and better manageability” without going into detail on how this benefits look like.

Especially the exclusivity of the Windows to Go feature to Windnows 8 Enterprise should come as a blow to many users who were looking forward to use the feature in their consumer versions.

Microsoft is also enhancing their Software Assurance benefits, listing the following new use rights for Software Assurance customers:

• Windows To Go Use Rights: Windows To Go will allow companies to support Bring Your Own PC scenarios and will give employees who need to work from home more secure access to their full corporate environment. With Windows To Go use rights under Software Assurance, an employee will be able to use Windows To Go on any company PC licensed with Windows SA as well as from their home PC. Additionally, through a new companion device license for SA, employees will be able to use WTG on their personal devices at work.
• Windows RT Virtual Desktop Access (VDA) Rights: When used as a companion of a Windows Software Assurance licensed PC, Windows RT will automatically receive extended VDA rights. These rights will provide access to a full VDI image running in the datacenter which will make Windows RT a great complementary tablet option for business customers.
• Companion Device License: For customers who want to provide full flexibility for how employees access their corporate desktop across devices, we are introducing a new Companion Device License for Windows SA customers. For users of Windows Software Assurance licensed PCs this optional add-on will provide rights to access a corporate desktop either through VDI or Windows To Go on up to four personally owned devices.

You can read Microsoft’s Windows 8 Enterprise announcement here.

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Microsoft yesterday made a big announcement that is likely pleasing many of the company’s critics. Brandon LeBlanc over at the official Blogging Windows blog announced that Microsoft would keep Windows 8 as the name of the next version of Windows, and that the new operating system would ship in only three different versions.

For desktop PCs, tablets, and mobile devices running x86 processors come the two editions Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro. These two versions are loosely based on Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Ultimate feature wise.

Windows RT is a new version of the operating system that has been specifically created for Windows on ARM devices. This edition comes only pre-installed on PCs and tablets that are powered by ARM processors.

As far as upgrades go: Windows 7 Starter, Home Basci and Home Premium users can upgrade to both Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro. Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate users can upgrade to Windows 8 Pro.

Here are the core differences between Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro: Windows 8 Pro will ship with the following feature set that Windows 8 does not ship with: BitLocker and BitLocker To Go, Boot from VHD, Client Hyper-V, Domain Join, Encrypting File System, Group Policy, Remote Desktop. All remaining features are identical.

The ARM version ships with several exclusive features, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote) and Device encryption support.

Here are all features in table form:

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Intel, being the major supplier of Windows chips will be pushing Windows 8 as hard as they possibly can, especially now that Windows 8 will support alternative ARM chips, offering manufacturers more choice than before. So it’s in their interest that manufacturers will be producing Windows 8 tablets that are actually worth buying.

They’ve released what they say will be the standard minimum specifications for Windows 8 tablets that are powered by Intel processors. These are some pretty high requirements and I reckon we could see a few tablets fall outside these specifications at the launch of Windows 8, but if they don’t all the better for the consumer

Starting off we can expect to see Intel’s dual-core Atom Z2760 “Clover Trail” chipset. This chip features a unique “burst mode” which can be used when occasional boosts of performance are required. It also features hyperthreading which allows the chip to act like a quad-core chip in some situations.

Intel say that there will be two form types:

Pure 10-inch tablets and 11-inch designs which are hybrids with physical keyboards.

Intel are looking for a minimum of 9 hours battery life and around 30 days standby time.

They also seem to be looking to compete big time with Apple’s iPad on weight. Tablets should way no more than 1.5lbs (iPad is around 1.48lbs) and thickness should not exceed 9mm (iPad 9.4mm)

3G/4G connectivity is also a must and is becoming pretty much a standard feature these days along with WiFi and NFC.

These are some pretty demanding requirements set out by Intel, but any tablet that can match these specifications will be easily on par with the iPad, if not better.

I wonder will Intel be enforcing these rules as strictly as they are with Ultrabooks. Intel have very strict guidelines that a laptop must meet for it to be classified as an Ultrabook.

All things considered, it looks like we are set to see a very exciting range of new devices launched alongside Windows 8 in the second half of this year. Better start saving now for some of those new gadgets!

What do you think? Will all Intel powered tablets live up to these specifications?

Let us know in the comments

Source:

Cnet

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I published a post the other day which showed how Android users could try out the Windows 8 Metro UI on their Android tablets. Well today I’ve got a new post, this time it explores how Apple users will be able to try out Windows 8 on their iPads.

Of course there is already a few Windows based tablets on the market, but the iPad has outsold these by a large margin and is easily the most popular tablet at the moment. We are expecting to see a huge surge in Windows based tablets towards the end of this year when Windows 8 launches, but until then developers and users a like may want to try out Windows 8 on their iPad.

Thanks to a new app from Splashtop you will be able to get the full Windows 8 experience on your iPad. You can take advantage of all the Windows 8 gestures, apps, features and even sound.

There is one requirement though, you’ll have to have a PC running Windows 8 that you can stream to your iPad.

I suppose in a way, this is very like OnLive which allows you to stream a copy of Windows 7 from OnLive’s servers to your iPad.

This app is more aimed at developers than anyone else, it could be perfect if you’re currently developing an app for Windows 8 and you’re wondering how it will interact with touch gestures. Since the range of Windows tablets are fairly limited at the moment, chances are you may have an iPad hanging around that they could try it out on.

It’s pretty cool and it was nice of Apple to actually allow it in their app store. If you’re interested in trying it out head over to Splashtop to get yourself started.

It’s currently on special offer on the App Store for $24.99 (down from the original $49.99)

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Mary-Jo Foley has posted two leaked Microsoft product roadmap shots that was distributed by Microsoft to some partners in December 2011. The roadmap, which apparently was available at Microsoft’s Partner Network without authentication protection looks at product cycles of several core Microsoft products. The products listed in the first shot are all Office and business related, starting with Office 365 and the Office 15, and going all the way done to Exchange, SharePoint, Lync, Visio and Project.

The second chart highlights the Windows platform, including client and server operating systems, Windows phone and Internet Explorer. Microsoft has not added all cycles to the shots. If you look at Windows Client, you will notice that the Developer Preview for Windows 8 is listed, and that the next event is the end of service for Windows XP. The timeline is missing the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, RTM and final release among other things.

What you can take away from the leak are a number of things. You first will notice that Internet Explorer 10 is marked for general availability in the middle of 2010. We have not heard anything about the planned release date yet, but it would make sense to release the final version of the browser alongside the RTM of Windows 8.

As far as Office 15 and the Office product line goes, a beta is scheduled to start later this year which seems to end shortly before Office 15 will be released publicly. According to the shot, that will happen in the beginning of 2013.

Windows Phone will also see a new release or an update after the general availability of Internet Explorer 10. It looks as if Microsoft will launch this near the end of the third quarter or the beginning of the fourth quarter. While it could be an update to Windows Phone 7, it is more likely that we will see a Windows Phone 8 release at that time of the year.

Keep in mind that these dates are subject to change until they are officially confirmed by Microsoft. (via)

What’s your take on the roadmap?

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I’m sure the vast majority of our readers have downloaded the Windows 8 Consumer Preview and installed it by now, so you all know what the new Metro UI is like. The Metro UI is very well optimised for use on tablets, and I’m sure that there’s plenty of jealous Android tablet users out there who would love to be able to try it out for themselves.

Well now you can! With a little bit of work you will be able to install a Windows 8 Metro theme that’s been specially created for rooted Android tablets by XDA member BroBot175 . If your tablet is running either Ice Cream Sandwich or Honeycomb you’ll be able to install it.

As you can see from the screenshot above, it’s quite similar to the Windows 8 Metro UI, but the color scheme and a few other things have been tweaked slightly. None the less it’s still a pretty cool theme that looks like it is definitely worth trying out.

However it’s important to remember that this isn’t as simple as just downloading an app and away you go. This mod is probably more suited to users who are comfortable with rooting their Android tablet and installing a custom ROM.

So if you’re eager to try out the Metro UI on your Android tablet, check out this link for instructions on how to install the custom ROM

Source:

XDA

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Microsoft in a new blog post on the Windows 8 app developer blog has posted detailed information about the app lifecycle of Windows 8 apps. If you had time to test the Windows 8 Developer Preview or Consumer Preview, you have probably noticed that apps get suspended when you are switching to another app or screen, and not terminated right away.  You have probably noticed that apps do not have visible close buttons, or window controls at all displayed that let Windows 8 users terminate the app directly.

Microsoft’s focus was threefold. The company wanted to keep apps responsive, preserve battery life and provide consistent performance.

Metro style apps are all about full-screen, immersive experiences. As such, the new lifecycle model in Windows 8 focuses on the apps in the foreground, ensuring that the experience the user is actively engaged and gets the full power of the device. In this post, I’ll walk you through the new states of the lifecycle model and what you need to do to make your app great.

Metro style apps are always in one of the four lifecycles:

• not running
• running
• suspended
• terminated

The diagram highlights the the three main lifecycles, and the state changes that move between them. Microsoft notes that apps will likely move between running and suspended states quite often as users switch between apps.

Suspend

In general, Metro style apps stop running when the user switches to another app. Windows suspends your app when it is not in the foreground. When your app is suspended, it is frozen in memory. It can’t run in this state, but Windows can instantly resume it when the user returns to it. In this way, Windows gives the foreground app better use of system resources and ensures apps in the background can’t drain the user’s battery.

Apps are suspended a few seconds after a user has switched to another app or the desktop. This is done to enable quick switching back to the app.

Resume

When your app is resumed, it continues from the state that it was in when Windows suspended it. To be specific: app data and state are kept in memory while the app is suspended, so when it’s resumed, everything is as it was when the app was suspended. You don’t need to restore any saved data explicitly when receiving the resuming event.

Activation

Activation is all about how your app gets launched. It serves many purposes in a Metro style app. For more details on how you can use Metro style app activation to handle contracts, see our earlier post, Activating Windows 8 contracts in your app. Here we focus on how you can use activation to restore previously saved data in the case that Windows terminated your app and then the user relaunched it.

The blog post offers code examples and tips on how to create a great app lifetime experience. Developers find valuable information there that help them write better apps for the Windows 8 operating system. Still, it offers interesting tidbits for tech savvy Windows 8 users as well who want to know more about the inner workings of the operating system. (via)

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There’s a certain concern raised when a book you’re writing suddenly appears on Amazon when you’ve only written a quarter of it  :/  That said, it’s still very exciting and today this is the first look (for me too) of the cover for the first of my new Windows 8 books.  I don’t know about you but I think it looks really cool.

The new “Windows 8 Power Users Guide” is the first commercial edition of my self-published Power Users Guide series, the Windows 7 one is still available for download completely free here.  If you are wanting to, or even just thinking of writing a Windows 8 book because it’s a career you’d like to get into I want this book to speak up for each and every one of you, and indeed this is what the dedication inside the cover will say.

It’s a great time to self-publish a book as many services, including Amazon itself allows you to sell your eBooks and much more through their CreateSpace service.  Writing the book doesn’t need to be difficult either, my original Windows Vista Power Users Guide was just 68 pages and still had great reviews.

So what would your take on a Windows 8 book be and who would you write for?  Your market and knowing the competition is very important.  Perhaps you want to write for complete computer newbies.  Here you’d be competing with the Dummies books and Microsoft Press’ Step-by-Step books which are usually 500 pages, black and white and heavy going.  There’s also my own forthcoming Windows 8: Out of the Box which is none of these things and perhaps you’d want to write something closer to that.

Maybe you want to write an in-depth guide for enthusiasts or IT Pros, much like the new Windows 8 Power Users Guide.  There’s no need to cover the entire OS in-depth.  Just the pieces you feel are appropriate for your book.

So consider this a rallying call.  If I can do this then anybody can, I genuinely mean that.  If you want to write a book on Windows 8, Windows Server 8, Office 15 or any new product it’s never been easier and there’s never been a better time.

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Windows 8 has come with plenty of new graphical changes designed to help improve the users experience. The Metro UI for a start has completely changed the way Windows presents programs to the user. The lockscreen is a big improvement from previous versions. It’s got notifications built into it which make it quick and easy to see what’s going on.

In this guide I’m going to show you how you can customise your Windows 8 machine.

First off to access your personalization settings go to your Charms Bar, then Settings followed by More PC Settings

You’ll now find yourself at the Windows 8 Personalization settings

Lock Screen

The first thing we’re going to look at customising is the Lock Screen.

Here you’ll be able to change the picture used for your Lock Screen. You can choose from the ones already included in Windows 8, or you can browse your computer for a different image if you wish.

The other thing you can personalize is the new notifications that appear on your Lock Screen. All you have to do is click on each of the icons to choose which app you’d like to have displaying notifications on the start screen. It’s simple to add and remove them

Start Screen

The start screen is another section of your PC that you can customise. Here you can adjust the colour scheme by sliding the slider to the colour of your choice.

You can also choose from a variety of designs and patterns available in Windows 8.

Account Picture

It’s quick and easy to change your account picture. Just click on the Account Picture tab and you’ll be able to view your current account picture, browse for a new one or take one there and then with your webcam.

Themes

Of course you are still able to make use of the giant selection of Windows 7 themes that we have here but you can also take advantage of the growing collection of Windows 8 themes as well.

Remember these themes only apply to the desktop part of Windows 8 and have no effect on the Metro UI.

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A newer build version of Windows 8 has found its way out onto the web again, and as usually it has come courtesy of WinUnleaked. This latest Build – 8306 is said to contain references to a Professional edition of Windows 8.

Microsoft don’t tend to release one copy of their operating system, for Windows 7 they have 4 editions – Windows 7 Starter, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Enterprise. The chances are Windows 8 will follow a setup similar to this as well, but Microsoft have not confirmed this as of yet.

This latest build was extracted from servers and once it was successfully installed, testers found references to a Professional Edition of Windows 8. This post-beta build has a Windows 8 “Pro” SKU associated with it as you can see below

The tester also notes that this edition of Windows 8 did not come with the Windows Media Centre installed for some reason.

A much sought after feature, Windows To Go is said to be present in this build. This will allow companies to distribute a bootable copy of Windows 8 to employees on a USB so they can use their system on any machine quickly and easily.

It also looks like the Professional edition of Windows 8 may not be the most feature filled version of Windows 8. If you look at the screenshot below you’ll see that there’s also a new app “Windows Anytime Upgrade” which will presumably allow you to upgrade to a better version of Windows 8.

It will be interesting to see what features Microsoft will choose to include or not include in it’s different versions of Windows 8. I’d also be interested to see if they continue to offer a Start Edition as this was really just used on notebooks and some tablets.

Source:

WinUnleaked

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One of Microsoft focuses in Windows 8 is the operating system’s touch capabilities. A new blog post over at the official Building Windows 8 blog highlights some of the challenges that Microsoft is facing, and solutions the company came up with to overcome hardware limitations.

Microsoft basically divides touch hardware into two groups. First hardware that is built for Windows 8, and then touch hardware that has been available before, and hardware that is not meeting the quality standards of the new operating system.

While Windows 8 will run on today’s hardware just fine, Microsoft notes that the user experience may differ due to hardware limitations. A set of default touch interactions have been created that third party app developers can use in their applications as well.

Windows 8 Touch Interactions

You will notice that all eight touch interactions require no more than two fingers. This ensures compatibility with past and future touch based devices, and a more comfortable user experience. Hardware designed for Windows 8 on the other hand is required to support a minimum of five fingers.

This is why Windows 8 PCs require digitizers that support a minimum of 5 fingers. The reason we went in this direction is a response to developer feedback. Developers do not want their creativity to be limited, and in particular, they let us know that they want to be free to use whichever multi-finger gestures or controls are useful. They do not want requirements for a minimum number of fingers that may not make sense for their application. As such, we focused on a minimum of 5 fingers to enable scenarios like whole hand interactions (all 5 fingers) or multi-finger/multi-hand scenarios. This will address the feedback, and unlocks opportunities for developers to push the envelope with multi-touch applications.

Microsoft is designing the Windows 8 operating system to be more forgiving when it is running on PCs designed for Windows 7. This is done to improve the overall user experience.

• Making gestures like press and hold and pinch to zoom more forgiving – On some touch screens, the information reported from the screen is not consistent. We call this “jitter.”., When “jitter” happens, it’s hard for the system to know if the finger is actually moving or stationary. In some instances, a simple gesture like “press and hold” becomes extremely hard to calculate.
• Determining user intent for sloppy or imprecise touches – Although larger UI elements help improve touch targeting, we don’t have that luxury within the Windows desktop, especially with existing desktop applications. For this, we developed new ways to remap touch targets using the geometry of the finger, such that it becomes easier to invoke any UI that is within the radius of your finger contact.

Video showing some of the inconsistencies

Topics discussed in the video include:

• Individual taps do not always work
• Swipe to select is inconsistent on hardware that does not detect small touch deltas fast enough
• Swipe and slide can be misinterpreted as a tap
• Swipe from edge does not always work, especially with faster swiping

Microsoft did a lot of testing on Windows 7 hardware, and according to the blog post, what they found “was encouraging” but also varying a lot.

What we found was encouraging: the vast majority of Windows 7 touchscreens can be used with Windows 8. This means that touch drivers continue to load, and you can perform the basic touch interactions in Windows 8 with a reasonable degree of success. But, as described in the previous section, we did see significant variability in how touch interactions were interpreted across different Windows 7 touchscreens.

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Microsoft may have a way of competing with Apple and the iPad. It is with a hybrid tablet.  With the introduction of Windows 8, Microsoft and Intel can give customers the best of both worlds in a single device. This is especially true when it used on a laptop-centered hybrid where one can detach the screen (tablet) and then also used as a true tablet that takes full advantage of Metro.

When in Ultrabook laptop mode, users can work with the familiar Windows 7 like user interface, the one they’re accustomed to, and still be able to access hundreds of thousands of Windows apps. But when the screen detaches, it automatically switches to the Metro user interface and the touch experience is now central to the device. In this mode, apps designed for Metro can give users an engaging tablet experience right out of the box.

Windows 8 Tablet

The Apple Hardware

How is this hybrid tablet a way to compete against Apple? Like this. Apple produces two products that stand by themselves. There’s the iPad that stands by itself, and then the MacBook Air, Apple’s Ultrabook that also stands by itself as a separate product, like the iPad. But each has its own operating system. The two are distinct and separate operating systems. The hybrid tablet operates on one OS and this can be an advantage. Microsoft can support and have developers create apps under one umbrella, not two.

Can Apple fight back?

The Microsoft / Intel partnership on the hybrid tablet could be a niche that could create problems for Apple. So can they fight back?

If Apple is known for anything, it is for innovative design. So it could create a hybrid tablet that blends the iPad and the MacBook Air into a single device. And this could make them dominant in this area, and let them continue to be the dominant tablet maker in the industry.

Then on the other hand, a hybrid tablet made by Apple would validate the Intel and Microsoft’s strategy as well. And that could be a marketing phenomenon. At least four hybrids are set to come out by October. This could be the product that highlights the value of an Intel-based x86 system but it may in turn convince Windows users of the need for Ultrabooks and tablets running Windows 8.

Source: Techland

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Windows 8 has been greeted with mixed reviews, some users just aren’t happy with the new Metro Start Menu, but one things for sure, they won’t be complaining about the performance increases. PCWorld have been carrying out some benchmark testing of their own and in all but one test, Windows 8 was quicker.

PCWorld Labs loaded up their test machine with the Windows 8 Consumer Preview and put it through a wide range of tests against Windows 7. Windows 8 beat Windows 7 in every test except for an office productivity test. What’s even more impressive is the fact that Windows 8 is still only at the Consumer Preview stage and in theory should become more refined and quicker when it’s released. We’ll also see drivers coming online that are tweaked and optimised for Windows 8 and Windows 7 which will add more performance.

The test machine used by PCWorld was by no means a slow fella. It packs a 3.3GHz Intel Core i5-2500K processor, 8GB of DDR3 RAM clocked at 1333MHz, a 1TB 7200-rpm hard drive, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 Ti graphics card.

When pitted against Windows 7 in the WorldBench 7 tests, Windows 8 was 14 percent faster than Windows 8. They say a difference of more than 5 percent is noticeable in real world situations

Windows 8 was also much quicker when it came to start up times. This is one of the biggest factors for people as it’s something which drives most of us nuts on a daily basis. In PCWorlds tests, Windows 8 started up 35 percent faster than Windows 7.

The  average startup time for Windows 7 was 56.2 seconds, running Windows 8 this dropped to 36.8 seconds. I’d certainly agree with this as I have noticed a massive difference in my startup times since I’ve installed Windows 8. Also, in this test Windows 8 was at a slight disadvantage. For the test, PCWorld require that Windows boots up and opens a text file. With Windows 8, it boots directly into the Metro Start Menu, so it has to then switch to the desktop mode before it can open the text file. Still it managed to do it quicker than Windows 7.

Why?

Well Windows 8 is quite clever in that it used hybrid boot technology. When you should down your PC, everything in the RAM is actually saved to that hard disk. This is then simply loaded back into the RAM when you restart your computer so all the applications, tabs etc.. you had open are back when your restart your computer.

Windows 8 also outmatched Windows 7 when it came to web performance.  Using the WebVizBench benchmark which measures how well the system renders dynamic Web content, including JavaScript and HTML 5, Windows 8 out performed Windows 7 yet again.

It was the office productivity test where Windows 7 won decisively. This test uses the Productivity section of Futuremark’s PCMark benchmark tool, and includes usual office tasks like editing text, launching applications, and scanning for viruses. This time Windows 8 was roughly 8 percent slower than Windows 7.

However it’s important to note that Futuremark is currently in the process of updating it’s benchmarks suits for Windows 8 so these figures will likely change once that’s done.

Regardless, Windows 8 is certainly outperforming Windows 7, and it’s only in its consumer preview stage. I’d imagine once Microsoft have tweaked it some more and we see software and hardware become optimised for it, the performance gap will increase.

Source:

PCWorld

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The Windows 8 Consumer Preview was released nearly exactly a month ago to the day and was greeted by over 1 million downloads on the first day alone. Windows 8 has received mixed reviews from people but the reality of it is this – The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is very close to what Microsoft’s next operating system will be.

We’ve seen significant improvements in the Consumer Preview of Windows 8 when compared to the Developer Preview which Microsoft showed off at Build late last year. There was over 100,000 code changes in the Consumer Preview as well as a large number of new features. The next milestone for Microsoft now will be the first release candidate (RC 1).

There’s been rumours floating around the web recently which would suggest that the Windows 8 Release Candidate could arrive as early as late May or early June. Now these dates weren’t just picked at random, there’s actually a little bit of maths involved here, as well as random guessing.

If we look at the Developer Preview, it was build number 8102. The Consumer Preview was compiled at build number 8250. This gives us roughly 150 builds in between the two releases (148 to be exact).

So could Microsoft possibly follow this release pattern?

Going on this, the Release Candidate will be compiled at build 8400, 150 builds after the Consumer Preview. The most recent build produced by Microsoft has been build 8307, it took them just under a month to compile 57 more builds of Windows 8.

If we take it as 1 month = 5o builds

February build 8250 (Consumer Preview)

March 8250 + 50 builds = 8300 (Roughly where we are now)

April 8300 + 50 builds = 8350

May 8350 + 50 builds = 8400 (Thought to be the Release Candidate).

This would mean that at the end of May or early June, Microsoft will have reached build number 8400, which rumours are suggesting could be the first Release Candidate.

Of course this maths of mine could be absolute and complete rubbish, but I think it’s a pretty good rough estimate. Microsoft don’t strictly have to follow any build pattern, and they can skip builds as well just as easily.

But hey, maybe just over 2 months from now I’ll be able to say I was right!

What do you guys think?

Let us know in the comments.

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Recently the new iPad has attracted lots of attention because it has the highest pixel density of any screen out there on the market at the moment. The new retina display has been one of the major selling points of Apple’s products over the last few years. However having such high resolution displays does cause problems since most applications have not been designed with screens of this sort in mind.

Users have already noticed that there’s been a dramatic loss in quality of some apps which have not been optimised for these high resolution displays, it’s quite common to get pixelation which just ruins the experience.

However Microsoft have been planning for this with Windows 8 and say that it is “Retina Ready”. In a very long winded technical post over at Building Windows 8, Microsoft have gone to great lengths discussing the research and preparation that they’ve carried out with regards to screen resolution in Windows 8.

They’ve analysed the various different resolutions that they expect Windows 8 to be running on, and have found this “Goldilocks Zone” for three general classes of resolutions.

1. Standard
2. HD
3. Quad-XGA (2560×1440).

Inside this zone, text and UI elements won’t be blown up or shrunk down to crazy sizes caused by the resolution changes.

Microsoft have come up with the following

• In the first case (Standard), buttons and text will be shown with no scaling.
• In the second case (HD), they’ll be 140% normal size (i.e. elements 100 pixels wide will become 140),
• For the third case (Quad-XGA) they’ll be blown up by 180%.

There is an alternative solution which is known as “independent continual resize” and that would render every button and character the same size regardless of the size or resolution of the display. However the way that we currently store and render text means that this advanced solution just isn’t possible at this point in time. Perhaps in the future it will be possible but for now it isn’t practical.

As you can see from the screenshot above, the different resolutions can change the way the user will view an app dramatically, which is why it’s so tricky scaling and re-sizing programs for different displays.

Because of the increasing size of resolutions, it’s starting to make traditional UI features like drop down menus cumbersome and unpractical. They end up being far too small to use accurately with touch. That’s why Microsoft have brought in an array of touch gestures with Windows 8 to try alleviate this problem.

Microsoft talk in great detail about this issue and how they’ve worked hard developing good solutions for Windows 8 over on their blog, so if you’re interested in going into more technical details feel free to check it out.

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This probably doesn’t come as much as a surprise to many of us, we all knew well that Microsoft are looking to release Windows 8 towards the end of 2012. It also makes sense that they’d want to ship it in time for the holidays to get a some extra bang for their buck. Going on Bloomberg’s report, Microsoft are aiming to ship Windows 8 in October of this year.

According to their report, Microsoft are looking to wrap up work on Windows 8 this summer, with an army of Windows Tablets and other hardware devices shipping with the new OS in October. We’re also being told that both Intel and ARM devices will be hitting our shelves at release.

We’re being told that Microsoft are getting ready to hold an even in April for its industry partners. At this event they will outline release schedules as well as their marketing campaign for the new operating system.

This report pretty much confirms everything we had already been expecting, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Microsoft will want to get Windows 8 on the market as soon as possible. It has to if they want to prevent themselves losing much more ground to Apple.

A lot of Windows 8 success will come down to the range of hardware on offer at launch. There needs to be some killer devices launched with it to tempt people away from the iPad, but more importantly their cash.

Now who wants to place a bet on the release date?

I’m going for October 22nd… sound familiar?

Source:

Bloomberg

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Thanks to the new Metro UI, Windows 8 is certainly heavily geared towards tablets and other touchscreen devices. The Metro UI may seem a little daunting at first because of the lack of visible controls and settings, but once you figure out the different swipes and gestures it becomes second nature to you. Suddenly it makes sense to swipe in from the left when you want to switch to a different app or pinch to zoom out.

Now this is all well and good for touchscreen users, but what about those of us who are still using a mouse and keyboard? The vast majority of Windows machines are all using this traditional set up. Many have criticised Microsoft’s implementation of the mouse and keyboard controls for the Metro UI, but I’ve actually got used to them fairly quick.

I do like the immersive full screen experience that you get with the Metro UI, and this can only be achieved by hiding the controls and settings that we’re used to seeing on screen.

So for those of you who are struggling to get to grips with the Metro UI using your mouse and keyboard, here’s how you can access the different menus and options.

Charm Bar

The Charm Bar in Windows 8 is pretty essential, in fact you can’t even shut down your computer without it! So you’ll have to find this at some stage. It’s also where you’ll find most of the important settings for your PC as well as different sharing options.

To access the Charm bar simply move your cursor to the top right of your screen and then down. Alternatively you can use the keyboard shortcut.

Windows + C

Don’t forget to check out our list of Windows 8 Keyboard Shortcuts

Start Button

People have been panicking at the lack of the start button in Windows 8. But don’t worry, it’s actually still there, and chances are you’ll discover it when you instinctively go to move your cursor down to where it used to be. All you have to do is move your mouse to the bottom left of the screen and you’ll find it. Alternatively just press the Windows key on your keyboard.

App Settings

Since the Metro Apps are all full screen, it’s not entirely obvious where you go to find the settings for them. However it’s quite simple. All you have to do is right click within the app and you’ll see the settings bar pop up from either the bottom or top of the screen.

Update: As correctly pointed out by the commentators, there is also more app settings if you go to the charm bar while within the app.

Switching Apps

Since there’s no taskbar in the Metro UI, it’s hard to tell which apps you actually have open at the moment. If you move your mouse to the top left of the screen however you’ll see the most recent app you used (Step 1 in the screenshot) and then if you move your cursor down the screen, you’ll see the other apps that you’ve opened (Step 2).

Clicking on one of these thumbnails will bring you to that app.

Semantic Zoom

Semantic Zoom is a cool little feature which allows you to zoom out and see all the apps on your start menu as normally you have to scroll across. To do this all you have to do is hold Ctrl and Scroll out at the same time.

Closing Apps

In theory, with Windows 8 you don’t actually have to close apps because it automatically pauses the apps in the background when you’re not using them to save on battery life and performance. However sometimes you may still want to close them, possibly to free up a bit of RAM. To do that, simply click and drag the app you want to close to the bottom of the screen.

Internet Explorer Tabs

You’ve probably noticed by now that Microsoft have a special version of Internet Explorer for the Metro UI. I was quite confused at first as to how I switch tabs and the likes, but it turns out it’s actually quite simple. Just right click towards the top of the browser window and you’ll find all the options and tabs.

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There can be no denying that Windows 8 has brought a radical new change to Windows as we know it. The Metro UI is completely new to Windows, it does take some time to get used to. One Ex-Microsoft employee has decided to express his views about the new Metro UI and Windows 8 as a whole. And he doesn’t like it.

The former employee has launched a website called “Fixing Windows 8” (at the time of writing this the website appears to be down) where he outlines various different suggestions that Microsoft could do the improve the user experience. The former employee is Mike Bibik who is a user interface designer.

Like a lot of people, Mike is pretty annoyed by the lack of a start button in Windows 8. His biggest gripe however seems to be with the new Metro UI and how it all seems to be based around touch ,with mouse and keyboard controls thrown in as an after thought.

During the MWC keynote, Microsoft made it very clear that Windows 8 will work fantastically if you are using touch, mouse or keyboard, Unfortunately, that’s not entirely true.

Mikes main concerns are as follows:

• New users won’t have a clue how to navigate through the interface as so many choices are hidden from view. You’ll need to know the various gestures to open up settings, the charms menu and other options. Also the lack of the start button will have users confused as to where they can find a master list of apps on their machine.
• Because of the new Metro apps and how they function, they don’t have window controls like minimize and exit which will confuse users. They may not be aware of the fact that Windows 8 will pause apps and that they do not have to close them
• Because the charms menu is hidden from view until the user goes looking for it, it makes it very difficult to perform basic options like searching within apps or powering off your device unless you know where to look.

I can agree with him on some of these points, but not entirely. I think that novice users, who are used to using a traditional desktop like Windows 7 will have trouble getting to terms with the lack of a start button and the hidden charm and settings controls. But power users and even intermediate Windows users should not have any problems getting to grips with the new controls very quickly.

You can be sure that Microsoft will have a very comprehensive walk through of the new features when users power up a Windows 8 machine for the first time. I can imagine that there will also be an extensive marketing campaign to inform users of how different Windows 8 is compared to previous Windows OS’s.

Mike say’s that he’s not trying to be negative, he just wants to be informative and offer his opinion for alternative solutions. These include

• Combining the desktop task bar with the new Start screen
• Combining Charms and the master apps list into a single menu
• Adding a dedicated Charms bar to the bottom of the screen
• Reinstating a Start button on the desktop

Windows 8 is a big change, there’s no denying that, but there is an increasing number of people starting to be won over by it. I for one was a little sceptical at first, but after using it for a while now with just a mouse and keyboard, I’ve actually become quite used to all the gestures. I think what freaks most people out is the fact that you can’t see any on screen options until you actual perform a gesture by moving to the corners etc.. but it doesn’t take too long until that becomes second nature.

What do you think?

Do you agree with what Chris has to say?

Let us know in the comments

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As the author of Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out from Microsoft Press you might think I’d know absolutely everything about problems and issues with Microsoft’s new OS.  But there an almost infinite number of variations of software and hardware being used with Windows and so the problems that can be encountered will always be many and varied.

No though we have a new version of Windows currently in beta, and being released later this year.  But for all of you currently using the Windows 8 Consumer Preview (which still isn’t finished and will have bugs in it anyway) what are the issues you are facing, what problems have you encountered with the OS and have you even found any esoteric fixes?

If so, then please post any problems, bugs or issues that you encounter that can prevent happy usage of the OS in our Windows 8 Help Forum.

The problems would include…

• Startup problems
• Networking issues
• Peripheral and hardware issues
• Software incompatibilities
• Administration problems
• Security problems
• Stability issues
• Problems unique to Windows 8′s new features

…and also any suggestions you might have for things to go into a next edition of the book, should it even exist 

It would also be very interesting to hear how you feel the first book could be improved and what cool ideas you have for it.  Feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions, problems and hopefully a few fixes too    I was very lucky with the first edition of Troubleshooting that there was no competition in the market.  Next time the situation is bound to be very different and as you’re all brilliant problem hunters here at Everything Internet (formerly Windows7News and Windows8News), I know you’ll have many interesting suggestions.  Thanks all.

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In the previous post on customizing the Windows 8 Start screen, I covered how to group, arrange and name live tiles on the Windows 8 Start screen. In this post, I’ll vcover how to change the color and accents used on the background on the Windows 8 Start screen. From what I have been told, the customization options will be expanded greatly when the final version of Windows 8 ships, so this guide will smply cover the Consumer Preview for now.

In the Developer Preview of Windows 8, we had only one color screen to choose from, the default green. In the Consumer Preview, Microsoft has added a larger, albeit still limited, color pallette to choose from when changing the screen background color. To change the background and theme colors for the Windows 8 Start screen, you’ll need to access the ‘PC Settings’ page.

You can find your systems settings by bring up the charms menu. Roll your mouse over to the top or  bottom corner of the right-hand side of the screen to access the charms menu and click on the ‘Settings’ icon.

Then select the ‘More PC settings’ link.

On the Settings page, click the ’Personalize’ option on the left-hand sidebar and select ‘ Start Screen’.  Use the slider on the color palette to choose which theme you would like to use in Windows 8.

Navigate back to the Start screen by tapping the Windows key on your keyboard or the shortcut in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen.

Part I: Customize the Windows 8 Start Screen: Group, Arrange & Name Tiles

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Just as with previous versions of Windows, Microsoft has given the user the ability to customize the look and arrangement of the different items on the desktop. With the new release of Windows 8 CP, the user interface paradigm has shifted quite a bit from what users are normally used to. Instead of a desktop with icons, we are now greeted with a Start screen with tiles, and just like with icons, we can decided which tiles to show and which to hide; where to place them and whether to group them together. There is quite a bit of choice with the new Start screen in Windows 8 and I hope to cover most of the customization options in a few short posts.

In this first post I’ll cover how to group, arrange and name live tiles on the Windows 8 Start screen.

In Windows 8, you can pin tiles for websites and this will probably be expanded more when the final release ships later this year. Whenever an app is installed or website is pinned, it will appear on the right hand column on your Start screen. To move the tile around, simply click and hold on the tile and move it to where you would like it to stay and then release the mouse button. This also works with touch-enabled devices. To unpin a tile, right-click on the tile and select the “unpin” action from the toolbar at the bottom of the screen.

Note: Some tiles are live tiles, meaning they can animate with pertinant information, like new email or a calendar event. This option can be seen in the tile toolbar menu as well, if available.

Now you have a screen full of tiles, but want to group them into different categories and name them each category. To do this, you will click on the magnifying glass button on the bottom-right corner of the screen or pinch to zoom if you are using touch.

This will give you a zoomed-out view of your Start screen, which allows the user to drag each group into different arrangements just like you would do with a single tile.

To name a specifice group, highlight the group and then right-click on an open area of the screen while in this view and click on the name option on the toolbar at the bottom (This option is handy if you would like to keep pinned websites and apps separately).

Part II: Customize the Windows 8 Start Screen: Background Theme Color

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The Windows key on our keyboards can do many things, at least when paired with another key in a shift-type arrangement.  We’ve long known now that there would be many more keyboard shortcuts in Windows 8 to help users perform tasks that would otherwise be done with gestures and touch, and now the company has blogged about all those keyboard shortcuts.  Microsoft’s Rob Margel released the list on his MSDN blog and there are certainly a lot of them.  In fact it can be argued that there are too many for the typical user to ever remember.

What is more likely however is that some of the more usaful ones, such as Win+C to bring up the Charms menu, Win+X for the admin menu and Win+B to switch to the desktop from within the new Metro Start Screen will be the most used and remembered.

Below is the complete list of keyboard shortcuts for Windows 8.

Windows key – Brings up the Metro start screen. You can start typing to search for an app, just like the Win7 start menu.

· Win + B – Switch to the (classic) Windows desktop and select the tray notification area.

· Win + C – Brings up the Charms menu, where you can search, share, and change settings.

· Win + D – Brings up the old Windows desktop.

· Win + E – Launch Windows Explorer with Computer view displayed.

· Win + F – Brings up the Metro File search screen.

· Win + H – Opens the Metro Share panel.

· Win + I – Opens the Settings panel, where you can change settings for the current app, change volume, wireless networks, shut down, or adjust the brightness.

· Win + J – Switches focus between snapped Metro applications.

· Win + K – Opens the Devices panel (for connecting to a projector or some other device)

· Win + L – Lock PC and return to Lock screen.

· Win + M – Minimize all Windows on the desktop

· Win + O – Locks device orientation.

· Win + P – Choose between available displays.

· Win + Q – Brings up the Metro App Search screen.

· Win + R – Switch to the (classic) Windows desktop and display the Run box.

· Win + U – Switch to the (classic) Windows desktop and launch the Ease of Access Center.

· Win + V – Cycles through toasts.

· Win + W – Brings up the Metro Settings search screen.

· Win + X – Launch Start Menu.

· Win + Y – Temporarily peek at the desktop.

· Win + Z – Opens the App Bar for the current Metro application.

· Win + Page Up / Down – Moves tiles to the left / right.

· Win + Tab – Opens the Metro application switcher menu, switches between applications.

· Win + , (comma) – Aero Peek at the desktop.

· Win + . (period) – Snaps the current Metro application to one side of the screen. (Right side)

· Win + Shift + . (period) – Snaps the current Metro application to the other side of the screen. (Left side)

· Win + Space – Switch input language and keyboard layout.

· Win + Shift + V – Cycles through toasts in reverse order.

· Win + Enter – Launches Narrator

· Win + Arrow Keys – Switch to the (classic) Windows desktop and enable Aero Snap

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When Microsoft released the Windows 8 Consumer preview recently they described it as “feature complete”, which came as no surprise to anyone.  The Windows 7 beta was also feature complete and indeed “feature locked”.  Between the release of the beta in January 2009 and the final product that October absolutely nothing changed.

This won’t be the same for Windows 8 however where several features within the operating system are either unfinished or simply missing completely.  One indication that this might happen was shortly after the Developer Preview was released which was missing Windows Media Centre, a perhaps little used feature that’s crucially important to those people, including myself, who do actually use it.  I for instance have had a Media Centre PC as my main means of receiving and recording live TV in my living room since 2003.

Microsoft had to announce shortly after the DP was released that Media Centre was going to be in the final version of Windows 8, but that it simply wasn’t finished yet.  It is in the Consumer Preview but it’s the earlier Windows 7 version and not a swanky new one.  We know this because it doesn’t have a new Metro interface or the new Windows 8 logo.

Another feature that is missing is Windows To Go.  We can imagine that this feature is actually very difficult to code and, like the Storage Spaces feature might be a bit late.  Storage Spaces has been finished for the Consumer Preview however, primarily I think because it’s loosely based on a similar feature that’s been kicking around Windows Home Server for several years now.  Windows To Go, where you can boot your entire copy of Windows 8 from a USB pen drive on any other computer, is completely absent from the Consumer Preview version however.

Some people have also said that the new Hyper-V virtualisation client in Windows 8 is also missing from the Consumer Preview.  This actually isn’t the case, it is there but it’s just switched off.  If you go into Programs and Features and then select Turn Windows Features on and off you will see it in the list.  Ticking it will activate it though your computer might need to reboot.

What is unclear is if these missing features, and indeed any more that we may not yet know about, will be tricked down through Windows update or separate ISO installation files, or if we won’t get to see them until the RTM (Release to Manufacturing) version of the operating system?

As a Windows author this is personally very frustrating as it’s impossible to write about features that either don’t exist or that there is no information about, let alone the problems associated with getting screen grabs of them.

For everyone else though just these two missing features are ones that have got people very excited, and I’m sure many people hope that Microsoft do release or at least announce something soon.

Windows 8 is very different to the Windows 7 in that is certainly not “feature locked”.  Despite being based on the already very stable Windows 7 code-base it is actually quite unstable at times with certain software elements prone to crashing.  This will no doubt be the fault of the new WinRT run-time engine powering Metro which may also be unfinished.

It will be great to see a final and complete Windows 8 however, especially as an author, and I’m sure the world can’t get access to these features soon enough.  What do you think about the incomplete or missing features in Windows 8?  Why not tell us in the comments below.

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If you have been following this blog or any of the other excellent news site that cover Windows 8, or had your first hours of first-hand experience with the Consumer Preview version of the operating system, you know by now that the Start button is not in the location anymore that it used to be in.

This removal has caused quite the controversy, with many veteran users criticizing Microsoft for the move. The replacement is the new Start page which users can access in a number of ways. This includes pressing the Windows key on the keyboard, or moving down the mouse cursor into the left bottom corner where a click will open the start screen as well.

Microsoft seems to be aware of the confusion the move caused, and addressed the issue in a new blog post on the Windows Experience Blog.

According to Microsoft, the start button is still there but in another location. Before you get to excited about this revelation, you need to know that the company refers to the start button in the Charms menu as the start menu’s new location.

It should be obvious on first glance that this is not an exact replica of the start button of, say Windows 7 for instance. That does not mean that all of the start button’s functionality is gone, as Microsoft points out. Searching for instance happens in exactly the same way as before, only the interface is different. How did you search in Windows 7? Most users clicked on the start button or tapped on the Windows key, and started typing afterwards. In Windows 8, you tap on the Windows key and start typing. The key difference is that Windows 8 switches to the start page automatically, and back if you start a regular app and not a Metro app.

Power users find a few interesting tips in the post that may speed up their experience with the operating system. They can right-click in the lower left corner of the screen to bring up a menu that links to common administrative tasks on the system. This includes direct links to the control panel, device manager and command prompt, as well as search and run options.

The second is a listing of all new keyboard shortcuts for Windows 8. The shortcuts are shown as an image, and available as pdf or xps documents for downloading.

The blog post is a good read for users new to the operating system. What’s your take here? Has everything remained the same functionality wise, or do you feel that something is missing in this regard?

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Windows 8 has been greeted with mixed opinions by many people, some hate the new Metro UI, other’s love it. But there’s also a lot of people who are starting to be won over slowly but surely (Our very own Mike Halsey for one). Dell along with the other OEM’s have certainly recognised the potential that Windows 8 holds, and I feel that it will do particularly well on tablets when consumers mess around with the Metro UI.

Dell also reckon that Windows 8 powered tablets will have the edge over competitors like the iPad because they will support the likes of Microsoft Office as well as the ability to connect to secure corporate networks. All while retaining full Windows functionality that they are all familiar with.

Dell’s CEO Michael Dell was speaking with Bloomberg about how there is growing demand for a tablet that runs Windows to compete with the iPad. He said that they are hard at work developing business friendly tablets that will go on sale the “exact same day” that Windows 8 will hit the market. (Unfortunately he was careful enough not to let a release date slip, then again he probably knows as much as us)

Apple have certainly been making ground into the business sector with the iPad over recent years and this is normally where Microsoft excels. Luckily for them there was no new stand out feature in the latest iPad so it gives Microsoft a chance to finally fight back and get some proper tablets on the market to compete with Apple.

Dell are looking to “lead the market” with Windows 8 powered tablets. It’s certainly going to be a tough battle, and Dell will have to come out with some seriously good devices, but it is possible.

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This is going to be as basic an idea as you’ll find here on this site, but something had occurred to me today regarding the classic desktop in Windows 8. Often you hear people talk about the switch from the Metro Start screen to the classic desktop and how it’s so jarring to be transported between the two. While the switch between the two doesn’t necessarily bother me all too much I wanted to find a way to make the transition less jarring for people who do mind the switch, so I came up with a solution so simple that its almost too ridiculous to mention, but surprisingly, it works quite well.

What makes the transition between metro and classic desktop isn’t so much the windows or the buttons. It’s typically the dramatic change in screen color that makes my own experience so jolting, so I figured I would create a wallpaper using the exact same color scheme as my Start screens color (in this case a dark grey). To achieve this, I simply took a screenshot of my start screen desktop and paste that image into Microsoft Paint. I used the dropper tool to extract the exact color used in my color scheme and simply made a new desktop wallpaper of the same resolution using that color (basic, I know). I applied the new wallpaper to the classic desktop and tada…

What I found was that the transition seems a little more seamless because it just looks like the tiles are now disappearing into the center of the screen and in its place sweeps the taskbar and icons like they are just hovering over the same wallpaper as the Start screen. Maybe I’m crazy, but the trick has made the change from desktop to desktop a bit less grating than before. Give it a try and let me know what you guys think in the comments.

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After installing Windows 8 onto a tablet, laptop or desktop PC for the first time, new users will be greeted with a jarring change to what they are normally used to seeing on a Microsoft OS. For tech people, like ourselves, who follow this stuff all year round, Windows 8 is simply an evolution from the original developer preview we saw last September, but for those who have never seen the new Start screen, this is going to be a major change for them. What I believe people will come to find is that Microsoft differentiates itself in their new metro-style UI and people, I believe, will love it once they get used to its nuances.

But for all of the Start screens great functionality, customization and fluidity, the thing that I believe will separate Windows 8 from iOS on the iPad and every other iOS copycat out there, is the apps. Metro apps are just so much better than whats offered on any other platform, and yes, I am including iOS. Don’t believe me? Try out the USA Today app for Windows 8 or even the MSNBC.com app that changes the background wallpaper depending on which panorama screen you are currently viewing. These apps are beautiful, people, and will only get that much better as Microsoft continues to flesh out the OS and developers continue to learn to take advantage of the SDK and its tools.

As we’ve learned from Apple’s iOS and the Android mobile platforms, the success of these things lies mostly in the availability of quality applications. Every operating system worth anything browses the web, has wallpaper, email access and a settings panel, but where each one stands out is in their app store. Is it a coincidence that while Android on the phone has taken off, Android on the tablet is as stagnate as WebOS? I believe this is because Google has mostly ignored their tablet app selection, choosing in many cases to run blown-up versions of the phone apps on tablets instead.

And it’s not all about the number of apps either, although that does have some weight. Quality apps are what people crave. Users want to know that their favorite service has an app on their platform of choice and that it’s usable and makes sense to them. I think the simplicity of the metro-style and the ease and ability for dev’s to make powerful, full-featured apps will be the game-changer for Microsoft’s new version of Windows, both on tablets and on normal PCs. As we head deeper into 2012, most people will be following how Microsoft molds and shapes their new OS and I’ll certainly be watching too, but the first thing that I do everyday when I boot up Windows 8 on my desktop is check the app store for new apps and I think many other users do too.

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Microsoft have made a very bold move with Windows 8, not only giving us a completely new Metro UI, but also removing the traditional start button that’s become central to every Windows OS to date. Some people love it, others hate it. Personally I sort of like the fact that the new start menu is the Metro Start Screen and I think people will come to like it.

But of course, there’s always going to be people who just don’t like change. So I’ve discovered a way for you guys that will let you get back the start menu button.

Stardock who have a plethora of Windows modification tools have come up with a new one – Start8

Start8 will bring back the famous Windows start menu, albeit a new and improved one. First off, it re-inserts the familiar Windows 7 Orb in the far-left corner. Then it adds in a Metro Style start menu, which retains the brilliant search functionality. Also by right clicking on the Start Orb you’ll also have the option to Shut Down or Run.

•  Adds a “Start” menu to the Windows 8 taskbar
• - Enables quick access and searching of your installed applications
• - Adds Run… option via right-click menu
• - Adds Shutdown… option via right-click menu
• - Choose a custom Start button image

So maybe you guys want this feature, maybe you don’t. Either way follow the download link below if you want to download Start8 and try it out.

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Keyboard shortcuts are always central to any Windows power user and it’s incredible how much more productive and efficient you can become once you’ve got a good handle on them. After using keyboard shortcuts for a while they become second nature to you and you’ll find yourself using them without realising it.

With Windows 8, I think that keyboard shortcuts have become more important than ever because of the new Metro UI. The Metro UI as most of you should know by now is based primarily around touch. And while Microsoft have worked hard to make it friendly for users without desktops, there’s still a bit of a learning curve with it. Microsoft have added plenty of new keyboard shortcuts to Windows 8 to try and make it easier to navigate around the Metro UI.

I’ve got a list of them together for you below:

Now of course there’s a lot more keyboard shortcuts than that, the other ones are actually the same as Windows 7. You can have a look at our master list of Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts here

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After going through the reviews in the Windows Store for the music and videos apps for Windows 8, I noticed that many users were complaining that it was either too difficult or not possible to pull their music and video files into the separate media apps. It is, however, very possible and even simple to bring your current media files over to Windows 8 without a ton of copying and file manipulation. Simply use the Windows 8 Libraries.

As a bit of a background, Libraries were introduced in Windows 7 as a way to aggregate similar media from different drives and locations into one place, making it easier to access all of your content without having to navigate from folder to folder on different hard drives. We simply tell the library folder where to look for the media type and viola, it appears. Windows 8 works the same way and by default, the pictures, video and music apps are set to look to your libraries for their content, making it a simple and quick task.

My Windows 8 Consumer Preview installation is installed on a separate disk from my main Windows 7 install. This means that all of my media is stored in my user profile on the Windows 7 hard disk (drive F:). I wouldn’t want or need to copy all of my music, pictures and video over to the local Windows 8 disk (drive C:), so I will simply pull up the Windows 8 classic desktop and navigate to my Windows Explorer icon.

The next step is to find where my media is stored on the current drive. This step will vary depending on where you have your media currently being stored. Mine is in my profile on the F: drive.

To add the folder containing your media to the Windows 8 library, simply right-click on the folder and select Add to Library and select the destination library for your media type.

You can check to make sure the media is now being targeted by the different media apps in the Metro desktop by navigating to the app and checking to see if your collection has been updated.

If you were successful, then you should begin to see your videos, music and pictures populate within each Metro app.

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At this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Microsoft gave us more of a glimpse of its next version of Windows and a consumer preview is already available for people to download and try out.

Like the most recent version of Mac OS X, Windows 8 adopts many principles that originated in the world of smartphones, including a dedicated “app store” called Windows Store. This concept has worked well on smartphones and many hope it will serve to make desktop computing easier and more user friendly for the vast majority of people who have traditionally found computers daunting and difficult to understand.

The Windows Store has an appearance that is very reminiscent of Windows Phone with its Live Tiles, and tiles for each app will display information and update themselves when necessary. These “metro apps” will also be allowed to communicate with one another providing a more cohesive user experience where everything is shared between services and devices.

Like Apple, Microsoft is going down the route of trying to develop an operating system that will be consistent across home computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones, not just through the use of cloud computing, but also by providing a similar look and design and a cross-compatibility that is currently not on offer.

But what does Windows 8 tell us about the future direction of Windows Phone? After a minor update to Tango this year, Windows Phone will become Windows Phone 8 Apollo towards the end of 2012.

One of the biggest changes to Windows 8 is the additional support for ARM processors. These are the processors used on the vast majority of modern smartphones and this development means it will now be possible for a lot of crossover between device platforms. Developers will be able to reuse content from a desktop metro app for use on Windows Phone, and vice versa.

Some of the changes to Windows Phone regarding hardware support will rectify what have until now been the biggest drawbacks for phones running Windows Phone. Windows Phone 7 only allows the support of single core processors and does not support microSD memory expansion. Windows Phone 8 will add support for multicore processors, support for microSD and also allow manufacturers to use one of four different screen resolutions.

Windows Phone 8 will also add support for near field communication (NFC). This will be implemented with a tap-to-share system, much like Android Beam on Android Ice Cream Sandwich, which will allow users to easily share things between smartphones, computers and tablets just by tapping them together. NFC support will also allow mobile payment apps to become available for Windows Phone users.

With cloud support through SkyDrive, you will be able to instantly access music content from your Windows 8 PC when purchasing a new Windows Phone without the need to sync the two devices.

Following the design of the new Metro App system from Windows 8, apps on Windows Phone 8 will be able to communicate with each other by using “contracts”. Microsoft expect there to be about 100,000 apps in Windows Marketplace by the time of Windows Phone 8′s launch later in the year, and the addition of native code support means that developers will more easily be able to port apps they have designed for Android or the iPhone.

Windows Phone was first launched towards the end of 2010 but so far has never managed to obtain more than a 5% share of the smartphone market. It has only featured on a relatively small number of handsets from HTC, Samsung and Nokia, and it has not really had to time to fully find its feet.

By comparison, it is only now around four years after its first appearance that Google’s Android is starting to feel like a polished and well-oiled operating system. Windows Phone 8 is likely to be Microsoft’s Ice Cream Sandwich – it will successfully iron out all of the limitations that have until now held the OS back. The support for multicore processors, expandable memory, larger screen resolutions as well as a host of other features will allow Windows Phone to really compete against Google and Apple of an even level.

As more people switch over to Windows 8 on their home computers they will feel more comfortable using a Windows Phone due to shared UI and services that will be on offer with Windows Phone 8. As it is not due to appear until the end of this year it will most likely be 2013 when Windows Phone really starts to make its mark in the popular imagination.

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In my main review of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview I decided to split it into four parts, each one focused on a different type of Windows user to see how suitable this new operating system would be for them.  Split across Windows8News and our sister site gHacks I’ve so far written about Consumers and IT Pros and soon I’ll write on gHacks about Businesses.  Here though I want to concentrate on Enthusiasts.

So far it’s been a resounding win for Consumers but it’s too close to call for IT Pros.  You might think then that it will also be a win for Enthusiasts but first let’s have a look at what an “Enthusiast” is.  These people won’t commonly use their computer for work but they will have a powerful machine that they will perhaps have built themselves.  They’re usually early-adopters of new technology with a disposable income that affords them the luxury to stay at or near the cutting edge.  These people will commonly want a high-end graphics card and an SSD in a new computer and will probably do a fair amount of gaming on the machine.

With building their own computer will come a fair amount of technical knowledge.  These people will know how Windows works under the bonnet much more than an average IT Pro, who will concentrate more on getting work done.  To this end they’ll be familiar, at least in part, with the Windows Administrative Tools and they’ll not be averse to using patches and mods to change an operating system to suit their needs.

So with Metro and the new Start Screen will these people suddenly face a barrier that they won’t like?  Microsoft have made some efforts to make the Administrative Tools easy to access.  All you now need to do is mouse to the bottom left of your screen, where you would have previously found the Windows button and right-click.  It’s not an obvious method of getting to the tools however and many enthusiasts might find themselves becoming frustrated with how difficult some of these features are to find normally.

As I mentioned though these people will not be averse to installing mods and patches, they probably already have an account with Stardock for their software.  It won’t be too long then before they install something that makes Windows 8 work the way they want it to.  After this time they’ll be perfectly happy and will either stick with just the desktop or the new Start Screen.  Let’s not forget too the integration with the Kinect, Xbox and Xbox Live.  These just add additional value to a product for both hard core and casual gamers.

When it comes to multi-touch these people will almost certainly want to use it for design and play.  When they can afford it they’ll buy themselves a touch-screen, never wanting to be left out of the next big thing, and use multi-touch extensively for viewing photos and more.

On that Start Screen how might they react to it?  I believe that for enthusiasts the Start Screen is a great idea.  All of their games and software will be available to them all of the time, easily customisable into groups.  They’ll probably also use live tiles for apps much like widgets are used on the Windows 7 desktop or in OS X on the Mac.  These people don’t want to fuss around dipping into lots of different pieces of software to find information when there are zombies to kill!

With the same software compatibility that Windows 7 has I believe that Windows 8 will be a win for enthusiasts.  They’ll grow to love the Start Screen and they’ll find that in some ways the OS is actually slightly easier to administer than Windows 7 before it.  So the call is right, for enthusiasts Windows 8 can only be a winner.

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Windows 8 has been criticised by some IT Pros and businesses for, seemingly, forgetting all about them.  Now though it is beginning to emerge that Microsoft hasn’t forgotten about them after all.  On the face of things access to the full Control Panel, Administrative tools and Computer Management Console are difficult.  It’s not easy to access the Run panel or start the Command Prompt with Administrator rights.

If you mouse to the bottom left of your screen though and right-click (yup, this is a mouse only action) you get a menu giving you quick and easy access to all of the administrator tools and more.  Here you will find Programs and Features for uninstalling software, Network Connections, Power Options, the Event Viewer, System, Device manager, Disk Management, Computer Management, the Command Prompt (also with Administrator rights), the Task manager, Control Panel, Windows Explorer in case you accidentally unpin it from the Taskbar), Search and Run.

This will be welcomed by a great many people as, to be honest, it makes accessing some of these tools even easier than in Windows 7.  Previously you could right-click on Computer in the Start Menu to bring up the Computer Management Console or simply access the full Control Panel from there.  Some more advanced features however were slightly more complex to access.

The removal of the Start Menu from Windows 8 meant that on the face of things some features and software would be harder to access.  It is good to see that Microsoft have addressed this problem in a sensible and common-sense way.  This bottom-left screen right-click works in both the new Start Screen and the desktop.

It is interesting to note that in the Group Policy settings for the Consumer Preview the references to both the Start Menu and the Classic Start Menu still exist.  This bodes well for people looking for third-party hacks to turn them back on.  No doubt many more useful information will be found in Group Policy and the Windows Registry in the coming weeks.

Additionally the screen grab feature has at long last been improved with WinKey+PrntScrn now automatically saving a screen grab for you in your Pictures folder.  There’s no longer any grabbing and saving of an individual window using this feature meaning that it’s still no alternative to third-party tools, but for casual use this will be welcomed by many.

One of the most useful, and most hidden, tools in Windows 7 has also survived in Windows 8.  The Problem Steps Recorder, that can only be accessed by searching for PSR, takes screenshots of your desktop when something changes, automatically highlighting the change and annotating the image(s) with technical details of what is going on at the time.  This is an incredibly useful diagnostic tool for Windows and was originally only intended as a temporary tool for the Windows 7 beta, thus explaining why it never made it into the Start Menu.  Testers and IT Pros liked the feature so much though that Microsoft agreed to keep it in the final product.  It is very nice to see it is in Windows 8 as well.

Here at Windows8News we’ll continue to keep you up to date on everything that’s found in Windows 8.  Why not tell us what you think of this features in the comments below?

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I remember a remark by Steve Balmer shortly after Windows 2000 Professional came out. He said something to the effect that It was too bad that this product was going to replace the successful Windows NT product. In other words, you don’t kill a successful product. But that is what Microsoft did in 2000.  But recently, someone else said something like that, Samsung executive Hankii Yoon said at Mobile World Congress, “The best thing to survive in the market is to kill your products.” What this can mean for Microsoft, is that the successful introduction of a product can keep the company healthy in the long run.

Apparently, that is what must be done because computer products get old very quickly, and if you don’t replace them, then the market will leave you by the side of the road. So this brings up the case where Windows 8 may actually be in the right position to compete with the iPad. Here are some items that can make the case for the Windows 8 tablets arena.

Legacy compatibility

The ability to run older Windows applications (for x86 tablets, not ARM) is huge. A lot of users of the Windows tablet are comfortable with it because it runs older applications, like Microsoft Office.

Enterprise Engagement

Microsoft is making an effort to have one operating system for mobile phones, tablets, and PC’s. That’s a relief because compared to Android that has multiple variants, the Microsoft way can establish a unified system for corporate/personal users.

True keyboard/mouse compatibility

Another thing that stands out is that other tablets from Apple or Google, don’t do well with mouse or keyboard connectivity. The iPad doesn’t handle the mouse, and Android can but to a limited extent. However, Microsoft tablets can do the job well. Now with the newer OS and an engaging user interface, that can change users views.

Apps

Microsoft still has a ways to go to catch up to Apple or Google in this area, but in 2012, they could have their own app library that could compete with the others.

Windows 8, could be a salvation for Microsoft in both the mobile phone and the tablet market. At least it could offer Microsoft a better and alternative way to deal with those other competitors.

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You won’t be surprised to learn that Microsoft is claiming its latest output, Windows 8, will aim for greater simplicity. Every Microsoft launch apparently aims for greater simplicity – though sometimes it’s not wholly apparent where the basic differences lie between the newest version and the one that came before it.

This time around, though, there are clear reasons for the upgrade. The landscape of technology has changed immeasurably in the last few years, turning even non techie people into pretty savvy users of multiple applications – which has spawned a whole generation of intuitive interface designs, popularise by devices like the iPod and iPhone and slipped into mainstream product design as a way of keeping up with competition.

So what is the new Windows going to look like? Its basic remit is to provide simplicity and ease of use, making non techie users feel empowered without taking away the more in depth functionality that so called “power users” get to play with. In other words: the Windows 8 interface is to look simple, appealing and easy to navigate, while extra functions are easily accessed by users who want to retain their tech control at a higher level.

There are no longer any extra tabs or confusing prompts tied in with the Windows 8 interface. Instead, the user looks at a list of applications on the task manager, clicks End Task if he or she wants the program to finish running, and off it goes. No more of that annoying Windows habit – the “are you sure you want to stop doing this?” pop up, which has probably caused more howls of frustration in offices up and down the country than any other piece of computer script!

Microsoft has been studying user habits on the task manager throughout its launch of Windows 7. The data it retrieved suggested that a massive percentage (85 per cent to be exact!) of users only ever use the applications and processes tabs. This is thought to be because most people use task manager simply to knock out a recalcitrant program that has stopped responding and won’t go away – a sort of manual override preferable to holding down the power button and forcing a shutdown.

Unsurprisingly, the momentum for the new interface design – a simple list of running applications, with a note appended where an application has stopped responding – has been hijacked from the Apple OS X, which offers a very similar look and feel for users who want to shut a process or a program down. The user who wants more information can still find it – he or she simply has to press the “more details” button when a process is highlighted to get deeper information about what is going on.

The detail view is pretty snazzy too. Intuitively set up to group operations into categories, the more details tab also has a heat map that shows you how much of your CPU is being battered by any one task – the darker the colour of the task, the more resource it is using.

Process names have also been included for the first time, so you can easily decipher what every process is doing. Rather than strings of letters and numbers for deeply hidden processes like drivers, Windows 8 will list a lay person’s term instead of its real name. So splwow64.exe will be revealed to you for the first time ever in its true guise – as the printer driver host for applications in question!

All in all, the new task manager looks nicer than the old one. It’s less daunting at first, with its simplified single panel and straightforward list of running processes. And even the detail view looks much more understandable than the old tabs did. With cascading layers of functionality, starting on the simplified “front page” with just an end task button, and finishing with the detail view’s nested categories and ability to research information on the web for any problematic application, Microsoft has managed to keep its old user-empowerment selling point, while at the same time leaning a bit more towards the block simplicity of a Mac product.

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Still wondering if Microsoft will cut down on the number of Windows 8 editions that the company will make available when the full version gets released later this year? Worry no more, we have all the information that you need.

If you search the Registry of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview version, you will find a listing of all the different versions that Microsoft intends to release. But first, let me explain how you can access the information in your version of Windows 8.

Open the Windows Registry Editor first. If you are on the desktop, use Windows-R to bring up the run box, enter regedit in there and tap on the return key. Select yes if an UAC prompt comes up. If you are in the Metro interface, type regedit, hit enter and select Yes in the UAC prompt.

Now navigate to the following Registry key:  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionComponent Based ServicingPackageIndexProduct

The Registry key lists the following Windows 8 editions:

• Microsoft Windows Enterprise Edition
• Microsoft Windows Enterprise Eval Edition
• Microsoft Windows Home Basic Edition
• Microsoft Windows Home Premium Edition
• Microsoft Windows Prerelease ARM Edition
• Microsoft Windows Prerelease Edition
• Microsoft Windows Professional Plus Edition
• Microsoft Windows Starter Edition
• Microsoft Windows Ultimate Edition

The majority of editions are identical to Windows 7. Only the ARM edition appears to be new. The Eval and Prerelease editions appear to be for testing purposes only. (via Caschy’s Blog)

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I was considering what was the best way to write a review of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview and thought it might be best to split it into four different articles, with each one being aimed at a different type of Windows 8 user.  So across Windows8News and our sister site gHacks I’ll write in the next couple of days about Windows 8 for Consumers and Enthusiasts (at Windows8News) and for IT Pros and Business (on gHacks).

It is appropriate to write reviews now too and pass judgement as Microsoft have declared Windows 8 feature locked, something that was also done with the Windows 7 beta and that hasn’t come as a surprise to anyone.  In this first part of the review I want to look at how consumers might use Windows 8 and what there is in it for them.

In a way consumers have always had the hardest time with Windows.  The operating system was originally designed for business and enterprise users after all.  They’ve had to get used to drop down menus, business productivity suites at home (many of which offer much more power, functionality and as a result, buttons and options, than the home user would ever want or need) and an interface focused primarily on getting work done.  At no point since the creation of Windows by Microsoft have consumers had an easy time of things.

Now that is all set to change with what can be argued is an entirely consumer-focused operating system.  It’s still not going to be a completely easy ride for consumers though because with a new UI comes a new learning curve.  Some people might be resistant to this such as the elderly who have had trouble learning how to use a computer for the first time might not want to have to start learning it all over again.

This problem will reduce over time and more and more consumers move to touch screen devices, let’s face it there’s not that much consumers want to do with computers that requires a full-time hardware keyboard anyway.  For the moment though, and on existing computers, some of the mouse and keyboard controls are fiddly.

As a result we can expect a plethora of help and how-to guides and books to appear in bookshops and on magazine stands when Windows 8 goes on sale, including my own “Windows 8: Out of the Box” from O’Reilly, which will of course be excellent and much better than the competition 

Looking at the consumer computing market however it’s very clear that any interface learning curve will not be something that anybody will worry about.  Just look at how people have taken to smartphones, Android tablets, iPads and Windows Phones without quibble and are using them happily.  So people using Windows 8 for leisure will have everything going for them.

One of, if not by far the best feature for consumers will be the ability to take your Internet favourites and Windows 8 preferences with you wherever you go.  Simply by logging into a Windows 8 computer with your Live ID the system will automatically download these for you, so it will be like working on your own computer.  The privacy implications of this feature have yet to be determined and it is something that I will be looking into.  What happens to your Internet favourites etc on a computer you will no longer use and that’s owned by somebody else?  Will they have access to them etc..?  For now though we can assume that Windows 8 is safe and secure for consumers.

The inclusion of anti-virus, however difficult Microsoft seem to have made it to find, is also something that will give people extra peace of mind.  In fact the whole experience of using Windows 8 is that only the things you actually want to do are in the foreground, with everything else pushed backwards, out of sight.  As an experience in how to create a truly consumer-focused operating system Windows 8 seems right on track.

One of the areas where Windows 8 will truly lead the tablet revolution is the includion of sensible multi-user profiles.  This is something Windows users have always enjoyed but none of the other tablet operating systems currently support it.  I say currently because we can probably expect Android to bring this feature in with a future edition of the OS.

So for the first part of this review, we can call Windows 8 a win and a resounding one at that.

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Downloads can be a rough indicator of the popularity of a particular product. If a company can report a lot of downloads, or even better, more downloads than for a previous version of the product, then it is generally assumed that the product is in higher demand than the last. We unfortunately do not have download information about Microsoft’s previous product, Windows 7 Beta.

The Redmond company yesterday posted a message on Twitter stating that the Windows 8 Consumer Preview has been downloaded more than one million times since its release less than a day ago.

It is a big milestone and Microsoft seems proud enough about it to post a public message on Twitter to announce it.

If you look back to the days of the first Windows 7 Beta, you may remember that servers were  hammered with requests back then and that Microsoft had to extend the beta download period so that everyone could download it. Initially designed for 2.5 million users, the limit was removed as well.

The situation may not be comparable though for a number of reasons. Microsoft may have invested heavily in their server infrastructure in last years, especially with their move to the cloud. Servers may have additional capacities which may be the reason why there were not reports of slow downloads or hammered servers.

Everyone was waiting for Windows 7 back then, as Vista had a bad image, and XP was still good but quiet old at that time. With Windows 7 being such a success, many users might not feel the need to switch just yet to another operating system.

Still, one million downloads is a solid number for an operating system that is not as well received as Windows 7 was back in 2009.

Have you downloaded Windows 8 yet? Or are you waiting for the release candidate or final build, or skipping this version of Windows?

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