Items tagged with Windows 8
Are you still using Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1? Windows 10 was released over four years ago, but you can still get with the times and get Microsoft's latest OS it without paying a dime. A loophole continues to allow users to upgrade to Windows 10 for free nearly three years after their initial free upgrade offer. Windows 10 was first released in July 2015. Many people were reluctant to upgrade due to privacy concerns and interface preferences. Microsoft decided to sweeten the deal by allowing users to upgrade to Windows 10 for free during its first year of availability. The free upgrade should have technically expired in 2016, but users are still able to take advantage of it. Why is that the...
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Microsoft is pushing to get as many of its customers as possible to transition over to Windows 10, but that doesn't mean that the company is leaving consumers and business on legacy operating systems completely behind. Last week, the company made the surprise announcement that it was making the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser available in preview builds via the Canary channel to Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 users. Microsoft yesterday announced that the Edge preview is now available for Windows 7 and Windows 8.x on the less frequently updated Dev channel. Microsoft typically reserves its best and brightest software releases for Windows 10. And by giving these...
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Just before the end of 2017, NVIDIA dropped a bit of a bombshell: it'd be soon dropping support for 32-bit OSes with its GeForce GPU drivers. Admittedly, such a move was inevitable, as x64 OSes have been available to mainstream audiences for at least 13 years, with Windows XP Professional x64 Edition having released on April 25, 2005. The end is now nigh, and NVIDIA has laid out all of the details on its support website. First and foremost, NVIDIA plans to drop all 32-bit GPU driver support on the GeForce side effective this month. Security releases will continue to be issued until January 2019. What this means for those stuck on 32-bit OSes is that they will lose access to Game Ready updates,...
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When we look back at Windows operating systems over the past decade or so, it's commonly understood that Windows Vista was loathed, Windows 7 was seen as a return to Windows 2000's glory days (and is still popular to this day), while Window 8.x was greeted with a collective "meh". Windows 8 was first released in late October 2012, and was followed by Windows 8.1 (essentially a service pack) in October 2013. If you have made the transition from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 and have stuck with the operating system instead of upgrading to Windows 10, the time has come to reevaluate your decision. Mainstream Support for Windows 8.1 ended yesterday, January 9th 2018. With Mainstream Support, customers...
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Many long time Windows users have not been pleased with Microsoft’s decision to block updates to Windows 7 and 8.1 for systems running current and future generations of processors. Intel’s Kaby Lake and AMD’s Ryzen chips are among the first blacklisted casualties of this policy.Microsoft deemed this necessary to improve the deployment cycle of Windows and ease the workload on hardware partners validating their products across multiple generations of Windows. Whether you buy that reasoning or not isn’t for us to decide. The fact of the matter is, Microsoft wants every one of its customers locked into Windows 10.At any rate, some users have decided to take matters into their own hands. Namely,...
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You knew this day was coming; Microsoft has been warning about the impending doom for some of its legacy software for quite some time. But now that we’ve reached January 12th, 2016, it’s time to say goodbye to Internet Explorer 8, 9 and 10 in addition to the Windows 8 operating system. Actually, let us clarify that statement; you can still use the above mentioned software, but it would be foolish to do so. After today, Microsoft will no longer provide technical assistance or security updates for legacy versions of Internet Explorer and Windows 8. So when users of Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 are given a speedy fix for a newly discovered security vulnerability, Windows 8 users will be sitting on...
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In case you didn’t already know, there’s a clear distinction between Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 when it comes to product support from Microsoft. Windows 8 was released to consumers on October 26th, 2012, while Windows 8.1’s wide release took place on October 17th, 2013. But since Microsoft see Windows 8.1 as a service pack for Windows 8, those inexplicably still running the latter will be in for a rude awakening next week. That’s because on January 12th, Microsoft will no longer push out security updates for Windows 8, leaving those customers out in the cold. In Microsoft’s eyes, Windows 8.1 is a free and logical service pack for Windows 8, and mainstream support for that operating system will...
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Windows 10 is finally here. The new OS has been spit-shined and primed for an official release. As advertised, Windows 8/8.1 users can upgrade to the new operating system, provided that current Win8 installs have been properly activated. Make sure you check our comprehensive Migration Guide for details on upgrades and clean installs. MSFT's new operating system ushers in a host of new features and functions for media lovers and productivity. Part of the kit and caboodle is a brand new browser, embedded Microsoft Office, Cortana search assistant inclusion and most importantly for us gamers--the introduction of the anxiously-awaited DirectX 12. Not many (like almost none) of today’s applications...
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Move over, Intel Compute Stick; there’s a new sheriff in town in the miniature PC realm. Lenovo today pulled the wraps off its ideacentre Stick 300 which manages to cram an Intel Atom processor into a stick that measure just 3.94-inches x 1.5-inches x 0.59-inches. The minuscule ideacentre Stick 300 is powered by an Intel Atom Z3735F “Bay Trail” processor — which has a base frequency of 1.33GHz and can burst to 1.83GHz — and comes configured with 2GB of RAM. You’ll find 32GB of internal storage along while standard connectivity features include 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, a micro USB 2.0 port, an microSD reader, and one HDMI port (for plugging the device into an external display). Attach the...
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Although we have to wait until October 27 when Halo 5 officially launches for the Xbox One, another Halo: Spartan Strike is now available for iOS, Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, and Steam for the relatively low price of $5.99. And you don’t have to worry about dealing with ridiculous microtransactions as seen with the Halo: Spartan Assault. All in-game purchases are taken care of with currency that you earn as you progress through the game. Spartan Strike is a top-down gaming affair and you control your on-screen action using dual control sticks. Compared to Spartan Assault, Microsoft says that Spartan Strike brings with it new and improved controls and a spruced up graphics engine. You play as...
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Microsoft ended support for Windows XP a year ago, but that hasn't stopped nearly two out of every 10 Windows users from clinging to the legacy operating system, according to data collected by Net Applications. What's even more interesting about Windows XP's 16.94 percent of the desktop PC market is that it once again has eclipsed the number of Windows 8 and 8.1 users combined.Here's the deal -- based on Net Application's numbers, Windows 8.1 ended March with a 10.55 percent share of the desktop PC market while Windows 8 crossed over in April with a 3.52 percent share. Between the to, that works out to a 14.07 percent share of the market, which is 2.87 percent less than Windows XP, a 14-year-old...
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It has been a few weeks since Microsoft released its Technical Preview of Windows 10 -- which means we've had enough time to walk around the vehicle, kick the tires, and investigate the product in its current form. After the drubbing that Windows 8 took in the tech press and from angry users, Microsoft badly needs this new operating system to be a success, but simply cramming the Start menu back into the OS isn't going to cut it. Windows 10 Hands-On: Beyond The Start Menu, What You Need To Know Don't mistake us here. It's still important to evaluate Windows 10 as a work-in-progress but we're going to be more critical of the little things this time around. The good news is, there are significantly...
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At the risk of getting people's hopes up, the web is quickly filling with reports that Microsoft is planning to offer Windows 9 (codenamed Threshold) as a free upgrade for Windows 8 users. The original source of the rumor comes from an Indonesian-language website quoting Andreas Diantor, President of Microsoft Indonesia, as saying that Windows 8 device owners will receive the new operating system as a free update. Sounds good, doesn't it? Whether or not it's true remains to be seen -- several sites have used the word "confirmed" when referencing the foreign report, and while we're keeping out fingers crossed, we think it's better to remain cautiously optimistic than to consider this a done deal....
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It appears that there is still some life left in Window’s 8. Microsoft’s current operating system has been a disappointment for the company since its release. While the OS has seen its percentage of user shares increase it has been unable to outpace Windows Vista during the same time period six years ago. According to web analytics firm Net Applications, the combined user share for Windows 8 and 8.1 is at 13.4 percent of the worlds combined number of desktops and notebooks for the month of August. That is up nine-tenths of a percentage point from July and is the first time since May for it to increase. The increase is also the largest since April which was followed by two months of...
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Of all the things that Windows 8 brought to the table, it's the much-maligned Start Screen that seems to get most of the attention. That's unfortunate, because there were many other aspects of the OS that made it a major release. Take for example the fact that it was the first version of Windows to include an app store. That feature might seem minor to OS X and Linux users who've had access to their own app stores for a while, but for Windows, the addition was significant. However, as significant as the addition may be, the app store in Windows 8 is easily one of the worst around - if not the worst among the mainstream options. It falls completely flat on its face when compared to Apple's App...
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When we reported on the potential incentives Microsoft could be bringing with Windows 9 earlier this month, we talked about Windows 8.1's "Update 2" being a little thinner than was originally planned. As Microsoft has finally rolled that update out this week, we can see that's just the case. To some, the update might not even be worth pursuing, though we'd still recommend opting in for it to keep as up-to-date as possible. The interesting thing about Update 2 is that at the moment, it's an "optional" update. This alone might cause many to go a while without it, and proves that it's really not a "major" update as its name might imply. Nonetheless, to snag the update, you'll want to hit-up the...
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For months, it's been rumored that Microsoft would unveil a new version of Windows 8.1 with specific Bing branding and a lower price tag. Now the company has formally unveiled the SKU, which will carry a "reduced cost" to manufacturers of PCs that cost less than $250. Microsoft also makes Windows free to devices with a screen smaller than nine inches, What this means is that devices that sell for less than $250 and have screens smaller than nine inches will get W8.1 + Bing for free. Other devices will be able to buy W8.1 at a reduced price, but the scope of the discount isn't known. The impact on the end user of the "with Bing" SKU is minimal. A system that ships with this version of Windows...
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China's Central Government Procurement Center has reportedly issued a ban on installing Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system on government computers. The ban is supposedly in place to ensure computer security after Microsoft decided to end support for Windows XP last April, a legacy OS that was released to the public nearly 13 years ago. Citing a report from the Xinhua news agency, Reuters says the ban was included on part of a notice on the use of energy-saving products posted to its website last week, but that the notice didn't say how the ban would have any positive effect on energy savings, or how it might improve security. This doesn't appear to be a move in retaliation to the U.S. Department...
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Lenovo's Australian portal had an oopsy-daisy moment over the weekend when it inadvertently posted a full listing for its as-yet unannounced ThinkPad 10 tablet. The listing has since been pulled offline, though with the cat out of the bag, Lenovo is at least willing to concede that the ThinkPad 10 is "coming soon," as it states on its ThinkPad page. The ThinkPad 10 is bigger version of the ThinkPad 8 that we recently reviewed. Assuming the leaked specs were accurate, it will sport a 10.1-inch In-Plane Switching (IPS) display with a 1920x1200 resolution powered by an Intel Bay Trail Z3795 quad-core processor and 2GB or 4GB or RAM. It will also have 64GB or 128GB of internal storage, microSD card...
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As we discussed yesterday, Microsoft's latest Windows 8 patch is well-worth downloading; it brings some long overdue enhancements that will make using the OS all the more enjoyable. However, as worthwhile as the update is, it appears as though Microsoft was a bit slack in testing it on the server side. In effect, installing 8.1 Update could break WSUS' (Windows Service Update Service) ability to scan for future updates - a major headache waiting to happen for IT folk. Microsoft states that this issue applies to those who use HTTPS and SSL, and do not have TLS 1.2 enabled. The bug affects both WSUS 3.0 SP2 and 3.2. If you're dealing with a server that's affected by this bug, Microsoft has a not-so-ideal...
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As of today, Windows XP is retired. So, it seems fitting that Microsoft chose the same day to roll-out a huge update to its current flagship OS, Windows 8. Simply called "Windows 8.1 Update", this ~800MB patch aims to vastly improve usability for keyboard+mouse users, as well as enhance other parts of the OS to make the entire experience that much more enjoyable. With 8.1, Microsoft hoped to lure some Windows 8 opposers in, and with 8.1 Update, it's hoping to eke more success out of that. Given the KB+M enhancements, it might just do that. For starters, proper context menus now appear when a tile inside the Start screen is right-clicked; this is far more sensible than requiring the user to move...
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Up until now, the only place you've been able to score an ASUS VivoTab Note 8 tablet is from the Microsoft Store, and that's provided it would be in stock (it is at the time of this writing). From here on out, availability should be a little easier to come by, as ASUS just let us know that its Windows 8.1 tablet is going up for pre-order today. Part of what makes the VivoTab Note 8 an intriguing device is its price tag. Pricing starts at $329 for the 32GB model, which includes not only the tablet itself, but also a Wacom digitizer stylus and Microsoft Office Home and Student (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote). Not bad, especially considering this tablet rocks a full version of Windows...
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