Items tagged with Windows 8
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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Today we’re going to take a look at the latest version of the XPS 13. This updated version has not been redesigned, but it does include a new, larger capacity battery (55WHr compared to the previous 47WHr battery). And along with Intel's 4th generation Haswell Core series processor for more efficient computing, Dell claims the new XPS 13 can deliver up to 11 hours of wireless web browsing on a single charge. Other key updates for this iteration of XPS 13 includes an optional 13.3-inch touch-enabled 1080p display and Windows 8.1. Review: 2014 Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook Delivers With Exceptional Battery Life Like previous versions of the XPS series, the 2014 version of the XPS 13 features machined...
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Dell aims to give users a premium mobile experience with the company’s XPS line of laptops. Not long ago, we had some hands-on time with Dell’s XPS 15 and really liked it. Last year, we also took a look at the 2013 version of Dell’s XPS 13. Here again, we had many positive things to say of Dell's top shelf ultralight 13-inch machine. Today we’re going to take a look at the latest version of the XPS 13. This updated version has not been redesigned, but it does include a new, larger capacity battery (55WHr compared to the previous 47WHr battery). And along with Intel's 4th generation Haswell Core series processor for more efficient computing, Dell claims the new XPS 13 can...
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Buzz has been building for the last week that Microsoft would soon unveil the next version of DirectX at the upcoming Games Developer Conference (GDC). Microsoft has now confirmed that its discussion forums at the show won't just be to discuss updates to DX11, but that it's putting a full court press behind the DirectX 12 brand and concept. This is something of a reversal for Microsoft, which has previously been mum on its plans for the API. It responded sharply over a year ago, when an AMD executive claimed that future versions of the API were essentially dead, but it's been over four years since DX11 debuted. Since then, we've seen point updates released and attached to Windows 8... and that's...
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For the past few months, Microsoft has been loudly and insistently banging a drum. All support and service for Windows XP and Office 2003 shuts down on April 8 -- no more security updates, no more fixes. In early February, faced with a slight uptick in users on the decrepit operating system the month before, Microsoft hit on an idea: Why not recruit tech-savvy friends and family to tell old holdouts to get off XP? The response to this earnest effort was a torrent of abuse from Windows 8 users who aren't exactly thrilled with the operating system. Microsoft has come under serious fire for some significant missteps in this process, including a total lack of actual upgrade options. What Microsoft...
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For those looking to pick up a feature-rich Windows 8.1 tablet, ASUS' VivoTab Note 8 is an attractive offering, and the best part is, it's just hit the Microsoft Store. That's the upside - the downside is that as of the time of writing, it's shown as being "Out of stock" - a bit surprising given the listing just appeared today. As we covered back at CES, the VivoTab Note 8 is a tablet designed for the professional / student. Part of the reason why it earns this denotation is that it includes Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote), as well as a high-quality stylus by none other than Wacom. Also as we learned from CES, this launch model features a Bay Trail Atom SoC from Intel...
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When Microsoft released Windows 8.1, it took care of a number of complaints users had with the launch version, and at the same time added some great improvements we were not anticipating (many of which we tackled in advance of its launch). Well, knowing that there's always room for more improvement, Microsoft is apparently going to take advantage of an upcoming "Patch Tuesday" to not only issue the usual bug fixes, but add new functionality as well. For starters, users are going to be able to pin a Metro app to the taskbar, which will give super-quick access to said app whenever the user is in the desktop environment. For those on a desktop who do regularly use various apps, this could be a good...
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