Dates and Releases

In the filing, Microsoft provides the tentative date for its Windows 8 release and planned launch of Surface, their tablet offering.

[blockquote align=”center” style=”style2″]The next version of our operating system, Windows 8, will be generally available on October 26, 2012. At that time, we will begin selling the Surface, a series of Microsoft-designed and manufactured hardware devices.[/blockquote]

The timing is no different than what we’ve been expecting for Windows 8 for some time now. With the addition of tablet availability just as the holiday buying season hits full stride, Microsoft is making sure they don’t miss out on their chance to firmly integrate into homes before the end of the year.

Risks

The preview releases of Windows 8 have stirred up very polarized opinions on the new operating system (OS). There seems to be a love it or hate it scenario unfolding from users who’ve sampled Windows 8. The new interface is clearly designed for touch devices and as such, those who expect to use a mouse and keyboard are less than excited about navigating the OS.

Here at GeekITDown, the consensus has been positive towards the new OS. Microsoft had to take a bit of a chance and leap into the new mobile-touch age in order to stay relevant and Windows 8 is a decent first step. The bigger question for Microsoft is whether their partners will continue to support them now that they’re creating their own line of hardware (Surface). Even Microsoft themselves acknowledge the fact in the SEC filing.

[blockquote align=”center” style=”style2″]Even if many users view these devices as complementary to a personal computer, the prevalence of these devices may make it more difficult to attract applications developers to our platforms. In addition, our Surface devices will compete with products made by our OEM partners, which may affect their commitment to our platform.[/blockquote]

Potential

There’s no question Microsoft has the bank and power to kick start a new tablet like Surface. From a purely commercial standpoint, the tablet market needs a bigger competitor to the iPad and Surface might be the answer.

Beyond the tablet itself is integration with devices and the connectivity that users expect. Microsoft has already laid the foundation for this with SmartGlass. The announcements made at E3 2012 outlined SmartGlass and its functionality. The presentation was impressive and the potential puts pressure on others to step up their game. The SEC filing also intimates their commitment to connecting all devices and data into a single, universal access experience.

[blockquote align=”center” style=”style2″]We invest significant resources in enabling and developing smart connected devices that offer a unified, seamless experience across a common platform. Whether a PC, Windows Phone, Xbox 360, or the newly announced Surface[/blockquote]

Editorial Note

While many seem to think Windows 8 is a catastrophe waiting to happen, I think otherwise. There are certainly opportunities for Microsoft to improve the OS, but in a world where touch screens are in demand and mobility for tech gadgets is the norm, Windows 8 is the right fit at the right time for Microsoft.

Surface is a welcome addition to the tablet market. Apple continues to dominate tablet sales despite Androids big push into the market. Microsoft has an established, loyal base with a certain amount of trust factor behind them to cause some disruption. The integration, if done accurately and properly, gives Microsoft an overwhelming advantage over others in the market. Smart connectivity to Xbox, Windows Server and other devices should mean only a small learning curve for new owners and could be a huge benefit for existing Windows legacy users.

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Those who need to upgrade their machines are likely debating the usual like cost, brand, features, etc., but there are other reasons to consider. In fact, we’re going to give you three reasons to wait to buy a new PC with Windows 8.

Reason #1: Cloud Storage

No doubt many of you have already begun moving to the cloud for storage. Services like Dropbox, Box, Carbonite and many others are vying for your data. Each service continually upgrades their service to better integrate, sync and expand in order to make the cloud as easy as possible.

Microsoft has its own cloud storage service called SkyDrive. It’s not the most popular on the market, but offers 25GB of free storage which dwarfs their biggest rival Dropbox. Microsoft has already announced full integration with SkyDrive in Windows 8 which means ease of use right out of the gate. Those who haven’t yet signed up for cloud storage will be given the option immediately and thus alleviating a lot of the anxiety about choosing one that works well with Windows.

Reason #2: Hardware Upgrades

Windows 8 will require basically the same hardware specifications as Windows 7. However, there are some benefits to Windows 8 hardware support that could sway you towards a Windows 8 PC purchase. Windows 8 will support USB 3.0 compatibility which is far superior in terms of speed than USB 2.0. With a maximum transfer speed of 4.8Gbps and full backward compatibility with USB 2 and USB 1, USB 3.0 will greatly improve portable transfer and storage efficiency.

Microsoft recently released Kinect for Windows which is the addition of the Xbox Kinect device to Windows powered PCs for motion control. Windows 8 will have this feature built-in. Whether or not the Kinect motion technology hardware is somehow integrated into laptops or monitors is yet to be determined, but if so the possibilities are expansive as to how users can control their PCs. The benefits could be enormous.

Reason #3: Touch Technology

Up until now, touchscreens have been mostly beneficial on smartphones and tablets. All-in-one touch PCs made an attempt, but ultimately fall short of being a viable touch PC. Windows 8 may change that. Microsoft’s new OS is completely oriented towards touch screen manipulation. As a result, manufacturers will rush to build touchscreen laptops and PCs. Though they may be hesitant, PC manufacturers must embrace Windows 8 in order to remain relevant in the ever advancing world of mobile computing. Users who wait to buy a new PC will benefit from laptop touch technology and take full advantage of the new Windows 8 operating system.

The benefits of a laptop touchscreen will be different for each user, though the inevitable move forward will likely mean the demise of the laptop as we know it. If Windows 8 and touchscreen technology on PCs is done correctly, then PCs (laptops in particular) will likely transform into powerful tablets. Advancement aside, laptops will remain in their current state for some time and Windows 8 will be a welcome addition.

Update: The announcement of Surface answers the speculation about laptops and Windows 8. A touch tablet with detachable keyboard.

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In a recent blog posting Microsoft announced that Windows 8 will offered digitally as well as on DVD. The ability to upgrade Windows via an online download is the first of its kind for Windows and is something that, if successful, will make the move to a new operating system exponentially simpler for users.

The approach to the new digital upgrade came from research provided during the Windows 7 release where users performed compatibility tests along with easy transfer of files and settings. Windows 8 will combine those two tasks making the transition smoother and hopefully easier for users. Users who choose to upgrade will have the option to select their media (USB, DVD) and unlike installations in the past, digital downloads and upgrades will automatically be assigned a Windows key which will not need to be entered during install.

Microsoft intends to speed up the process considerably by using the data collected from the compatibility report to bypass the usual pre-install settings of language, geographic location and other user specific data.

While Microsoft is not the first to do digital upgrades, they are making a huge step forward to make upgrading quicker and simpler. It’s a good sign that Microsoft wants to be more current and follow the trend of online delivery. For those who can’t or still need to purchase the physical DVD media for installations, Microsoft will still be offering them in addition to the digital upgrades.

You can read other Windows 8 related articles on our Windows 8 News page.

Your Thoughts

What do you think of Microsoft’s move to offer digitial upgrades? Let us know in the comments!

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If you haven’t yet had a chance to read all our articles, then now is a great time to get caught up on Windows 8.

Windows 8 Related Articles

Preview: Windows 8 Media Center
Top 5 Things We Like About Windows 8
How To Rearrange Metro UI Apps
How To Add or Remove Apps from Metro UI
Top 5 Things We Dislike About Windows 8
How To Shut Down Windows 8
How To Login Automatically: Windows 8
Add Control Panel To Desktop: Windows 8
Windows 8 Upgrade To Be Offered Digitally
3 Reasons To Wait For Windows 8

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The post Windows 8 News first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.

Media Center is the latest feature to have information released. Steven Sinofsky, President of the Windows division, put some Media Center comments on the record recently via his blog regarding its Windows 8 inclusion.

Media Center News

Windows Media Center has been an often obscure part of Windows for many users. It looks different than the rest of Windows and setup can be a confounding process for the average user. Nevertheless, it is a decent part of the Windows OS when setup. Having said that, the numbers representing its usage are far below what we would expect from an integrated Windows feature. Usage data indicates “..Windows Media Center was launched by 6% of Windows 7 users globally..” for the month of July. Six percent is not a lot and only a quarter of those used Media Center for more than 10 minutes. While not very impressive, the numbers do indicate that Media Center is being used and the focus is directed more towards TV viewing as opposed to CD/DVD usage.

So with data like that does Microsoft intend to include Media Center in Windows 8 or are we looking at a remnant of past Windows releases? According to Sinofsky, “I want to reassure customers that Media Center will definitely be part of Windows 8. No doubt about it.” That is a definitive statement which should put questions to rest about including Media Center in Windows 8.

Sinofsky went on to say that pre-release builds will not have Media Center included, but that’s not entirely surprising and certainly not the only feature which will be omitted from the early builds.

You can read other Windows 8 related articles on our Windows 8 News page.

Your Thoughts

Are you looking forward to Windows 8? Do you approve or disapprove of the Media Center inclusion? Let us know in the comments!

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