Tag Archives: MicrosoftWindows8

Microsoft turns Surface tablet into a skateboard, Windows chief Steven Sinofsky takes it for a spin

Posted on by

Microsoft turns Surface tablet into a skateboard, Windows chief Steven Sinofsky takes it for a spin

Gorilla Glass 2 and a chassis forged from magnesium lend Microsoft's Surface slates some durability, but the firm's decided to prove just how tough its tablets are by turning one into a skateboard. The wheeled slice of Windows 8 is said to have been rolled out during a tour of Redmond's Surface skunkworks, but Windows chief Steven Sinofksy couldn't resist hopping on the board today and tweeting a pair of photos. You can pre-order your deck now, though something tells us this mod isn't covered under Ballmer and Co.'s warranty.

Filed under:

Microsoft turns Surface tablet into a skateboard, Windows chief Steven Sinofsky takes it for a spin originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 23:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Microsoft News, Neowin  |  sourceSteven Sinofsky (Twitter) (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments

Samsung starts taking pre-orders for its Windows 8 PC lineup

Posted on by

Samsung starts taking preorders for its Windows 8 PC lineup

While most eyes have been focused on Microsoft finally slapping an official price tag on its upcoming Surface tablet this morning, let's not forget there other companies involved in the Windows 8 madness as well. Just a few moments ago, Samsung announced it's now ready to take your money in exchange for one of the many offerings inside its hefty PC repertoire, such as the ATIV Smart PC, Series 5 Ultra Touch, Series 7 Notebook, Series 9 Premium Ultrabook and the Series 5, Series 7 all-in-ones -- all of which will be available on that now-famed October 26th date. Naturally, pricing depends on what kind of setup gets added to your cart, but chances are you'll find one that's right for you amongst this extensive PC feast from the Korean electronics giant.

Continue reading Samsung starts taking pre-orders for its Windows 8 PC lineup

Filed under: , , , ,

Samsung starts taking pre-orders for its Windows 8 PC lineup originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 14:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSamsung  | Email this | Comments

Microsoft reportedly building up to 5 million Surface tablets for the fall

Posted on by

Microsoft reportedly building up to 5 million Surface tablets for the fall

Just how confident is Microsoft that its Surface tablets will take off? To the tune of 3 to 5 million units shipped in the fall alone, according to the Wall Street Journal's supplier contacts. While that wouldn't be much when Apple already ships more than three times as many iPads, even discounting the supposed 10 million tiny iPads coming this fall, it would represent a strong start for a company that's only just dipping its toes into own-brand computing. Microsoft isn't confirming any numbers at this stage, but the large production volume might explain that Busby Berkeley-style TV ad -- you'd want a full song and dance routine if you had that many Surfaces to sell.

Filed under: ,

Microsoft reportedly building up to 5 million Surface tablets for the fall originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 10:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceWall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments

Linux Foundation proposes convoluted solution for UEFI Secure Boot

Posted on by

Linux Foundation proposes convoluted solution for UEFI Secure Boot

With Windows 8 Microsoft is pushing manufacturers away from a traditional BIOS to UEFI with Secure Boot. But that poses problems for alternative OSes like Linux, because UEFI requires any software have a signed certificate. The Linux Foundation has been looking for a solution and thinks that it may have one. The proposed work around is a little convoluted and surprisingly involves obtaining a Microsoft signature for a new barebones bootloader. This wouldn't actually boot Linux or any other OS actually. Instead, it would then start a second bootloader, the one associated with your OS of choice. It's a little messy, but it should mean that the signed bootloader will be a catch-all solution for any operating system. Of course, it could take a while for the Foundation to actually obtain a signature from Microsoft. So "Designed for Windows 8" systems might not be able to run Linux right away, but rest assured a solution is on the way.

Filed under: ,

Linux Foundation proposes convoluted solution for UEFI Secure Boot originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Oct 2012 03:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Slashdot, Ars Technica  |  sourceLinux Foundation  | Email this | Comments

ASUS TAICHI 21 and VivoBook X202 go up for US pre-orders, spoil the party a bit early (update: VivoTab RT, too)

Posted on by

ASUS TAICHI closed

Just because ASUS has planned a grand October 23rd event to outline its US Windows 8 lineup doesn't mean we can't get an advance peek. Pre-orders have officially kicked off for at least two touchscreen PCs that also give us a very good feeling for the hardware we'll see at our doors. The dual-screened TAICHI 21 is naturally the star of the show, but it will cost you: a base version of the 11.6-inch hybrid with a 1.7GHz Core i5, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD starts at $1,300, while an uprated model with a 1.9GHz Core i7 and a 256GB SSD will set early adopters back by $1,600. We'd say the VivoBook X202 is more likely to get some purchases sight-unseen at $600 for an entry laptop with an 11.6-inch touchscreen, a 1.8GHz Core i3, 4GB of RAM and a conventional 500GB hard drive. Both of the systems should arrive in tandem with Windows 8's October 26th launch and compound the traffic jams for couriers and retailers on what could be a very busy day.

[Thanks, Donny]

Update: As Computerworld noticed, Newegg also has a pre-order listing for the VivoTab RT, which costs $599 in its lone 32GB configuration. It ships the same day as its bigger cousins.

Filed under: ,

ASUS TAICHI 21 and VivoBook X202 go up for US pre-orders, spoil the party a bit early (update: VivoTab RT, too) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 14:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceASUS  | Email this | Comments

ASUS teases October 23rd Vivo Book and Vivo Tab event, likens it to world history (video)

Posted on by

ASUS teases October 23rd Vivo Book and Vivo Tab event, likens it to world history video

Most event teasers have at least some kind of grandiosity; we're not under illusions that they have to be modest. At the same time, ASUS may have crossed a humility barrier with a teaser for an October 23rd event launching its upcoming Vivo Tabs and (possibly TAICHI- or Transformer Book-linked) Vivo Books. In the space of 42 seconds, ASUS likens the New York City announcement for its touchscreen Windows 8 devices to the Apollo moon missions, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and having a child -- a bit much for slabs of aluminum and glass, we think. There's not much to see of the systems themselves beyond what we already know, although Notebook Italia has noticed at least one reseller listing a Vivo Book S200 laptop with an 11.6-inch touchscreen, a Core i3, 4GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive for €499 ($647). That price would go a long way towards ASUS' promise of making touch "available to everyone..." we're just not convinced it's as important as Elvis.

Continue reading ASUS teases October 23rd Vivo Book and Vivo Tab event, likens it to world history (video)

Filed under: , ,

ASUS teases October 23rd Vivo Book and Vivo Tab event, likens it to world history (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 09:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceASUS  | Email this | Comments

Samsung Series 5 Slate reaches out and touches the FCC

Posted on by

Samsung Series 5 Slate ATIV Smart PC reaches out and touches the FCC

Samsung has just days to go before the Series 5 Slate (and ATIV Smart PC) arrives hand-in-hand with the official launch of Windows 8, so we're surprised that it's been waiting so long to clear the usual regulatory hurdles in the US. Just in the nick of time, though, the 11-inch tablet has passed by the FCC for approval. There's no hidden surprises to go with the testing -- this is the regular Series 5 with Bluetooth and dual-band WiFi, but no visible NFC or the AT&T model's LTE. As such, we're more curious about when Samsung's Series 7 Slate and Series 5 Ultra Touch reach the FCC's doors. They'll likely arrive soon, but any significant delay could put them on the sidelines for Microsoft's big moment.

Filed under: ,

Samsung Series 5 Slate reaches out and touches the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 03:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceFCC  | Email this | Comments

Microsoft Office 2013 releases to manufacturing, reaches most of us early next year

Posted on by

Office 2013 OneNote

Break out the party streamers and balloons -- if only in an orderly fashion, because this is the day Office 2013 has been released to manufacturing. The completion swings Microsoft's attention towards a rollout staggered over the next few months. Wider availability will have to wait until the first quarter of 2013 -- such synchronicity with your branding, Microsoft -- but companies who've sprung for volume licensing will get access as early as mid-November to December 1st, depending on whether or not they're embracing a Software Assurance plan. In the meantime, Microsoft is offering an easy path for anxious workers by promising a free copy of Office 2013 to everyone who buys Office 2010 from October 19th onwards. The upgraded software might not be cheap for those who aren't already buying a Windows RT tablet, but it's likely to be an important piece of the puzzle for anyone hunting down a touchscreen Windows 8 PC.

Filed under: ,

Microsoft Office 2013 releases to manufacturing, reaches most of us early next year originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 21:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceOffice News Blog  | Email this | Comments

Kupa UltraNote Windows 8 modular tablet hands-on (video)

Posted on by

Kupa UltraNote Windows 8 modular tablet handson video

Keep lurking long enough and you'll find the unexpected. Even at MobileCon 2012. Exhibit A: the Kupa UltraNote modular tablet running Windows 8. This 0.6-inch (15mm) thick slate is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor (Ivy Bridge) with 4GB of DDR3 RAM and a 64GB SSD. It features a 10.1-inch 1920 x 1200-pixel IPS display with a ten-point capacitive multitouch layer and a Wacom-like digitizer for pen input. Other amenities include WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and 3G/4G (LTE) radios along with dual cameras (2MP in front, 5MP in back), NFC and a fingerprint reader. There's a SIM slot, headphone jack, mini HDMI output and two USB 3.0 ports on the right side of the device, plus a proprietary power / docking connector on the bottom edge. A 45Wh slide-out Li-Ion battery is located on the left side.

While the specs are pretty much what you'd expect from a decent Windows 8 tablet, it's the modular design that makes Kupa UltraNote unique. There's an Asus Transformer-like keyboard dock which boasts an additional battery, power jack, SD card slot, Ethernet connector, VGA output and two USB 3.0 ports. Accessories such as credit card reader can be attached the left or right edge of the slate thanks to a built-in latch mechanism. It's clear that the company is targeting the enterprise and vertical markets and even positioning itself as an ODM. We spent a few minutes with the device and were impressed with how lightweight it was (760g / 1.67 lbs). Build quality, however, left a lot to be desired, even for a prototype. Still, overall performance was solid, both in terms of speed and responsiveness.

Gallery: Kupa UltraNote Windows 8 modular tablet hands-on

There's no word yet on pricing and availability, but take a look at our gallery and be sure to peek after the break for our hands-on video.

Brad Molen contributed to this report.

Continue reading Kupa UltraNote Windows 8 modular tablet hands-on (video)

Filed under: ,

Kupa UltraNote Windows 8 modular tablet hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 20:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Gartner and IDC: PC shipments tumbled over 8 percent in Q3, only ASUS and Lenovo escaped unhurt

Posted on by

Gartner and IDC PC shipments tumbled over 8 percent in Q3, only ASUS and Lenovo escaped unhurt

We don't often summarize market share in one word, but: ouch. Both Gartner and IDC have trotted out their preliminary estimates for PC market share in the third quarter, and the two agree that this summer was a dire one for the traditional computer. Outside of ASUS and Lenovo, whose price-focused strategies and key acquisitions kept them ahead of rivals, virtually every major vendor saw its PC shipments collapse versus a year ago, often by more than 10 percent. Total worldwide shipments declined by more than 8 percent in either estimate -- enough to make a flat second quarter seem rosy by comparison. Lenovo took the top spot in Gartner's study, although IDC is counting workstations and kept HP in its usual lead.

As for the US, it's almost better that we don't look. Gartner and IDC believe that the American market sank by respective 13.8 or 12.4 percent amounts, and the steep global declines repeated themselves in the one country for everyone but Lenovo. Even a market share gain for Apple came only because its shipments dropped at a gentler rate than most of its peers. Whether it's the US or worldwide, don't assume that inventory clearances ahead of Windows 8 were the only factors at work, though. Both research teams point to continuing world economic troubles as influences, and IDC contends that buyers are still skipping PCs in favor of smartphones and mobile tablets. There's often a jump in computer sales between the summer and the fall, especially with a new OS on the way, but we wouldn't count on a return to the halcyon days.

Continue reading Gartner and IDC: PC shipments tumbled over 8 percent in Q3, only ASUS and Lenovo escaped unhurt

Filed under: , , , , , , , ,

Gartner and IDC: PC shipments tumbled over 8 percent in Q3, only ASUS and Lenovo escaped unhurt originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 19:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceGartner, IDC  | Email this | Comments