Bloomberg: HTC cancels plan for 12-inch Windows RT tablet, fears weak demand

Unlike companies such as Samsung, which have the freedom to throw products against the wall only to see whether they stick, HTC is forced to be more calculated with its efforts. With this in mind, Bloomberg now reports that HTC has canceled its plan for a 12-inch Windows RT tablet, which was previously rumored to be in the works alongside a smaller 7-inch Windows RT slate. Sources spoke to Bloomberg on anonymity, but suggested the decision was made based on concern that the 12-inch tablet would be too expensive to generate considerable demand. Coinciding with the launch of the 7-inch RT tablet -- which is now pegged for September or October -- Bloomberg sources also suggest that HTC will launch a similar 7-inch Android tablet in the same time frame. Talk about hedging one's bets.

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Source: Bloomberg

Photoshop Express brings its quick photo fixes to Windows 8 and RT

Photoshop Express comes to Windows 8, offers quick fixes on your Surface

Adobe's Photoshop Express has been taking care of our botched photos on Android and iOS for quite some time, but it hasn't had its turn on a desktop-class platform. That changes with today's launch of a version for Windows 8 and RT. Like their mobile counterparts, Windows users can now make basic edits, apply filters and sync photos to Revel in a touch-friendly interface; the chief difference is the landscape-oriented Windows Store look. If you've wanted to use your Surface as a mobile photo workshop without paying for apps, you can grab Express for free at the source link.

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Source: Windows Store

Dell XPS 10 with Windows RT gets major price cut: base model now $300

Dell XPS 10 with Windows RT gets major price cut: base model now $300

We don't know for sure that Dell's been experiencing the weak demand for Windows RT Samsung's been so vocal about, but significant price cuts to its XPS 10 tablet hybrid suggest it hasn't exactly been flying off the shelves. Not only has the $500 tag for the tablet with 32GB of storage dropped to $300, but adding another 32GB now only costs $50 more, instead of $100. Savings have extended to the keyboard dock, too -- opting for the bundle used to increase the overall cost by $180, but now that peripheral is only a $50 extra. (Make sure to lead with the bundle though, as it's $100 if added from the tablet-only customization options). The cost of optional LTE hasn't changed, however, so that 4G radio still costs an additional $100. While we haven't reached fire sale territory just yet, the cuts are still a welcome discount for consumers. In the interest of preserving profit margins, perhaps Dell should ask Acer's president to consult next time it's cooking up new hardware.

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Via: The Verge, CNET

Source: Dell

Acer president sees ‘no value’ in building a Windows RT tablet right now

Acer president sees no value in building a Windows RT tablet

Ever since Acer's Linxian Lang said that Microsoft would eat "hard rice" for building its own Windows RT hardware, the company has treated the operating system with something bordering on contempt. When asked about Acer's long-gestating RT device, Acer president Jim Wong said "to be honest, there's no value doing [hardware for] the current version of RT." Given the underwhelming interest in RT gear that other companies have reported, we're not sure if Wong's comments qualify as a sick burn or merely kicking an adolescent piece of software when it's down.

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Via: AllThingsD

Source: CITEworld

IDC: Android topped tablet share in Q1 at 57 percent, Apple led manufacturers

IDC Android topped tablet share in Q1 at 57 percent, Apple still the top manufacturer

We were expecting a changing of the guard among tablets given the rise of several competitors throughout in 2012, and we've seen just that in IDC's market share estimates for the first quarter of 2013. The research firm shows Android having almost reversed the share it held a year ago, claiming the top spot at 56.5 percent; Apple's huge spike in year-over-year iPad sales wasn't enough to keep it from dipping to 39.6 percent. Microsoft's estimated performance tells a more complex story, however. Its second quarter of Windows 8 and RT sales involved a big year-to-year jump as well, but it was also starting largely from scratch -- the combined Windows platform was still tiny at 3.7 percent.

The pecking order remained mostly the same among individual manufacturers, although the charts here explain just why OS share shifted so much in the winter. While Apple remained comfortably in front with its 39.6 percent, just about every rival made a dent: Samsung, ASUS, Amazon and Microsoft all gained at least a small amount, even if no one manufacturer posed a major threat. IDC is providing shipping numbers that don't necessarily reflect the on-the-ground sales, especially when everyone beyond Apple declines to report official numbers, but they suggest that tablets like the Nexus 7 and Surface Pro have found at least a small audience.

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Source: IDC

OneNote update for Windows 8 and RT relives our childhood with finger drawing

OneNote update for Windows 8 and RT relives our childhood with finger drawing

Although Microsoft's OneNote is virtually tailor-made for pen input, we doubt most Windows fans would splurge on the likes of a Surface Pro just for the sake of a quick doodle or two. With the latest update to OneNote for Windows 8 and RT, they won't have to. The app refresh lets touchscreen PC users draw with their fingers using the same color and thickness options as their stylus-toting counterparts. The new input method won't be as precise as a pen, but it should do the job for simple diagrams or dusting off those kindergarten-era fingerpainting skills. Whether or not you're on a nostalgia kick, you can swing by the Windows Store today for the upgrade.

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Via: OneNote Blog

Source: Windows Store

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 review

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 review

Normally, when a company releases two laptops in different sizes (the MacBook Air, anyone?) we review just one: we assume you'll get the gist about the design and trackpad the first time, ya know? So it's funny, then, that we're taking a look at the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 after we've already tested the Yoga 13 and named it one of our favorite Windows 8 convertibles. They look alike, with an inventive hinge allowing you to fold the screen back like a book cover. The keyboards are the same too, though the 11-incher's is understandably a tad more crowded. They even have the same oddly shaped power port.

Except, of course, they're totally different products. Whereas the Yoga 13 is a proper laptop, with a Core i5 processor and full Windows 8, the Yoga 11 runs Windows RT, and is powered by a Tegra 3 chip (yes, the same one you're used to seeing in Android tablets). That means a big dip in performance, but exponentially longer battery life. Legacy x86 apps are off-limits too, given that this is Windows RT and all. Now that we've set up that equation for you (weaker performance plus longer battery life minus standard Windows apps equals what?) let's meet up after the break to see if this is just as good a deal as its big brother.

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Strategy Analytics: Microsoft’s share of tablet market quadrupled after Windows 8

Strategy Analytics Microsoft's share of the tablet market has quadrupled due to Windows 8

Say what you like about Windows 8, but before it arrived Microsoft's presence in the tablet sphere was as small as it was stagnant. By the reckoning of number-crunchers at Strategy Analytics, just 400,000 Windows-running slates were shipped globally in Q3 of last year -- a figure that was largely unchanged from the year before and which represented just 1.6 percent of the global tablet market. Six months later, now that the Windows-powered Acers, Lenovos and Surfaces of this world have had a chance to get their game on, Microsoft's share has quadrupled to 7.5 percent, with a total of 3 million Windows 8 and RT tablets shipped in Q1 2013. That's still pretty niche, but 3 million units would have equated to a bigger share were it not for the fact that the overall tablet market also grew over this period, from 25 million to 41 million units -- and at least Microsoft can now claim to be a part of that boom. Look past the break for the numerical breakdown.

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Via: CNET, Neowin

Source: Strategy Analytics

Windows RT and Server 2012 updates mentioned in recent 8.1 leak

Windows RT and Server 2012 updates

Windows Blue, Windows 8.1, Windows 8 SP1... whatever Microsoft wants to call it, it's coming soon. And along with it there will be updates to its RT and Server products too. References to Windows RT 8.1 Preview and Windows Server 2012 R2 were found buried in a DLL of a leaked build of Blue. (Build number 9374, to be specific.) The mentions turned up in basebrd.dll.mui, if you're wondering what file to start rifling through. Don't get too excited, though: there's basically no info to glean other than their existence -- which is no surprise at all. Hopefully all of the much whispered about updates will arrive sooner, rather than later, and pack a few tweaks that will make the Microsoft faithful feel a little bit more at home.

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Via: WinBeta

Source: @Windows4Live (Twitter)

Nokia Music app launched for Windows 8 and RT hardware (video)

Nokia Music app launched for Windows 8 and RT hardware

You may know Nokia Music as the resident DJ on many WP8 handsets, and now the app's looking to play sets at some larger venues. It's popped up on the Windows Store for Windows 8 or RT hardware, and looks pretty similar to the WP8 version, albeit formatted for bigger screens. It doesn't just serve as a front-end for accessing your personal music library -- you'll also find artist info, genre-specific mixes for online streaming and offline listening, as well as the option to create mixes of your own. The software will push tunes to compatible smart TVs or DLNA-equipped kit, and you can plug in your Nokia Music+ subscription details or check out the free seven-day trial for some extra features: better quality songs, unlimited skips and offline mixes, as well as synced lyrics where available. Currently, the app is only available in Australia, the US, the UK and Ireland, but will be coming to everywhere Music+ has launched over the "coming weeks." Windows 8 or RT users can head to the source link for the download. If you need us, we'll be off memorizing Bieber lyrics.

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Via: My Nokia Blog

Source: Windows Store, Nokia