By DustinPosted onFebruary 29, 2012

The Windows Start Button has been replaced with the new Start screen in the Metro UI. Good move or not? I know there is a lot of disappointment in it’s disappearance, and it is one of the first thing that people notice. I’m expecting, hoping for a registry hack to enable it and have been looking around for it. So far, no dice. It would be nice to have it there to ease in the transition to the new Metro UI. What’s your opinion? Was it time for the 17 year old Start Menu to go the way of the dinosaur?

When Windows 95 was released, there was a LOT of bad press and people that were very upset in the new fangled button in the lower left of your screen. Now, there is unrest in the removal of it to move to a newer, possibly more efficient replacement (time will tell if it is truly more efficient).

By DustinPosted onFebruary 29, 2012

Also, for those that are interested, Windows Server 8 beta has also been released. This is mainly for the IT professionals and geeks that have a server at home (guilty). It is also still a beta, so fair warning that there is no upgrade path to the final version. Don’t put it into any production server!

Windows Server is the leading server operating system that powers many of the worlds’ largest datacenters, enables small businesses around the world, and delivers value to organizations of all sizes in between. Building on this legacy, Windows Server "8" delivers hundreds of new features and enhancements for transforming virtualization and cloud computing to help you reduce IT costs and deliver more business value. Within Windows Server "8" you will find exciting innovations in areas of virtualization, networking, storage, user experience, and a transition to Windows PowerShell® to take scripting to a whole new level.

By DustinPosted onFebruary 28, 2012

A little over shadowed by tomorrows massive bandwidth destroying Windows 8, Microsoft Flight is now available to download and play for free. While I’m not terribly thrilled with this release, I am still enjoying it. It doesn’t feel like a simulator but more of a game, which was by design. Still, we’ll see what the future brings with add-ons and new regions to play in! I’m grabbing it right now!

We’re proud to open the hangar doors and present the future of flying on your PC. Whether you’re a complete newcomer to aviation or an experienced PC pilot, we believe you’ll enjoy flying with us.
The release of Flight represents the culmination of three years of hard work and experimentation as we worked to reimagine the 30-year-old Flight Simulator franchise, push forward the evolution of the PC flying experience, and bring the thrill and wonder of flight to whole new audiences.
There’s a lot to do in Flight’s version of Hawaii, from basic flight instruction to hunts for hidden Aerocaches, from experimenting with different aircraft to showing off your skills in aerobatics challenges, from ferrying passengers and cargo around the islands to advancing your career as a pilot. We hope you’ll have fun exploring the environment we’ve built.

By DustinPosted onFebruary 28, 2012

The time has finally come for Windows 8 consumer preview to be released. Essentially a beta, it has been very anticipated and rumors are finally going to be put to rest. Is the MetroUI going to succeed on the desktop? Are there going to be more haters with 8 than with Vista? Time will tell. I’ll make sure to update this post with download links and more information as soon as they are released by Microsoft.

Just remember: it is a beta. Expect bugs. Don’t replace your main OS with it. You WILL have to reinstall and do a clean install, losing your data if it’s not backed up. It will have a time bomb added as with every other beta OS out there. There is no upgrade path to future beta’s or the final product. It’s a clean install or nothing. Some things will work great, others won’t. With that in mind, there are plenty of us out there that are willing to help out with any questions or problems you may have. I’m not a Microsoft employee, but I do enjoy working with Microsoft and their products and love to help out when and where I can. I choose not to have forums on this site, as there are WAY too many forums out there to sign up for and forget about. I highly recommend The Windows Club and their Forums. Great bunch of people and always willing to help out (I’m a regular over there, too). If you want Microsoft’s forums, look to Microsoft Answers.

See you out there! Have fun with the new beta – ahem: Consumer Preview.

 

UPDATE: Still no Consumer Preview, but related downloads are showing up in the Microsoft Downloads section:

Microsoft PlayReady for Consumer Preview x64

Microsoft PlayReady for Consumer Preview x86

Microsoft PlayReady technology is optimized for the mobile industry to support the growth of online content services, and includes features designed to make it easier than ever for consumers to enjoy mobile digital entertainment. This runtime allows Windows 8 Consumer Preview PC based applications to access PlayReady content using the PlayReady PC Runtime API.

 

UPDATE: HERE IS THE OFFICIAL PAGE TO DOWNLOAD: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/consumer-preview

They also include a download for an ISO version, which I highly recommend as you can install to a virtual machine and not mess anything up with your main machine! Have fun! http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/iso

By DustinPosted onFebruary 28, 2012

Would Steven Sinofsky be able to take the reigns from Steve Ballmer to become the head of Microsoft? He’s a great project manager and a very good technical person, but I’m not sure if he would have the CEO capability. Great guy, very smart, but does he have the business background that could make or break Microsoft? I’m not so sure.

Critics say he lacks the necessary charisma for the top job, and question whether he has the technical brilliance of Gates or the incisive analytical ability and forceful personality of Ballmer.

By DustinPosted onFebruary 28, 2012

Windows 8 seems to be a huge deal for Microsoft. They have “reimagined” the role of the desktop and are implementing a new user interface, Metro UI. But, are they really betting the whole company on Windows 8? Is the PC ecosystem really dying in favor of tablets and touchscreen computers? I seriously doubt it. Sure, there will be some people that use their PC for light web browsing, low powered games, email, Facebook, YouTube, etc. that would benefit more from a portable, touchscreen device. But, for those that work in offices, take notes, go to school and do a lot of typing, or those of us in IT, we NEED a desktop computer. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Mac, Linux, Windows or whatever. It needs to be much higher powered than a tablet, it has to have a larger screen, a full physical keyboard, more storage, etc.. There are many other reasons to own a full PC (gaming, development, etc.), but from a day to day normal person, there are reasons to not ditch the PC for a tablet.

Do I think they are betting everything on Windows 8? No. They are putting a lot of resources and confidence in a drastic UI change (among many other enhancements) that may or may not pan out. However, it isn’t the first time they’ve done something like this, nor is it a huge surprise. Several years ago, there were so many people complaining that Windows UI is still based on the 17 year old Windows 95. Sure it is. It was very easy to use, simple. But, now that the PC ecosystem has changed, there are new technologies to use, they have to adapt to these new technologies. To NOT change the UI to take advantage of these would be the biggest gamble. Windows Mobile (while I was a fan of the OS, it wasn’t a very good touchscreen OS – it was Windows OS on a mobile device) to Windows Phone 7 was a gamble that worked excellent. It became a shunned and crappy phone OS to a new very easy to use touchscreen OS.

If Windows 8 is a flop, however, it will increase the pressure on Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. His 12-year reign has been marred by the company’s troubles adapting to an Internet-driven upheaval. As Microsoft has stumbled, faster-innovating companies such as Apple and Google have elbowed their way into a position to steer the direction of computing for the next decade or two.

By DustinPosted onFebruary 27, 2012

Skype for Windows Phone 7 has finally hit beta, and is expected to be released in full in April. It’s about time, and it should be a great application for the Windows Phone devices.

By DustinPosted onFebruary 27, 2012

Has it already been 10 years since the launch of the Xbox? Yes, it has. 10 years since the original Xbox has been released, Microsoft is releasing a new 10th anniversary edition of the Xbox 360 with some extra goodies packed in.

According to the Amazon French website, the bundle will include the new Slim style console, 250 GB HDD, Halo Anniversary, Halo Reach, Gears of Wars 2, Fable 3, 2 wireless controllers and a 3 month subscription card to Xbox Live.

Price is 280 Euro, which is around $377 US dollars. Available on March 9th, 2012.

 

By DustinPosted onFebruary 24, 2012

Windows 8 is going to a more simple naming system, with naming conventions dropping the Live and Zune titles. Windows Live Mail will now be a very simple “Mail”. Others are as equally as simple and if people have difficulty in understanding what they do, then they need to step away from the keyboard.

Microsoft’s Xbox team is handling the creation and management of the Metro style Video and Music applications within Windows 8, and we previously heard that Windows 8 will move to "Xbox Live for Windows" as the entertainment brand for Windows 8 Music, Video and Games shortly before its release. The debranding of Zune has already taken effect in the final Windows 8 Consumer Preview, but the full transition away from Zune will take place over the summer. The move away from Zune is part of a broad effort to simplify and consolidate the company’s brands into a simple consumer message alongside Microsoft SkyDrive and Microsoft Hotmail. The branding will look like this in Windows 8:

• Microsoft Account (Windows Live ID)
• Mail (Windows Live Mail)
• Calendar (Windows Live Calendar)
• People (Windows Live Contacts)
• Photos (Windows Live Photo Gallery)
• Music (Zune Music Player)
• Video (Zune Video Player)

By DustinPosted onFebruary 23, 2012

I found this article fairly redundant as to what everyone else has been saying. The one thing that got me thinking was the last one: “A willingness to still be a PC, and be open”. A lot of people say that Windows is a very closed operating system. This is true to a point, but applications are install them as you find them – no permission from Nanny to install them. Apple has the Apple Store to give permission to those that want to develop for their very closed operating system environment. It may make for a less secure OS, but it will keep the freedom of choice in the hands of the consumer, rather than in the big man himself. There are a lot of “questionable” applications available for Windows that I’m sure wouldn’t be allowed to be distributed through normal channels or app stores.

I do have one thing to add. I’m waiting, and hoping, that a new “jailbreak” or rooting mechanism is implemented very soon after (or before, as usually is the case) the release of the OS. I really don’t like being at the mercy of someone else’s ideas and beliefs on what is best and appropriate for me. I can name several network tools I use in my different job duties for legitimate reasons that would be considered “unethical” by some. It all depends in the application of said tools. There are a lot of tools that can be used for malice or for nice. It depends on the user. Let the user decide, not the nanny.

What do you think? Would you trade your freedom of applications for a more secure operating system?

From what we’ve heard so far, Microsoft is going to take an Apple approach to Windows 8 apps buy controlling all app distribution for Metro-style apps. This makes for a very safe app ecosystem, but also one without freedom of choice. What will this do to services like Steam, which sell games? There are many good reasons to have a secure system for purchasing apps, but shouldn’t we be able to purchase software from multiple vendors? What if Microsoft decides that it doesn’t want to sell a particular app? Shouldn’t there be the possibility that the software could be obtained from other services? Why can’t Amazon sell apps? I guarantee they’d have lower prices and nice deals. There must be a smart way to integrate third-party app distribution into Windows 8, and every other mobile OS.