According to Microsoft, they are not going to be announcing or releasing the newest Xbox, sometimes referred to as Xbox Next, 720, etc.. It isn’t a huge surprise to many, as the Xbox 360’s sales are still seeing record high numbers. Hopefully, they are still in the works on finalizing the hardware spec’s, so when it finally does see the light of day, we aren’t stuck on an i5 and AMD 6000 series GPU in the days of 9000 series and the CPU past Ivy Bridge.

“While we appreciate all the interest in our long-range plans for the future, we can confirm that there will be no talk of new Xbox hardware at E3 or anytime soon,” Microsoft’s Corporate Communications boss Frank Shaw told AllThingsD. “For us, 2012 is all about Xbox 360.”

I’ve been seeing a 90/10 split between those who absolutely hate the new MetroUI on Windows 8 to those that either don’t mind it or that love it. Within Microsoft’s own forums, there are so many people in there that are having some absolutely horrible to say about being forced to use the new UI. While I don’t hate it, I don’t like it on a mouse/keyboard desktop. I absolutely love using it on touchscreen computer, though.

Although I don’t mind it, I’m sure there are plenty of people out there that use PC’s as tools and aren’t PC enthusiasts. How do they fare? Check out the link to Chris Pirillo’s Dad using Windows 8.

Metro and the Desktop are essentially two different operating systems incompletely bolted together. Sure, techies can figure out how to navigate between the two interfaces, but other people will have a hard time. If you need any evidence of that, you only need to look at a video that Chris Pirillo of Lockergnome made of his father trying to use Windows 8. His father accidentally sends himself to the Desktop and tries to get back to Metro, and is thoroughly confused. When he finds out that Microsoft puts out Windows 8, he asks his son: "They trying to drive me to the Mac?"

Microsoft has released a new Fix It website available in beta form. Dubbed “Fix It Pro”, it is available in 18 languages and covers many various Microsoft products. Now, rather than a simple fix it, it allows you to analyze the problem (read only) and find solutions for those problems. It’s pretty nice and polished from what I’ve seen so far. I’m going to be looking into it in more depth and follow up with a more detailed post and some more personal experiences.

Technet Link: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/hh855979.aspx

Fix It Pro website: https://wc.ficp.support.microsoft.com/Dashboards/Main/Settings

This is where you’ll start to realize the power of Microsoft diagnostics. The system begins to analyze specific files and targeted settings to identify known causes of Windows performance issues. Traditionally, a technician would do this manually by examining Windows system files, log files and registry settings. Fix it Center Pro can do this automatically and securely with the backing of the vast expertise of Microsoft to find known issues and return specific solutions to you.

A critical Windows bug can make your machine extremely vulnerable to attacks. It requires no user interaction to become infected with the malicious code. So, if you have any machines, servers, etc. using Remote Desktop, apply this patch ASAP.

"This type of vulnerability is where no user intervention or user action is required and an attacker can just send some specially crafted packets or requests, and because of which he or she can take complete control of the target machine," Amol Sarwate, director of Qualys’ vulnerability research lab, said in an interview. While RPD is not enabled by default, he said the number of machines that have it turned on is a "big concern" because it is so widely used in large organizations and business settings.

There have been rumors flying in every direction for the new Xbox (720, Next, whatever you want to call it), but this one sounds almost legit. The new Xbox may come without a disc drive and rely solely on a network connection to play games. While this would be great for those with a high speed internet connection, but for those without (or those that have one Xbox in one room and another Xbox in a different room with no network), it’s a no-sale right off the bat. I really like online content, downloads, streaming and buying games online (Steam is not only a wallet killer during sales, but a great way to keep content).

But, going online ONLY for a console doesn’t sound quite as enticing. It’s just one more pain in the butt to get it going. For pre-ordering games and having them pre-download and then activate at midnight the day of release would be awesome, when I buy a six month old game and have to wait a day or two to actually play it is not.

“Xbox 360 has found new ways to extend its lifecycle like introducing the world to controller-free experiences with Kinect and re-inventing the console with a new dashboard and new entertainment content partnerships. We are always thinking about what is next for our platform and how to continue to defy the lifecycle convention. Beyond that we do not comment on rumors or speculation.”

David Murphy over at Maximum PC has a love / hate relationship with Microsoft’s still-in-beta operating system Windows 8. There is a lot to love about the new OS, but the things he hates are genuinely very good points. They really aren’t a deal stopper, but they are things that Microsoft should really look at before the final release of Windows 8. Unless things change for the better, I think I may end up buying a Windows 8 tablet and leave my desktop with Windows 7. I honestly tried to give MetroUI a chance on the desktop. It’s not bad, but it is lacking so much (not able to be customized much, too simple, I could go on for a while). Put it on a simple tablet, and you’re golden. For the most part.

My desktop is my productivity machine. That is the single most reason I won’t go with a Mac. I need to get work done – whether it’s gaming or writing an e-book or designing a new application. Windows 8 makes that more difficult, not easier on the desktop.

My tablet is my fun machine. Read books, play simple games, watch Netflix, read websites, nothing really needing much power or much of an OS. Just an application launcher, basically. 

Will Microsoft make some very much needed changes before it hits RTM? Will they take the massive consumer and IT professional advice (more like backlash!) and use that input to make MetroUI an optional desktop interface or better integrate it into Windows? I sure hope so, but I don’t want to take that bet. Way too risky.

This quote from the article puts it about right – I might not upgrade my desktop if it remains like the Consumer Preview.

Note, we said usually. For Windows 8’s errors are so flagrant and its annoyances so widespread, this might be the first operating system in your Windows lifetime that you’re going leave right there on the retail shelf. That’s right. We said it. Microsoft’s not only created a new operating system; the company has also created a healthy amount of doubt in the minds of potential purchasers.

As long as Microsoft and Intel hold steady on their pricing on their respective products, I’m thinking this guy is not that far off. The new iPad may end up beating Windows 8 tablets – and it may all come down to cost. The new iPad will start at $500, the last generation starting at $399-That’s not bad! Windows 8 tablets based on the x86 chipset will run around $600-$800 for an equivalent tablet. Those based on ARM architectures will be slightly less. I would rather have a Windows tablet as it is a lot less limited as far as applications and development goes (although, I’m sure that many desktop apps aren’t well suited for a tablet), but if the cost is $200 more than an iPad, I’m sure I could deal with owning an iPad. In fact, for the first time since the Apple 2 years, I’m actually contemplating buying an Apple product. For MYSELF! I’ve bought my wife an iPod Touch and an iPhone, and while I don’t care much for the iOS (not to be confused with Cisco IOS, which I love), I could really get used to it to save a couple C-notes.

The usual thing that gets people to stay with Windows isn’t that they don’t like Apple. It’s that they don’t like the higher price tag. Although you do get what you pay for with the usually superior quality hardware (there are exceptions, but I’m talking laptops and tablets now – minus the Thinkpad Tanks), most people want something affordable that they can use for daily activities. If Windows tablets were to cost equal or more than the Apple iPad, there will be a lot more Apple converts. And, I’m sad to say I might be one of them. We’ll see.

The company said it will continue to sell the iPad 2 but dropped its price by $100. The older tablet now starts at $399 while the new third-generation wi-fi only iPad starts at $499.

…Following the cut in the price of iPad 2, Apple is now well positioned to counter competition from products at the lower end of the market like Amazon.com Inc’s Kindle Fire given the device’s superior hardware features, say analysts.

This is just a small, simple and sweet review of the freeware Start button replacement for Windows 8 from Stardock called Start8.

Installation was very easy, the standard Next, Accept, Next, Next, Finish. After that, you get the Start button on your desktop:

The Start8 program replaces the MetroUI Start screen with a very Metro-like Start button. The Metro way of organizing the various programs is still present in the Start8 interface, which is one of my gripes with the new MetroUI in the first place. It just moved the problem to a Start button lookalike.

When you click the lower left corner, instead of going to the Start screen, you go to the Start8 interface. So, it attempts to replace the Start screen with the new Start8. But, I was able to hit the Windows key and go back to the Start screen. Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to do it since that first time. Now, the Windows key also goes to the Start8 interface.

For me, I prefer the “old” MetroUI over the Start8 interface. It’s not bad, and if you really need to have a Start button, go with Start8, but just know that it really isn’t a replacement for the Metro UI, it just moves it to a smaller area on the desktop “Explorer” interface (which is now just an app). I’m uninstalling and staying with the standard Metro UI Start screen, rather than the hackjob of Start8.

If you installed it and liked it, please leave a comment. I’m not a fan of it at all, it seems like a very rushed job to be the “first” for a replacement start button (there are others, but they weren’t made for Windows 8).