• metro,  microsoft,  windows

    Taking the Windows 8 Plunge

    Ok, despite being an Apple fanboy, my inner geek still gets the best of me.  I just purchased a copy of Windows 8 Pro from the Microsoft online store.

    For a limited time, you can purchase a Windows 8 Pro upgrade as a digital download for $39.99.  When choosing this option, you have a one time option to purchase a DVD for an additional $14.99.  Microsoft is also offering a retail boxed upgrade for $69.99, signaling that they are taking a queue from Apple and moving toward a preference for digital media distribution.

    Windows 8 was related last month along side Microsoft’s new Surface tablet offering.

    In Windows 8, Microsoft reimagines the PC user experience by blending the traditional Windows desktop OS with the Metro smartphone and tablet user experience.

    I’ll be blogging more about Windows 8, the Metro user interface, now officially known as the Windows UI, Office 2013 and a few other tidbits as I begin playing with the new software.

    You can learn more about Windows 8 on the Microsoft website.  When you are ready to take the plunge, head over to the Microsoft online store.

  • android,  apple,  google,  ios,  ipad,  iphone,  microsoft,  office,  office mobile

    Microsoft Office Mobile Coming to iOS, Android Early 2013

    The Verge is running a breaking story that Microsoft will be releasing versions of the new Microsoft Mobile suite for Apple’s iPhone, iPad, and Google Android devices in early 2013.

    “Microsoft’s Office for iPad, iPhone, and Android is a reality. Although Office Mobile has been rumored and reportedly spotted in the wild, Microsoft has remained persistently quiet about its plans for the product. The Verge has learned through several sources close to Microsoft’s plans that the company will release Office versions for Android and iOS in early 2013.”

    [Via The Verge.com…]

  • microsoft,  smartphones,  windows,  windows phone

    Rumor: Microsoft Working on a Smartphone

    Windows 8.  Windows Phone 8.  Surface.  Radical shifts in Windows and Office.  Microsoft has been on a roll latley, and now rumors are surfacing, in the form of a Wall Street Journal article, that Microsoft is working on a new smartphone prototype.

    “Officials at some of Microsoft’s parts suppliers, who declined to be named, said the Redmond, Wash.-based company is testing a smartphone design but isn’t sure if a product will go into mass production.

    One person said that the screen of Microsoft’s smartphone currently being tested measures between four and five inches. Apple’s newest smartphone, the iPhone 5, has a four-inch screen, while Samsung’s Galaxy S III phone has a 4.8-inch screen. “

    Microsoft is no stranger to how difficult launching a new, successful smartphone platform is.  Windows CE and Windows Mobile have been around for years.  Windows Phone 7 and Windows Phone 8 cut the ties with previous attempts at a new Microsoft mobile operating system.  Windows Phone has been well regarded, but not well adopted by customers and developers.  And the Microsoft Kin wasn’t exactly “successful.”

    Only time will tell if Microsoft can rekindle the magic they had with customers back in the late 90’s and early 2000’s.

    [Via Wall Street Journal.com…]