• apple,  mac os x,  mavericks,  microsoft,  windows,  windows 8,  windows xp

    Net Applications: Windows XP Loses Ground, Windows 8 Gains, and Mavericks Levels Off

    January 2, 2014 /

    Earlier today web analytics firm Net Applications released PC operating system numbers.

    In a nutshell, today’s report keys on trends we would expect: Windows XP, first released back in 2001, is still hanging on at just below 30%.  Windows 8/8.1 are in a dead heat with Vista, with Windows 8 finally starting to gain ground and Windows 7 is still by far, the Windows desktop champ.

    On the Apple front, Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks saw a huge 21% market share jump in November.  Compared to December’s numbers, Mavericks looked to be standing still with a 5% increase.

    document.getElementById(“na635242998771120000”).src=”http://www.netmarketshare.com/report.aspx?qprid=10″+String.fromCharCode(38)+”qptimeframe=M”+String.fromCharCode(38)+”qpsp=179″+String.fromCharCode(38)+”qpch=350″+String.fromCharCode(38)+”qpdt=1″+String.fromCharCode(38)+”qpct=3″+String.fromCharCode(38)+”qpcustomd=0″+String.fromCharCode(38)+”qpcid=fw377708″+String.fromCharCode(38)+”qpf=16″+String.fromCharCode(38)+”qpwidth=550″+String.fromCharCode(38)+”qpdisplay=1111″+String.fromCharCode(38)+”qpmr=10″+String.fromCharCode(38)+”site=”+window.location.hostname

    [Via ComputerWorld.com…]

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  • apple tv,  mac os x,  media server,  time machine,  windows

    Seagate Central Home Media NAS Device Review [Updated]

    December 27, 2013 /
    I discovered Seagate Central while looking for a seamless Macintosh and Windows home backup solution.  Once I started reading more about Seagate Central, what I realized was this little network attached box has a number of nice features for the network connected home.
    Backup All of Your Stuff
    My home has a mix of Mac OS X and Windows desktops and laptops, and Seagate Central makes backing both types of PCs super simple.  Macs can see Seagate Central as a Time Machine server and will work with all recent releases of Mac OS X right out of the box, making Mac backups remarkably easy.  Windows users will need to install the Seagate Dashboard software before backing up files to Central’s hard disk.

    Another useful feature of Seagate Central is that it can backup the pictures and videos that you post to Facebook.  This is an incredibly useful feature as many people don’t backup their smartphones using only social media services as a means for preserving the special moments in our lives that are captured in photos and short videos.  I’m thinking about my wife and her iPhone 4 as a perfect use case here.

    For as useful and easy as it is to backup your Mac or PC to Seagate Central, I do need to offer a word of caution here.  The Seagate Central is a single drive device.  This means, that is the drive in your Seagate Central becomes damaged or fails there is no backup of the backup.  The old be prepared saying goes “one is none”, so if you use Seagate Central as a backup server, I would strongly recommend a second supplemental backup, such as Backblaze.
    Via ComputerShopper.com
    Streaming Media Server
    Seagate Central is also a streaming media server that works with hardware that you probably already have in your home.  To achieve this interoperability, Seagate has baked in Digital Living Network Alliance, or DLNA, services.  This means that the DLNA can talk to your devices like a Sony PS3, Blu-ray players, Samsung TVs and many more devices.  To use Seagate Central as a media server for your connected devices, just connect everything to the same wired or wireless network (802.11n or later is recommended) and grab some hot, buttery popcorn and enjoy.

    What about the Apple TV?  Unfortunately, the Apple TV does not appear to be a DLNA compatible device.  (And why should it be from Apple’s perspective? They want you to purchase and stream your content from iTunes.)  Fear not, Apple TV owners!  Seagate has you covered with their Seagate Media app, which is AirPlay friendly and allows you to redirect content streamed to your iOS over to Apple TV.  The Seagate Media app also works with Android devices.
    Access and Share Your Data
    A unique feature of the Seagate Central server is that you can use it remotely from your Android or iOS device with the free app from Seagate.  Once the Central server is configured and you have installed the app, then you can access your photos, videos, or documents.  Your mobile device will need to be connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot or 3G cellular service.  You can also access the content stored on the Seagate Central server from your Mac or PC using a web browser and even share the content with a private email invitation.  These features are allow you get much more utility our of the Central and effectively gives you your own sharable cloud-based storage solution.
    Pricing & Availability
    Seagate Central is available now and comes in a 2TB ($149.99), 3TB ($179.99) and 4TB ($219.99) models to meet your media and backup needs and budget.  Just as a price comparison, the Apple Time Capsule starts at $299.00 and does not have the streaming media features.  While your individual needs will differ from mine, the 3TB $179.99 version seams to be the best choice for all but the price conscious or those with lots of content to store.
    Conclusion
    The Seagate Central NAS server packs a lot of value in an inexpensive package.  It makes backups simple, streams media to your DLNA-compatible devices, gives you access to your data when you are on the go, provides document sharing, and works with Mac OS X, Windows, Android and iOS devices.  The one thing that I would have liked to see was a multi-drive configuration for data redundancy since Seagate Central is billed as a backup solution.

    Update

    After posting a question about RAID support in Seagate Central, Seagate Support confirmed that Central does not support a multi-disk RAID configuration.  In place of the Central, Seagate recommends their Business Storage 2-Bay NAS for people who want the peace of mind of a redundant data storage device.

     For more information and purchasing options, visit the Seagate website.


    [Seagate Central showroom image via ComputerShopper.com…]
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  • backblaze,  ios,  iphone,  mac,  mac os x,  pc,  software,  windows

    Backblaze – Effortless Backups for Mac OS X and Windows PC

    November 3, 2013 /

    I’ve been listening to the Accidental Tech Podcast and The Talk Show for sometime now and one recurring sponsor, Backblaze, caught my attention.

    Backups are boring and nobody likes doing them.  But, when disaster strikes, everyone wishes they had one.  And that is where Backblaze comes in.  Backblaze, with it’s great team of people, including some ex-Apple employees, is an elegant backup solution that takes minutes to setup and gives you the piece of mind that lets you sleep at night.

    Installation and Setup

    Blackblaze works with Mac OS X 10.5 and later, Windows XP (32-bit), Windows Vista (32 & 64-bit), Windows 7 (32 & 64-bit), and Windows 8.  You download and install a small client application on your computer.  After the easy installation processes, it’s time to configure your backup.  You simply select which hard drive(s) you want to back up, select any folders that you want to exclude from the backup, and set your backup schedule.

    For me, I’m backing up my MacBook’s main hard drive.  I’ve excluded my iTunes movies folder because I can redownload most content from Apple.  I want to make sure that I always have the most current version of my documents backed up all of the time, so I selected the default back up schedule of “Continuously (Recommended)”.  If your installation is anything like mine, you’ve spent about 10-15 minutes setting up the software.

    What I really liked about the client installation is that is a real native application for Mac OS X.  It’s not a warmed over Java application that runs equally poorly on all of the support platforms.  I also appreciate that the developers have made this a “real” Mac application – one with the same look and feel that makes you believe that the application belongs on your computer.

    Be Productive, We Got This

    But you might be thinking, “Ya, but I have a lot of data.  This is gonna cost an arm and a leg.”  Here’s another thing that sets Backblaze apart from other online backup solutions: They will back up all of your data.  All of it.  Got 500MB? No problem.  Got 2TB?  No problem.  You just pay your monthly flat rate fee and Backblaze will back up all of your data.  The software throttles the data streaming back to their data center so get to you keep working the same way you always have.  Continuous backups run in the background keeping your data safe.  Based on my ISP upstream connection and the amount of data I have, my initial backup has been estimated to run about 42 days.  (I don’t keep my Mac on 24×7.  Your milage will vary.  When I last checked, the initial backup is projected to be completed in 22 days.)

    With Backblaze, backups really are a “no brainer” and once the software is setup and running, you can forget about it and just do what you do best.

    Hassle Free Recovery

    When disaster does strike, you won’t have to worry about getting your data back because Backblaze makes recovery super easy.  If you accidentally deleted a folder, overwrote that important document or photo, or had a hard drive crash? Getting your data back is easy.  Login to the Backblaze website and select the computer that had the file.  Backblaze gives you four options for recovering your data: Single file download, multi-document .zip file download, restored data on a USB flash drive, or restored data on a USB hard drive.  The first two options are free, the flash drive option is $99 with a 53GB file maximum, and the hard drive option costs $189 for up to 3TB of data.

    To help with your data recovery, the web UI data restore console allows you to navigate the folder structure on your hard drive or search for files/folders.  Have an iPhone?  Don’t forget to download the Backblaze iOS app.  With it, you can download individual files right to your iOS device.  That’s really handy if you need to look up some information that is back at home or the office when you’re out or at a customer site.

    It’s aways a drag when a hard drive or computer dies.  But there is nothing more infuriating when the data loss is due to a stolen computer.  If you enable the feature, Backblaze has a Locate My Computer feature that can be used to locate your computer based on it’s network connection.  It’s a nice little bonus at no additional charge.

    Plan Pricing

    The personal plan that I selected is $5/month, but you can get down as low as $3.96/month if you pre-pay for two years of service up front. You can change your subscription plan at any time.  Business plans are $50/year per computer.

    Conclusion

    No body likes to run backups on their computer.  With Backblaze, backups are super simple and easy to setup.  When you need to, Backblaze makes it easy to get your data back a hassle free process.  If there is only one software service you buy this year, make it Backblaze.  You’ll be glad you did.

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  • microsoft,  windows,  windows 8

    Microsoft Pulls Security Update That Kills Windows 7 PCs

    April 12, 2013 /

     Microsoft, earlier today, sent out a report urging customers who have applied the MS13-036 security patch for Windows 7 based PCs to uninstall it.  It appears that MS13-036 can cause Windows 7 PCs to crash in such a way that the OS will need to be reinstalled for the computer to become usable again.

    Gregg Keizer, writing for ComputerWorld.com this afternoon writes:

    “The patch, which was originally issued Tuesday, has been pulled from Microsoft’s Windows Update service.

    But the company told users who had already installed it — or had it installed for them by Windows’ Automatic Updates — to remove it as soon as possible. “Microsoft recommends that customers uninstall this update,” the company said in a support document.

    Microsoft yanked the patch in response to widespread reports that it was generating the notorious “Blue Screen of Death” (BSOD) error message and by rebooting repeatedly, making the PCs useless.”

     If you have Windows 7, regardless of platform or architecture, I would suggest that you uninstall the patch, which you may have applied manually, or via Microsoft’s Windows Automatic Updates.  The reason why this patch is such a problem is it attempts to update the ntfs.sys driver that tells Windows how to read and write to the computers disk drive(s).

    Given all the latest news about customers sticking it out with Windows 7, Windows XP, and even Windows Vista, conspiracy theorists will probably think that this is a ploy to get people to upgrade to Windows 8.  Released last year, Windows 8 has seen a much slower adoption rate by consumers and businesses and has been recently blamed in popular media as a major cause for the sharp decline in new PC sales over the 2012 holiday shopping season and first quarter this year.

    [Via ComputerWorld.com…]

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  • mac os x,  microsoft,  office,  office365,  windows

    Office 365: Office on Demand

    February 19, 2013 /

    Now that Microsoft has rolled out Office 365 Home Premium the free beta trial period is over.  (You still get the first month free.)

    Unlike previous retail versions of Office, Office 365 is a subscription service.  You pay a monthly or annual fee to use Office and you can install Office 365 on up to any combination of five Windows PCs or Macs.

    One of the new features of Office 365 is that you can “stream” the applications you subscribe to using a feature called “Office on Demand.”  Office on Demand works with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Publisher and works with any PC that allows you to login to your Microsoft account that has a persistent Internet connection.

    The video below gives you all the details to get started.

    http://hub.video.msn.com/embed/735797f4-8163-46f6-b275-e3a1046e7e6b/?vars=bWt0PWVuLXVzJmNvbmZpZ05hbWU9c3luZGljYXRpb25wbGF5ZXImZnI9c2hhcmVlbWJlZC1zeW5kaWNhdGlvbiZsaW5rb3ZlcnJpZGUyPWh0dHAlM0ElMkYlMkZvZmZpY2UubWljcm9zb2Z0LmNvbSUyRmVuLXVzJTJGc3VwcG9ydCUyRnVzZS1vZmZpY2Utb24tYW55LXBjLXdpdGgtb2ZmaWNlLW9uLWRlbWFuZC1IQTEwMjg0MDIwMi5hc3B4JTNGdmlkZW9JZCUzRCU3QjAlN0QlMjZmcm9tJTNEJmxpbmtiYWNrPWh0dHAlM0ElMkYlMkZ3d3cuYmluZy5jb20lMkZ2aWRlb3Mmc3luZGljYXRpb249dGFnJmNvbmZpZ0NzaWQ9TVNOVmlkZW8%3D

    For more information, head over to the Microsoft website.

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  • best buy,  microsoft,  surface pro,  windows,  windows 8

    Microsoft Surface Pro “Sells Out”

    February 11, 2013 /

    This looks like an emerging trend: new gadgets are selling out on launch day.  First is was the new BlackBerry Z10, now it looks to be that the 128GB Microsoft Surface Windows 8 Pro is also flying off the shelf.

    Here is some interesting information on sales estimates for the Surface Pro.

    From the Microsoft Surface blog:

    “Surface Windows 8 Pro 64gb is available online or from store shelves at all Microsoft retail stores in the U.S. […], at Staples and Best Buy in the United States […]. Customer response to the launch of Surface Pro has been amazing. We’re working with our retail partners who are currently out of stock of the 128GB Surface Pro to replenish supplies as quickly as possible. Our priority is to ensure that every customer gets their new Surface Pro as soon as possible.”

    ComputerWorld‘s coverage of the Surface Pro launch:

    “Microsoft’s retail partners for the Surface in the U.S. — had single-digit supplies that in some cases were claimed earlier in the week.”

    Being an self proclaimed Apple fan, I liked John Gruber’s post on Daring Fireball about the subject.  Specifically, the articles he linked to over on the Virtual Pants blog.

    From the Virtual Pants blog:

    “When new products sell out on launch day it usually means one of two things: it’s a hot product or they didn’t make enough. Unfortunately for Microsoft, it appears that the Surface Pro falls into the latter category. My local (Northern Virginia) Microsoft store sold out in 15 minutes, which means there wasn’t much to sell. The local Best Buy sold out too, but only received one unit. The local Staples received and sold a whopping two units. Selling out on launch day doesn’t mean very much when there isn’t anything to sell in the first place.”

    The author over at Virtual Pants, I’m sorry, but I didn’t see their name posted, goes on to do a pretty reasonable estimate of how many units were actually sold this past weekend.  The assumption is that Best Buy and Staples retail locations received 1 – 2 units each, while the 30 US-based Microsoft Stores received 150 units.  The Virtual Pants calculations break down like this:

    “Let’s add up all the Surface Pros sold in the U.S. yesterday based on these estimates: 

    Best Buy: 1,103 stores * 2 units per store = 2,206.

    Staples: 1,575 stores * 2 units per store = 3,150. 

    Microsoft Store: 30 stores * 150 units per store = 4,500. 


    That’s 9,856 Surface Pros sold in U.S. retail stores on launch day. Many more were likely sold online, but less than 10,000 units available in retail stores is an embarrassment by any measure.”

    Huh.  I wonder if Microsoft will release their launch weekend sales figures in the near future.  Remember, this is just an estimate of what Microsoft had out in retails locations in the US this past weekend.  It also doesn’t take into account how many Surface Windows 8 Pro units were sold online.  (My checks at Staples.com and BestBuy.com show the Surface Windows 8 Pro as out of stock.)

    This “sell out” is starting to sound a lot like the BlackBerry Z10 sell out, the Palm Pre sell out (which I was a part of, my “live” blog is here), and as AppleInsider (biased, yes I know) reminds us, the Microsoft Zune HD sell out.

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  • microsoft,  surface pro,  surface rt,  tablet,  windows

    Microsoft Surface Storage Space Disappoints

    February 5, 2013 /

    The Surface, Microsoft’s answer the to the Apple iPad, just went from “Gee, I really want to play with that!” to “Are you friggin’ kidding me?! That sucks!”

    Not that long ago I tweeted that I wanted to get a Surface RT tablet – the smaller form factor version of Surface that doesn’t run full blown Windows PC apps.  The device itself looks to be well made and not too heavy.  The battery life is OK, not great when compared to an iPad.  But the lure of the Surface tablet, whether it’s the Surface RT or the Surface Pro, is that it comes with touch enabled, tablet optimized-ish, versions of Microsoft Office.

    Ok, so far so good.  Ya, Microsoft’s prices are higher than Apple’s, but it’s Windows and Office on a tablet.

    And then Microsoft released the Surface Pro storage specs.  Not good.  Not good at all.

    “Microsoft is getting ready to ship a version of its Surface tablet, the Surface Pro, which features the full Windows 8 operating system installed on the tablet. The device comes in two models, a 128GB and a 64GB. Microsoft even makes a note on the specs of the Surface Pro that formatted storage capacity will be less but doesn’t mention exactly how much less. Want to know the truth?”

    Microsoft has published a storage specifications page over on Microsoft.com detailing how much storage space is left for you to use on your new tablet after the bloated versions of Microsoft Windows and Office are installed.

    The snippets below are from Microsoft’s Surface storage page.  I will note, that only the Surface RT is mentioned by name and I am not sure if that is a typo or if there is another page specifically for the Surface Pro.

    Surface storage

    Important  System software uses significant storage space; your storage capacity will be less. See surface.com/spec.  1 GB = 1 billion bytes

    Surface with Windows RT comes in two storage configurations. Users can select between a 32 GB and 64 GB version of Surface. As with all PCs and tablets, the operating system and pre-installed applications take up a certain amount of available storage. With Surface, you can store and enjoy media content, and also get real work done, right out of the box.  Surface comes with these pre-installed apps you’ll need for work and play[.]


    How much storage space do I have?

    Here’s how much storage you have available out of the box:

    The 32 GB Surface with Windows RT has approximately 16 GB storage available for user content
    The 64 GB Surface with Windows RT has approximately 45 GB storage available for user content

    The one bit of good news is that there is a microsSDXC card slot built into the Surface which allows you to add up to a 64GB of additional storage space.

    To me, this all seems kind of disingenuous.  Yes, when you format a storage device, hard drive, flash drive, flash memory, you lose some space.  That’s just accepted in the technology filed.  It’s true for the iPad, the various tablet’s running the Google Android OS, and even my HP/alm TouchPad.  But when you advertise a 32GB device, and there is only 16GB of usable storage space left, well, then you are selling a 16GB device, not a 32GB device in my book.

    I might still get a Surface RT, but not before they show up as refurbished devices in Microsoft’s stores or other online retail outlet.

    Pricing and Availability

    The Surface RT is on sale now starting at $499 for a “32GB” unit without a keyboard cover.  The 32GB Surface RT with a keyboard Touch Cover goes for $599.  A “64GB” edition of Surface RT with Touch Cover sells for $699.  The Surface RT is available at Microsoft retail stores (if you can find one) and online at Microsoft.com.  You can also purchase them at Best Buy and Staples.

    The Surface Pro with Windows 8 will go on sale on February 8 and is expected to be around $1,000 with a Touch Cover.

    [Via GadgetsOnTheGo.net…]

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  • mac os x,  microsoft,  office,  office365,  windows,  windows phone

    Microsoft Office 365 Subscriptions Now Available

    January 29, 2013 /
    Today, Microsoft has launched the next version of their popular productivity suite, Office 365 Home Premium.  Unlike previous versions of Office, Office 365 Home Premium allows you to install Office 365 on Windows PCs and Macs for a combined total of five installs.
    Since Office 365 is a subscription service, you have to renew your subscription plan.  Microsoft is offering Office 365 for $9.99/month or $99.99/year.  I’m planning on buying the annual subscription.
    Windows users will get access to the Office 2013 software that has also gone live today for business customers.  If you are installing Office on your Mac, you will get Microsoft Office: Mac 2011, the latest version of Office for Mac OS X.
    Also, since this is a subscription service, any updates to Office, are available to you at no additional cost.  (Surface and iPad users should take note of that point as we know that there will be updates to Office on Surface Pro, Surface RT, and very likely, the iPad too.)
    For more information, and to purchase a subscription, visit the Microsoft Office website.
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  • mac os x,  microsoft,  office,  office365,  windows,  windows phone

    Microsoft Office 365 Now Live On Staples Website

    January 29, 2013 /

    Last night I put up a post that I had found Office 365 Home Premium on Staples website.  I stumbled across it looking for prices on the Mac edition of Microsoft Office.

    As you can see from the photo above, Office 365 Home Premium for Windows/Mac is now up, live, and ready for purchase.

    Unlike other retail box and download versions of Microsoft Office, Office 365 is a subscription service.  That means you will be able to use the latest version of the Office software on up to 5 Macs or Windows PCs, that’s the cool part, but you have to pay an annual subscription maintenance fee of $100 annually.  That’s the not-so-cool-but-kinda-worth-it part.

    I need to install Office, specifically PowerPoint, my kids Compaq laptop that they use for school.  I also need to install Office on my Windows 8 Pro box, so I’m excited about this new version of Office.  I get to install/upgrade Office on two PCs, with Outlook, for less than the price of one Office 2010 Home and Business license that I was looking at a few days ago.

    Sound good?  What do you think?

    [Via Staples.com…]

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  • mac os x,  microsoft,  office,  office365,  windows,  windows phone

    Microsoft’s Office 365 Subscription Service Coming Soon

    January 29, 2013 /

    I just found this on the Staples website while searching for “mac office”.  Looks like we can expect the new Office 365 subscription service to go live in the very near future.

    Below are the product details taken from the Staples website.

    Product Details

    You’ll get more done when you can work from anywhere with Microsoft Office 365 Home Premium for Windows/Mac.

    What’s Office 365?

    Office 365 has the latest version of all the Office applications you know and love, plus cloud services so you can have Office when and where you need it. Just sign in and you can get to your Office files, applications, and settings from virtually anywhere.

    Office 365 is an annual subscription. Microsoft and your Office retailer will let you know when it’s time to renew.
    • One convenient annual subscription for the whole household with automatic upgrades included so you’re always up to date with the latest features and services.
    • Install on up to 5 PCs, Macs, and Windows 8 tablets.*
    • The latest versions of: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access.**
    • An extra 20 GB of online storage in SkyDrive (27 GB total) for anywhere access to your documents.***
    • 60 minutes of Skype™ calls each month to phones in 40+ countries.****

    You’ll get more done when you can work from anywhere with Microsoft Office 365 Home Premium for Windows/Mac. All of your favorite Office programs are available for immediate access whenever and wherever you need them, and all of your settings stay stored in the cloud so that you don’t have to alter your preferences every time you log on. Whether you’re sharing a grocery list with family members or working on a project that needs input from coworkers across the country, convenient sharing tools will help keep everyone on the same page.

    Create Documents and Presentations
    Use streaming full versions of Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and Publisher to create the presentation or document you envision on up to five PCs or Macs. New templates, including wide-screen documents and new PowerPoint themes, give you more options than ever before. You can also edit PDFs, embed videos, analyze data, and add photos and links to your projects.

    Get Access Anywhere
    Because all your work is stored in the cloud, you can sign into your account from anywhere and get instant access to your documents and files. You can also share your files with others and easily view any changes that are made, so collaboration is simple. Use OneNote to store clips, links, and anything else you come across so you can incorporate these items into future projects.

    Now your Office is there whenever you need it.

    -Be more productive with a full version of Office, no matter where you are.
    -Sign in to get Office on your PC and Windows 8 tablet, Mac.*
    -Each user can sign in to their Microsoft account to get to their documents, applications, and settings.
    -You’ll always have the latest features and services, thanks to automatic version upgrades.

    Sharing and communicating is easier.

    -Get all the latest email, scheduling, and task tools for the entire household.
    -Use OneNote to capture and share notes, pictures, web pages, voice memos, and more.2
    -Allow others to read and scroll through your Word docs in real time through a browser, even if they don’t have Word.

    Your favorite applications are smarter, too.

    -Incorporate content from PDFs into Word documents quickly and easily.
    -Add pictures, videos, or online media to your Word documents with a simple drag and drop.
    -Create more visually compelling presentations with widescreen themes in PowerPoint.
    -Find meaning in numbers faster with the Quick Analysis and Chart Animations in Excel.

    What it includes:

    -Office for the entire household on up to 5 PCs and Windows 8 tablets, Macs.*
    -The latest versions of: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access.**
    -An extra 20 GB of online storage in SkyDrive (27 GB total) for anywhere access to your documents.***
    -60 minutes of Skype™ calls each month to phones in 40+ countries.****
    -One convenient annual subscription for the whole household with automatic upgrades included so you’re always up to date with the latest features and services.

    System Requirements:
    Computer and Processor
    1 GHz or faster x86 or 64-bit processor with SSE2 instruction set

    Memory
    1 GB RAM (32 Bit) /2 GB RAM (64 Bit)

    Hard Disk
    3.0 GB of available disk space

    Operating System
    Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 2008 R2 with .NET 3.5 or greater

    Graphics
    Graphics hardware acceleration requires DirectX10 graphics card

    Additional Requirements
    Microsoft Internet Explorer 8, 9, or 10; Mozilla Firefox 10.x or a later version; Apple Safari 5; or Google Chrome 17.x.

    Other

    Internet connection. Fees may apply.
    Microsoft and Skype Accounts.
    A touch-enabled device is required to use any multi-touch functionality. However, all features and functionality are always available by using a keyboard, mouse, or other standard or accessible input device. New touch features are optimized for use with Windows 8.
    Product functionality and graphics may vary based on your system configuration. Some features may require additional or advanced hardware or server connectivity.

    *Windows 7, Windows 8 OS, Windows Phone 7.5, Mac OS X version 10.5.8 required. Additional devices will be added in the future. Internet connection required. Internet and mobile telephone usage charges may apply.
    **Access and Publisher available on PC only. OneNote not available on Mac OS.
    ***PC running Windows 7 or 8 and Internet connection required.
    ****See office.com/information for details. Skype account required. Excludes special, premium, and non-geographic numbers. Calls to mobile phones are for select countries only. Skype available only in select countries.
    *****Internet and/or carrier network connectivity required; charges may apply.


    [Via Staples.com…]

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