• 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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  • android,  chrome,  google

    How To Access Hidden Full Screen Web Browsing In Chrome Beta For Android

    February 5, 2013 /

    When Google announced that it would begin offering a Chrome for Android Beta Channel, we knew that Google would be updating the app regularly and also add new features for users to test. One of the new feature, however, is not official and is well hidden by the Chrome Beta for Android. That feature would be full screen Web browsing and here’s how to enable it.

    [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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  • apple,  icloud,  ipad,  ipad mini,  iphone,  ipod touch,  troubleshooting

    How To: Back Up Your iDevice with iCloud

    January 29, 2013 /

    I’ve always been a firm believer of running backups your important documents and other data like photos, music, and videos.

    Over the years, Apple has done a good job enhancing iCloud to automatically take care of this for you on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.  With last night’s little iOS 6.1 upgrade disaster, knowing that I had a recent backup of my iPhone meant that I was only going to have to deal with the reloading my backup and not have to worry about lost photos, text messages, and all the rest.

    Here are a few quick steps to make sure you have iCloud backups turned on and how to run an immediate backup if you want to – like just before an iOS upgrade.

    Turning on iCloud Backups

    Step 1: To get started, tap on Settings from the Home screen.

    Step 2: Tap on iCloud on the Settings page.

    Step 3: Sign in to your iCloud account if you haven’t already done so.

    Step 4: Scroll down to the bottom of the iCloud page, and tap ‘Storage & Backup’.

    Step 5: Near the bottom of the page, set the ‘iCloud Backup’ option to ‘ON’.

    Step 6: Tap the ‘Back Up Now’ button at the bottom of the page to start a backup immediately.

    Bonus Points: At the very bottom of the ‘Storage & Backup’ page, will be a message telling you when the last time a successful iCloud backup was completed.

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  • apple,  ios,  ipad,  troubleshooting,  upgrade

    iOS 6.1 Upgrade Loads Without Problem on My iPad 3

    January 29, 2013 /

    For all the trouble I had installing the iOS 6.1 upgrade last night on my iPhone 4S, the same upgrade when flawlessly on my iPad 3.

    From what I can tell, it was a fluke that something when wrong on my iPhone. I’m a member of #TeamPure and I don’t jailbreak my gear so I’m really unsure of what actually went wrong.

    I’ll just chalk it up to ‘fun and excitement with technology’ and get back to using my iDevices.

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  • apple,  ios,  iphone,  troubleshooting,  upgrade

    My iPhone 4S is OK, iOS 6.1 Installed

    January 29, 2013 /
    I was annoyed this evening while untangling a failed iOS 6.1 OTA upgrade this evening.  The good news is that my iPhone is alive and well.  I did have to spend a ridiculous amount of time downloading and reinstalling iOS 6.1 via iTunes to get the iPhone out of recovery mode.
    In the end, I was able to get my iPhone working again, but after the install of the iOS 6.1 upgrade from iTunes, the iPhone is behaving like a new device.  Looks like a little while longer getting my iCloud backup restored and making sure everything truly is back to normal.
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  • apple,  apple tv,  ios

    Apple TV Software Upgraded to 5.2

    January 29, 2013 /

    Along side the iOS 6.1 upgrade released today, Apple also rolled out Update 5.2 for current model Apple TV boxes.

    Users can download the update directly to their device by choosing the Settings application on the Apple TV, then choosing “General,” and “Software Update.” The full list of changes in the update, according to Apple, are:

    • iTunes in the Cloud: Brows and play your purchased iTunes music directly from iCloud.
    • Up Next: See upcoming songs when playing music, and easily choose what plays next.
    • Bluetooth Keyboard: Use your Apple Wireless Keyboard to control your Apple TV.

    [Via AppleInsider.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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  • apple,  ios,  ipad,  ipad mini,  iphone,  ipod touch,  upgrade

    Apple Updates iOS to 6.1

    January 29, 2013 /

    While I am waiting to recover my iPhone 4S from a failed iOS 6.1 upgrade, we might as well read Apple’s iOS 6.1 press release.

    CUPERTINO, California—January 28, 2013—Apple® today updated iOS to version 6.1, adding LTE capabilities to 36 additional iPhone® carriers and 23 additional iPad® carriers around the world, so even more iPhone 5, iPad mini and iPad* with Retina® display users can experience ultrafast wireless performance** to browse, download and stream content at blazing fast speeds. To date, iOS users have uploaded over nine billion photos to Photo Stream, sent over 450 billion iMessages and received over four trillion notifications.

    “iOS 6 is the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, and with nearly 300 million iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices on iOS 6 in just five months, it may be the most popular new version of an OS in history,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iOS 6.1 brings LTE support to more markets around the world, so even more users can enjoy ultrafast Safari browsing, FaceTime video calls, iCloud services, and iTunes and App Store downloads.”

    iOS 6 features include Siri®, which supports more languages, easy access to sports scores, restaurant recommendations and movie listings; Maps with Apple-designed cartography, turn-by-turn navigation and Flyover view; Facebook integration for Contacts and Calendar, with the ability to post directly from Notification Center, Siri and Facebook-enabled apps; Shared Photo Streams via iCloud®; and Passbook®, the simplest way to get all your passes in one place. Additional updates in iOS 6.1 include the ability to use Siri to purchase movie tickets in the US through Fandango, and iTunes Match℠ subscribers can download individual songs to their iOS devices from iCloud.

    iOS 6.1 is available as a free software update today. iOS 6.1 is compatible with iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad (third and fourth generation), iPad mini, iPad 2 and iPod touch (fourth and fifth generation). Some features may not be available on all products.

    You can read the complete iOS 6.1 press release on the Apple PR website.

    [Via Apple.com…]

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