Thursday 25 October 2012

Everything you Wanted to Know about Windows 8 :

Microsoft released a new version of its Windows operating system this week, one designed to make desktop and laptop computers work more like tablets. It represents the software company’s effort to address the growing popularity of smartphones and tablet computers, namely the iPad.

The new software is a radical departure from previous versions of Windows. The familiar start menu on the lower left corner is gone, and people will have to swipe the edges of the screen to access various settings. There will be a new screen filled with a colourful array of tiles, each leading to a different application, task or collection of files. Windows 8 is designed especially for touch screens, though it will work with the mouse and keyboard shortcuts, too.
Tony Roos, an American missionary in Paris, installed a free preview version of Windows 8 on his aging laptop to see if Microsoft’s new operating system would make the PC faster and more responsive. It didn’t, he said, and he quickly learned that working with the new software requires tossing out a lot of what he knows about Windows.
File photo: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer comments on the Windows 8 operating system. AP
“It was very difficult to get used to,” he said. “I have an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old, and they never got used to it. They were like, ‘We’re just going to use Mom’s computer.’”
Windows 8 Launch Event
Windows 8 is the biggest revision of Microsoft Corp.’s operating system since it introduced Windows 95 amid great fanfare 17 years ago. Ultimately, Windows grew into a $14 billion a year business and helped make former Chief Executive Bill Gates the richest man in the world for a time. Now, due to smartphones and tablets, the personal computer industry is slumping. Computer companies are desperate for something that will get sales growing again. PC sales are expected to shrink this year for the first time since 2001, according to IHS iSuppli, a market research firm.
The question is whether the new version, which can be run on tablets and smartphones, along with the traditional PC, can satisfy the needs of both types of users.
There will be several versions of Windows 8:

Windows 8 :
Windows 8 Home Screen

Like its predecessors, Windows 8 will run on computers with processing chips made by Intel or Advanced Micro Devices. There’s a basic version designed for consumers and a Pro version for more tech-savvy users and businesses. The Pro version has such features as encryption and group account management. Large companies with volume-licensing deals with Microsoft will want Windows 8 Enterprise, which has additional tools for information-technology staff to manage machines.
Windows RT
Windows RT :
For the first time, there will also be a version running on lower-energy chips common in phones and tablets. That version will run on tablets and some devices that marry tablet and PC features. While tablets with Windows 8 can run standard Windows programs, the RT devices will be restricted to applications specifically designed for the system. Borrowing from Apple, Microsoft is allowing RT to get applications only from its online store, and apps must meet content and other guidelines.
Windows Phone 8 :
Windows 8 Phones
While Windows 8 and RT will be out on Friday, the phone version won’t be available until an unspecified date this fall. Microsoft has an event on it Monday and may announce more details then. Nokia and Samsung Electronics already have announced plans for new Windows phones.
You can get Windows RT and Windows Phone 8 only by buying devices with the software already installed, while Windows 8 can be purchased as an upgrade as well.

Here's how you can get - Windows 8 : 
Buy a new PC:
Desktop, laptop and tablet computers with Windows 8 already installed will go on sale on Friday. Several PC manufacturers including Samsung, Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard and Dell already have announced details about their new machines, while retailers have trained staff to explain and demonstrate the new system. Microsoft will also have its Surface tablet with Windows RT out, with a Windows 8 version coming later.
Upgrade your PC:
Those who have bought a Windows 7 PC (other than the Starter Edition) since June 2 will be able to buy Windows 8 Pro for Rs 699. The offer applies to Windows 7 PCs sold until January 31, and the upgrade must be claimed by February 28.
To claim the offer, register the machine at https://windowsupgradeoffer.com. You’ll get an email with a promo code, which you can use to get the Windows 8 upgrade online.

Those who bought a Windows PC before June 2 will be able to upgrade for $39.99 (Rs 2150 approximately). You must already have Windows XP with Service Pack 3, Windows Vista or Windows 7.
Those who prefer buying a DVD to upgrade will have to pay $69.99 (Rs 3800 approximately).
Before buying the upgrade, check to make sure your machine is strong enough to run Windows 8. Microsoft lists the system requirements here.
Not sure if you have what it takes? Microsoft has an upgrade tool that will stop you if you try to buy Windows 8 without the requirements. The tool will also warn you of software that might need updates to work on Windows 8. Go to http://windows.com starting Friday to get started.
If you’re upgrading from Windows 7, the tool will let you keep settings, personal files and applications. You can migrate settings and files from Vista and files only from XP. You’ll also have the option to start fresh and bring nothing to Windows 8.
Microsoft hasn’t said what the cutoff date for Windows 7 will be, but expect to be able to buy Windows 7 as an upgrade for another year or pre-installed on a new machine for two more years.
After Windows 7 came out in October 2009, for instance, retailers were still allowed to sell boxed versions of the predecessor, Vista, until October 2010. PC makers were able to sell Vista machines until October 2011.
Microsoft plans to continue providing technical support for Windows 7 until 14 January, 2020.
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Wednesday 24 October 2012

Apple iPad Mini review :

Apple made its play to dominate the fast-growing tablet market on Tuesday by unveiling an "iPad mini" - a new tablet half the size of its existing iPad - to compete with Google's Nexus 7 and Amazon's Kindle Fire.

Apple iPad Price

But the price may prove a barrier for potential buyers considering it against its rivals: the iPad mini will start at $329 (£269 in the UK), against $159 for the cheapest Kindle Fire and $249 for the Nexus 7.
Even so, Apple chief executive Tim Cook pointed to the momentum that Apple has built up in the tablet market, saying that two weeks ago the company had sold its 100 millionth iPad - "unprecedented for a new product in this category," he said. The first iPad went on sale in April 2010.
The new iPad mini With a 7.9-inch screen, this is perfectly sized to be stuffed in Christmas stockings. Recipients who will discover the pleasure and convenience of being able to take pictures, surf the Web, watch video, read books and listen to music on an exquisitely designed device that's pancake thin.
As the company usually does at its product unveilings, Apple Inc. only provided reporters with limited, strictly supervised access to the iPad Mini on Tuesday. That meant I could only experiment with it for about 15 minutes, but as an experienced user of the iPad 2, I could quickly see that the smaller tablet does just about everything its bigger brethren does.
Even though the Mini's screen is 1.8 inches smaller than the standard iPad, the movie "The Avengers" looked lush, even in a side-by-side comparison with the larger tablet. When I pulled up the latest issue of the New Yorker, I didn't have to strain to see the text or pictures on the smaller screen. A quick check of other websites verified that the Mini's screen isn't so tiny that it's going to cause a lot of squinting. After I took a very crisp picture of another reporter testing out a Mini, I decided to email it to her to test how easy it was to use the keyboard on the smaller screen. No problem there. Best of all, the iPad Mini can be held in one hand and is about half the weight of the larger iPad.
The Mini worked so much like my standard iPad that it immediately caused me to have second thoughts about a decision I thought I had already made. I like my iPad 2 a lot, but it's just too big to carry with me wherever I am. But there have been times I really wish I had it with me, like when I spot something that would make a great picture or when I've needed to check something on the Web. For various reasons, I didn't want a smartphone that would require a data plan, so I had my mind set on buying the latest iPod Touch, which has an iPhone-size screen and superb camera.
Apple iPad Mini VS iPad 

Now, the iPad Mini has me vacillating. Apple isn't making it easier with its pricing strategy. The latest iPod Touch with 32 gigabytes sells for $299. An iPad Mini with 16 gigabytes of storage sells for $329. I'm tempted.
Like others who will no doubt be weighing the same decision, I'll have to make up my mind. Do I want something that can fit in my one of pant pockets like the Touch? For starters, it comes in more colors than the black-or-white Mini and offers more storage capacity for a cheaper price.
Or do I want to pay a little more for another tablet computer that can slip into a coat pocket and offer a richer experience with a screen nearly two times larger than the new Touch?
The iPad Mini is so mighty that I can't believe the iPad 2 will be on the market too much longer. The iPad 2's $399 price now looks like too much, given that the iPad Mini can do just about everything it does on a slightly smaller screen. The iPad 2 still may have some appeal for people who want a larger tablet at a lower price the newest iPads, but I can't see too many consumers buying Apple's second-generation tablet now that the Mini is available.
Consumers who aren't set on buying one of Apple's devices will have even more choices to make. The iPad Mini is clearly aimed at siphoning sales away from the Nexus 7 tablet that Google Inc. began selling four months ago and the longer-established Kindle Fire from Amazon.com Inc. Figuring out which one is best-suited for you (or that special someone on your shopping list) will likely come down to weighing price against performance.
Amazon sells a Kindle Fire HD with 16 gigabytes of storage and 7-inch screen for $199 and a similarly sized Nexus 7 goes for $249. That means an iPad Mini will cost $80 to $130 more, a price that Apple believes is justified because it boasts more features, such as front and back cameras. The Mini's reliance on aluminum instead of plastic for its exterior also makes it look more stylish and more enjoyable to hold.
If the speculation on technology blogs pans out, Google might make things even more interesting - and dizzying for holiday shoppers - by introducing a $99 version of the Nexus 7 in the coming weeks.
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