Search Results for: surface pro

I am not a Windows 10 "fan boy". In fact, I’ve frequently expressed my dislike for many of the UI choices Microsoft made with the new OS. I’ve also noted how unstable Windows 10 can be for some users, and I’ve extensively documented my own woes attempting to upgrade an HP Envy x2 hybrid laptop (still no resolution to that one).

So, when I knew that I’d be writing extensively about Windows 10 -- both for BetaNews and in my capacity as an Industry Analyst -- I made the decision to invest in what I thought would be the best platform on which to test the OS and its myriad features: A Microsoft Surface 3. My thinking was that, to wring the best experience out of Windows 10, you need to give it a fully-compatible hardware configuration. And what better way to ensure such a configuration than by purchasing one of the very devices Windows 10 was designed to showcase?

Continue reading →

More and more devices now either connect through, or are powered by, USB connections which means you can easily find yourself running out of ports. This is especially true of the latest slimline ultrabook type systems.

Adding a USB hub is an easy way of expanding your number of ports and these latest offerings from Inateck give you a choice of solutions as well as a handy way of accessing wired networks.

Continue reading →

Microsoft has released Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 10547 for testers on the Fast ring. The build comes with a number of new features and tons of improvements to Start, Microsoft Edge, and Tablet Mode, among others. Let's dive into it.

Beginning with Start, the company is now allowing users to add a 4th column of medium-sized tiles to it. Until today, users could only have three medium-sized tiles. This adjustment will also allow users to add two large-sized tiles side-by-side if that's what they want.

Continue reading →

"What Intel giveth, Microsoft taketh away". That was the mantra my colleagues and I adhered to when I was leading Intel’s PC benchmarking efforts in the early 2000s. As the resident "HOC" (Highly-paid Outside Consultant) to the company’s Desktop Architecture Labs (DAL), my job was to help Intel’s engineers design the most complex desktop runtime environments possible for the purpose of showcasing the performance advantages of each new PC chip generation. And thanks to a steady stream of increasingly CPU-hungry Windows and Office releases, our thirst for new and interesting stuff to stack atop our shiny new Pentium III and IV test rigs was always satiated.

Then came Windows Vista, and for the first time the CPU demands of Microsoft’s software stack outpaced the average performance of even state of the art Intel designs. Suddenly, Windows was "too fat" to fly, and the subsequent backlash saw the long overdue departure of Vista’s architect Jim Allchin, the ill-fated rise of Steven Sinofsky to Windows development boss, and the much anticipated emergence of Windows 7 as the anti-Vista: A new version that was actually less demanding (in terms of CPU, memory and disk footprint) than its predecessor.

Continue reading →

At its media event on September 9, Apple unveiled the iPad Pro, a 12.9-inch tablet. Touted as a productivity device, the company hopes that the iPad Pro will be the future of computing. Need a tablet? Use the iPad Pro. Need a laptop? Plug-in the $169 keyboard accessory and begin typing. The problem, however, is that at its current state, the iPad Pro is an awfully large tablet and iOS mobile operating system, which the device runs, isn't good enough to replace your desktop operating system.

After talking to a number of people -- both tech enthusiasts as well as average Joes -- one thing was pretty clear to me: nobody finds the iPad Pro exciting. A couple of people are actually looking forward to the iPad mini 4, which is the successor to the iPad mini 3, and largely carries the same hardware as the last year's iPad Air 2.

Continue reading →

The days of the traditional “clamshell” laptop are numbered. With every major hardware vendor (even Apple) now embracing the detachable keyboard format of Microsoft’s Surface device, the writing is on the wall -- or more accurately, on the digitized, pen-enabled screen.

With all of this newfound Surface love it’s hard to believe that, just a few months ago, Microsoft’s attempt to set a qualitative (and aesthetic) example for its hardware OEMs to follow was mocked and openly dismissed by its suddenly hostile partners. The Dells and HPs of the world were too busy experimenting with awkward tablet-like PC device designs that bent, folded or clicked into equally awkward base units, and they certainly didn’t appreciate Microsoft jumping into the market with its own, competing devices.

Continue reading →

With the hype surrounding the iPad Pro debut subsiding, now is a good time to take stock of what Apple really announced and also poke some holes in a few of the more hysterical predictions coming out of the financial industry.

First off, what the iPad isn’t: A laptop killer. Yes, Apple is providing a very Surface-esque keyboard accessory (though one that’s infinitely less adjustable). And yes, they’ve finally figured out how to do split-screen task switching (calling it “multitasking” is being too generous to iOS). But the net result is still just a bigger iPad which, in turn, is really just a blown up iPod Touch.

Continue reading →

Even before Apple officially unveiled its new “professional” grade tablet, the seeds of its demise were being sown. The culprit? None other than arch-rival Microsoft which, by partnering with Hewlett Packard and Dell to distribute and support its Surface Pro line of products, essentially locking-down the enterprise tablet market once and for all.

Some were confused by the recent announcement that these two PC industry stalwarts would agree to resell Microsoft hardware, at least in the enterprise. After all, both HP and Dell produce products designed to compete with Microsoft’s Surface lineup. By adding the Surface Pro 3 (and eventually, Surface Pro 4) to their catalogs, they seemingly risk cannibalizing their own device sales.

Continue reading →

There have been rumors of a super-sized iPad for ages now, but at today’s Apple event Tim Cook finally took the wraps off the iPad Pro -- the most advanced (and largest) iPad ever.

It's a sizable tablet -- 12.9 inches on the diagonal. Cleverly the width of the iPad Pro is exactly the same as the height of the iPad Air, which will allow you to run iPad apps with space to spare. Handy since iOS 9 allows for multi-tasking.

Continue reading →

Apple knows how to put on a show, and today is no different. Even those with little more than a passing interest in the company are (come on, admit it!) eager to see exactly what will be unveiled. For the most part we know what to expect. There's the iPhone 6s, iOS 9 and Apple TV which are all but guaranted to make an apperance, and there have been suggestions about the long-rumored iPad Pro. Whatever the event holds, there is sure to be at least one surprise, and there's not long to wait to find out more.

There's a live stream if you fancy watching the event live, but if you're not able to for any reason we've got you covered with this live blog. Thing kicks off at 10am PDT/6pm BST -- just keep hitting refresh for the latest updates!

Continue reading →

Microsoft's Surface computers are very innovative, mixing some of the the best aspects of both laptops and tablets into one device. Heck, with the docking station, the hybrid computers can serve as solid desktops too. Unfortunately, many manufacturers have largely failed to capture the magic of the Surface line. The HP Spectre x360 is the only machine to meet, and in many ways, exceed Microsoft's tablet for a high-quality Windows experience.

Today, however, this may change. Lenovo announces the MIIX 700, with integrated kickstand and optional keyboard cover. It is largely a Surface clone, and that is a good thing. The tablet features all-new Intel Skylake Core M processors, which should make it very attractive to consumers. Besides being offered solely in black, a beautiful gold version is available too.

Continue reading →

"You can't get there from here". That's how many customers must feel as they ponder the broken Windows 10 upgrade path for first-generation Windows 8 hybrid PCs. With Intel refusing to update the Atom z2760 video driver, and with existing Windows 8.1 drivers providing spotty compatibility, these early adopters are at a crossroads.

Do they stick with Windows 8.1 and watch while the bulk Microsoft's development effort goes into Windows 10 (leaving them clinging to an all but abandoned OS platform)? Or do they bite the bullet and begin vetting potential replacements for their still functional HP Envy x2s, Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2s, Dell Latitude 10s, etc?

Continue reading →

Although it’s primarily designed for business and classroom use, the IN114x DLP projector is a good all-rounder that’s as suited to the home as it is to the office.

It’s affordable, offers decent image quality, and can display 2D and 3D content from a range of sources, including Blu-rays, PCs, and cable boxes. It’s not the smallest projector on the market, but it is compact and lightweight enough to make it easy to transport from location to location.

Continue reading →

Microsoft today notified customers that Surface Hub orders will not ship until January 1, 2016. The super-sized conference-friendly Surface tablet has been available for pre-order since the beginning of July, and Microsoft had already indicated that the original ship date of September 1 was going to be delayed.

Available in both 55- and 84-inch versions, the Windows 10-powered device has generated a great deal of interest, and this is the reason Microsoft cites for the delay.

Continue reading →

We already knew that Windows 8.1 RT Update 3 is coming in September, but recent Windows news has been dominated by the release of Windows 10. The update will be pushed out to Microsoft's Surface and Surface 2 tablets as well as other RT devices, and Microsoft Window's 10 FAQ pages have been updated to explain some of the improvements that users can look forward to.

Nothing has changed with regard to Microsoft's position on Windows 10 for RT devices -- this is still not going to happen. Updates to Windows 8.1 RT is the best that users can hope for, and now the company is starting to advertise -- through Windows 10 -- what the update will bring.

Continue reading →