Friday, November 23, 2012

Analyzed in Detail Earlier; Now Just a Runover


In my previous post, I mentioned the last week of October 2012 as quite eventful for Microsoft. After years of R&D, the company took the tech world by storm with the release of three delightful products—Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and Surface. Now almost a month has passed by after their arrival. So far so good for the software whale. And obviously users too seem to be reasonably happy. Here my attempt is to make a gist of all information that we have provided in our previous posts on these three offsprings of Microsoft.

Launched on October 26, 2012, Windows 8 is an astutely designed touchscreen-friendly operating system. Though it may seem a bit confusing for the first time to use, this OS has really impressive features. What I feel as the plus point of Windows 8 is the security aspect. There is UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) to ensure that only recognized applications are run, keeping the PC secured. Even the Windows Defender in this OS is a comprehensive malware removal tool, which is much more advanced than in its previous avatar. In simple words, you no more need additional security software to safeguard your PC. Sounds great, right? The list of exciting attractions does not end here. You can check e-mails, messages, photos, upcoming events and much more, without unlocking the Windows 8 OS. To make things more fabulous, there is also provision to share photos with your friends over social networking sites. In an attempt to make the OS more bewitching, Microsoft has made changes to the Task Manager as well.

Now let us pass on our focus to Microsoft Surface tablet that was brought out on the same date as of Windows 8. Though Surface was initially expected to be a strong contender to Apple iPad and Google Nexus, it failed to receive the response as anticipated. Though Surface is more appealing and has better storage memory and screen size to Nexus, it seems to have lost a bit as the screen resolution and the camera feature are much behind both Apple iPad and Nexus. Though, the price of the three are very much on par, in my view, challenging Apple is a far cry for Surface at least for the for the time being. 

Windows Phone 8, the second generation mobile phone operating system from Microsoft, comes with designed looks to allure users. Apart from the appearance, the Phone OS also has several attributes that can make you may fall in love with it. There are Hubs (People Hub, Games Hub, Photos Hub, Music and Video Hub are few among them) to keep you engaged while relaxing after a long day. Microsoft has taken care to add improved version of Bing Maps in Phone 8. Although, certain performance issues galore in the initial run, yet Microsoft has taken a note of it and will soon come up with an update to fix all such hiccups, so to speak.

Very recently Microsoft has also introduced Play To feature that, with its enchanting features, opens wide opportunities for app developers to create apps for Microsoft products. Speaking from the user’s side, it provides him a wide range of apps to opt from the Windows Store. It is worth mentioning here that since last month and a half the number of apps in Windows Store has gone up from 5000 to 120,000 and Play To will surely act as a catalyst to take the number much much higher. 

All in all it’s a good beginning for the reimagined operating system from Microsoft and its mobile phone version. However, Surface needs to resurface in an enriched state to capture the market. Let’s wait till January for the time being.



Windows Phone 8: Will Microsoft Give Google and Apple Tough Days Ahead?



The last half of October 2012 was quite eventful for Microsoft. Within days Windows 8, Surface tablet, and Windows Phone 8 came to life. Well, not sure if Steve Ballmer and team were really looking out for additional pull by bringing out three pro genies almost at the same time. Whatever it may be, Microsoft has reasons to smile. I am not here to delve more into Windows 8 as many experts have already analyzed it previously. Let us leave out as well Surface tablet as we have already done a sneak peek into it. The focus here is on Windows Phone 8, the latest phone OS from the company. 

To begin with, let me make it clear that Windows Phone 8 is a tile-based experience. If you are not fond of tiles, then Windows Phone 8 is not your cup of tea. For those who are still puzzled as to what the ‘tile’ is all about – they are squares on the home screen that hold several apps inside. I loved this feature as it saves my time in scrolling down to search for each app. Wait. Did I say that you can pick the color of your choice for each tile along with its size? Well, Microsoft gives you the facility to do that as well.

Now if you ask me as to which among the tiles in Windows Phone 8 is my favorite, my vote will be for FlightAware. As the name suggests, it lets you provide flight details including sudden cancellation. Now you know why a frequent traveller like me finds this app captivating. Speaking about frequent travels, how can I miss photo tile where I can add and share latest snaps clicked at various tourist destinations?

Microsoft has made Windows Phone 8 look really amazing and enchanting. Some may cry that the looks are just an extension of Windows Phone 7, but I opt to differ with them. And comparing with the new Android and iOS versions, Windows Phone 8 looks really genuine and fabulous.

Another interesting aspect about Windows Phone 8 is Hubs. People Hub, Games Hub, Photos Hub, and Music & Video Hub are places where content, apps, and social networking all comes together. Whereas with the Music & Video hub you can watch You Tube and Vevo content along with viewing your own videos, the People Hub is all about contacting your friends and dear ones via Phone 8. This includes Skype, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Group messaging and sharing photos on SkyDrive are other facilities that you avail on People hub.  Another feature that is worth mentioning here is the new Wallet app that lets you opt to pay via mobile phone. I feel Microsoft is here inspired by Google Wallet app.
   
If photography is your passion, then Windows Phone 8 is certainly meant for you. The camera feature in Phone 8 lets you experiment with snapping, and reduces the need for separate editing tools. And once you’ve clicked the shot, you can upload it and share it among friends via Photos Hub. Apart from sharing your snaps, Photo Hub also lets you view photo galleries of your friends. Another interesting attribute of Windows 8 Phone is that you can read a new message on Facebook or WhatsApp, or a mail even in locked form. Oh I forgot one more thing. There is a Kids Corner as well where you can provide restricted access of the smartphone for your child. 

What about the browser? Very nearly the IE 10 of Windows 8, it loads even the most complex of pages correctly and quickly. Speaking about search, the Bing search tool is more integrated to the OS and Bing Maps are considerably improved than in the previous version. And when it comes to entertainment, Xbox SmartGlass is a welcome addition and Zune is the thing of the 

When it comes to the most elementary features of Windows Phone 8, to begin with, you can bring together your contacts on all services you use. For instance your Skype contacts show up in the People Hub, along with contacts from various social media platforms. The touchscreen keypad is convenient to use even for a Generation Y'er like me and in my word, the word flow autocorrect feature is simply amazing. And since typing has become more suitable, various Office apps (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and the likes.) become more useful. Finally, if you are bored of typing, you can also switch to voice recognition and dictate.


As per initial reviews, all is well with Windows 8 except a few aspects mentioned here. So, to conclude that Windows Phone 8 is perfect is well, wrong. One major problem with Windows Phone 8 is continuous rebooting. Recently someone told me that his OS gets rebooted some 8-9 times a day. That’s really awful! Though personally I have not faced the issue of continuous rebooting, my problem is about battery leakage. Another common problem is the sinking of e-mails. There are couple of other issues; but limited to Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC Windows Phone 8X handsets. They include random lockups, hard resets and freezing up of OS as well. 

Barring these glitches, I personally feel Windows 8 Phone is as good as Android or iOS (if not better). Anyways Microsoft is already investigating the problems, and soon plans to release an OTA update to fix the issues.

 



Image by: Okalkavan

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Bring Delight to Your Viewership Experience With Play To




Just a few days back I reported that Microsoft Surface tablet has several drawbacks in comparison with Apple iPad and Google Nexus. One of them being, although you cannot call it Surface-specific here, is comparatively lesser number of apps that one can download via the Windows Store. However the Redmond-magnate is taking rapid strides to reduce the gap, so to speak, with the likes of Android Market and Apple Store. The recently outlined Play To feature for instance, which I would highlight here, is one such effort to encourage app developers worldwide.

So what exactly is this so called Play To feature. Well, as the name suggests, with Play To you can play music and videos by streaming them on Xbox and other supported devices on your home network. That’s fine; but what is so special about Play To here; it’s just sharing of media after all! The answer to this query is the enhanced experience that Play To brings to the realm of home-bound connectivity. With this feature at your disposal sharing will be as simple as a flip. All you have to do is to install the app with Play To feature integrated in your Windows 8-based PC and let it do the talking with your networked devices.

So how this entire thing works? Once you deploy this Play To centric app, it detects and automatically installs all Play To certified devices in precisely 30 seconds (devices can be added manually as well). And once it’s done, all you have to do is to swipe your favorite video or photo to play it on the big screen TV or, for that matter, play your favorite music on your living room speakers. It’s that simple. Play To forms place in all media focused apps from Microsoft; even Internet Explorer 10 has Play To. So you can stream videos and music directly from web pages as well.

There are various aspects of Play To that are meant for enhanced viewership experience. From selecting photos to e-mail while a slideshow is being played on your TV, to pre-buffering the next item in the playlist, and accessing the devices from anywhere in the app, Play To comes with various features that would literally make you say – Wow!

And when it comes to Play To certified devices, a number of world renowned consumer electronics companies are working on Play To certification spanning multiple device categories including televisions, set top boxes, speakers, and audio receivers. In my view, within next few months all new multimedia devices will come with Play To certification. Keep visiting our Windows 8 Blog for more updates. 

Image by:  Scott Ableman

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Surface Tablet Loses Out to iPad and Nexus; Early Days Though


Microsoft enjoys a big clout in the software market. The Redmond-based tech-mogul expected this goodwill to play in its favor while launching Surface tablet. A potential contender to Apple iPad and Google Nexus—this was Microsoft’s claim about Surface when it was first made available for pre-orders almost a month back. But in the initial run-in it seems that the much hyped tablet from the world’s largest software maker may just lag behind its competitors. For those who disagree with my statement here, what I put forward are certain factors where Surface can go off the beam.

I think it is fair to begin with the positive aspects of Surface tablet. At least I won’t sound too harsh, calculated and biased towards Bill Gates and Co. The Surface tablet scores over its main rival Google Nexus over certain features. For instance, Surface is more appealing than Nexus. Even when we talk about storage memory, and screen size, Surface gains more points. But it loses the game when the same features are compared with that of the iPad where Surface falls flat.

Learning from past experiences is the virtue of wisdom. But it seems that Microsoft hasn’t gained much after the fiasco of Windows Vista. Microsoft still takes buyers for granted and expects them to gulp anything that is provided. The software tycoon believed that the massive hype created over Surface tablet will drive in more sales. However, at least in the initial going, it didn’t happen. Assuming the users to come for Surface, when gizmos with more advanced features are available in the market, was according to me a grave error. Microsoft should have done real homework before taking on Apple iPad and Google Nexus; for they are experienced players on the turf. 

An ardent Surface fan can claim that a 16GB Surface is available at a lesser price tag than the iPad, but both are equally priced when the comparison shifts to 32GB and 64GB versions. So Surface isn’t the clear winner here.  Moreover, even the screen-resolution of Surface is much lower than the other two.

Talking about the camera feature, iPad has a 5 MP camera whereas Surface has a 1.5 MP one, which is not that much captivating. Even the Windows  Store has lesser number of apps to select and download from. However, with time it might catch up with Android and Apple Store and probably Play To can help here.

So here are my final words. In spite of receiving massive attention Surface has so far failed to script its success story. The very fact that initial sales figures, as per company sources, are modest to say the least adds teeth to my statement here. But Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft is optimistic that demand for Surface will grow up with the release of a more advanced Surface Pro in the first quarter of the next year.

Although Microsoft will have to rework on several aspects so as to compete with iPad and Nexus, I hope the company will do everything possible to emerge as the most sought after tablet maker in the market. 

Image by: methodshop

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Windows 8: Microsoft Wins the First Round; Second Seems Easier


Windows 8
I am not sure if a fortnight is time enough to analyze the changes. Especially when it is about a product and the impact it created on the market. Here the name that I refer is Windows 8, the latest entrant from the lineage of Microsoft. Two weeks have passed by after the vivacious debut of the operating system.  As the initial brouhaha is now done with, let us now see what’s in with Windows 8.

First up is the flexibility to deploy apps in Windows 8 that, according to Microsoft, has really caught the eye of companies from various spheres across the world. As per a statement from company sources, several global brands including Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution, Johnson & Johnson Services Inc., Rooms To Go Inc., Bank of America Corp., PCL Constructors Inc. etc. have started deploying Windows 8 apps to meet their business needs. Remember how this very flexibility made Apple iPad an instant hit. Similarly, Microsoft is quite optimistic that its business apps will change the way businesses interact with their customers.

It is strange that even being so well advanced and finely packed with sophisticated features that can keep the users go raptured, Windows 8 is criticized from certain corners. A big accusation is that Windows 8 works fine only on touchscreen, and with a mouse and a keyboard, the OS fails to score any points. However I rather put a question mark to such claims as my experience with Windows 8 is really enchanting. As its user for the past two weeks, I can vow that the OS functions flawlessly even with a mouse and a keypad (by the way I own a Dell desktop). And above all, the OS is far more secure than its predecessors.

Windows Phone 8
Any talk on Windows 8 is incomplete without mentioning Windows Phone 8. Launched just eight days back, the second generation Windows Phone mobile operating system has already succeeded in grabbing the hearts of tech geeks, thanks to the enticing features bundled in it. Speaking about Windows Phone 8, there is no doubt that this gadget is a perfect gift for its highly sophisticated look and functions. The pre-launch doubts on its capability to take on Apple iOS 6.0 and Android 4.1 has now vanished. Some may argue that apps in Windows Phone 8 are inferior to iOS 6.0 and Android 4.1. Personally I prefer to disagree with this. The Mango successor carries numerous features that can keep a normal tech savvy chap engaged. For example; look at the recently introduced Slacker Radio app that lets you create and share your own custom music stations. Experiencing music is now no more the same. And who can forget Kids Corner, a unique feature designed to keep your kids engaged without misusing it. And of course, Microsoft has promised to roll out more apps so as to make the mobile operating system perform better.

The memory storage in Windows Phone 8 is expandable, whereas you can’t do this on iOS 6. I feel Microsoft scores better here. When we speak about high resolution displays, the phone OS is no inferior. Even when it comes to playing music and movies on mobile phones, my choice will be Windows Phone 8, for its classy features.  To add further, Windows Phone 8 has hardware specifications including multi-core processors and near field communications (NFC). Now you can make payments with your smartphone and can connect the phone with other NFC-enabled devices without any difficulty.

There was a bit of confusion among the users in the beginning on how to use the Windows 8 copy. This was because the company went for slight different appearance. Though many eyebrows were raised on this neo-look, users found the features friendlier and advanced than the prior versions. If the claims of Microsoft are to be believed, the new version of Windows reached four million people in just three days; an unbelievable record. No wonder Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was so animated at the Redmond-BUILD where he revealed the sales figures. From the words of wisdom that Ballmer uttered during the BUILD, the new Windows Store will make it easier for the developers to market their apps. So the next in line is the comment by developers.


The whopping support that Windows 8 has garnered from around world has compelled the company to push its target to 400 million. Yes, the company now wants to sell out 400 million OS copies by the end of the year. If things go as planned by Microsoft, hitting the target is no big deal at all.