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Oct 24

HTC One X+ benchmarked vs Jelly Bean Galaxy S III: Fight!

The new HTC One X+ has landed on the SlashGear test bench, and with HTC so especially proud of the performance tune-up its given its Android flagship, we were keen to see how it fared. Day-to-day speed we’ll have to test awhile ahead of our full review, but some early benchmarks should help identify where the Tegra 3 smartphone has been particularly polished. Plus, with the official Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for Samsung’s unlocked Galaxy S III dropping in the UK just earlier today, it seemed rude not to run some comparative scores.

Compared to the One X we reviewed back in April, HTC’s new top-end Android phone steps up to the latest version of Tegra 3, a quadcore running at 1.7GHz. It’s paired with 1GB of RAM and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with HTC Sense 4+; our review model is European-spec, which means no LTE.

We focused on some basic benchmarking tools most Android users are familiar with. First up, Quadrant Standard, which tests CPU, I/O, and 3D graphics performance; next SunSpider, a test of browser JavaScript performance, which gives a good idea of how web surfing compares to other phones, tablets, and even desktops; then Qualcomm’s Vellamo, which focuses on mobile web performance, examining HTML5 crunching abilities and CPU subsystem performance; and finally, AnTuTu, which looks at CPU, GPU, RAM, and I/O performance.

In Quadrant, the One X+ pulled ahead with a score of 6068, over 800 points more than the Galaxy S III, at 5207. The HTC did particularly well in the CPU and I/O subcategories, though the Samsung did much better in memory performance and 3D graphics. HTC’s phone put in a better showing in SunSpider, too, scoring 1082.2ms (lower is better) against the Samsung’s 1215.4ms. Neither managed to quite match the results we saw from the iPhone 5, however, which nipped underneath the 1,000ms boundary with a score of 914.7ms.

Quadrant and SunSpider benchmarks:

As for Vellamo, the scores here were mixed. In the HTML5 side of testing, the One X+ did better, edging ahead with 1894 against the Galaxy S III’s 1615. However, the tables were turned in the Metal tests, with the One X+ managing 491 against the Galaxy S III’s 558.

Vellamo benchmarks:

Finally, AnTuTu. The HTC pulled ahead once more, though again not in all of the categories. In total, it scored 12,945, besting the Samsung in CPU, RAM, and I/O testing. The Galaxy S III, however, scored 12,082 overall, with better performance in the GPU category.

Synthetic tests of smartphone performance don’t tell anywhere near the full story; you can’t say from benchmark results whether a phone will necessarily lag in multitasking, or suffer frustrating pauses in keyboard responsiveness or when trying to open up a well-stocked inbox. They’re a good indicator of the raw potential of the smartphone, however: what well-written apps will be able to call upon to achieve great performance.

We’ll be running the One X+ through real-world testing ahead of the full SlashGear review, but already HTC’s new powerhouse has shown its mettle.

HTC One X+ benchmarked vs Jelly Bean Galaxy S III: Fight! is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Oct 24

Lenovo Windows 8 Convertibles family comes together for hands-on action

Posted in: Today's Chili

This week we’ve gotten the opportunity to take a peek at the nearest-to-final builds of Lenovo’s entire Convertible Windows 8 / RT family this week, including the IdeaPad Yoga 13, IdeaPad Yoga 11, ideatab Lynx, ThinkPad Twist, and ThinkPad Tablet 2. Each of these units is unique in its ability to bring Windows 8 or Windows RT to users in their feature sets that include flipping, turning, folding, and straight up sheathing. While we’ve seen all of these devices before, here lies an opportunity to see them up-close and personal right before review unit time.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13

This machine is what Lenovo is proud to claim as one of the world’s first multi-mode Ultrabooks. It’s got a 13.3-inch 1600 x 900 IPS LCD display with Intel HD 4000 graphics and up to Intel Core i7 processors inside. You’ve got the ability to work with up to Windows 8 Pro on this machine, and it ready to rock in several different display modes.

You can place it upright like a notebook, backwards like a tent, bend up and forward – inverted from its notebook mode, and flat like a tablet. The current MSRP for this device is $1099 USD and it’ll be out in stores relatively soon – exact date to be determined.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11

The IdeaPad Yoga 11 is the more compact version of the unique idea the Yoga 13 presents with a 360-degree folding hinge for multiple modes of use. It also has a massively powerful display of 1366 x 768 pixels across an 11.6-inch HD panel and it works with Windows RT. This tablet-based operating system is powered here by the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor we’ve seen many time before, and the whole unit is just 0.61 inches thick. This unit will be coming in at MSRP $799 USD.

We found both of the Yoga units to be surprisingly high quality for how seemingly dangerously exposed they are at first with the hinge innovation. But the actual execution of the hinge, in all its two-part glory, takes Lenovo’s assurance that they put their products through rigorous battle-testing and delivers. These units look really, really high quality.

Lenovo ideatab Lynx

The Lynx is a tablet that’s also a notebook – a Windows 8-toting oddity that’ll have you amazed that this is truly one of the first Windows 8 Atom-based machines on the market. Up front you’ve got an 11.6-inche IPS LCD display at 1366 x 768 pixel resolution – and it gets quite bright: 400 nit bright to be exact. This tablet works with a full detachable Lenovo Accutype keyboard and will be running with Intel Atom dual-core processors – that’s X2760 dual-core 1.8 GHz. The Lynx has a price of MSRP $599 for the tablet and $149 for the base as of this week.

The Lynx is going to be hitting a rather unique crowd, the same way the Twist will. With the Twist we’ve got the whole machine working with that single bar that allows the display to twist – a bit more fragile-seeming than we’d like to really comment on extensively at this point. The Lynx, on the other hand, appears to have the ThinkPad family in mind with its recognizable keyboard and a full Windows 8 experience ready to rock with Atom.

Lenovo ThinkPad Twist

The ThinkPad Twist has a 12.5-inch 12.5-inch IPS LCD display covered with Gorilla Glass, getting up to 350 nit bright and bringing on the HD with Intel Core i3, i5, or i7 to back it up. The full casing on this machine is 0.79-inches thick and it’ll be running full Windows 8 Pro when it hits shelves. The Twist will be appearing for MSRP $849 USD.

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2

This lovely little beast is the ThinkPad Tablet 2, taking everything great about your everyday-awesome hardcore ThinkPad notebook and bringing it up in a tablet form that’s ready to attach to its own keyboard dock, multimedia dock, and lovely carrying case. The case is able to keep both the tablet and the keyboard base safe in itself at once, both the tablet and the base being essentially the same size, and thusly interchangeable on both sides. This unit has a 10.1-inch IPS LCD display, Gorilla Glass over the front, and Intel Atom inside. You’ve also got wi-fi and AT&T 4G LTE versions available in the very near future – the wi-fi version will be MSRP $649 USD.

Stay tuned for more awesome Lenovo action as Windows 8 and Windows RT takes over the world. Stay close to our Microsoft tag and our Windows 8 tag for the full lo-down as it all goes down over the next few weeks and months. The wave is coming in!

Lenovo Windows 8 Convertibles family comes together for hands-on action is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Oct 23

Surface with Windows RT Review

Posted in: Today's Chili

Microsoft is no stranger to tablets, though with Windows RT and Surface the company is hoping to have its first tablet success. Borrowing frugal processors from the mobile industry and a distilled version of Windows 8, and pairing it with distinctive and high-quality hardware, Microsoft certainly appears at first glance to have ticked the right boxes. Still, in a market where tablets are generally scaled-up smartphones, does Microsoft’s pared-back desktop OS do enough to rid its reliance on the keyboard and mouse? Read on for the full SlashGear review.

Hardware

Windows on an ARM processor is new territory for Microsoft. With Windows RT, the field is open for companies like NVIDIA, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and others to push the sort of frugal chipsets that are more commonly found in Android tablets, reaping potential benefits in power frugality and reduced heat output.

In the case of Surface, Microsoft opted for NVIDIA’s quadcore Tegra 3, here paired with 2GB of RAM. It’s a chip we’re very familiar with from Android phones and tablets, and in fact much of Surface’s other specifications are par for the course in the mobile world. A choice of 32GB or 64GB of storage – no 16GB option, though Microsoft prices its entry-level Surface directly against the 16GB iPad 3 – with a microSDXC card slot, WiFi a/b/g/n, and Bluetooth 4.0.

As you’d expect there are stereo speakers – which are on the quiet side, even at maximum volume – and dual digital microphones, an HD video output which, with the right $39.99 dongle, hooks up to an HDMI or VGA connection, and a cluster of sensors: ambient light to control screen brightness, an accelerometer, gyroscope, and digital compass, though no GPS. Microsoft also isn’t offering a 3G/4G version of the tablet, claiming that consumer research suggests the vast majority of tablets of a similar size to Surface don’t ever get taken outside of the home or office.

LifeCam video recording demo

LifeCam photo examples

Unlike most rival tablets, however, Microsoft has also outfitted Surface with a full sized USB 2.0 port, opening the door to regular peripherals like printers, keyboards, mice, and other accessories. There’s also a “Cover port” which works with Microsoft’s magnetically attached keyboard covers – more on which later. Finally, there are front and rear “LifeCam” cameras, each capable of 720p HD video recording.

Microsoft currently has three hardware packages: the entry-level $499 Surface with 32GB of storage and no cover; the $599 Surface 32GB with a black Touch Cover; and the $699 Surface 64GB, again with a black Touch Cover.

Design and Construction

You have to give Microsoft its due when it comes to design and build: the company’s hardware division may be best known for its range of simple peripherals – keyboards, mice, and trackpads – along with Xbox, but Surface is another level of focus and thoughtful materials selection. If Microsoft needed to borrow any sort of strategy from Apple in tablets, it was attention to detail, and while Surface is distinctly different in its design and approach to mobile computing to the iPad, both slates share an exacting and rigorous conception.

Where the iPad is all curves and tapers, Surface musters angled edges and bevels to make its design mark. It’s crisp, and clean, and beautifully cohesive: its 676g weight is evenly spread through the chassis, meaning it doesn’t feel top-heavy or biased when you hold it in your hand, no matter the orientation. The “VaporMg” – Microsoft’s name for the specially treated magnesium alloy it has used – casing is both smooth and easily gripped, and though it’s still early days has proved reasonably resilient against scratches. It’s also meant to be fingerprint-resistant, though our unit had little trouble picking up enough prints from us to be a goldmine for law enforcement.

Surface with Windows RT unboxing and Accessories

Surface – and Windows RT – seems intended for landscape orientation use primarily, and so Microsoft has fitted the tablet with one of its most distinctive physical features: the pop-out kickstand on the back. Spanning the whole width of the slate, and almost half of its height, the slice of neatly machined metal clicks out with a thunk that’s both aurally and physically satisfying, propping up Surface at a 22-degree angle for typing or watching video. Closing it is equally pleasing, with hidden magnets making sure the stand snicks into position without vibration or wobble.

It’s not just a design afterthought, either. The rear camera shares the same angle – 22-degrees – as the kickstand, which means that when Surface is standing upright the webcam is pointing straight back, not down at the table. The front camera, meanwhile, points straight out from the fascia of the slate, since users are likely to be looking down at it, even when Surface is stood up.

Display

Beyond Windows RT itself, the display is probably the most contentious aspect of Surface. Microsoft opted for a custom-sized 10.6-inch panel that best fit with its keyboard sizing ambitions and the split-pane multitasking of Windows 8/RT, falling in-between the more typical 10.1- and 11.1-inches we’ve seen on slates from other manufacturers. What the company hasn’t done is go beyond the usual 1,366 x 768 resolution, rather than chasing Apple’s third-gen 9.7-inch iPad with its so-called Retina Display.

So, while other tablets are chasing pixels so densely packed you can hardly make them out individually in normal use, Microsoft refuses to join the resolution arms race despite complaints that Surface isn’t at least HD (oddly, even Microsoft seems to quietly agree on some level, since the Surface with Windows 8 Pro due in a few months time has a 1920 x 1080 display instead). Instead, it’s relying on “ClearType HD”, the latest iteration of Microsoft’s subpixel rendering system.

ClearType in fact dates back to late 1998, though it was only turned on by default in Windows from Vista onwards. It works by individually controlling each of the three subpixels – the red, green, and blue segments – in each overall pixel, and in the process effectively tripling the resolution of the screen. So, rather than just treating each LCD pixel (e.g. block of three subpixels) as a whole, ClearType can individually turn on or off each subpixel, allowing for more granular control.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, ClearType met with mixed reactions. On the one hand, it allows for a greater degree of detail than the on-paper resolution of the display would imply; however, because each of the pixels is a different color there is color fringing introduced. Depending on which subpixel is active, that fringing might be red, green, or blue. Some users find the fringing more noticeable; others complain of fuzziness around text. During our testing, at least one person using Surface found reading extended amounts of text could trigger headaches.

Happily other aspects of the display treatment are more successful all round: for instance, optically bonding the LCD and cover glass so as to reduce the distance between the two layers, increase the amount of light transmission, and cut out internal reflections that can lead to glare. It’s a process that’s increasingly being seen on smartphones, but has been slower to appear on larger devices like tablets due to the cost and complexity of the lamination process.

Overall, then, it’s a mixed bag. If your eyesight and ClearType HD play nicely together, then the combination of that and the optically bonded panel help bypass the need for the sort of huge resolutions Apple and Samsung are chasing on tablets. It’s worth remembering that more pixels require greater backlighting and thus a bigger battery (which adds weight, bulk, and takes longer to charge) too.

However, zoom in on graphics in the browser on the Surface and, side by side with an iPad 3, the difference in resolution is clear. It’s the same when you’re viewing photos in the gallery app: the Surface screen just doesn’t look as good.

Windows RT

To say there’s a lot of confusion about Windows RT is an understatement. Microsoft’s decision to split Windows 8 into two versions – one “full” build for the sort of x86 processors from Intel and AMD that Windows has been running on for years, and one pared-back version for ARM chipsets – makes sense in many ways, but poor communication as to the differences between the two means there are bound to be some tears early on.

Although there are numerous factors that separate Windows 8 and Windows RT, the biggest difference is in how software is handled. Windows 8 gets the full gamut of apps, whether they’re from the Windows Store – the on-device app store – or loaded separately, just as Windows users have been installing software for years now. The OS works with so-called “legacy” software; that is, apps designed and released when older versions of Windows were current.

Windows RT, however, is a cleaner break with the past. It doesn’t even try for compatibility with older apps, with no backward-compatibility. If you want software, it will have to be available in the Windows Store, though obviously with Internet Explorer onboard you have access to webapps too.

Muddying the waters somewhat is the fact that Windows RT still allows access to the traditional desktop, even if you can’t load traditional software to it. This is primarily of use with Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 RT Preview edition, preloaded on Surface, and the key app which uses the more familiar interface. Still, in a way, it’s as if the iPad had an option to peel away the iOS interface and reveal OS X underneath, only an OS X that you couldn’t really do much with. There’s no escaping the feeling that Microsoft left the desktop in place in Windows RT simply because it hadn’t had time to refresh Office with the Metro-style interface; indeed, no third-party apps will be allowed to use it.

So, Surface is a balance between two environments, and they do a good job of reminding where Microsoft struggled with tablets in the past. The Live Tile based homescreen, and apps designed specifically to fit in with it, are clean, clear, and easy to use: the epitome of finger-friendly. As on Windows Phone, they can pull in updates from social networks, the calendar, and other sources, and cycle through those new tidbits automatically. You can pin new apps, bookmarks, contacts, or other content to the homescreen; organize your icons into groups and subgroups; pinch-zoom to see your entire app landscape.

Swipe from the right edge into the middle of the display and you get the Start bar, with a button for the homescreen – mimicking the hardware Windows button below the display – as well as Search, Share, Devices, and Settings shortcuts. Swiping up from the bottom of the screen summons the contextual menu, its contents varying depending on what app you’re using at the time. A swipe in from the left flicks through the stack of open applications, in order of their most recent use.

Somewhat confusingly at first, Microsoft has gathered the search functionality into a single, unified hub. When you open the dialog, you can choose to either search across all areas, or to narrow your query down to a specific app, or the Windows Store, or for a particular setting. In addition to local content, you can access files plugged into the Surface’s full-sized USB port, such as from a thumb-drive. Unlike iPad, which isn’t really set up to handle external storage, Surface and Windows RT have no problem mounting an external drive and copying files to and from the slate’s own storage. Alternatively, if you’ve a folder full of videos, photos, or music, you can play them directly from the external drive itself.

If the new interface is a lesson in touchscreen usability, the legacy desktop shows why Microsoft has struggled for so long with its tablet software. For all its UI finessing, you can draw a line between Windows in traditional mode back to Windows XP: small text that is tricky to accurately hit with a fingertip; drag’n’drop that all too often results in a prematurely dropped file or folder. Those prior versions of Windows were designed for mouse navigation, and while it works well with the trackpad on the Touch Cover and Type Cover, it’s simply not intended for fingers to stab at with any degree of accuracy.

Overall, performance has proved solid from the Tegra 3 chipset. The Metro-style interface is slick and responsive; apps open without delay or lag; and the slide-in dialogs like search appear on a single swipe despite what the current app is doing. Microsoft’s multitasking system works similarly well, pulling in an adjustable second panel to the side of the current app, for side-by-side work or play. It’s particularly useful for keeping an eye on Twitter messages or Skype chats while otherwise browsing.

You’ll be spending a lot of time in the browser, since the Windows Store still lags behind in titles compared to iOS and Android, and webapps are a good alternative (or, indeed, the only option in many cases) to native code, so it’s a good thing it’s fast. Side by side with the iPad 3, the SunSpider browser benchmark test came in with a score of 1,128.0ms on Surface and 1,688.9ms on the iPad (faster is better). HTML5 apps and sites run very well, and streaming sites like Netflix have no issues whatsoever.

There’s limited Flash support – in fact, only those sites Microsoft decides simply have to use Flash to give a good experience get to access it – and, while Windows 8 users will have the choice of the Metro-style IE10 browser or the regular IE10 browser on the desktop, the latter with full Flash support, those running Windows RT have the same Flash limits in both variants. That, and the fact that Microsoft’s Flash access policy demands it actively add permission on a site-by-site basis, means most of the time Flash is a no-go on Surface.

That arguably puts RT – and Surface – somewhere in-between iPad and Android tablets for flexibility. For what it’s supposed to do, Windows RT does well. Problem is, Microsoft has done a pretty appalling job of explaining what it’s supposed to do. The baseline guidance is that with RT you miss out on Windows Media Player and Media Center, lack the ability to create HomeGroups and join Domains, and can’t install apps from anywhere other than the Windows Store. On the flip side, it promises instant-on and inescapable Windows Update and Windows Defender, automatically keeping Surface up-to-date and secure.

How much of those messages actually make it through to consumers is questionable, though, and the at-a-glance similarity between Windows RT and Windows 8 is unlikely to help differentiate between the platforms in stores. Surface Pro will span the divide when it arrives in early 2013, but we can envisage early confusion about the limitations and advantages of Windows RT overshadowing its strengths.

It’s fast and straightforward to use, the live tiles are convenient, and the first batch of apps made according to Microsoft’s Metro-style specifications are distinctive, but many users come to Windows – irrespective or unaware of version – expecting to be able to use the legacy software they’re familiar with. And, unless the developers of that software have cooked up a Windows RT version, they’ll be out of luck.

Touch Cover and Type Cover

Windows-based tablets have a long history of working well with keyboards. In fact, slate form-factors have been the Windows tablet minority so far: more common is the so-called hybrid or convertible, usually consisting of a rotating touchscreen that can flip around and then fold flat on top of the keyboard, switching a notebook into a (usually chunky) slate.

Times change, however, and keyboards have become optional accessories not integral parts of the tablet experience. Nonetheless, Surface and its keyboards have been closely developed: one of the reasons Microsoft chased a screen size larger than 10.1-inches was because it reduced tablet width and therefore made the keyboards cramped.

Right now, there are two keyboards to choose from, Touch Cover and Type Cover. The Touch Cover is the thinner of the two, a 3mm-thick slice of touch-sensitive fabric and plastic that docks to the bottom edge of Surface and functions as both a protective cover for the fascia and as a method of faster text entry. Microsoft says it put in several months of experimentation to ensure the magnetic clasp was both sturdy enough that you could dangle Surface from it, but still be so readily detached that a three-year-old could do it (something we tested ourselves).

There are no moving parts, only the outlines of keys laser-etched onto the plastic. Inside, pressure sensors track each touch of your fingers – all ten can be tracked individually at any one time – and decide whether the weight being applied is indicative of your hands resting on the ‘board or actively pressing a key. That point is around 40g of pressure, apparently, though Surface also uses the touch sensitivity to track whereabouts you’re consistently hitting the keys, so that it can continue to register key-presses even if you’re not dead-on with your aim.

It’s not a perfect alternative to a traditional keyboard, but it’s functional and – while we’re now reasonably speedy with on-screen ‘boards – if you stick with it you can reach higher speeds than when typing on glass. There’s a little give and a little textural feedback involved, and together they’re sufficient to coax a few more words-per-minute out. Microsoft claims it takes less than a week to grow familiar with the system, and that in time you can reach roughly double the speeds of a traditional on-screen layout, and though we didn’t quite achieve that sort of rate we were still able to punch out longer emails and other messages in relative comfort.

Those who simply can’t get the hang of a zero-profile keyboard have the Type Cover to opt for instead. Twice as thick, at 6mm, it has mechanical keys – albeit with minimal travel – and adds 0.55lbs to the weight of the Surface, versus the 0.46lbs of the Touch Cover. You get a full five row ‘board, as well as function keys that double as media and navigation shortcuts, plus a trackpad; as with the Touch Cover, closing it on the screen automatically puts Surface into standby.

Even with the extra depth, this is no buckling-spring keyboard. The feel when typing is akin to some of the more recent ultraportable notebooks: key-travel is noticeably curtailed, though we could quickly achieve a faster rate – with fewer errors – than with the Touch Cover. The broad spacebar is a particular boon.

Perhaps the biggest drawback is availability; Microsoft’s launch bundles mean that the only way to buy a Surface with the Type Cover but not the Touch Cover is to opt for the 32GB model. There’s no way to buy the 64GB variant without the Touch Cover too. Alone, the Type Cover is $129.99 (versus $119.99 for the Touch Cover).

Battery

Microsoft rates the 31.5 Wh battery Surface is equipped with for “all day battery life”; it’s a nebulous term, though it translated to real-world performance reasonably well. With heavy use, we managed a full day out of the slate, with a mixture of web browsing, some app use, local and streaming media, and a little camera work. It’s a good, solid showing for the Microsoft slate.

Where things get shaky is in standby time. While we’re used to plugging in our smartphones overnight, every night, tablets can be more sporadic in their usage. The expectation is that they can hold onto a reasonable charge for a more extended period, so that there’s juice available whenever you pick them up from the coffee table.

On that front, Surface falls behind its better rivals. Whereas you can leave an iPad unused for a few days, and come back to it with a fair expectation of having power left, Surface proved more profligate with its standby power. One time, we left it with a claimed 30-percent left on the battery meter, and after around 6hrs – with no active use in that time – it ran itself down and shut off.

Microsoft is still undoubtedly finessing its power management firmware, and it’s entirely possible that a software fix could stem the more aggressive flow of battery life. As it stands, it’s not an insurmountable problem, nor a deal-breaker – like we said, when active Surface posts admirable runtimes – but it’s something you’re forced to consider in your everyday use.

Wrap-Up

In the end, it all comes down to ecosystem. If you’re already invested in Microsoft then it’s a good solution: if you’re a Windows Phone user, or an Xbox 360 gamer, or simply have a background with Windows 7, then Surface will likely fit into your world more smoothly than an iPad or Android tablet might. If you’ve considered subscribing to Xbox Music, Microsoft’s streaming audio service, then Surface makes sense there, too, considering cross-platform apps for that haven’t been released yet.

Personal reactions of ClearType HD aside, it’s hard to be too critical of Microsoft’s hardware. The Surface team has cribbed some of Apple’s notorious attention to detail and applied it with its own spin, and the result is a well-constructed slate with legitimately useful design elements like the kickstand. You could argue that the focus on the Touch Cover and Type Cover are Microsoft proving reluctant to let go of physical keyboards, but using Surface without them is undoubtedly practical and their convenience (and the fact that Office is preloaded, albeit in preview form) means you get the best of both worlds.

Windows RT will undoubtedly prove the sticking point. That it comes late to the tablet game and thus with fewer apps than competing platforms is a given. That there are some for whom Windows itself is anathema is no surprise. However, the poorly-explained – and not easy to ascertain at first glance – differences in abilities between RT and Windows 8 will need time to bed down before Surface finds its niche. That will happen, but with headaches along the way, and it may not be until Surface Pro arrives with its higher-resolution screen and digital pen that Microsoft’s tablet gets the respect it deserves.

Surface with Windows RT Review is written by Vincent Nguyen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Oct 23

iPad mini thumb rejection technology revealed

Posted in: Today's Chili

In the quest to make an iPad mini that takes into account every single little detail, Apple has revealed that they’ve integrated a new Thumb Rejection technology into the iPad mini. In SlashGear’s briefing with Apple this new technology was outlined and it was made clear that it runs at a negative level, this meaning that all apps currently working on the iPad mini will be able to make use of it – anything outside of that circle will have an update soon to make the tech workable. What this technology does is to detect that your thumb is indeed touching the display while you’re holding the iPad mini, rejecting it as you work with your hand that’s working with the iPad mini with “active gestures.”

This Thumb Rejection technology has indeed been tested (hands-on, that is) by our own Vincent Nguyen who confirms that it works perfectly well here at the outset. Holding the device with one thumb near or on the display rejects said thumb as the other hand utilizes the iPad mini’s new 7.9-inch touchscreen. With this technology running on the device with integration on all apps out now, we’ll likely be seeing some heavy mentions (or later realizations) of its simple “it just works” nature.

UPDATE: This technology works on the iPad 4th gen as well – perhaps integration with the rest of the handheld Apple touchscreen-toting universe isn’t far behind?

With the device coming out soon with bezels far thinner than the iPad 3 or iPad 4th generation, it’s no wonder Apple moved forward with an advancement in the touchscreen universe right out of the box. Now we’ll see if this smart tech hits the rest of the handheld smart device world for greatness in mobile gaming, not to mention ebook reading and web browsing.

Have a peek a the timeline below to read and see everything we’ve got to offer surrounding the iPad mini, it’s announcement and release, and our own hands-on experience thus far. This device will be out on the market well in advance of the holiday season and has a real taste for competition chomping. Stay tuned for more hands-on action in the future!

iPad mini thumb rejection technology revealed is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Oct 23

13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display hands-on

Posted in: Today's Chili

It’s the ultraportable road warriors have been begging for, and Apple has finally delivered: after the barnstorming 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina, now there’s a 13-inch counterpart. Freshly announced today, and falling under our eager fingers straight after Apple’s San Jose launch event, the new notebook follows the successful route of its bigger brother. Gone is the optical drive, in comes the super-high-resolution screen, and wide open pop our wallets.

The screen size may be smaller – and lower resolution, too, at 2560 x 1600, though for an overall higher pixel density of 227ppi – but actually the 13-inch model is slightly thicker, at 0.75-inches. In contrast, the 15-inch Retina version is 0.71-inches thick. You don’t really notice the difference, however, and the advantage in weight, with near a full pound dropped, more than makes up for it.

We’ve been wowed before with Retina-level graphics, and the new MacBook Pro delivers the same impact. The mode most often used isn’t actually stretching things to 2560 x 1600, but instead offering an on-paper lower resolution but with smoother graphics all round. The result is clean icons and text of the sort you’ll struggle to find on a Windows notebook.

As before, those who want an integrated optical drive can still find a MacBook Pro to deliver that. The existing 13-inch model remains on sale, though you don’t get the Retina display. It’s also the cheaper option; the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina may be $500 less than the entry-level 15-inch version, but that still means a $1,699 starting price for the 128GB model, or $1,999 for the 256GB version.

Still, you’d have to really, really be addicted to CDs and DVDs to not prefer the form-factor and performance of the new Retina 13-incher. It demands few compromises in graphics processing, either, and further extends the distance between the Pro and the Air branches in Apple’s MacBook range. We’ll look forward to putting it through its paces when we have a review unit on hand.

13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display hands-on is written by Vincent Nguyen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Oct 23

Apple iMac 2012 hands-on

Posted in: Today's Chili

Apple’s iMac 2012 line-up has been revealed this morning, and those hoping for a compelling alternative to the new Windows 8 all-in-one PCs we’ve been seeing have had their wishes granted. Now incredibly thin – just 5mm at the tapered edge – and occupying 40-percent less volume than the slab-sided predecessors, the narrow iMacs are just as impressive in the metal as they are in photos. These are all-in-ones you almost can’t believe contain a full computer; read on for our first impressions.

Apple is very keen to talk up the high-tech manufacturing magic it had to muster in order to make the new iMacs quite so slim, but it’s the end-result that really grabs the attention. The crisp lines are reminiscent of the edges of the Retina MacBook Pro line, with bunched vents running under the chin of the desktop, and bevels in the stand that echo what we’ve seen Appel doing in its high-end notebook range.

What they don’t have is Retina resolution. Will-they-won’t-they chatter had circulated for months, but in the end it seems Apple’s supply chain either can’t supply higher-resolution panels at a cost the company thinks is realistic for consumers, or simply can’t supply them at all. Instead, you get 1920 x 1080 Full HD on the 21.5-inch iMac and 2560 x 1440 resolution on the 27-inch iMac.

What’s changed is the way the screens are layered together, and even without Retina that’s impressive. Optical lamination, just as we’ve seen used on the iPhone 5, brings the LCD IPS and cover glass together into a single pane, for what Apple says is 75-percent less reflection. To our eyes, though, it’s the colors and detail that really stand out. We hope Apple also uses the same sort of technology for a new Thunderbolt Display, as no matter how good that standalone monitor is, it pales next to the 2012 iMacs.

A solid selection of Core i5 and Core i7 chips, together with the speed/capacity advantages of hybrid SSD/HDD storage (if you don’t opt for regular SSDs or HDDs) should keep the iMacs running swiftly too, though we’ll have to wait until we can review them to know that for sure. For now, enjoy our hands-on gallery.

Apple iMac 2012 hands-on is written by Vincent Nguyen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Oct 23

iPad mini hands-on

Posted in: Today's Chili

Apple’s iPad mini is here, and the family resemblance is clear. Slotting in-between the 9.7-inch iPad and the 4-inch iPod touch, the new 7.9-inch iPad mini further closes the ranks of the Apple mobile range, and we wasted no time grabbing some hands-on play following its breathless unveil in San Jose this morning. Read on for some first impressions.

The design is slick and cohesive, with the unibody aluminum back plate curving sinuously around and meeting the glass fascia: everything about the aesthetic emphasizes the relative simplicity of those two halves, though there’s obviously plenty of engineering gone into making them work together. At first glance, the narrow side bezels look somewhat odd, but they make far more sense when you actually pick the iPad mini up.

You can grip it comfortably in one hand, fingers wrapping around the edges just as we’ve praised Amazon’s Kindles and other small ereader tablets for in the past. That, together with the relatively light weight compared to the full-sized iPad, means holding the iPad mini one-handed for extended periods should be comfortable.

The resolution may be the “old” 1024 x 768 of the original iPad and iPad 2, but it’s squeezed into a smaller screen, so individual pixels aren’t so noticeable. Viewing angles are as broad as we’ve come to expect from an IPS panel, and iOS 6 doesn’t look too cramped, either. Steve Jobs may have been scathing about “tweeners” in the past, but – perhaps unsurprisngly, given iOS is also used on the far smaller iPhone and iPod touch – it works just fine on the iPad mini.

Apple didn’t dip under the $300 mark as many hoped, but the premium materials – versus the more common plastics of Android slates – do help differentiate the iPad mini some. Those already invested in the iOS or OS X ecosystem will obviously have a vested interest in opting for Apple’s smaller tablet, too. We’ll know more when we have a chance to play with a review unit, but for now the iPad mini is ticking plenty of the boxes we were hoping it might.

iPad mini hands-on is written by Vincent Nguyen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Oct 23

Apple iPad mini event full round-up [UPDATE]

Posted in: Today's Chili

Today Apple had an event that blasted forth with a collection of smaller, thinner, and much more powerful devices including the iPad mini. This event started with the massive sales of the iPod family as well as the iPhone 5, the new fastest selling phone in history. They moved on with iOS 6 adoption with a 200 million iOS devices mark for the ecosystem – that’s quick! UPDATE: Check our hands-on with the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, iMac 2012 refresh, and iPad mini now!

This event showed iBooks app updated to a new version with Continuous Scrolling for the page-turn-weary. The Appstore that Apple releases this app in has reached 35 billion downloads while the Apple Mac is mentioned as taking the top spots in both notebooks and desktops across the USA.

On that desktop note, the iMac mini 2012 edition was revealed with Core i5 processors inside and starting in at $599 USD. The MacBook Pro with Retina display line was given a new Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro to take on another size market, now the 2nd highest definition display holder in the notebook segment as well. The entire MacBook family was priced as well. The iMac was refreshed with prices starting at $1,299 and busting out with a brand new super-thin body. This update works with a brand new Fusion Drive, a bit of the ol’ fabulous new-age technology on the innards.

The iPad was next on the blocks, of course with a sales number of 100 million units since the beginning. The next generation iPad 4 (or iPad 4th gen) will be working with an updated Apple A6X chip. The whole iPad family will benefit from the update to iBooks Author for authors joining the fun club.

Then of course there’s the iPad mini. This unit will be coming out for $329 for its wi-fi edition and $459 for 4G. Apple went directly for Google’s throat once the iPad mini was revealed with a straight up Nexus 7 vs iPad mini all-out fight on stage, and a full list of iPad wireless carrier partners was revealed as well.

Stay tuned to our giant Apple portal for more news as it pops up, including hands-on action with most or all of the devices listed above!

Apple iPad mini event full round-up [UPDATE] is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Oct 23

iPad mini: $329 for WiFi, $459 for 4G

Posted in: Today's Chili

Apple has confirmed pricing for the iPad mini, the company’s new 7.9-inch tablet unveiled today, with pre-orders kicking off on Friday. The new slate will be priced from $329 for the 16GB WiFi model, while its WiFi + Cellular counterpart will start from $459. However, capacities will go all the way up to 64GB.

The 32GB WiFi-only iPad mini will be $429, while its WiFi + Cellular cousin will be $559. Finally, the 64GB iPad mini will be $529 for the WiFi-only model, and $659 for the WiFi + Cellular. The iPad 2 will remain on sale, priced at $399 for the WiFi-only 16GB, and $529 for the 16GB WiFi + Cellular.

Preorders for the iPad mini will begin on October 26, with shipping of the WiFi-only model kicking off the following week, from November 6. There’s a considerable number of countries getting that model, too:

As for the WiFi + Cellular iPad mini, that will start shipping a couple of weeks after the WiFi version, beginning in the US. International availability will follow after that. More details on the smaller tablet here.

Oct 20

Windows 8 Review

Posted in: Today's Chili

I have a confession to make: I never tried the Windows 8 consumer preview. You see, I’ve been a lifelong Windows user (I can remember my parents making a big deal out of our switch to Windows 3.1), and as a lifelong Windows user, I’ve been burned plenty of times in the past. Most recently, this happened with Windows Vista, so when Windows 7 came along, I decided that it was the only Windows version I needed for the foreseeable future. Sure, I watched plenty of videos and read plenty of articles about Windows 8, but none of those convinced me that OS was something I needed to have on my machine. Yet here I am, reviewing Windows 8 for SlashGear. Can Microsoft’s latest version of the OS persuade this stubborn Windows 7 user that the grass really is greener on the other side? Read on to find out.

Setup

If you’re upgrading from a now-outdated version of Windows, setup is pretty easy. You pop the disc in the tray and let autorun take over from there. Depending on what version of Windows you’re upgrading from, you’ll be presented with a number of options before the install begins. Coming from Windows 7, I was given the option of keeping my Windows “apps,” settings, and personal files, just my personal stuff (which includes things like your desktop and your documents), or nothing at all.

Obviously, opting to move nothing over to Windows 8 will result in the shortest install and setup times, whereas going with the first option will mean that you’ll be waiting a while as everything is moved over. I chose the first option, not realizing that pretty much everything on my hard drive would be spared. I have around 750GB of stuff stored on my hard drive, but despite that, the total time it took to get Windows 8 ready to go was only around an hour and a half. That doesn’t seem too bad, but then again, I don’t make a habit of installing new operating systems all that often, so I don’t have much to compare it to.

Still, regardless of which option you choose, don’t expect your Windows 8 install to be instantaneous. You’re not required to do much of anything until the install is nearly ready to go, so you’ll want to occupy yourself somehow while Windows 8 works its magic. Once the install is almost finished, you’ll be asked to either log into your Microsoft account or create a new one. As far as I could tell, there isn’t a way around this, but the account creation process is quick and painless, so you may as well get it over with.

After that, you’ll be presented with a number of customization options. You’ll be picking your Windows 8 color scheme here, and there are a bunch of different options to choose from. I chose black as my primary color will blue accents – relatively tame, but there are definitely some wild color choices for the more adventurous types (anyone in the mood for an orange Start page?). Naturally, you can change your color settings at any time, and indeed, you’ll have more options at your disposal once you’re doing this within the Settings panel, so don’t fret too much when it comes to picking your scheme – you’ve got a brand new operating system to dig into, after all.

It isn’t long before you find yourself at the Start page, and I have to say, for someone who has been using Windows all his life, seeing that Start page on the screen for the first time can be pretty jarring. We’ll be talking about the Start page in much more depth in just a minute here, so let’s move on for the moment. I was pretty surprised to see that not only did almost all of my programs survive the transition to Windows 8, but they worked just fine after the switch. There will be a few programs that you’ll need to update after you install Windows 8, and you’ll probably need to update those sound and video drivers before you get everything working perfectly, but for the most part, everything was working as it should.

That is definitely something that deserves some attention. The fact that most everything was working properly without me having to do anything else is a major bonus, and it makes upgrading to Windows 8 as headache-free as possible. Naturally, not everything will be working perfectly, but the majority of it should be, allowing you to jump right in and see everything Windows 8 has to offer. Speaking of which…

Start Page and User Interface

By far, the biggest change in Windows 8 is the introduction of the Start page. Gone is the Start button we’ve had since Windows 95, replaced by a screen that’s packed with tiles just waiting to be touched. That’s part of the problem though – while I have no doubt that the Start page will be excellent on touchscreens, it seems kind of unnecessary with a mouse and keyboard. It certainly looks sleek, but whatever advantages it has overthe Windows 7 desktop are, in some ways, lost on me.

That isn’t to say there aren’t upsides to the Start screen. From the very start, it comes packed with handy apps that are actually quite useful – but we’ll get to those later. In some cases, information will be shown right on the tiles, with apps like the News tile giving you a very brief rundown of the day’s top news stories (this is provided you’re connected to the Internet, of course).

More importantly, the Start screen gives you a way to access the apps you have installed on your computer with a quick click – though clicking on any of the tiles that are for programs as opposed to apps that are made specifically for use with Windows 8 will just take you to the desktop. For apps that are designed for use in Windows 8, however, you’re treated to better visuals; Windows 8 apps match the overall design of the Start screen, which does a lot to tie the whole Windows 8 theme together and make the OS stand out from past iterations.

There’s a lot you can do from within the Start screen too. By right clicking on a tile, you’re presented with a number of options: you can remove the tile from your Start screen, remove the program from your task bar (assuming it was there in the first place), uninstall the program entirely, open it in a new window, run it as an administrator, or open the file location. This is all geared toward ease-of-use. Instead of having to open the “Add or remove programs” menu by going through the Control Panel, for instance, you take care of all of that through the Start page. It’s a nice touch, and these streamlined features give Windows 8 an edge over its older OS brothers.

You can also click and drag tiles to move them around the page, or move entire columns of tiles around at once. Once you get enough tiles to fill up the entire page, the Start page begins to extend past your screen, which places a bar at the bottom that allows you to scroll through and see all of your tiles. I didn’t have enough tiles place on my Start page to see how far the entire Start menu can extend, but it certainly looks like it can go on for a while. All of these features allow for a pretty deep level of customization, and it seems like Microsoft wanted each user to have a Start screen that felt uniquely their own.

Speaking of customization, remember how I said earlier that you’ll have a larger array of Start screen customization options at your disposal once you got Windows 8 up and running? Though you don’t have more color scheme options, you do get to pick from a number of different background images through the PC Settings menu in the broader settings hub. Background images range from tame – a few swirls to add a minimalistic accent, for example – to loud and chaotic, such as one that populates your Start screen with jungle animals that look like they just jumped out of the impressionist era. It’s pretty cool, and it does that much more to make your Start screen feel like your own.

While the Start screen is definitely one of the biggest changes to be found in Windows 8, it’s only one part of a larger User Interface overhaul. Move your cursor to the upper right-hand corner of the screen, and you’ll be presented with a menu bar that pops in. By doing this, the time and date will also appear in the lower left-hand corner of the screen, which make it easy to check the time while you’re on the Start screen, but proves rather unnecessary when you’re on the desktop – the time and date are already displayed in the lower right-hand corner of the desktop, after all, right next to the system tray.

In this menu bar, you have five different options. You can open up search, which is a super-fast way to find programs that are installed on your machine; you can open up a share submenu, which will let you share a link to any app on the Windows 8 store; you can click the Start button to be taken to the start screen; you can click the devices button to check the various devices you may have connected to your computer; and finally, you can open up the settings menu, which changes depending on whether you’re accessing the settings from the desktop, Start page, or within apps.

If you’re on the desktop, you have the option of opening up the Control Panel, the personalization hub, your system information, and the help menu. It’s here that you also have access to volume controls, Internet connections, Windows notifications, and power options like shut down, restart, and sleep mode. If your monitor supports it, you can adjust the brightness from this menu bar, and you can also switch between languages supported by your keyboard. Again, this serves to improve ease-of-use over previous Windows versions, as it means that you don’t have to go searching through the Windows Explorer to find these individual submenus.

If you’re on the Start screen, you don’t have as many options with the settings menu, as it only allows you to change your tile settings and opening up the help menu. You also have access to the power, notifications, Internet, volume, keyboard, and brightness submenus from the settings on the start screen, but you’ll most often be accessing the settings menu on the desktop rather than the Start screen.

The settings menu will also change when you access it inside a Windows 8 app. When you do, you’ll be given individual settings for the app you’re using, which is great. Accessing different settings by carrying out the same action saves a lot of time, and it means that you get one straightforward way to do a lot of different things.

By clicking on the upper left-hand corner of your screen, you can quickly switch between your desktop and any Windows 8 apps you have open, whereas by bringing your cursor to the upper left-hand corner and “swiping” downwards (or upwards from the lower left-hand corner), you can open up another menu bar that shows you thumbnail images of your desktop and the Windows 8 apps that are currently running. Clicking and dragging a thumbnail into the center of the screen provides an alternate way of switching between your desktop and Windows 8 apps. In short, by bringing up the menu bar on the side of the screen, you can jump back to any Windows 8 apps you have running without having to go back to the Start screen first, which definitely comes in handy when you need to quickly switch over to check something.

Right-clicking on one of those thumbnails will let you snap the app to the left or right side of the screen, which is basically a dream for multitaskers. This second app will take up about 20% of the screen, but there’s a bar separating the two apps that you drag over to let it take up the majority of the screen when you need to use it. It’s a nice feature to see, but obviously, you might not want to use it as often if you’re using a lower resolution on your display. Screen real estate will already be at a premium if you are, so it might just be a better idea to only look at one app or program at a time.

If you bring your cursor down to the lower left-hand corner of the screen and click, you can switch between whatever you currently have on-screen and the Start page. This is something that definitely takes some getting used to, especially on the desktop, as you’ll need to get your mouse into the corner of the screen before you can click to switch. Anyone who is used to the traditional Start button will struggle with this at first, since you’ll probably find yourself mindlessly clicking in the general area of where the Start button used to be before remembering that it’s been replaced with a Start screen. More often than not, doing this will open up the first program pinned to your task bar, which can lead to some headaches when you’re just starting out. It won’t be long before you get the hang of it, however, and you’ll be switching between the Start screen and the desktop like you’re a Windows 8 pro in no time.

There’s also a lock screen present in Windows 8, which again is something that makes sense for touchscreens but seems a little out of place on desktop PCs. The lock screen is the first thing you’ll see when you boot up your computer, and through the PC Settings submenu you can assign a new background image and designate a handful of apps that will display information. It’s a fancy touch, but as I said, its use seems somewhat limited if you’re using Windows 8 on a desktop.

Make no mistake, Microsoft has made a lot of changes with Windows 8, but for the most part, the Windows we know and love is still intact. The desktop is more or less the same as it was in Windows 7 (with exception of the now-missing Start button, of course), and you can still delve into the depths of your computer by using Windows Explorer. I’ve found that most of the user interface changes Microsoft has implemented in Windows 8 are for the better, though it would dishonest if I didn’t mention that there were some that left me scratching my head. The necessity of the changes may not be immediately clear at the moment, but I think they will be once we examine Windows 8 apps a little closer.

Windows 8 Apps

Windows 8 comes installed with a number of apps right out of the box, though in order to use most of them, you’ll need to be signed into your Microsoft account. Of course, the Start Page is incredibly customizable in the sense that you’ll be able to add any number of new apps you purchase from the Windows 8 Store, so for the sake of brevity, we’re just going to cover the ones that come pre-installed with Windows 8 so you can get a better idea of their purpose.

The usual suspects are all present and accounted for, including Mail, Calendar, and Messaging. Since I signed up for my Microsoft account with my Gmail address, my Gmail inbox was there the very first time I opened the Mail app, but you can add other accounts easily. The Mail app gave me all of the functionality of my Gmail account, which means that by accessing the Mail app, I save an extra step or two by cutting out the need to open up a browser and sign into my Google account.

The same seamless integration mentality applies to Calendar. Upon opening it for the first time, I was greeted with my Google Calendar, and edits I made in my Google account immediately showed up in my Calendar app. That kind of integration can’t be understated – it’s really, really nice to have Microsoft implement something like this. It means that the amount of setup that falls on the shoulders of users is next to nothing, which will definitely be appreciated, particularly by those who feel a little overwhelmed when seeing all of the changes Microsoft has made in Windows 8.

With the Messaging app, you’ve got MSN (or whatever it’s called these days) integrated from the start, but you have the option of integrating other accounts to turn the Messaging app into one big messaging hub. For instance, I was presented with the option of linking my Facebook account to get Facebook chat right in the app – I didn’t take Microsoft up on that offer though, since I’ve never been a big fan of Facebook chat. Still, that will be an option that a lot of people like, so it’s good to have it around.

Next we come to the People app, which like the Messaging app, serves as another hub. You can link all of your favorite social networks to the People app, which means that you collect all of your contacts across multiple accounts and networks in one place. You don’t get the full functionality of each social network along with the People app – you can download individual apps from the Windows 8 Store for that – but it’s still nice to have all of your contacts collected in one place.

The Weather app is powered by Bing Weather, and naturally gives you forecast information for your area. It gives you a very broad range of data, including a five day forecast, an hourly forecast, more maps that you can shake a stick at, and even historical weather information. The Weather app is especially handy simply due to the fact that it presents you with a plethora of information. After checking it out, I see no reason to visit any of the weather sites I used to.

We also have News, Financial, and Sports apps to take advantage of, with each one offering a ton of information from different sources. The Financial app is particularly impressive, as it not only gives you a collection of financial news from a bunch of different publications, but it also allows you to set and follow individual stocks. Not only that, but the Financial app provides you with a list of “market movers,” as well as information on currencies, commodities, bonds, and mortgage rates. You’ve got an impressive amount of information at your fingertips with the Financial app, and it will prove extremely useful for those who follow the market for one reason or another.

The Sports app is similar to the Financial app, in that it gives users a collection of news stories from a number of different publications and allows them to follow their favorite teams right there in the app. By right clicking anywhere in the app, users can bring up a menu that allows them to view news for different organizations and sports, whether that’s the NFL, NBA, NHL, Golf, the Premiere League, of Formula 1.

The News app is pretty straightforward, as it brings you selections of news stories from the political, entertainment, technology, and business worlds. It’s worth pointing out that the news stories you read in the app aren’t as fully featured as those same news stories on the Web – for instance, if the author of the story posts a video, it won’t appear in the app’s reprinting of the article – but it’s still a good resource to use if you need a quick rundown of the day’s top stories.

Naturally, with Windows 8 being made by Microsoft, you’ve also got a Bing app. The Bing app is pretty basic, as it allows for quick search and an overview of trending topics. This one didn’t see too much use from me, because to be honest, even though the Bing app looks good, I’m still a Google guy. There’s also a Maps app to take advantage of, which is powered by Bing and Nokia. The fact that Nokia is along for the ride makes this app instantly appealing, as Nokia has done a lot of good work in the maps space. This is one app that won’t see too much use on desktop, but you can bet that it will get some heavy use on tablets and laptops.

Next we come to SkyDrive, Music, Movies, and Games. SkyDrive is Microsoft’s own cloud solution, but it’s really like any other cloud app out there – choose files to upload to the cloud, and then you can access them from anywhere after you’ve signed into SkyDrive. Xbox Music, Xbox Movies, and Xbox Games are essentially just stores where you can buy movies, television shows, music, and games but they also display the relevant files you have stored on your computer right there in the app. I have to say, it’s nice to see these three get their own apps, since that means that you won’t have to trudge through a bunch of other app listings just to find the entertainment offerings.

Finally, we come to the Windows 8 Store. The Store reminds me a lot of the Xbox 360 dashboard, and more specifically the Xbox Live Marketplace. There are already a healthy number of apps available for Windows 8, and they’re split up into different sections right from the start, making navigation easy as pie. The Windows 8 Store is one of the most exciting parts of the Windows 8, and I’m really interested to see it become even more fleshed out.

I’m already impressed with the apps that Microsoft has packed in with Windows 8, and I’m sure that once developers are pushing out apps for Windows 8 full-time, I’ll be even more impressed. The Windows 8 Store is one of the operating system’s strongest offerings, and its existence makes Windows 8 even better. It helps draw further distinction between apps and actual Windows programs too, and has convinced me that there is a reason for that distinction – before, I thought it was rather pointless to have “apps” that were separate from regular old programs, but Windows 8 did a good job of winning me over. In short, I’m sold, and I look forward to seeing how Windows 8 grows after release, especially from an apps and marketplace standpoint.

Performance

Before we wrap this up, I want to touch on the performance of Windows 8. When it came time to install Windows 8, my copy of Windows 7 was starting to struggle a bit. This, of course, is due to the fact that over the past two years I’ve packed my hard drive with a lot of stuff (most of it worthless, admittedly) and that my computer was starting to show its age somewhat. Imagine my surprise, then, when I booted up Windows 8 for the first time and discovered that it moves very fast.

Opening up the search panel and looking up a program is incredibly quick – much faster than using the search bar in Windows 7’s Start menu ever was. Just the same, switching between the desktop or open apps and the Start page is seamless and almost instantaneous. The sidebar menus pop up quickly when you get your cursor in the right position, and it only takes a few seconds for an app to load after selecting it.

Boot and shut down times have also been significantly decreased. Whereas it would take 30 seconds to even a full minute to boot and shut down Windows 7 (for me at least), Windows 8 boots in about 15 to 20 seconds, and shuts down in about the same amount of time. Naturally, this is going to change depending on the power of your processor and whether or not you have an SSD installed, but for someone who has been chugging along for almost two years with a nearly full hard drive, those times definitely aren’t bad.

Microsoft has also taken measures to hide the fact that some things may not load as quickly as others. Let me give you an example: I have a lot of stuff on my desktop – or at least I did before I cleaned it up a bit for these screenshots. I had so much stuff that, even after booting Windows 7, it would still take an additional 20 seconds or so for the items on my desktop to fully appear. It still takes the same amount of time for my desktop to load, but that’s something I hardly notice anymore, since the Lock and Start pages load instantly once Windows 8 has been booted. Even though the desktop still doesn’t load as quickly as it once did, it’s not much of an issue these days, thanks to how fast the Start and Lock screens appear.

But speed and fluidity in use make up only a small slice of the larger performance pie. The new features that are present in Windows 8 make it much easier to multitask and get the information you need quickly. At the end of everything, Windows 8 represents a lot of improvements for Microsoft, but are those improvements worth an entirely new version of the Windows OS?

Wrap-Up

By now, you’ve read all about my experience using Windows 8, and as a Windows 7 die-hard who was unwilling to change while the rest of the world was talking about Windows 8, I have to say that I’m impressed. Microsoft has made a lot of really smart changes with Windows 8, and very few (if any) seem frivolous.

That alone is worthy of praise, especially since in the past, Microsoft has known to pack new versions of Windows with unnecessary features. True, the Start screen isn’t quite as useful on desktop as it will be on touchscreens, and Windows 8 in general is clearly geared toward to ease-of-use on tablets and laptops. To be honest, it may have been better if Microsoft had put out a version of Windows 8 that was specifically made with desktop PCs in mind, instead of releasing an operating system that tries to work on multiple levels with all sorts of different devices.

I’m not saying that to undercut the advancements made with Windows 8 though, because there are certainly plenty of them. Windows 8 is beautiful, it’s fast, and most importantly, it’s easy to use (once you get through that initial rough patch of adjusting to the changes, at least). Microsoft only made changes where they would matter, and has left much of the Windows we know and love untouched. The company deserves a pat on the back for that one, because it realized that not everything about Windows needed to be completely revamped in this latest release. Some things have been entirely overhauled, there isn’t any doubt about that, but the fact that some things have been left untouched speaks volumes to the idea that Microsoft really thought this through and didn’t simply change for the sake of offering something totally different.

This is only the beginning too; even though I’m impressed with Windows 8 at this early stage, I know it’s only going to get better as the Windows 8 Store begins to flesh out more. I think having apps made specifically for Windows 8 is going to be a big draw of the OS, especially once people get their hands on the full version and begin using apps on a daily basis.

I know there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the extreme UI changes Microsoft has made in Windows 8, and indeed, those changes take Windows in an entirely different direction. As far as I’m concerned, however, the change in Windows 8 is only a good thing and should be embraced. It may not be the Windows we’re comfortable using right out of the box, but it won’t be long before hesitant users begin to realize the value in Windows 8 – the fact that it makes multitasking easier, the fact that it sports a lovely new Start screen, and the fact that ease-of-use has shot through the roof. For that reason alone, Windows 8 is a worthy successor to Windows 7, and worthy of your attention. Dissenters can keep complaining as often and as loudly as they want, but I’ll be too busy enjoying Windows 8 to notice.