Hasta La Gadget!

It’s not a finished, Windows 8-tuned Chrome build, but we’ll take it. Much as Google has been catering to iOS users who don’t have its search completely baked into the platform, there’s now a dedicated Google Search app for the Metro-inclined. Ignore the desktop OS foundation; the Windows 8 app is much closer to the touchscreen-oriented mobile version with its oversized search box, service shortcuts, an emphasis on voice recognition and finger-friendly instant previews of the results. Although incorporating Google search on a Surface will undoubtedly rankle Microsoft’s Bing team, the app could be the ticket for many tablet owners who live in Google’s cloud without using its hardware.

Filed under: Tablets, Software, Microsoft, Google

Google delivers search app for Windows 8 with a touch of tablet optimization originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 21:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Have your doubts about the whole Metro Modern UI thing in Windows 8? Well if this kid is any indication, it’s not hard to get the hang of. With some commands from his dad, and a little (sometimes a little annoying) guidance here and there, he’s able to get around just fine, and he’s only three. More »

Break out the party streamers and balloons — if only in an orderly fashion, because this is the day Office 2013 has been released to manufacturing. The completion swings Microsoft’s attention towards a rollout staggered over the next few months. Wider availability will have to wait until the first quarter of 2013 — such synchronicity with your branding, Microsoft — but companies who’ve sprung for volume licensing will get access as early as mid-November to December 1st, depending on whether or not they’re embracing a Software Assurance plan. In the meantime, Microsoft is offering an easy path for anxious workers by promising a free copy of Office 2013 to everyone who buys Office 2010 from October 19th onwards. The upgraded software might not be cheap for those who aren’t already buying a Windows RT tablet, but it’s likely to be an important piece of the puzzle for anyone hunting down a touchscreen Windows 8 PC.

Filed under: Software, Microsoft

Microsoft Office 2013 releases to manufacturing, reaches most of us early next year originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 21:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When Paul Allen isn’t busy writing memoirs or suing everyone, he’s… providing insightful operating system commentary? While “software reviewer” isn’t normally part of his job description, Allen has seen fit to dissect Microsoft’s Windows 8 interface and learn how the company he co-founded is getting along without him. It’s coping gracefully, thank you. The industry pioneer has decided the OS has a lot of promise for tablets, where the touch interface and legacy Windows support could provide the best of both worlds. He doesn’t spare his former coworkers from criticism, though: he warns that the split between the Windows 8-style UI and the traditional desktop is potentially confusing, notes the absence of useful Android and iOS features like touch-friendly app folders, and doesn’t find the conventional Windows interface very practical with fingers alone. It’s hard to ignore the soft spot Allen likely has towards the platform he fostered for years, but his preview still offers a unique perspective on what many of us will see in three weeks.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Software, Microsoft

Paul Allen takes a look at Windows 8, finds his ex-workmates mostly doing well originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 15:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More than a few people are upset that Microsoft’s latest OS might require booting to Metro — sorry, the Windows 8 user interface — no matter little they care for that touch-optimized home screen. Hacks might already exist to revisit the conventional desktop, but Thinix is catering to that inner Luddite on a truly polished level through its just-launched RetroUI. The app skips more than just the sea of tiles: it can lock out certain Metro features altogether and push out to everyone on a network in the event that new UI is just too much for the office to handle. At $5 for every three PCs ($5 per PC in offices), it’s a cheap way to pretend that all of Windows 8’s changes are under the hood, and there’s still a fallback if you’ve decided to embrace Microsoft’s vision after all. Just don’t let Steve Ballmer know what you’ve done.

Continue reading Thinix RetroUI lets Windows 8 users step off the Metro, stick to the classic desktop

Filed under: Software

Thinix RetroUI lets Windows 8 users step off the Metro, stick to the classic desktop originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 06:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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