Jan 14
Just a few short months after leaving Microsoft, the former head of Windows Steven Sinofsky has been busted for firing off some of his tweets from—HOLD THE HANDSET—an iPhone. Traitor! More »
Jan 04
It is a new start for ex-Windows executive Steven Sinofsky. Sinofsky, who left Microsoft in November last year, was a key piece to the success of Windows 7 and Windows 8, as well as Microsoft’s very own Surface tablet. But for the 47-year old Microsoft veteran, success will be easier this time around, knowing that “he’s been there and has done that.” We recently learned that Sinofsky has gone back to his teaching career at Harvard, where he teaches about the “ins and outs” of product development. (more…)
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Man Recovers Stolen iPhone Using Dating Site, Google TV Plans To Make A Big Return At CES With More Partners,
Nov 19
When Steven Sinofsky’s departure from Microsoft came out, it was framed by Microsoft in a way that implied he might have just left, or that that was at least a possibility. Now, ExtremeTech is reporting that was not the case; Sinofsky was straight-up fired by Ballmer. More »
Nov 12
In another big shake up of powerful tech executives, Steven Sinofsky, the President of the Windows Division at Microsoft, is out. AllThingsD is reporting that Sinofsky is leaving amidst “growing tension between Sinofsky and other top executives”. He was once seen as the heir apparent at Microsoft, someone who could possibly become CEO. More »
Oct 26
Microsoft’s Sinofsky says Windows 8 PCs can undercut Apple’s ‘recreational’ iPad mini
Posted in: Today's Chili 
It just wouldn’t be a major Apple launch if there wasn’t a Microsoft executive calling out his old rival, would it? In a chat with AllThingsD, Windows division lead Steven Sinofsky has expressed doubts that Apple’s iPad mini is really a cost-effective pick against the just-launched Windows 8. It’s a $329 “recreational tablet” when there are work-ready Windows 8 laptops that cost $279, he says. He added that there are at least a few touchscreen Ultrabooks that could undercut the non-touch MacBook Air on price, and he ascribed the difference as much to “engineering” as the cost-cutting measures you’d expect.
Sinofsky was naturally just as keen to champion the advantages for work that Windows RT tablets like the Surface have when competing more directly with iPads, alluding to that Office bundle which hopefully keeps us more productive than a copy of Documents To Go. The company President would certainly disagree with Apple chief Tim Cook’s view that Surface is a confused product, calling it a “PC for everyone” that just doesn’t have to be used all the time. He makes valid points on the sheer value for money that you can get from both Windows PCs and tablets, although it would only be fair to mention that he didn’t touch on the currently low Windows RT app selection, or if the OS was exactly what the market wanted — we’d do well to remember that Microsoft alumni have a spotty track record when it comes to predicting Apple’s destiny.
Filed under: Laptops, Tablets, Software, Apple, Microsoft
Microsoft’s Sinofsky says Windows 8 PCs can undercut Apple’s ‘recreational’ iPad mini originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 23:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Oct 16
Microsoft Surface: inside the three-year secret project to build the first great Windows tablet
Posted in: Today's Chili 
The scene: two dozen journalists file into a small auditorium on Microsoft’s Redmond campus. Steven Sinofsky, head of the Windows division, and Panos Panay, general manager of Surface, make their way on stage, each with a tablet in hand. In every audience seat, an elementary-school-style desk with a wrapped parcel placed on top. Inside: a Wonka bar, along with a golden ticket. It’s the day before Surface for Windows RT goes up for pre-order, and in addition to sharing some key pricing and availability details, the company is about to give these lucky reporters a tour of the proverbial chocolate factory, the halls where Surface was conceived and tested.
It’s an apt analogy, when you think about it: the company’s testing chambers and design studios are generally forbidden to people without corporate badges. Even then, relatively few Microsoft employees were aware of the Surface before it was announced to the public. On this day, we’re told we’ll be turned into giant blueberries — or, at least, escorted from the premises — if we wander off or take photographs around the building. There won’t be any first-hand recordings today, and no fresh hands-on material. There are more than 200 custom-made parts inside the Surface, say Microsoft reps, and nothing is there by accident. We’re here to learn more about the specs, as always, but also to get some insight into how Surface came to be: what compromises were made, and what design ideas were abandoned along the way. If gadget porn is what you’re after, you can revisit our first look from June. But if things like display technology and hinge design float your boat (and why wouldn’t they?) you’ll want to meet us after the break for a more detailed explanation of what Microsoft was trying to achieve.
Filed under: Tablets, Microsoft
Microsoft Surface: inside the three-year secret project to build the first great Windows tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Oct 16
Microsoft Surface for Windows RT pricing now official: tablet starts at $499, keyboard not included
Posted in: Today's Chili 
With Surface for Windows RT going on sale in just 10 days, Microsoft is finally ready to talk about pricing and availability — not to mention, some technical details it left out when the tablet debuted back in June. After the Surface product page prematurely went live on Microsoft’s site a few hours ago, the company just officially announced that the 10.6-inch, ARM-powered slate will go up for pre-order at 9AM PT today, starting at $499 for the 32GB version. The 64GB model will cost $599.
To be clear, these prices do not include that snazzy Touch Cover with the flat, pressure-sensitive keys. Rather, it’ll be sold separately for $120. Ditto for the more traditional Type Cover keyboard, which is priced at $130. If you already know you want the packaged deal, however, you can buy the 64GB tablet and Touch Cover as a bundle for $699. Lastly, when Surface starts shipping on October 26th, you’ll be able to buy it on Microsoft.com or at a Microsoft Store (if you happen to have one in your neck of the woods). If you’re hankering for hands-on photos, we’ll redirect you to the first look we published the day Surface was announced. Hopefully, though, we’ll soon get a review unit so that we can supplement our preview with meaty, real-world impressions.
Filed under: Tablets, Microsoft
Microsoft Surface for Windows RT pricing now official: tablet starts at $499, keyboard not included originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul 24
Microsoft to Windows RT OEMs: ‘If your name’s not on the list, you’re not making a tablet’
Posted in: Today's Chili 
China Times is reporting that Microsoft is only letting an elite few companies build Windows RT tablets in order to focus its research and development resources. It reportedly asked three chipmakers to pick up to two OEMs to bring inside the tent, with NVIDIA grabbing ASUS and Lenovo, TI snagging Toshiba and Qualcomm selecting Samsung and HP. However, the latter company dropped out of the program to concentrate on x86 machines, so it’s rumored that Dell’s currently jockeying to take its place. The first wave of completed tablets will arrive on October 26th, and Redmond won’t open up the market until January next year — so expect Windows RT to be the buzz-word CES 2013.
Filed under: Tablet PCs, Software
Microsoft to Windows RT OEMs: ‘If your name’s not on the list, you’re not making a tablet’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jul 2012 03:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jun 26
Microsoft’s been dishing out details on all kinds of goodies we’ll see in Windows 8, and the Photos app is the latest to get the behind the scenes treatment from the Building Windows 8 blog. If you downloaded the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, then you got to check out a trial version of Photos — and its four-column Metro UI that can access your local pics, plus those from Facebook, Flickr and SkyDrive. In the Release Preview, Microsoft’s given users who install the SkyDrive desktop app — regardless of OS — the option to have all their photos archived automatically in the cloud. That means all those photos are then accessible via the Photos app on any Windows 8 device. The app’s also gained the ability to import photos directly, and sharing them’s gotten easier as the Share charm now lets you send them as attachments or SkyDrive links. Want to know more? A fuller accounting of the Photos app awaits at the source, as does a video showing off all the fresh features.
Microsoft dishes details on Windows 8 Photos app originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 01:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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