We’re well into tablet season with the release of the new Kindles and the almost certain release of the iPad Mini next month, but Microsoft’s Surface is in the game too, though we know quite little about it. In an interview with the Seattle Times, CEO Steve Ballmer was kind enough to mention the “sweet spot” for Surface pricing. Unfortunately it’s $500-wide. More »
It would seem that being a Microsoft employee this year would require you to purchase a new jacket, preferably one with large pockets, as it was reported that Microsoft employees will be on the receiving end of Surface tablets, Windows Phone 8 handsets, and Windows 8 computers.
The announcement from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer did rouse quite the enthusiastic response at the end of the company’s annual employee meeting. We are not talking about just a select group of employees, but rather, all of Microsoft’s employees around the world (numbering more than 90,000) will be on the receiving end of a Surface RT tablet and a Windows Phone 8 device of their choice among others. Hmmm, where do I sign up to be a Microsoft worker? One positive thing about this move would be the fact that the Windows Phone 8 user base would gain an instant boost, although the number will not run up to the millions, it is still a boost nonetheless. It might just help make Windows Phone 8 more visible in the eyes of the world.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Office 2013 arrive on Windows RT tablets this November, Microsoft has squashed Marketplace app update bug ,
Microsoft’s ARM-powered Surface tablet that runs on the Windows RT platform has been confirmed to receive Office 2013 this coming November, which is just a couple of months away, so that means you do not have that long to wait, actually. Just what will Office for Windows RT deliver? Well, we do think that you have pretty much gotten all that you need as a basic computer user with the inclusion of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote.
These tools will be made available at first via the pre-installed Office Home & Student 2013 RT package, where you ought to take note that these will not be sold as a standalone product. The full-featured version of Office for Windows RT will arrive virtually over on Windows Update from November until January. The reason behind the time window is due to the language version. Are you excited to pick up your Windows RT-powered Surface tablet before the year is over?
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Microsoft employees enjoy a very Windows Christmas, Microsoft provides a deeper look into Office 2013 RT,
Reprising a Windows Phone 7 giveaway from back in 2010, Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer announced at the company’s annual event that all 90,000 or so full-time employees are getting a taste of its latest hardware. That’s one Surface for Windows RT tablet and Windows Phone 8 phone (we’re told that last time around these came with two year contracts) in late December, along with a new touch compatible office computer running Windows 8, presumably arriving sooner. Forbes indicates those PCs can be a desktop, laptop, ultrabook or tablet, and we have a pic of one employee’s new Lenovo-built slate running Windows 8 on a Core i7 CPU with 8GB of RAM after the break. Pulling an Oprah, again, isn’t just one way to improve employee morale, it also ensures everyone’s familiar with the new products as they roll out and are ready to tell people about them. Will that provide the necessary bump to catch up with the competition from Apple and Google? Only time will tell, but if you’re wondering what to say when someone asks if every single person wants a Surface then our advice follows after the break.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Continue reading Microsoft gifts full-time employees with Surface tablets, Windows 8 phones and PCs
Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Mobile
Microsoft gifts full-time employees with Surface tablets, Windows 8 phones and PCs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 01:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Cloud streaming provider Agawi (formerly “iSwifter“) is making a second major push with its cloud-based game streaming service alongside Windows 8 this October. Beyond the social content it already brings to the iPad — “more than 12,000” Facebook games — Agawi’s second run at streaming is more focused on what it calls “mid-core” and “hardcore” games. But what does that mean? Executive chairman Peter Relan says “mid-core” means “web-based MMOs with a PC download,” versus PC downloads representing the “hardcore.” The example video (below the break) shows Agawi working with a variety of games, though none of the titles in the video confirm potential content partners for the service (Relan teases a fourth quarter reveal of more news). And today, Agawi announced its collaboration with Microsoft Azure, resulting in cloud game streaming across the world of Windows 8 — tablets, PCs, and even its phones.
“Popular AAA games will be made available in the coming months for instant play on Windows 8 devices with no additional work required by developers,” the launch PR promises. Input methods for games vary dramatically by platform, and we’ve already seen what happens when you shove tablet-based touch controls onto a console/PC game (it ain’t pretty). “That’s a publisher decision,” Relan says. “We support the idea of d-pads on the tablet itself. We support pure touch gesture on the tablet. We support point-and-click on the screen — touch and tap. We support swipe for scrolling. We support a full controller, like an Xbox console controller,” he adds.
Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Tablets, Software, Mobile
Agawi cloud game streaming headed to Windows 8, focused on ‘mid-core and hardcore’ games originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 17:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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When Microsoft starts selling its Windows 8 Surface tablets next month, it’ll be at a major retail disadvantage to Apple. Unlike its arch-nemesis, Microsoft doesn’t have 275 branded stores for consumers to line up outside of in anticipation of new products. Microsoft is hoping to tip the scales at least a little bit with a smattering of pop-up retail stores across the country and in Canada. More »
For all we know about Microsoft Surface, questions still abound. Nvidia appears to have answered one of them emphatically today though: Windows 8 games are going to look absolutely sick. See for yourself. More »
Think Microsoft Surface is the only one that gets to have fun with a keyboard hidden in the tablet’s cover? Hell naw, quoth Archos. The Gen10 XS Tablet is bringing some old-style clickity-clack to the tablet game. If only they’d made it, you know, work. More »
Microsoft and its OEM partners haven’t been particularly forthcoming on how much the first round of Windows 8 tablets are going to cost, but one Lenovo executive just gave us a hint. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, David Schmoock, Senior VP of Lenovo’s North American division, said that full-on Windows 8 tablets would ring up between $600 and $700, noting that ARM-based Windows RT slates would sell for $200 to $300 less. “RT will play in consumer and retail at very aggressive price points,” he said. This echoes previous reports that suggested Microsoft would introduce the Surface with a competitive $200 price tag. The Lenovo VP didn’t reveal any specific prices, of course, but his estimates would put the ThinkPad Tablet 2 somewhere between $300 and $500. Schmoock also commented on Ultrabook sales, stating that he didn’t think Intel would meet its lofty saturation goals: 40 percent of the market by the end of 2012. “They’ll be a lot bigger than they are now,” he admitted, “but I don’t know if it will get all the way up to 40 percent.”
Filed under: Tablet PCs
Windows 8 RT tablets to sell for $300 less than Intel-based counterparts, says Lenovo exec originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 02:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Acer hasn’t exactly been coy when it comes its opinion on Microsoft’s Surface tablet, but Lenovo believes that it can beat the tablet with some good old fashioned competition. CEO of Lenovo, Yang Yuanqing, voiced his opinions on the company’s latest earnings calls, saying, “Although we don’t like Microsoft providing hardware, for us, it just adds one more competitor,” when asked about Surface.
Lenovo certainly seems confident of its abilities, going on to say that it would beat out Surface in hardware: “[They’re] just one of our many competitors. We are still confident that we are providing much better hardware than our competitors including Microsoft. They are strong in software, but [we] don’t believe they can provide the best hardware in the world. Lenovo can.”
Still, Lenovo didn’t totally call out Microsoft, saying that the company still had a strong relationship due to the Windows partnership: “To be frank, we’re not that worried about [Surface]. Microsoft is still our strategy partner. We are very optimistic on the Windows 8 launch so we will fully leverage that to launch our new products.” The company recently launched its ThinkPad Tablet 2, designed to run Windows 8 on an Intel Atom processor, with HSPA+ and LTE connectivity options, plus security and fingerprint support.
Meanwhile, the company is reportedly planning on releasing an ARM-based convertible tablet later in the year when Windows 8 officially launches. The idea was first shown off with the IdeaPad Yoga, a convertible ultrabook that allowed the screen to fold back on itself so that it could be used like a tablet. The ultrabook is running one of Intel’s ULV Core processors as well as Windows 8 Pro. The ARM version, however, is reportedly running one of NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 processors on Windows RT.
[via CNET]
Lenovo plans to beat Surface with superior hardware is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
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