Hasta La Gadget!

It’s not a hybrid like the ATIV Smart PC, it doesn’t run RT like the ATIV Tab or Windows Phone like the ATIV S, and yet the laptop above is apparently destined to become part of the family. The ATIV Book 6 hasn’t been formally announced, but an accidental and promptly-pulled listing on Samsung’s site suggests that it takes on the shape of a regular high-spec Windows 8 notebook with a 15.6-inch 1080p touch sensitive display, Core i7 processor, up-to-date Radeon HD graphics chip, 8GB RAM and 1TB HDD. In other words, it sounds very much like the equivalently priced Series 7 Chronos, apart from the non-metal casing, the model number and potentially other differences we don’t know about yet, such as broader availability — after all, the Chronos we first spotted in the States was something of a Best Buy exclusive. You’d think the ATIV branding would have to signify something, but history says otherwise.

Filed under: Laptops, Samsung

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Source: SammyHub, Google (pulled listing)

We’ve been hearing quite a lot about Windows Blue lately. Microsoft has only confirmed the Blue moniker, they’ve not said anything else about it. Previous Blue related rumors claim that this update will be akin to a service pack which will be released for Windows 8. It has also been rumored that Microsoft will be releasing Windows Blue as part of the Windows 8 wave, and that it is certainly not Windows 9. According to a new rumor that came out today, Microsoft will actually merge Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, the result will be called Windows Blue. How both of these platforms will be merged, raises some important questions.

Even right now both Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 share a lot of code, they have the same underlying kernel, same Metro UI, networking code as well as cross platform app compatibility. If integration is only limited to the codebases then the changes that Windows Blue will bring are going very nominal. If it is not limited to the codebases, then Windows Blue may be a very big project. It will bring integrate features from both platforms in to one single core OS that will work on all kinds of devices. It is rumored that Windows Blue is being developed by a separate team which is different from the Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 teams.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Microsoft Launching First Innovation Center In China, The Email Guitar Lets You Shred Your Way To Responding To Correspondences,

Microsoft has quietly revealed a third version of its Surface Pro tablet, this time including a full version of Office 2013 Home and Student at no extra cost, though you’ll have to be in China – and read the language – in order to benefit. The “Surface Chinese Edition” is physically identical to the regular Surface Pro tablet, but swaps Windows 8 Pro for Windows 8 for China.

Where the regular Pro tablet comes with a one month trial of Office 2013 Home and Student, however, the Chinese Edition gets the full package. That’s despite the local variant being priced the same for the 128GB model, even though Office 2013 would usually be 699 yuan ($113).

However, there are some limitations too, not least from the underlying restrictions on Windows 8 for China. The biggest is likely to be language support, since the OS can only be used with the Simplified Chinese UI language pack; you’ll need a full (paid) copy of Windows 8 if you want to use any others.

Whether the third variant of the tablet will improve sales for Microsoft, or just confuse them, remains to be seen. The inclusion of the full copy of Office suggests Microsoft is looking to combat software theft – something the low-cost, download-only Windows 8 for China was also intended to do – but having it on sale alongside, rather than instead of, the regular Surface Pro could end up puzzling potential buyers.

Preorders of the new Surface Chinese Edition are open now, priced at 6588 yuan ($1,062) for the 64GB model and 7388 yuan ($1,191) for the 128GB model. They’ll begin shipping come April 10.

[via istartedsomething]

Microsoft adds Surface Chinese Edition to confusing line-up is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Windows 8 is Microsoft’s latest operating system not just for desktops, but for laptops, tablets and hybrid devices that are sort of like a laptop + tablet combined. It sounds like it could be a potentially interesting operating system, but the question is has everyone reacted to Windows 8 the way Microsoft had intended? According to a report from Net Applications, they have compiled data from around the world and have discovered that Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system currently commands a 3.17% market share. While it might not seem like much, this is an increase from its market share in February which came in at 2.79%.

Even at those numbers, it seems that Windows 8 is currently the fourth largest operating system installed, with Windows Vista taking third at 4.99%, followed by Windows XP at 38.73%, and sitting at first place would be Windows 7 at 44.73%. Will we be seeing huger leaps in market share in the future as the operating system gains momentum? We guess we will just have to wait and see.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Windows Blue To Become Windows 8.1 [Rumor], Eizo Releases Networked Monitors,

This week the latest NetMarketShare report has been revealed, showing Windows to continue to dominate PC operating system shares in general, with Windows 8 coming up slowly but steadily. In the information presented today, you’ll find that back when Windows 8 was released – back at the tail-end of 2012, not that long ago – the one operating system here that did not take a significant downward turn (or continue to lose popularity), was Apple’s own OS X. That said, Windows 7′s overtake of Windows XP back several months before Windows 8 arrived places it in the coveted “trusted by businesses” category – Windows 8 doesn’t seem to have gained that badge quite yet.

Another term for what Windows 7 has become, as ZD-Net notes, is Long-Term Support, with Windows XP losing that role at the precise moment Windows 7 took the throne. Now it’ll be several years before Windows 8 takes over 7. With Windows 8 out now and, according to NetMarketShare, appearing to grow in popularity at roughly the same rate Windows 7 did back in 2009, we’ll likely see a business must-use marker in about 3 years.

NetMarketShare currently places each of the top operating systems used at the following market shares – note how Microsoft still essentially dominates the market.

• Windows 7 – 44.73 percent share
• Windows XP – 38.73 percent share
• OS X – 6.9 percent share
• Windows Vista – 4.99 percent share
• Windows 8 – 3.31 percent share
• Linux – 1.2 percent share

Have a peek at other NetMarketShare reports from the past few months and years to see how they’ve tracked not only desktop operating systems, but mobile devices as well. Right this minute, Microsoft is rolling with 91.8 percent of the desktop OS market. It’ll be interesting to see where they are in a few years time – at this rate, they’ll be basically in the same place as they are here – no worries!

Windows continues to dominate PC shares with 8 on the upswing is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.