Hasta La Gadget!

Fujitsu is talking tablets again, and specifically how Windows 8 plays nicely with its touchscreen line-up that now includes the Stylistic Q572. The 10.1-inch Windows 8/Windows 8 Pro slate joins the Stylistic Q702 and Lifebook T902 first announced earlier this year, with an AMD dualcore Z-60 APU processor and 4GB of memory, along with Radeon HD 6250 graphics.

The Stylistic Q572 also has a choice of solid-state drives – from 64GB to 256GB – and digital pen input with a dual-mode finger/stylus touchscreen running at 1366 x 768. Connectivity includes optional 4G LTE, standard WiFi, optional Bluetooth, gigabit ethernet, HDMI and both a USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 port.

There’s also a docking connector, memory card slot, two digital microphones, audio in, audio out, and a pair of webcams: HD resolution up front, and 5-megapixels on the back. The Q572 measures in at 273.5 x 176 x 13.9 mm and weighs 820g.

Meanwhile, the existing Fujitsu tablets each get an upgrade to Windows 8, with the Intel powered Stylistic Q702 – shown above – running the new OS on an 11.6-inch docking hybrid form-factor, complete with a detachable keyboard. Alone, it will run for over 4hrs, but when docked it will last for up to 9.5hrs, Fujitsu claims.

Finally, the Lifebook T902 is a convertible 13.3-inch model with a choice of Core i5/i7 processors, a swiveling 1600 x 900 touchscreen, integrated optical drive, and optional 4G LTE. It’s more powerful than the other models, though the compromise is weight and bulk: at 1.89kg, it’s a hefty notebook to carry around in your arms all day.

Fujitsu’s updated range will go on sale alongside Windows 8, on October 26. Pricing is yet to be confirmed.

Fujitsu gets touchy-feely with Windows 8 tablets is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

With the dawn of Windows 8 coming in this next quarter, it’s time for Microsoft to brace itself for a big change – or what they hope will be a big change after a rather modest financial report here in their Q1 report for 2012. This report has them coming in at $16.01 billion in revenue, which is good, with $5.31 billion in profit, which is certainly OK, but not spectacular for the beast of a company. This update has them coming up over their Q4 report just one quarter ago, but compared to last year at this time, the big M isn’t doing nearly so well.

Last year in this quarter, Microsoft reported a $7.2 billion dollar profit. That’s nearly $2 billion more than what they’ve reported here, and certainly has something to do with the same situation that basically every hardware company has reported this year thus far – low PC sales. It’s time for the next page though, Microsoft must hope, with Windows 8 coming out in just about a week from now.

This update has Microsoft setting aside a lovely $1.36 billion in revenue for Windows and Office upgrades, and the real wave must be coming. Once we’re another quarter in, it’ll be the real test – with the release of Windows 8 and Window Phone 8 could come either a brand new high point for the company or a rather unprecedented low. We’re guessing the former, especially considering the pre-sale sell-out status of the Surface tablets the company is placing so much faith in here before their big launch.

Have a peek at the timeline below for some additional insight in to Windows 8 and the next generation that’ll be popping up by the end of the month. Are you ready for Microsoft to open a new page for the PC world? We certainly hope so.

Microsoft Q1 earnings report swings Windows 8 in like a lamb is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It’s Microsoft’s turn at quiet-before-the-storm quarterly results, and that’s evident in the fiscal first quarter earnings it just dropped on our laps. The Redmond team is reporting $16.01 billion in revenue, but a more modest than usual $5.31 billion in profit over the summer — while it’s healthier than the Q4 loss stemming from the aQuantive write-off, it’s not as impressive as the $7.2 billion profit from a year ago. While a tough PC market is partly to blame, it’s equally hard to say that Microsoft couldn’t have done better. There’s a real chance that some of its customers have been holding back on purchases in anticipation of the Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 launches; it’s already setting aside $1.36 billion in revenue for Windows and Office upgrades. The company is unquestionably preparing itself for a giant spike in demand once at least Windows 8 rolls around later this month, so we’d say that the real litmus test will be the results we get after the holidays.

Continue reading Microsoft announces Q1 earnings with $5.31 billion in profit, braces for Windows 8 surge

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

Microsoft announces Q1 earnings with $5.31 billion in profit, braces for Windows 8 surge originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 16:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer has revamped its Aspire ME and XC Series desktops in time for Windows 8, with the new PCs offering Microsoft’s latest OS in a choice of form-factors and with pricing from under $400. The Acer Aspire ME micro tower packs a choice of Core i5 or Core i7 processor, along with up to 10GB of DDR3 memory (16GB max), up to 2TB of stoeage, and a useful charging bay on top with USB ports and a handy nook to store and rejuice your smartphone.

Select models get discrete graphics, and all come with two space PCI-E x1 slots and a single PCI-E x16 slot; an optical drive bay is also free. Two 3.5-inch HDD bays support “easy swap” expansion, and can be accessed without either opening up the chassis or resorting to tools, while external storage can be hooked up via the four USB 3.0 ports or eight USB 2.0 ports. You also get HDMI and VGA, along with Bluetooth 4.0 HS.

As for the Acer Aspire XC, that’s a small form-factor desktop with a more humble Core i3 2130 processor and up to 6GB of memory, paired with up to 1TB of storage. HDMI and up to eight USB 2.0 ports are present, along with a front memory card reader, and there’s 5.1-channel sound, just as on the larger machines.

Both come preloaded with the company’s AcerCloud software, which can turn them into media servers and even wake them up when a remote device decides it simply must access that Enya album you ripped back in the 90s.

The Acer Aspire ME is priced from $649.99, while the Aspire XC starts from $399.99; both will hit stores on October 26.

Acer Aspire ME and XC desktops get refreshed for Windows 8 is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

There’s been some confusion floating about regarding the operating system on Microsoft’s Surface device, of which the $499 version running RT has sold out on pre-sale already. What’s that, you ask? Windows RT? Doesn’t Surface run Windows 8? Yes and no. Microsoft has started training employees on the difference between the two, but many consumers are still confused.

The current version of Surface runs Windows RT, which is a version of ARM-optimized Windows 8 that has been stripped down, and is not compatible with older Windows programs. A version of the Surface tablet that runs Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro will be released in the relatively near future, and will be compatible with current Windows software. As you can imagine, this is a huge deal for the average consumer, who will likely look at the Surface tablet, see a Metro screen that looks like Windows 8, and assume that their favorite programs from yester-year will run on the device.

In a statement Microsoft gave CNET, the company said: “We are working to ensure our store teams provide a great experience to our customers purchasing Surface or a new Windows 8 PC…by GA, store associates on average will have completed more than 15 hours of training on Windows and Surface.” To further help consumers, Microsoft also has a “Help Me Choose” page on its Surface website, which explains that Windows RT works exclusively with Windows Store apps.

Still, the average consumer is going to assume by default that Surface is running the same Windows they’ve known their whole computing life, and that it will run the software they already use. Unless Microsoft highlights the differences between RT and 8 in a way that is both front-and-center and easy enough for the non-tech public to grasp, it risks having a lot of disappointed buyers whose enthusiasm for the new gadget turns sour as they realize that it’s not all they were hoping. This could then have a big impact on the success of the Surface Pro, which actually will run Windows 8.

[via CNET]

Microsoft training staff on the differences between Windows 8 and RT is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.