Hasta La Gadget!

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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Ahead of the Windows 8 launch, Sony has just announced its line up for the United States, with the Sony Vaio Tap 20 and the Sony Vaio Duo 11 being the most striking Windows 8 computers from the company.

The Vaio Tap 20 ($879+) is particularly original as it is basically a 20″ all-in-one computer that can also run autonomously for a few hours, thanks to its integrated battery. The design is very nice and I would recommend taking a good look at it in a Sony Store if you have the opportunity. We’ve already covered the Vaio Tap 20 hardware during IFA, so the other interesting highlight of the Tap 20 is that Sony is including high-quality gesture-optimized software so that users can take advantage of Windows 8 and the tablet format from day 1. That includes ArtRage Studio, a great painting tool, and Fingertapps Organizer, a message board for the whole family. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Leaked: Images Of Upcoming Sony VAIO Duo 11 , High-end Sony full-frame camera scheduled for May-June 2013 announcement [Rumor],

At least in the beginning, most of the made-for-Windows-8 devices you’re going to see will have a very similar form factor — namely, a tablet that slots into a detachable keyboard dock. Sony, though, is taking a different tack: the outfit is ignoring the hybrid trend altogether and will instead sell the VAIO Duo 11, one of a select few slider PCs to hit the market. Though we already got hands-on, we’re just now learning about pricing and availability: the company just announced that the Duo is coming out October 26th (the same day as Windows 8) and will start at $1,100.

That’s a lofty price, to be sure, but with a spec sheet that includes Ultrabook guts, a backlit keyboard, NFC, GPS and a 1080p, IPS, Gorilla Glass display, we don’t see how it could’ve cost much less. Take a gander at the design, and you’ll see it’s mostly made of magnesium alloy and, having handled it ourselves, we can attest to the sturdiness of the hinge mechanism. Compared to other sliders, which often make do with cramped keyboards, this offers a reasonably spacious layout, though it comes at the expense of a trackpad. Indeed, there’s no touchpad here; just an optical pointing stick. (Thankfully, it seems pretty precise.) Additionally, the Duo 11 supports pen input, and comes with a dual digitizer pen that can recognize 256 levels of pressure sensitivity. As a tablet-like device, it has not one, but two cameras, both capturing at 2.4-megapixel resolution.

Continuing our tour of the device, the 2.84-pound system is home to a surprisingly robust collection of ports, including HDMI-out, two USB 3.0 sockets, an Ethernet jack (!), memory card slot, headphone jack and VGA. Yes, VGA. This might be a good time to clarify that Sony envisions this as a machine for road warriors, though it comes not with Windows 8 Professional, but Home Premium. That would also explain the battery situation: in addition to the built-in 4,960mAh cell, it will be offered with an optional slice battery that promises to double the runtime. Bonus: the spare has its own AC port, so you can plug it directly into the outlet. Again, the Duo 11 starts at $1,100 with a Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD (you can upgrade to a 256 drive and a Core i5 or 7 CPU if you wish). That’s all she wrote for now, but check out our hands-on for more photos and a quick video.

Continue reading Sony’s VAIO Duo 11 Windows 8 slider goes on sale this month, starts at $1,100

Filed under: Laptops, Sony

Sony’s VAIO Duo 11 Windows 8 slider goes on sale this month, starts at $1,100 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’re after a no-nonsense Windows 8 experience and need a notebook to make it all happen, you’ll want to have a peek at the new Acer Aspire V5 Series revealed by the company today. This series of notebooks comes in three sizes, 11.6, 14, and 15.6-inch display sizes with retailers all across the USA and Canada so you’ll be able to check them out firsthand in stores – several of the models also have touchscreen displays for full Windows 8 multitouch experiences.

This update to the Acer universe brings on an edge-to-edge display, this meaning in this case that there’s NEARLY no plastic or metal holding the display glass in place on the edges, but there is just a bit. The display also needs a little bit of a bezel, but inside that you’ve got a lovely display at 14 inches on the Aspire V5-471P and 15.6 inches on the Aspire V5-571P. You’ve got a “larger trackpad” than the average computer too, so says Acer, so you’ll be gesturing all over the place regardless of how you choose to navigate your computer.

The V5 series comes with 3rd Generation Intel Core i3, i5, or i7 processors of course and both of the larger models work with a built-in slim DVD drive and a 500GB or 750GB hard-drive inside. The brightness you’re seeing blasting your eyes out is a series of HD CineCrystal widescreen LED-backlit displays, and you’ve got a 1.3 megapixel web camera built-in regardless of the model right up front as well. These units work with DLNA for wireless media sharing as well as Acer clear.fi and Dolby Advanced Audio v2 for all the sharing and fabulous media playback you can handle.

The Acer Aspire V5 series notebooks will be up for sale on the 26th of October along with just about a billion other Windows 8 solutions from a variety of retailers. That said, you’ll have a hard time finding a better value at $749.99 for the Aspire V5-471P with touch support and starts $499.99 for the Aspire V5-571 without touch.

Acer Aspire V5 Series Notebooks detailed in three sizes for Windows 8 is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Vizio has updated its PC range with a pair of touch-capable all-in-ones, adding 10-finger multitouch to ready them for Windows 8, while also tweaking its notebooks with new trackpads. The new 24- and 27-inch All-in-One Touch PC models offer Intel Core processors, like their non-touch brethren we reviewed recently, as well as 1080p Full HD displays and 2.1 audio systems.

NVIDIA GeForce graphics using Kepler GPUs will be optional for some of the AIOs, while all will have SRS Premium Sound HD. The new models will be priced from $998, and they’ll be bloatware-free as Vizio has inked a deal with Microsoft to make them part of the Signature program.

As for the newly-updated notebooks and ultraportables, they’ll gain a new multitouch trackpad which supports all of Windows 8′s gestures and taps. Intel’s third-gen Core processors are inside, just as with the desktops, and there are options for 14-, 15.6-inch Think + Light Ultrabook and 15.6-inch Notebook depending on your bag capacity and bank balance.

The Vizio Thin + Light range kicks off at $849, while the 15.6-inch Full HD Notebook starts from $1,129. Like the AIO PC they’re part of the Signature program and so bloatware-free.

Vizio adds 10-finger multitouch to All-in-One PCs for Windows 8 is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.