Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve heard whispers of Microsoft possibly bringing back the Start button just recently, but more reports are coming in that reinforce this possibility. In the next update to Windows 8, which is said to be dubbed Windows 8.1 as a part of Microsoft’s “Blue” update initiative, the Start button will make its way back into the OS, but not all the way.

According to The Verge, sources “familiar with Microsoft’s plans” reveal that Windows 8.1 will see the Start button make a reappearance. However, the button will only let users access the Start Screen, and not the traditional Start Menu like in past version of Windows, but the button will still be located at the bottom-left corner like it always has.

If you weren’t aware, Microsoft killed off the Start button with the release of Windows 8, calling it a redundant feature since users can easily pin programs to the task bar. However, the Redmond-based company has received a lot of backlash for doing so, and tons of third-party tweaks have been made to bring back the Start button to the new OS.

Microsoft is also rumored to be adding an option that will allow users to boot directly to the traditional desktop environment in Windows 8.1 as well. This will give users the option to bypass the Start Screen in Windows 8, and go directly to the desktop view. Numerous third-party tweaks have been made for this as well.

[via The Verge]

Microsoft reportedly bringing back Start button in Windows 8.1 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

During Microsoft‘s quarterly earnings call yesterday, CFO Peter Klein mentioned that the company is working with OEMs to manufacturer “a new suite of small touch devices powered by Windows.” Klein didn’t specifically mention what exactly these devices would be, but it’s a good guess that we could be talking about the smaller 7-inch variety.

We’ve been tipped before at the possibility of Microsoft getting into the 7-inch tablet game, but we have yet to hear anything official from Microsoft. Klein notes that these “small touch devices” will have “competitive price points,” and they’re said to “available in the coming months,” according to Klein.

However, it’s also possible that other manufacturers will develop smaller tablets that will run Windows. An update to Windows 8′s hardware requirements last month hinted at the fact that the operating system may soon be fitted for smaller-form tablets, as Microsoft lowered the minimum resolution down to 1024×768.

We’re not sure exactly if Microsoft will be making their own 7-inch tablets, or if they’ll leave the task up to their OEM partners like HP, Acer, Asus, etc. However, we at least now know that we should be expecting these device to release sometime over the next few months, which means we’ll be going into the holiday season with smaller-form Windows-based tablets.

[via AppleInsider]

Microsoft working with OEMs on smaller Windows tablets is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft’s fiscal third quarter earnings (the calendar’s first) can reflect the post-holiday lull, and there’s a certain truth to that for Q3 2013: the company is reporting $20.49 billion in revenue, lower than what it saw during the holidays, and an equally soft $6.06 billion in profit that dipped below both the previous quarter and the same period last year. That said, any potential slowdown in PC sales isn’t clearly manifested here. Possibly owing to the afterglow of the Windows 8 launch, the Windows Division’s revenue of $5.7 billion is a sharp increase from the $4.62 billion of a year ago, and it’s dampened mostly by having to defer $1.09 billion of that revenue for those who took advantage of Windows 8 upgrade deals. The company also posted healthy year-over-year revenue gains for its Entertainment and Devices Division (to $2.53 billion) and Online Services Division (to $832 million), although the Business group saw a relatively modest 8-point jump to $6.32 billion despite the launches of Office 2013 and Office 365.

As part of the results, CFO Peter Klein has given advance notice that he’s leaving Microsoft at the end of the company’s fiscal year, which ends in June. Neither the company nor Klein has explained the departure, but it’s characterized as a friendly one, rather than the abrupt exit we saw the last time around.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Software, Microsoft

Comments

Source: Microsoft

Microsoft is taking a beating in the computer and tablet market right now. The Windows 8 operating system for desktop and notebook computers has proven to be less popular than Microsoft hoped. The software giant’s Windows RT operating system for ARM-powered tablets has also proven to be less popular than desired.

Some of the reason why tablets running the Windows operating system have not been as popular as Microsoft wanted has to do with price. Windows tablets came to the market at price points that most consumers simply weren’t willing to pay in the face of existing competition at a lower cost. It appears that will change in the future with Intel CEO Paul Otellini promising that future Windows tablets running Atom processors will be cheaper.

According to Otellini, tablets running Windows 8 and Atom processors in the future will start at about $200. That price is roughly half the cost of where your typical Windows 8 tablet starts today. Offering tablets for only $200 will go a long way towards raising consumer interest in Windows 8 powered devices.

Otellini didn’t offer any specific timeframe on when tablets running Intel hardware and Windows 8 software carrying a $200 price point surface, he only said in the near future. Otellini is specifically talking about Intel-based ultrathin notebooks using the Bay Trail processor. The Intel CEO also mentioned that devices running the companies Bay Trail will be as thin as 8 mm.

[via Neowin]

Intel CEO promises future Windows tablets running Atom processors will start at $200 is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

We’ve been hearing a number of rumors of Microsoft possibly creating a Microsoft-branded “Surface Phone,” which we expected to hear by the first half of this year, especially since Foxconn has reportedly been chosen to manufacture the device. But Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Windows Phone, Terry Myerson, decided to shed some light on the company’s plans on possibly delivering an official Microsoft-branded Windows Phone.

Myerson hulk smashed his way through all of those previous rumors by denying such a handset would launch anytime soon during AllThingD’s Mobile Conference. He followed up by saying if Microsoft were to produce an officially branded smartphone, it would do so with an effort to provide a unique user experience its Windows Phone partners wouldn’t be able to achieve. Myerson believes Windows Phone partners, such as HTC and Nokia, are already providing some great mobile experiences to Windows Phone users. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: LG Optimus Zone Could Be Verizon’s LG Optimus L3, Sony Xperia Z Sold Nearly 5 Million Units,