We knew it wouldn’t last forever, but the discounted $39.99 Windows 8 Pro upgrade will be coming to a close on January 31. After that date, users who want to upgrade to Windows 8 from Windows 7 or Vista will have to pony up $119 for the regular version and $199 for the Pro version, with the Media Center Pack costing $9.99.
Previously, Microsoft offered a promotional deal at launch where users of Microsoft’s older operating systems, like Windows 7 and Vista, could upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for only $39.99. That deal is still going on, and you have until January 31 to take advantage of it, but come February 1, you’ll have to pay $199 for the same upgrade path if you didn’t end up upgrading earlier.
Furthermore, if you’re interested in just the regular version of Windows and can’t, for some reason, upgrade before January 31, you can save a little bit of cash and go for the $119 version. Microsoft is also offering a Windows 8 Pro Pack, which upgrades your machine from Windows 8 to Windows 8 Pro for $99 starting February 1.
If you ended up buying a Windows 7 machine between June 2, 2012 and January 31, 2013, you’ll want to make sure you register for the Windows Upgrade Offer and get the chance upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for only $14.99, which is the best deal yet for upgrading to Microsoft’s latest OS. Otherwise, plan on setting aside two Benjamins for the upgrade.
Dell Wyse – the cloud computing company acquired by Dell in May 2012 – may soon be entering its bet on the emerging PC on a stick genre. While the previousexamples of these flash drive computers we’ve seen use Android as their primary operating system, Dell’s product will also run on Android, but will give customers the freedom to choose from different OSes to actually use.
Currently known as “Project Ophelia,” the computer is meant to be used mainly as a gateway to Dell Wyse’s cloud services. According to Quartz, “It allows access to Windows, Mac OS, Google’s Chrome OS, Dell’s custom cloud solutions, Citrix cloud software, and even Google’s Chrome OS, using virtual instances of those operating systems running in the cloud.” The PC will plug into (and draw power from) a display via USB. Then it will connect to Dell Wyse’s servers via Wi-Fi and to hardware peripherals via Bluetooth.
Dell’s vice president of cloud operations Tarkan Maner said that they’re planning to sell Ophelia for only $50 (USD) each, though he didn’t mention how much the cloud services would cost. That’s probably where they’ll generate most of their revenue.
From a tech support perspective, this could make it a lot easier to secure and manage a large number of computers. But I wonder if it also poses a risk of data theft, disconnection or lack of access on a massive scale should things go wrong. It also takes away a lot of control from the user in return for the convenience it provides. Either way, it’s too early to see what kind of effect Ophelia may have on the PC industry.
Have you upgraded to Windows 8 yet? Well, if you’ve been holding off, but figure you’ll end up making the move sooner or later, you should grab your license now, even if you’re going to hold off on installing for a little bit longer. More »
Natural disasters are often sudden, leaving precious little time to coordinate with loved ones. During and after the event, getting help and locating friends and family can be difficult. Earlier today, Microsoft unveiled HelpBridge, an app designed to make it easy to quickly send messages during and after a distaster to a library of pre-selected individuals.
HelpBridge has a simple, common-sense main screen with two large red tiles, one reading “I need help,” and the other reading, “I’m OK.” Users will tap the appropriate tile and be taken to the next screen, where their location will be automatically displayed on a map with an option to share the location. A short message can be entered if desired, then sent off to the user’s list of contacts.
In addition to the messaging capabilities, HelpBridge also streamlines donating funds and goods after an emergency, as well as locating a place to volunteer. Money can be donated to the Red Cross, Global Giving, etc., while goods can be donated to a list provided by the app. Likewise, HelpBridge connects users to a real-time list of agencies and locations in need of volunteers.
The Red Cross’s Chief Development Officer Neal Litvack offered this statement. “We are grateful to our partner Microsoft who understands the importance of connecting loved ones after disasters and provides ways for individuals to donate their time and dollars to help those in need through the Red Cross.” The app has been released for the three big mobile operating systems: iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. For now, HelpBridge is only available to customers in the United States.
This has been a long time coming. Microsoft Play just added has (see update below) 15 Xbox Live Arcade games to Windows 8 and RT through the Windows Store. And it’s about time. More »
Windows 8 Embedded Industry is an almost unsung part of Microsoft’s roadmap: it’s a tightly managed release meant for factories and retailers who care most about reliable machines. If you’ve ever want to peek behind the curtain, though, you have a chance now that Microsoft has posted a Release Preview version of the OS for the public to try. We wouldn’t recommend tossing regular Windows 8 aside if it’s already installed; still, there’s a handful of tricks within the Embedded Industry code that could make it palpable for curious users. It adds the same stylized apps and multi-touch input that you’d get from the desktop, plug-and-play peripherals and support for cloud services. We’ll likely only ever see the finished Industry build when we’re buying some cantaloupes, but those who hit the preview link will at least know what software is making the cash register hum.
Nothing like bringing your iMac to the Microsoft Store to troll everyone. First, Microsoft employees, trying to troubleshot whatever the hell is wrong with it. Then Apple fanboys, offended by the idea of their beloved OS X replaced by Windows 8. [Jai Definichon] More »
This year at CES we saw one whole heck of a lot of PCs, quite a few of them working with Windows 8 – but most of them focusing on their unique hardware offerings to the point where Microsoft’s offering seemed almost secondary. One cannot deny the influence of the touch-friendly nature of Windows 8 on the other hand, and starting right away with the very first PC we had hands-on time with, touchscreen controls were right at the center of our attention: the Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC is first on our list of hands-on deliveries.
The massive beast known as the Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC was by far the most unique offering in the PC hardware space at this year’s show, creating not just a massive touchscreen interface, but a table on which you can play games with specialized accessories that come with. Have a peek at the smart dice, game pieces you can use to play table hockey, and more! We’ll be looking for this monster on our review bench soon.
Lenovo also brought on one sharp looking gaming PC known as the Lenovo Erazer X700 as well as a transforming tablet with a keyboard dock known as the ThinkPad Helix. We actually have a short version of the Helix hands-on as well as an extended Lenovo ThinkPad Helix hands-on for more “rip and flip” action than you’ll be able to handle. The Lenovo ThinkVision mobile monitor was also revealed, bringing you Windows 8 touchscreen-friendly action either wired with a brand new USB 3.0 B cord or completely wirelessly and across the room – mirroring or no!
One of the most important sets of announcements of the convention as a whole came from NVIDIA, their press event revealing first and foremost a system called NVIDIA GeForce Experience, this allowing users to get instant game optimization from the folks who know how to do it best, the GeForce team. Cloud gaming companies also got a massive jolt in the side at the announcement of NVIDIA GRID, stacks of servers made to turn cloud gaming into a real way of the future. NVIDIA also tied mobile gaming to full-power PC gaming with a device called NVIDIA Project SHIELD. We’ll see more information on that system by the time of its release in Q2 of 2013 (this year). For now you’ll have to survive on this simple demonstration video courtesy of NVIDIA:
The folks at 3M showed off their rather sizable 84-inch multi-touch table the night before CES began, here bringing real-deal 4K technology to this emerging market. At the moment this machine is still a prototype, but we’ll be seeing a real product later this year. ASUS took on the Windows 8 world with a unique slate by the name of ASUS VivoTab Smart Tablet, complete with an origami fold-up cover with magnets and a wireless keyboard.
Samsung brought on some heat with the Samsung Series 7 Chonos and Series 7 Ultra, both of them extremely lightweight and bursting with immensely high resolution displays – touchscreens, too! The Xi3 7 series modular computer gained some notoriety this week as Valve was hinted to be working with them in the very near future. Vizio essentially updated their entire PC lineup including notebooks, all-in-one, and and a brand new 11.6-inch Windows 8 Tablet.
If you though you’d seen the only massive tablet-like gorilla of a unit of the show up above with Lenovo, you were mistaken. Above you’ll see the Panasonic 20-inch 4K Windows 8 Tablet, a monster with 3840 x 2160 pixels to its name, running full Windows 8 with a release date set some time later this year. Sony also brought on a little bit of heat with the Sony VAIO T15 Touch and T14 Touch, both of them ready with Intel under the hood and Windows 8 for your everyday use.
In short, what we saw this year at CES was a set of upgrades to machines that were already out, touch added to displays that were before without, and some ever-so-slightly interesting innovations in how devices were connected to one another. Let us know what you were most excited about from CES in the PC space below, and make sure not to skimp on the possibilities for the future! Also hit up our CES portal for everything we saw and reported on over the course of the week!
Skype has announced version 6.1 for Windows, which includes two big changes: an updated profiles, and integration with Outlook, eliminating the need to toggle between the two applications. With the latest version, users can make calls and perform other Skype functions, such as messaging, from directly within Outlook. The update is available for download now.
Contacts’ online statuses are now displayed from within Outlook via their contact cards, including mood messages and contact data. Calls can be initiated from within Skype regardless of whether the contact is a Skype friend. Once the contact’s phone number is added to Outlook’s contacts, a call can be initiated. Obviously, you have to have a Skype subscription or credit.
In addition to placing calls, users can also sent an instant message to any contact who also uses Skype. Likewise, if the contact has Skype, a video call can be initiated from within Outlook rather than just an audio call. This differs from above because the contact must have Skype. The feature is available for those using Outlook 2010 or higher.
In addition to Outlook integration, Skype 6.1 for Windows allows users to find contacts by searching for them via the contacts list. Profiles have been altered so that information is more accessible and the entire design is easier to navigate. Some account options have been added as well, such as an easier method to get a subscription.
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