Posts Tagged ‘Microsoft’
Author: sarah Published: February 17th, 2013
It looks like Microsoft is considering making smaller Windows 8-powered tablets to rival tablets such as the Google Nexus 7 and the Apple iPad Mini.
Peter Klein, Microsoft’s CFO, was asked at the Goldman Sachs Technology & Internet Conference, if the Redmond firm was planning to make mobile devices ranging from four to thirteen inches. He said, “We’ve done a lot of the hard work in the developer platform. We are well set up to respond to demand as we see it.”
He adds, “We are getting closer and closer every day to write once and run anywhere.”
Klein, however, failed to mention if we should expect these smaller Windows 8 Surface tablets anytime soon. All he was willing to say was, “we’ll see what the customers want”.
Although he didn’t say when to expect these smaller tablets, this is an entirely different tune to what Microsoft was singing last year. The software giant previously said that there are disadvantages to using 7-inch tablets, saying that they were no good in doing tasks like composing documents or watching videos.
We’re also sure Microsoft suddenly changed its tune, after the Google Nexus 7 and the Apple iPad Mini proved to be successful. Apple announced shifting more than 1.5 million units of the iPad mini in one weekend.
Would you be interested in a smaller Surface tablet powered by Windows 8? Share your thoughts through a comment on our Facebook page.
Tags: Microsoft, Microsoft Surface tablet, smaller Surface, smaller Surface tablet, Surface tablet, Windows 8
Category Tablet News |
Author: chris Published: February 13th, 2013
It looks like Microsoft has taken a page out of Apple’s book and has made the Windows 8-powered Surface Pro hard to repair just like the iPad.
The Windows 8 tablet has been taken apart by none other than repair experts iFixit. The site says that it is one of the hardest devices to repair. It says, “Microsoft Surface Pro Repairability Score: 1 out of 10 (10 is easiest to repair).”
The site gives several reasons why the Surface Pro is hard to repair. Its first reason is, “The battery is not soldered to the motherboard, so at least no soldering is required to replace it.”
The second reason is, “The SSD is removable — but you risk killing your tablet by trying to open it.”
The third is, “There are over 90 screws inside this device. We’re proponents of mechanical fasteners, but this number is a tad crazy.”
The fourth reason is, “The display assembly (comprising of a fused glass and LCD) is extremely difficult to remove/replace.”
The fifth is, “Tons of adhesive hold everything in place, including the display and battery.”
The last reason is, “Unless you perform the opening procedure 100% correctly, chances are you’ll shear one of the four cables surrounding the display perimeter.”
Will you try to repair the Microsoft Surface Pro yourself? Let us know through a comment on our Facebook page.
Tags: Microsoft, Microsoft Surface Pro, repair, Surface Pro, Surface tablet, teardown, Windows 8
Category Hardware News |
Author: nadine Published: February 12th, 2013
Luxury phone manufacturer, Vertu, is no longer owned by Nokia as of last year. It has now launched its first device powered by Android, the Vertu Ti, which will set you back a whopping £6,700. In an interview with CNET UK, Perry Oosting, Vertu CEO, said that they had Android in mind for a long time.
Vertu has made extremely expensive but utterly useless handsets, since they ran Symbian. Oosting was asked if his company wanted to use Android even during the times when they were bound by Nokia. He answered, “Absolutely.”
Once Vertu was no longer owned by Nokia, the boss spoke of the “freedom” brought by the split, saying “it’s giving you, really, to make the right choice. And we believe with Android that it’s the right choice.”
Speaking about Microsoft’s Windows Phone, he said, “You need to be first of all — as you know — part of an ecosystem.
“If you go down to ecosystems you probably have only two choices. Besides, iOS is a closed one, so that’s not a choice, and then you have Windows Phone, which is certainly a beautiful user interface but it’s still in the beginning stage.”
Android dominating the market is the main reason Vertu chose Android. However, Oosting does say that “the customisation that we were able to do on Android” is another.
The Vertu Ti runs Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), which is disappointing considering handsets such as the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Google Nexus 4 run Android 4.1 and Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) respectively. However, it is a far cry from what was running on their handsets in the past years. Additionally, the titanium casing adorned with rubies and crystals is definitely an eye-catcher.
Would you get your hands on the Vertu Ti now that it runs Android? Let us know through a comment on our Facebook page.
Tags: Android, Android 4.0, Google, Ice Cream Sandwich, Microsoft, Nokia, Perry Oosting, Symbian, Vertu, Vertu Ti, windows phone
Category OS News |
