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Microsoft announces Windows 8 Release to Manufacturing

Thursday, August 2nd, 2012

Milestone signals Windows 8 has completed product development and testing, and is being handed-off to hardware partners to get ready for October 26 general availability. Release schedule below.

Windows 8 has reached RTM (Release to Manufacturing).

Microsoft has just announced that Windows 8 has reached Release to Manufacturing (RTM), the latest milestone in the launch of the new Windows 8 operating system.

Users buying a new Windows 7 PC between 2 June 2012 to 31 January 2013 can purchase an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for S$17.99 (including GST) on the day of Windows 8 launch.

Those currently on Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7 (prior to 2 June) can upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for US$39.99.

For those wanting to try a pre-release version of Windows 8 before general availability, the Windows 8 Release Preview is available for download here.

Developers can visit the Windows Dev Center to get access to all the tools and resources they need to design, build, and sell apps in the Windows Store.

Whereas all apps during the preview phases were free, developers can now begin charging for apps with the RTM.

Those with access to RTM bits will begin to see paid apps appear in the Windows Store.

The schedule for releasing the final RTM code to select audiences – including developers, IT professionals and partners – will begin in mid-August.

August 15th

Developers building new apps for Windows 8 will be able to download the final version of Windows 8 via an MSDN subscription. You can visit the Windows Dev Center to get access to the final build of Visual Studio 2012.
IT professionals testing Windows 8 in organizations will be able to access the final version of Windows 8 through a TechNet subscription.

August 16th

Customers with existing Microsoft Software Assurance for Windows will be able to download Windows 8 Enterprise edition through the Volume License Service Center (VLSC), allowing you to test, pilot and begin adopting Windows 8 Enterprise within your organization.
Microsoft Partner Network members will have access to Windows 8.

August 20th

Microsoft Action Pack Providers (MAPS) receive access to Windows 8.

August 26th

General availability of Windows 8 to customers.

September 1st

Volume License customers without Software Assurance will be able to purchase Windows 8 through Microsoft Volume License Resellers.

Tags:availability, Microsoft, operating systems, RTM, software, Windows, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows XP
Posted in Announce, App, Microsoft, Operating Systems, Software, Tech news, Tickers, Windows 7, Windows 8 | No Comments »

Microsoft launches Outlook.com preview

Wednesday, August 1st, 2012

Microsoft has released the preview of Outlook.com, a web-based “unified” email that allows the user to consolidate mails and messages from Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo mail.

It is also connected to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and soon – Skype.

Try out the Outlook.com preview here.

You can find more details for the Outlook.com preview on the Outlook blog.

To try out the preview, go to www.outlook.com.

You can use your existing email Microsoft email account or sign up for a new @outlook.com email account to try out the preview.

Below are the highlights of the Outlook.com preview:

(more…)

Tags:email, Facebook, Gmail, LinkIn, Microsoft, Outlook, Outlook.com, preview, Skype, software, Twitter, webmail, Yahoo
Posted in Announce, Email, Microsoft, Software | No Comments »

What’s the difference between Office 365 and Office 2013?!

Monday, July 30th, 2012

One of the first and most frequently asked questions from my readers when Microsoft first unveiled its Customer Release for Office 2013 – was the difference between Office 365 and Office 2013.

Microsoft has now clarified on its nomenclature.

Microsoft’s logo for “the new Office”. The new logo is highly reminiscent of the new Windows mark and is part of Microsoft’s company-wide approach to deliver a more consistent branding experience across all of its products.

The paras below are how Microsoft differentiates between Office 365 and Office 2013.

Office 365. This is our services brand. Office 365 services are subscriptions with multiple installs for different devices and are always the latest technology every day of the year. Last week, we announced an extension of our Office 365 services for consumers – Office 365 Home Premium – and a new option for business users – Office 365 ProPlus, which join our Office 365 services for small businesses, enterprises, education and government.
Office Client – Release Year Editions. Just like a car, these editions are the latest technology up to that year. The new release is the “2013” edition. You’ll see this label in suites such as “Office Home and Student 2013.” These editions are also in the cloud and save to SkyDrive by default, but people buy and install once on a single machine.
Note: Individual client applications such as Word, Excel, Outlook, OneNote and PowerPoint carry a year-model moniker no matter how you get them. If you are a subscriber, the year model edition is updated as part of new updates.

Question from Seow HM (Microsoft unveils Customer Preview for Office 2013):So is it Office 2013 or Office 365? Totally confusing when I went to the Microsoft website.

My reply: It’s the next version of Office. Think everyone can relate to Office 2013. I believe Office 365 is more the packaging and subscription plan. The Office 365 was previously for business customers, but will now be extended to Office Home Premium version for home users as well. If you install the Customer Preview, you’ll find that they call it Office 15. Even more confused now?

In addition, the Office Web Apps are free browser-based companions to Office, which are available to everyone for quick viewing and light editing.

My interpretation? Office 2013, or Word 2013 and Excel 2013 marks the version number of each of the software components.

But Office 365 is more the subscription package, like the various previous Office bundles (eg. Office Professional, Office Home and Office) which included different combinations of the various component software.

By the way, Microsoft is now calling the new release – “the new office” (as in “the new iPad”).

This is something new in itself – at least to me, since I didn’t notice this term when the Customer Release was first unveiled. Does it refer to Office 365 or does it refer to Office 2013?

Tags:Excel, logo, Microsoft, nomenclature, Office, Office 2013, Office 365, Office Web Apps, OneNote, Outlook, Powerpoint, Word
Posted in Announce, App, Microsoft, Office, Software | 4 Comments »

Microsoft unveils Customer Preview for Office 2013

Tuesday, July 17th, 2012

As anticipated, the next release will move towards the Metro UI of Windows 8 and be more conducive for use on touch tablets.

It’ll also be more tightly integrated with Microsoft’s SkyDrive, incorporate social networking features, whilst continuing its emphasis on facilitating collaboration.

Check out the Customer Preview for the new Microsoft Office 2013.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has just unveiled the new Microsoft Office, available for download here. The webcast from San Francisco was broadcast on July 16 (3am July 17 Singapore time).

The preview is only for Windows, the Mac version of Office 2013 will only be available in the full release of Office 365.

Office for Windows 8

“The new, modern Office will deliver unparalleled productivity and flexibility for both consumers and business customers. It is a cloud service and will fully light-up when paired with Windows 8,” said Steve Balmer, CEO, Microsoft.

Office 2013 will work with touch, stylus, mouse or keyboard across Windows devices, including tablets.

OneNote and Lync will be the first new Windows 8 style applications for Office.

These applications are designed to deliver touch-first experiences on a tablet.

A new radial menu in OneNote makes it easy to access features with the finger.

Included in Windows R will be Office Home and Student 2013 RT, which contains new versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote applications.

These will be included on ARM-based Windows 8 devices, including Microsoft Surface.

Office in the Cloud

Documents and personalised applications settings can be stored on SkyDrive so that they will be synced and available as long as the user is logged on to the Internet.

Quick Impressions

I’ll be trying out the preview but first impressions is that while Office 2013 is moving towards a Metro UI, much of it is still catered for the traditional Windows 7, which is slated to run alongside Windows 8 for some time yet.

That’s good, because I’m never one to support change simply for the sake of change.

Integrating with SkyDrive allows the user to switch between user accounts and to access their synced documents from multiple devices.

Otherwise, most of the changes sound evolutionary rather than drastic.

Stored settings include most recently used files, templates, custom dictionary, and where in the document you were at when you last quit the application.

The new Office is available as a cloud-based subscription service.

As subscribers, consumers automatically get future upgrades in addition to exciting cloud services including Skype world minutes and extra SkyDrive storage.

Subscribers receive multiple installs for everyone in the family and across their devices.

The new Office is also social and lets the user stay plugged into his/her networks through Yammer, SharePoint, Microsoft Dynamics and Skype (which is included in Office).

Pricing

Ballmer discussed three new Office 365 subscription services, which will include the new 2013 editions of the Office applications — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access.

Three new Office 365 subscription services

Office 365 Home Premium — designed for families and consumers. This service also includes an additional 20 GB of SkyDrive storage and 60 minutes of Skype world minutes per month.
Office 365 Small Business Premium — designed for small businesses. This service also includes business-grade email, shared calendars, website tools and HD webconferencing.
Office 365 ProPlus — designed for enterprise customers who want advanced business capabilities and the flexibility to deploy and manage in the cloud.

Subscribers will receive future rights to version upgrades as well as per-use rights across up to five PCs or Macs and mobile devices.

The full lineup of offerings and pricing plans will only be announced in the fall.

Find out the details about Office 2013 here.

Tags:Access, CEO, Dynamics, Excel, Exchange, Lync, Microsoft Office 2013, Office 365, OneNote, Powerpoint, Publisher, Sharepoint, Skype, Steve Ballmer, Visio, Word
Posted in Announce, Microsoft, Office, Software, Specifications, Tablets, Tech news, Tickers, Windows 7, Windows 8 | 6 Comments »

Microsoft showcases a New World of Work

Monday, July 2nd, 2012

I call it N Wow! Microsoft Singapore demonstrated how it has transited from a traditional fixed-room-and-desk office layout, to a Starbucks-style working environment where employees can work at ANY available desk in its six floors of office space at One Marina Boulevard in Singapore.

No more assigned desks. Click to enlarge to see more of the new way of work.

What happens to the personal paraphernalia that adorn the typical office cubicle or room?

Well each employee, including Managing Director Jessica Tan, gets a locker to store their personal effects.

Plenty of collaboration spaces.

Each desk comes with power-sockets, a wireless mouse and keyboard, and a Samsung monitor that comes with a privacy screen.

Nothing else – not even a phone.

A single cable from the monitor plugs into the employee’s laptop.

In addition to connecting the display to the monitor, the same cable also provides Internet connection to the laptop, as well as control over the wireless mouse and keyboard.

Every floor has a “landing area” at the entrance – a convenient rendezvous point.

Why isn’t there a phone?

Employees rely on Microsoft’s Lync telephony and collaboration solution which allows them to communicate using the Internet.

It is now as easy to work from home as it is to work in the office.

Yet more employees prefer to come physically to the office than to work from home – because of the more open and spontaneous collaborative environment the revamp has facilitated.

For a start, there’re no walls and cubicles between employees.

Workers can choose a private booth to dock-in if they really need to work on or discuss about something really confidential.

But by-and-large, most work in the open, at one of the docking desks.

Overview of rooms and workstations. Reminiscent of Metro UI?

Microsoft Singapore invited the regional media to walk around their operational offices to see this concept live.

I suppose this is Microsoft’s way of demonstrating how their technology can help enterprises and businesses adapt to the latest trends of work, where people tend to collaborate more in the course of work.

Instead of a concept demo, Microsoft is showing how they walk the talk – in fact, they’ve been working this concept in Amsterdam for the past five years..

And it was an impressive walkabout – to see what many organisations have only talked or dreamed about.

Samsung SUR40Pixelsense. Seen at Microsoft Technology Centre at One Marina Boulevard in Singapore.

Tags:concept demonstration, gestures, Microsoft, New Way of Work, Pixelsense, Samsung, showcase, Singapore, Surface, tablet
Posted in Enterprise IT, Events, Exhibition, Microsoft, Samsung, Tablets | No Comments »

Adventurer Khoo Swee Chiow to climb K2

Monday, June 25th, 2012

Singaporean adventurer and motivational speaker Khoo Swee Chiow will attempt to scale the summit of K2, the world’s second highest mountain, with the support of title sponsor Seagate Technology.

Khoo Swee Chiow will climb K2, one of the most notorious mountains in the world. Photo by Kevin Mayea.

The Seagate K2 2012 expedition, from 20 June to 20 August, will see Khoo Swee Chiow join an international team of 13 climbers from China, South Korea, USA, Turkey, Macedonia, Serbia, Spain, Nepal and Singapore.

“Swee Chiow has shown incredible tenacity and determination in realizing his dreams. His expeditions have made it possible for him to instill confidence, leadership and excellence in thousands of people through motivational talks,” said BanSeng Teh, senior vice president and managing director for Asia Pacific & Japan, Seagate Technology.Khoo Swee Chiow and his team will be climbing the mountain along the Abruzzi Ridge, otherwise known as the Southeast Ridge, from the Pakistani border.

On this climb, Khoo Swee Chiow is taking Seagate Backup Plus hard drives to store and backup his photos, videos and journal files for him to share his story when he returns.

Seagate’s newly designed external storage – Backup Plus hard drives – deliver easy setup, one-click backup and the ability to save and share content on Facebook and Flickr.

In addition to Seagate Technology, they will be supported by other sponsors including Microsoft, Canon, Millet, Adventure21, Iridium, Energizer, Oakley, Touch&Print, Banana Boat, Powertraveller, GoPro and Meteorological Service Singapore.

“K2 will be the hardest climb of my life, much harder than Everest. After more than 20 years of climbing, I feel the time has come for me to give it a go,” said Khoo Swee Chiow, who first climbed Everest in 1998.Standing at an elevation of 8,611 metres above sea level, K2 is known for its high level of difficulty and notoriously high casualty rate.

It has a daunting death rate of 26 percent per ascent, six times higher than that of the world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest.

To date, only 302 climbers have successfully reached K2’s peak, a number that pales in comparison to Everest’s 3,500.

Tags:adventurer, Canon, expedition, K2, Khoo Swee Chiow, Microsoft, Oakley, Seagate
Posted in Announce, Cameras, Canon, DSLR, EOS, Gadgets, Lifestyle, Microsoft, Seagate, storage drive, Travel | 1 Comment »

Preview of Windows Phone 8

Thursday, June 21st, 2012

Windows Phone 8 will get a Start screen facelift; share technology core with Windows 8; support for NFC, in-app purchases and eWallet; more developer tools; and better security for enterprise use.

But existing Windows Phone 7.5 users will only get the revamped Start screen through an upgrade to Windows Phone 7.8.

Microsoft gave a preview of what Windows Phone 8 will be at the Windows Phone Summit in San Francisco.

The immediate cosmetic change to the user-interface is the Start screen.

In addition to the current square tiles and rectangular (twice the width of the square tiles) tiles, there is now a third size for tiles.

This is what I call the “mini-square” tile. Each of these is a square tile a quarter the size of the original square tile.

Whereas Windows Phone 7.5 does not allow users to specify which tile to use for an app – Windows Phone 8 will let users specify which tile size to use for each app.

Bigger tile for more frequently used apps (or to display more live information), and smaller tiles for less used apps.

The smaller tiles also allows more tiles/apps to be displayed on each screen to minimise scrolling.

Existing Windows Phone 7.5 users will get this revamped Start screen through an upgrade to Windows Phone 7.8 (no date given), but that’s pretty much all they’ll get – they will NOT be able to upgrade to Windows Phone 8 when it becomes available end of the year.

Yes, some who have just bought spanking new Windows 7.5 phones are complaining that they’re now landed with “obsolete” handsets.

Microsoft says that Windows Phone 8 is a generation shift in technology so it will not run on existing hardware.

Read more details about Windows Phone 8 on the official Windows Phone Blog.

Tags:Microsoft, preview, Start screen, Windows Phone 8
Posted in Announce, App, Gadgets, Lumia, Microsoft, Operating Systems, Phones, Software, Tech news, Tickers, Windows Phone, Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 8 | 1 Comment »

New tablets: Microsoft unveils two Surface tablets

Tuesday, June 19th, 2012

Microsoft has unveiled two 10.6-inch Windows tablets and accessories.

One model will run on Windows RT and will be released with the general availability of Windows 8. The other tablet will be available about 90 days after and feature Windows 8 Pro.

Update 2 (1 March, 2013):

Microsoft has announced that beginning late March the rollout of Surface will continue over the next few months.

Surface RT with Windows RT will reach Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore and Taiwan.

Surface Pro with Windows 8 Pro will hit Australia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Update 1 (18 July, 2012):

Microsoft’s Steven Sinofsky has just announced at its annual sales meeting that customers will be able to get Windows 8 on 26 October, 2012. This will be available both as an upgrade or on a new PC.

Microsoft finally joins the fray by unveiling its 10.6-inch Surface tablets.

The Windows RT Surface tablet will run on an ARM processor, while the Windows 8 Pro version will have a third-generation Intel Core processor.

The Touch Cover and Type Cover double up as keyboards.

Each Surface tablet will have a full-sized USB port, a microSD slot, and a 16:9 aspect ratio; with edges angled at 22 degrees.

The casing of Surface is created using VaporMg (pronounced Vapor-Mag), where metal and deposit particles are molded to create a finish akin to luxury watches.

Starting with magnesium, parts can be molded as thin as .65 mm, thinner than the typical credit card, to create a product that is thin, light and rigid/strong.

The VaporMg materials and processes has enabled the thin and sleek design of the Surface tablets.

This also enables an extremely thin built-in kickstand to prop the tablet up when watching movies or video conferencing with the HD front- or rear-facing video cameras.

The integrated, built-in kickstand removes the need for a separate accessory.

I like the idea and design of this integrated kickstand.

To transform the tablet into a “notebook”, a 3 mm Touch Cover uses pressure-sensitive technology to sense keystrokes as gestures, allowing users to touch type significantly faster than on an on-screen keyboard.

The Touch Cover will be available in a selection of vibrant colors. It clicks into the Surface tablet via a built-in magnetic connector, forming a natural spine like you find on a book, and doubles up as a protective cover.

The Touch Cover and Type Cover comes in many vibrant colours.

Alternatively, users can click in a 5 mm-thin Type Cover that adds moving keys for a more traditional typing feel.

Retail pricing will be announced closer to availability but is expected to be competitive with a comparable ARM tablet or Intel Ultrabook-class PC.

OEMs will have cost and feature parity on Windows 8 and Windows RT.

Oh and if you’re interested in a 40-inch tablet, check out the Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface. (I haven’t heard anyone else calling THAT a tablet yet).

The main technical specifications of the two Surface tablets are tabulated below.

(more…)

Tags:announce, ARM, hybrid, Microsoft, notebooks, Surface, tablets, Touch Cover, Type Cover, ultrabooks, unveil, Windows 8 Pro, Windows RT
Posted in Accessories, Announce, Gadgets, Keyboards, Microsoft, Software, Specifications, Surface, Tablets, Tech news, Windows 8 | No Comments »

PC Show 2012 promotions: Microsoft

Friday, June 8th, 2012

Toshiba will be at the PC Show 2012 at Suntec Singapore at Level 6, Hall 602, Booth B2031.

Microsoft's PC Show 2012 promotions for Xbox 360, Office software and computer accessories.

Here are two brochures for Microsoft’s PC Show 2012 promotions for Xbox 360, Office software and computer accessories.

Tags:accessories, IT exhibition, keyboard, Microsoft, Mouse, Office, PC Show, PC Show 2012, promotions, Singapore, software, Suntec, webcam, Windows, Xbox
Posted in Accessories, Brochures, Events, Exhibition, Gadgets, Gaming, Keyboards, Microsoft, Mouse, Office, Prices, Promotions, Software, Specifications | No Comments »

Microsoft Windows 8 Upgrade Offer

Saturday, June 2nd, 2012

Update 2 (18 July, 2012):

Wonder if the Surface will be available at the same date?

Update 1 (2 July, 2012):

Microsoft has announced that users who are currently running Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7 will qualify to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for US$39.99. Local pricing TBA.

Windows Media Center will also be available as a free option via the “add features” option within Windows 8 Pro after the upgrade.

This upgrade offer will be available in 131 markets and will run through 31 January 2013.

Are you thinking of buying a Windows 7 PC but are hesitating because Windows 8 is not generally available yet? Those who purchase eligible Windows 7-based PCs from today can upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for S$17.99 (incl. GST) later on.

Those who purchase eligible Windows 7-based PCs from today can upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for S$17.99 (incl. GST) later on.

But what is an “eligible” Windows 7 PC? Here’s a summary of the criteria and terms for the Windows Upgrade Offer.

Consumers who have bought a Windows 7 PC preinstalled with Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate; and includes a matching and valid OEM Certificate of Authenticity
The Windows 7 PC must be purchased new during the eligibility period of 2 June 2012 – 31 January 2013
The Windows 8 Pro download must be redeemed before end February 2013
The download will be made available to consumers on this offer starting the day Windows 8 is made generally available

Do note that the Windows 7 PC that you buy now will likely not come with a touch screen, so it won’t be able to use the touch interface for Windows 8 when you eventually upgrade.

Tags:Microsoft, Windows 8, Windows Upgrade Offer
Posted in Announce, Desktops, Microsoft, Notebooks, Operating Systems, Prices, Software, Tech news, Tickers, Windows 7, Windows 8 | 4 Comments »

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