Microsoft launches new Surface Pro 3 model

WASHINGTON: Microsoft has launched a sixth model to its range of Surface Pro 3 tablets.

According to the Verge, the new device has the same 1.7GHz Core i7 processor and 8GB of memory as the versions before it, but unlike older i7 models which featured either 256GB or 512GB of storage, the new variant comes with only 128GB of space.

The Surface Pro 3 was launched in 2014. The 128GB i7 Surface Pro 3 comes at the same price as the Core i5 256GB edition. It costs $1,299.

Is Microsoft planning to dump Windows Phone?

 If you’ve been closely following mobile platforms related developments, you would know that Windows Phone has been losing share as Android and iOS continue to dominate the market.

While Microsoft has been extending its apps and services to other operating system making its own mobile platform less relevant, it has continued to support development and i set to introduce Windows 10 for phones. However, it looks like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and his team members could be having second thoughts about continuing with the development of Windows on phones and small tablets.

According to Twitter account @MSFTnerd, a user who is believed to be close to Microsoft’s internal developments, Nadella and Microsoft’s senior leadership team are debating on whether the company should continue Windows on phones and small tablets or just bundle Microsoft services on Android, going forward. The development was reported by Softpedia.



We’ve seen Microsoft introducing Office apps on other mobile platforms and inking tie-ups with the likes of Samsung for bundling its apps on Android phones. Perhaps, Microsoft is reconsidering investing resources on Windows Phone, which commands a meager 3.2% share of the smartphone market (as per IDC). The company can reach out to customers who use its services via other platforms.

The user also tweeted that there were murmurs that “Microsoft was working on changing its relationship with Google around location services and video on Windows and ads.”

Further, the account tweeted that “Microsoft would push Google Play devices with Microsoft apps in exchange for Google providing first-class Maps, YouTube, Search on Windows.” It’s not clear if this implies that Microsoft will make its own Android devices bundled with its apps or just pre-load its apps on Google devices like the Nexus phones.

TWEET BY MSFTREND


Image courtesy: Softpedia

However, Google developing quality apps for Windows Phone would be a big move. Google and Microsoft had been at the loggerheads with each other when the latter had developed a full-fledged YouTube app for Windows Phone. Google had blocked it alleging that the app was against its terms of service.

Microsoft has been trying hard to reduce the app gap between Windows Phone and competing platforms. In April, Microsoft executives had announced that the company will release new tools to help developers quickly adapt the apps they’ve built for Apple or Android devices, so they will work on smartphones, PCs and other devices that use the new Windows 10 operating system.

How to check if your PC is Windows 10 compatible

With Windows 10 coming on July 29, you’ll want to make sure your PC, applications and various devices will all play nice before you reserve and upgrade. Fortunately, Microsoft has made it easy to do within the Get Windows 10 tool that appears on all copies of Windows 7 and 8. 




Upgrading your copy of Windows to 10 should be seamless, but you want to make sure set up is actually ready beforehand. That new Windows icon down in your system tray will let you do more than reserve your copy of Windows 10 for free. As Fatima Wahab at AddictiveTips points out, it can also check your whole system to make sure everything is all set for the upgrade. It’s pretty simple to do:

* Click the Get Windows 10 icon in your system tray in the lower-right section of your desktop.
* Click the hamburger menu in the upper-left corner.
* Under “Getting the upgrade,” select Check your PC.

If you’re all set and ready for the upgrade when it comes, you’ll be given a good to go message. Otherwise, you’ll see a list of devices and apps that aren’t supported.

Device issues could mean a monitor won’t display properly at the highest resolution, or some speakers won’t be able to play audio with the upgrade. Apps that are listed as unsupported will need to be uninstalled before you start the upgrade process. Of course, a driver update or patch install may fix those issues as well, so check again if you can find updates.

Windows 10 Is Almost Here: Here’s What You Need to Know

Windows 10 Is Almost Here: Here’s What You Need to Know

Windows 10 will be released on July 29, 2015. Microsoft is already advertising it to WIndows 7 and 8.1 users using a system tray pop-up. This is a free upgrade, and will probably be a good one for Windows 7 and 8 users alike.

Microsoft wants to get all recent Windows machines on the same operating system, providing a standardized Windows platform and pushing the “universal apps” offered by the Windows Store. After the mess of Windows 8, Windows 10 is looking pretty good.
Yes, It’s Free (For Most People)

Windows 10 will be a free upgrade, assuming your computer runs Windows 7 Service Pack 1 or Windows 8.1. As long as you upgrade to Windows 10 within the first year, you won’t have to pay a cent. Despite some confusion online, you won’t have to pay anything. As long as you upgrade to Windows 10 within the first year, you can continue using Windows 10 and getting updates for the “supported lifetime of the device.” It’s a full copy that will continue to work.

If you have an older computer running Windows Vista or a previous version of Windows, you won’t get a free upgrade. You may want to buy a new computer if you have such an old computer, anyway. If you have a pirated (“non-genuine“) copy of Windows, you may be able to upgrade — but you’ll continue to have a “non-genuine” copy of Windows 10.

If you’re building your own computer or purchasing a copy of Windows 10 to run in a virtual machine, you’ll have to pay $110 for Windows 10 Home or $199 for Windows 10 Pro. If you want to upgrade an old computer to Windows 10 after the first year and you miss out on the free upgrade offer, you’ll need to pay for a copy of Windows too — unless Microsoft extends the offer.

How to Upgrade

“Reserve” your copy of Windows 10 and your Windows computer will automatically download Windows 10 in bits and pieces before the release date. When Windows 10 is good to go, you won’t have to download a massive installer from Microsoft at the same time everyone else does. It’s a bit like preloading a game or movie before the release date.You’ll be able to upgrade via Windows Update when Windows 10 comes out. Microsoft rolled out a “Get Windows 10″ application that prompts you to “reserve” your copy of Windows 10, and you’ll be seeing those notifications in your system tray on Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8.1 computers. Yes, that Windows 10 pop-up in your system tray is real, legitimate, and from Microsoft. It was added to your existing WIndows systems via a Windows update.

If you plan on upgrading when Windows 10 is released, reserve it now. You don’t actually have to reserve — you’ll be able to upgrade for free for the first year. Reserving your copy will just save download time later. Microsoft will likely have a website that walks you through upgrading when Windows 10 is released.

While the upgrade process shouldn’t erase your personal files, it’s always important to havebackups anyway. If you have hardware or programs that won’t work with Windows 10, the upgrade application will inform you of any possible problems you might experience.

What’s New – and Should You Upgrade?

If you’ve been using Windows 7, you get access to all the improvements found in Windows 8 with an interface that makes more sense. Windows 10 includes other useful features, including“Task View” virtual desktops and even enhancements to the Command Prompt, that should make Windows 7 desktop users pretty happy to upgrade. Microsoft’s new “Edge” browser is a new default browser, meaning even Windows users who stick with the default browser will have a better experience. Modern versions of Internet Explorer aren’t as bad they used to be, but Edge is still a big improvement. Microsoft’s Cortana assistant is integrated — if you’re in one of a handful of supported countries, at least. Windows 10 is packed with other useful improvements, and — unlike some of the more annoying features found in Windows 8 — they can be disabled if you don’t want to use them.Microsoft wants Windows 10 to be a worthy upgrade to both Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users. It builds on Windows 8’s base, offeringits desktop improvements and security features. But Microsoft has relented on the most hated aspects of Windows 8. The charms bar is gone. The pop-up Start menu is back — it has live tiles on it by default, but you can remove those if you like. That “modern” or “Metro” interface is now confined only to a special tablet mode, and all applications run in windows on the desktop on normal PCs. If you’re using Windows 8 on a non-touch device, this is a huge improvement. The desktop interface makes sense again.

Microsoft is also pushing the Windows Store for desktop users in Windows 10, as those fancy new “universal apps” now run in desktop windows and could actually be a bit useful. That’s a big reason Windows 10 is free — to build a large platform app developers will want to target and get Windows users on the same software.

Microsoft’s Plans for Windows 10

Microsoft is pushing the idea that Windows 10 will be different than previous releases, and it’s even been called “the last version of Windows.” Microsoft plans on releasing frequent updates that polish Windows 10 and add features, although they did also say this about Windows 8.

Microsoft plans on this being the last major operating system upgrade you’ll do, with new features and improvements regularly being rolled out via Windows Update rather than waiting for a once-every-several-years release. Even many of the included applications will be updated separately via the Windows Store.

Windows 10 looks like a good upgrade. Currently, less than two months from its release date, the Windows 10 preview releases are still a bit buggy. Assuming Microsoft can polish Windows 10 up in just a few more weeks, Windows 10 will be a worthy and recommended upgrade.

Yes, there are live tiles, universal apps, and Microsoft account integration features — but you can avoid these if you don’t want them. Better yet, all these new features actually integrate with the Windows desktop rather than fighting with it, as they did in Windows 8.