It has now been four months since Windows 8 was released. It's been a bumpy ride for Microsoft. Despite the bluster and glitz of the Windows 8 launch, it seems consumers have not really taken it to heart.
It seems that people are still buying Windows 7 on new computers as opposed to Windows 8.
Is this because Windows 8 is broken like Vista was? Not really. To be honest, Windows 8 is actually very good. It builds on the strengths of Windows 7 and goes from there. It is a very stable version of Windows.
So what is holding it back?
In short, the Interface (the main screen) is where the problems lie. Windows 8 has no Start Button. For generations of Windows users, we expect a Start Button. But there is no start Button. Instead we get the Start Screen. And it's not very intuitive.
Microsoft decided that the future is not desktop computers, but computers in their various guises - desktops, laptops, tablets and other devices. So Windows 8 was designed to work across all these devices. And Touch was a huge part of the operating system. Whilst the idea is great on paper, it doesn't do well in the real world. Windows 8 on a tablet or touchscreen pc is very intuitive. Flick, touch, press and it works very well. Doing the same with a keyboard and mouse is a very different story.
And consumers are voting with their wallets. But this will not be an option for much longer. Majority of new computers - desktops or laptops - are being sold with Windows 8 pre-installed. So it is inevitable that you will end up with Windows 8 at some point.
What do we recommend? If you have the budget, get your next computer with Touch and Windows 8
If not, get Optima Computers to optimise your new computer. We can tweak your PC so it behaves exactly as you would like it to. Exactly like Windows 7, but better.
I personally, have been using Windows 8 since October last year and have to say it is faster, better and more intuitive than Windows 7.
So there really is no reason not to go with Windows 8.
Optima Computers - T: 020 8445 6700
Wednesday 3 April 2013
Best April Fools 2013 pranks
1. Google Nose BETA
True to form, Google has graced us with several April Fool’s Day hoaxes this year. The first we came across, on Google’s homepage, is Google Nose BETA, which Google touts as the new “scentsation in search.” The Google Aromabase has amassed an amazing 15-million-scentibyte data base. Beautiful in its simplicity, users just have to click the “Smell” button in their search result and sniff their computer, tablet or phone. With smells including vampire, gym, frying onions, diapers, new car, ghost, Egyption tomb and victory, Google Nose users have a lot of smelling to do.
LINK: http://www.google.com/landing/nose/
2. YouTube’s ready to select a winner
YouTube revealed today that the entire company's existence was just an eight-year-long contest to find the best video in the world. Tonight at midnight the site is shutting down and a staff of 30,000 technicians will spend the next 10 years in deliberations to determine the winner. YouTube will relaunch in 2023 with the winning video and nothing else. And it’s not a popularity contest; Gangnam Style has as much a chance to win as a video with only 40 views of a man feeding bread to a duck. As promised in 2005, the winner will receive an MP3 player that clips to a shirtsleeve and a $500 stipend for his or her next creative endeavor.
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H542nLTTbu0
3. Twttr
Twitter announced that it is switching to a two-tiered service: the basic Twttr, for which users can use only consonants, and the $5 a month option which includes vowels. Twitter tells us the new Twttr service will encourage “a more efficient and ‘dense’ form of communication.” “Y” will be free to everyone. Twitter recommends that you practice tweeting without vowels, including the hashtag #nvwls. Early adopters include Joan Rivers.
LINK: http://blog.twitter.com/2013/03/annncng-twttr.html
4. Virgin's glass-bottom plane
Richard Branson and Virgin Atlantic have announced an exciting aviation breakthrough: the ability to book a glass-bottomed plane along its new domestic Scottish route. Little Red passengers will now have a bird's-eye view of Great Britain as they fly. If the flights prove popular, Virgin Atlantic will consider adding glass-bottomed planes to other routes as well. Nervous flyers are encouraged to book on traditional, non-glass-bottomed planes
LINK: http://blog.virgin-atlantic.com/t5/Our-Experience/Virgin-Atlantic-Launches-World-s-First-Ever-Glass-Bottomed-Plane/ba-p/6096
5. The kid president
Even the White House is having a go at April Fool’s Day pranks. “A Special Message From the President” appeared on the White House website at 10 a.m. this morning,. Popping up from behind the podium, a well-dressed young man says, “It looks like you were expecting somebody else. Well, April Fool’s on all y’all!” And then he says some other stuff. An April Fool’s Day must-see. (The video's also available at www.whitehouse.gov.)
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5byDhm-E-YE
6. Kodak's Wrist Kiosk
Want to print out photos with a minimum of fuss and bother? Kodak's Wrist Kiosk may be just the ticket. It allows users to print photos via a micro SD card, USB or Bluetooth. But the Kodak Wrist Kiosk also supports Wi-Fi so it can access your photos from Facebook, Flickr and Instagram. Kodak’s blog entry declares, “It has never been easier to make your life’s biggest moments into tiny prints and photo gifts.” Each Kodak Wrist Kiosk comes with tweezers and a magnifying glass. The link at the end to “Get on the waiting list” redirects interested parties to Wikipedia’s April Fool’s Day page.
LINK: http://1000words.kodak.com/2013/04/01/presenting-kodak-wrist-kiosk/?utm_source=www.kodak.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=main1-watch_040113&utm_campaign=Corp-Homepage
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