Windows 8 Momentum Sputters

Wheeze pop, bang … full stop.

Windows 8, It’s just a stupid OS.

Interop writes:

No clear catalysts for growth are looming this month, so modest gains could continue for the immediate future. Microsoft is readying Windows Blue, its first major Windows 8 upgrade, however, and also has launched new campaigns to attract app developers. The company hopes these efforts and an upcoming wave of new tablets and PCs will revitalize interest throughout the summer and fall.

Windows 8 amassed a 3.17% market share in March, up from 2.67% in February, said Net Applications. Although the uptick represents progress, Windows 8′s gains still trail what Windows 7 had achieved by the same time. What’s more, Microsoft’s touch-oriented OS has been slowing down. After launching at the end of October, Windows 8 adoption increased 57.8% between November and December, before dropping to 31.4% between December and January and 18.1% between January and February. March’s growth rate of 18.7% will likely do little to silence the OS’s critics but it at least stemmed what had been precipitous month-over-month declines in momentum.

 

Microsoft Is Planning A Major Update To Windows 8 That Improves All Its Previous Shortcomings

Windows Blue …

A leaked version of an update to Microsoft‘s Windows 8, code-named “Windows Blue,” has surfaced.

The Verge first alerted to the update.

Microsoft is working to improve Windows 8′s shortcomings. The update includes smaller tile arrangements, a larger Start Screen desktop tile, and more room for personalization.

Besides improving visual cues, Windows Blue has more touch-friendly settings.

Windows Blue isn’t a brand new operating system. But it’s a huge makeover for Windows 8, which was released late last year to criticism that it was confusing.

Here’s a video showing off the changes:

Here’s more information about upcoming changes from The Verge:

Microsoft is building in additional Snap Views into Windows Blue, allowing users to place apps side-by-side in the Windows 8 view. The new 50 / 50 view is similar to the desktop mode snapping, but Microsoft also supports up to 4 snapped apps alongside each other. New alarm, sound recorder, and calculator Windows 8 -style apps will also take advantage of these new views, but we understand developers will be able to update their apps to support the additional Snap Views alongside other API changes and additions. The new Snap Views also allow users to use Windows 8-style applications across multiple monitors.

Windows 8 hasn’t had the consumer success that Microsoft hoped for. It’s been plagued with poor sales.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/windows-8-update-windows-blue-leak-2013-3#ixzz2OU568MA6

 

Samsung’s New co-CEO: ‘Windows Isn’t Selling Very Well’ — Claims Android, Tizen, Innovation Will Beat Apple

Samsung says it will continue to produce Android phones even as it puts its weight behind the competing Tizen OS, but there’s one software partner the South Korean mobile maker isn’t so bullish on: Microsoft.

“Smartphones and tablets based on Microsoft’s Windows operating system aren’t selling very well,” Samsung mobile chief J.K. Shin said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Thursday. “There is a preference in the market for Android. In Europe, we’re also seeing lackluster demand for Windows-based products.”

Samsung currently produces two handsets based on Windows Phone 8 – the ATIV S and the ATIV Odyssey – but it was slow to introduce them to the US market, only launching the ATIV Odyssey on Verizon after the holiday shopping season had passed.

As for Windows RT, Samsung has all but given up. In January, the South Korean firm announced that it had canceled its plans to launch its WinRT-based ATIV Tab in the US, and reports began surfacing in March that it was pulling the device from store shelves in Germany and some other European markets, as well.

None of this is good news for Microsoft. CEO Steve Ballmer has said Redmond is “all in” with its new mobile strategy, but Windows Phone 8 hasn’t made much of a splash in the smartphone market so far, and sales of Surface RT devices have been disappointing.

Where Android is concerned, however, Shin said it’s full steam ahead, and that Samsung’s relationship with Google hadn’t changed since becoming the dominant maker of Android phones.

 

Yeah It’s Done

I down-graded from Windows 8 to Windows 7 and installed a new SSD in the new PC,it all works fine. Fast is the word for SSDs. I put in a VERTEX 4 slightly behind the latest but cheap enough. It’s 128 GB and the old Win 8 boot dish is now Disk to. I am trying to figure out how to do the Apple Fusion Drive next.

SSDs are now less than $1 a GB.

Really fast. Laptop is next SSD upgrade, for me, as the battery on mine is getting weak. SSD s, improves battery use over the old HD.

Upstream Supply Chain Sees Surface RT Orders Cut By Half

Is there any reason you know that MS fired the Windows 8 head honcho? I am not impressed with my Surface sit down session. No Sale, it’s too neutered for me.

DIGITIMES [Wednesday 28 November 2012]:

The upstream supply chain of Microsoft’s Surface RT has recently seen the tablet’s orders reduced by half, and with other Windows RT-based tablet orders also seeing weak performance, sources from the upstream supply chain believe the new operating system may not perform as well as expected in the market.

Microsoft originally expected to ship four million Surface RT devices by the end of 2012, but has recently reduced the orders by half to only two million units.

Although Asustek Computer, Samsung Electronics and Dell have all launched Windows RT-based tablets, consumer demand for those devices is also weak.

The sources also pointed out that Surface RT is also unlikely to achieve great performance in the upcoming quarter which may force Microsoft to bring out its Intel-based Surface Pro tablet earlier in December.

The sources also noted that Microsoft may consider reducing its Surface Pro price to attract more consumers; however, such a decision may put the already awkward relationship between the software giant and notebook vendors in an even worse situation.

No surprise to me.

I am still slogging through my brand new Windows 8 machine’s conversion back to a SSD running Windows 7. So far, slow going. Apple’s Fusion Drive software would be nice to integrate a SSD into Windows.

Looks like I need a book to figure out how???

What Accounts For Week PCSales This Christmas Seaso?

As most of my blog readers have known, I have been experiencing major problems for weeks with an unexplained “Crash Dump” on my main OC. So right before Thanksgiving I bought a new PC, an Ivy Bridge 3770 equipped ASUS machine. It has minimum crap-ware. It also came with Windows 8 … Which I hate for a lot of reasons.

Currently I am trying to install a SSD with retail box of Windows 7 to downgrade.

My old machine was about five years young, so … If you have ever tried an iPad for serious work, I pity you.

I was just reading through this article below.

What can save the PC market?

Stephen Baker, veep at NPD, admitted in a statement it was still too early to “place blame on Windows 8 for the ongoing weakness in the PC market …

“We still have the whole holiday selling season ahead of us, but clearly Windows 8 did not prove to be the impetus for a sales turnaround some had hoped,” he added.

That said, Microsoft’s grip on the device market has loosened with the advent of smartphones and tabs anyway.

Numbers from channel watcher Canalys show Microsoft accounts for 72 per cent of traditional PCs including tablets but add smartphones to the equation and share falls to 32 per cent.

“We are seeing no major uplift in retail [due to Windows 8],” said Tim Coulling, analyst at Canalys. “It definitely won’t reverse the trend of tablets being the hottest product out there”.

As reported by The Channelweeks ago, the fact PC vendors have made cautious forecasts for Windows 8 tablet sales this Chrimbo hasn’t helped out Microsoft’s new OS.

“Windows 8 is expensive, and a lot of [vendors] have missed the Christmas window, they are not getting onto [retailers' shelves]. It won’t be a good Christmas for PC vendors that is for sure,” added Coulling.

According to Nomura analyst Rick Sherlund, Windows 8 has endured an “awkward start” in the weeks after launch.

It’s interesting the MS has recently fired their Windows 8 man in charge …

I can say with authority it sucks and I spent $200 to get the replacement.It’s and illogical and inconsistent piece of software, with a long relearning curve to boot.

Steve Ballmer admits to ‘modest’ Surface tablet sales

HARDWARE UPSTART Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer has admitted that sales of its Surface tablet have got off to a slow start.

Speaking to French newspaper Le Parisien, Ballmer confessed that sales of the Windows RT powered device had started “modestly”, quickly changing the subject and plugging the firm’s planned launch of its Intel powered Surface Pro tablet in January.

Despite the sensationalised TV adverts featuring acrobatics and music made from the sound of the Surface’s kickstand, it’s hardly surprising that sales of the device haven’t taken off. Microsoft has suffered shortages of the Surface RT tablet at its online store since its launch on 26 October, and has had limited availability at retail outlets. It also didn’t help when the firm ran out of 32GB models of the tablet just days after release.

Reserve Your Copy of Windows 8 Pro and Pre-order Windows 8 PCs today!

At first I said no, but now I see that the improvements in the smoothness and functionality might just sway me over. It’s also been said MS slow SP plan may have gone out the window, making slipstream updates faster than before…

The fact that now Firefox 16 works right on Windows 8 also has me jazzed ….

Microsoft is moving Windows away from the desktop and toward a more mobile future. This is the single biggest change that’s ever happened to Windows — and yes, I’m including NT in that assessment — and one that will no doubt leave more than a few users feeling both confused and betrayed. But as with the seven stages of grief, eventually you have to just understand and accept what’s happening. And what’s happening is that Windows is transitioning into a new mobile platform.

From the MS blog:

Starting today, you can reserve a packaged DVD of the upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $69.99 USD ERP* (U.S.) at select retailers. When you receive your copy of the Windows 8 Pro upgrade, you’ll see that the packaging takes a fresh approach, in the reimagining of Windows. Your package will feature one of 5 vibrant illustrations – you can check out all 5 here on Facebook. We moved to paper based materials (the exception of course being the upgrade DVD inside) which allowed us to make an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel consumption. And we’ve reduced the packaging weight by 41%.

In the U.S., you will find this offer at Amazon.com, Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot and the Microsoft Store and many more. I suggest checking with your local retailers.

However, if you want to wait until October 26th you will be able to upgrade online via Windows.com using the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant for just $39.99 USD ERP*. Online upgrade to Windows 8 Pro is supported for 140 countries worldwide, with 37 languages, and 23 supported currencies!

You will want to upgrade your PC to Windows 8 Pro sooner rather than later – this upgrade promotion for Windows 8 Pro both online and at retail runs only through to January 31st, 2013.

MS surface pad is supposed to be the target app for Windows 8. It ships … The Surface RT will be available with general availability of Windows 8, which will launch on October 26, 2012. The Surface Pro will be available three months after that The Surface will initially be available in Microsoft Stores and online.

Microsoft Finds Chinese Suppliers Shipping Malware

Using dodgy copies of Windows

Microsoft has found that new computers in China which are coming preinstalled with what claims to be its software, are riddled with malware. Redmond said that the malware was embedded inside counterfeit versions of its Windows OS.

The hardware is being sold in China and have infected millions of computers around the world. The software is engineered to spy on users and conduct denial-of-service attacks, Microsoft said.

Richard Domingues Boscovich, assistant general counsel for Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit said that the cybercriminals “are out to get you,” said. “They will do whatever it takes. If the supply chain is how they’re going on get on [computers], that’s what they’re going to do.”

Redmond has been carrying out an investigation dubbed “Operation b70.” This resulted in the shutdown of the command-and-control system connected to computers infected with “Nitol,” a piece of malicious software called a rootkit preinstalled on some of the examined computers. Nitol quickly spreads via removable drives.

Company investigators had Chinese nationals bought 20 laptop and desktop computers from so-called “PC malls” in various Chinese cities. All of the machines had counterfeit copies of Windows XP or Windows 7. Three computers contained inactive malware, but a fourth had a live piece of malware, “Nitol.A,” that awoke when the computer connected to the Internet, he said.

In this case the laptops were manufactured by Hedy, a large manufacturer based in Guangzhou, China, and purchased in Shenzhen. The other three computers with inactive malware were from “major manufacturers” but Microsoft is not identifying the brands. It is thought that the computers were infected after the devices left the factory as the OS is installed later in the retail supply chain.

Citing Windows 8 Uncertainty, Intel Warns On Current Quarter

Planning on getting a new PC because of the latest bloatware from Microsoft is not going to work anymore. Surprised fondleslabs taking it out on new PCs and Microsoft alike. Don’t be. Now it seems everybody knows, things are changing. If it’s not smart phones, now it’s fondleslabs. Both are taking their revenge on desktops and laptops alike… The PC wars are finally over.

Consumers and businesses aren’t  just holding off on new PC purchases until Windows 8 ships at the end of next month; they’re unsure what types of machines to purchase. That’s the word from chip-making giant Intel, which warned investors this week that earnings for the current quarter would be lower than previously expected.

Intel previously said that it expected revenues in the current quarter to be $13.8 billion to $14.8 billion. It now expects revenues to hit $13.2 billion, plus or minus $300 million. Intel’s gross profit margin will fall from 63 percent to 62 percent.

The slowing of sales is in line with recent announcements from PC giants HP and Dell, both of which predicted lower-than-originally-expected revenues for the current quarter.

As usual, the culprit is Windows 8, which goes on sale on October 26, right as the current quarter is winding to a close. But Intel’s slowing growth might have more to do with uncertainty than any expectation about a future boost from Windows 8. The trouble is, PC makers aren’t sure which types of Windows 8 devices are going to sell the best, and because the coming generation of Windows 8 hardware is so diverse, it’s not clear where these firms should put the most resources.

Previous to this version of Windows, sales predictions were relatively easy: Consumers and businesses essentially chose between two basic types of PC, desktops, and portable computers. But thanks to the rise of simpler, slate-like tablet devices, Windows 8 will be accompanied by a much wider range of PC types, including various desktops, but also tablet, slate, laptop, Ultrabook, hybrid PC, convertible PC, and other portable designs, many of which will come with multi-touch capabilities.

And Intel’s ARM-based competitors now have a foot in the PC door, too: Various PC makers and other device makers will be selling portable devices based on Windows RT, the ARM variant of Windows 8. (Even Intel’s longtime partner Microsoft is making a Windows RT tablet, the Surface.) Uncertainty about the popularity of these devices, too, is surely hanging over Intel’s future growth potential.

Not helping matters is that business PC sales are flattening ahead of the Windows 8 launch as well. In previous quarters, strong sales of business PCs helped make up any shortfall on the consumer side. Only Intel’s data center business—servers—is meeting expectations, the firm revealed.

Fortunately for Intel, none of this was unexpected. With the biggest PC makers already reducing sales forecasts ahead of the Windows 8 launch, most people believed it was only a matter of time before Intel followed suit. After all, these firms are Intel’s customers, not businesses or consumers.