PCWorld Jan-13

Windows 8 is now running on my main PC at home, and I’m generally happy with the new system. It’s speedier than previous Windows versions, and I actually enjoy some of the new live tile apps that Microsoft has littered on my Start screen. Just one problem, though: Like many other longtime Windows users who’ve switched to Windows 8, I feel bullied every time I boot up my PC and receive the bum’s rush straight to the Land of Colorful Tiles. Sure, I understand Microsoft’s motivations. The company wants us to feel warm, cozy, and comfortable in the new live tile universe that spans PCs, tablets, phones, and Xbox. Microsoft wants us to love live tiles. And in order for us to love live tiles, we have to use live tiles—which apparently…

Windows 8: Boon or Bane? Microsoft needs to wake up and realize that every device doesn’t need to have the same restricted OS. Desktop (and even laptop) computers have no need for an ugly, useless, and completely counterintuitive OS from a phone! I’m not even sure it will work on a tablet, but leave the desktop alone on the real computers! The tile screen should be something you can start if you want, after the regular OS comes up. Windows 8 will be an even bigger failure than Vista was, and version 7 will continue to rule for years, just as XP did when Vista was released. Tom Herrmann Charleston, South Carolina The only thing you have to get used to is the Start screen, which is a redesigned Start menu. If you don’t…

WINDOWS 8 AND Windows Phone 8 have more than just a numeral in common. Take one look at the two operating systems, and you can tell that Microsoft wants to unify Windows Phone devices, Windows 8 tablets and PCs, and its Xbox game console. Consider, too, the words of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at the Build conference in late October: “If you want the best experience with your Windows computer, you’ll own a Windows Phone.” The two OSs tie together in multiple ways. For starters, they sport the same look, with live tiles on their home screens. In both OSs, you can pin and resize app tiles, and decide which ones should update with live information. Ross Rubin, principal analyst for Reticle Research, says that the common elements are an advantage for users:…

THE SAME-DAY DELIVERY wars are getting a lot more interesting, as Walmart enters the fray. The retailer is testing same-day delivery in Philadelphia, Northern Virginia, and Minneapolis, and will expand the program to San Francisco and San Jose, California, by the time you read this. The program, Walmart To Go, covers roughly 5000 items, including TVs, toys, and tablets, and costs $10 regardless of order size. Walmart has not imposed a minimum purchase amount in the initial test cities, but a $45 minimum will apply in San Francisco and San Jose. When placing an order, shoppers pick a convenient time for their delivery. Competing Services Walmart isn’t the first retailer to experiment with same-day delivery. Amazon offers same-day delivery in ten major U.S. cities, though cut-off times for orders vary by city, and…

Windows XP Turns 11 On October 25, 2001, Microsoft launched Windows XP, unleashing its most successful operating system ever. According to Web-metrics firm Net Applications, Windows XP powered about 41 percent of all personal computers in September 2012; only Windows 7 has a bigger share. On April 8, 2014, however, Windows XP leaves all support behind when it receives its final security update. Google Street View Enters Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon will soon come to Street View, courtesy of Trekker, Google’s new backpack camera. The 40-pound Trekker comes with a 360-degree camera attached to an arm; the wearer can use an Android phone to control the camera. Grand Canyon locales destined for Google Maps include Bright Angel Trail, South Kaibab Trail, and other South Rim points of interest. Future IBM Chips May Use…

A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY into media sharing and consumption habits has found that music pirates who pilfer songs from file-sharing websites actually buy 30 percent more tracks than people who download music only legally. The American Assembly, a nonpartisan public-affairs forum affiliated with Columbia University, carried out the Copy Culture Survey through thousands of phone interviews in the United States and Germany. The research found that, in the United States, people who download pirated music have music libraries that are about 37 percent larger than the libraries of those who download only legal songs. “But some of it also comes from significantly higher legal purchases of digital music than their non-P2P using peers—around 30 percent higher among US P2P users,” American Assembly’s Joe Karaganis explained in a blog post. In Germany the figures…