PCWorld Nov-12

YOU CAN LOVE IT. You can hate it. There may even be some scenarios in which you might reasonably fear it. But you can’t deny that Windows 8 is Microsoft’s boldest, most adventuresome operating system release of all time. The decision makers in Redmond have jettisoned the desktop legacy that has served them so well for more than 20 years, trading everything for a new tile-based, touch-centric interface borrowed from a smartphone platform that hardly anyone uses. This is not the strategy of a risk-averse company. Microsoft could have played it conservatively, iterating Windows 7 instead of relegating the desktop to a cubbyhole in Windows 8. But while holding the line would have served Microsoft’s goals for the next few years, a conservative OS release wouldn’t have put the company in a…

On the Surface I think the one thing that might kill this tablet [“Surface Tablet: Your Next Windows PC?” September]—or make it unable to compete effectively against iPads—would be if Microsoft decided to price the thing right out of competitiveness in order to appease hardware manufacturers that might feel a bit burned by Microsoft’s beating them to the punch on Windows 8 tablet hardware. Gosh, I sure hope the company doesn’t do that. I’d willingly pay $500 for a Surface Pro with 32GB or a Micro SD slot. For $600, I’d think about it. If it’s $650 or more, however, forget it. Toulinwoek, PCWorld.com forums I’m impressed and interested, but one thing I really miss in these small, thin devices—including Ultrabook-style laptops, as well as tablets—is the hardware upgradability found in desktops and some…

THESE ARE PARADOXICAL times for the digital-imaging industry. More people own image-capture devices than at any other time in history, and more photos are being taken than ever before. It’s a golden age for photography—or for photographers, anyway. On the other hand, it’s also a very difficult time for traditional camera companies and printing services. Relatively few people are using stand-alone cameras to capture all those images, and even fewer people are printing photos. Smartphones, not cameras, are leading today’s digital-photo revolution, thanks to a combination of convenience, connectivity, photo-sharing apps, and ever-improving imaging capabilities. And the camera industry can’t help but take notice. For several years, camera manufacturers have been offering models with built-in Wi-Fi features for sharing photos wirelessly. This year was a particularly big one for cameras with such features,…

INTEL’S LATEST CPU walks a power and features tightrope to give PCs longer battery life and better performance. For PC users on the go, machines with a long battery life are essential, but so is performance. Balancing these contradictory requirements lies at the heart of Intel’s latest CPU architecture, bearing the code name Haswell, which is expected to appear in shipping tablets, Ultrabooks, and other computers in 2013. Intel intends to produce Haswell-based processors across a range from dual-core chips that run at less than 10 watts (suitable for tablets) to quad-core desktop CPUs that can outperform the fastest Ivy Bridge processors. How did Intel hit its aggressive target of a 20-fold improvement in power efficiency? For the answer, we need to look at Haswell’s power management technology. Sleepily Active Built inside the main CPU,…

HP Tries to Trump iMac With SpectreOne With a refresh of Apple’s iMac line expected soon, Hewlett-Packard appears to be trying to steal some of the i-maker’s thunder with a new, sleek all-in-one PC, the SpectreOne, running Windows 8. Expected to reach retailers on November 14, the AIO has a 23.6-inch, flush glass screen and a 1080p display, is just 0.44 inch thick, and includes a wireless trackpad to take advantage of Windows 8 gesture support. The SpectreOne is expected to be priced at $1299. Toys ‘R’ Us $150 Android Tablet for Kids to Battle Kindle Fire Toys ‘R’ Us has announced a $150, 7-inch Android tablet called Tabeo that is specially designed for kids. The Tabeo runs Android 4.0, and comes with 50 apps preinstalled—including Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, and Temple Run. A child-friendly…

NOKIA’S NEWLY introduced Lumia 920 is the company’s latest hope to woo smartphone users away from Android and iPhone handsets and over to the world of Windows Phone 8. The Lumia 920 is an attractive device with a screen resolution rivaling the pixel density of the iPhone’s Retina display; a great camera; wireless charging technology; and Near Field Communication. Nokia will also offer several third-party apps exclusive to Nokia devices. The Lumia 920 sounds impressive, but will it be enough to convince you to pick up a Windows Phone? Nokia hopes so, but the company has struggled to gain a foothold in the fast-moving smartphone market. In July Nokia reported that it had shipped just 4 million Lumia devices worldwide between April and the end of June. To put that number…