Do you like Doctor Who? – Poll

A quick poll for this week:

Windows 8 isn’t just about metro… the new desktop features

A lot of people seem to think that Windows 8 is just about touch screens, and is rubbish when just using a mouse and keyboard. This isn’t true in the Consumer Preview (the beta), but even if you want to completely avoid metro-style apps etc., the desktop offers a lot of improvements over Windows 7 that makes it worth upgrading:

• Windows Explorer has the ribbon - this makes file management a lot easier and quicker. Also, the copy experience has been improved (pause/resume, multiple copies in one window) and deleting, for example, no longer requires confirmation (the file is sent to the Recycle Bin so it can be recovered, and confirmations can be turned on).

• Faster startup: true, this isn’t really a desktop feature, but it certainly makes Windows boot faster (restart, unfortunately, is as slow as ever )
• Improved task manager: the default interface is simpler and more user friendly, and clicking a button gives power userswaymore features. This is perhaps one of Windows’ most used features, so it’s good that it has got an update.

• Built in anti-virus software: you may have heard of Microsoft Security Essentials. Well, it’s got a new name and is built into Windows 8 – yes, you don’t need to install another anti-virus program. You can if you want to, though – it will automatically disable if you do.

• Finally, pin to start. Even quicker access to your files!

So those are just a few improvements to the Windows 8 desktop. All Windows 8 computers can run both the desktop and metro apps if they have a resolution of at least 1024×768 – this means netbooks are stuck in the desktop environment.

I recommend you take a look at Paul Thurrott’s article on the Windows 8 desktop:

http://www.winsupersite.com/article/windows8/windows-8-feature-focus-windows-desktop-142642

The not-so-many editions of Windows 8

A bit of news today, but first I would like to mention the Windows 7 and Vista editions. They were:

• Windows Starter
• Windows Home Basic
• Windows Home Premium
• Windows Professional (Business in Vista)
• Windows Ultimate

It’s really hard to know what to choose, isn’t it! But Microsoft announced the editions of its next OS, now definitely called Windows 8 (it was previously Windows “8″ as it was a codename). The versions will be:

• Windows 8 (perfect for most users)
• Windows 8 Pro (includes all Win 8 features plus things like Bit locker)
• Windows RT (no, this isn’t Windows Re-tweet, it’s the version of Windows for ARM. It will only come on new devices)
• And there will also be Windows 8 Enterprise, only available for businesses.

This means that the consumer will just have to choose between Win 8 or Win 8 Pro when choosing a new x86/64 PC, or upgrading (well, Win Ultimate/Professional 7 users will have to go Pro). This is a lot simpler and is generally better.

See the official blog post for more info, a table of the version differences and more…

By the way, for people who want pricing, that’s coming later on, says Microsoft.

Jesus is Alive – video

It may be a little while after Easter that you read this (its Easter Sunday as I write this), but I thought I would share this video we watched in church this morning:

Don’t buy this keyboard

A bit of a warning for you today: do not buy the Microsoft Comfort Keyboard 2000. It’s not being mainstream sold any more as the 3000 is out, but just don’t buy it.

As you may have guessed, I’ve got this keyboard, and the Caps Lock key is stuck (not physically, but it won’t turn off and yes, I have unplugged and plugged it in). I think it is a problem with the circuit board - the key no longer works, and it stopped working when caps lock was turned on. Other people have also had this problem.

This problem means I have had to write this post with Shift pressed in… all the time. This is truthfully the first Microsoft product I don’t like… I thought I could kinda trust the company.

The Kindle Touch is now available in the UK!

A very brief post today, but one with a great announcement: the Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G are now available from amazon.co.uk! Previously available just in the US, they are part of the fourth generation (or late 2011) Kindle line-up, which consists of:

• Kindle (available in all countries that have Kindles)
• Kindle Touch (available in most countries)
• Kindle Touch 3G (available in some countries, offers free 3G connectivity for buying books)
• Kindle Fire (US only… at least for the time being)

The Kindle 3 line-up (from 2010) is still around, and is now called the Kindle Keyboard:

• Kindle Keyboard (now only available refurbished, some countries)
• Kindle Keyboard 3G (still sold in some countries)

So that’s the Kindle line-up. What I’m kind of annoyed about is that the Kindle Touch came out last year in the US, and only now in the UK. If I lived in the US, I would’ve got the Kindle Touch for Christmas. But I don’t, so I had to get the KK3G. Bit annoying.

Anyway, happy reading!

The Kindle, Kindle Touch and Kindle Fire