Hotmail to be replaced with new Outlook.com – try the preview today!

I haven’t got time to write much about this brilliant turn of events, but basically Microsoft is replacing the (very) old Hotmail with a brand new Outlook.com, which has a metro-style interface and some nice new features. The transition will happen over time and is optional now, but you can try a preview by heading over to
http://outlook.com/
and logging in with your Hotmail account. You can get a new Outlook email address as well (I have) and still get your old email, or just create an Outlook alias.

My rating for the service? 10/10. It’s the best of Hotmail, with a new name and (finally!) a design better than Gmail’s.

For more information, see the official blog post and here, here, here and here.

Let me know your thoughts on Microsoft’s new email service!

Windows 8 to RTM tomorrow (1st August) and MSDN/TechNet subscribers to get it 1st September? (updated)

Update: Windows 8 did indeed RTM on 1st August, but MSDN/TechNet subscribers will get Windows 8 on 15th August - not 1st September as this post suggests. See this post for more information.

Rumours are everywhere at the moment about Windows 8, saying many different things. But it seems that Windows 8, scheduled to RTM in “the first week of August” will RTM tomorrow, 1st August. This is when Windows 8 will be completely finished and the OEMs (Dell etc.) will get copies to put on PCs ready for 26th October.

One rumour is that MSDN/TechNet subscribers (who usually get Microsoft stuff early) will be able to access Windows 8 from 1st September onwards. This is a little disappointing, especially because these people got Windows 7 days after the RTM, and there’s nothing stopping Microsoft from releasing it, say, next week. But this is a rumour, and the software giant could let the subscribers get it sooner than next month.

In RTM related news, it appears that Microsoft have added some more Start screen patterns for the final release. Throughout the 3 previews, Microsoft have added more customisation options to Windows 8. In the Developer Preview, there was basically no start screen customisation and people were stuck with green and a single pattern. I think the original idea was to have a non-customisable single (different) colour for each preview release, and options in the final release. However, people complained and in the Consumer Preview a small choice of colours and 6 patterns (including no pattern) were available. In the Release Preview, a load more colours but the same 6 patterns were available. But for the final release, Microsoft have kept the RP colours but added a load more patterns (making Windows 8 customisable enough that people won’t mind not being able to set an image as the Start screen background). Here they are, from Win8china.com:

Some of them look a little… childish to me (a little like Hotmail’s themes though these will change with the upcoming metro redesign) so I’m glad the existing themes in the Release Preview are still there, as I like my Start screen just the way it is:

A great walkthrough of Windows 8′s amazing sync features and RTM news…

I came across this demo of Windows 8′s built-in sync features for those who sign in with Microsoft accounts. The sync features are nothing brand new now – they debuted in February with the Consumer Preview, I think – but this walk-through simply shows how brilliant they are:

To access these features, you need to sign into Windows 8/RT with a Microsoft account (formerly known as a Windows Live ID). It’ll ask you to do so in the first time setup of your PC, but if you choose not to then you can easily upgrade your local account in Charms – Settings - Change PC Settings – Users. I really recommend it. Synced items include:

• Colours, [start screen] background and user account picture
• Themes, taskbar, high contrast and more
• Passwords (once you’ve ‘trusted’ your PC – i.e. confirmed that it’s yours by logging on to an alternate email account for example)
• Ease of access
• Languages
• App settings like high scores and in-app purchases
• IE settings like history and favourites
• Other Windows settings like Windows Explorer (ribbon state, quick access toolbar etc.), mouse settings and more

All these let me sign into a PC for the first time and minutes later be productive/browse the web. Especially when you combine it with the SkyDrive for Windows desktop app for my files, and the fact that the Windows Store easily lets you download apps you already own.

Moving on. In other news, Microsoft appears to have signed off Windows 8 with the build number…

9200

It was going to be 8888 (which would be awesome, being Windows 8), but it turns out there was a bug or something like that. But wait, you may think, why such a big jump? And isn’t 8888 such a great coincidence? And weren’t the other recent builds 85XX? Well, Microsoft always artificially bumps up the build number, usually to something round. Don’t ask me why it’s 9200 though. And no, it’s not a post-RTM/Windows 9 build – it’s confirmed to be Windows 8.

So Windows 8 will probably RTM sometime next week, with TechNet/MSDN subscribers getting it next week if we’re really lucky, or maybe the week after. I really hope its next week, because I’m dying to try out the new metro desktop theme and I’m kind of bored of the bugs in the Release Preview. Just mere days left…

And remember, YOU, yes you, can get Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro on 26th October 2012. Want a countdown? Check out the sidebar of my blog! Only 91 days to go as of 27/07/12, or 07/27/12 for you Americans.

The Windows 8 default wallpaper… revealed!

I personally think it’s great. Way better than the hills of XP and the Windows logo of 7 (I’ve never used Vista).

So Windows 8 is nearly finished…

…And what a journey it’s been. The Windows 8 ‘journey’ began in CES 2011, I think, when Microsoft announced it would let the next version of Windows run on ARM chips. They showed it off, but on the Windows 7 interface (which is not suitable for touch) and it was clear there would be several interface changes.

Later in 2011 – June – Microsoft revealed to the world an early peek at the new, metro interface, and their vision that 1 user experience could be on tablets, hybrids, touch screens and traditional desktops/laptops, which is different to the traditional (as in Apple/Google) one tablet/phone OS, one desktop OS. Microsoft took the different approach of having one phone OS and one OS for everything else. Not that much was actually explained though, leaving a lot of questions unanswered.

A lot of those questions were answered, though, in September 2011 at the Build conference. Microsoft did many demos, and released the first publicly available preview to download, called the Developer Preview. It was buggy and incomplete, but it gave the world the first real taste of what’s to come.

Microsoft released the beta of Windows 8 – called the Consumer Preview - at MWC in February 2012. This was a significantly improved version of Windows 8 and intended, in case you hadn’t guessed, at the consumer market more than just developers (the idea with the DP was really just for devs to start building apps). Along with this release came the opening of the Windows Store, a place for consumers to easily buy/download metro-style apps for their PCs.

Before the next preview release – more on that in the next paragraph – came some important information about Windows 8 versions and naming. Surprisingly, the name “Windows 8″ was still officially a codename up to this point. And the ARM version was called “Windows on ARM” before this point. But the blog post announced that Windows 8 was the official name, and WOA was actually called Windows RT for some reason. There were 2 editions for the non-ARM version announced, different from the many, many versions of Windows 7 – Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro. Availability was not announced at this time.

On 31 May 2012, Microsoft released the final preview release of Windows 8 – called the Release Preview. Some called it the release candidate, but technically it was not. An RC is typically feature complete and with a few bugs. The RP was not feature complete, and I’ve actually found it to be a little more buggy than the CP occasionally. But it was still a pretty accurate look at the final version of Windows 8.

Availability and special offers was announced next – RTM is the first week of August, TechNet/MSDN subscribers get it in August sometime and General Availability is on 26th October 2012 - this is when you will be able to buy Windows upgrades, and buy new PCs with Windows 8 installed. Microsoft also announced a $15 Windows 8 Pro upgrade offer for people who’ve bought new PCs recently, and a limited-time $40 Windows 8 Pro upgrade offer for people who’ve got a valid Windows XP/Vista/7 license.

So that’s the Windows 8 journey – quite a long one, as with most Windows operating systems. I’ve personally used Windows 8 since the Consumer Preview in late February as my full-time OS, and I’ve loved using it (it really doesn’t require a touch screen). My only regret is not trying the Developer Preview! But now the question is how will people respond to it? You may have seen the videos on YouTube showing how hard the Consumer Preview could be to use for the first name – it’s improved slightly in the Release Preview, but Microsoft really needs to have put some good tutorials in the final release. If they do that, and people ignore all the rubbish about it ‘needing’ a touch screen (it doesn’t), then I think it will work well with consumers. As for businesses… well, that’s a completely different story…

My first post from Microsoft Word 2013 Preview

I haven’t blogged about Office 2013 preview because I’ve been in France for a week, so I recommend you look at other sites (like Supersite for Windows) for information and news. This quick blog post, in case you haven’t guessed from the title, is my first from Word 2013 preview. I don’t know if I’ll continue to blog like this or not (WordPress.com has some great features), but it’s certainly nice to use occasionally. If you want to download Office 2013 preview (I recommend it!), visit:

http://officepreview.microsoft.com/en-gb/

Microsoft Office 2013 beta/preview possibly coming Monday 15th July

After many incorrect dates rumoured about the release of Office 2013 (codenamed Office 15) beta, it seems like it may finally be released on Monday.

It seems to have taken a while – earlier this year, a select group of people got access to a Technical Preview, but this was never made public. And the RTM/GA date seems to have been delayed – instead of being available in early 2013, it may instead be available in mid 2013. And for those of you who know that Windows RT will come with Office 2013 RT pre-installed, it’s bad news. Because Windows RT ships around October time, with RTM early next month. And Office 2013 RT won’t be ready then. So will it ship with a beta version? Office 2010? Nothing? And then will it get an update with Office 2013 RT when it’s available? Only Microsoft knows.

Onto the topic of naming – it most likely, following the Windows 8 names, won’t be called a ‘beta’, though it actually is. The Windows 8 beta is called the Consumer Preview, so what with Office 2013 beta be called? I’m guessing Consumer Preview, or simply Preview. And for the RT version? Probably Office 2013 RT.

Only Microsoft knows whether the Preview will be released on Monday. It probably will though – yesterday (?) Microsoft started an “Office Next” blog, so it’s likely it will be released soon. (The bad thing is I’m away the week on the release… annoying!!).

The issues I’m experiencing with the Windows 8 Release Preview

I’m not going to write them all out here, but you can view my post on the Microsoft Tribe forum on the Verge:

http://www.theverge.com/2012/7/7/3142780/is-anyone-else-having-these-problems-with-the-winows-8-release-preview

See the comments for a freezing workaround – I followed the instructions about 3 minutes ago and haven’t experienced freezing yet, so it seems to work!

Have you been experiencing any of these problems?

Can Microsoft really wait 3 years for the next version of Windows?

With the RTM of Windows 8 happening this month, it’s time to starting thinking about the next version of Windows. Yes, it is. I’m in no doubt that Microsoft is already working on the next version, whatever it may be called. But when will it be released?

Normally, Microsoft releases a new version of Windows about every 3 years (well, not with Vista). But since Windows 8 is tablet-focused (though it really does work perfectly fine with desktop PCs – I’m using the RP right now on my desktop!!), 3 years is a little too much. 3 years ago, the iPad didn’t exist. 3 years ago, the computing world was very different. So what will the world be like in 3 years time?

The solution is simple, you may think. Release Windows 9 (or whatever it will be called) next year! A smaller update! Ah, but there’s one problem: enterprise. It costs businesses lots of money and time to roll out new operating systems, so having a new OS every year will be so annoying for them. Yes, iOS (and I think OS X is starting this) is updated every year, but do businesses use iPads for most of their work? And are Macs really that popular? No. Windows is different, though. It’s what businesses all around the world actually use. So it can’t be updated too often.

So what are Microsoft going to do? On Windows Weekly 268 they suggested that Microsoft may try a faster update system on Windows RT (the version of Windows for ARM-based devices) because businesses will be using Windows 8 more and see how it goes, and I think that’s a good idea.

But I have a better idea: do what Firefox does, and update often (well, not every few weeks, but every year or so) but give businesses a slower release cycle. E.g. businesses get Windows 8, Windows 11 etc. while the consumers get 8, 9, 10 and 11. This leads to lots of updates, but also giving enterprise what they really need. It’s just a concept, but I really think it could work.

What do you think?