Surface RT vs. Surface Pro

Do you think that Microsoft do a good enough job in explaining the differences between Windows 8 RT and Windows 8 Pro?

Even in a review heard on the radio yesterday a well known Windows Guru, Marc Salztman, failed to point out that the Surface RT that has just been released runs a different operating system to the Windows 8 that was released on the same day.

He also failed to mention that the Surface RT currently priced without the keyboard (Touch or Type) and that is the price that most use to compare with the Apple product. For this reason alone there can be no comparison between the Surface and the iPad 4th Generation.

Marc also stated that the Surface, and Windows 8 in general, has a "learning curve". In my estimation that means "a fail". Electronics sold today should be self explanatory in it's use. Only advanced functions need to be learnt and basic operation should be expected "out-of-the-box".

It was also overlooked that the version of Office on the RT is a different one to that you would want to use on a regular computer or one running Windows Pro. Marc did say that the typing using the "touch" keyboard was slow but as this is the Surface's USP (even though it is extra money) it was hardly a compelling reason to purchase a Surface RT.

• Another review that I found this morning on the Windows 8 Launch

UPDATE:
Looking at the website that Marc Salzman writes on there was another article on why you should consider the upgrade to Windows 8. This was penned by Lee Mathews.

I also see that Lee has a new article on the differences between Windows 8 and Windows 8 RT - perhaps he should tell Marc!

Windows Updates for Windows 8

Seeing as Windows 8 Pro is officially released today, 26 October 2012, all updates on "evaluation" copies of Windows 8 are not likely to be forthcoming. In fact, they have probably been disabled for a while now.

In addition, if you try and install a copy of Windows 8 Pro upgrade edition without a previous Windows license on the machine that you are attempting to, you will probably get the following error:

To install a copy of Windows 8 Pro on a new PC or one that did not have a previous legal copy of Windows you will need a 3rd party Loader or Activator.

Links:

• Windows 8 x86 - Not the Pro Updater

Auto focus noise heard on movie soundtrack

The Canon T4i (650D) was returned to Best Buy as I found that the noise of the Auto Focus on the playback of recorded video to be unacceptable.

At first I thought it was the fact that I was using an older non-IS lens (Tamron XR DiII 18-200mm) but the sound of the "focus hunting" was also present using the Canon 18-55mm IS lens supplied with the camera body.

Seeing that I have over $1,000 tied up in this package I thought that my money be spent better elsewhere.

Product success is more a question of perception

It doesn't really matter how good a product is, it is whether the marketplace is receptive to that product.

In the case of the Microsoft Surface RT and the Apple iPad Mini it is not whether they are better or worse than their competitors (and these two products are clearly not competitors). The common feature is that their timelines of release is concurrent. This is probably due to Microsoft and Apple "playing games" - there is no way that this is a coincidence, the 23rd of October and the 26th.

I predict that the iPad mini will succeed - not because it is better than the Nexus 7 or other tablets of a similar size. More that it is an Apple iPad. My partner says she wants one!

I further predict that the Surface RT will be another Zune. This will be due to that it will not be what the market expects and it will get mixed reviews. The fact that it has the mighty Microsoft backing it may not be enough and Windows  has not had a stellar round of acceptance to date.

I am also seeing a lot of interest from those trying to find ways to pirate Windows  Pro - the RT version of Windows 8  is scheduled to go the way of the Dodo bird. Once the Surface has debuted it will soon be forgotten as other Windows  products come available. The Surface Pro is WAY overpriced at the present time. The Surface RT will let MS know this.

Surface Keyboard Problems

My prediction is that there is going to be a major problem with the Microsoft Surface's keyboards.

Comparing the Tegra 3 processor with the A5 and A6X

The processor in the Microsoft Surface RT and the new iPad Mini and 4th Generation iPad.

Why the Microsoft Surface is dead in the water.

The Tegra 3 may be Quad core in nature but the proof will be in the pudding. Those that try and differentiate the current  tablet offerings by "core count" are going to have egg on their faces.

• What NVidia say
• My website page on the comparison between the Tegra 3 and the iPad processors 
• The Tegra 4 and how this is going to be better than the A6x
• Parallel processing using multiple GPU cores 

Touch-Screen computers seen

With Windows 8 to be released next Friday, 26th October 2012, the following touchscreen computers have been found for pre-order:

• HP Envy 23" Touchscreen All-In-One Computer with Intel Core i5-3450S Processor  - scheduled to arrive in Best Buy warehouse on 11/09/2012  - Windows 8
• Samsung 27" Touchscreen All-In-One Computer with Intel Core i7-3770T Processor (DP700A7D-S01CA) - scheduled to arrive in Best Buy warehouse on 11/09/2012 DP700A3D-A01US  DP500A2D-A01UB
• HP 23-d034  20-b014 20-d034
• Sony SVE14A27CXH a laptop with a touchscreen
• Lenovo - 27" Touch-Screen All-In-One Computer  - A720 - 57309906  23" - B540 - 57310058
• Samsung - Touch-Screen Ultrabook 13.3" Laptop - NP540U3C-A01UB
• Sony - 24" Touch-Screen  - SVL24127CXB
• Toshiba - 23" Touch-Screen - LX835-D3300
• Asus - 21.5" Touch-Screen  - ET2220IUTI-05  Asus - 23.6" All-In-One Computer - ET2411IUKI-05
• Acer - A5600U-UB308- A7600U

Do I need to bother with IS lenses?

Having purchased a new DSLR with a couple of Image Stabilized lenses the question I have for myself is whether I need to worry about the fact that the old lens for the DSLR that the new one is to complement can be used on the new camera body.

Searches for "are Image Stabilized Lenses worth it?" just returns the argument on whether they work (do what they claim to do - the consensus is that they do) or is it worth paying the extra money for IS.
The cost aspect is a moot one at the moment as most of the inexpensive lenses on sale are IS, so the question is: are the old lenses going to be noticeably more prone to shaky images?

My old lens is 18mm-200mm whereas the new lenses are 18mm-85mm and 85mm-250mm. The old lens is heavier and not IS but it is more convenient in that I don't need to swap the lens so often.

What is with daz loader for windows 8?

I love the wording of this search that found this blog from a visitor in Dravograd, Slovenia.

Perhaps it is that the Daz loader (for Windows Vista and Windows 7) does not work for Windows 8. Why should it? Windows 8 uses a different activation to XP, Vista and 7. The Daz loader also does not work for Windows XP.
 

Windows Surface at Best Buy

Why are Best Buy listing Windows 8 for pre-order and not the Microsoft Surface?

Perhaps this is coming next week? I would have thought that they would, or the manufacturers of the Surface, would have shipped to their warehouses. Unless there is a problem in the supply of said tablets?

Windows 8 Pro Release Date

It would seem that the general consensus is that Windows 8 Pro will be available at the same time as Windows 8 RT.

My original opinion was that I had read that the Pro version was to be released 30 days after RT and the Surface. Looking at other sources this statement seems to have disappeared. My suspicion is that Microsoft are planning on making their :"Windows 8 Event" one that they will announce a general availability.

The large "box stores" are listing that the Windows 8 Pro Upgrade Edition DVDs will be available on the 26th October. However, they  are also listing their "touch-screen" PCs as available at a later date.

I would not be surprised if Apple don't try and steal the day by announcing an iPad Mini on the 26th.

KMS Activator

KMS stands for Key Management Service - Another name for Microsoft's Volume Licensing.

Volume License Key (VLK) is a term used by many computer software companies to denote the product key used when installing software licensed under volume licensing, which allows a single product key to be used for multiple installations

If you search for "KMS Activator" you will find various postings that claim to have software to allow you to download to activate Windows software by the application of a Volume License (OEM) Product Key.

This is most prevalent for the Windows 7 operating system and Office suite software. As far as is known there is no working KMS Activator for Windows 8 RTM (build 9200).

Codice product key windows 8

This is a bogus download - DO NOT DOWNLOAD

AviiNL's Windows 8 (9200) KMS Activation Tool:

Has the following description -

I have made a simple console application using C# that helped me activated windows just now. This application is written using Windows 8 (9200) Enterprise x64 but should also work on x86 (32bit)It probably won't work in Windows 8 Pro (MCE) as personally I don't use it and have no need for it Maybe I will implement support for Pro later when KMS activation becomes possible for it.

Please note: this is not me, the author of this blog

 

 

Looks like Touchscreen PCs are due in November

If you look on the Best Buy websites you will see that the HP and Samsung Windows 8 touchscreen all-in-ones are scheduled to arrive in Best Buy warehouse on 11/09/2012.

Microsoft Surface - A preview

What do I expect from the Microsoft Surface when it is released on the 26th October 2012.

A competent tablet that it very similar in operation to the iPad and the many Android tablets currently available. Windows 8 RT will offer nothing of substance that will differentiate the Surface from any of its competition.

The release of Win 8 Hybrid devices, which may or may not be concurrent with the release of the Surface, but I doubt it - will only come into its own when Windows 8 Pro devices are released by Microsoft. It seems to be something that could be under debate seeing that the OEMs have Windows 8 RTM in their hands and MS are not saying that they are going to have a Windows 8 Pro Surface until the end of the year. Whether of not the OEMs will feel that they need to release their "hybrids" at the same time as the original Surface we will have to see.

Devices that have the x86 version of Windows 8 will be the test to see if  "touch" devices are going to be the equipment du jour. Even a straight tablet is not going to be much use in the business sector unless it runs ALL legacy software.

I also expect the keyboard/cover, especially the "rubber" one, to disappoint. This will have to be reworked as it will be deemed to be inferior to those offered for the iPad and Android market by Apple, Logitec and Kensington.

Microsoft may have great hopes for the Surface but I fear that they are too late to the table and those that are going to be "adopters" have already purchased an iPad, or if they have an aversion to Apple, an Android device.

Windows 8 phones will be forgotten just as W7 ones did. The iPhone 5 will continue to be the smartphone of choice going into 2013.

Windows 8 Loader

This is one of the most popular searches that find this blog.

It is well known that the Daz loader has not been made to work for Windows 8, although it is early days as the OEM versions of Windows 8 have yet to go on retail sale.

In your search you may have found a blog entry saying that I may have deleted a page. The information is now to be found on my website, tempusfugit.ca

Countdown to the Surface

2 Weeks and counting.

Are you going to buy?

Let as all know here.

I can understand the frustration with Windows 8 Activation

The fact that there is so much interest in finding ways to steal an operating system that has not even been released to the general public.

My posts are designed to gauge that interest not to suggest that this is to be done or that there are ways that it can be done.

I am not sure what the comment that (someone made on this blog that)  I didn't read "the article". If it was the ZDNet article I can assure you that I did. If it was the MyDigitalLife threads I must admit that I may have missed some of that. My point was that the activation method for Windows 8 has changed and that is going those that stole Windows 7 using the Daz Loader to look for new ways.

I will be very interested to see what the reaction is when Windows 8 finally hits the stores and there are those that are uploading torrent downloads of the the DVD image. So far the RTM version has been released and while it is possible that there are copies of this available for download I think that this is only a minor occurrence.

I am more interested in seeing how Windows 8 is reviewed by the consumer than suggesting ways to be able to bootleg it. At the moment I remain skeptical, but, we shall see.

The release of Microsoft Surface with Windows 8 RT on the 26th should prove to be a landmark.

I see that this frustration is similar to those looking for ways to unlock their Insyde H2O BIOS to reveal hidden start-up menu options. The fact that there are sites on the internet that claim that this can be done, does not stop those searching for instructions on how-to do so. If you read and understand what I have written then you can save yourself some time and effort trying to do the impossible. Or, at least, the very difficult.

BT Vision Problems

Please post your experiences here

I am getting less and less impressed with WordPress

As time goes on the Google Blogger platform seems to be the preferred platform.

Not only does it keep up with typing but I hopefully can upload images in a more consistent manner.

 

For example, the image above was uploaded with no problems. When I try and upload to the Wordpress blog, and it is hosted on my own coin!, the image above stalls at around 72%.
It is not as if the file size is too large. The WP help says that the image has to be less than 2M. The image above is a jpg and is smaller than the original png which was around 500k.