Bill Gates has stepped out and described Apple's iPad as "frustrating" to use, noting that the device should take a leaf from the book of Microsoft's Surface. He believes that iPad users miss key features such as the use of a physical keyboard and access to Microsoft Office, and if the Cupertino company were to take some cues from the Surface, owners of the Apple slate would enjoy a more gratifying experience.
According to sources of Digitimes, Microsoft is planning to release the second generation of its Surface tablet computer at the BUILD Developer Conference commencing from June 26th. Digitimes is famously hit-and-miss with this kind of "upstream supply chain" information, but with the Redmond company certainly playing catch-up in the tablet market, a swift follow up to the inaugural Surface would certainly help the Windows maker's cause.
Having established that a significant portion of those adopting the Windows Phone platform will be doing so from Google's Android, Microsoft has created a ‘Switch to Windows Phone’ app which aims to make the process as painless as possible. I must admit, when I first saw it, I thought it was shameless plugging bordering on propaganda, but having delved beneath the surface, it does appear that the Redmond's main objective here is to lay the foundations for a smooth migration over to the tiled realms of Windows Phone 8.
Facebook is something of a killer app on pretty much every platform, especially mobile, or otherwise known as ‘handheld devices’. That's why having a compelling Facebook app is a must for any mobile platform worth its salt, that's why Microsoft is working with Facebook itself in order to make sure that the social networking app is as awesome as possible on Windows Phone.
Microsoft may be languishing behind Apple and Google in the mobile operating system stakes, but that hasn't stopped the Redmond outfit from coning out on the offensive with its latest Windows Phone ad. You can check it out after the jump.
Hitherto, the world has commonly referred to Microsoft's next-gen console as the Xbox 720, and although it does make some degree of sense, it has never seemed particularly likely that the software maker would actually opt for this moniker. And now according to an image circulating throughout Twitter and Reddit, the next-gen console may in fact be called “Xbox Infinity,” featuring the tagline “Infinite entertainment. Infinite possibilities.” As convincing as the image may be, many have already stepped out to refute these claims, notably Forbes, whose source suggests the Redmond company may simply 'do an Apple' and call it "Xbox."
As you will probably have heard by now, Microsoft yesterday began sending invitations for its Xbox launch event on May 21st, but one person who wasn't surprised was Paul Thurrott. He initially said the announcement would be coming on April 24th, but later went on to note that plans had changed, and it would instead be unveiled on May 21st. As it transpired, the original date turned out to be the day the invitations were sent, and his revised information about the announcement proved to be right on the money.
With Sony having gotten in ahead of Microsoft in announcing its next-gen PlayStation 4 console all the way back in February, it was only going to be a matter of time before the Redmond company responded with a significant announcement of its own. Today, the software maker has sent out media invitations to an event on May 21st, 2013 at the Redmond HQ, and as you'll see from an image of the invitation posted below, there's little doubt as to what the main topic of conversation will be.
Windows 8.1 Will Bring Back The Start Button, Is Microsoft Rolling Back A Regretful Decision? [Poll]
According to a new report, Microsoft is planning to bring the long lost Start Orb button back with Windows 8.1 later this year. Is it a good move? Is Microsoft trying to lure back users they lost over the past months?
Regardless of whether your desktop computer operating system of choice has that Microsoft feel about it, or slants more towards an Apple inspired offering, it's probably fairly accurate to assume that there are things that you would like to change about the aesthetics. Mac OS X is currently enjoying its most successful spell to date with Apple reaping the benefits that come attached with the current surge in user adoption. However, Microsoft is also reporting a recent surge in profits that has a lot to do with the success of Windows 8 since launch.
