continuum | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Wed, 07 Oct 2015 18:21:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png continuum | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Windows 10 is coming to ‘other devices’ in December https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/matthew-wilson/windows-10-is-coming-to-other-devices-in-december/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/matthew-wilson/windows-10-is-coming-to-other-devices-in-december/#respond Wed, 07 Oct 2015 18:20:58 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=270998 Windows 10 has been out for desktop users since the end of July, with it already being installed on 110 million devices. However, Microsoft is also bringing the operating system to other devices, in December, starting off with Windows 10 for smartphones, launching alongside the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950XL. Windows Insider preview testers have …

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Windows 10 has been out for desktop users since the end of July, with it already being installed on 110 million devices. However, Microsoft is also bringing the operating system to other devices, in December, starting off with Windows 10 for smartphones, launching alongside the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950XL. Windows Insider preview testers have had access to early builds of the software for a while but Microsoft is almost ready to push Windows 10 mobile out to everyone.

Speaking with VentureBeat, a Microsoft spokesperson said: “Windows 10 is available on PCs and tablets now, and while Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL ship with Windows 10 for phones, broad availability of Windows 10 on other devices, including mobile phones, will begin rolling out in December.”

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Aside from that, Microsoft is also launching the new dashboard for the Xbox One console, which doubles as the Windows 10 update for the system. Right now those in the Preview Program can opt-in to try it out early, with a public roll out coming in November, just ahead of Windows 10 for smartphones.

Microsoft is aiming to have Windows 10 installed on 1 billion devices in the next couple of years, so it still has some progress to make. However, the cross-platform nature of Windows 10 should make it more attractive to developers, which may in-turn make Windows Phone a better option for consumers.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The new Lumia devices actually look pretty decent spec-wise. Microsoft has also implemented quite a few big features in to Windows 10 to create a better device ecosystem as well. Are you running Windows 10 already? Are you thinking about getting a Windows Phone? 

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Microsoft Windows 10 to be as popular as Windows 7 – analyst https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/microsoft-windows-10-to-be-as-popular-as-windows-7-analyst/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/microsoft-windows-10-to-be-as-popular-as-windows-7-analyst/#comments Tue, 16 Dec 2014 21:04:18 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=226639 The adoption of Microsoft Corp.’s Windows 8 operating system has been generally slow because it looks and feels unfamiliar to most users. Windows 10 operating system promises to become more popular because Microsoft will attempt to make it more familiar to users of classic Windows operating systems. A financial analyst said that Windows 10 could …

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The adoption of Microsoft Corp.’s Windows 8 operating system has been generally slow because it looks and feels unfamiliar to most users. Windows 10 operating system promises to become more popular because Microsoft will attempt to make it more familiar to users of classic Windows operating systems. A financial analyst said that Windows 10 could be as popular as Windows 7.

Intel Corp. has suggested that as many as 600 million personal computers could be replaced with PCs powered by Windows 10 operating system in the foreseeable future. Microsoft itself said that Windows 10 will be used on billions of devices. While it is unknown precisely how Microsoft plans to monetize its next-generation operating system, Brendan Barnicle, an analyst with Pacific Crest, believes that Microsoft’s licensing revenues will be significantly higher in the coming years.

“Microsoft saw relatively weak adoption of Windows 8, but early reviews are encouraging for Windows 10,” said Mr. Barnicle in a note to clients, reports Tech Trader Daily. “The Windows 10 upgrade cycle could be like Windows 7. While we believe it will not be as strong an upgrade cycle as the XP expiration cycle, Windows 10 could provide upside to our F2016 D&C licensing revenue estimates, which are currently modeled to be flat.”

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Since Windows 10 operating system will work on personal computers, tablets, smartphones and even wearables, the OS will be sold at different price-points. It is likely that average revenue per copy will be lower than average revenue a Windows license brings to Microsoft today. As a result, to benefit from Windows 10, Microsoft will just have to sell higher amount of copies than it did with Windows 8.

There are multiple ways for Microsoft to monetize its operating systems. The main challenge for Windows 10 will be to persuade makers of smartphones, tablets and wearables to use the platform in general. So far, Microsoft has not been very successful on the market of mobile devices and has consistently lost market share to Google Android. It is not guaranteed that Microsoft manages to capture share from Android and Android Wear in the future.

Microsoft will release Windows 10 operating system next fall.

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Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It is noteworthy that financial analysts these days do not try to assess success of Windows 10 outside the personal computer world. Given that PC makers need Windows for their systems, it is nearly certain that Windows 10 will remain rather popular on the market of desktops and notebooks. But the key to success of Windows 10 ecosystem lies outside the PC world. Microsoft needs to install Windows on mobile and ultra-mobile devices, not only on PCs, to remain relevant.

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Transition to flat user interfaces is inevitable, but will take time – former Apple engineer https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/transition-to-flat-user-interfaces-is-inevitable-but-will-take-time-former-apple-engineer/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/transition-to-flat-user-interfaces-is-inevitable-but-will-take-time-former-apple-engineer/#comments Sat, 13 Dec 2014 08:25:22 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=226202 If you do not like modern graphics user interfaces of the latest operating, you will have to get over it because this is exactly how GUIs will look like going forward, according to a former Apple engineer. Flat is the new black. Millions of users have criticized Apple and Microsoft Corp. for changes of user …

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If you do not like modern graphics user interfaces of the latest operating, you will have to get over it because this is exactly how GUIs will look like going forward, according to a former Apple engineer. Flat is the new black.

Millions of users have criticized Apple and Microsoft Corp. for changes of user interfaces (UI) in their iOS, Mac OS X and Windows operating systems in the recent years. The new UIs lack the majority of skeuomorphic elements, are flat, minimalistic and very clean. However, in many cases they are not as intuitive or beautiful as previous-generation interfaces. Bill Fernandez, the first full-time employee of Apple and a well-known expert in user interfaces, believes that transition to flat UIs is just an inevitability.

“Years ago a friend asked what I thought Web pages of the future would be like and I said ‘like magazines,’” said Mr. Fernandez in an interview with Cnet News. “I thought we would see flatter designs, expert typography, beautiful, magazine-advertisement-like page layouts, etc. That prediction is coming true with the trend toward ‘flat' UI design.”

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When graphics user interfaces emerged in the eighties and evolved in the nineties, many of their elements were skeuomorphic, made to recreate actual objects, goods or devices. This helped to make UIs more intuitive for people not familiar with particular programs as well as more stylish. Many skeuomorphic design elements outlived actual items they were to depicture. We no longer use diskettes, folders, sketching boards, notepads, players and many other things we used just a decade ago. As a result, there is no more need to emulate the “real world” on displays: elements on displays have become the real world for many, if not all users.

Since modern user interfaces no longer have to resemble anything, it is time to make them clean and intuitive. Unfortunately, some things get lost on this path. Eventually, developers will figure out how to make “flat” UIs perfect.

“In moving towards flat design we are losing much of the wisdom that was embedded in the old 3D style of UI, for example: a user must be able to glance at a screen and know what is an interactive element (e.g., a button or link) and what is not (e.g., a label or motto); a user must be able to tell at a glance what an interactive element does (does it initiate a process, link to another page, download a document, etc.?); the UI should be explorable, discoverable and self-explanatory. But many apps and websites, in the interest of a clean, spartan visual appearance, leave important UI controls hidden until the mouse hovers over just the right area or the app is in just the right state. This leaves the user in the dark, often frustrated and disempowered,” explained the legendary engineer.

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Although it is an art to design user interfaces of software, Bill Fernandez reckons that visual design is only one element that users interact with. In reality user interacts with a lot of things and all of them have to be made very well.

“The true user interface is the gestalt of many things: industrial design, ergonomics, internal hardware, performance, error handling, visual design, interaction, latency, reliability, predictability, and more,” said the legendary engineer. “I am glad to see my profession moving from the concept of user ‘interface’ (where the user interacts with the screen) to user ‘experience’ (where more the above factors are considered),” said Mr. Fernandez.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The ideas behind transitions to flatter designs are well known. The problems that modern UIs bring are also evident in many cases. Still, in many cases modern UIs are actually easier to use than older interfaces, which is why they will continue to evolve, whereas skeuomorphism as we know it will cease to exist.

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Microsoft announces date of Windows 10 consumer preview https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/microsoft-to-reveal-consumer-features-of-windows-10-on-january-21-2015/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/microsoft-to-reveal-consumer-features-of-windows-10-on-january-21-2015/#comments Fri, 12 Dec 2014 03:49:36 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=226014 Microsoft Corp. on Thursday announced that it will hold a special event in Redmond, Washington on the 21st of January, 2015, where it will reveal more details regarding Windows 10 operating system in general and its capabilities aimed at consumers in particular. The event will be webcast live, so everyone will be able to hear …

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Microsoft Corp. on Thursday announced that it will hold a special event in Redmond, Washington on the 21st of January, 2015, where it will reveal more details regarding Windows 10 operating system in general and its capabilities aimed at consumers in particular. The event will be webcast live, so everyone will be able to hear what Microsoft plans to disclose.

Senior leaders of Microsoft, including Satya Nadella, Terry Myerson, Joe Belfiore and Phil Spencer, will talk at the event about the Windows 10 consumer experience. The lineup of executives suggests that Microsoft will not only reveal additional information about its upcoming operating system, but also gaming- and Xbox-related aspects of the forthcoming platform.

The software giant did not reveal topics it wants to cover during the event, but given the presence of Joe Belfiore, it is likely that Microsoft will reveal versions of Windows aimed at various consumer devices. Based on unofficial information, the software developer intends to show Windows 10 for mobile devices, which will work on smartphones as well as tablets powered by ARM or Intel microprocessors. It is also likely that the software giant will demonstrate its new code-named “Continuum” touch-based user interface at the event among other things.

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Keeping in mind the presence of Phil Spencer, expect Microsoft to talk about its video game ecosystem in general, DirectX 12 application programming interface, Windows 10 graphics user interface for the company’s latest game console and so on. Microsoft should also talk about the place of Xbox One as a gaming platform within its ecosystem and reveal how it will position the Xbox and the PC (when it comes to gaming) going forward. Unfortunately, it is unknown whether Microsoft will actually cover this topic.

Microsoft Windows 10 will work on billions of devices and will power virtually all types of computing products that exist today, including desktop and notebook PCs, hybrid 2-in-1 systems, tablets, smartphones, embedded applications and ever wearables. The OS is projected to smartly tweak its user interface for every device type, which should please users of classic Windows as well as new devices. Windows 10 will be launched in late summer or in autumn of 2015.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It is likely that Microsoft will not release all the Windows 10 consumer experience-related information at its event in January. But, perhaps, it will at least partly uncover its strategic vision regarding its new platform and devices it will power along with some flagship features that should define difference with today’s Windows.

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Microsoft: Windows 10 will run on billions of devices https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/anton-shilov/microsoft-windows-10-will-run-on-billions-of-devices/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/anton-shilov/microsoft-windows-10-will-run-on-billions-of-devices/#comments Sat, 06 Dec 2014 02:34:37 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=225138 Microsoft Corp.’s Windows 10 operating system will eventually power billion of devices, the company revealed this week. Apparently, the new OS will target not only PCs, tablets and smartphones, but also various devices that belong to the Internet-of-Things (IoT) world. While Microsoft did not explicitly confirm it, it looks like Windows 10 will also be …

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Microsoft Corp.’s Windows 10 operating system will eventually power billion of devices, the company revealed this week. Apparently, the new OS will target not only PCs, tablets and smartphones, but also various devices that belong to the Internet-of-Things (IoT) world. While Microsoft did not explicitly confirm it, it looks like Windows 10 will also be aimed at various wearable computing devices, smart home appliances, special-purpose equipment, automobiles and more.

“Our goal is to have Windows 10 run across billions of devices,” said Kevin Turner, chief operating officer of Microsoft at the Credit Suisse 18th Annual Technology Conference. “Being able to tap into that entire ecosystem from Internet-of-Things all the way up, as I said, to the TV, is an important element and an important opportunity for us.”

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Microsoft needs to expand the Windows ecosystem beyond personal computers so to earn not only by selling software for PCs, but by selling programs, services and content across loads of various devices. Therefore, Windows 10 was designed from the ground up to support all imaginable types of computing hardware.

From Microsoft's point of view, it took four operating systems (for PCs, smartphones/tablets, embedded/IoT equipment and Xbox One) and fused them into one that supports the broadest amount of devices possible.

“The thing that I want to tell you about Windows 10 is that it is very unique from any operating system we have ever built and any operating system that exists today,” said Mr. Turner. “We have actually taken those four OSes […] and built that single kernel across all of those entities.”

Earlier this year Tami Reller, back then executive vice president of marketing at Microsoft, already implied that Microsoft was working on Windows for ultra-small gadgets, such as wearables. From technology standpoint, since Windows 10’s kernel supports both x86 and ARM processors as well as a broad set of various hardware, it can power almost anything, including smartwatches, car infotainment systems, special-purpose equipment and so on. What is not completely clear is whether all programs (including legacy applications) will run on all types of hardware.

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The software giant noted that while Windows 10 will run differently on various devices and its user interface will be tailored for particular products, the overall user experience should be similar across the Microsoft eco-system.

“One experience on every device for everything in your life is the promise that we are delivering on Windows 10,” said the COO of Microsoft. “It is going to be a very good opportunity for us to reinvigorate the entire Windows ecosystem around that.”

Microsoft emphasized that applications developed for Windows 10 will run on all devices based on the platform, which is something that has never been possible.

“Now you can write that application, have it actually run across [IoT devices], have it run across your mobile devices, have it run across your laptop and your desktops and your TV with Xbox One, and you have a common kernel within that,” explained Mr. Turner. “We have one developer API now. We have one interface to silicon with Windows 10. That gives us the capability of having one store, which also gives us the capability of having one experience tailored to every device.”

While it is definitely impressive to see an operating system that works on everything from smartwatch to tablet to PC, it remains to be seen how well it will work on all these devices and how good the user experience “tailored for every device” will be.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Microsoft’s Windows 10 seems to be a very broad initiative designed for long-term future, when Microsoft will need to absorb loads of device types into its ecosystem to stay relevant. Microsoft’s approach seems to be very progressive, but it is completely unclear how the company wants to ensure quality user experience on all devices. Apple’s Mac OS X and iOS platforms share a lot of code derived from the NextStep OS, but they are still different operating systems and cannot run the same applications because there are different usage patters on different hardware and apps should be tailored for particular platforms to provide great user experience. Microsoft, however, is proud that one app can run on everything. While this sounds good, running Excel on a smartwatch makes no sense.

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Microsoft delays Windows 10 launch to ‘late summer – early fall’ of 2015 https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/microsoft-delays-windows-10-launch-to-late-summer-early-fall-of-2015/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/microsoft-delays-windows-10-launch-to-late-summer-early-fall-of-2015/#comments Fri, 05 Dec 2014 23:28:46 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=225116 Microsoft Corp. this week revealed that the launch timeframe of its next-generation Windows 10 operating system had been delayed to “late summer – early fall” of 2015. Previously it was believed that the OS was due in the first half of next year, but due to some reasons the software giant decided to push the …

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Microsoft Corp. this week revealed that the launch timeframe of its next-generation Windows 10 operating system had been delayed to “late summer – early fall” of 2015. Previously it was believed that the OS was due in the first half of next year, but due to some reasons the software giant decided to push the release back. The company is still on-track to show off consumer features of Windows early in 2015.

“The thing I want to tell you about on Windows 10 is in the Windows 10 timeframe, which we plan to talk about the end-user consumer experiences in the early spring, we'll have a developer preview and be able to talk to that in depth in the early summer timeframe,” said Kevin Turner, chief operating officer of Microsoft at the Credit Suisse 18th Annual Technology Conference. “Then by next late summer and early fall we'll be able to bring out this particular OS. That's the current plan of record.”

The first rumours about Microsoft’s operating system code-named “Threshold” emerged in late 2013. In early 2014 it transpired that the world’s largest software designer was hard at work to release the new OS as early as in late 2014 in a bid to boost sales of PCs hampered by low popularity of Windows 8. Eventually different sources pointed to the first half of 2015 as the ship target for the next Windows, but it turns out that Microsoft’s new OS will only hit the market in late summer or early fall of 2015, roughly three years after Windows 8.

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Based on unofficial information, Microsoft will publicly preview consumer features of Windows 10 at a special event in late January. According to a report by Mary J. Foley, a well-known Microsoft watcher, the software giant will unveil capabilities of Windows 10 for mobile devices, which will work on smartphones as well as tablets powered by ARM or Intel microprocessors. It is expected that Microsoft will show its new code-named “Continuum” touch-based user interface at the event.

Microsoft Windows 10 will power virtually all types of devices that exist today, including desktop and notebook PCs, hybrid 2-in-1 systems, tablets, smartphones and even certain embedded applications. The OS will intelligently tweak its user interface for every device type. Many of “classic” Windows elements are expected to return to Windows 10 versions for desktops and notebooks. The next Microsoft operating system will ship with cross-platform DirectX 12 application programming interface.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Microsoft Windows 10 is highly anticipated by PC makers and hardware components manufacturers because they hope that its release will improve their sales. Unfortunately for them, the new OS will not be available for quite some time from now, which means that spring refresh and even back-to-school PCs will have to ship with Windows 8.1.

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