WindowsRt
Latest
Distro Issue 63: Will Microsoft's Surface tablet rise to the occasion?
As Windows 8 arrives on the tech scene, Microsoft's retooled operating system carries a truckload of new devices in tow. While the Ultrabooks and All-in-ones are on their way, a lot of attention is being given to the Redmond outfit's Surface slate. The Windows RT-wielding tablet slides into the spotlight in this week's issue of our e-magazine and we give it a thorough review to see just how it stacks up against the current contenders. We also spend some quality time with Dell's XPS 12 Windows 8 convertible and the LG Optimus G handset while the all of the recently announced Apple gadgets occupy Hands-On. Weekly Stat tallies worldwide mobile subscriptions, Visualized steps inside Google's Douglas County, Georgia data center and Time Machines recalls the origins of digital photography. As always, there's quite a bit to take in, so consult your usual download sources to take a gander at the goods. Distro Issue 63 PDF Distro in the iTunes App Store Distro in the Google Play Store Distro APK (for sideloading) Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
ASUS VivoTab RT review: everything you loved about the Transformer tablets, but with Windows
More Info ASUS outs Tablets 600 and 810, Transformer-like slates running Windows 8 ASUS outs dockable Windows 8 VivoTab and VivoTab RT ASUS VivoTab RT 10.1-inch Windows 8 RT tablet comes to AT&T later this year, we go hands-on Read the comments on any of our ASUS Transformer Pad reviews. It doesn't matter if you pick the mid-range TF300 or the high-end Infinity. You'll invariably find someone saying, "That's nice, but can't it run Windows 8?" It's a perfectly sane request: sure, a tablet and optional keyboard dock make for a convenient setup, but how great would it be if you could use that keyboard to get work done in Microsoft Office? Ditto for the dock's USB port: being able to plug in a thumb drive is a good start, but it'd be even sweeter if you could drag and drop files, as you would on a PC. Well, ladies and gents, you can quit your fantasizing. ASUS is ready to start shipping the VivoTab RT (TF600), and we're guessing it's pretty darn close to whatever Franken-tablet you've been dreaming up. Which is to say, it takes everything we loved about ASUS' Transformer Pads, and adds Windows RT. Like other tablets in ASUS' lineup, it has a 10-inch Super IPS+ display with claimed 178-degree viewing angles and a 600-nit brightness rating. Other tried-and-true specs include a quad-core Tegra 3 chip; an 8-megapixel, autofocusing rear camera capable of recording 1080p video; SonicMaster audio; and long battery life -- in this case, up to nine hours for the tablet and up to seven for the keyboard dock. At 8.3mm thick and 1.2 pounds, it's also about as thin and light as any Transformer Pad. Lastly, the VivoTab has NFC -- something you won't find on any of ASUS' older slates. The VivoTab RT should be available beginning today, starting at $599 for the 32GB tablet with a keyboard dock included. A 64GB tablet-and-dock bundle will retail for $699. So is this as good a buy as ASUS' earlier tablets. And how does it compare to other Windows RT devices being offered at a similar price? Let's find out.
PSA: Windows 8 available to buy starting tonight
Microsoft's stunning new operating system is finally ready for public consumption, starting tonight. The new OS is launching globally in more than 140 markets and in over 37 languages and you'll be able grab either Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro (not to mention the Microsoft Surface), from 12.01am local time at participating US retailers including Amazon, Best Buy and Staples. Meanwhile, Microsoft will also be offering up its Windows 8 upgrade online. Anyone looking to upgrade their PC (and you'll be able to from XP to version 7) will need to stump up $40 -- just keep that source link below bookmarked for later. Better still, if you've bought a Windows 7 machine since June 2, you'll be able to download Redmond's latest OS for the discounted rate of $15, so make sure to pay a visit to our second source link below.
Microsoft Surface with Windows RT review
When Microsoft unveiled its Surface tablets with a flashy, top secret Los Angeles event, it didn't just mark the beginning of a new (and utterly critical) phase for the history of the company. It marked the repurposing of a name that was already quite familiar to us -- though in the guise of a big table. That device lives on as PixelSense, thus putting a period at the end of one definition of the word, a definition Microsoft kindly requests we put behind us as we move on to something that is wholly different. This new Surface device could be said to relate more closely to the active form of the word in question. That is, the verb: to rise up -- for something to appear that was not there before. It's a very apt definition for what Microsoft is doing, attempting to go from zero to hero on the tablet hardware front in just one shot. Is this, the Surface for Windows RT, good enough to erase decades of mediocre touchscreen Windows devices? Will it help Microsoft and its latest operating systems float up to the top of the tablet hierarchy? Your answers lie just below the break. %Gallery-168886%
ASUS VivoTab RT tablet arrives October 26th, starting at $599 for the 32GB model; keyboard dock included (update: eyes-on!)
In case you haven't heard, a lot -- and we mean a lot -- of Windows devices are going on sale this week. Today it's ASUS' turn to give its lineup a formal coming-out party: the company is hosting a press event here in New York City, where it just announced the dockable VivoTab RT will be available on October 26th, starting at $599 for the 32GB model, keyboard included. Alternatively, you can buy the 64GB tablet and docking station for $699. As we previously reported, an LTE version is coming to AT&T. Finally, ASUS says it will also sell the tablet and dock individually, but we haven't yet learned final pricing for those items. We'll update this post when we do. If this is your first introduction to the VivoTab RT, here's a quick recap: it basically offers everything people loved about ASUS' Android-based Transformer tablets, except it runs Windows RT instead. Like the Infinity and other recent ASUS tablets, it has a 600-nit Super IPS+ display, offering 178-degree viewing angles and Gorilla Glass protection. Other specs include a quad-core Tegra 3 chip (the new T30, to be exact), 2GB of RAM, NFC and an 8-megapixel rear camera with an auto-focusing f/2.2 lens. Then there's that keyboard dock, which has a USB 2.0 port and built-in battery rated for seven hours. (The tablet itself is said to last up to nine hours.) Finally, of course, as a Windows RT device it comes loaded with all of the same stock applications you'll find in full Windows 8 (Mail, IE 10, etc.), along with Office 2013 Home & Student. The main difference: you won't be able to install legacy Windows programs. The VivoTab RT arrives the same day as the Surface for Windows RT and indeed, we'll be eager to compare the two, especially since pricing for the keyboard-tablet bundles is identical. In fact, ASUS sent us one to test, and you can expect a review any day now. Until then, we've embedded some press photos below, in case you're just getting your first look.
ASUS VivoTab RT pops up early at Office Depot, teases our Windows RT future
Want an early glimpse of the VivoTab RT without having to attend ASUS' special event? Thanks to our tipster, you've got it. An Office Depot has received at least one example of the Windows RT slate a full three days in advance. The short impressions: it's an "awesome" Tegra 3-packing tablet, although the OS reportedly chews up more than half of the 32GB of storage, and USB depends on an adapter if you're not relying on the keyboard. While price wasn't immediately available, we're not expecting retail to deviate greatly from the $599 pre-order formula.
Dell begins accepting orders for its XPS 10 tablet running Windows RT, prices start at $499 (updated)
Surface isn't the only Windows RT tablet going on sale this week: Dell's XPS 10 officially starts sales on Friday, though it's actually for purchase now on Dell's site. (It won't ship until mid-December, so don't get too excited.) The tablet starts at $500 for the 32GB tablet by itself, which is right in line with Microsoft's Surface pricing. The 64GB model is priced at $600. Interested in that optional keyboard dock? (Of course you are!) Dell is selling two bundles: one with the 32GB tablet for $680, and another with the 64GB one for $780. Though the keyboard comes at a premium, especially compared to Microsoft's Touch Covers, it offers some things Microsoft doesn't -- namely, a USB port, HDMI output and a built-in battery. Whichever model you choose, the XPS 10 has a 10.1-inch screen with 1,366 x 768 resolution and a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.5GHz. While it has 10 point multitouch support on that IPS LCD, there won't be any kind of active pen or stylus tech built in. Hit up the source link for more info, and check out our fresh round of hands-on shots below. Update: As some of you have pointed out, that $499 starting price includes a one-year service plan, valued at $100. You can opt out of this plan and get the standalone tablet for $399. Update 2: We've been in contact with Dell about some errors that apparently slipped through to their sales page, and have updated the specs above for the CPU, input support and warranty information. Also, that $499 price will stick, as the warranty cannot be deselected. Check out the PDF linked below for the correct specs until the Dell site is properly updated.
Editorial: Turning point for the tortoise and the hare
That meteor shower was a bust. I'll never get back the five minutes I spent waiting to be awed. Anyone similarly impatient will be in gratification heaven for the next week, as the biggest cosmic bodies in the tech cosmos streak across the sky with announcements, device releases, price shifts and earnings reports. Tossing astronomy aside for its failure to bedazzle, I turn to astrology to illuminate the upcoming eventful days. From a This Week in Astronomy blog: "A Venus-Pluto-Uranus T-square will be testing relationships and finances. The Sun enters Scorpio and aspects every slower planet except Pluto, and there's an intense Mars-Jupiter opposition." I don't understand most of that, but I know about opposition. That fits. The energy of opposition crackles in the ecosystem warfare waged this week by Apple, Microsoft and Google. Switching now from inscrutable astrology to fables (because next to cosmic messaging I like simple allegories to explain life), we can see that the slow-but-steady tortoise is placing the most audacious bet.
LG announces Windows 8 12-inch slider laptop hybrid and all-in-one PC (updated)
Windows 8's imminent launch continues to draw out even more devices in almost every permutation imaginable. LG's up next, with its collection ranging from a familiar-looking V325 all-in-one PC, through to a slider PC with tablet skills. The size of LG's 11.6-inch H160 hybrid means we're not certain whether it'll be running Windows RT or the more power-intensive complete package. LG's brief explanation below the press shots also suggests we're only looking at two models for now -- despite the three devices on show here; presumably that tablet is just the laptop transformed, given that the company decided to put that particular family of devices on the back burner. The hybrid laptop houses its own auto-slide button, and measures in at 15.9mm thick, despite the built-in keyboard. The 11.6-inch screen is another LG-made IPS panel, promising up to 178 degrees of crisp visibility, while the manufacturer expects the battery to last up to 10 hours. Connectivity encompasses WiFi, HDMI output and a USB port and -- according to Google's translation -- a microSD card slot. The device will have to compete for fans against Sony's similarly-sliding VAIO Duo 11 -- not to mention Toshiba's U925t Ultrabook. The touchscreen V325 AIO packs all the thinking parts behind a 23-inch display, with up to 10-point touch sensitivity. There's a (presumably Korea-only) TV tuner built-in, which can be activated without powering up the whole PC, while processing powering is provided by a third-generation Core i5 processor and NVIDIA's GeForce GT640M. Both devices are currently set to remain on home turf for now, starting from October 26th and will be accompanied by LG's latest range of Ultrabooks, refreshed with Windows 8 software.
NEC LaVie Y brings Lenovo's 360-degree IdeaPad Yoga hybrid tablet to Japan
Don't think that Lenovo is keeping the IdeaPad Yoga's bendy secrets all to itself: its Japanese partner NEC is bringing a variant of the ARM-based Yoga 11 to the land of the rising sun as the LaVie Y. The 11.6-inch blend of laptop and tablet keeps the signature 360-degree display, 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage as its more internationally-minded counterpart, and confirms that there's a quad-core Tegra 3 powering either of the Windows RT systems. What differences exist will stem from the software: there's hints of a custom NEC app on an otherwise vanilla interpretation of Microsoft's platform. The LaVie Y should precede its IdeaPad sibling by days, arriving in stores around November 22nd, although any local buyers will pay dearly for the privilege with an estimated $1,136 price. We'd suggest that patience ought to be a virtue for everyone else. [Thanks, Gerald]
Microsoft Surface for Windows RT pricing now official: tablet starts at $499, keyboard not included
With Surface for Windows RT going on sale in just 10 days, Microsoft is finally ready to talk about pricing and availability -- not to mention, some technical details it left out when the tablet debuted back in June. After the Surface product page prematurely went live on Microsoft's site a few hours ago, the company just officially announced that the 10.6-inch, ARM-powered slate will go up for pre-order at 9AM PT today, starting at $499 for the 32GB version. For $599 you get the 32GB model with a black Touch Cover. To be clear, that entry-level price does not include that snazzy Touch Cover with the flat, pressure-sensitive keys. Rather, it'll be sold separately for $120. Ditto for the more traditional Type Cover keyboard, which is priced at $130. If you already know you want the packaged deal, however, you can buy the 64GB tablet and Touch Cover as a bundle for $699. Lastly, when Surface starts shipping on October 26th, you'll be able to buy it on Microsoft.com or at a Microsoft Store (if you happen to have one in your neck of the woods). If you're hankering for hands-on photos, we'll redirect you to the first look we published the day Surface was announced. Hopefully, though, we'll soon get a review unit so that we can supplement our preview with meaty, real-world impressions. %Gallery-168428%
Microsoft reportedly building up to 5 million Surface tablets for the fall
Just how confident is Microsoft that its Surface tablets will take off? To the tune of 3 to 5 million units shipped in the fall alone, according to the Wall Street Journal's supplier contacts. While that wouldn't be much when Apple already ships more than three times as many iPads, even discounting the supposed 10 million tiny iPads coming this fall, it would represent a strong start for a company that's only just dipping its toes into own-brand computing. Microsoft isn't confirming any numbers at this stage, but the large production volume might explain that Busby Berkeley-style TV ad -- you'd want a full song and dance routine if you had that many Surfaces to sell.
Microsoft puts a price on Surface RT: starts at $499, or $599 with Touch Cover
With a stamp from the FCC on its passport, and some fancy new TV ads, the smell of Microsoft's Surface tablet is thick in the air. Until now, however, price has been a mystery. Microsoft has just revealed, via its own store, that if you want a slice for yourself, you can do so starting from $499. That price will get you the 32GB version, without the touch cover, with pre-orders available now, penciled in for a 26th of October delivery date. If you must have that cover, it'll set you back another $100, and the same amount again if you want to hop up to 64GB of memory. With the current status of the larger-memory version showing as out of stock though, those with a thirst for storage still might have to wait a little longer. Update: It looks like Microsoft might have pulled the listing for now. Perhaps the pages weren't meant for prime-time just yet.
Microsoft Office 2013 releases to manufacturing, reaches most of us early next year
Break out the party streamers and balloons -- if only in an orderly fashion, because this is the day Office 2013 has been released to manufacturing. The completion swings Microsoft's attention towards a rollout staggered over the next few months. Wider availability will have to wait until the first quarter of 2013 -- such synchronicity with your branding, Microsoft -- but companies who've sprung for volume licensing will get access as early as mid-November to December 1st, depending on whether or not they're embracing a Software Assurance plan. In the meantime, Microsoft is offering an easy path for anxious workers by promising a free copy of Office 2013 to everyone who buys Office 2010 from October 19th onwards. The upgraded software might not be cheap for those who aren't already buying a Windows RT tablet, but it's likely to be an important piece of the puzzle for anyone hunting down a touchscreen Windows 8 PC.
ASUS VivoTab RT 10.1-inch Windows 8 RT tablet comes to AT&T later this year, we go hands-on (update: now with video!)
The ASUS VivoTab RT is heading to AT&T exclusively this winter with 4G LTE -- that much we already knew. But how does it feel? Well, it feels like a super thin (0.33-inches) and light (1.1 lb.) Windows 8 RT tablet. The Tegra 3 quad-core processor packs more than enough power into the 10.1-inch, multitouch Super IPS screen to make swapping between apps and other such affairs a smooth snap, and 2GB of internal RAM certainly doesn't hurt in the speed department either. That 10.1-inch screen comes with ASUS' "TruVid" technology, which intends to make your viewing experiences all the more magical -- the screen looked plenty nice to us, as did media displayed on it, but perhaps not the "brilliant viewing experience" that ASUS is touting. There's still no price for the device or its non-RT cousin (not to mention those AT&T data plans), but we expect to hear more in the near future -- winter's only so long, right?
AT&T gets its hands on ASUS VivoTab RT and Samsung ATIV Smart PC, wants to put them in yours this holiday
AT&T just packed a one-two punch of holiday tablet news, announcing that it's going to serve as the exclusive US carrier for both ASUS's VivoTab RT and Samsung ATIV Smart PC, both of which were originally unveiled this summer. The ASUS offers up a quad-core processor, LTE and a 10.1-inch IPS display in a thin and light form factor. The somewhat beefy Samsung, on the other hand, has an 11.6 inch HD PLS display, 1.5GHZ processor and 64GB of storage. Not much on specifics on availability at this point, beyond the fact that both will be hitting AT&T's site and stores "in time for the holidays."
Microsoft Surface Windows 8 RT tablet hits the FCC?
Well well, it looks like Microsoft's getting all its Windows 8 ducks in a row today. First, it sends out the invite for the Windows 8 launch event and a save the date for a Windows Phone 8 party, and now it looks like one of its Surface tablets has garnered FCC approval. Dubbed the Model 1516, the device in question can't be confirmed as a Surface slate, but we do know it's running Windows RT and has a membrane keyboard peripheral thanks to the docs submitted to Uncle Sam. We also know that it's got a stand, as the FCC label will be residing on the back panel beneath it, and the radios on board are of the Bluetooth and 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi variety. Does that add up to a Surface RT tablet? We sure think so, but see the evidence for yourself at the source link below.
Windows 8 launch event gets real, the celebration starts October 25th
Microsoft's been doing its best to get Windows 8 ready for public consumption. After dogfooding the OS to employees and IT pros and getting unsolicited feedback from company co-founder Paul Allen, the time has come for its official unveiling. Microsoft told us to save October 25th on our calendars for a Win8 celebration, and now the invites are out. Naturally, we'll be there in New York City reporting on the event live, so come on back in three weeks to get your full Windows 8 and Microsoft Surface fix.
Sony: We are still considering Windows RT, but optimum timing is also key
In the Q&A session at today's Sony VAIO event in Tokyo, a spokesperson expressed that while his company has yet to officially give Windows RT a whirl, it is still under consideration for future VAIO products. The rep added that he believes there's an optimum timing for picking up this ARM-friendly version of Windows 8, but he didn't elaborate further. Perhaps Sony's just getting all too comfortable with Android.
ZTE marketing guy goes crazy with unknown WP8 handset and Gaussian blur
Who needs a marketing department when you have a personal Sina Weibo account? So reasoned ZTE's marketing strategy manager, Dennis Lui, as he posted the above photo of three ZTE Windows Phones to the internet. The right-hand device is just a regular ZTE Tania and, although it looks like it's running Windows Phone 8, the screen is actually a dead ringer for a certain "WP8 simulator" app available for WP7 phones. The remaining two devices are obscured by a generous helping of blur, but the handset on the left could well be running legit WP8, as evidenced by the shrunken live tiles, hinting that ZTE may be among the first wave of manufacturers diving into the new OS. To further whet our budget hardware appetites, Lui also posted a photo of a Windows 8 or Windows RT tablet (shown after the break), which suggests that ZTE is getting into that game too.
