Windows 8- Page 25 - CNET Reviews

Dual-screen Taichi leads lineup of unique Asus Windows 8 PCs

TAIPEI, Taiwan--Windows 8, we've been told, is going to move Microsoft into the post-PC era. And a bevy of new PC designs that Asus debuted here at the Computex trade show is bringing that vision to reality.

The Taiwanese PC manufacturer has take the wraps off three new product lines -- a dual-screen ultrabook, a semiportable all-in-one desktop, and a convertible laptop with a removable keyboard -- that build on the lessons of the company's Transformer line of Android tablets.

Taichi: Tablet, ultrabook, or both? First up from Asus was the Taichi hybrid notebook/tablet, which was … Read more

First look: Acer Aspire 7600U and 5600U all-in-one touch screens

TAIPEI, Taiwan--While all-in-one touch screens have never lived up to the promise, the launch of Windows 8 later this year will mean a rash of new devices hitting the market. Will compelling touch-screen Windows apps for the desktop finally happen?

The bigger 7600U comes in at 27 inches and has a full HD resolution. Here, you can spot a slot-loading optical drive.

The touch screen allows up to 64 simultaneous inputs, which could have fascinating implications for multiuser programs. It can also be tilted flat like a table, and rotated for easy access.

Screen quality was excellent at first glance, and the Metro aesthetic translates really well to the large screen. We're looking forward to seeing if usability is up there as well. The product manager joked that vertically oriented, it's the world's biggest e-reader. From the sharp text we saw, he may not be far off the mark.… Read more

Acer unveils bevy of Window 8 devices at Computex

With four months to go before the final version of Windows 8 is expected to land, the parade of devices putting its faith behind Microsoft's next operating system has officially begun.

Acer got the ball rolling Monday at the Computex 2012 trade conference in Taipei, unveiling a bevy of Window 8-enabled devices. The company unveiled a pair of ultrabooks running Windows 8 -- considered a key combination to sparking growth in the PC market.

The Aspire S7 series includes two touch screen models: a 13-incher as well as the company's first 11.6-inch Ultrabook. The company was light … Read more

Hits and misses in Windows 8 so far

With the Windows 8 Release Preview finally available, Microsoft has taken a major step toward putting its chips on the table for its biggest gamble ever. While we may start seeing some of the hardware that will run Windows 8 as early as next week, we know enough about the operating system itself to say what's surprisingly good and what needs help, STAT.

What we liked so far:

The Metro interface comes at app icons from a different angle than Apple and Google. Live tiles are actually useful, updating the stock ticker concept for a modern, mobile world. You … Read more

Asus, Acer, Toshiba to unveil Windows 8, RT tablets

Asus, Acer, and Toshiba will roll out a mix of tablets based on both Windows 8 and Windows RT at the hardware-centric Computex trade show next week, according to Bloomberg.

Windows 8 will run on chips from Intel, while Windows RT is powered by ARM chips from Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments.

One Asus tablet uses an Nvidia chip, said Bloomberg. CNET reported earlier in the month that Asus and Lenovo are expected to bring out Windows RT tablets built around Nvidia Tegra 3 chips.

A Windows RT-based Toshiba tablet is using Texas Instruments' silicon, according to Bloomberg.

This jibes … Read more

Windows 8 due 'for the holidays,' but will biz bite?

Microsoft dropped some hints today that the commercial release of Windows 8 could come sooner rather than later, but critics are worried that it's not very business friendly.

Announcing the Windows 8 Release Preview, Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky wrote today in the Building Windows 8 blog that the final version is, at the very least, on track.

"If the feedback and telemetry on Windows 8 and Windows RT match our expectations, then we will enter the final phases of the RTM (release to manufacturing) process in about 2 months," Sinofsky wrote. (Windows RT refers to the version … Read more

Where to get the Windows 8 Release Preview

Microsoft has pulled back the curtain on the penultimate update to Windows 8 today, the last step before it gets shipped to manufacturers. Read CNET's Windows 8 Release Preview First Take on the new touch-pad drivers, new default apps, and improved features, and then go see for yourself. You can get the release candidate for free.

Download it from Microsoft's own site or CNET's Download.com.

Microsoft reveals Windows 8 upgrade path -- and $15 fee

Accompanying today's debut of the Windows 8 Release Preview, Microsoft has announced a steeply discounted Windows 8 upgrade path for people who buy Windows 7 computers between June 2012 and January 2013.

If you buy an eligible Windows 7 computer between June 2, 2012, and January 31, 2013, you'll be able to purchase an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $14.99. Microsoft said that more details on the upgrade plan would be announced tomorrow, and that further upgrade options will be revealed for current Windows 7 computer owners in the coming months.

The company also said that … Read more

Windows 8 -- a winner or a turkey for Microsoft? No one knows

Microsoft's Windows 8 Release Candidate is on tap and analysts are busy trying to handicap the financial implications. The reality is that Windows 8 is tricky for the beancounters to model given the various wild cards with a new interface.

As noted by Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft's Release Candidate appears to be poised for lift-off. The release candidate is expected to have more features and be complete relative to the Consumer Preview in February. Windows 8 is expected to head to manufacturing in August with general availability in the fall.

While analysts who have called Windows 8 a likely disappointment … Read more

Apple's Cook right about PC-tablet fusion fantasy

Apple's Tim Cook expounded on prior comments he has made on trying to shoehorn a PC into a tablet at the D10 conference last night. The Microsoft-Intel camp should listen.

Let's begin with what Cook said.

In my view, the tablet and the PC are different. You can do things with a tablet if you aren't encumbered by the legacy of a PC -- if you view it as different. If you say this is another PC, all of a sudden you're pulling all of the leadweight of the PC market and you wind up with … Read more