Category: Software

Microsoft Surface RT First Impressions

Greg Leave a comment

[sc:hardware-category ]Having finally received my Surface after a few minor issues in the delivery, I’ve had a chance to play with it for a few days and here are my first thoughts on it.

After taking out of the box the first thing that hit me was how large it really is.  The 16×9 aspect ratio really make it look bigger than it I was expecting.  The next thing I noticed is how well made it is.  There is zero flex in this thing and it feels like a single solid piece of magnesium.

Build quality is far beyond any other table, or even laptop, I’ve ever held.

Startup

Powering on the unit the first thing Microsoft has done is replace the standard “Windows” boot message with “Surface”, which is a nice little touch.  Once up you go through the standard Windows 8 setup steps including connecting to your Microsoft account.

For the rest of my PC’s I have a domain and I use the AD account to login to my systems, but unfortunately Windows 8 RT doesn’t support domain membership so I had to create a local account to start with.

This got me in to Windows but there doesn’t seem to be a way to associate the local Windows account with the Microsoft account like there is with an AD users.  This means you have to use your Microsoft account to login with if you want to get the sync features and access to the Store.

For me this presented a small problem as I don’t use my Microsoft account much and I use KeepPass on my PC’s to manage my passwords so I don’t actually have the Microsoft account password memorized.  Because of this I use a long randomly generated password which of course would be impossible to memorize.  This has forced me to change my Microsoft account password to something easier to remember.

Once I was logged in to the Surface with my Microsoft account, the rest proceeded easily enough and I was presented with the Start screen.

Differences with Windows 8 on a tablet

Windows RT looks exactly the same as the standard Windows and it was a smooth transition.  There were a few things to get use to though.  On the desktop I often go to the Start screen and just start typing the name of the app I want.  This brings up the search feature and I’m good to go.  However on the tablet there is no way to bring up the soft keyboard on the Start screen.  Instead you swipe in from the right to bring up the system charms and from there select search.  Then the software keyboard pops up and your good to go.

Type Cover

Speaking of keyboards, I didn’t get the Touch cover as I just can’t conceive of typing on a hard surface for any length of time.  Instead I ordered the Type cover with the real keys.  The Type cover is a marvel of engineering and actually feels pretty good to type on.

I only have two small items that I don’t like about it.  The first is the touchpad, the left/right buttons are integrated and it doesn’t quite feel natural to use as I often use one hand to move the mouse and the second to click the buttons.  With the Type cover I can’t do this as the second-hand acts as a second touch point and you get things like zoom or random mouse movements.  I’ll probably get use to it, but more likely I’ll just use a bluetooth mouse.

The second item is the function keys.  the top row of keys on the keyboard are shared between various functions (like play, pause, zoom, etc.) and the F1-F12 keys.  Normally I would expect the F keys to be the primary function and the other to be the secondary but on the Type keyboard this is reversed.  So if I want to close a Windows with Alt-F4, I now have to hit Alt-Fn-F4.  Not a major issue, just a little strange.

I suspect I won’t use the Type cover much and instead, like the mouse, pick up a bluetooth keyboard to use with it.

The built-in kickstand on the Surface is a great feature, even without the Type cover being used as a keyboard it’s nice to be able to stand the Surface up without having a separate stand.

Accessories

One of the things we haven’t seen much of yet is accessories for the Surface.  I’m sure there will be cases and stands made for it and I’m wondering about charging it.  As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, the wireless charging on my HP TouchPad is a great feature and Microsoft decided to go with a magnetic charger on the Surface.  The charging port is on the right hand side of the unit which makes me wonder if a charging dock is possible or not.  There is the port for the Touch/Type cover at the bottom of the Surface, did Microsoft include charging capabilities in this port as well?

Applications

First off the Surface RT comes with Office built-in, however at this time it is still the preview release.  The final version is complete according to Microsoft but isn’t in the Store yet.

The Office programs look and act just like Office on the PC so I won’t go in to details on them, the only comment I’ll make is about what’s missing.  Outlook and Project.  Both should be there and they aren’t.  I can only assume they will make an appearance at some point in the future.

Beyond the bundled apps I pulled down several from the Store and they all worked flawlessly.  The Store is still pretty small but that will change over the next few months.  The big ones for me that missing are KeepPass, Opera.

The built-in Mail app is kind of limited, but it does work and overall is functional enough to get by.  Microsoft has been busily updating many of the launch apps even before Windows 8 was officially available so I expect to see some major improvements in these apps over the next few months.

Windows 8 Settings Sync

Part of Windows 8 is the ability to sync your settings through your Microsoft Account.  The feature is great but I was in for a surprise about how great when I took the Surface to a Wi-Fi hotspot I visit quite often that requires a WPA2 passphrase.  I turned on the Surface and was showing a friend how it worked and suddenly a mail alert came up saying I had new mail.

At first I didn’t think much of it, but then I realized I hadn’t connected to the WiFi yet.  I have my laptop configured with Windows 8 and the WPA2 passphrase and the Surface tablet simply sync’d these settings over including the auto connect.  So when I turned on Surface within range of the WiFi it simply connected up and starting talking to the net again.

Cool 🙂

Speaking of things missing…

I mentioned earlier that Windows RT can’t join a domain, this also means it can’t receive Group Polices.  Both seem like strange limitations and are effectively showstoppers for businesses to use RT.  I assume they had to limit developement time on these features to get RT out the door on time and so I would expect to see them implemented in future updates.  Either that or for some kind of RT Enterprise Edition to crop up.

Silverlight is also missing from RT, which seems kind of strange as it was their cross-platform play for a long time.

The Display

There has been quite a bit written about the resolution of the display on Surface as it is not a “retina” type of display.  But really it looks gorgeous.  Bright and crisp.

The one thing I don’t like about it is the 16×9 aspect ratio.  I have to admit I prefer the 4×3 aspect ratio better for a tablet, but virtually everyone other than Apple is going to this ratio so I suspect it’s a loosing battle 🙁

Summary

Overall it’s a really nice device, kind of big to be a pure tablet in my opinion, but well made and slick.

I don’t think it will replace my laptop, perhaps the Surface Pro might do that, but even then I don’t think so.

I would like to see a Surface Pro with a 4×3 aspect ratio or perhaps just a smaller display.  Maybe ASUS or Acer will make one that will catch my fancy.

Microsoft has more work to do, but Windows 8 is a great OS and Surface has shown what can be done in term of design.  Now it’s up to Microsoft’s partners to step up to the plate and take it even farther.

The last question to answer is then, would I recommend it to someone?  The answer is… depends:

  • If you want to replace you iPad, no, Surface is too big as a pure tablet.
  • If you want to replace your netbook… absolutely.
  • If you want to replace you notebook… probably not, but if you only do some basic browsing and e-mail it would be a yes.
  • If you want to replace you desktop… definitely not, let’s not get carried away here 😉

 

Windows 8 Classic Shell

Greg

[sc:windows-category ]Windows 8 is a big change from previous versions, one of the most significant changes is the removal of the start menu from the desktop.  Several “replacements” have come around and I installed Classic Shell to give it a try.

First off, I have to say that Classic Shell is a very nice piece of software.  Full of options and support for just about everything you could image.  It is composed of three components:

  • The replacement Start Menu
  • The Windows 8 File Explorer toolbar
  • The IE 10 toolbar

I found the IE and File Explorer toolbars to be not to my liking but I can see where some may find these very desirable.

The real heart of the product though is the Start Menu replacement.  It has options for different styles, from XP to 7.  It can also override the behaviour of the Windows Key, skip the Start Screen on first logon and lots of other things.

I really like the product, but a funny thing happened (and I kind of thought it would), I’ve uninstalled it now.  Not because there’s anything wrong with it, but I’ve found I don’t use it.  In fact it was getting in the way.  Microsoft has done a good job of building the Windows 8 interface and I find that Classic Shell just gets in the way of that design.

If you’re looking to have the Start Menu back, give it a try, but I’d suggest just seeing if you can use the new interface first.  Give it a week and see if you find it better or not.

Windows Phone 8 SDK

Greg Leave a comment

[sc:mobile-category ]So Microsoft has finally decided to launch the Windows Phone 8 SDK, but in an unusual way.

First this is just a “preview” of the SDK.  Which means it’s still in flux, which seems odd at this late of date in the cycle.  Normally if we were going to see an October release, Microsoft would have RTM’d the software months ahead of time (like it did with Windows 8) to give partners and developers time to get ready for the launch.

The preview is only going to be open to existing developers with at least one app in the Marketplace, and even then to a limited number of people.  I will certainly be in line to get a copy, but with only one app in the Marketplace I doubt I’ll be high on the list to get it.

So this means I’ll have to wait, until the release of WP8 to get my hands on it, which seems strange, but I guess MS is running up to the last minute on this one to get everything done.

Hopefully that doesn’t result in a low quality product.

Another very odd thing about the announcement is that it occurred just hours after the Nokia/Microsoft press conference for the new Lumias. Microsoft took the stage twice during the conference, wouldn’t have been great for the to make the announcement live instead of in a blog post?

I wonder if they felt some pressure to release something due to the SDK leak a few weeks ago?

Don’t know for sure but I’ll be interested to see how things unfold over the next several weeks.

The Nokia 920 and 820

Greg Leave a comment

[sc:mobile-category ]So the big pres conference is over but what did we learn?

Not much really.  In fact, while the hardware looks great and has some truly impressive features, we’re still left wondering far too much.

But first things first, what did they get right?

The hardware

The 920 is looking to be a great phone.  The camera tech is truly impressive and if it takes photos half as well as the demo’s it will still be the best camera on a phone yet.  Likewise the wireless charging is a big step forward.  Yes Palm did it first, but it wasn’t standards compliant (because there were no standards at the time) and they didn’t license it out so it was always going to be a niche to them.  The display looks great and the touch screen that works with gloves makes it even better.

The 820 seems to have been the red-headed stepchild of the presentation (quite literally since it was show in red) but has some very desirable features.  The changeable covers, the SD card slot and a slightly smaller display are all good points.

On the hardware front the 920 is missing the SD card slot and I can’t for the life of me understand why.  It’s the high-end phone, its supposed to have all the features of the 820 and more, not less!

One change between the 800/900 and the 820/920 that I don’t like is the move towards a glossy case.  I really liked the matte finish on the 800/900, perhaps Nokia will make a sleeve for the 820 that’s matte.

I’m kind of torn here, the wireless charging is a killer feature for me so it seems likely I’ll be buying a Nokia phone.  However what I really want is a 920 with the styling of the 820 and the SD card slot.  I can only imagine that in a few months we’ll be seeing the 1020 or something that will be the 920 hardware in an 820 shell.

The Software

Nokia showed off quite a few software pieces as well, the maps functionality and the lens are both impressive additions to the phone.  However what I really wanted to see was Windows Phone 8 and there was very little to learn that we didn’t already know.

In fact there wasn’t ANYTHING new about the OS that we hadn’t learned either in June or through the SDK leak a few weeks ago.

This was the most frustrating part of the press conference.  This should have been MS’s big moment to shine and show all the new features of Windows Phone 8.  Instead we just got the oft recited “We’ll have more in the coming weeks” line.

And where’s the SDK for Windows Phone 8?  If the launch is going to be this year, shouldn’t the developers already have the SDK so they can be creating apps for the phones at launch time?

What Was Missing

There was so much missing from this press conference that I’m not sure where to start.

  • A release date
  • Carriers
  • Pricing
  • Regional availability
  • SDK Availability

It wasn’t what I was expecting at all.  I expect MS to get on stage and say “Windows Phone 8 will be available on …”.  Then I expected Nokia to get on stage with AT&T and say “The 920 will be available on launch on the AT&T network for $”.

Instead we got NOTHING.

No release date.

No Carriers.

No Pricing.

Nada.

If you don’t have those things lined up, don’t have the press conference.  It’s clear the market was looking for all these things as Nokia’s share price took a dive after the press conference.

How many times do they have to get it wrong before they wake up and realize we’re looking for hard facts, not future promises.  No other phone manufacturer get’s on stage for an hour and a half talking about their new phone and then doesn’t say when, where and how much it’s going to cost.

Sure Samsung didn’t have these details either, but they spent a sum total of about 10 seconds with their phone, not an hour and a half.

Motorola had a press conference later in the day and released 3 phones, pricing and launch dates included.

Apple will be releasing the iPhone 5 next week and you can bet they have a price, date and network all lined up.

The entire press conference seemed like a stall tactic to get in front of Apple instead of the launch of something great.

So Now What?

That’s the real question, after the press conference, Microsoft went ahead and announced limited availability of the Windows Phone 8 SDK would be coming next week.  So why wasn’t that part of the press conference?

And why limited availability?  Is it ready or isn’t it.  If it is, get it out there.  If it isn’t, don’t.

Microsoft’s next big event is the Build conference at the end of October, which seems kind of late to be showing off Windows Phone 8 if it’s going to launch this year.  So are we going to have yet another press conference at the end of Sept. to launch Windows Phone 8?  Will Microsoft use HTC’s event instead to do something on the 19th?

All this guess work is making my head spin.  Microsoft, just get on with it and give us the details.

A week with Windows 8

Greg Leave a comment

[sc:windows-category ]So now that I’ve lived with Windows 8 for a while, what do I think?

In general, I think Microsoft has done an excellent job of integrating the new UI in to the existing Windows UI.  It does feel like the new UI is more of the focus, but that’s to be expected in the first release.  I believe they do have some more work to do on getting the right balance between them.

One of the things that most people bring up is the lack of a start button on the desktop.  I too have found this to be missing, luckily someone has already come to the rescue! Classic Shell gives you a start menu and can even drop you directly to the desktop on logon if you like.  I haven’t gone that far yet but having the start button back is kind of nice.

One annoyance I have run in to is when I RDP to a Windows 8 client, the edge controls (charms and scrolling the start menu) either don’t work (scrolling) or are much harder to hit.  In some cases you get to the point where you can’t use them.  For example I had RDP’d using the Metro RDP app in to another Windows 8 box.  Going to the right hand corner to get access to the computer settings fails because that charm is overlayed with the lcoal PC’s charm.  It’s no uncommon to if you have ever RDP’d to a remote system and then RDP’d again to another system, both in full screen mode.  The two RDP controls at the top overlay one another.

In general I’m quite happy with Windows 8.  I think once people actually use it a bit they grumblings will settle down.

I did have a conversation with a friend (also a computer geek) and his concern was that Metro wasn’t ready to take over from the desktop.  As Microsoft has said that this is coexistence, not replacement, this surprised me.  I suspect MS will have to do a better job of explaining that both user interfaces are here to say.

This weekend I may take the plunge on my primary PC.  Still debating it only because I have some development tools on it that may not be compatible.  Stay tuned next week to see if I throw caution to the wind!