Long before we had Angry Birds and Twitter to distract us at work, there was Solitaire on Windows. The card game has been a staple of Microsoft’s operating system for decades, but getting the full Solitaire experience on the new Windows 10 may cost you.
The newly released Windows 10 features the Solitaire Collection, which includes several variants of the classic card game. However, unlike the version of the game you played at your grandma’s house in the ‘90s, Windows 10 Solitaire comes packed with advertisements. To get rid of the ads and earn some in-game currency, users can pay $1.49 per month or $9.99 per year.
This actually isn’t the first time Microsoft has tried to get users to pay for Solitaire. A premium version of the game was also released for Windows 8, but the title wasn’t pre-installed in the operating system as it is in Windows 10.
It’s not that surprising that Microsoft is charging for Solitaire, considering that Windows 10 is free and the company is increasingly seeking revenue via ongoing subscription services instead of one-off software purchases.
Source: Time
Showing posts with label Windows 8. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Windows 8. Show all posts
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Microsoft announces Windows 10 will be free for anyone using Windows 7 or Windows 8!
Windows 10 is coming this summer, Microsoft has confirmed, and will be free to anyone using Windows 7 or higher systems. Even people who didn’t pay for it.
That’s right, even Windows 7 and 8 users who don’t have a valid Windows license will get a free bump up to Windows 10. The release timing and new upgrade scheme were revealed by Microsoft operating system chief Terry Myerson at the WinHEC technology conference in Shenzhen, China, Reuters reports. Microsoft did not respond to a request for comment.
It’s a surprising move given the importance that Microsoft has placed on Windows license revenue in the past, and the lengths Microsoft has gone to to prevent the spread of pirated copies of the operating system. But the company has spent the past year reinventing itself in many ways, including going so far as to announce a free version of Windows for devices with screens smaller than nine inches.
Meanwhile, operating system pricing expectations have also been changing. Apple has offered free upgrades to OS X since 2013, and mobile operating system updates have long been free. Apple can make up for some of this lost revenue through increased hardware sales, and Microsoft is trying this strategy as well with its Surface tablet/notebook hybrid and other new devices. But Google offers its Android mobile operating system for free, making money off mobile advertising and app sales in the Google Play Store. Microsoft may similarly see a free Windows 10 as the gateway to alternate revenue streams.
The company now offers a range of cloud services, including Office 365, Skype and OneDrive, that Windows users may be more likely shell out for, even if they didn’t buy an operating system license. And even if those customers don’t end up buying cloud services from the company, at least they’re staying in the Microsoft ecosystem. Last quarter Microsoft’s revenue from consumer licensing — including both Windows and Office — accounted for only 16 percent of the company revenue, down from 23 percent the previous year. With Apple and Google Chromebooks slowly eating into Microsoft’s market share, the company could be thinking that a non-paying customer is better than no customer at all.
The company could also be worried about leaving millions of machines running outdated operating systems and software. Unpatched systems can spread malware and viruses, and releasing security updates for decades old platforms is costly. Microsoft has been campaigning to get users to retire Windows XP and the Internet Explorer 6 web browser, but China has been particularly slow to upgrade both. To make matters worse, the Chinese government, which has long clashed with Microsoft over piracy, even banned the use of Windows 8 on government computers largely due to concerns over upgrade costs.
The move to simply give away updated copies to pirates could ensure that Microsoft doesn’t end up in the same situation again. But regardless of the reason, it’s certainly a change of direction for the company. And welcome news to those who acquired Windows through less than legal means.
Source: Wired
That’s right, even Windows 7 and 8 users who don’t have a valid Windows license will get a free bump up to Windows 10. The release timing and new upgrade scheme were revealed by Microsoft operating system chief Terry Myerson at the WinHEC technology conference in Shenzhen, China, Reuters reports. Microsoft did not respond to a request for comment.
It’s a surprising move given the importance that Microsoft has placed on Windows license revenue in the past, and the lengths Microsoft has gone to to prevent the spread of pirated copies of the operating system. But the company has spent the past year reinventing itself in many ways, including going so far as to announce a free version of Windows for devices with screens smaller than nine inches.
Meanwhile, operating system pricing expectations have also been changing. Apple has offered free upgrades to OS X since 2013, and mobile operating system updates have long been free. Apple can make up for some of this lost revenue through increased hardware sales, and Microsoft is trying this strategy as well with its Surface tablet/notebook hybrid and other new devices. But Google offers its Android mobile operating system for free, making money off mobile advertising and app sales in the Google Play Store. Microsoft may similarly see a free Windows 10 as the gateway to alternate revenue streams.
The company now offers a range of cloud services, including Office 365, Skype and OneDrive, that Windows users may be more likely shell out for, even if they didn’t buy an operating system license. And even if those customers don’t end up buying cloud services from the company, at least they’re staying in the Microsoft ecosystem. Last quarter Microsoft’s revenue from consumer licensing — including both Windows and Office — accounted for only 16 percent of the company revenue, down from 23 percent the previous year. With Apple and Google Chromebooks slowly eating into Microsoft’s market share, the company could be thinking that a non-paying customer is better than no customer at all.
The company could also be worried about leaving millions of machines running outdated operating systems and software. Unpatched systems can spread malware and viruses, and releasing security updates for decades old platforms is costly. Microsoft has been campaigning to get users to retire Windows XP and the Internet Explorer 6 web browser, but China has been particularly slow to upgrade both. To make matters worse, the Chinese government, which has long clashed with Microsoft over piracy, even banned the use of Windows 8 on government computers largely due to concerns over upgrade costs.
The move to simply give away updated copies to pirates could ensure that Microsoft doesn’t end up in the same situation again. But regardless of the reason, it’s certainly a change of direction for the company. And welcome news to those who acquired Windows through less than legal means.
Source: Wired
Monday, April 28, 2014
IMPORTANT SECURITY NOTICE: Stop using Internet Explorer immediately.
On Monday,
April 28th, 2014, Microsoft released Security Advisory 2963983 regarding an issue
that impacts Internet Explorer. At this time, we are only aware of limited,
targeted attacks. This security issue allows remote code execution if users
visit a malicious website with an affected browser. This would typically occur
by an attacker convincing someone to click a link in an email or instant
message.
Microsoft’s initial investigation has revealed that Enhanced Protected Mode, on by default for the modern browsing experience in Internet Explorer 10 and Internet Explorer 11 will help protect against this potential risk. Microsoft also encourages users to follow the “Protect Your Computer” guidance of enabling a firewall, applying all software updates and installing anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Additionally, everyone should exercise caution when visiting websites and avoid clicking suspicious links, or opening email messages from unfamiliar senders. Additional information can be found at www.microsoft.com/protect.
Here is the vital information you need to know:
1. All versions of IE 6 through 11 for Windows are affected.
2. No patch is available as of today (4/28/14)
What To Do:
1. Do not use Microsoft's Internet Explorer on any machine you may currently have.
2. Use an alternative browser such as Firefox.
3. When the patch is issued, it will NOT apply to XP users!
4. If you are an XP User, you should use an alternative browser from here on out.
5. Think seriously about upgrading or replacing those Windows XP machines.
With the end of support for Windows XP earlier this month, we believe this is just the first of many attacks that will be targeting Windows XP.
If you have a question please contact us.
IES, Inc.
781-816-9437
contactus@iesadvisors.com
Microsoft’s initial investigation has revealed that Enhanced Protected Mode, on by default for the modern browsing experience in Internet Explorer 10 and Internet Explorer 11 will help protect against this potential risk. Microsoft also encourages users to follow the “Protect Your Computer” guidance of enabling a firewall, applying all software updates and installing anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Additionally, everyone should exercise caution when visiting websites and avoid clicking suspicious links, or opening email messages from unfamiliar senders. Additional information can be found at www.microsoft.com/protect.
Here is the vital information you need to know:
1. All versions of IE 6 through 11 for Windows are affected.
2. No patch is available as of today (4/28/14)
What To Do:
1. Do not use Microsoft's Internet Explorer on any machine you may currently have.
2. Use an alternative browser such as Firefox.
3. When the patch is issued, it will NOT apply to XP users!
4. If you are an XP User, you should use an alternative browser from here on out.
5. Think seriously about upgrading or replacing those Windows XP machines.
With the end of support for Windows XP earlier this month, we believe this is just the first of many attacks that will be targeting Windows XP.
If you have a question please contact us.
IES, Inc.
781-816-9437
contactus@iesadvisors.com
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Finally, Microsoft has gotten the message! Windows 8 is soon to be more like Windows 7.
At its Build developers conference in San Francisco on Wednesday, Microsoft announced a trio of new features for Windows 8.1 that
had a decidedly "old-school" feel: First, Windows will get a bunch of
tweaks that make it easier to use with a keyboard and mouse. Second,
Microsoft announced that Windows 8-style "Modern" apps will run in a
window in the traditional desktop interface. Third, the Start menu --
the ultimate signifier of "old" Windows -- is eventually coming back.
But the tweaks are less about Microsoft running away from its controversial Windows 8 redesign and more a concession that the company tried to transition traditional PC users over to the radically different design of Windows 8 too quickly.
And if anything, Microsoft's decision to cater to these unconvinced users isn't a step backwards -- it's a ploy to reel them in.
Despite the changes, Microsoft isn't phasing out or decreasing the presence of Windows 8's new design. In fact, these forthcoming features will actually make the Modern design more visible throughout the operating system.
It's a more gentle way of nudging the entrenched Windows 7, Vista and XP users towards change. And catering to these users could help jumpstart Microsoft's lagging ecosystem of Modern apps, which is lagging considerably behind iOS and Android.
One of the most revealing, big-picture moments of Microsoft's latest Windows announcements was that developers can now build a single app that runs on all three major Microsoft platforms - Windows, Windows Phone, and Xbox.
Source: CNN Money
But the tweaks are less about Microsoft running away from its controversial Windows 8 redesign and more a concession that the company tried to transition traditional PC users over to the radically different design of Windows 8 too quickly.
And if anything, Microsoft's decision to cater to these unconvinced users isn't a step backwards -- it's a ploy to reel them in.
Despite the changes, Microsoft isn't phasing out or decreasing the presence of Windows 8's new design. In fact, these forthcoming features will actually make the Modern design more visible throughout the operating system.
It's a more gentle way of nudging the entrenched Windows 7, Vista and XP users towards change. And catering to these users could help jumpstart Microsoft's lagging ecosystem of Modern apps, which is lagging considerably behind iOS and Android.
One of the most revealing, big-picture moments of Microsoft's latest Windows announcements was that developers can now build a single app that runs on all three major Microsoft platforms - Windows, Windows Phone, and Xbox.
Source: CNN Money
Friday, December 6, 2013
Microsoft to kill off Windows 7 preloaded software next year.
The long, slow march toward end-of-life of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system is under way.
As of October 30, 2013, Microsoft ceased selling boxed copies of Windows 7 at retail. This October 30 cut-off date doesn't mean that OEMs or retailers are no longer selling PCs with Windows 7 preloaded, although it is becoming much more difficult to find. Although most major retailers have made the switch to Windows 8 or 8.1, OEMs can continue to sell PCs preloaded with Windows 7 until October 30, 2014.
Mainstream support for Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 installed isn't ending until January 13, 2015. Microsoft will continue to provide security fixes for Windows 7 for free until the end of extended support, which is January 14, 2020 - unless Microsoft ends up extending that support date, as it did with Windows XP.
Everyone better buckle down. It's going to be a bumpy ride with Windows 8 and 8.1, especially with no new operating system plans in sight.
Source: CNET
As of October 30, 2013, Microsoft ceased selling boxed copies of Windows 7 at retail. This October 30 cut-off date doesn't mean that OEMs or retailers are no longer selling PCs with Windows 7 preloaded, although it is becoming much more difficult to find. Although most major retailers have made the switch to Windows 8 or 8.1, OEMs can continue to sell PCs preloaded with Windows 7 until October 30, 2014.
Mainstream support for Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 installed isn't ending until January 13, 2015. Microsoft will continue to provide security fixes for Windows 7 for free until the end of extended support, which is January 14, 2020 - unless Microsoft ends up extending that support date, as it did with Windows XP.
Everyone better buckle down. It's going to be a bumpy ride with Windows 8 and 8.1, especially with no new operating system plans in sight.
Source: CNET
Friday, October 11, 2013
Windows 8.1 is now available - new features:
By now, we all know how much Windows 8 sucks. It's quite unfortunate that this is the operating system that every computer now comes standard with. However, if you find yourself having to purchase a new computer, you will enjoy the small changes that have been implemented into Windows 8.1.
Below are a few top features of the new Windows 8.1:
Personalized Start Screen
Lock screen slide show: Set up your lock screen to automatically rotate through pictures that you choose from you local or SkyDrive folder.
Start screen background options: New, broad color palette for the Start screen colors and many more backgrounds including animated options.
Multi-monitor support: Different Windows Store apps can now run on all monitors at the same time. The start screen can stay open on one monitor.
Boot to desktop or all apps: Allows the user to select boot direct to desktop or all apps screen rather than the start screen.
Apps for Everyone
Internet Explorer 11: Many IE improvements including faster page load times, slide by slide browsing of your slides, 3D graphics, live website tiles, enhanced pinned site notifications, synchronized settings across all your windows 8.1 devices.
Windows Store: The new store homepage shows more info than before in detailed lists of top free, new releases, and picks for you. Each app listing is more descriptive and informative.
Skype: Skype enables you to easily switch between chat, audio and video call all in the comfort of one place while not missing what you're already doing.
Multiple windows per app: Open multiple windows for the same app side by side.
Slide down to all apps: Slide down from the start screen to see all of your apps in one view then slide up to switch back to the start screen.
Best User Experience and Familiar Desktop
Improved Windows Defender: Windows Defender adds high performance network behavior monitoring that enables it to detect new and constantly morphing variations of malware based on commonly used ad well known behaviors. *See note below.
Automatic app updates from the store: Your installed apps from the Windows Store automatically update.
Start button on taskbar: The start button is located on the taskbar allowing one click access to the start screen.
*Note: IES still highly recommends additional virus protection. From past experience with clients, we have found eSet NOD32 Antivirus to be the best provider.
Below are a few top features of the new Windows 8.1:
Personalized Start Screen
Lock screen slide show: Set up your lock screen to automatically rotate through pictures that you choose from you local or SkyDrive folder.
Start screen background options: New, broad color palette for the Start screen colors and many more backgrounds including animated options.
Multi-monitor support: Different Windows Store apps can now run on all monitors at the same time. The start screen can stay open on one monitor.
Boot to desktop or all apps: Allows the user to select boot direct to desktop or all apps screen rather than the start screen.
Apps for Everyone
Internet Explorer 11: Many IE improvements including faster page load times, slide by slide browsing of your slides, 3D graphics, live website tiles, enhanced pinned site notifications, synchronized settings across all your windows 8.1 devices.
Windows Store: The new store homepage shows more info than before in detailed lists of top free, new releases, and picks for you. Each app listing is more descriptive and informative.
Skype: Skype enables you to easily switch between chat, audio and video call all in the comfort of one place while not missing what you're already doing.
Multiple windows per app: Open multiple windows for the same app side by side.
Slide down to all apps: Slide down from the start screen to see all of your apps in one view then slide up to switch back to the start screen.
Best User Experience and Familiar Desktop
Improved Windows Defender: Windows Defender adds high performance network behavior monitoring that enables it to detect new and constantly morphing variations of malware based on commonly used ad well known behaviors. *See note below.
Automatic app updates from the store: Your installed apps from the Windows Store automatically update.
Start button on taskbar: The start button is located on the taskbar allowing one click access to the start screen.
*Note: IES still highly recommends additional virus protection. From past experience with clients, we have found eSet NOD32 Antivirus to be the best provider.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Bill Gates apologizes for Control-Alt-Delete login, slams IBM.
The Microsoft founder says the triple-key login should have been made easier, Ã la Apple's Macs, but that a designer insisted on the more complicated step.
"We could have had a single button. But the guy who did the IBM keyboard design didn't want to give us our single button," Gates said Saturday during a question-and-answer session to launch a Harvard University fund-raising campaign. His comments have gained attention since a video of his Harvard Q&A was posted on YouTube on Tuesday.
"And so we had ... we programmed at a low level that you had to ... it was a mistake," he said, throwing up his hands to laughter and applause from the crowd.
Gates defended innovation on the earliest Microsoft software though.
"We did some clever stuff," he said. "We were able to experiment with a lot of stuff, but more on the software side than the hardware."
Long the first interface step for PC users, Control-Alt-Delete still exists in Windows 8 as a way of either locking the computer or accessing the control panel. While the system defaults to a log-in screen, users may tweak their settings to return to the old way of logging on to Windows.
Sometimes informally called the "three-fingered salute," the login required users to use both hands and was intended to avoid accidental keystrokes from rebooting a computer.
Engineer David Bradley, a designer on early IBM computers, said he invented the combination as a shortcut during development.
"It was like a five-minute job in doing it. I didn't realize that I was going to create a cultural icon when I did it," he said "... I may have invented it, but I think Bill made it famous."
Source: CNN
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Kinect app that turns any surface into a touchscreen now available, starting at only $149.
With several companies developing technologies that can turn any surface into a touchscreen, it should be widely available soon. Those who want to try it out before it's cool, however, should look towards Ubi Interactive's software that combines the talents of Microsoft's Kinect for Windows sensor and a projector. So long as the software's installed on a Windows 8 computer, the sensor tracks and detects movements users make on the projected image. Interactions are the same as any tablet or smartphone, including launching icons by tapping on them and expanding areas with pinch-to-zoom. Merely a concept in 2012, the software is now available on Ubi's website with prices ranging from $149 to $1,499, depending on the display size and the type of customer support. Sounds like even an Average Joe can nab one, assuming they already have a projector and one of Microsoft's $250 motion / voice detectors.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Looking for the start button on your Windows 8 computer? Keep looking because Microsoft has rejected the idea in the latest update.
When Microsoft rolls out Windows 8.1, the update to its struggling, 7-month-old operating system franchise, the company will not be bringing back the Start button as many users have been requesting.
But the company has acquiesced some. The company announced this morning that it will introduce something that a person close to Windows engineering is calling a "Start tip" that users can click on to go back to the Start screen in Windows 8.1. The "tip" is a Windows logo that that sits on the left hand side of the toolbar when Windows 8 users are working in the traditional desktop mode. When they are using the touch-focused tile-based interface, users will have to hover over the lower left corner for the "tip" to pop up.
But clicking on the "tip" won't launch the familiar menus that the Start button did in previous versions of Windows. Instead, it will take users to their Start screen. With Windows 8.1, users can customize that Start screen to replicate something close to the old Start menus, listing all of the applications that are available to them, if they want.
It's unclear if the Start tip will be enough to quiet critics who are clamoring for the ease of use that comes with familiarity. The Start tip is a bit of a half-step toward a Start button. Microsoft seems to be giving a nod to its critics but not quite giving them all they had wanted.
Earlier this month, Tami Reller, the chief marketing officer and chief financial officer of the Windows division, told ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley that the company is being "principled, not stubborn" about modifying Windows 8 based on user feedback.
Source: CNET
But the company has acquiesced some. The company announced this morning that it will introduce something that a person close to Windows engineering is calling a "Start tip" that users can click on to go back to the Start screen in Windows 8.1. The "tip" is a Windows logo that that sits on the left hand side of the toolbar when Windows 8 users are working in the traditional desktop mode. When they are using the touch-focused tile-based interface, users will have to hover over the lower left corner for the "tip" to pop up.
But clicking on the "tip" won't launch the familiar menus that the Start button did in previous versions of Windows. Instead, it will take users to their Start screen. With Windows 8.1, users can customize that Start screen to replicate something close to the old Start menus, listing all of the applications that are available to them, if they want.
It's unclear if the Start tip will be enough to quiet critics who are clamoring for the ease of use that comes with familiarity. The Start tip is a bit of a half-step toward a Start button. Microsoft seems to be giving a nod to its critics but not quite giving them all they had wanted.
Earlier this month, Tami Reller, the chief marketing officer and chief financial officer of the Windows division, told ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley that the company is being "principled, not stubborn" about modifying Windows 8 based on user feedback.
Source: CNET
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Microsoft scores a slam dunk for Windows 8 tablets as Siri slams the iPad in a new ad.
In the latest Windows 8 news, Microsoft has shifted gears to take aim at Apple.
In this new 30 second ad, you see Siri taken hostage and forced to tell the truth...The truth as Microsoft sees it, that is.
In this new 30 second ad, you see Siri taken hostage and forced to tell the truth...The truth as Microsoft sees it, that is.
Source: Windows YouTube Page
Monday, March 4, 2013
Internet Explorer 10 compatibility issues with online banking sites.
During
the month of March, Microsoft will be making its Internet Explorer 10
browser available for Windows 7 and 8. This browser update will be
automatically propagated and installed as part of the next Microsoft
Windows update.
If Explorer 10 gets installed by mistake, there is no guarantee that we will be able to simply remove it and restore online banking functionality.
Preliminary testing has identified compatibility issues between the new Internet Explorer browser and many online banking sites. Since many banking sites do not support Internet Explorer 10 at this time, we STRONGLY recommend that you do NOT install the new browser on computers that access any cash management or banking sites.
If Explorer 10 gets installed by mistake, there is no guarantee that we will be able to simply remove it and restore online banking functionality.
If you have any
questions please feel free to give IES a call at 781-816-9437.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
HP to make an Android tablet.
HP is well known for their Windows 8 tablet. But they hope to now break into the crowded Android market. Their first
Android tablet will be considered high end being based on Nvidia's upcoming Tegra 4 chip.
An Nvidia Tegra 4-based Android tablet would likely be one of the faster Android devices on the market -- if HP comes out with it soon. The Tegra 4 is one of the first quad-core chips based on ARM's new Cortex-A15 design.
HP is also exploring an Android phone, though this is less of certainty at this point, the report said.
An Nvidia Tegra 4-based Android tablet would likely be one of the faster Android devices on the market -- if HP comes out with it soon. The Tegra 4 is one of the first quad-core chips based on ARM's new Cortex-A15 design.
HP is also exploring an Android phone, though this is less of certainty at this point, the report said.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Windows 8 giving you problems? You're certainly not the only one!
"It took me 20 minutes to figure out how to shut it down..20 minutes...to turn a damn computer off"!
"I'm ready to throw them all to the ground and stomp on them".
"I just want to print...how the hell do I print"?
"This thing sucks; I'm sending it back".
"I can't do anything"!
DailyTech reports that 80% of businesses will never adopt the Windows 8 operating system. But can you really blame them? Trying to use this operating system to accomplish anything is damn near impossible. From attempting to find an installed program that's not pinned to your start screen or desktop to figuring out how to exit a simple program like Adobe Reader to browsing the web on a non-full screen Internet Explorer, and even shutting the computer down - it's just not worth the struggle! Employees simply can not be productive with their time if they can't use the technology of the 21st century. Microsoft sure made a mistake bringing this operating system to market.
Our clients and staff are not the only ones complaining about Windows 8. Check out this hilarious 23 minute animated rant from freelancer Brian Boyko. He decided to experiment with the new operating system thinking, "What could go wrong" and quickly found the answer to be "Just about everything".
*Over the last week, I have asked some of the firm's clients about their thoughts on the Windows 8 operating system. They responded with the quotes at the beginning of this blog post.
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