July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Have you been considering the new BlackBerry Z10 but aren’t sure what to think about the still-fresh BlackBerry 10 operating system? If you’re an iPhone or Android owner, now you can try out BB 10 in your mobile browser.

It’s a relatively simple demo that gives you a chance to try out the interface, predictive keyboard, BlackBerry Messenger, BlackBerry Hub, and other programs inside BB 10. The demo isn’t fluid, but it does at least give you a sense of what it’s like to use the Z10.

In our own review of the BlackBerry Z10, we didn’t give the phone high marks because it features a crummy app selection, limited functionality, and instability. But perhaps you’ll have a different opinion?

To access the demo on your iPhone or Android phone, just point your mobile browser to BlackBerry.com/glimpse.

Screenshots via Sean Ludwig/VentureBeat

Microsoft will offer a discounted version of Windows 8 Pro for students after the price of the OS goes up on Feb. 1, but anyone who wants to get in on Windows 8 can do so at an even lower price during the next two days.

While Windows 8 has been controversial, there are several reasons to buy the upgrade now, including faster PC performance and the fact that you don’t have to install it now. If you are a student, there’s no exception here — it’d be cheaper to upgrade now.

After Feb. 1, students will be able to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $70, which is much cheaper than the $200 price to upgrade to Pro. The base price of regular Windows 8 will cost $120 after Feb. 1.

Microsoft will also host a “Windows Campus Tour” that will kick off February 18th and visit over 150 university campuses across the U.S. The deal on Windows 8 student pricing will extend to 49 additional countries by March 19.

Windows 8 has sold more than 60 million licences to date, but Microsoft has not revealed how many of these copies have been activated.

While it’s easy to hate on Windows 8, it’s time to stop nagging about the changes and buy the upgrade before it gets way more expensive.

Windows 8 has sold more than 60 million licences to date, but Microsoft has not revealed how many of these copies have been activated. Still, these are generally good numbers, and it is keeping pace with initial Windows 7 sales. Microsoft has invested a lot of time and money into Windows 8 and will continue to update the software to make it run better.

Related stories:
Windows 8 stuns, amazes, and sometimes lets us down (review)
Tips and tricks for getting started with Windows 8

Some of you have firmly made up your minds that you’re not upgrading to Windows 8. Fine — you’re stubborn, and you’re not doing it. Eventually, you’ll be like those people who are still running Windows XP, roughly 34 percent of the world.

But if you’re on the fence about Windows 8, here are several compelling reasons to buy it now.

And here are five reasons that could change your mind:

1. The base price of Windows 8 will jump 300 percent on Feb. 1

As noted in the intro, the cost of Windows 8 goes up substantially soon. On Feb. 1, a licence of Windows 8 Pro jumps from $40 to $200. Microsoft is also offering a less feature-packed version of Windows 8 on that date for $120. So you can get the best possible version of the software now for $40, or you can pay $120 later and get fewer features.

2. You don’t have to install it now

Another compelling reason to spend that $40 now? Purchasing the Windows 8 update doesn’t mean you actually have to install it. Windows 8 is a 2GB download, and you can simply leave it on your desktop for whenever you feel like updating. But since the price jump happens on Feb. 1, you have an incentive to at least buy it now and upgrade it later after more updates are added.

3. Windows 8 will make your computer faster

Microsoft hasn’t done an amazing job of communicating this, but Windows 8 has a lot of under-the-hood improvements that will make your laptop or desktop run faster. An extensive study by PCMag indicated much faster bootup times, higher benchmark scores, and speedier web browsing. Basically, Windows 8 can make a big difference in the performance department — even on some old PCs.

4. Windows 8 is not the monster you think it is

We’ve been a little harsh on Windows 8 at times. We have a few misgivings about the OS as a whole and think some average users will hate the changes. But while the OS is clearly designed with touch in mind, you can use the OS on a desktop PC or laptop as long as you mostly work out of the desktop. You can also install a Start button replacement like Pokki or RetroUI.

Another thing to consider — if you’re a Windows 7 power user, you just use the desktop to work anyway. If you continue to use the desktop on Windows 8 and avoid the new Start menu, your experience will be pretty similar. Heck, even a 3-year-old can use Windows 8.

5. Windows 8 apps have a ton of potential

Although it might be good to avoid the Start screen much of the time and work out of the desktop, eventually Windows 8 will have lots of compelling full-screen apps. Some great apps are already in the store, and more will be coming down the pipeline as more people use Windows 8.

Windows 8 image via Microsoft/YouTube

Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system is about to become a lot more expensive. An upgrade of Windows 8 Pro will go from costing $40 in a promotional offer to a much more expensive $200 at the beginning of February.

Microsoft offered up an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $40 to try to get consumers more interested in the OS. It claims 60 million licenses of Windows 8 have been sold to date, but we don’t know how many of those copies have actually been activated.

While the price of Pro jumps up considerably, Microsoft will offer an upgrade to a more basic version of Windows 8 for $120. That’s still quite a bit more money than the $40 offer — and you get less features.

The company outlined the new pricing in a blog post today:

Windows 8 upgrade editions will be priced as follows starting in February:

• The Windows 8 Pro upgrade edition will be available online and at retail for $199.99 MSRP (U.S.).
• The Windows 8 upgrade edition will be available online and at retail for $119.99 MSRP (U.S.).
• The Windows 8 Pro Pack will cost $99.99 MSRP (U.S.).
• The Windows 8 Media Center Pack will cost $9.99 MSRP (U.S.).

If you have any interest in Windows 8 at all, we’d strongly consider the upgrade offer for $40. But that will end at the end of January, so you better make up your mind soon. You can upgrade over at Windows.com.

Microsoft also used today’s announcement to remind folks that bought a Windows 7 PC between June 2 and Jan. 31 that if they want to upgrade to Windows 8 for $15, they need to register before the end of the month.

Yet another critic has stepped up to call Microsoft’s still-fresh Windows 8 operating system a usability nightmare, saying it is “a monster that terrorizes poor office workers and strangles their productivity.”

Jakob Nielsen, one of the world’s foremost web usability experts, slammed Windows 8 in a lengthy blog post today. He calls out the OS for hiding features, reducing discoverability, low information density in “Modern” apps, overly active live tiles, and overall reduced power using a single-window interface.

One of the biggest problems Nielsen addresses is Windows 8′s two distinctly different interfaces — the desktop and the “Modern” Start screen merged into one.

Unfortunately, having two environments on a single device is a prescription for usability problems for several reasons:

• Users have to learn and remember where to go for which features.
• When running web browsers in both device areas, users will only see (and be reminded of) a subset of their open web pages at any given time.
• Switching between environments increases the interaction cost of using multiple features.
• The two environments work differently, making for an inconsistent user experience.

Another major problem for Nielsen is how much the OS gives preference to tablets over desktops, something we’ve also noted before.

Windows 8 on mobile devices and tablets is akin to Dr. Jekyll: a tortured soul hoping for redemption. On a regular PC, Windows 8 is Mr. Hyde: a monster that terrorizes poor office workers and strangles their productivity.

This used to be Microsoft’s core audience, and it has now thrown the old customer base under the bus by designing an operating system that removes a powerful PC’s benefits in order to work better on smaller devices.

While Nielsen is down about Windows 8, he at least thinks that Windows 9 could fix these mistakes, just like Windows 7 fixed Vista’s problems.

I have great hopes for Windows 9 on mobile and tablets. Just as Windows 7 was “Vista Done Right,” it’s quite likely that the touchscreen version of Windows 9 will be “Windows 8 Done Right.”

I’ll stay with Win7 the next few years and hope for better times with Windows 9. One great thing about Microsoft is that they do have a history of correcting their mistakes.

While I agree with Nielsen that there are several problems with Windows 8, the OS is an important step for Microsoft to make Windows usable on tablets. I would add one major caveat to Nielson’s criticisms — Windows 8′s desktop environment works extremely well, and using that primarily instead of the Start Screen makes for a mostly good experience with the software. (Read our full Windows 8 review for more.)

Microsoft chairman and former CEO Bill Gates has joined the company’s marketing campaign to praise Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, and the Surface tablet, and he touts the benefits of all three in a new video.

This Friday, Microsoft will release its Windows 8 operating system and the stellar-looking Surface tablet. Gates says that with Windows 8, Microsoft is bringing touch and camera inputs into the fold without giving up traditional mouse and keyboard support. (Read our roundup of what you need to know about Windows 8.)

“People will be pretty amazed about the energy Microsoft’s putting behind this new wave of products,” Gates said. “We really saved up in terms of knowing this was such an important set of innovations that whether it’s great new applications, ISV engagement, or just plain marketing, this is the big time for us.”

Gates also called the Microsoft Surface tablet “absolutely incredible” and said people can’t appreciate the device without seeing it in person. “You can’t appreciate it without seeing it — people, get to a store and play around with this thing,” Gates said. “The way you put that keyboard on and off, the richness of the swiping that takes the touch interface to a new level, just the beauty of the device — it is absolutely incredible.”

Watch the video above for more.

Microsoft has released finalized pricing and packaging details for its upcoming Windows 8 operating system and said it you can preorder starting today, the company announced in a blog post.

Windows 8 launches on Oct. 26, with a slew of new hardware options including the Microsoft Surface tablet and several hybrid tablet/laptop devices from manufacturers like Sony and Lenovo.

Customers can now reserve a physical copy to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $70 at some retailers. Some retailers offering reservations include Amazon.com, Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot, and the Microsoft Store.

Of course, Microsoft has also gives customers incentive to opt for an online download of the new OS by offering digital copies for $40. Online upgrades to Windows 8 Pro are in 140 countries and 37 languages. The $40 offer lasts until Jan. 31. Presumably, Microsoft will raise the price to $70 after that date.

Forrester vice president and analyst Frank Gillett believes it is “reasonable” to ask consumers to pay $30 more for a physical copy of Windows 8 over a digital copy.

“Microsoft is bringing desktop pricing to tablets,” Gillett told me. “For the Windows ecosystem, $40 for a digital copy is reasonable. Seventy dollars for a physical copy is a little high but also reasonable when you consider distribution, packaging, and other factors.”

Gillett said it’s easy to contrast Microsoft’s $40 downloadable update with Apple’s recent $20 upgrade from Lion to Mountain Lion. He said Microsoft is giving much more in this update than Apple did in its latest update, so it is OK to ask for a higher price.

“Windows 8 gives consumers much more for their money,” Gillett said.

On the question of whether Microsoft will adopt Apple’s strategy of updating the operating system every one or two years, Gillett said Microsoft has given “no sign” that will begin issuing incremental updates that cost cash. Most likely, new updates for Windows 8 won’t cost anything.

Microsoft’s new Windows 8 operating system arrives on virtual and physical shelves in just a few weeks. To get ready for the launch, Microsoft has created instructional videos to help retailers sell and explain Windows 8 to consumers.

Like any new operating system, Windows 8 will require training by salespeople and employers who decide to deploy it on computers. But unlike any Windows upgrade in the past 17 years, Windows 8 could be a harder sell because it favors tablets over desktops.

The videos, which were uploaded by Neowin’s Brad Sams, show in as simple terms as possible how to use the new functions and interface in Windows 8. I think the videos do a decent job of trying to simplify the big changes, but whether consumers will actually be comfortable with the interface is another question.

Check out the leaked videos below:

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Microsoft will officially launch its upcoming Windows 8 operating system on Oct. 25 at an event in New York, according to an invite sent to members of the press.

Specific details like venue, time, and what the company will be showing off at the event are still under wraps. However, based on previous guidance from Microsoft, the company will almost certainly be launching its Surface tablet running Windows RT. Surface is Microsoft’s bold attempt to build its own PC hardware, and the device could become a high-end competitor to Apple’s iPad, especially in the enterprise.

Windows 8 is Microsoft’s latest operating system and the company’s attempt to unify the experience of a single OS so it can work on tablets, laptops, desktops, and hybrid devices. It will cost $40 for people who want to upgrade their Windows 7, Vista, and XP computers.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 OS will launch on Oct. 29, just a few days after Windows 8 launches, according to a new report from ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley. But with a launch more than a month after the iPhone 5, is Microsoft seriously hurting Windows Phone 8′s potential reach?

Just yesterday, Samsung showed off its first Windows Phone 8 device, the slick-looking ATIV S. Nokia is expected to show off its first WP8 devices next week at a big event in New York City. By showing off these devices now, the companies hope to stoke excitement for their upcoming releases in October.

But if the iPhone 5 does really debut on Sept. 12 and hits stores on Sept. 21, as all rumors indicate, that will give Apple more than a month to get consumers hooked on its next powerhouse. One analyst has predicted that Apple could sell 50 million iPhone 5s in the U.S. during its first few months of availability, a steep increase above its record 37 million iPhones sold in its launch quarter.

We expect Windows Phone 8 devices will be quite competitive with the iPhone 5. Samsung’s ATIV S will offer a 4.8-inch screen, 1.5-GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB RAM, 8-megapixel rear camera, 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera, and a 2,300 MAh battery. Nokia’s next flagship phone will likely carry similar specs and could even offer a crazy powerful camera in line with its PureView phone.

Stay tuned for more in the next few weeks. Things in the mobile scene are about to get crazy.

Photo credit: Microsoft

Apple’s just-launched Mountain Lion operating system has already seen widespread adoption among Mac users and accounts for 3 percent of Mac web traffic around the globe, AllThingsD reports.

Mountain Lion is an incremental OS update from Lion with 200 new features (read our hands on), but because it costs just $20 to upgrade, it’s a no-brainer for those already running Lion. Not only is the cost low, but Apple has made it positively easy to upgrade by downloading the OS through the Mac App Store.

Thanks to the low price and making it easy to download, Mountain Lion accounts for 3 percent of Mac web traffic just 48 hours after launch, Web tracking firm Chitika claims.

Chitika says that based on the 66 million Mac users Apple claims it has, it can infer 2.1 million Mac owners have already upgraded to Mountain Lion. If 90 percent of those users paid, Mountain Lion has generated $38 million in revenue so far.

Based on these impressive numbers, we wonder if Apple wishes it had started offering cheap and easy-to-download upgrades several OSes ago. Microsoft no doubt took notice of Apple’s successful Lion upgrade option last time, since its Windows 8 will cost just $40 to upgrade.

Mountain Lion photo: California Department of Fish and Game/Flickr

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Updated at 7:31 a.m. on 5/1/12 with additional LG comment.

South Korea’s LG says it has no immediate plans to manufacture new Windows Phone devices, and instead it will focus all its mobile firepower on Android.

Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 operating system hasn’t exactly taken off in terms of sales, but with Nokia, Samsung, and HTC all playing in that game, LG likely sees slim pickings in terms of what it can accomplish with Windows Phone. LG reportedly told the Korea Herald that “the total units of Windows Phone sold in the global market is not a meaningful figure.”

It also doesn’t help that LG didn’t put much effort into its Windows Phone devices. Many reviewers weren’t impressed by the LG Quantum (pictured above) on AT&T, mostly because it wasn’t powerful, the screen was small, and it was heavy. Without strong hardware behind it, like what Nokia has manufactured with the Lumia 900, Windows Phone is an especially hard sell to users when compared with Android and iOS.

Regarding LG and Windows Phone’s future, a Microsoft spokesperson told the Herald that it will “continue research and development efforts” on Windows Phone. To us, that sounds like the company’s finished and won’t come back until Windows Phone gains traction in the marketplace.

Android also has a highly competitive landscape with Samsung, Motorola, HTC, and more fighting for market share. However, Android is an overall easier sell to general consumers, and it’s the dominant smartphone OS. Perhaps LG figures it has the best chance of denting the marketplace by flooding it with Android devices. After all, even a small slice of a big pie is better than a tiny slice of a tiny pie.

Update: LG clarified its position further on the issue of Windows Phone, saying that is still will support the OS but it will simply focus on Android for now. “We are still on board with Windows Phone, but right now, we’re focusing on Android because that’s where the demand is,” a company spokesperson told Pocket-lint.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Google’s incredibly popular Android mobile operating system is now seeing more than 850,000 phone activations every day, writes Google Senior VP Andy Rubin on a company blog today.

“Each and every day, we are humbled by the trajectory of Android and our partners,” Rubin wrote. “With a year-on-year growth rate of more than 250%, 850,000 new Android devices are activated each day, jetting the total number of Android devices around the world past 300 million. These numbers are a testament to the break-neck speed of innovation that defines the Android ecosystem.”

Android has seen so much success because of its open-source nature and its use by various manufacturers including Samsung, Motorola, HTC, and LG. With worldwide availability and ubiquity, the platform is easily the largest in the world, with Apple’s iOS, Nokia’s Symbian OS, the BlackBerry OS, and Microsoft’s Windows Phone firmly behind it in penetration. NDP interestingly pointed out in its latest smartphone report that first-time phone buyers overwhelmingly choose an Android phone over Apple’s iPhone, with 57 percent for Android and 34 percent for iPhone.

On top of Rubin’s figure on how many devices are being activated daily, he also added that the Android Market has crossed the 450,000 app mark. A year ago, that number was sitting 150,000 apps, which indicates staggering application usage and growth. The Android Market is now seeing more than a billion app downloads each month.

Do you think Android’s growth and dominance is sustainable?

Android love photo: Lai Ryanne/Flickr