windows 8.1

Windows Store hits 100,000 apps: Impressed?

Microsoft's Windows Store has hit the 100,000 apps mark in short order.

"Thanks for a great \\build! Just passed 100k apps in the Windows Store," Microsoft tweeted earlier today.

That was fast. Windows 8 was launched only last October.

How fast? Google took longer to reach that point -- roughly two years after the Android Market formally opened for business.

And it took about a year and a half for the iPad to garner 100,000 iPad-specific apps. "The platform has been out for 453 days, with developers getting access to its software development kit … Read more

Despite Windows 8.1, PC market prospects aren't pretty

Windows 8.1 may fix Microsoft's dot-zero release but it may not fix the PC market.

After Citi Research revised its PC market growth forecast down to negative 10 percent growth earlier in the month, market researcher IDC chimed in on Friday with a less-than-upbeat snapshot for May.

"May results reflect deteriorating conditions rather than improvement and the market will probably fall short of projections," said Loren Loverde, an IDC analyst in a statement, referring to May regional PC shipments.

"The results for May are behind pace for achieving the projected [second quarter 2013] growth rate,&… Read more

Windows 8.1 vs. Apple: Twofer or tablet?

Will new Windows 8.1 hybrids finally expose the iPad for what it really is, a mere tablet?

That's what Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer suggested this week.

When speaking at the company's Build Conference on Wednesday, he described in colorful -- and maybe just a tad exaggerated -- terms how tablets don't measure up to laptops (or even pencil and paper).

Enter the "2-in-1," as Microsoft likes to call hybrids. During his keynote presentation, Ballmer brandished the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix as an example of a 2-in-1 he has used.

The Helix can be a pure … Read more

Windows 8.1 Preview: What you need to know

Those of you eager to check out the new Windows 8.1 Preview have a few choices as to how and where to install it. Let's cut right to the chase and review the different options.

Update Windows 8 If you're already running Windows 8, you can simply update it to Windows 8.1 via the Windows Store, as CNET's Jason Cipriani explained earlier this week.

One word of warning before you proceed, however. The Windows 8.1 preview is essentially a beta of the new OS and is by no means a finished or polished version. … Read more

Ballmer's latest pitch to the faithful: Wide of the mark?

Steve Ballmer's not a man given to standing still on stage for long, but for a brief moment Wednesday morning, he struck a pose in front of some of the most devoted Microsoft developers with his left arm jackknifed, hand on hip.

It was a pugnacious posture, defiant yet also expressing confidence in Microsoft's public rebuilding of Windows. Microsoft's chief executive made the case at Build 2013 that while things may not always be smooth, the company was heading in the right direction.

Ballmer emphasized a new philosophy at Microsoft, offering up what he termed a "… Read more

How to boot directly to the desktop in Windows 8.1

The Windows 8 Start screen is a good starting point for Windows 8 devices with touch screens, but on PCs with standard screens, you might prefer to boot directly to the desktop. Previously, you could bypass the Windows 8 Start screen with Start8, but Windows 8.1 now lets you do it natively. Here's how:

Step 1: Right-click on the Windows 8.1 taskbar, then choose Properties.

Step 2: Click on the Navigation tab, then under the Start screen section, check the box next to "Go to the desktop instead of Start when I sign in."

The … Read more

Microsoft's pitch for hybrids: Tablets alone don't cut it

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer pitched upcoming "2-in-1" devices hard Wednesday at the Build Conference. Part of the pitch included mocking the dedicated tablet experience.

Here's what Ballmer said.

How many of us have gone to a meeting with somebody who brought a tablet and then when it comes time to actually take notes, writes them down on pencil and paper. Or can't get at the spreadsheet...or try to use it in terminal emulator mode...or take [a long time] to set up and turn their tablet into something that approximates a PC.

That statement -- … Read more

How to get the Windows 8.1 preview

If you've been screaming from the rooftops for Microsoft to return the Start button to Windows, you're going to be happy. On Wednesday, Microsoft unveiled Windows 8.1 at its Microsoft Build conference. The update brings a long list of new features, but most notably, the Start button returns!

Along with the announcement of Windows 8.1 and its new features, Microsoft also announced the release of a preview version for Windows 8.1. Anyone can download and install the preview, but keep in mind it's not final software and is likely to be full of bugs … Read more

Microsoft moves from short twitch to rapid release at Build 2013

At the Microsoft Build 2013 keynote in San Francisco, Chief Executive Steve Ballmer wanted everyone to know that Microsoft is not a lumbering giant.

"We're transitioning from a software company to a company that's building software, devices and services," Ballmer said. "And the only way we can do that is to adopt a rapid product release cadence. This is fundamental to what we're doing and what we must to do to mobilize our ecosystem and our partners."

To demonstrate Microsoft's rapid release cadence, Ballmer and team rolled out a preview of Windows … Read more