Seeing Al: Microsoft Launches iPhone App That Narrates the World for Blind People

iPhone is known for its dynamic features and extraordinary-stylish appearance. iPhone is the smartphone which is the choice of every smart user. The whole range of applications and options it provides makes it the best amongst the bests. This time iPhone has come up with the best thing in terms of its feature out of the box. ‘Seeing Al’ is the newly launched feature in iPhone.

Microsoft has delved a kind attitude towards those who are visibly challenged. Yes, you heard it right! Microsoft has come up with an application known as Seeing Al with this app now the one who have lost their sight can experience the world around them as this application will narrate everything to its visibly impaired holder. So, now even the one who have not been blessed with the power of eyesight can see the world through their iPhone.

This app is absolutely free and is available on the iPhone’s App Store. This app is capable of defining all sorts of expressions of one’s face, currency notes and it can also portray verbally all the physical scenes till the range of the all, and the range is enough to narrate to someone what is going on in his/her surrounding. This unbelievable app can also read books or any sort inscriptions. It also has the power to scan all sorts of bar codes and provide relevant information.

This was started as a research project by Microsoft, but Microsoft has created a revolution with this invention. There are lot more things to explore from this app. This app successfully acts as the eye for those who are sightless.

Other than narrating only the physical features it can also portray verbally the images present in other art forms. But, the only limitation of the app is that at present it is only available in countries like US, Canada, New Zealand, India, Hong Kong and Singapore, in other countries its application is still at stake.

This innovative project was first initiated by a Software Engineer Saqib Shaikh at Microsoft. He propagated this idea in March 2016.

Such an idea is the result of Shaikh being crippled at his eyesight since seven years of age. This thought seemed as a fiction to him, but eventually, he was able to develop this with the support of his entire team. This project was definitely not easy to bring into reality, but he managed it with utmost dedication in his heart to help those who are unable to cherish the beauty of this world by witnessing it, the difficulties which he faced because of his inability to see provoked him to develop such an application like Seeing Al.

Now, seeing will not be an obstacle for those who are crippled in this field. Microsoft has proved that technology can do wonders and now none will be left behind. Everyone will feel themselves to be equally privileged. Seeing Al will actually eliminate the problems faced by those who have lost their eye sight.

Microsoft Researchers Reach Human Parity in Conversational Speech Recognition

The sophisticated technology of recognizing speeches has turned out to be one of the most popular innovations. From individuals to organizations, this technology may play a significant role. So, recently, Microsoft has brought good news for those, who want to make use of this latest technology. The newly developed speech recognition system of Microsoft is highly competent to recognize any human speech just as we do.

This new Microsoft software may transcribe or record any conversation in the most accurate way. In addition to it, the interesting feature of the software is that it tracks the conversations, and at the same time, it puts all words in the right framework. Thus, perfect transcriptions are possible with the help of this software.

The error rates of the software-

The research professionals of Microsoft have really made introduced the best features in the software. However, one thing to be noted in case of Microsoft’s voice recognition system is that it is not completely perfect. There are some possibilities of mishearing words. The rate of speech error in the task of transcribing any conversation is about 5.9 %. This percentage may be compared to a proficient transcriptionist’s error level. One of the major members of Microsoft’s team, Xuedong Huang has announced this unique fact about the software. This is truly a significant achievement of the company. Microsoft’s scientists have also declared that they are first to allow a computer in recognizing voice, like a human being.

An incredible invention of the researchers-

The vice president of the Research department, Harry Shum has also expressed their views that few years ago, they had not believed about the possibility of such accomplishment. The result of all efforts has been realized after carrying out a thorough research on the voice recognition for several years. In the past decades, when the researchers of Microsoft were making considerable struggles for developing an improved software system, many technology-related agencies had co-operated in their pursuit. After working on the technology for about 20 years, the success has been achieved ultimately.

In the previous years, the other technologies, like Siri (Apple) and cognitive computing tool (IBM) have been considered as the most resourceful ones. And now, the speech recognition program proves its effectiveness and potentials. In fact, Microsoft may also utilize this tool to improve the abilities of Xbox system of gaming.

Various techniques applied to make the system-

The group of researchers has tried out different approaches in order to have progress. One of the major aspects is that they have used neural system, in which the various details have been applied. Different words have been exposed as the vectors consistently. They have been positioned together for instructing the PC to know the patterns, seen in true human voice. In fact, Computational Network Toolkit is the major system, which has been used for reaching the goals. After using it, the experts have also attempted to improve the function in practical settings, such as, noisy background.

In this ways, Microsoft’s researchers have created the latest software, and they expect that in future the system may also give individual names and identities to the speakers.

Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build for PC and Mobile

Microsoft Windows 10 made its debut a year ago where it promised free up gradation to all the computer system around the world either running on Windows 7 or 8 OS. At that time Microsoft even brought its own Insider build program wherein users used to get previews of new features and functionalities in order to improve the overall experience of new operating system. At present Microsoft has decided to kill the old Windows 10 Insider builds for once and all to put an end to this great system. In a post released online Microsoft official has made it clear that all the older Insider Preview build will simply stop working from 15th October.

Rebooting issue will resolved

A number of users have complained about their PC rebooting after every three hours since October 1. Therefore Microsoft has taken the decision to put all old Windows insider build out of action which will help in resolving the booting issue. But removing support from older builds will make them redundant which means PC will not boot up. So users will have to reinstall Windows either from the USB or DVD drive in order to get the computer system working again. A simple typing search into the Cortana search box will help you in checking the status of your old Insider Preview build.

How to check the status of the Windows Preview Build

Open up the Run Dialogue box then type winver.exe and press enter key on the keyboard. A small will appear on the screen showcasing the expiry date for your particular Windows Preview Build. If expiry doesn’t appear on the screen then simply note down the ‘OS Build’ number and check it out in the list provided on the Microsoft’s help forums which specially lists down the expiry dates for every Insider build.
How to install new Insider build version

This isn’t the first time Microsoft is expiring the older Insider builds. Furthermore updating to newer version of build is relatively simple and easy as users are simply required to go to the Setting app followed by Update & Security and finally give a click on Windows Update. Now give a click on the Check for Updates button and it will help in downloading the latest build for your computer.

Currently the Fast ring build no 14396 is the latest Windows 10 build which was launched on September 28th. This update for Windows 10 is dubbed as Redstone 2 which brings a variety of tweaks to the OS. Windows users will be able to hide app list on the Start Menu along with improved navigation in the Photos app, new Windows Update icon and improved gesture and click detection on touchpad. It also brought new Edge extensions and a number of general improvements and fixes have been made in the area of Narrator, app notification and personalization. Even this build also has a number of issues as it a Preview build and Redstone is expected to launch a year later in 2017.

Microsoft Windows 10 Free Upgrade

 

Microsoft’s Free Upgrades – Windows 10

Microsoft has recently announced that they will be offering free upgrades to Windows 10, the next version of its operating system, first for Windows 8.1 users and then for Windows 7. According to Microsoft’s executive vice president of operating systems, Terry Myerson, the company would be upgrading any devices running Windows 8 to Windows 10, for free, during the first year of availability of the software. This free upgrade would also be applicable for Window 7 devices as well as Windows Phone 8.1 devices.

The price of the software for the upgrade after the one year window is yet to be announced by the company. Myerson had stated during the unveiling event of Microsoft’s Windows 10 in Redmond, Wash, that they think Windows as a service and now developers could target every Windows device. It has been designed with a view in convincing consumers that Windows is worth the effort and Windows 10 is an attempt in clearing the slate clean after missteps with Windows 8 inclusive of the new start menu that drew complaints from users of PC who missed greatly the traditional menu.

Simple Upgrade Benefit Window 10 Adoption

Windows 7 is run by more than half of all desktops users in the world and around 20% still tend to run XP, which is a fourteen years old operating system. Windows 8.1 on the other hand is yet to reach 10 percent. Hardware companies have been giving away software upgrades in order to keep their users secured to their ecosystems, where Apple for instance has made Mac OS and iOS free together with several of its productivity as well as photo management tools.

A simple upgrade path would benefit Windows 10 adoption instead of dealing with a number of various versions of Windows and other upgrade cost where most of the consumers could take this free update and have the benefit of running the updated version of Microsoft. Myerson had also shared Microsoft’s vision for Windows as a service and not just an operating system, a major part of which is its new commitment in keeping devices reliably updated all through the `supported lifetime for the device’. This indicates that those upgrading from Microsoft’s earlier versions of Windows would be receiving updates constantly to keep it up-to-date as possible.

Enable Developers to Target Every Windows Device

Myerson also noted that it would enable developers to target every single Windows device, when they build apps and make it easier for them to reach more users which would be appreciated by the developers as well as the users. Michael Silver of Gartner stated at the research firm’s annual technology conference that `if Microsoft wants consumers to update and keep up-to-date it would mean that Microsoft is going to have to give those consumers those updates for free and there is no other way to do it.

 He further added that `a consumer would not be giving Microsoft a credit card and ask them to charge for a new release whenever one come out and it is very likely that consumer releases will be free’. This would be affecting Microsoft’s bottom line, and Windows 10 probably will be the nameplate for the OS for years much more than the usual three year cycle for major upgrades from Windows 7 to Windows 8, where free would mean that consumers would not have to pay to upgrade their PC’s operating system.

New Editions Enhances Sales

Constant free updates and upgrades would be putting the computer makers in a bind since generally they tend to rely on new editions to enhance sales especially to consumers. Silver’s debates that Windows 10 if not free itself, should offer free updates to consumers, came with some forty five minutes presentation where he together with his colleague, Stephen Kleynhans discussed on the future of Office and Windows before a standing room crowd at Gartner Symposium/.ITxpo 2014. The two placed Microsoft’s Windows 10 and Microsoft’s promise of steady stream of updates in the context for business which had shied from Windows 8 and is being urged back into the fold with promises that Windows 10 will be what its successor were not. Some of the queries raised by users are:

Will it run XP programs

Windows 10 would be running most of the old Windows programs where the compatibility could be checked by running GWX, the Get Windows 10 app. Microsoft does not have information with regards to every device or program for Windows though it has a comprehensive list of know issues on compatibility. XP programs not running Windows 7 could probably run in Windows 10.

 Free copy of Windows XP to run in XP mode in Windows 7 Pro is provided by Microsoft which gives many years of transition to updated programs though not intended as a permanent solution. Users could continue using XP in current Windows 7 system till 2020 at the user’s risk. Alternate option is that one can run XP in a virtual machine in Windows 10 or else use a separate XP PC which not connected to the net.

Why is it free

Microsoft is giving some money from the fairly small number of those who buy Windows upgrades and in return with a hope of getting more of them in using the same version of Windows instead of having a rough figure of 1.6 billion users spreading over Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Vista and Windows Phone.

Microsoft Plans To Bring Siri Competitor Cortana To iOS Devices

Microsoft to put Cortana on Machine

Microsoft is now making its way towards advanced version of its competitor, Apple’s Siri researching from an artificial intelligence project known as `Einstein’. The company is running its personal assistant – Cortana on its Windows phone for around a year and would be putting the new version on the desktop with the forthcoming Window 10 somewhere this autumn which would be available as a stand-alone app that could be used on phones and tablets and powered by Apple’s Inc.’s – AAPL.O, iOS and Google Inc.’s GOOG.O Android, according to users familiar with the project.

Eric Horvitz, managing director of Microsoft Research and part of the Einstein project, in an interview at the company’s Redmond, Washington headquarters, stated that `this kind of technology that can read and understand email will play a central role in the next roll out of Cortana which they are working on for the fall time frame’. Microsoft and Horvitz refrained from disclosing any plans to take Cortana beyond Windows. The idea of putting Cortana on machine with software from rivals like Google and Apple together with the Einstein project is not reported. The name Cortana is an artificial intelligence character in a video game series known as `Halo’.

`Artificial Intelligence’ Concept 

The `artificial intelligence’ concept is broad and computers and mobile phones for instance have already shown skill with spoken language scrutinizing through emails for data. Microsoft is of the belief that its work on search, speech recognition and machine learning will enable it to transform its digital assistant into the first intelligent agent which would be what user would require.

Siri by comparison is advertised as responding to request. Google’s mobile app that does not have Siri or Cortana has been offering limited predictive information cards depending on what the user intends to know. Earlier, Microsoft had made attempts in creating digital assistants without much success and Microsoft Bob which was released in 1995 which was intended to make the use of the computer easy did not come up with the desired results. Similarly the Office Assistant which was nicknamed `Clippy’ met with the same fate, a few years thereafter.

Cortana - Supportive Service

Horvitz had commented that `they are defining the competitive landscape, of who could provide the most supportive service that make life easier, keep track of things, that complement human memory in a way that could help them get things done. A monitor which stands outside his door known as `The Assistant’, showing a woman’s face which can converse with visitors has access to Horvitz’s calendar and can also book meetings.

`Lifebrowser’ runs on his desktop, which is a program that has the potential of storing everything from appointments to photos and utilises machine learning in order to identify important moments while a keyword search for his university professor could instantly provide photos as well as video from their last meeting. Cortana has the capability of telling a mobile phone user when he ought to leave for the airport several days after it has read the email and the user’s intention of planning a flight. Moreover it can automatically check the status of flights and determine where the phone is located using GPS as well as check the condition of the traffic.

Microsoft New OS Teaser: Windows 9

Windows 8 even though was released with the aim of stitching together mobile and desktop became too complex for the user and affected the expected universal success. Windows 8 sales have completely dropped down with the new smart phones and tablets coming new light and also the longer life of exiting laptops and desktops. It is highly unlikely for the makers to come up with any other version like 8.2 or 8.3 so it calls out for two new expectations in the future: one is to expect a new advanced and faster version of windows operating system and second one is to wait for Windows 9.

Based on the communication received from Microsoft communication about Windows 9, will cost you but will provide you with all possible features that anyone will expect in newer version.

Release Date of Windows 9

Even though Microsoft has been mum about the name of the new operating system but there was information leaked by their Chinese division on Weibo clearly indicating that Microsoft new operating system windows 9 will be launched soon and the users will be able to see the start menu again.

Expected to be released in April 2015, windows 9 is expected to be launched in all the platform, laptops, PCs, mobiles and tablets. However some of the leaked information accessed by Myce.com indicates that the release is expected around 2 or 3 quarter of 2015.

But now as per Verge, the new Windows 9 preview will be released on 30th September but its still not confirmed as the system is still in the development stage.

No Charms Bar: Windows 9

As per Winbeta, Microsoft is supposed to do away by the charms bar in windows 9 but this is only pertaining to desktop PCs and might also happen in the mobile phones as well. One of the methods that are expected to be a stand out is the button near the windows controls, which once pressed will reveal share, search, devices and setting charm from top of the window. Microsoft has also been playing with the idea of actually removing the Charms bar completely.

Windows 9: Start Menu to be Reborn

Microsoft has been working on their new update called Threshold and labeled it as Windows 8.1 Pro, but this update is expected to actually come in form of Windows 9. The key for windows 9 is that they have combined desktop apps and metro apps unlike Windows 8. This will help the users who are comfortable with the start menu tab.

Windows Phone 9

The phone is tagged for release along with the OS. Currently the version available on new smart phones is Windows 8.1 featuring Cortana. As Windows 8 is supposed to become history, we are expecting that device hardware will be upgradable.

Price of Windows 9

Even though the price has not been revealed yet but one can either expect this new version to fall heavy on their pockets or might be made available free for users. Some of the other companies have been giving out the recent versions absolutely free of cost.

Features of Windows 9

64- Bit is the expectation from windows 9. Users are expecting Microsoft to make Windows Phone and Windows RT apps run on Windows Phone and as well as Windows. Laptops with 3D camera could be expected to have Kinect-based 3D gestures.

Apart from taking over a dud windows 8, Windows 9 is mainly expected to improve performance.

Microsoft Brings Office Suite to Apple’s iPad" For Free

Office Suite Version in Word/Excel/PowerPoint

It is reported that Microsoft will be bringing its Office Suite of products to the iPads driving the point home of its long rumored version of Microsoft Office for iPads which trailed the iPhone and Android versions of software by nine months with the software going live in the iOS App Store, very soon. The Office Suite version comes with Word, Excel and PowerPoint and is available only for iPads running and can create and edit files created in other versions of the software.

They also feature the same OneDrive integration as the Windows as well as mobile version; the tablet application seems to be more capable than the mobile versions. Microsoft states that the app will preserve the formatting and visual fidelity of documents which are created on other platforms. This application would be available at no cost, though it comes with some strings attached.

Users can download the application from the App Store without an Office 365 subscription wherein they can only view and read data files but not edit them. If the need to create, improve or edit documents, an Office 365 subscription would be needed which would cost around $100 a year, as related by Business Insider.

Empowering to be Productive Across all Devices

Office seems to be the most important product for Microsoft. Microsoft is taking the risk of making Office irrelevant and though it is a bit late, its decision could be right in deciding to bring Office to the iPad. Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, states that Microsoft is willing to take risk and this move seemed important since it indicates a mindset change at Microsoft.

According to Microsoft, Office for the iPad does not seem to be an altered version of the Windows suite but made brand new for the iPad which appears to blend in smoothly on the iPad and according to Business Insider, Microsoft had invested in making the transition seamless. Microsoft has also stated that bringing Office to iPad was a way to empower people enabling them to be productive and work more across all devices.

Value Added Features

The Office for iPad in general retains some of the value added features which could be associated with Office inclusive of the ability in tracking changes and co-author documents. While tracking changes on its part does take up bulk of the Review menu in Word for iPad, it does seems to be well implemented and co-authoring support enables users to work on a document simultaneously.

Apple on its part is very much excited that the software is coming to its ecosystem. Apple spokesperson, Trudy Muller informed CNET in an email stating that they were excited that Office is coming to iPad mentioning that it was a new addition to its many existing productivity app already available for the tablet like iWork, Evernote and Paper by FiftyThree.

A Quiet update to Office Mobile for iPhone has also been issued by Microsoft and the version 1.1 of the software updates the application for iOS 7 eliminating the requirement of Office subscription. Moreover the viewing and editing of documents stored in OneDrive would be free to the user with Microsoft account irrespective of their subscription status.

Microsoft trying to get iTunes for Windows 8!

Microsoft, which now has about 60,000 apps in the Windows Store, likes to think that Apple will unveil a version of iTunes for Windows 8. American society also presses the Cupertino Company to do so. But officially, said aware that this is certainly not right away. Many applications come in the Windows Store since the launch of Windows 8 in October. Microsoft announced and 60,000 are now identified and that by next fall, the kiosk should include key. But it is one that the Redmond giant would certainly see happen is iTunes. In fact, according to The Verge, which seems to have sources close to the matter, the main query that made by their users in the Windows Store is the service of video, music and Apple applications. Our colleagues add that Microsoft is in talks with the Cupertino Company to get things done, but in the end, nothing happens at the moment.

In an interview between CNNMoney and Tami Reller, the new head of Microsoft finance gives a message that wants clearer that “You should not expect to see iTunes for Windows 8 before ages. Demand for iTunes is very strong. The red carpet has been prepared. It's not for lack of trying. “This message is actually very clear; Apple seems to slow their heels. This is reminiscent of the words of Bill Gates with Office a few days ago by the way, which indicated that only Microsoft platforms were entitled to the suite and it was a real plus in the world of tablets. The question is whether Apple will still change its mind sooner or later. While sales of Windows 8 just crossed the 100 million copies sold, it remains that the installed base with other versions of Windows machines is much more important. It definitely is a competitor service. But for now, there is no real competition to iTunes in terms of volume to push anything. In addition, no statistical behavior of users of Microsoft booth is available to date to assess the merits of going to this platform yet.

Microsoft Blue!

We learned in November that Microsoft was working on Blue, a code name that was supposed to designate a major update for Windows 8. Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet, always very well informed about Microsoft, said yesterday that Blue is not just about Windows 8 but Windows Phone, Windows Server and services Redmond. The journalist says that Blue means a wave of new products that arrive at the same time. Internet Explorer, Bing, application of mail, calendar and other standard software would be affected by Blue.

On Windows, the changes would affect both the kernel and user experience than pilots. Before the arrival of the new set, Microsoft will continue to leave the minor updates like security fixes bug fixes.  Blue change in depth how to operate Microsoft comes out of major updates every two or three years. It would with Blue lock on an annual basis. Specifically, the next update of Windows might be available on the Windows Store. Microsoft and resume the same system with Apple OS X and the Mac App Store. Blue could happen this summer or fall.

Microsoft: Love to risk

Microsoft pushes again the highlight: the star of its Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) is a new hardware product. This is a multitouch screen of 82 "that the admission of Steve Ballmer could be a hit in large companies and the education community.

Perspective Pixel had caused a stir in 2006 by his demonstrations of multitouch on a giant screen - it was a year before the iPhone, and multitouch was then limited to a few niche products.

Bill Gates: Surface, the iPad and approaches of Apple and Microsoft

Bill Gates addressed the subject of the entry of Microsoft into the club of manufacturers of tablets, during a television interview (at 29 min), and that the difference in approach with Apple. If things were to do again, Charlie Rose asked, his interlocutor, "Do you have followed an approach of vertical integration as Steve Jobs did?"

Surface: Microsoft Announces Two shelves Intel and ARM

There will be shelves Windows and there will be shelves of Microsoft Windows. At a conference in Los Angeles whose purpose was kept secret, but surrounded by rumors, Steve Ballmer unveiled the Surface. Tablets 10.6 "16:9 HD who take the brand previously used for large touch tables.

Google and Microsoft acquires bought Quickoffice Press Play

Google announced the acquisition of QuickOffice, the publisher of the eponymous mobile office applications. If the press release of the two parties goes beyond the usual self-congratulatory, it is no doubt that Google seeks to build capacity by editing Google Docs and Google Drive within IOS and Android. 

Windows On ARM

Microsoft has caused a small earthquake when it announced that Windows 8 will be offered in a version compatible with ARM processors. Actually it's not the first time that Windows leaves the preserve of the x86 assembly: Windows NT has been proposed among other platforms Alpha, MIPS, PowerPC, and already in his time on ARM and Windows CE MIPS and ARM. However this is the first time that the "standard" version of Windows ventured outside the box of x86.

The "truth" on Microsoft Office for iPad burst "within weeks"

The Truth About Office iPad will be known to all "in the coming weeks": this is the conclusion of a real game of ping-pong which took place on yesterday night between the Daily and Microsoft, following the publication by the first a capture of which would be precisely Office for iPad (read: MicrosoftOffice for iPad shows).

Microsoft Office for iPad shows [Update x3]

The Daily produces a picture of what it presents as the adaptation of Microsoft Office for the iPad. There is only entitled to the home screen with three buttons linking to Word, Excel and PowerPoint. 

However the website claims to have used a prototype briefly after IOS. It has an interface similar to the OneNote application already offered on the App Store with some accents of the interface Metro. 

It can be used to create and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint locally and online.

The day broke up Wintel - II

Microsoft has the culture of "all Windows" younger probably do not know, but before that the iPhone does not come to change everything, there were phones with a "Start" menu as well as on PC. Now that divorce is consummated, the two old cronies are not without bitterness toward each other: Microsoft explains its inability to react in touch with the absence of a credible product for this market at Intel , and Intel says the insolent form of ARM by the inability of Microsoft to provide an operating system designed for touch interfaces.

The day broke up Wintel

Behind the television ads in relief, or connected, and other tablets, the new major last CES went relatively unnoticed. It is no less significant if: Fortress Wintel eventually implode under its own gravitational mass. It is, however, that since the conference of Microsoft Build the details of the divorce were announced. First element: all manufacturers of PCs, once submitted to the yoke of Microsoft, now offer machines running operating systems other than Windows.

There was a time when Microsoft would never have missed such insolence, but it was specifically convicted of such practices. Insult of all insults, even Intel has its own operating system (first Moblin Meego and after the merger with Maemo, Nokia's system). However additional Intel teams up with Google to offer an Android compatible hardware platform (see Android: Google and Intel optimize their relationship). This independence of manufacturers is indeed the element that has reintroduced a competitive pressure for both Windows and x86: in the mobile world, the ARM processor and OS tactile reign supreme. And it is this pressure that led to the second item that ends the reign unchallenged until Wintel: Microsoft announced that the exclusive x86 ended, and an ARM-compatible version of Windows was on the agenda . It is a real warning shot, while the tandem-x86 Windows is rain or shine in the computer world for a quarter of a century.

Wintel, the portmanteau word that describes so well the close relationship between Microsoft and Intel, which has been very successful in a waltz with each update of an advantage to the other and vice versa. The x86 has shelved the 680x0 processors from Motorola, the PowerPC alliance Apple-IBM-Motorola, MIPS processors, and many others. The IBM alliance goodness, the former regent, outside his own kingdom. No one was in size, no one could resist the steamroller. At best, the Mac has missed just disappear, which might have happened if, ironically, Microsoft had not come to the aid of the symbolic last competitor (Apple investing in an amount no less symbolic but the gesture has been sufficient to restore confidence in the stock market), and Linux should survive by having taken out the equation on commercial (commercial versions of Linux without the means of its competitors in terms of marketing ). On the hardware side, the only salvation for AMD has been to produce processors compatible with the x86 instruction set, including the road map remains under the sole control of Intel. As for other builders and developers, they were all committed to the cause Wintel: any little sheep who is away from the path saw sharply rebuked, if not economic sanctions. Intel and Microsoft held their cup whole computer industry, thereby making their mutual good fortune: in 2010, Microsoft record $ 62.5 billion in revenue and 44 billion Intel. The two companies have worked to preserve, and both have taken too much of their dominant position, which is based more on one another, so that they were both heavily sentenced several times. The industry has paid dearly for this straitjacket that will put a brake on innovation, a crucial component in this area. It will have been that by deporting a new market, away from two friends, the manufacturers have been able to get rid of their hegemony. But watching the course of history, one can not help but notice that the spell is sometimes quite ironic. In 1994, Apple presents its first Power Macintosh, it trumpets the CISC processors Intel is at an end, and that things are going now, Intel will not take the demands of Moore's Law a few years at most.

Twelve years later, the same Apple abandoned the PowerPC processor and passes it once decried as moribund and obsolete. If Intel was able to deploy ingenuity to ensure that the x86 architecture continues to remain valid, all agree, however, to note that it shows its age. We have perhaps forgotten today with the current nomenclature of Intel for its processors, but it takes its name from the first members of this family whose name was composed of a number ending in 86, starting with the 8086 which powered the very first IBM PC, and was born in 1978 .... Certainly, the architecture has undergone many changes since, but at a heavy price compatibility.

This is particularly acute at a time when Intel has to offer ultrasobre processor to deal with the ARM architecture that equips virtually all mobile devices. This does not, however, Intel to continue to develop brilliant discoveries (read Intel starts to 3D). For the interdependence of Microsoft and Intel have also sealed their fate mutual: it was necessary that the processors are compatible with the OS and applications, and vice versa. While Apple was 3 times its revolution (changing twice processors and once the operating system), taking each time a blank page while managing to establish a smooth transition, Microsoft and Intel are remained bound hand and foot. So much so that enough has become a cultural value for both companies, which have remained bogged down when the mobile took off.

Microsoft unveils Windows 8 Part.IV

As for the management of the autonomy of the iPad and responsiveness, precisely because they are unmatched IOS "cut the fat" over "real" multitasking, and a start in record time. What happens when the hard drive goes into tablet mode on Windows 8? What happens to excel, always in the background when you go on reading a magazine? Better yet, what happens if the file open in Excel was stored on the external drive when passing in tablet mode? So many questions that need answers, and we do not know for the time actually little more on this new version of Windows. Microsoft still has time to perfecting his copy and gives all the answers by the system output. However, it seems to introduce here a long transition during which it has perhaps more ways: you cannot take the train when it left the station.

Although the two modes do not live in total isolation: thus it is possible to live a touch application and pre-Windows application 8 to the screen by the method of sharing discussed above. One imagines, too, although Microsoft has not demonstrated that the keyboard can be used with older applications. As such, the touch-sensitive layers of Windows 8 is not a simple overlay, and wait to see the other features that Microsoft will unveil in the future to measure the interpenetration of two worlds. Nevertheless the two approaches, as presented, go together. While it is easy to see that this approach may provide to Microsoft, it is much more difficult to see the benefit to its users. And ultimately, it's still good to them that are: no one will do the update for the sheer joy of giving pleasure to the editor.

As John Gruber points out, this has been the undeniable success of the Apple iPad is well made clean slate. Pages, Numbers and Keynote have been totally redesigned for the touch interface, and this is what works. The simplicity of the iPad also reflects the disappearance of the management of files and their backup. The impossibility of making a direct port of an application for Mac OS X to iOS ensures that third party developers think their application specifically for IOS, which contributes to the strength and consistency of the platform. Microsoft has not had the fortitude to abandon what made his fortune so far, this may well be a shot in the future too heavy to drag.

Microsoft unveils Windows 8 Part.III

After all, the software giant is on familiar ground: Windows itself has not he started his career as a simple wrapper for MS-DOS before finally, after many years, for committing patricide in engulfing its venerable ancestor? The method has already worked once, why would it not therefore possible to repeat the process?

There are still major differences between the transition, and paradigms MS-DOS/Windows windows / touch: in the first case, there were not two very different types of machines that have been associated with each interface. This is the biggest problem for Microsoft: Do we imagine that users of Windows 8 on desktop applications will support the new touch less powerful than those on shelves and x86 bothering with old menus and windows, do if only for the honor and advantage of using Excel to the old one? He should still see the thing for measuring the ineptitude: tap on the title menu, tap on the menu item, draw a line on the screen with your fingertip to move or resize a window, and that 'happens to the "rollover", actions that are initiated by the hovering, when there is no pointing device? The very notion of having an anti-virus running on a shelf today may raise eyebrows more than one user iPad.

However, we can consider Microsoft's proposal as a "best of both worlds," and the idea as such may seem attractive: the same machine could be adapted to your consumption patterns, and move from one mode to other seamlessly. In this case, Microsoft is going even further than what Apple provides with Mac OS X Leo, compared to merely take a few visual and behavioral IOS surface. The Tablet PC would become media when you need it and vice versa. But summarize the experience of a tablet media such as iPad Touch the only interface would be very simplistic. The iPad made changes much more profound in the user interface and operating system: more file management, even more backup while Windows 8 is always the good old records and other DLLs.

(Cont.)