bruceb news

Previously:
The Difference Between A Microsoft Account And An Office 365 Account
Understanding Skydrive, Part 1: Skydrive vs. Skydrive Pro

Skydrive lets you store files online and access them from anywhere, including PCs, Macs, and mobile devices. There are some good reasons to begin using it as the primary location for saving all of your files and pictures.

SKYDRIVE WEB SITE

Go to http://skydrive.live.com.

If you’re not signed in already, then sign in with your Microsoft account.

You will likely see some folders – by default, there are folders for Documents, Pictures, and Public. If not, create Documents and Pictures folders by clicking Create / Folder. […] continued

The number of smartphones and tablets sold worldwide in 2012 is absolutely staggering. The sense of amazement is the same no matter how you measure it – number of units sold, growth year over year, spending, profits, comparison to declining computer sales. There is something profound going on in the world.

A couple of trends in 2012 are surprising. We’ve been accustomed to thinking of Apple as an unstoppable giant setting the bar high above competitors. In fact, the world is a duopoly, divided between Android and Apple iOS, and Android has taken a sharp lead in the number of devices sold. […] continued

Season’s greetings! I hope you all get lovely new technology for the holidays and have a wonderful time poking and clicking and pinching and zooming!

I’ve been looking ahead to 2013, trying to guess what will fill our time in the technology world next year. Here are some of the things that are coming, in no particular order.

• You will pick up and cast off computers, tablets and phones at an ever increasing clip. Tablets and notebooks will get cheaper and the flood of features and apps will make 2012’s flow look like a trickle. Everyone will have a drawer of discarded devices.

[…] continued

Previously: Clash Of The Titans – The Battle Over Skydrive On iOS

War has broken out.

Apple, Google, Microsoft and Amazon have been building walled gardens, ecosystems of services that work best if you have multiple devices on the same platform. Example: once you buy an iPad, it is far more likely that your next phone will be an iPhone, because you’ve become familiar with how iOS works, and because the Apple ecosystem will make the two devices work together.

The walls around the garden have mostly been used to keep you inside, buying more devices on the platform where you started. […] continued

Microsoft is embroiled in a conflict with Apple that is part of a bigger story. Today I’ll tell you about the details of the standoff over whether Microsoft will be allowed to keep giving away a Skydrive app for iPhones and iPads. In the next article, I’ll give you the bigger picture, which will help you understand some of the battles to come – and perhaps help you make decisions about what devices you buy.

Today’s flap is about whether Microsoft will be able to update an app for iPhones and iPads that provides access to files and pictures stored in Skydrive. […] continued

An email arrived tonight from Verizon announcing that 4G LTE service has officially arrived in Santa Rosa and nearby areas in Sonoma County. Verizon actually turned on LTE up here about a month ago; I noticed the LTE indicator lighting up on my Verizon devices and loyal correspondents left comments about it on my earlier article about 4G.

Here’s the Verizon coverage map this evening, showing pretty broad availability across the central part of Sonoma County. At my home west of Sebastopol, I’ve got just as weak a signal as before, but the two-bar data connection delivers LTE speed.

I haven’t heard any updates about AT&T. […] continued

In late January Microsoft will start shipping the second version of the Surface tablet, the one with the full version of Windows 8 Pro. There are two models, a 64Gb version for $900 or a 128Gb version for $1000. A keyboard is not included so you’ll buy one separately, either the Touch cover (non-movable keys, very thin, cool colors) or Type cover (movable keys, slightly thicker, black), for another $120-$130.

Microsoft would like the audience for the Surface tablets to include shoppers considering iPads, for obvious reasons, but Surface tablets are not likely to put much of a dent in iPad sales. […] continued

Previously: Some Thoughts On The Microsoft Surface Tablet (Part 1)

Because it is built on an operating system that appears identical to Windows 8, Microsoft’s Surface tablet has some features that set it apart from an iPad. This isn’t a full review of the Surface, just some of the reasons that my first impression is different than I expected.

HARDWARE QUALITY

The Surface screen has about as many square inches as an iPad in a different shape – wider, less tall. It feels different in the hand as a result, more like a notebook computer. Everything about the Surface reinforces that impression – the magnesium chassis, the squared off corners and the seamless high quality build, everything makes the Surface feel like a real computer instead of “just” a tablet. […] continued

I’ve been using a Microsoft Surface tablet for a few days. It is a fascinating device, with pros and cons that make it impossible to deliver any blanket assessment. Most of you should watch and wait as rough edges are smoothed out and developers release a better selection of apps – but not everyone. The Surface is designed for productivity, with a usable keyboard and standard Office programs, and that ought to be appealing to anyone who wants a tablet for more than just playing games and watching videos.

Let’s start with the big issue.

NO LEGACY PROGRAMS

The current model of the Surface ships with Windows RT, a limited version of Windows 8 that runs on ARM processors for long battery life and speedy performance. […] continued

Let’s catch our breath for a minute and do a quick recap of where things stand as we head into November.

COMPUTERS

Windows 8 is becoming available, at least as an option, on new computers from the major manufacturers. At the moment everything is in transition, so you might run into something like the order page this morning for a Dell Inspiron 14z Ultrabook, which says in boldface “Dell Recommends Window Pro 8” and then does not offer Windows 8 as an option. (You’ll be able to upgrade new Windows 7 computers to Windows 8 cheaply or for free, if you choose.)

Desktop computers have not changed dramatically but the selection of notebook computers is overwhelming and different than you’ve seen before. […] continued