Saturday, September 24, 2011
Awesome Review Gabe Maiberger: Tech Review: Windows 8 Developer Preview
Gabe Maiberger: Tech Review: Windows 8 Developer Preview: Introduction When it comes to windows, 75% of users will go for the popularity and user friendliness. People have been sick of the start...
Friday, September 16, 2011
Microsoft Windows 8 - A Paul Thurrott Review
Microsoft Windows 8 is pretty frickin’ cool! Here's some of what's new when it first starts up:
Start experience. Windows 8 boots in under 10 seconds on virtually any kind of modern PC, and it's a wonder to behold. When you do reach the Lock screen (quickly), you're presented by a gorgeous, full-screen view that will be instantly recognizable to anyone using Windows Phone, complete with nice time, date, and notification elements. Logon can occur via a number of methods, including via the tried and true password, but you can also use simpler methods that will make more sense on a highly mobile device like a slate tablet. These include a PIN style password (four characters) or the fun new Picture Password, which lets you utilize multi-touch gestures over a photo to logon. (For example, you could tap the photo subject's eyes and then swipe a smiley face. Cool. You can also protect your Windows 8 PC with a new security scheme called Secure Boot that works with new UEFI-based BIOSes and prevents unprotected devices--like a USB key stocked with malware--from compromising the PC at bootup. Also, the system performs an early-load of anti-malware after the Secure Boot process validates, to protect things during boot.
Start screen. Microsoft debuted the Start screen earlier this year, so I won't waste much time re-describing it here. It works as expected, and as previously demonstrated, though there are some new bits. Unlike with Windows Phone, each tile on the Start screen is independently customizable, with two size choices (rectangular and square). Also unlike Windows Phone, the Start screen scrolls only horizontally (not vertically), and it works in either portrait or landscape mode. (Also Metro-style UIs do, another new find.) The performance of this UI is astonishing, and it works really well even in this early version. Some of the interaction bits are interesting, since any superfluous UI is hidden until you need it. Unlike in Windows Phone, you don't typically tap and hold. Instead, you swipe down slightly on a tile to get its actions to appear on the bottom edge of the screen. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen and the Charm bar comes up. (Yes, the Charm bar.) It has five icons--Search, Share, Start, Devices, and Settings--and is available from the Start Screen or any full-screen app. (An overlay with the time, date, network, and power also appears when this view is open.) The Start Screen also supports "semantic zoom" where you can pinch and "reverse pinch" two fingers on screen to zoom in (and out) of a tiny version of the full multi-screen Start Screen tile set so you can group tiles and optionally name the groups. It makes the folder management stuff on the iPad look as silly as it is.
Start experience. Windows 8 boots in under 10 seconds on virtually any kind of modern PC, and it's a wonder to behold. When you do reach the Lock screen (quickly), you're presented by a gorgeous, full-screen view that will be instantly recognizable to anyone using Windows Phone, complete with nice time, date, and notification elements. Logon can occur via a number of methods, including via the tried and true password, but you can also use simpler methods that will make more sense on a highly mobile device like a slate tablet. These include a PIN style password (four characters) or the fun new Picture Password, which lets you utilize multi-touch gestures over a photo to logon. (For example, you could tap the photo subject's eyes and then swipe a smiley face. Cool. You can also protect your Windows 8 PC with a new security scheme called Secure Boot that works with new UEFI-based BIOSes and prevents unprotected devices--like a USB key stocked with malware--from compromising the PC at bootup. Also, the system performs an early-load of anti-malware after the Secure Boot process validates, to protect things during boot.
Start screen. Microsoft debuted the Start screen earlier this year, so I won't waste much time re-describing it here. It works as expected, and as previously demonstrated, though there are some new bits. Unlike with Windows Phone, each tile on the Start screen is independently customizable, with two size choices (rectangular and square). Also unlike Windows Phone, the Start screen scrolls only horizontally (not vertically), and it works in either portrait or landscape mode. (Also Metro-style UIs do, another new find.) The performance of this UI is astonishing, and it works really well even in this early version. Some of the interaction bits are interesting, since any superfluous UI is hidden until you need it. Unlike in Windows Phone, you don't typically tap and hold. Instead, you swipe down slightly on a tile to get its actions to appear on the bottom edge of the screen. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen and the Charm bar comes up. (Yes, the Charm bar.) It has five icons--Search, Share, Start, Devices, and Settings--and is available from the Start Screen or any full-screen app. (An overlay with the time, date, network, and power also appears when this view is open.) The Start Screen also supports "semantic zoom" where you can pinch and "reverse pinch" two fingers on screen to zoom in (and out) of a tiny version of the full multi-screen Start Screen tile set so you can group tiles and optionally name the groups. It makes the folder management stuff on the iPad look as silly as it is.
Log Me In
Logmein is one of the best sites ever! It will let you remotely access your computer from anywhere there is an internet connection! Visit logmein.com to learn more
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Windows Home Server: Remote Access
Thanks to the Windows Home Server remote access features, you can access the home server as well as well as most connected PCs in your home network using a simple & effective web interface at no cost (unlike the paid service LogMeIn.com). Remote access consists of the three related features:
* Windows Home Server shared folders: The contents of any folders that are shared from Windows Home Server, such as Music, Photos, Public, Software, and Videos, as well as any other folders you’ve shared, are accessible via the web interface. There’s even a Windows Live Search box to help you find exactly what you want.
* Connected PCs: PCs that are connected to Windows Home Server can be remotely controlled, similar to the way you can control a Windows client or server using Remote Desktop. Obviously, the experience can be fair to middling depending on your connection speed, but it’s still great to be able to do this with desktop machines when you’re on the road.
* Windows Home Server Console: You can also access the Windows Home Server Console when you’re online but off the home network. The management experience is identical to when you’re connected locally, aside from potential speed issues and the fact that the console appears within the browser and not via the traditional console window.
In addition to all this great functionality, Microsoft has made it really easy to configure and use. By default, remote access is disabled, so you need to utilize the Remote Access link in the Settings dialog to turn it on and then configure it. Enabling remove access can be either dead simple or utterly painful, depending on what kind of router you’re using on your home network. The trick is to use a modern, Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) router: Windows Home Server will automatically configure it for remote access, and all will be well. If you don’t have such a device, you need to manually configure your router using fairly technical instructions in the Windows Home Server help files.
Once you have remote access up and running, Microsoft (or the PC maker from whom you purchased the server) will give you a free custom URL address like “something.homeserver.com” where something is replaced by whatever name you prefer. Then you can access your home server resources from the web using a standard web address.
In summary, while Windows 7 is an excellent solution for standalone PCs, you must look to additional tools if you want to manage multiple PCs on your home network from a central location. Microsoft offers such a solution in Windows Home Server, which is typically obtained with new home server hardware but can also be purchased separately.
Thanks to the Windows Home Server remote access features, you can access the home server as well as well as most connected PCs in your home network using a simple & effective web interface at no cost (unlike the paid service LogMeIn.com). Remote access consists of the three related features:
* Windows Home Server shared folders: The contents of any folders that are shared from Windows Home Server, such as Music, Photos, Public, Software, and Videos, as well as any other folders you’ve shared, are accessible via the web interface. There’s even a Windows Live Search box to help you find exactly what you want.
* Connected PCs: PCs that are connected to Windows Home Server can be remotely controlled, similar to the way you can control a Windows client or server using Remote Desktop. Obviously, the experience can be fair to middling depending on your connection speed, but it’s still great to be able to do this with desktop machines when you’re on the road.
* Windows Home Server Console: You can also access the Windows Home Server Console when you’re online but off the home network. The management experience is identical to when you’re connected locally, aside from potential speed issues and the fact that the console appears within the browser and not via the traditional console window.
In addition to all this great functionality, Microsoft has made it really easy to configure and use. By default, remote access is disabled, so you need to utilize the Remote Access link in the Settings dialog to turn it on and then configure it. Enabling remove access can be either dead simple or utterly painful, depending on what kind of router you’re using on your home network. The trick is to use a modern, Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) router: Windows Home Server will automatically configure it for remote access, and all will be well. If you don’t have such a device, you need to manually configure your router using fairly technical instructions in the Windows Home Server help files.
Once you have remote access up and running, Microsoft (or the PC maker from whom you purchased the server) will give you a free custom URL address like “something.homeserver.com” where something is replaced by whatever name you prefer. Then you can access your home server resources from the web using a standard web address.
In summary, while Windows 7 is an excellent solution for standalone PCs, you must look to additional tools if you want to manage multiple PCs on your home network from a central location. Microsoft offers such a solution in Windows Home Server, which is typically obtained with new home server hardware but can also be purchased separately.
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