Window 8 – Twenty Fifth Pass: Windows 8.1 Update Naming Convention

Can someone explain to me the Windows 8 naming conventions and how they make any sense?  Perhaps they do to some, as I am admittedly not the smartest person around but here is what I can’t figure out.

Windows 7 was updated to Windows 7 Service Pack 1, which was replaced by Windows 8.  Windows 8 was then updated to Windows 8.1. Not Windows 8.1 Service Pack 1 but Windows 8.1.  Now there is a new update.  It’s not called Windows 8.1 or Windows 8.1 Service Pack 2 but rather Windows 8.1 Update.  What’s next?  Windows 8.1 Update 1?  Windows 8.1 Update New?  Windows 8.1 Update Next?

Seems to me that Windows 8.1 could easily name the updates with Service Pack numbers or utilizing .2, .3, .4, .5, etc.  There are lots of options between Windows 8.1 and Windows 9.

It has been pointed out to me that Microsoft seems to inconsistently name things.  Think about the Xbox.  We had Xbox for the first generation product and then Xbox 360 for the second gen release.  Most thought the third generation version would be named Xbox 720 but no, they named the third gen product Xbox One. A popular TV show featuring smart geeks even recently made fun of this.

The same is true of earlier releases of Windows.  We started with Windows 3.1 and then went to naming based on year of release for a while before switching to numbers starting with 7.  Office is also experiencing the same lack of continuity, as Office 13 is actually Office 15.  While the program says Office 2013, the program folder on your hard drive says Office15. 

Anticipating the next goofy turn to the madness……

Window 8 – Twenty Fourth Pass: Windows 8.1 Update Improvements

There is no doubt that Windows 8.1 Update has greatly improved the interface for traditional keyboard and mouse users.  There are tons of posts online about how a mouse user can now do as much as a touch user.  Many if not all of the improvements were already known about thanks to leaks before the release to MSDN and TechNet subscribers on April 2.  Now that the geeks have their hands on it, even more tweaks are popping up.

Some say that Microsoft has recanted and is admitting that they goofed by focusing too much on the touchscreen user and forgetting the legacy desktop users.  Legacy isn’t the right word here, desktop users are treated that way but traditional keyboard and mouse users are still the number one demographic of Windows users.

Microsoft says that isn't true.  They never abandoned the desktop users they just focused on touch first as that is where the hardware is going and they wanted to have that perfected before circling back around and making sure the keyboard and mouse users were satisfied.  I’m not buying it – not for a second.

If that were true then they would not have removed keyboard and mouse functionality only to later add it back in when the public began to fuss.  If that was true then they would have simply added the touch interface as opposed to removing legacy features in favor of new touch features that forced traditional users still using traditional hardware to re-learn how to use their computers.

Microsoft compared working on Windows to making pizza for over a billion people.  I think that’s a good analogy but they don't follow through with it.  If the world likes sausage (or keyboard and mouse functionality in Windows) then why would you remove the sausage only to add it back later when folks fussed that you removed something you knew they liked?

I've already blogged about Microsoft trying to make a single version of Windows fit both needs and it appears that they may be getting the recipe right so that it can work well for both touch and mouse users but it may be too late.  I've found that even though there are improvements to how I use my Surface when I have it docked to my keyboard and mouse that I’m falling back on old “bad habits” I learned as workarounds before the new features were released.  I find myself going for the charms menu a lot when that really isn't necessary anymore and forgetting that there are new right-click menus to make things easier and faster.

It will be interesting to see what the reviews are when the public gets access via Windows Update this week.  I predict a few calls from grandma once the Update installs automatically via Windows Update.

Another juicy tidbit confirmed is that the old Start Menu is coming back.  I've been predicting that for a while but it appears that is now a reality.  Microsoft has not said when it will come back.  It may be in another Windows 8.1 update or it may be in Windows 9.  Either way it is coming back and while it probably won't look like the Windows 7 Start Menu the functionality we are accustomed to will return in another step Microsoft takes not to recant but to improve the sausage they took away they knew we liked.

Window 8 – Twenty Third Pass: Windows 8.1 Update

Today Microsoft released to some of us the latest update to Windows 8.1 – simply titled Windows 8.1 Update.  The rest of the world will get this update via Windows Update starting April 8 but I was able to install it today and see how Microsoft has capitulated to their desktop users.  More on that in a future post.

If you have access to Update then you will quickly realize installing it that any gains made in terms of the interface for keyboard and mouse users are soon forgotten due to the cumbersome install method.  Hopefully the release to the masses via Windows Update next week won’t be so difficult. 

Here is how it worked for me updating a Dell desktop, a Microsoft Surface Pro and a Surface Pro 2.  All were running fully updated 64 bit Windows 8.1 installs.  The 32 bit process isn’t that much different.

This process applies to Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows RT 8.1.

I downloaded a zip file that contained 7 files.  6 install files and 1 readme text file.  The readme text file gave the recommended install order for the 6 install files.  Wait, what?!  I have to manually install all 6 files?  Yup.  Progress in Update.

I didn’t find much online about this process except that Microsoft is using the word “recommended” lightly, it should say, “required”. Doing it out of sequence can create some issues depending on your hardware so I don’t recommend varying from their recommendation.

Here is what the readme text file says:

Recommended Install Order
KB2919442
KB2919355
KB2932046
KB2937592
KB2938439
KB2949621

Here is what that really means.

1. KB2919442 – when I went to install this all of my systems said it was already installed.  If you are current with Windows Updates then you should also get prompted that this update is already installed.
2. KB2919355 – this is the big one at 707mb.  This one took the longest to run and requires the first of many reboots when you are done.  This one also has the only quickly visible notice that anything has changed as it pins the Windows Store to the taskbar – change I quickly undid.
3. KB2932046 – this one also requires a reboot when you are finished.
4. KB2937592 – this one also requires a reboot when you are finished.
5. KB2938439 - this one also requires a reboot when you are finished.
6. KB2949621 - this one also requires a reboot when you are finished.

Really?  5 reboots?  You couldn’t somehow have packaged all of that together?  Again, I hope the experience for Windows Update users is far better.  Due to the number of reboots it took 30 minutes for my longest update.

One other note – if you are using a Surface make sure it isn’t docked to anything before installing the second update file – otherwise the second update may hang at 75% forever.

Aside from a goofy name that makes no sense, and a convoluted update method the benefits of Windows 8.1 Update are beneficial for desktop users.

Had I known I probably would have waited until next week.

Window 8 – Twenty Second Pass: Windows 8.1 The Start Button Treachery

One of the biggest changes to Windows 8 with Windows 8.1 is the addition of the Start Button back into the operating system.  While some may cheer this as a victory against the man it really isn’t all that big of a deal and is mostly just a trick to make you think Microsoft likes you.

It is very important to point out that while the Start Button has returned to the place where it has live on the desktop since 1995 it does not function the same way in terms of opening a Start Menu.  The Start Menu essentially is still dead. 

The “new” Start Button allows users to click what they have been used to clicking for decades in order to access their apps but instead of opening the Start Menu it simply takes you back to the Start Screen.  The same thing could be accomplished by pressing the Windows button on the keyboard or by tapping or clicking the Start icon on the charms menu. Again, it just allows users to have the familiar icon to click on.

The real value to this new button however is the right click.  Right clicking on the Start Button brings up an improved system menu.  You could access this same menu in Windows 8 by pressing Windows-X.  The new system menu includes the option Shut Down or Sign Out, which expands into the familiar Sign Out, Sleep, Shut Down, and Restart options.  This is an improvement because now with the mouse, I can log out or I can reboot like I used to by clicking on the Start Button without having to get the charms menu up or go back to the Start Screen or lock screen.  I think this will make it easier for desktop users to make the switch to Windows 8 as a familiar routine has returned.

The real treachery though is that the use of the Start Button is not consistent throughout the Windows 8.1 experience.  It only appears when running the desktop or running desktop apps.  It does not appear on the Start Screen or when running any of the Start Screen apps.  In that experience, you have to use the Windows key or the charms menu.  That means the user has to be more aware of what mode they are using the hardware in – for some users that isn’t a big deal but for others it may be very confusing.  Think about your grandma.

A unified operating system experience should be unified, not just between devices but also between operating modes for the same device.

Window 8 – Twenty First Pass: Windows 8.1 Touch Screen Updates

One of the challenges early on with Windows 8 was the heavy emphasis on the touch environment in a world lacking touch devices.  Much has changed over the past year as almost any new device you’d purchase; with the exception of most desktop monitors and some laptops are touch screen devices.  As a result, the touch interface is becoming more and more prevalent.

While that is great for home users and most personal machines the vast majority of business machines still do not have touch screens.  That makes it fun for users who are used to a touch device at home and then get frustrated tapping the screen at work and watching as nothing happens.  This could explain the increase in pen holes in LCD monitors the world over.  This may also create an increase in BYOD as folks get used to and want to maintain their touch environment.

That said the touch features in Windows 8.1 have been improved upon.  I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that some of these features are very similar to operating systems like iOS and Android.

There have been several swiping improvements:

• You can now swipe down to get to the camera from the lock screen.  Very handy if you use your Surface or other device for taking pictures while locked.
• In Windows 8, you could swipe an app in from the left and it would take up half the screen.  In Windows 8.1, you can swipe the app in from the left and then drag it to determine how much of the screen you want each app to have.  Windows 8.1 also allows you to have multiple apps doing this based on your resolution.  A Surface can only split the screen and do 2 apps however, a larger monitor can do up to 5 apps depending on the resolution.  Of course, if you were doing this on a larger monitor you wouldn’t be using the touch interface but rather the mouse to drag each app in.
• Some apps will also automatically launch splitting the screen in side-by-side mode.  This is for things like reading your email and opening a picture.  Instead of your email going away, the screen would split and you’d see the picture in the photo app next to the email app allowing you to automatically view both at once.
• All apps from the start menu can now be accessed by simply swiping up, but not up from the bottom of the screen, you want to swipe up from above the bottom otherwise you get the bottom menu.  This makes it easy to see All Apps and not just those on the Start Menu.
• The PC Configuration settings have also been improved so you can control more with the touch interface and slide switches to turn things off.  This means you don’t have to visit the desktop control pane as often.
• Several of the build in Start Screen apps like Mail and Calendar have also been improve to provide much greater functionality from the touch screen.  I have found both to be very useful when using my Surface without a mouse or keyboard or even the touch pen.

Fortunately you can still do all of this with the mouse.  Granted you have to learn how to do everything 2 different ways but that may help make the transition from touch to non-touch devices either.

The ultimate goal is for Windows 8 and future version to be the all-in-one OS allowing for touch, non-touch, phone, and tablet to all be the same user experience.  Whether Microsoft can pull this off and keep the rest of us going along with it remains to be seen.

Touch or not to touch, that is the question.

Window 8 - Twentith Pass: Windows 8.1 Upgrade Gotcha's

Since Microsoft relented and finally agreed to give IT Pros access to Windows 8.1 RTM, I was able to install it on my Surface Pro. The install was easy enough. I installed it from a USB stick that contained the ISO files. Why the download is only in an ISO format when the Surface line and most tablets don’t have optical drive is a bit beyond me but it is easy enough to convert to a USB stick.

The install went pretty quick but there are a few gotchas after the upgrade that I don’t fully understand. Here is what to look out for:

1. The drivers for my Toshiba DynaDock disappeared. They were totally gone. I’m not sure why but I had to reinstall them as there is an August update that includes support for Windows 8.1. I’m not sure if the install removes drivers not compatible with 8.1 or not but I had to reinstall the Toshiba drivers for 8.1 and then the dock started working again.


2. SkyDrive is majorly updated in 8.1. With Windows 8, I ran the desktop app to keep my SkyDrive folder up-to-date. When I logged in after upgrading, I noticed SkyDrive was no longer an app. Again, the entire app was gone. All that was left in the SkyDrive folder in Programs and Drivers was an install file. The reason for the change is the Start Screen version of SkyDrive included in Windows 8.1 now does all the stuff the desktop app used to have to do. To enable the app to keep your files available offline in the SkyDrive folder on This PC (it is no longer called My Computer) launch SkyDrive from the Start Screen, go to settings from the Charms Menu and then enable Offline Files. Now there is no longer a need for the desktop version, although you can install it and duplicate the effort if you want to.


3. The Start Button is back but it just opens the Start Screen. What is nice though is the Windows-X command now has a Shutdown and Restart option on it like the old Start menu had. You can also get this by right clicking on the Start Button.


4. A few other options that are nice:

• You can now make your Windows Desktop wallpaper your Start Screen image. 

• You can now boot directly to your desktop and make the desktop your default go-to as opposed to the Start Screen. 

These options are available by right clicking the taskbar and selecting Properties. Then go to the Navigation Tab and look under Start Screen. 

More to come I’m sure as Windows 8.1 gets closer to the public release on October 18. Although most corporate environments are still running Windows XP and 7 it remains to be seen if Microsoft will continue upgrading on an annual basis and if the gap between the real world and the latest releases continues to grow wider.

Window 8 - Nineteenth Pass: Windows 8.1 Fiasco

Why is it that Microsoft can’t seem to get even the simplest of things right with Windows 8?  First, as I’ve mentioned a few times, they really goofed up Windows 8.  Second, they decide to release Windows 8.1 and capitulate a few things by bringing back the Start Button and allowing you to boot directly to the desktop.  Third, they announce Windows 8.1 is done but won’t let the usual folks have it early, you know, developers and folks like me – you know, like they’ve done with every other OS release in their history.  Fourth, they decide to capitulate on that too and now are going to release all flavors of Windows 8.1 (except RT) to developers and IT Pros before the end of the month.

It remains to be seen if Windows 8.1 will solve any of the issues Windows 8 created.  This whole RTM fiasco certainly isn’t going to help adoption rates and get folks moving away from XP and 7.  It seems as though Microsoft is determined to take the hard road each and every time.  You’d think they’d get tired of going to the school of hard knocks on oh so many issues but each time they announce something they later change and do what everyone hoped they would do in the first place.

Rumor is that later this month they are going to announce the Surface 2.  I wonder how much of that announcement will have to be re-announced once they alienate yet another section of their customer base.  I love my Surface Pro, if the Surface Pro 2 has more power then I may upgrade but with their recent record of accomplishment I’m guessing the Surface Pro 2 will be bigger, heavier, slower, come loaded with Windows 3.1, be on back order for 8-10 weeks, have a 1 hour battery life, and be totally text based with the GUI replaced by a batch file menu system.

Windows 8 - Eighteenth Pass: Is the @Surface Really Built for Business?

One of the most baffling things about the Microsoft Surface Pro is that while the commercials portray the device as a business machine designed for synchronized dancing young professionals who like sound of the keyboard “click” as it attaches to the device the Surface Pro itself is not running a version of Windows 8 designed for the enterprise.

What version of Windows 8 is designed for enterprise users, you ask? Great question. It’s called Microsoft Windows 8 Enterprise. Why it doesn’t come on the Surface Pro…well…baffles me. It is probably a marketing ploy to run the same OS flavor as the device is titled. The Surface Pro runs Windows 8 Pro and while that may be cool and all it isn’t functional and all.

Microsoft probably also didn’t want to have yet another flavor of the Surface. We have the RT version and the Pro version. They may not have wanted and Enterprise version because they wanted to stick with shorter version names. I’d suggest they have a Surface ENT version.

Why all the fuss? Another great question. In our enterprise, we use a Microsoft product called Direct Access. Many enterprises the world over use this feature as it allows you to connect your device to your network for file access and management is if the device was actually on your domain without the need for a VPN client or a physical connection to your network. This is great for remote workers and road warrior as their machine is always on the network and always able to phone home without the need for the user to run VPN or authenticate with any other methods.

Windows 8 Pro, as with Windows 7 Pro, doesn’t include Direct Access nor is there any way to add it to the Pro version. Direct Access is only available in Windows 8/7 Enterprise. This brings us back to our question, why is Microsoft marketing a device for business and enterprise users that lacks this key business and enterprise feature.

The news is not all bad though if your company wants to deploy the Surface and use Direct Access. For a small investment of around 2 hours per device you can manually wipe the device, install Windows 8 Enterprise (there is no upgrade from Windows 8 Pro), and then manually reinstall all of the device drivers. In other words, do all those things that Microsoft should have done for you in the first place.

This means the TCO of the Surface just went up IT shops are going to hate when folks bring them in – otherwise it seems the Surface Pro is a perfect fit for business.

That said, I like mine and use it all the time. I work around the lack of Direct Access by using a VPN client however that is slow and requires me to maintain another piece of software and our network to maintain another service. I’m putting up with it because the form factor and touch screen on the Surface work very well for me. That may not be the case for you.

I hope that Microsoft will see the error of their ways and either release the Surface with Windows 8 Enterprise or release an install option to add Direct Access into Windows 8 Pro, thus avoiding the need to start over again with your new hardware. Did I mention the drivers for the Surface are not all located in one place and you have to download them from other users online who have gone to the effort of consolidating them for you?

After all, they have reversed course on the Start Button so maybe this will change to with the next version of the Surface. This just seems like such a simple thing to get right from the beginning. Then again, I don’t work in an office where we dance around clicking our Surface keyboards on in a synchronized dance with multi-colored touch covers.

Windows 8 - BREAKING: The Start Button is Back

At long last the rumors have been confirmed and the Start Button, among other things, is coming back to Windows.  The next version of Window, called Windows 8.1, will include a Start Button on the desktop as well as the option to boot directly to the desktop bypassing the entire Start Screen.

While this is a huge step towards making Windows 8 work on both touch and non-touch devices they seem to be only going about it half heartedly.  For instance, the Start Button is back but can't be turned off, at least as it stands now.  I'd encourage my friends in Redmond to make the Start Button a user configurable option as to whether it is on or off - further helping Windows 8 serve all types of devices.

Lest you get too excited here, while the Start Button is back Microsoft has said it doesn't work the same as the Start Button and Start Menu do in Windows 7.  It remains to be seen how that specifically will play out.

At least we know it is coming back.  I wonder if any business will also now return to Windows 8 or if Microsoft waiting too long and already burned those bridges by not listening to us in the first place?

Windows 8 - Seventeenth Pass: The @Surface in the Real World

Where I think the Surface shines is in travel. It is great on a plane and fits very well on a tray table even if the person in front of you reclines. It is light and can be used typing on the screen or with the touch cover. The only challenge is using it if your tray table is in the armrest and not on the seat in front of you – for instance sitting at a bulkhead. I found the tray tables there didn’t move out far enough so I was a bit scrunched trying to type and since the Surface is support by the kick stand and not by a hinge to the keyboard like a laptop you can’t really push it any further away. When in this situation I typically just type on the screen.

The brightness of the Surface screen can’t complete with bright sunlight on a beach or in the desert. Even all the way up it is hard to see and at full power really drains your battery. Of course using the Surface in an office environment I turn the brightness down to 25% to save battery and keep my co-workers from seeing what I’m saying about them on Twitter – they can find out with everyone else. In fairness, the iPad also doesn’t do very well in bright sunlight.

I’ve found the battery life to be acceptable although with an active cooling system it isn’t near what it could be or what my iPad is. It lasts on most flights and if it doesn’t last on a long flight, I always have my iDevices to fall back on.

As a result of having an active cooling system the back of the case does get very warm. It is important not to store it in a case unless it is in standby or sleep mode, or just plain off. Otherwise, it can get very hot. I’m hoping in the next release of the device they are able to go to a passive cooling system, which will increase battery life and keep the unit much cooler.

The more I use my Surface the more Windows 8 makes sense. The touch screen is what really sells it however, the majority of folks running Windows 8, or that will be running Windows 8, are not using a touch screen. Even the ribbon in Office makes sense because they are large and easy to tap without having to use the pen or mouse.

Despite that, and I’m sure due to my previous posts on this subject, the rumor mill is very strong that SP1 for Windows is going to bring back the Start Button and allow you to boot directly to the desktop and bypass the Start Screen. This change will make Windows 8 much more capable of fulfilling its dual role as a tablet OS and a desktop OS. It remains to be seen if these rumors come true.

Windows 8 - Sixteenth Pass: Getting used to Using the @Surface

Using the Surface seemed easy enough but there are a few things that take a little getting used to. Like the keyboard.

I purchased the Touch Pro keyboard, the one that has actual keys you can type on as opposed to the soft touch one where the keys are just slightly raised on the cover. I really like it but it did take some getting used to.

First, the layout is different. The Home, End, and Del keys are not where you’d expect them to be and even now, I have to think about where they are. Second, the backspace key isn’t in the top right corner; I’m constantly hitting Del when I am going for Backspace. Third, the touchpad, while nice, isn’t nice and I prefer to use my Bluetooth mouse whenever possible.

The touchpad requires two hands to click and drag and isn’t as tap sensitive as I’d like. It also suffers from the problem that is universal to all touchpads in that if your wrist bumps it your mouse goes places you’d rather it not. I had an old HP laptop many years ago that had a button on the keyboard itself that allowed you to disable the touchpad to avoid wrist bumps. I haven’t seen that on a laptop since.

The other interface feature to get used to is the pen. While the pen is nice, I find that I don’t use it very much at all. Even when using the Surface as a tablet without the keyboard and using the touch screen interface for things I don’t find myself hunting for the pen. Perhaps it’s because I’m used to an iPad, which doesn’t have a pen, but in the case of the Surface, I don’t find it critical to have. Those that draw a lot may want one but for me it isn’t a big deal and the buttons and touch screen apps are large enough that my finger works fine.

The other challenge is where do you store the pen? If you aren’t charging the Surface the pen fits nicely and holds using magnets in the charging port but if you want to charge the Surface and use the pen there is no on board storage and the pen has to be carried, and then probably lost, separately.

A little tip on the pen: to right click press the button on the side and then tap the screen. The button on the side of the pen is the same part that sticks in the charging slot to hold the pen to the side of the Surface.

There is one big drawback to the touch covers, whether the hard one or the soft one – they tend to drop out a lot while in use. Several firmware updates have been released but I’ve noticed the problem continue on mine especially when I’m working on a soft surface, like typing on my lap or in bed. Randomly the touchpad and the keyboard will stop responding. In order to fix it I have to press the Windows key and go back to the start screen. Opening the desktop again usually fixes this. Sometime it happens when I’m working on a hard surface but that’s not as frequent, hopefully due to the firmware updates.

Another fix is to press the keys harder, which makes me wonder about the longevity of their sensitivity. Sometimes that works and sometimes my wife thinks I’m mad at my keyboard.

Windows Blue, or Green, or Periwinkle – Just Tell us Already

Can someone explain to my why Microsoft won’t just come out and say what they plan to do with Windows 8.1, or Windows Blue, or whatever other color they are calling it? I fail to see the benefit of keeping us all in suspense as to whether or not they are going to bring back the start button and allow us to boot straight to the desktop.

It seems to me that Microsoft and their users would benefit from knowing what changes they are going to make so they can plan how they might implement Windows 8 in their IT shops, enterprises, and places of work. One of the biggest holdups seems to be the lack of a start button and difficulty in re-training users. If Microsoft would tell us now those plans could be made and sales of Windows 8 might increase.

The only reason I can come up with to withhold this information is that Microsoft doesn’t know what they plan to do yet. They admit they’ve created a problem, they admit something needs to be done but perhaps this close to the release of Windows Blue (or 8.1 or whatever they’re calling it) they still haven’t made up their minds.

I’d encourage them to make us all happy, allow the user to set the mode they want, announce it quickly, so we can all start planning. Summer is a great time for schools to make upgrades and not telling them until the end of June really jams up their schedules.

Windows 8 - Fifteenth Pass: Setting up the @Surface

Unpacking and setting up my Surface was relatively easy and enjoyable experience. The packaging was well done and the box is worthy of keeping for when the next generation model comes out and you want to pass your current Surface on down the line. It is obvious that Microsoft has learned a few things from other companies that do a great job with packaging.

I also found the packaging to be very durable. I purchased my Surface in Phoenix and didn’t open it until I got home. The box was placed in my checked luggage and flown across the country. It held up well with no signs of wear and tear from airline baggage handlers throwing my suitcase around.

The next step was to setup my account on the Surface and activate it with my Microsoft account, for me that’s an MSN account. I’ll eventually add my Surface to a domain but for now, it just has a local account. This was a bit confusing as I wasn’t sure if I needed to create a local account first and if I did if that would merge with my MSN account or create a duplicate account on my Surface.

Turns out you create your local account and then when you connect it to your Microsoft account it merges them together so you end up with a single, unified account and not multiples or duplicates. Since I already have Windows 8, running on my laptop it didn’t take long before those settings started to populate on my Surface once I connected me new local Surface account with my Microsoft account. Isn’t the cloud great?

Setting up my apps was very easy however; it did not automatically download my apps from my other Windows 8 machine. Rather it listed them in My Apps in the App Store and I had to select the ones I wanted on my Surface. That wasn’t difficult and it’s great that you don’t have to pay for the apps multiple times to use them provided they are all connected through your Microsoft account. Most of my setup challenges came from learning how to navigate the Surface, use the keyboard, and figure out which apps were happening on the touch screen and which apps were happening on the desktop and which apps could do both.

Windows 8 Pro on the Surface activated itself without effort. I would suggest doing that early on in the process otherwise, you get zillions of prompts that are constantly preventing you from continuing and enjoying the setup process.

18,000 Browser Favorites

In my playing around with Windows 8 I found a small issue that can come up if you attempt to sync your IE favorites using both Windows 8 browser sync and iCloud.

My current setup is a Windows 7 PC at work, a Windows 8 laptop, a Windows 8 Surface, an iPhone and an iPad.  Before Windows 8 came along I used iCloud to sync IE favorites between my work PC, laptop, iPhone and iPad.  When I added my Surface Pro I turned on the browser sync through my Microsoft account and I setup iCloud so my pictures would still appear on my Surface and my favorites would come forward.

Turns out if you do this you are setting yourself up for a bit of trouble.  I understand I could just use Chrome everywhere but for various reasons I still use IE for some things.

Apparently the iCloud browser sync causes the Windows 8 sync to keep creating duplicates favorites.  I would end up with Shortcut (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) and so on.  Same would happen to folders.  It didn’t stop until I turned off the Windows 8 browser sync.  Once I did that things went back to normal and I now have me IE favorites on my Surface, laptop, Windows 7 desktop, iPhone and iPad – all through iCloud.

Granted turning off the browser sync means my history and passwords don’t sync with IE but that’s why I use Chrome and that’s better than having 18,000 favorites.

I’ve searched the net and tried to find documentation on this and maybe even a work around but so far I haven’t found anything.  The fix is simple enough but I was hoping for a way where I could have my cake and eat it too.  Since I still use IDevices I still need iCloud but I guess it’s too much to ask that they play nice together.

Window 8 - Fourteenth Pass: The Surface Plunge

After a lot of research I finally took the plunge and purchased a Surface Pro.  As you know I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out the best hardware application that maximizes the touch screen abilities of Windows 8, among other things.

I'm currently in Phoenix and had the opportunity to visit a physical Microsoft store.  The closet real store to me is in Chicago and the store in Indy is just a pop-up store so it only has Microsoft hardware. The benefit to being able to spend time in a physical store is that Microsoft wisely sells their hardware and hardware from other manufacturers.  That's smart as it gave me the chance to play not only with the Surface but with the Asus, Acer, Toshiba, Sony, and Lenovo options I've been exploring.

My biggest concern was RAM as the Surface is limited to only 4gb of RAM while the competition could go up to 8gb of RAM with varying form factors. My other concern, due to the amount of travel I do, was weight.  My goal is to lighten my load and not make my backpack heavier.

A friend at the conference I'm attending pointed out that the majority of the time 4gb of RAM, for what I'm doing will be plenty and if not and paging is required for memory the SSD HD makes it fast enough for most needs.  That helps relieve my fears about wanting more than 4gb of RAM.

The sales guy at the store did a great job with the company line on why the Surface is better.  He used the Apple model, Microsoft owns the hardware from the bottom up so the Surface is the best option as it was built for Windows 8.  Again, that sounds just like Apple and why iOS only runs on Apple hardware.  That does make a bit of sense.

The other factor was weight and the Surface was lighter than most of the other options on the table.  It also had the ability to go completely without the keyboard while other hardware either had the keyboard permanently attached or had a much heavier detachable keyboard.

I opted to go with the Touch keyboard vs. the type cover.  I'm pretty good typing on the glass on my iPad but there is no doubt in my mind that a physical keyboard is faster for me.  I also purchased a case so I can protect the Surface and keyboard while having a single way to carry the device, keyboard, pen, and power adapter.

So now the Beta test begins.  Can I use a dock and replace my desktop and laptop with the Surface Pro?  Can I find a dock that works great with 2 screens?  Can I figure out how to type on the glass because the Surface doesn't lay flat at a short angle like the iPad does for typing on the glass?  With 16 hours of flying ahead of me is the Surface Pro as easy to use as my iPad on a plane?  How does the battery life hold out?

All these questions and more to be answered soon.  Stay tuned and be sure to share your experiences.  If you've already figured something out I don't want to reinvent that wheel.

Window 8 - Thirteenth Pass: Windows To Go

Another creative way to handle the hardware issues I mentioned in my last post is Windows To Go. This basically allows you to place your entire Windows 8 environment on a USB drive and take it with you wherever you go. Regardless of the hardware you are using so long as it has a USB drive you can run Windows 8 with all of your settings and apps booting off the USB port.

It's a pretty cool concept that could help you work around hardware issues as well as take your environment easily between home and work regardless of hardware changes. At the launch event however the demo for Windows To Go failed. Plus I'm sure many network admins will prevent corporate users from taking their entire environment, including apps, home with them for numerous valid and invalid privacy and security reasons.

Regardless the potential is there for this to be very cool. I could keep using my Lenovo T400 with a 250gb SSD HD, 8gb of RAM and run Windows 8 in my work environment while still keeping the local version running that I have now. Granted this doesn't solve any immediate hardware issues or allow me to take advantage of the touch screen options but it does make trying new hardware much easier. I can get a device; take my environment with me from device to device until I find something I like without having to set everything up over and over again.

The future of this is exciting.

Window 8 - Twelfth Pass: New Hardware Options

If you're a regular reading of this blog, and why would you be, please let me know if you are, you know that I have a 6 year old Lenovo ThinkPad T400 laptop. As you also know Windows 8 has been released and presents a whole bunch of new features that are hardware related, like touch screens.

That puts folks like me in a real dilemma when it comes to upgrading hardware. Do I upgrade now with what's presently available or do I wait and see what new hardware options come out over the next few months? The Microsoft Surface is of definite interest to me but it is very limited in growth potential. It is a one-size-fits-all piece of hardware that has no future growth potential. It can't be upgraded, you can't get it with a bigger processor or more RAM, the screen size is set, etc. That may work well for most but I'm trying to find a piece of hardware that is both the best tablet experience out there but also the best laptop experience out there.

Windows 8 is best experienced with a touch screen. The upside of having both a desktop OS and a tablet OS together in a single operating system is that with the right hardware you can use it in any environment. On a plane I exclusively use my iPad. It is small, light, and easy to use no matter what seat I'm in or if the person in front of me is reclined or not. I'm also pretty quick typing on glass so not having a keyboard allows me to enjoy my beverage and keep working with room to spare on my tray table.

This changes when I get to my hotel room or am working at home. There I prefer a regular keyword and mouse. I have much more space on my desk and can get a lot done in a more traditional setting. Doing more complex tasks is simpler having access to traditional desktop style hardware.

Taking advantage of the beauty of everything combined into one in Windows 8 means that if there was a piece of hardware that could do all the above would mean I'd have one less device weighing down my backpack. I'd have a device that had 6-8gb of RAM, a screaming processor, at least 4 USB ports, a keyboard, a tablet screen for portability that detaches from the keyboard, a decent graphics processor, a long life battery, at least a 150gb SSD HD, and very light weight.

It doesn't appear that I'm dreaming. There are some new pieces of hardware that are starting to come out but it seems we are on the beginning of these releases. Again, the Surface is too limiting for what I'm looking for in terms of a full powered laptop replacement that functions as a tablet. While the Windows 8 touch screen options really mess with a typical desktop user in a combo configuration they start to come to life.

Toshiba, Sony, and Lenovo currently have hybrid devices on the market with many more to come. The challenge becomes do I wait or do I buy something now? If I buy now which one is best? I've played with a few of the options and I like what I've seen but I also like what I'm hearing is coming next.

Granted new technology is a moving target. The software part of this has landed, at least for the time being, now to see what the hardware will do.

If you have hardware that you like please comment and let me know what you've got and why you got it. I start to hit the road pretty hard again later next month. Do I buy something out there now or would it be worth it for me to wait until later this spring to get a device that will better meet my needs over the long haul? I can handle a few more months of my heavy T400 and my iPad.

Windows 8 - Eleventh Pass: Start Screen Email vs Desktop Email

One of the challenges with Windows 8 is that many of the same apps we use every day come in two flavors for Windows 8. One is the Start Screen, or old Metro style, that runs on the Surface RT, and the other is a full desktop version of the app.

A few examples include Skype, SkyDrive, and Email. So what’s the difference between apps for the Start Screen and apps for the desktop? Do you need both? What about disk space of running the same app twice on your traditional laptop or desktop?

For starters, there is a big difference. Start Screen apps work on a small cache and prefer to be online. Start Screen apps are also the only apps that can provide notification icons on the Windows 8 lock screen. Those are the little icons below the time and date when the computer is locked. However, these apps are also limited in functionality, as they need to be online and designed for touch screen functionality.

In terms of email, you have the default Start Screen email app and you have Outlook. Outlook is my preferred email client however, Outlook (any version) doesn’t have Live Tile that can update to show you recent messages, Outlook can’t update a lock screen icon with the number of new messages you have, and Outlook can’t provide a fade in/fade out notification on the Start Screen in Windows 8. Outlook can only provide a fade in/fade out notification down above the taskbar if you are in the Windows 8 desktop.

Conversely the Windows 8 Start Screen email app can do all of the above but how much disk space does it take up? My Outlook profile is 3-4 GB and I definitely didn’t want to have two PST files containing the same Outlook profile on my laptop.

The default Start Screen Email app doesn’t take up any disk space. I set it up to access the same Exchange account that Outlook accesses and my disk space didn’t change at all. The reason being the email app works online and doesn’t cache very much. The downside to that being if you aren’t online you won’t see much of your email but the Start Screen email app assumes you are always online via a Wi-Fi or cellular connection on a touch screen type device like the Surface.

So my recommendation is if you have a cloud based email account that you run both the Start Screen Email app and Outlook so you can have the best of all the above worlds. That way you can access your email whether you are online or offline, can take advantage of all the Windows 8 notification mechanisms, have easy access on a traditional piece of hardware, and maximize your access to email if you are using a touch screen only or hybrid device.

Oddly enough, the Start Screen app notices pop up several seconds before any Outlook notices.

Similarly, you may want to run both the desktop version and Start Screen version of Skype and SkyDrive. For example, with SkyDrive, the Start Screen app doesn’t download and store anything. It simply provides you with online access to your SkyDrive files. If you want your files downloaded and updated to the SkyDrive folder on your laptop/desktop then you will also need to run the desktop version of the app.

There are also benefits to running both version of Skype especially as Windows Live Messenger will be retired the first quarter of 2013 according to Microsoft.

In other words, with the variety of hardware types available to run Windows 8 and the various methods of interacting with it you will want to research based on the type of hardware you plan to use what the benefits are to running each type of Windows 8 app. This is all part of the fun when you try to combine too many uses into a single platform.

Windows 8 - Tenth Pass: Driving the Touchscreen

It is obvious that Microsoft plans to drive the touchscreen as being the primary way we interact with a PC in the future, much in the same way we interact with smartphones and tablets now. I agree that it is the future but it isn’t now. Window 8 however is relying on that being the future and those unhappy with not being able to touch the screen of their desktop in their cubicle at work will eventually get over it.

Several times during the launch event, they referred to the start screen as “beautiful” and that it work great with both a touchscreen or with a keyboard and mouse. I found it interesting that during the rest of the demo they didn’t use the keyboard or mouse once, confirming to me that it really isn’t designed for a keyboard and mouse but that if you care to figure it out it will work with a keyboard and mouse. In other words, the intuitive part of it is only for touchscreen-based devices.

Fortunately, for them the second demo did use a keyboard and mouse the entire time. I actually learned a few new keyboard and mouse shortcuts for interacting with the start screen on a non-touch device. While that helps me use Windows 8 on my existing non-touch laptop it does mean I have to remember how to interact with the operating system based on the type of hardware I’m using. Microsoft must think I’m smarter than I really am.

The best part of the start screen demo was when the elephant in the room was finally brought up. The presenter asked if the Start Button worked for people as opposed to the Start Screen. I along with half the room raised my hand. This is what I had been waiting for; tell us why the Start Button was gone forever?

According to Microsoft, the Start Button took too long to use. Think about that for a while and then do some trials comparing how long it takes you to do the same functionality between the Start Button and the Start Screen on a non-touch enabled device. Oh, wait. There it is. A non-touch enabled device. The Start Button is very difficult to use with your fingers and since Windows 8 is all about the touchscreen, you now have your answer, at least according to Microsoft.

As the demo concluded they emphasized that Windows 8 brings work and home together. I look forward to seeing how that pans out. How many work computers will get touchscreens? How many corporate IT shops will allow users to login using personal MSN accounts to access corporate resources and then take those some accounts home? How many supervisors will want users bringing in games from home?

Microsoft admits that the change to start screen is a big change and that there is no legacy mode. They don't admit why.

Windows 8 - Ninth Pass: The Sales Pitch

Last week I attended one of the many official Microsoft launch events for Windows 8. Naturally I arrived with a bunch of questions I wanted to get answered but I was also very interested in how they were going to pitch the various changes I've already discussed here to a room full of several hundred IT Professionals.

If you've wasted any time reading my blog as of late you know I not a big Windows 8 fan, but despite my bias I went in with an open mind to allow them to sway my views. Unfortunately that didn't happen. While I understand the 'why' a bit better I'm still not sold on the 'how'.

It was obvious from the keynote that Microsoft believes that Windows 8 is as much of a game changer as email, the iPhone (they even gave Mr. Jobs a shout out), and even the printing press. They believe they are changing the game in terms of tablets and smartphones now being integrated together for the first time on a single platform - Windows 8. Microsoft is leading with the software of the future as opposed to the software we need today.

I agree with the premise but the implementation is where it fall apart for me. This is a good example of software driving hardware. Windows 8 is designed for the end of the desktop - a future whose ending hasn't been written yet. Microsoft believes the rate of change is going to be fast enough to justify their changes now. I agree the pace is fast but the implementation could have been done in a way that made the changes easier to adopt. From their perspective it is easier to just make the changes and deal with the fall out of user adoption. Speaking of adoption, according to Microsoft it has been low however Windows 8 has only been public for just over a month now.

It was obvious that Microsoft believes they are on the right track with Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. Time will tell.