Desktop diehards will see a present ready for them in Windows eight.one,
the approaching update colloquially dubbed ?°Windows Blue.?± A beautiful,
horrible, oh-so-teasing existing.
In its place, clicking the aged familar button will dump you into the
modern day UI Start out display. While the brand new attribute is noteworthy for
incorporating a valuable visible cue to an operating program rife with concealed
menus, it isn?ˉt just what men and women begging to the return in the Get
started button had been trying to find.
1 much-clamored-for, keyboard- and mouse-friendly element is going to be
making a debut in Windows 8.1, however. The update provides the choice besides
right to the desktop, bypassing the modern UI commence screen wholly. (Actually,
you could boot into various alternate spots, together with the All Applications
perspective.)
Yet another new alternative provides the opportunity to carry your desktop
background more than towards the present day interface, fostering a far more
unified truly feel throughout the OS. If that doesn?ˉt float your boat, new
Start off screen hues and backgrounds can even be readily available, together
with some animated factors. You could also select to utilize a slideshow within
your images in your lock display, in outcome possessing your Personal computer
double like a seriously highly-priced electronic photograph frame when you?ˉre
not actively making use of it.
All of that stated, the vast majority of Home windows 8.1?ˉs enhancements
are made to bolster the modern environment, not the desktop.
By far the most welcome improvement will be the addition of absolutely
customizable Snap views. No longer will you be locked into your two application,
quarter-screen Snap restrictions of Windows eight vanilla. Windows 8.1 adds the
chance to resize Snap apps to any ratio you?ˉd like, and involves a choice to
Snap a few applications side-by-side-by-side. You?ˉll even be capable to get
many scenarios of the application open up and Snapped; Microsoft?ˉs blog site
publish lists two World-wide-web Explorer Home windows for example.
Dislike how that each freshly set up application will get plopped with your
Start off monitor? You won?ˉt at the time Home windows eight.one hits, simply
because that bothersome ?°feature?± goes the way in the dodo. As a substitute,
any apps installed in the Windows Shop will look underneath a different ?°New?±
filter from the All Applications perspective, from which you'll be able to chose
to pin apps into the Get started monitor for those who so need. Yay
self-determination!
Friday, May 31, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Facebook bows to campaign groups over 'hate speech'
Facebook has said it will review how it deals with "controversial, harmful
and hateful" content after admitting current measures are not effective.
The admission follows sustained pressure from campaign groups, advertisers and the media.
An open letter from several feminist groups urged Facebook to ban pages that they said promoted violence.
In a blog post, the social network said: "We need to do better - and we will."
The company said it would begin rolling out changes immediately after it became "clear that our systems to identify and remove hate speech have failed to work as effectively as we would like".
Marne Levine, Facebook's vice president of Global Public Policy, added: "In some cases, content is not being removed as quickly as we want.
"In other cases, content that should be removed has not been or has been evaluated using outdated criteria.
"We have been working over the past several months to improve our systems to respond to reports of violations, but the guidelines used by these systems have failed to capture all the content that violates our standards."
'Doing better'
Facebook has been involved in a number of recent rows over content.
At the beginning of May, it reversed a decision not to remove a video which showed a man being beheaded as it did not break the social network's policy.
Following this most recent outcry, Ms Levine put forward several changes the social network would be making.
She said Facebook would consult lawyers and interest groups to upgrade its guidelines on removing hate speech.
Training of staff will be stepped up, again by working with interest groups to ensure coaching is appropriate.
Facebook also pledged to work to make sure the posters of such material were made to "stand behind the content they create" so that other users could hold them accountable.
Commenting on Ms Levine's blog post, many Facebook users expressed annoyance at the length of time it had taken for the issues to be addressed.
"It took incredible public pressure for you to look at it... you should have had the guts and morals to do it on your own!", wrote one user.
Nissan boycott
Facebook's response comes off the back of a large-scale online campaign from a number of prominent women's rights groups.
They included the Everyday Sexism Project, a site that uses social media to highlight what it sees as casual sexism in the media and other arenas.
In addition to their letter to the social network, the groups also called on advertisers to boycott the site, noting that their advertising appeared alongside user-created pages showing images of violence towards women that were "shared, boasted and joked about".
One petition calling for action closed with 225,049 signatures.
The groups called on Facebook to take three specific actions. They were to:
"Recognize speech that trivializes or glorifies violence against girls and women as hate speech and make a commitment that you will not tolerate this content.
"Effectively train moderators to recognize and remove gender-based hate speech.
"Effectively train moderators to understand how online harassment differently affects women and men, in part due to the real-world pandemic of violence against women."
According to campaigners Women, Action & the Media, one high-profile advertiser, Nissan, said it would withdraw advertising until it could be assured its products would not be displayed on such pages.
Others such as Dove said they were working "aggressively" with Facebook to attempt to solve the problem.
The admission follows sustained pressure from campaign groups, advertisers and the media.
An open letter from several feminist groups urged Facebook to ban pages that they said promoted violence.
In a blog post, the social network said: "We need to do better - and we will."
The company said it would begin rolling out changes immediately after it became "clear that our systems to identify and remove hate speech have failed to work as effectively as we would like".
Marne Levine, Facebook's vice president of Global Public Policy, added: "In some cases, content is not being removed as quickly as we want.
"In other cases, content that should be removed has not been or has been evaluated using outdated criteria.
"We have been working over the past several months to improve our systems to respond to reports of violations, but the guidelines used by these systems have failed to capture all the content that violates our standards."
'Doing better'
Facebook has been involved in a number of recent rows over content.
At the beginning of May, it reversed a decision not to remove a video which showed a man being beheaded as it did not break the social network's policy.
Following this most recent outcry, Ms Levine put forward several changes the social network would be making.
She said Facebook would consult lawyers and interest groups to upgrade its guidelines on removing hate speech.
Training of staff will be stepped up, again by working with interest groups to ensure coaching is appropriate.
Facebook also pledged to work to make sure the posters of such material were made to "stand behind the content they create" so that other users could hold them accountable.
Commenting on Ms Levine's blog post, many Facebook users expressed annoyance at the length of time it had taken for the issues to be addressed.
"It took incredible public pressure for you to look at it... you should have had the guts and morals to do it on your own!", wrote one user.
Nissan boycott
Facebook's response comes off the back of a large-scale online campaign from a number of prominent women's rights groups.
They included the Everyday Sexism Project, a site that uses social media to highlight what it sees as casual sexism in the media and other arenas.
In addition to their letter to the social network, the groups also called on advertisers to boycott the site, noting that their advertising appeared alongside user-created pages showing images of violence towards women that were "shared, boasted and joked about".
One petition calling for action closed with 225,049 signatures.
The groups called on Facebook to take three specific actions. They were to:
"Recognize speech that trivializes or glorifies violence against girls and women as hate speech and make a commitment that you will not tolerate this content.
"Effectively train moderators to recognize and remove gender-based hate speech.
"Effectively train moderators to understand how online harassment differently affects women and men, in part due to the real-world pandemic of violence against women."
According to campaigners Women, Action & the Media, one high-profile advertiser, Nissan, said it would withdraw advertising until it could be assured its products would not be displayed on such pages.
Others such as Dove said they were working "aggressively" with Facebook to attempt to solve the problem.
It almost would seem as though all the time
Say that which you will concerning the capacity of Window eight to deal
with every single variety of pc out there, it may possibly accomplish that
pretty well. Sure there are some matters simpler to do in Home windows eight
over a touch pill, and various responsibilities a lot more all-natural on the
desktop or laptop computer. It truly is crystal clear Microsoft has tried to
deal with just about every person situation possible.
I have grown keen on using my HP Envy x2, and accomplish that to be a touch pill in addition to a laptop computer. In some cases the notebook use is strictly while using the trackpad and also other instances by using the contact monitor. It can be versatile and allows me utilize the manage system which makes probably the most perception for the provided process. I can't consider making use of Windows eight with out a contact screen.
In spite of keeping track of every one of the diverse manage solutions probable to handle all of the user scenarios possible, Home windows eight features a key underbelly that may be a little spooky. This magic formula lifetime is in which Home windows 8 does the entire behind-the-scenes maintenance expected to maintain issues working smoothly. It almost would seem as though all the time I am getting items performed utilizing the system, the method is examining for updates to help keep items working optimally.
There are a minimum of three levels of servicing that I'm mindful of that Home windows 8 is managing in magic formula. The 1st could be the OEM stage, and while that is not technically Home windows 8 it's component on the method operation so it feels the identical.
HP, the maker in the Envy x2, has been intense at updating its system drivers and in addition releasing firmware updates to help keep the hardware doing the job correctly with Windows eight. These can be put in place to only materialize with handbook intervention, but I don't prefer to overlook vital updates like these so I've them come about mechanically over a frequent agenda.
These components updates demand a method reboot to acquire applied, so I dutifully enable the technique to reboot to get everything up-to-date. This typically exposes the concealed underbelly of Home windows eight as about fifty percent enough time a reboot signifies it can be implementing other Windows Updates that were downloaded in magic formula. That is the next stage of maintenance in Windows eight.
You have witnessed the reboot screen in Home windows eight that says it really is configuring updates by using a development indicator. Often these implement rapidly together with other times it would choose a moment or two. The point is Windows eight grabbed the updates with no indication it was occurring, and afterwards sat on them right up until the next procedure reboot.
That would seem to become an affordable method of avert interrupting the consumer, but it looks about fifty percent the reboots I do end up using an sudden application of Windows Updates. That magic formula life of Windows eight looks to get rather active many of the time underneath my do the job classes. It's a bit odd that Windows 8 won't give a sign that an update is occurring inside the qualifications. It isn't a giant offer but can be the courteous point to accomplish.
In some cases I manually go into the Home windows Update place inside the settings to find out what may very well be lurking there. Often it displays a Home windows Defender update is there to be applied quickly at some time later on. Considering the fact that these updates continue to keep my anti-malware up-to-date I often strike the website link to go on and implement them. They only just take some seconds to apply so I do not realize why it absolutely was waiting for quite a while later on to use them. They demand no reboot nor any person action, so why wait around to update just after it is familiar with it has to be finished?
I have grown keen on using my HP Envy x2, and accomplish that to be a touch pill in addition to a laptop computer. In some cases the notebook use is strictly while using the trackpad and also other instances by using the contact monitor. It can be versatile and allows me utilize the manage system which makes probably the most perception for the provided process. I can't consider making use of Windows eight with out a contact screen.
In spite of keeping track of every one of the diverse manage solutions probable to handle all of the user scenarios possible, Home windows eight features a key underbelly that may be a little spooky. This magic formula lifetime is in which Home windows 8 does the entire behind-the-scenes maintenance expected to maintain issues working smoothly. It almost would seem as though all the time I am getting items performed utilizing the system, the method is examining for updates to help keep items working optimally.
There are a minimum of three levels of servicing that I'm mindful of that Home windows 8 is managing in magic formula. The 1st could be the OEM stage, and while that is not technically Home windows 8 it's component on the method operation so it feels the identical.
HP, the maker in the Envy x2, has been intense at updating its system drivers and in addition releasing firmware updates to help keep the hardware doing the job correctly with Windows eight. These can be put in place to only materialize with handbook intervention, but I don't prefer to overlook vital updates like these so I've them come about mechanically over a frequent agenda.
These components updates demand a method reboot to acquire applied, so I dutifully enable the technique to reboot to get everything up-to-date. This typically exposes the concealed underbelly of Home windows eight as about fifty percent enough time a reboot signifies it can be implementing other Windows Updates that were downloaded in magic formula. That is the next stage of maintenance in Windows eight.
You have witnessed the reboot screen in Home windows eight that says it really is configuring updates by using a development indicator. Often these implement rapidly together with other times it would choose a moment or two. The point is Windows eight grabbed the updates with no indication it was occurring, and afterwards sat on them right up until the next procedure reboot.
That would seem to become an affordable method of avert interrupting the consumer, but it looks about fifty percent the reboots I do end up using an sudden application of Windows Updates. That magic formula life of Windows eight looks to get rather active many of the time underneath my do the job classes. It's a bit odd that Windows 8 won't give a sign that an update is occurring inside the qualifications. It isn't a giant offer but can be the courteous point to accomplish.
In some cases I manually go into the Home windows Update place inside the settings to find out what may very well be lurking there. Often it displays a Home windows Defender update is there to be applied quickly at some time later on. Considering the fact that these updates continue to keep my anti-malware up-to-date I often strike the website link to go on and implement them. They only just take some seconds to apply so I do not realize why it absolutely was waiting for quite a while later on to use them. They demand no reboot nor any person action, so why wait around to update just after it is familiar with it has to be finished?
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
And when we could see some 7-inch
I initially received wind of Home windows Blue from my contacts about four
months in the past and possess considering that created a lot of PCMag columns
about the OS update. As I've defined right before, Windows eight.1, as it can be
now officially known as, extends this new touch-based OS to tablets in the 7- to
eleven.4-inch variety. It's also getting used on exactly what are termed
ultramobile laptops, or laptops that particularly use an Intel Atom processor or
a new low-voltage chip from AMD referred to as Temash.
The thrust to add Home windows eight to smaller sized tablets comes as no shock as that is a industry that Microsoft has ignored until eventually now, while tablets from the 7- to 8-inch assortment will characterize as much as 65 % of all tablets marketed worldwide starting this calendar year. That is certainly for the reason that these lesser tablets tend to be cheaper-some promote for under $150 presently and some others are predicted to fall to $129 via the holiday seasons. These scaled-down tablets are obviously being used for written content consumption, not productiveness, but apparently Microsoft also thinks that tablets from the 10.1-inch array may also be media usage equipment and do not cross above to productiveness.
But there's something odd about Microsoft's solution to tablets and Home windows 8.one is noteworthy for the couple of good reasons. First, it might be made use of on lesser tablets. 2nd, when made use of on tablets or laptops that sport Intel's Atom chip or AMD's Temash processor, the OEM rate for Windows eight.1 is about $30 compared with its value on laptops and PCs with additional strong processors where the license payment ranges from $65 to $85 per equipment.
But here is the twist: Microsoft has resolved that on tablets approximately ten.1 inches working Windows 8.1 and employing these lower-end processors from Intel and AMD, it is going to throw Microsoft Business in at no cost. If I'm not mistaken, Business office is efficiency application. Therefore the company seems being stating that tablets as much as 10.1 inches are generally use gadgets, not utilised for productiveness, yet it can be supplying them Workplace free of charge. Go figure! To get reasonable, this most likely has some thing to try and do with acquiring new customers common with Office and seeking to maneuver them to some cloud membership of Place of work sooner or later. Nonetheless, to the surface area it nonetheless seems similar to a peculiar transfer.
As I said over, OEM vendors might get Home windows eight.1 for approximately $30 so long as they use these new low-voltage chips from Intel and AMD and may be executed on screens from seven inches as superior as 13.3 inches. Having said that, these devices are plainly for productivity so Microsoft isn't going to bundle Business office without cost. In the event the OEM suppliers heard they could get Home windows Blue for $30 whenever they utilised Atom or Temash and could apply it to touch screens around 13.3 inches, they jumped with the opportunity to make lessen value ultramobile laptops. Though they understand that creating touch-based laptops inside the $399 to $549 vary is fairly dangerous as it could try to eat to the revenue of more high priced ultrabooks, all OEMs have still embraced this opportunity and can shortly offer you this sort of ultramobile laptops.
These lower-end ultramobile laptops are definitely intended to go soon after the Chromebook industry that's choosing up. The truth is, NPD analysts reported that Chromebooks comprised twenty five % of all laptops marketed in retail underneath $300 last thirty day period. Our contacts at a neighborhood retailer explain to us they get twelve Chromebooks weekly and that these are all sold out in just forty eight hours. Whilst these ultramobiles could be priced at a $200 to $250 quality in excess of Chromebooks, they are doing have full Windows app compatibility and people who definitely have invested in the Home windows atmosphere over the years could discover this added value tolerable. Also be aware that consumers explain to us the highest price they are going to pay out for just a laptop or Computer system is $599.
An rising craze indicates that people favor low-cost laptops. Our investigation proceeds to confirm that consumers can take care of about eighty % in their computing wants over a pill and also the remaining twenty % have to continue to be completed with a laptop or computer. For that reason, when it comes to a new Laptop, they possibly plan to lengthen the lifestyle in their present design or get an inexpensive product being aware of that it is only required for about twenty % of your issues they do, these kinds of as house funds, handling media collections, or other heavy-lifting jobs.
The industry's major concern is these low-cost, touch-based laptops not merely turn out to be wildly preferred, but which they create what we call "the new standard." Which means although we are going to continue to provide laptops previously mentioned $599, the shift in shopper need will raise the volume marketed at decrease selling price factors. The profit margin on these more cost-effective laptops is far smaller than on high priced equipment and if they consider off, they could diminish the need for higher-priced laptops, that have been the bread and butter of the Laptop sector for decades.
Home windows 8.1 will really be a vital version of Windows eight as a result of this massive push with lower-cost, touch-based laptops. I believe they might be a tremendous strike this back-to-school and holiday season. A far more hard concern to reply is whether Home windows eight.1 on smaller tablets will see any demand. It can be up towards iOS and Android, which both have app merchants boasting greater than 800,000 apps. And when we could see some 7-inch Home windows 8.1 tablets as little as $249 through the holiday seasons, Windows-based tablets can have an uphill climb specified the prevailing competitiveness.
The thrust to add Home windows eight to smaller sized tablets comes as no shock as that is a industry that Microsoft has ignored until eventually now, while tablets from the 7- to 8-inch assortment will characterize as much as 65 % of all tablets marketed worldwide starting this calendar year. That is certainly for the reason that these lesser tablets tend to be cheaper-some promote for under $150 presently and some others are predicted to fall to $129 via the holiday seasons. These scaled-down tablets are obviously being used for written content consumption, not productiveness, but apparently Microsoft also thinks that tablets from the 10.1-inch array may also be media usage equipment and do not cross above to productiveness.
But there's something odd about Microsoft's solution to tablets and Home windows 8.one is noteworthy for the couple of good reasons. First, it might be made use of on lesser tablets. 2nd, when made use of on tablets or laptops that sport Intel's Atom chip or AMD's Temash processor, the OEM rate for Windows eight.1 is about $30 compared with its value on laptops and PCs with additional strong processors where the license payment ranges from $65 to $85 per equipment.
But here is the twist: Microsoft has resolved that on tablets approximately ten.1 inches working Windows 8.1 and employing these lower-end processors from Intel and AMD, it is going to throw Microsoft Business in at no cost. If I'm not mistaken, Business office is efficiency application. Therefore the company seems being stating that tablets as much as 10.1 inches are generally use gadgets, not utilised for productiveness, yet it can be supplying them Workplace free of charge. Go figure! To get reasonable, this most likely has some thing to try and do with acquiring new customers common with Office and seeking to maneuver them to some cloud membership of Place of work sooner or later. Nonetheless, to the surface area it nonetheless seems similar to a peculiar transfer.
As I said over, OEM vendors might get Home windows eight.1 for approximately $30 so long as they use these new low-voltage chips from Intel and AMD and may be executed on screens from seven inches as superior as 13.3 inches. Having said that, these devices are plainly for productivity so Microsoft isn't going to bundle Business office without cost. In the event the OEM suppliers heard they could get Home windows Blue for $30 whenever they utilised Atom or Temash and could apply it to touch screens around 13.3 inches, they jumped with the opportunity to make lessen value ultramobile laptops. Though they understand that creating touch-based laptops inside the $399 to $549 vary is fairly dangerous as it could try to eat to the revenue of more high priced ultrabooks, all OEMs have still embraced this opportunity and can shortly offer you this sort of ultramobile laptops.
These lower-end ultramobile laptops are definitely intended to go soon after the Chromebook industry that's choosing up. The truth is, NPD analysts reported that Chromebooks comprised twenty five % of all laptops marketed in retail underneath $300 last thirty day period. Our contacts at a neighborhood retailer explain to us they get twelve Chromebooks weekly and that these are all sold out in just forty eight hours. Whilst these ultramobiles could be priced at a $200 to $250 quality in excess of Chromebooks, they are doing have full Windows app compatibility and people who definitely have invested in the Home windows atmosphere over the years could discover this added value tolerable. Also be aware that consumers explain to us the highest price they are going to pay out for just a laptop or Computer system is $599.
An rising craze indicates that people favor low-cost laptops. Our investigation proceeds to confirm that consumers can take care of about eighty % in their computing wants over a pill and also the remaining twenty % have to continue to be completed with a laptop or computer. For that reason, when it comes to a new Laptop, they possibly plan to lengthen the lifestyle in their present design or get an inexpensive product being aware of that it is only required for about twenty % of your issues they do, these kinds of as house funds, handling media collections, or other heavy-lifting jobs.
The industry's major concern is these low-cost, touch-based laptops not merely turn out to be wildly preferred, but which they create what we call "the new standard." Which means although we are going to continue to provide laptops previously mentioned $599, the shift in shopper need will raise the volume marketed at decrease selling price factors. The profit margin on these more cost-effective laptops is far smaller than on high priced equipment and if they consider off, they could diminish the need for higher-priced laptops, that have been the bread and butter of the Laptop sector for decades.
Home windows 8.1 will really be a vital version of Windows eight as a result of this massive push with lower-cost, touch-based laptops. I believe they might be a tremendous strike this back-to-school and holiday season. A far more hard concern to reply is whether Home windows eight.1 on smaller tablets will see any demand. It can be up towards iOS and Android, which both have app merchants boasting greater than 800,000 apps. And when we could see some 7-inch Home windows 8.1 tablets as little as $249 through the holiday seasons, Windows-based tablets can have an uphill climb specified the prevailing competitiveness.
Monday, May 27, 2013
An emerging trend suggests that folks favor low-cost laptops
I first bought wind of Windows Blue from my contacts about 4 months ago and
possess since penned a lot of PCMag columns about the OS update. As I have
explained prior to, Home windows 8.1, as it truly is now formally named, extends
this new touch-based OS to tablets from the 7- to eleven.4-inch variety. It is
also getting used on exactly what are termed ultramobile laptops, or laptops
that specifically use an Intel Atom processor or perhaps a new low-voltage chip
from AMD called Temash.
The thrust to incorporate Windows 8 to smaller tablets arrives as no shock as this is certainly a market that Microsoft has disregarded right up until now, although tablets while in the 7- to 8-inch array will depict just as much as 65 p.c of all tablets marketed throughout the world beginning this calendar year. That is mainly because these scaled-down tablets are likely to get cheaper-some market for under $150 by now and other people are expected to fall to $129 by the holidays. These lesser tablets are clearly getting used for material intake, not productivity, but evidently Microsoft also thinks that tablets from the 10.1-inch range may also be media use units and don't cross over to productivity.
But there is a little something odd about Microsoft's method to tablets and Home windows eight.one is noteworthy for any couple of factors. 1st, it could be used on smaller tablets. Second, when applied on tablets or laptops that sport Intel's Atom chip or AMD's Temash processor, the OEM price for Home windows 8.1 is about $30 compared with its value on laptops and PCs with extra potent processors in which the license rate ranges from $65 to $85 for each equipment.
But here's the twist: Microsoft has determined that on tablets as much as ten.one inches working Windows 8.1 and working with these lower-end processors from Intel and AMD, it'll toss Microsoft Workplace in free of charge. If I'm not mistaken, Place of work is productivity software package. So the organization appears to become indicating that tablets nearly ten.1 inches are mostly consumption products, not applied for efficiency, but it is actually offering them Place of work at no cost. Go determine! To become fair, this possibly has a little something to accomplish with obtaining new users acquainted with Place of work and attempting to move them to some cloud subscription of Business eventually. However, around the area it continue to appears just like a strange move.
As I said over, OEM vendors can get Windows eight.one for approximately $30 provided that they use these new low-voltage chips from Intel and AMD and may be applied on screens from seven inches as large as thirteen.3 inches. Nonetheless, these machines are evidently for productivity so Microsoft isn't going to bundle Place of work without spending a dime. If the OEM vendors heard which they could get Windows Blue for $30 should they used Atom or Temash and will apply it to contact screens nearly thirteen.three inches, they jumped within the opportunity to make lower expense ultramobile laptops. Though they recognize that creating touch-based laptops inside the $399 to $549 vary is to some degree risky as it could take in to the revenue of additional high-priced ultrabooks, all OEMs have even now embraced this chance and can soon supply these kinds of ultramobile laptops.
These lower-end ultramobile laptops are definitely intended to go following the Chromebook market place that is definitely picking up. In actual fact, NPD analysts reported that Chromebooks comprised twenty five per cent of all laptops marketed in retail less than $300 last thirty day period. Our contacts at a community retailer explain to us they get twelve Chromebooks per week and that they are really all marketed out inside forty eight hrs. Despite the fact that these ultramobiles can be priced at a $200 to $250 premium in excess of Chromebooks, they are doing have entire Home windows app compatibility and people who have invested while in the Windows atmosphere through the years may possibly uncover this added expense tolerable. Also observe that customers convey to us the best value they can pay for a laptop computer or Personal computer is $599.
An emerging trend suggests that folks favor low-cost laptops. Our investigation continues to substantiate that consumers can cope with about 80 % of their computing requires over a pill as well as remaining 20 percent have to nonetheless be done on the laptop. As a result, when considering a whole new Computer, they both choose to prolong the lifestyle of their present design or obtain an inexpensive model figuring out that it's only necessary for about twenty % of your things they are doing, this sort of as home finances, running media collections, or other heavy-lifting responsibilities.
The industry's greatest concern is the fact that these low-cost, touch-based laptops not simply turn out to be wildly common, but that they set up what we get in touch with "the new typical." Therefore though we're going to continue to sell laptops higher than $599, the shift in purchaser demand from customers will improve the volume sold at lower cost details. The financial gain margin on these more cost-effective laptops is way lesser than on high priced devices and if they consider off, they might diminish the demand for higher-priced laptops, that have been the bread and butter of your Pc industry for many years.
Home windows 8.1 will essentially be a vital variation of Home windows 8 as a result of this massive push with lower-cost, touch-based laptops. I feel which they might be a massive hit this back-to-school and holiday getaway period. A more challenging query to reply is whether Home windows eight.one on modest tablets will discover any need. It is up from iOS and Android, which equally have app stores boasting much more than 800,000 applications. And although we could see some 7-inch Home windows eight.1 tablets as low as $249 because of the holiday seasons, Windows-based tablets can have an uphill climb given the present competitors.
The thrust to incorporate Windows 8 to smaller tablets arrives as no shock as this is certainly a market that Microsoft has disregarded right up until now, although tablets while in the 7- to 8-inch array will depict just as much as 65 p.c of all tablets marketed throughout the world beginning this calendar year. That is mainly because these scaled-down tablets are likely to get cheaper-some market for under $150 by now and other people are expected to fall to $129 by the holidays. These lesser tablets are clearly getting used for material intake, not productivity, but evidently Microsoft also thinks that tablets from the 10.1-inch range may also be media use units and don't cross over to productivity.
But there is a little something odd about Microsoft's method to tablets and Home windows eight.one is noteworthy for any couple of factors. 1st, it could be used on smaller tablets. Second, when applied on tablets or laptops that sport Intel's Atom chip or AMD's Temash processor, the OEM price for Home windows 8.1 is about $30 compared with its value on laptops and PCs with extra potent processors in which the license rate ranges from $65 to $85 for each equipment.
But here's the twist: Microsoft has determined that on tablets as much as ten.one inches working Windows 8.1 and working with these lower-end processors from Intel and AMD, it'll toss Microsoft Workplace in free of charge. If I'm not mistaken, Place of work is productivity software package. So the organization appears to become indicating that tablets nearly ten.1 inches are mostly consumption products, not applied for efficiency, but it is actually offering them Place of work at no cost. Go determine! To become fair, this possibly has a little something to accomplish with obtaining new users acquainted with Place of work and attempting to move them to some cloud subscription of Business eventually. However, around the area it continue to appears just like a strange move.
As I said over, OEM vendors can get Windows eight.one for approximately $30 provided that they use these new low-voltage chips from Intel and AMD and may be applied on screens from seven inches as large as thirteen.3 inches. Nonetheless, these machines are evidently for productivity so Microsoft isn't going to bundle Place of work without spending a dime. If the OEM vendors heard which they could get Windows Blue for $30 should they used Atom or Temash and will apply it to contact screens nearly thirteen.three inches, they jumped within the opportunity to make lower expense ultramobile laptops. Though they recognize that creating touch-based laptops inside the $399 to $549 vary is to some degree risky as it could take in to the revenue of additional high-priced ultrabooks, all OEMs have even now embraced this chance and can soon supply these kinds of ultramobile laptops.
These lower-end ultramobile laptops are definitely intended to go following the Chromebook market place that is definitely picking up. In actual fact, NPD analysts reported that Chromebooks comprised twenty five per cent of all laptops marketed in retail less than $300 last thirty day period. Our contacts at a community retailer explain to us they get twelve Chromebooks per week and that they are really all marketed out inside forty eight hrs. Despite the fact that these ultramobiles can be priced at a $200 to $250 premium in excess of Chromebooks, they are doing have entire Home windows app compatibility and people who have invested while in the Windows atmosphere through the years may possibly uncover this added expense tolerable. Also observe that customers convey to us the best value they can pay for a laptop computer or Personal computer is $599.
An emerging trend suggests that folks favor low-cost laptops. Our investigation continues to substantiate that consumers can cope with about 80 % of their computing requires over a pill as well as remaining 20 percent have to nonetheless be done on the laptop. As a result, when considering a whole new Computer, they both choose to prolong the lifestyle of their present design or obtain an inexpensive model figuring out that it's only necessary for about twenty % of your things they are doing, this sort of as home finances, running media collections, or other heavy-lifting responsibilities.
The industry's greatest concern is the fact that these low-cost, touch-based laptops not simply turn out to be wildly common, but that they set up what we get in touch with "the new typical." Therefore though we're going to continue to sell laptops higher than $599, the shift in purchaser demand from customers will improve the volume sold at lower cost details. The financial gain margin on these more cost-effective laptops is way lesser than on high priced devices and if they consider off, they might diminish the demand for higher-priced laptops, that have been the bread and butter of your Pc industry for many years.
Home windows 8.1 will essentially be a vital variation of Home windows 8 as a result of this massive push with lower-cost, touch-based laptops. I feel which they might be a massive hit this back-to-school and holiday getaway period. A more challenging query to reply is whether Home windows eight.one on modest tablets will discover any need. It is up from iOS and Android, which equally have app stores boasting much more than 800,000 applications. And although we could see some 7-inch Home windows eight.1 tablets as low as $249 because of the holiday seasons, Windows-based tablets can have an uphill climb given the present competitors.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Seen and heard in Cannes
"During the love scenes I was ill at ease with my father being there, but
at the same time I wanted him to be there. And I knew that he would probably
have a very good reaction because it's all a question of intelligence and he's
intelligent and therefore would understand," said Exarchopoulos.
She added:
"During the sex scene I was looking at him, like, 'Oh my god, how does he feel' because I don't want to make him uncomfortable, you know?" the 19-year-old said in an interview. "I think I was trying to take a certain distance from what was happening during the love scenes."
In the film, Exarchopoulos stars as 15-year-old Adele. She's heterosexual, but after meeting co-star Lea Seydoux's Emma, falls in love and begins to struggle with her sexuality.
Exarchopoulos said she and Seydoux shared nervous giggles before filming the intimate scenes, but that's it.
"It really developed, there was no choreography at all. We tried to put ourselves in the situation, and it helped in a way that I was new to the situation because my character is new to the situation as well," she said. "So it was alright that I was destabilized. Lea was leading me and I was kind of following in the flow. But I must say it was a strong thing to play."
This is one of two films Seydoux is promoting at this year's festival. The other, "Grand Central," from director Rebecca Zlotowski, is showing in the Un Certain Regard category.
The actress, who cut her hair and dyed it blue for "Adele," said she liked the challenge of her role.
"I really enjoyed playing this part, this tomboy even if it was very difficult sometimes. I like to play parts that are complex, and I like ambiguity and I like contradictions as well, she's like, I like to really give something very subtle," she said.
—Reetu Rupal, http://www.twitter.com/r2today
LI YU CHUN IS BREAKING THE MOLD
Li Yu Chun doesn't exactly mesh with the image of most starlets who walk on the red carpets at the Cannes Film Festival.
Instead of flowing gowns, the Chinese singer has worn dramatic capes that accompany striking pantsuits. And while many female celebrities sport cascading locks, Chun has her hair cut short, pixie style.
"A lot of people are asking me 'Why aren't you wearing a long dress like a princess?'" said Chun, who came to the festival as a representative of the cosmetics brand L'Oreal. "I have another personality and that is why I have to show my own personality with the suits that fit me. That is why I love to work with L'Oreal because they have given me self-confidence."
Chun, who is known for her boyish, androgynous looks, said she was surprised to be chosen as a L'Oreal ambassador since she represents a different look than some of their other representatives at the festival, like Freida Pinto, Julianne Moore, Aishwarya Rai and Eva Longoria.
"Usually they choose girls with long hair and big waves in her hair and that is not exactly my image," she laughed. "That is why I was surprised but happily surprised."
Chun shot to fame when she won "Chinese Best Voices," that country's version of "American Idol. She said she was excited to be in Cannes for the festivities, but was also getting some work done as well.
"I am also participating in their meetings to discuss about how to represent and how to organize promoting events," the 29-year-old said. "They are organizing a lot of activities for me too and this is why I find it very very exciting."
— Sian Watson, http://www.twitter.com/sianwatson
'JIMMY P' ROLES WERE MADE FOR DEL TORO AND AMALRIC — LITERALLY
For director Arnaud Desplechin, it was either Benicio Del Toro and Mathieu Amalric for "Jimmy P" or no movie.
"I thought if I can't have them, I won't do the film," he said in an interview this week.
Luckily for him, both Benicio Del Toro and Mathieu Amalric said yes to the project.
In "Jimmy P (Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian)," Amalric plays real-life French analyst Georges Devereux, who moved to the United States in the 1930s. He spent time living with Mojave Indians and helped develop the field of ethno-psychiatry, which studies the ways mental illness is understood in different cultural contexts.
Del Toro is his patient Jimmy Picard, who returned from World War II in France with a head injury and debilitating psychological symptoms his doctors were unable to diagnose.
Desplechin said it's the first time he's written a film with actors already in mind.
"I was so nervous when I started it because it was quite difficult to produce because the film is half French, half American, so it was quite tricky," he said. "So before writing it I was thinking who could play in that? I wrote it really for Benicio and Mathieu, they were the two guys."
She added:
"During the sex scene I was looking at him, like, 'Oh my god, how does he feel' because I don't want to make him uncomfortable, you know?" the 19-year-old said in an interview. "I think I was trying to take a certain distance from what was happening during the love scenes."
In the film, Exarchopoulos stars as 15-year-old Adele. She's heterosexual, but after meeting co-star Lea Seydoux's Emma, falls in love and begins to struggle with her sexuality.
Exarchopoulos said she and Seydoux shared nervous giggles before filming the intimate scenes, but that's it.
"It really developed, there was no choreography at all. We tried to put ourselves in the situation, and it helped in a way that I was new to the situation because my character is new to the situation as well," she said. "So it was alright that I was destabilized. Lea was leading me and I was kind of following in the flow. But I must say it was a strong thing to play."
This is one of two films Seydoux is promoting at this year's festival. The other, "Grand Central," from director Rebecca Zlotowski, is showing in the Un Certain Regard category.
The actress, who cut her hair and dyed it blue for "Adele," said she liked the challenge of her role.
"I really enjoyed playing this part, this tomboy even if it was very difficult sometimes. I like to play parts that are complex, and I like ambiguity and I like contradictions as well, she's like, I like to really give something very subtle," she said.
—Reetu Rupal, http://www.twitter.com/r2today
LI YU CHUN IS BREAKING THE MOLD
Li Yu Chun doesn't exactly mesh with the image of most starlets who walk on the red carpets at the Cannes Film Festival.
Instead of flowing gowns, the Chinese singer has worn dramatic capes that accompany striking pantsuits. And while many female celebrities sport cascading locks, Chun has her hair cut short, pixie style.
"A lot of people are asking me 'Why aren't you wearing a long dress like a princess?'" said Chun, who came to the festival as a representative of the cosmetics brand L'Oreal. "I have another personality and that is why I have to show my own personality with the suits that fit me. That is why I love to work with L'Oreal because they have given me self-confidence."
Chun, who is known for her boyish, androgynous looks, said she was surprised to be chosen as a L'Oreal ambassador since she represents a different look than some of their other representatives at the festival, like Freida Pinto, Julianne Moore, Aishwarya Rai and Eva Longoria.
"Usually they choose girls with long hair and big waves in her hair and that is not exactly my image," she laughed. "That is why I was surprised but happily surprised."
Chun shot to fame when she won "Chinese Best Voices," that country's version of "American Idol. She said she was excited to be in Cannes for the festivities, but was also getting some work done as well.
"I am also participating in their meetings to discuss about how to represent and how to organize promoting events," the 29-year-old said. "They are organizing a lot of activities for me too and this is why I find it very very exciting."
— Sian Watson, http://www.twitter.com/sianwatson
'JIMMY P' ROLES WERE MADE FOR DEL TORO AND AMALRIC — LITERALLY
For director Arnaud Desplechin, it was either Benicio Del Toro and Mathieu Amalric for "Jimmy P" or no movie.
"I thought if I can't have them, I won't do the film," he said in an interview this week.
Luckily for him, both Benicio Del Toro and Mathieu Amalric said yes to the project.
In "Jimmy P (Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian)," Amalric plays real-life French analyst Georges Devereux, who moved to the United States in the 1930s. He spent time living with Mojave Indians and helped develop the field of ethno-psychiatry, which studies the ways mental illness is understood in different cultural contexts.
Del Toro is his patient Jimmy Picard, who returned from World War II in France with a head injury and debilitating psychological symptoms his doctors were unable to diagnose.
Desplechin said it's the first time he's written a film with actors already in mind.
"I was so nervous when I started it because it was quite difficult to produce because the film is half French, half American, so it was quite tricky," he said. "So before writing it I was thinking who could play in that? I wrote it really for Benicio and Mathieu, they were the two guys."
Google has declined to help Home windows Mobile
This thirty day period, Home windows Cellphone customers ultimately been
given Microsoft’s YouTube shopper for their handset. Made by Redmond, just after
Google declined to help their cell platform, the shopper has currently sparked a
war of words (and legal letters) concerning the 2 tech firms. The saga from the
WP YouTube customer is much from over, but it surely highlights two crucial
places - Microsoft suggests business enterprise with Windows Cell phone, and
YouTube is starting to become as pervasive as a utility organization.
Up-to-date while in the to start with week of Might, Microsoft’s YouTube customer ceased being an icon that opened up a cell website and have become a complete application on any Home windows Cellular phone handset, such as assistance for Kid’s Corner by restricting access to age limited films; pinning channels, playlists and movies; and downloading video clips for offline viewing.
By which include an option to down load video clips to the handset, and not displaying any in-app marketing, Microsoft was provoking response from Google (every one of the time with the solution of ‘we’d enjoy to incorporate these, but we do not hold the API’). That response duly came, a large, juicy stop and desist letter (with the request to make use of the trapdoor within the Windows Cell phone Retailer to remotely delete all copies of your application).
And identical to that, following a metaphorical round of corporate ‘who’s is bigger’, the two firms are sitting down spherical the desk, and it seems like Windows Cellphone customers will have a decent and official YouTube shopper just after all.
It as soon as had an excellent third-party version known as Metrotube, but any one supporting that app will realise that it was frequently attempting to find methods towards the not enough APIs from Google, and at one particular place withdrew by itself from your Windows Telephone Retailer simply because it was just too challenging to maintain up with all the adjustments. It’s back again now, and buyers keep on to love the app. But there was generally demand for anything extra formal.
The posturing from each Microsoft and Google illustrates just how critical online online video is usually to a cell system, as well as de facto leader on this industry is obviously YouTube. By delivering consumers for just a quantity of cell platforms in their option, but only an HTML5 cell variation of the internet site for Windows Telephone buyers, Google should be cautious of an anti-trust motion given the dominance YouTube has within the market place.
Google has declined to help Home windows Mobile phone with applications, pointing to your decrease market place share with the system, as well as their HTML5 choices that suggest the information might be partially accessed throughout the cell internet browser. So Microsoft has formulated this consumer applying their resources, but without permission to entry the indigenous APIs, they’re having to force the issue that may advantage the people, but it also bolsters the Windows Mobile phone system and offers it parity with all the handsets upcoming to it within the High Road.
There’s nonetheless going being many give and choose involving the companies (the download selection has presently been taken out), and a few of that could be played out in public, nevertheless the phase is about. Microsoft is going intense with Windows Cell phone; and Google has to treat the YouTube being a utility that should be out there to everyone on the net, not as their own individual walled back garden where by they could determine entry rights over a system by platform foundation.
Up-to-date while in the to start with week of Might, Microsoft’s YouTube customer ceased being an icon that opened up a cell website and have become a complete application on any Home windows Cellular phone handset, such as assistance for Kid’s Corner by restricting access to age limited films; pinning channels, playlists and movies; and downloading video clips for offline viewing.
By which include an option to down load video clips to the handset, and not displaying any in-app marketing, Microsoft was provoking response from Google (every one of the time with the solution of ‘we’d enjoy to incorporate these, but we do not hold the API’). That response duly came, a large, juicy stop and desist letter (with the request to make use of the trapdoor within the Windows Cell phone Retailer to remotely delete all copies of your application).
And identical to that, following a metaphorical round of corporate ‘who’s is bigger’, the two firms are sitting down spherical the desk, and it seems like Windows Cellphone customers will have a decent and official YouTube shopper just after all.
It as soon as had an excellent third-party version known as Metrotube, but any one supporting that app will realise that it was frequently attempting to find methods towards the not enough APIs from Google, and at one particular place withdrew by itself from your Windows Telephone Retailer simply because it was just too challenging to maintain up with all the adjustments. It’s back again now, and buyers keep on to love the app. But there was generally demand for anything extra formal.
The posturing from each Microsoft and Google illustrates just how critical online online video is usually to a cell system, as well as de facto leader on this industry is obviously YouTube. By delivering consumers for just a quantity of cell platforms in their option, but only an HTML5 cell variation of the internet site for Windows Telephone buyers, Google should be cautious of an anti-trust motion given the dominance YouTube has within the market place.
Google has declined to help Home windows Mobile phone with applications, pointing to your decrease market place share with the system, as well as their HTML5 choices that suggest the information might be partially accessed throughout the cell internet browser. So Microsoft has formulated this consumer applying their resources, but without permission to entry the indigenous APIs, they’re having to force the issue that may advantage the people, but it also bolsters the Windows Mobile phone system and offers it parity with all the handsets upcoming to it within the High Road.
There’s nonetheless going being many give and choose involving the companies (the download selection has presently been taken out), and a few of that could be played out in public, nevertheless the phase is about. Microsoft is going intense with Windows Cell phone; and Google has to treat the YouTube being a utility that should be out there to everyone on the net, not as their own individual walled back garden where by they could determine entry rights over a system by platform foundation.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Google, Microsoft To End App Dispute; Will Work Together to Develop YouTube App For Windows Phone
Google announced that it would work with Microsoft in the development
of a new YouTube app, which will comply with the YouTube's API terms
and conditions and include ads in the future.
The news comes just a week after Google sent Microsoft a cease and desist letter demanding it remove the YouTube app from the Windows Phone Store. Google's decision followed an update from Microsoft for the Windows Phone YouTube app, which excluded advertisements and was not authorized by Google. The updated app did not show any ads and allowed users to download content from within the app.
Microsoft did not want to end its partnership with Google over an app, hence, it agreed to comply with YouTube's API terms of service and include ads in the future. But during the development phase, Windows Phone YouTube app will be reverted back to its older version, Google and Microsoft said in a joint statement.
"Microsoft and YouTube are working together to update the new YouTube for Windows Phone app to enable compliance with YouTube's API terms of service, including enabling ads, in the coming weeks," read the statement, according to the Verge. "Microsoft will replace the existing YouTube app in Windows Phone Store with the previous version during this time."
Microsoft had earlier shown concern about losing its partnership with Google over an "unauthorized app" as described by Google. But the two companies seem to have sorted their differences and decided to finally stand on a common ground. This will give users a new YouTube app in the coming weeks.
The news comes just a week after Google sent Microsoft a cease and desist letter demanding it remove the YouTube app from the Windows Phone Store. Google's decision followed an update from Microsoft for the Windows Phone YouTube app, which excluded advertisements and was not authorized by Google. The updated app did not show any ads and allowed users to download content from within the app.
Microsoft did not want to end its partnership with Google over an app, hence, it agreed to comply with YouTube's API terms of service and include ads in the future. But during the development phase, Windows Phone YouTube app will be reverted back to its older version, Google and Microsoft said in a joint statement.
"Microsoft and YouTube are working together to update the new YouTube for Windows Phone app to enable compliance with YouTube's API terms of service, including enabling ads, in the coming weeks," read the statement, according to the Verge. "Microsoft will replace the existing YouTube app in Windows Phone Store with the previous version during this time."
Microsoft had earlier shown concern about losing its partnership with Google over an "unauthorized app" as described by Google. But the two companies seem to have sorted their differences and decided to finally stand on a common ground. This will give users a new YouTube app in the coming weeks.
An HTC One without Sense is not an HTC One
The rumors and speculation makes it sound like a Google Edition HTC One is
a sure thing, but I have to agree with ZDNet colleague Ben Woods when he writes
it is a Sense-less plan and don't think people really understand what they will
be missing. Let's take a deeper look at what you won't likely get on an HTC One
without Sense 5.
Looking at the HTC One and features we find related directly to Sense, here is what you may lose with a Google Edition HTC One:
Video Highlights: I am still impressed by the way my HTC One creates dynamic 30-second video highlights from images, video, and Zoes that I capture. My family and friends enjoy these videos and this feature is one of the main reasons I keep using the HTC One.
Zoe: A Zoe is a 3-second video with 20 still images also captured that lets you capture more of the moment than just a single still image. They work well in Video Highlights and are fun to share with people.
BlinkFeed: I honestly thought I would go to the standard Android home screen and bypass using BlinkFeed on my own HTC One. However, I find it extremely useful and my experiences validate HTC's studies that showed people do like to snack on bits of information.
BoomSound: I have yet to find a smartphone with such great integrated speakers and if you are a heavy sleeper you will always wake to a BoomSound alarm. Thankfully, HTC gives you separate controls for the volume levels on ringtones & notifications, alarms, and music.
HTC Car: I received a free HTC One Car Kit with my One purchased on T-Mobile and it works with the HTC Car utility that is provided as part of the HTC experience.
Mail and Notes: As an Exchange user, I always preferred HTC Sense devices for a better email experience and the HTC One with Sense provides this compared to the limited vanilla Google client. Notes integrates with Evernote and lets you record audio in sync with text notes.
Sense TV and IR remote: HTC includes their Sense TV utility that works with the top IR port to control devices and provide you with the ability to see your favorites and upcoming shows right in your BlinkFeed.
Phone dialer: I previously wrote about some features on the HTC Onethat remind me of Windows Phone and the phone dialer is one that goes beyond what Google provides in Android. You can easily contact your favorite people, view recent communications, view their recent photo galleris, and view their latest status updates for a pretty amazing people-centric experience.
Sense Voice: There are advanced dual microphones in the HTC One that work to manage in-call voice and I can confirm that my voice calls over th past month have been excellent.
Now, with the loss of most, if not all, of those features what makes the device compelling? The hardware is fantastic and every review I have read has stated that, but is the hardware alone sufficient to justify the device? For some, yes, but I still argue that the One is a much better device loaded with Sense. I would personally like to see HTC focused on an HTC One Sense update that includes more Highlight Video themes, Zoe storage management update, and other fixes related to the One we already purchased.
I have had many pure Google Nexus devices and in the past I preferred that experience for the speed, updates, and interface. Over the last year though, I have been very satisfied with stock devices and haven't hacked my Galaxy Note II or HTC One. Google vastly improved the operating system with Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean and folks like Samsung, LG, and HTC have added value to Android devices.
You can always buy a Nexus or even hack up your device to get an Android experience. Samsung will be rolling out a TouchWiz-free S4, again losing many of the software enhancements that set that device apart, and I have to imagine only the serious die-hard Android user is going to pay the full $650 price for one. Ben points out that the likely market for a full price HTC One that loses most of the cool features will be small and I completely agree.
Looking at the HTC One and features we find related directly to Sense, here is what you may lose with a Google Edition HTC One:
Video Highlights: I am still impressed by the way my HTC One creates dynamic 30-second video highlights from images, video, and Zoes that I capture. My family and friends enjoy these videos and this feature is one of the main reasons I keep using the HTC One.
Zoe: A Zoe is a 3-second video with 20 still images also captured that lets you capture more of the moment than just a single still image. They work well in Video Highlights and are fun to share with people.
BlinkFeed: I honestly thought I would go to the standard Android home screen and bypass using BlinkFeed on my own HTC One. However, I find it extremely useful and my experiences validate HTC's studies that showed people do like to snack on bits of information.
BoomSound: I have yet to find a smartphone with such great integrated speakers and if you are a heavy sleeper you will always wake to a BoomSound alarm. Thankfully, HTC gives you separate controls for the volume levels on ringtones & notifications, alarms, and music.
HTC Car: I received a free HTC One Car Kit with my One purchased on T-Mobile and it works with the HTC Car utility that is provided as part of the HTC experience.
Mail and Notes: As an Exchange user, I always preferred HTC Sense devices for a better email experience and the HTC One with Sense provides this compared to the limited vanilla Google client. Notes integrates with Evernote and lets you record audio in sync with text notes.
Sense TV and IR remote: HTC includes their Sense TV utility that works with the top IR port to control devices and provide you with the ability to see your favorites and upcoming shows right in your BlinkFeed.
Phone dialer: I previously wrote about some features on the HTC Onethat remind me of Windows Phone and the phone dialer is one that goes beyond what Google provides in Android. You can easily contact your favorite people, view recent communications, view their recent photo galleris, and view their latest status updates for a pretty amazing people-centric experience.
Sense Voice: There are advanced dual microphones in the HTC One that work to manage in-call voice and I can confirm that my voice calls over th past month have been excellent.
Now, with the loss of most, if not all, of those features what makes the device compelling? The hardware is fantastic and every review I have read has stated that, but is the hardware alone sufficient to justify the device? For some, yes, but I still argue that the One is a much better device loaded with Sense. I would personally like to see HTC focused on an HTC One Sense update that includes more Highlight Video themes, Zoe storage management update, and other fixes related to the One we already purchased.
I have had many pure Google Nexus devices and in the past I preferred that experience for the speed, updates, and interface. Over the last year though, I have been very satisfied with stock devices and haven't hacked my Galaxy Note II or HTC One. Google vastly improved the operating system with Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean and folks like Samsung, LG, and HTC have added value to Android devices.
You can always buy a Nexus or even hack up your device to get an Android experience. Samsung will be rolling out a TouchWiz-free S4, again losing many of the software enhancements that set that device apart, and I have to imagine only the serious die-hard Android user is going to pay the full $650 price for one. Ben points out that the likely market for a full price HTC One that loses most of the cool features will be small and I completely agree.
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