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Toshiba Announces Tablets with Windows 8.1

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Tablets with Windows 8.1The great thing about Toshiba is that it can do both low-price gadgets and premium products really well. For example, the Toshiba Satellite P55T Laptop with a 4K Display is stunning. Hold on to your horses though, because Toshiba has done it again, this time in the low-price range. It just announced three tablets, one running Android and two tablets with Windows 8.1.

Toshiba Tablets with Windows 8.1

Running Windows 8.1 on tablets is a new thing for Toshiba, the company being a big Android lover. Just today, Toshiba announced that it was going to introduce three new tablets on the autumn lineup: two Windows 8.1 tablets (with 8 inch and 10 inch screens) and one Android tablet (7 inch screen). All three tablets are in the low-price range and should hit the market as early as July.

Toshiba Encore 2 with Windows 8.1

Both the 8 inch and the 10 inch tablet are powered by an Intel quad-core processor. The 8 inch Encore 2 has 1 GB of RAM memory, 32 GB of internal storage and will cost $199. The 10 inch model has the same 1 GB of memory, the same 32 GB of internal storage and it will cost $269. This is quite a feat for Toshiba, considering that their original Encore had an 8 inch screen and it cost $329.

The 10 inch Encore 2 will have a micro HDMI port, but the 8 inch model will not. Aside from that, the two products are very much identical. They’ll both have IPS displays with a resolution of 1280×800 pixels. They both have front and rear cameras with the same specifications: the front will be a 1.2 MP, 720p and the back, a 5 MP, 1080p. Both will have 802.11n Wi-Fi adapters with Bluetooth 4.0 and stereo speakers.

The 8 inch Encore 2 will weigh 0.81 pounds and the larger; the 10 inch model will weigh 1.2 pounds. The cool thing about the larger model is that it will be thinner (0.35 inches) than the 8 inch one, which is 0.38 inches.

Toshiba Excite Go with Android

Just as the other two Encore 2 tablets, the Excite Go is powered by an Intel quad-core Z2735F processor. It has a 1 GB of RAM memory and 8 GB of internal storage. If you want to expand the internal memory, you can do so with the help of a MicrSD card. The Excite Go will cost $100 dollars.

What are your thoughts on these tablets with Windows 8.1? Which one would you buy out of the three? Do you think it is a smart move on Toshiba’s behalf to run Windows on its tablets? Leave us a line in a comment section below.

Do you fear the Consequences of Not Installing Windows 8.1 Update 1?

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windows 8.1 update Microsoft is quite keen on getting back in the game and proving everybody that it is still a tech giant that doesn’t sleep anymore, but also is here to run the world one more time. Do you remember the wave of almost daily news coming from Microsoft earlier this month? The reveal of the Microsoft Office suite adapted to iOS and soon Android, all sorts of free Windows licenses for small devices, the Windows Phone and its apps, the promise of the return of the Jedi (just kidding, it was about the return of the Start functions before the future Windows 9 and the reveal of Cortana, Microsoft’s own challenger for Siri), they all promised a new future for Microsoft and Microsoft users, all managed by the busy hands of the company’s CEO.

And then, something went slightly wrong: users won’t get any Windows XP updates, a piece of news that threw the world on the brinks of desperation, as as we all know, the most likely ones to be affected by this halt in Windows XP updates are and will be the small and big business alike, the ones who work in providing infrastructure services for the population (electricity, water and gas companies for instance) and the few users who are still using the XP for one reason or another.

But in its race to prove itself, Microsoft also launched an upsetting information some days back, stating that

next month’s security updates (on May 13th, the next ‘Patch Tuesday’) will be dependent on Windows 8.1 Update.

Basically they say that if you don’t install the Windows 8.1 Update 1, after the date of May 13th, you won’t get any security updates anymore. Does it feel like your hand is being forced here? Are you troubled by the consequences of not installing Windows 8.1 Update 1? Since the news were released, experts consider this a bad move from Microsoft’s part and one that will have terrible effects not on mainstream users per se, as they can install Update 1, but for the same ones affected by the Windows XP abandoning: businesses, infrastructure companies and all sorts of industry managers who will face the possibility of their systems being hacked and important data getting stolen or misused by cyber criminals. Add this to the mass hysteria that has been going on this month once the Heartbleed bug has been discovered and the two cyber attacks being performed swiftly, and you have a clear picture on why it is a bad moment and a bad decision from Microsoft to not give users enough time to update.

While May 13th is not far away, let’s keep our eyes and ears open to the consequences of not installing Windows 8.1 Update 1 in the immediate future.

Asus Rumored to be Developing 8 Inch Windows 8.1 Tablet Based on Intel bay Trail Chip

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Asus could well be the next company to come up with an 8 inch tablet running Windows 8.1 with an Intel chip at its core. This if true will make Asus the newest entrant to the league of companies comprising of the likes of Acer, Lenovo, Toshiba and Dell that have all launched Windows based tablet in such a form factor. Asus though isn’t completely new to the Intel Bay Trail and Windows 8.1 combination, it being the first to include both in the Transformer Book T100TA that comes with a 10 inch display as well as a keyboard dock.

Asus

There is however unconfirmed information that comes from Tech2.hu about Asus introducing an 8 inch tablet or a tablet smaller than 10 inch. The reason for this assumption stems from the fact that the model is named Asus M80TA though there is also talk of the device likely to be named Asus VivoTab Note 8. Also, the tablet could be priced $299, which is similar to most other 8 inch Windows 8.1 tablet costs.

The M80TA is speculated to be running Windows 8.1 as per a listing at a retailer’s site. The specifications also mentioned there speak of an Intel Atom Z3740 Bay Trail processor powering the device, coupled to a 2 GB RAM along with 32 GB of storage capacity. It would also come pre-loaded with 2013 Home & Student MS Office. It also mentions about the device including support for a stylus, something that the Transformer Book T100TA lacks. There is however no clear indication if there would be a keyboard dock as the one which is there on the Transformer Book T100TA.

Official confirmation on all these speculations would come to an end on 6th January when Asus is going to address a press conference. The event is to be held at Las Vegas. There would sure be mention about the Padfone X device also during the press conference, as that too is a hotly talked about device expected form Asus.

HP Omni 10 Windows 8.1 Tablet Now on Sale For $349

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HP’s plans to entice the holiday shoppers with a decent Windows tablet is now a step closer to reality, what with the Omni 10 tablet device now being available for orders across the US from multiple sources. HP has mentioned the price of the tablet as $399 though Office Depot is now accepting pre-orders for the tablet with the price listed as $350. Amazon too is offering the Omni 10 for $349 though the device is backlisted there and the best that eager buyers can do is to leave their email ids to be notified when the device is available. Microsoft Store too is offering the Omni 10 but for $399. However, in what can be termed as a strange development, HP stores are yet to reveal when they intend to accept orders for the device even though others have already started with the process.

Omni 10

As for the device itself, the Omni 10 is a Windows 8.1 based 10 inch tablet powered by an Atom Z3770 quad core processor. The 1920 x 1200 pixels display is full HD capable and had been launched by HP in October this year. The RAM is of 2 GB and storage space of 32 GB. It also comes with the standard micro SD card slot for adding more memory as well as micros USB ports for adding other peripherals. So far as network connectivity goes, it has Bluetooth, Miracast wireless display support as well as 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi. It comes with dual camera, 8 MP at the rear and a 2 MP camera along the front. Overall dimension of the tablet is 10.2 inch by 7.1 inch by 0.4 inch thickness. Over all is 1.4 pounds and the battery pack is of 31 watt hour that allows for 8.5 hours of run time.

If compared with other tablets in the market the one that comes closest to it is the Asus Transformer Book T100. The Omni 10 however has a faster processor as well as higher screen resolution. The Asus transformer T100 on the other hand comes with a keyboard dock, which together with the tablet costs $399 or less. HP too has stated they indent to provide a keyboard docking option for the Omni 10 as well though that obviously is going to cost extra, making the HP device even more costly.

Acer Iconia W4 Windows 8.1 Tablet Set For Jan 2014 Launch

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An army of 8 inch tablet running Windows 8.1 with an Intel Bay Trail chip at its core is slowly in the making, and the newest to add strength to the brigade is Acer. The company is readying its Iconia W4 tablet device for a probable launch towards end January 2014. As has already been hinted upon, the Iconia W4 will be powered by an Intel Baytrail Z3740 processor while a separate Generation 7 processor also of the Baytrail line up has been included for handling graphics. This together with a 2 GB RAM promises zippy performance though that is yet to be experienced. The tablet is HD capable with a resolution factor of 1280 x 800 pixels while for OS, the tablet runs on Windows 8.1.

acer iconia w4

Other features of the tablet worth mentioning include the 10 point touchscreen that is based on LED backlit IPS LCD technology, with the latter ensuring wide viewing angles. Internal storage amounts to 64 GB though a variant offering 32 GB of memory is also being speculated. Total weight of the tablet is 15.2 oz and comes with a combination of ports that includes micro USB port for connecting other devices, a micro HDMI port for connecting external display units. There is also a micro SD memory expansion slot along with ports for headphone and mic.

For connectivity, the Iconia W4 is 802.11 a/b/g/n wi-fi compliant. Other features include an accelerometer and dual camera, with the front camera being of 2 MP along with a 5 MP camera along the rear. The tablet though does not feature a LED flash, which means photography in lowlight conditions could be a chore.

As for its price, nothing has been set in stone as yet to the word on the street is that the upcoming tablet from Acer will cost $379. This applies to the 64 GB model while the 32 GB version is expected to cost $330. In any case, others such as Lenovo and Dell have all launched 8 inch Windows 8.1 tablet price around the $300 mark while Toshiba Encore is priced at $330 for the 32 GB model.

Dell Venue 11 Pro Now On Pre-Order, Range Starts At $500

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The Amazon Kindle HDX 8.9 which happens to be the most expensive in the Kindle Fire line of tablets has started shipping. The tablet which comes with an 8.9 inch display offers a stunning resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels but is priced quite reasonably at $379. Other general specifications of the tablet include 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage to start with. At its core, it’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad core chip that does duty which ensures the table is able to ward off almost anything that is thrown at it.

venue-11-pro

Also, all of the above is packed within a case that is quite compact and handy, weighing in at just a shade on the other side of 13 ounce while being only 0.31 inches thick. Overall, the tablet does make a strong case for itself on the back of the hardware pieces that it comes packed with though it also marks the departure of Amazon’s traditional area of dominance, the low cost tablet market. The Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 is still among the cheapest if the specs it comes with is taken into account but far from the affordable devices that Amazon has been known to come up with.

To compare the other product available from Amazon, at $229 there is the 7 inch model of the same Kindle Fire which has a screen resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. About tablets that command a higher price tag is the iPad Mini with 7.9 inch Retina display which comes for $400.

Another aspect to consider is that this tablet from Amazon has limited third party app compatibility. Users would get access to apps, music, eBooks and movies that are available at Amazon stores alone, even though the tablet is Android based. The iPad if one compares would have far greater third party app available to it.

Users could consider joining the Prime membership club of Amazon for $79 as annual subscription. There would be ample apps, free video streaming and access to Kindle Owners Lending Library, member would be able to check out one book per month from this library. The tablet therefore must not be totally written off due its high price. There are however other tablets like those form Samsung, Kobo etc which would come at a lower price and more third party app support.

Microsoft Windows 8.1 Comes Free for Windows 8 Owners, Others to Shell $120 for the Windows 8.1 Update

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Windows 8 which is the latest operating system from Microsoft has been consistently losing popularity since the time it was launched. Hence, Microsoft has been working from quite some time to roll out an update to fix all the issues. Few months ago, Microsoft had announced that they will be releasing the update which was codenamed as Windows Blue in this year.

Windows 8.1 is the official name of the Windows Blue update. According to Microsoft, the update will be available completely free for users who already own Windows 8. For other users who use Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP, the price of the new update will be $120 for them. The Windows 8.1 Pro update is priced at $200 for Windows users who do not own Windows 8.

Microsoft-Windows-8.1

The Windows 8.1 prices that have been announced by Microsoft is for the download from Windows.com website or for original Windows 8.1 DVD that are sold at retail outlets. The charges of the new update are the same Microsoft had charged previously for Windows users to upgrade their system with Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro upgrades.

This time around, Microsoft is selling Windows 8.1 as a full version software that means it is not necessary to have a previous version of Windows present on your system. Previously, Microsoft had offered an upgrade version for people who already had a previous version of Windows on their system and for others, they offered the full version.

According to Microsoft, the new change that they have brought with regards to making full version of the software available for users is mainly based on the feedback that they have received from the customers. Microsoft claims that this will definitely help users who wish to build their PCs right from the scratch or for users who want to execute Windows 8.1 virtual-machine environment.

Users who are already using the consumer preview version of Windows 8.1 are required to reinstall all their apps when migrating to the retail version of Windows 8.1. However, if you did not install the consumer preview version on your Windows 8 PC, you can directly opt for the Windows 8.1 update without the need of reinstalling apps. Also, users who will be upgrading from an older version of Windows like Windows 7 are also required to reinstall their apps. All your files remain intact when switching from older versions of Windows to Windows 8.1 but you are required to install all the apps again.

Users who are using Windows XP and Windows Vista can also avail the Windows 8.1 upgrade. However, Microsoft is not advertising the upgrade for these users. This does not mean that users of older Windows versions [up to Windows X] will not be able to install the upgrade or Microsoft will not be offering support to them. Only thing is Microsoft is just not advertising about this fact mainly because older PCs will not be able to produce optimal Windows 8.1 experience.

Users who wish to switch to Windows 8.1 from Windows XP or Vista are advised not to download the upgrade but to get retail DVD and then perform a clean install of Windows 8.1. Microsoft announced that those buy new PCs with Windows 8.1 running on it, they will be able to avail the Windows 8.1 Pro Pack only for $100. As of now, Microsoft does not wish to offer any sort of limited discount for Windows 8.1 for users that using older version of Windows.

Dell Tablet PCs on More Focus Now:Dell Turns into a Private Company

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Dell has been rated as the third in the list of PC makers in the market today. A conflict with its CEO, Michael Dell and Carl Ichan from Southeastern Asset Management and T. Rowe Price had been raging for some time now which Reuter informs has been settled. Michael Dell gets to buy Dell Inc private for a sum of $25 billion. Carl Ichan and his company had been a major shareholder in the company.

dell

With this, there would be a change in focus of the company and along with computers, the company plans to invest more in tablets also. After the vote authorising his take over, Michael Dell announced more focus towards marketing and distribution was the need of the day. Tablets would be their area of focus along with computers which is facing a downward trend in the market today, as per the CEO.

The new structure would help in the company furthering its dreams and therefore shareholders desire, is what the CEO mentioned at the meeting. That they have been able to shrug off the continuous hurdles placed by Carl’s Asset Management Company setting targets and holding up progress due its scrutiny of the transactions would mean rapid progress now a possibility.

The founder and CEO of Dell did not elaborate on the issue of layoffs with the new set up. Dell has a long way to go as yet for a complete resurgence to pit against players like HP and the likes who have gained quite a foot hold in the tablet market already. Many of the shareholders who voted for the takeover did mention that they were not sure but wanted to give it a try.

Dell has had a luke warm response to their tablet efforts so far though with slumping demand for PCs, the company has no other choice but to go for the lucrative tablet segment all over again. For this, it is banking on the new Windows 8.1 platform which they believe will make for the best business oriented tablet device. The company already has a Windows 8.1 based tablet in the making based on the new Intel Atom bay Trail chip. The tablet which also comes with a stylus carries a tentative price tag of $400 which is quite competitive. However, the company has also stated they are not giving up on Android altogether and tablet devices based on the Google OS will also be in its thrust areas.

Windows 8.1 Release Date Nears, Being Sent to Device Manufacturers

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The Windows 8 operating system is already up for an overhaul and the fruits of all the efforts that the Richmond based company has been pouring in will be there to be savored in October itself. Or to be precise, Windows 8.1 is all set for a grand roll out on the 17th of October.

Yes 17 October is the release date of windows 8.1. While that is still some time away, fortunately there is some leaked stuff to keep us engaged till them. These include new desktop wallpaper images, the new start screen as well as the lock screen. These apply to the final ‘Released to Manufacturing’ version of the Windows 8.1 platform which however has already started out to reach Microsoft’s hardware partners.

Windows 8.1

Microsoft sources claimed they have had to work hard and in close collaboration with their hardware partners than any time before. This way, they claim to have incorporated all that consumers wish to have out of the Windows platform. Also, by making available the new Windows 8.1 to its hardware partners, Microsoft has ensured there is enough time for the manufacturers to swamp the market with suitable devices before the holiday season rings in. The devices, Microsoft claims can range from the smallest of tablet device to lightweight notebooks, ultrabooks to all-in-ones or desktop.

Among the changes to be expected include a return of the Start button, the lack of which had left many users clueless as to where to start from in the first place. Least surprising it is after having being used to the button for so many years. That apart, the operating system is reported to have been subjected to some major changes including the way we deal with it. Rumor has it that users will be able to boot up to a Windows 7 like desktop interface and will be able to toggle between it and the new Modern user interface at will and with the least fuss.

Microsoft had launched the radically different Windows 8 operating system last October which marked the platform’s entry into the touch based devices segment. However, things didn’t turn out to be smooth enough after both general as well as enterprise users complained of it being not user friendly enough. Hopefully, Windows 8.1 is able to address their issues.

Microsoft Windows 8.1 Ready for Consumers, Release to Manufacturing Rolled Out

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The release to manufacturing (RTM) version of Windows 8.1 is ready. The last build number is 9600.16384.130821-1623. Microsoft had already announced that before the August month comes to an end, they would be rolling out the RTM Windows 8.1 and they have done it.

windows 8.1

For those who are clueless on the meaning of Release to Manufacturing, we would like to enlighten you that RTM is nothing but a version of software that is in ready condition to be provided to the customer. The announcement on RTM Windows 8.1 was made through Tweet by SuperSite editor named Paul Thurrot.

Interesting thing is that Microsoft has not confirmed officially on the arrival of RTM Windows 8.1. However a report on ZDNet reveals that Windows 8.1 reached RTM status on 23rd of August. By the way consumers can lay their hands on the Windows from 18th October onwards. This is the time when the Windows 8.1 will be officially released.

Microsoft has already shared the preview edition of Windows 8.1. So, if you are eager to try the Windows 8.1, you can use the preview version of the software. Also, it is not clear whether the Windows 8.1 will be made available to groups like TechNet and MSDN before it is officially released on October 18. Previously, it has been seen that TechNet and MSDN members were able to get updates from Microsoft soon so that the build could be tested before it could be released officially to the public.

When the Windows 8 was released with all the hullabaloo, people had a lot of expectations from the operating system. Sadly, it got removed some of the frequently used feature like Start button and access to the desktop screen and many more. The popularity of Windows 8 is not that great and this is the reason why it has received many negative feedback. Based on the customer feedback, the developers have created the Windows 8.1 update which aims to fix all the issues of Windows 8.

Windows 8.1 is codenamed as Windows Blue and it brings number of modifications to the Windows 8 OS to make it more user-friendly. The Windows Blue will bring missing features like Start button, boot to desktop option, in-built Help tutorials, enhanced Windows Store and many more. The Windows 8.1 update will be available as a free download through Windows Store. We hope that the new update truly makes it much easier to use the Windows 8 OS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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