Meet Dell's next-gen Windows 8.1 Venue tablets!

 

 

Watch out Apple: the next generation of Windows 8 tablets mean business. Hot on the heels of Microsoft’s own Surface 2 reveal, American computer giant Dell is storming ahead with a duo of new tablets that pack in some impressive specs. Meet the Dell Venue 8 Pro and the Dell Venue 11 Pro, two new tablets that aim to keep you productive on the go!

Dell’s new Venue tablets bring full-fat Windows 8.1 to you in a small, thin package, and they both give Microsoft’s latest tablets and Apple’s iPad a run for their money in the specs and looks department. Both tablets are very slim despite the beefy internal guts, and Dell is also providing a range of accessories to help you with your productivity when you’re on the move.

First up is the smaller of the two tablets, the Dell Venue 8 Pro, and like its name suggests, it’s an 8-inch tablet that comes with a HD IPS display and an Intel Atom quad-core processor under the hood. Dell has also armed it with a range of connectivity options, including mobile internet, Wi-Fi and micro USB. It measures up at just 8.9mm, and has a battery life rated for up to 10 hours. We got a quick play with it, and found it to be a very sturdy slate, completely free of any flex. Dell is also bundling Office 2013 Home & Student with the device and there’s also an optional Dell Active Stylus available.

The larger of the duo, the Dell Venue 11 Pro, features a 10.9-inch full HD IPS display, and is powered by Intel’s latest processors. You can configure your Venue 11 with either an Intel Atom quad-core Bay Trail processor, up to a fourth Generation Intel Core i3 and i5 processors or even an Intel vPro processor. The Venue 11 Pro also comes with full size USB ports, making it easy for you to plug in USB sticks and keyboards, while there’s also a user replaceable battery on the back which you can access by peeling back the rear cover. You’ll also be able to arm the 11 Pro with up to 8GB of RAM and a massive 256GB of storage, plus there’s also Wi-Di (wireless display) tech embedded and NFC too.

To go along with the tablets, Dell is also unleashing a range of accessories, including cases, an active stylus, a dock (which comes with a second video output to let you hook up an additional two monitors!) and two new keyboards that look like they can go toe-to-toe with Microsoft’s new Surface Touch Cover. First up is the simply named Dell Mobile Keyboard which comes with an additional battery to provide you with up to 18 hours of wireless freedom, and it also has a trackpad beneath its full sized chiclet keys. When folded up, it’s almost like you’ve got yourself an Ultrabook. The Dell Slim Keyboard is much more similar to Microsoft’s offerings, and gives you added protection and a stylus holder as well as a full sized keyboard with keys that have 0.2mm of travel, meaning you’ll feel some feedback as you type.

If you’re interested in picking up either of Dell’s new tablets, the Venue 8 Pro can be yours from 19 November, although the price is yet to be announced, while the beefier Venue 11 Pro will be available from 7 November for £349 – both from Dell’s website.

Do you fancy either of Dell’s new tablets, are you gunning for Microsoft’s Surface or are you happy with your iPad? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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Microsoft Surface Pro: The full fat Windows 8 tablet lands in January

 

The Microsoft Surface Pro tablet running full blown Windows 8 is coming to take on the iPad mini. The software giant’s spilled the beans on the launch date for the tablet with top-end laptop specs – and price.

You’ll be able to pick up the Microsoft Surface Pro in January for $899 (£560, though expect a higher UK price with VAT factored in). The iPad rival packs a cutting-edge Intel Core i5 chip, a full HD 10.6-inch display, stylus and 64G or 128GB for all your files, unlike the Microsoft Surface on sale now, which packs a more measly 32GB of flash storage.

The main difference between the Microsoft Surface Pro and its smaller brother is the software however: while it looks the same, the Pro will also run existing Windows 8 app in desktop mode. The Surface that uses a mobile processor only runs new fullscreen Windows 8 apps.

In theory, the Pro can do a lot more, but that Intel tech will cost you, and it adds a bit of bulk too: the Microsoft Surface Pro is a chunky 13.5mm deep, and packs a fan like your laptop too.

Would you buy a Microsoft Surface Pro? Is there a reason Apple’s iPad doesn’t run OS X? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments below.

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Windows Phone 8 review

 

The basics

Windows Phone 8 is here, and it’s never been more needed. Google and Apple have hoovered up most of the smartphone marketplace, and Windows Phone 7 has made little dent in that in two years. Microsoft is hoping to change that with an all new release (that won’t run on older Windows Phones, you’ll need to buy a new handset to get it) that promises speedier performance, a new look homescreen and support for the latest hardware, including 4G speeds, HD screens and multi-core processors. But is that enough, when its competitors do too? Let’s take a look.

The good

We’ve always enjoyed the design of Windows Phone, and version eight only improves on that. The new homescreen lets you customise it to your heart’c content, with three different tile sizes available. It’s a happy medium between Apple’s static icons and Android sometimes overly confusing widgets, especially since these live tiles update with information (headlines, unread messages and so forth).

Microsoft has made very few changes when it comes to navigation otherwise but that’s no bad thing. You still open apps from the live tile homescreen, and swipe from side to side for more options. The keyboard too remains visually unchanged, but that’s no bad thing: it was already excellent, and its word prediction is now even smarter.

Everything feels fluid and fast, but then, Windows Phone always did. The only difference is that now, it feels fluid and fast on HD screens, with dual-core processors.

Microsoft has improved notifications with Windows Phone 8 though, letting you assign one app to show extra detail on the lock screen (The calendar, for instance), and five to show alerts from. This combined with the ability to now receive Skype calls (a glaring omission in Windows Phone, considering Microsoft owns Skype) makes keeping an eye on all your updates in your most important apps much easier.

The problem of few apps for Windows Phone remains, but the important change is one under the hood you’ll probably never see: Windows Phone 8 is now based on the same core as Windows proper, which should mean developers should have to do very little work porting their Windows desktop apps over to mobile.

Only time will tell if this happens in practice, but given Windows 8 on PCs is off to a strong start, with four million upgrades already, there’s every chance it’ll solve the app famine on Windows Phone at last.

The bad

We like most of the new features on Windows Phone 8 (Except Rooms, the new private group chat and communication features, which is basically useless unless you and all your friends have a Windows Phone 8 device).

What we don’t like, however, is what Microsoft hasn’t fixed from Windows Phone 7 and 7.5. The People hub is a lovely idea, supposedly pulling in all the data from social networks about your friends. But it still doesn’t update in the background, so every time you open a friend’s profile, you’ll have to watch it load, load, load. It’s a bizarre move, and one that wouldn’t even be acceptable in a third party app on Android or iPhone, never mind a built in service.

Internet Explorer 10 is fast, but due to the core engine it uses has a nasty habit of showing you nasty old text-based versions of sites by default. It also only lets you have six tabs open at a time, and it’s two taps to get to them each time you want to switch, which is a lot less seamless than Chrome on Android’s swiping gesture support.

Microsoft has also not fixed its daft multi-tasking issue: you can open an app in the state you left it again, but only through the multitasking screen accessed by holding down the back button. if you open the app again from your homescreen, it just restarts and you have to wait while it loads again. It’s infuriating, especially if you find yourself using just a few core apps day to day.

And while We love Xbox SmartGlass, the app that lets you control your Xbox 360 from anywhere, and even view second screen content while palying a game or watching a film - and it comes built into Windows Phone 8. But it also highlighted for us a serious problem with how accounts work on the platform.

We have an Xbox Live account tied to a Gmail address, and not the Hotmail address we use to test Windows Phone - which effectivly meant SmartGlass wouldn’t connect to our Xbox. Microsoft’s guide for reviewers’ advice on this front was simply to make sure all your accounts are tied together before you set up your phone. Not very helpful after the fact.

It didn’t have to be this way either: you can just sign into different Xbox Live accounts on Xbox SmartGlass for Android. As such, SmartGlass is actually better on Android (and presumably will be on iOS) than it is on Windows, which is not something Microsoft would want.

You also have to wonder if the new technical support on Windows Phone 8 is enough: yes, it can now run on 720p HD screens, like the latest Android super phones. But we’ve already seen one full 1080p HD phone announced by HTC in recent weeks, and we doubt the likes of Samsung will be far behind. Could Microsoft be setting itself up for a fall down the line once more?

The bottom line

Windows Phone 8 is a solid effort that remains beautiful and effortlessly easy to use. It adds in a few extra features to keep it competitive, as well as support for the current cutting edge in hardware, but unfortunately, it still doesn’t solve the problems that have plagued Windows Phone ever since its 2010 reboot.

There’s still no sign of a flowering app eco-system, and Microsoft has still not yet fixed some ofthe issues that have been bugging us for years. We can’t say Windows Phone 8 is a reason to ditch your iPhone or Android phone, but as a new experience for a first time smartphone user who wants simplicity, not every option under the sun, it’s a serious option at last.

www.easyappbusiness.com

Lenovo low price iMac and Mac mini slayers revealed!

Microsoft is just getting started with Windows 8, and over the next few months you can expect to see the new operating system popping up in all sorts of form factors, from tablets to desktops and everything in between. Up next to show off its new wares is Lenovo, which has whipped the covers off two very tasty affordable machines that promise the same experience as an Apple iMac or Mac mini at a mere fraction of the price. Up first are the Lenovo C240 and C245 all-in-ones,18.5-inch desktop machines packing Windows 8, and the more powerful 20-inch C340 and C345 models powered by Intel’s top of the line Core processors. They’re all sporting 720p HD displays, and can squeeze in up to a huge terabyte of storage – thousands of albums and movies. Just as tantalising is Lenovo’s new Mac mini killer, the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190. It’s just 22mm thick, but full powered, with options for a speedy Core i3 processor and up to 8GB of memory for monster multi-tasking, as well as optional 3D Blu-ray support. It also comes with a multimedia remote with a keyboard and mouse you can use in the dark – making it perfect for plugging into the telly and creating your very own smart TV. We’re still working on a UK price and launch date for both, but the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 arrives stateside in January starting from $349 (£220) and the Lenovo C240 from the same price. www.tell-me-first.com

Samsung Ativ S: Windows Phone 8’s debut phone gets delayed

 

Remember the Samsung Ativ S? It was the first ever Windows Phone 8 device to be revealed to the world, and with its mighty Samsung Galaxy S3-esque specs, it looked very tempting indeed. But if you were holding out for one, we’ve got bad news: it’s now been delayed.

British retailer Clove.co.uk has changed the timings on its website to reflect a new shipping date of 10 December. By contrast, the Windows Phone 8X by HTC is now on sale, while the Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 are starting to trickle on to shop shelves too.

If you can stick it out, the Samsung Ativ S promises a huge 4.8-inch Super AMOLED screen like the hit Galaxy S3’s, a massive 2,300mAh battery for all day use and full HD video recording, as well as Microsoft’s all new software.

Windows Phone fan? Would you stick it out for Samsung or defect to Nokia or HTC? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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Windows Phone 8 operating system launched by Microsoft

 

The handset interface is similar to that of the recently launched Windows 8 system for PCs

Microsoft has formally launched the Windows Phone 8 operating system in a bid to reclaim smartphone market share.

It boasted that the system's internet browser, Internet Explorer 10, was the fastest on any mobile, and also suggested it offered the closest integration with video chat app Skype.

Microsoft had a 3.1% share of the handset system market in the April-to-June quarter, according to IDC.

The low figure has discouraged some developers from building apps for it.

HTC, Nokia and Samsung have all unveiled flagship WP8 devices over recent months, but had been unable to release them while they waited for Microsoft to sign off its software.

The handsets will now go on sale in Europe at the weekend and rollout worldwide during November.

"It can't be underestimated how important it is to Microsoft to get a successful handheld platform," Ben Wood, director of research at CCS Insight, .

"It's the fastest growing and most prolific sector - 800 million smartphones will be sold this year, within three years that number will be up to one billion annually. Nokia has also bet the ranch on this at a time when the market is dominated by Apple and Google's systems - and Microsoft is seen as being late to the party."

Kid's Corner

WP8 resembles the Windows 8 PC operating system released last week. Users navigate the interface by swiping through tiles which also display information pulled from the internet - for example weather conditions, Facebook status updates or recently received emails.

While its predecessor WP7.5 was based on the firm's ageing Windows Mobile platform, WP8 shares its kernel - or software core - with its PC equivalent, which should help make it easier to port programs between the two environments.

Much of the details of WP8 were announced at a previous event in June. But Microsoft had held a few features back until the San Francisco launch.

Kid's Corner is designed to make it safer to lend their handsets to their children

These included the speed of Internet Explorer 10 which it said was up to seven times faster than the version on WP7.5 at handling webpages based on the commonly used Javascript language. In addition it has been designed to make use of devices' graphics processing units (GPUs) to render videos or animations written in the HTML5 computer language.

The firm also showed off Kid's Corner - a function designed for parents who give their handsets to their children to play with. It allows them to restrict access to a limited number of apps without giving access to email, phone call or text message functions.

Microsoft said a survey had suggested about two-thirds of smartphone-owning parents in the US had used the handsets to occupy their children while out shopping, visiting friends or some other activity.

Another new feature is Rooms which allows users to create an invitation-only environment in which members share their calendars, notes, photos and other material. The firm suggested it might be used to help families, sports teams and other community groups stay "in sync".

Microsoft also made much of an "always-on" Skype experience.

This addresses one of the major flaws with its previous mobile system which had not allowed the video chat program to run in the background. That had meant that users of iOS and Android phones had been able to receive calls while using other apps, but WP7.5 devices had not - a notable omission bearing in mind Microsoft paid $8.5bn (£13.7bn) to buy Skype in 2011.

On WP8 Skype runs in the background even if the app is closed and the phone locked. It uses a similar method introduced in the full Windows 8 system to reduce its battery use by effectively being "asleep" until an incoming notification of a call wakes up the program.

Microsoft stressed the facility would also be available to other video chap apps including Tango and Qik so that its own program would not be given an unfair advantage.

Microsoft Surface: Windows 8 tablet release date revealed!

 

The Microsoft Surface Windows 8 tablet is creeping closer to launch: and if Redmond has its way, it’s going to give the Apple iPad Mini a run for its money too. According to a new report, Microsoft’s own slate computer will go on sale at the end of this month! Read on for the details.

The Verge reports that the Microsoft Surface Windows 8 tablet will go on sale at midnight on 26 October, after a launch event for press the day before. In the US, Microsoft shops will open as the clock strikes twelve to flog the new tablet competitor: in the UK meanwhile we may have to wait until regular business hours to pick one up.

If you’re not sure what the fuss about Microsoft Surface is, it’s a 10.6-inch own-brand tablet running Windows 8, which will compete directly against tablets from gadget manufacturers Microsoft usually licenses its software to. With a super thin keyboard in the cover too, it looks very promising indeed, though journalists have not yet been able to handle the device.

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New Windows 8 tablets, Nintendo 3DS successor primed, Canon EOS 650D out in UK & the best iPhone game for football fans

 

Welcome to our weekly Gadget Digest. Now the working week is over, it’s time to sit back and catch up on some of the gadget stories that slipped under the radar. Here’s our roundup of even more story tidbits that hit the headlines this week that we didn’t get the chance to tell you about earlier.

From new cameras to Windows 8 tablet rumours, and this week’s essential app download – read on…

Amazon cancels Nintendo Wii U £199 pre-orders

Canon EOS 650D hits the UK

Arriving in stores today, the new Canon EOS 650D is an entry-level digital SLR with an 18-megapixel sensor, and full 1080p HD video capture. Its LCD offers multitouch, the ability to swipe through menus, playback footage, track faces and more. A HDMI output lets you share any images to a HDTV in an instant. As entry-level digital SLRs go, the EOS 650D sounds like one of the best around.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Solider still the top game, see our review

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Solider is the latest military shooter to top the UK’s gaming charts, mixing tactical warfare with a dose of all out action. It’s pretty good, too. Check out our Ghost Recon: Future Solider review to hear why.

Microsoft ready to unveil new tablets

Microsoft has scheduled a press conference for Monday, where it is believed Microsoft will detail its plans to undercut the iPad by launching cheaper tablets running on Windows 8 and ARM processors. Should Apple be worried? We’ll soon find out. 


Nintendo working on 3DS successor

The Nintendo 3DS is just a year old but already Nintendo’s legendary developer Shigeru Miyamoto is looking ahead to the next generation of Nintendo handheld, confirming that Nintendo is already putting together ideas for it. It shows that, as typical of Nintendo, the company is prepared as always to do its own thing in the face of growing competition from smartphones and tablets. And that’s good news for Nintendo fans.

Download of the week: New Star Soccer

Addictive isn’t the word. In new Star Soccer you live the life of an aspiring football superstar in this smartphone simulation for iOS and Android devices, playing games, training to up your skills, and making important life decisions that will shape what sort of footballer you end up being. A cross between Football Manager and Sensible Soccer, New Star Soccer will keep footy fans entertained possibly forever.

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Dell Latitude 10 Windows 8 tablet spotted, first of many to take on the iPad

 

To date we’ve been hearing lots of rumours of Windows 8 tablets, but this is the first time we’ve seen what looks like a Dell Latitude 10 running Windows 8.Want to know more about one of the first (possibly) confirmed Windows 8 tablets? Then check out the Dell Latitude Windows 8 tablet

The slide detailing the Dell Latitude 10 Windows 8 tablet was obtained by Neowin. It details the Windows 8 tablet in full. The key spec you can see in the slide above next to where it says operating system is Windows 8.

As further specs go, It appears that the Dell Latitude Windows 8 tablet is a 10.8-inch tablet with a 1366×768 resolution HD display, and come running a dual core Intel Atom processor.

The Dell Latitude 10 Windows 8 tablet will also feature a fingerprint reader, 2GB memory, up to 128GB of Solid State Drive storage and 8-megapixel and 2-megapixel rear and front facing cameras respectively.

Neowin reports a 6-8 hour battery life, with a larger battery able to bump that up to 12 hours, and a possible November release. No word on prices just yet.

In future we can expect to see many more Windows 8 tablets around the same date. Past reports have suggested that Microsoft is working with manufacturers to flood the market with up to 32 different Windows 8 tablets at launch in an attempt to put a dent in the Apple iPad’s market share.

A November release date has had already been tipped, lending further credibility to the Neowin report regarding the above Dell Latitude 10 Windows 8 tablet.

Unlike Windows 7, Windows 8 has been designed from scratch, with touch interfaces in mind.Its colourful tiles, side-scrolling interface and easy-on-the-eye menus reveal the sort of design touches that cemented the Apple iPad as arguably the best tablet around, in a market lacking many genuine contenders besides the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the likes of the Asus Transformer Prime.

The extra competition is great news for all gadget fans concerned. The possibility of cheaper tablets that are actually any good, and more choice can only be a bonus. Would you purchase a Windows 8 tablet?

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Microsoft boasts of 32 different Windows 8 tablets to take on iPad

The Apple iPad continues to be the leading tablet computer. To combat this Microsoft is reportedly working with its hardware partners to launch not one, but a total of 32 different Windows 8 tablets this year, with some costing less than £200.

By flooding the market with Windows 8 tablets, the plan is to decrease the market share of the iPad from 70 per cent to below 50 per cent by mid 2013, reports Digitimes. The Windows 8 tablets are already in development.

It is estimated that at the current rate of development there will be 32 Windows 8 tablets arriving this year, launched by the likes of Dell, Lenovo, Acer, Toshiba, Packard Bell, and more, priced from around $300 (£187) rising to $1,000 (£623).

Any of the prices mentioned could deliver some serious competition not just to the iPad, but other tablet devices, too such as the Amazon Kindle Fire abroad. Despite the increasing presence of tablets in the market, there is still a lack of choice of truly great tablets worthy of toppling the iPad.

Former Apple CEO John Sculley recently described the Samsung Galaxy Tab as the “only serious” competitor to the Apple iPad. Asus would of course have something to say about that. Its new quad-core Asus Transformer Prime TF700 is already on our most-wanted list.

Gadget Digest: iPad Mini, world’s largest Ice Cream Sandwich tablet, Max Payne on iPhone, Windows 8 laptop and more

 

As another gadget-filled week comes to an end, it’s time to look back at some of the stories that would otherwise have slipped through the sieve of tech awesomeness. From rumours of an iPad Mini to the world’s largest Android 4.0 tablet, here are some more stories worth holding an ear to.

New iPad Mini (allegedly) on the way

Apple may have already released its new iPad but that has not stopped rumors of more iPads. According to reports iPad-makers Foxconn and Pegatron have already received orders for a smaller iPad said to be around 7.85-inches across. 



Facebook pay per view gigs on the way

We’ll soon be able to watch the latest gigs from Facebook. On April 29th the Backstreet Boys and the New Kids on the Block at the O2. To get more people watching a deal between the bands, Facebook and Livebeats to stream the gig at a cost of around £3. In full HD, too. 


Sky deal to show all Bond films

Everyone loves James Bond. Sky included. The television giant has signed a bumper deal to bring every single Bond film to Sky Movies. From Dr. No to Quantum of Solace: we’ll be seeing a lot more of the gadget-toting super spy on our screens.

Max Payne on iOS: does it work on a touchscreen?

Bullet-dodging hero Max Payne has made the crossover to portable iOS gaming in a very credible port of the PC original. Any doubts should be cast aside: Max Payne on iOS is lots of fun, and just the thing to get us in the mood for the upcoming Max Payne 3. 


Intel shows off Windows 8 laptop/tablet hybrids

Windows 8 is set to be the next big thing in the world of portable computing. A new generation of Windows 8 tablets are on the way, ready to take the limelight away from the iPad. We don’t have a release date just yet, but Intel has already been showing off a tablet capable of doubling up as a Windows 8 laptop. They could be arriving sooner than we first thought.

Seen any other stories that have tickled your gadget fancy? Let us know

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