Microsoft To Finally Release a Competitor to Garage Band?

Microsoft had some big show today, where they announced new technology. No Surface Pro 5, but they have an iMac competitor (Surface Studio?) and an updated Surface Book.

One of the tech blogs I read saw a very brief shot (Microsoft didn't announce it) of a possible competitor to Apple's Garage Band.

The iPad Pro Can't Replace a Laptop

I came across an article on Forbes comparing the iPad Pro to the iPad Air and a laptop. It's pretty much what I expected.

The iPad Pro hasn't excited me at this point. It's just a big iPad. Sure, it has some new features, but not enough to justify the expense for me.

I've tried a few times over the years to use a tablet or even a phone as a primary computer. And the experiment has failed every time. If I'm traveling, an iPad and phone will get most of the job done for about a week. But they lack file management. I usually come back with a pile of unprocessed email. If I need to download files or save attachments, I usually can't do them correctly on an iPad. I can't save things directly to OneDrive like I can on my Mac.

I heard several years ago that Apple was working toward a convergence, where you use the same OS with the same capabilities and applications on computer, iPhone, and iPad. They aren't even close yet. I think Microsoft got there first.

Windows Tablets Are the "Beige Boxes" of 2015

Remember the beige box of the 1990's? Every PC sold was a beige box with a beige monitor. It was the epitome of Apple's 1984 Super Bowl ad.

I've been monitoring Windows tablets lately, and I'm completely uninspired. It's not so much that I need a new one, but I love tech and if I found a decent deal, I'd get one. I probably have all the tech I need: MacBook Pro, iPad Mini 3, Dell Venue 8 Pro that I never use, and a new Note 5.

The Dell's biggest weakness is it only has a micro-USB port. Even with an adapter, it doesn't have enough power to drive a portable hard drive, which I use to backup files on my work computer. At work, we're still running Windows 7 and Office 2010. And we don't have wi-fi. When I lug my work laptop around with me, I have to physically plug it into a switch or I have no connectivity. Sometimes I think "Enterprise IT" is Greek for "You will work on obsolete shit determined by Baby Boomers with no IT knowledge and an r-selected irrational fear of change". Or "old Unix guys" who 30 years later STILL haven't adapted to a Windows environment they somehow ended up in charge of.

I've thought about getting a Windows tablet with a full size USB port to carry to work, so I can use features of a newer version of MS Office. I could bring my Mac, which has Office 2016, but I perceive it as being too big to lug around all the time. And the iPad doesn't have a USB port.

So anyway, I've been keeping an eye on tablets lately. And few of them are exciting. I kind of like the Surface, but I perceive it as being overpriced. Sure, it "starts" at $499 (Surface 3), but that's for 64 GB and 2 GB RAM. By the time you get a decent sized storage and 4 GB of RAM, now you're up into the $800 range, and you don't have Microsoft's overpriced specialty keyboard yet. I guess you could get a generic Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, but that's extra gear to lug around.

So I look at the available tablets, and other than the overpriced Surface and Surface Pro, all I see are the equivalent of beige boxes. Or black slates.

Then of course, lets say you buy one. One of the difficulties of the PC world is all the crapware that comes pre-loaded. At least Apple doesn't include crapware (unless that's how you define Apple's software). Well, except for that stupid Stocks app that still comes with the iPhone. Has anybody anywhere actually used it? I imagine people who are serious about stocks would use a much more powerful, specialty app.

New PCs usually come with the 60 day trial of Office, McAfee and Norton trials, download managers (who uses them), music apps, and so on. Now they're coming preinstalled with Facebook quality games, which are very stubborn about uninstallation. It took me a while to get all the crapware off the 2-in-1 I got my wife for Christmas. Thank you, Toshiba, I paid you for a computer, not the extra crap you installed, none of which I actually need.

Why I Returned to my Galaxy S3

Back in January, I was due for a phone upgrade. I was a Windows Mobile user way back, and had my fill of the platform. Although there were a lot of developers creating great applications for the platform, Windows Mobile itself was unstable and unreliable. The Samsung Epix was my last straw, to the point where I sold a few things and begged money from my dad to get an iPhone 3G, which I paid full price for as I was out of cycle for an upgrade.

I had a total of 3 iPhones. Then I got a Galaxy S3 last year.

Late last year, a coworker got a Nokia phone with Windows Phone 8 on it. He was happy with it. I thought it would be a good time to return to the Windows platform, which integrates well with Windows 8.1 on PCs and tablets.

And it truly does. Microsoft FINALLY put out a good phone OS. I got the developer preview of Windows Phone 8.1, which I'm still running on that phone.

However, it's less than ideal. While the platform itself is well built and stable, the script is now flipped. Instead of Windows Mobile which absolutely sucked but had good developer support, I find Windows Phone to be great but has poor developer support.

Unfortunately, in this day and age, it's the apps that make the platform. Your phone itself can have the best, most stable operating system around, but without apps, it's limited.

I call Windows "The Forgotten Platform". Developers have largely forgotten it. Some, such as Web IS, refuse to develop for it entirely. Their Pocket Informant was my favorite app on Windows Mobile. Not going to happen for Windows Phone. Similar for MyLifeOrganized and Nozbe.

I use Waze heavily. Waze has not had an update in over 6 months. Amazon released a Kindle app for Windows Phone, but it sucks. You can't highlight or make notes in books, and while it can retrieve your place from the server, it won't save your place back to the server. The same problem exists in Kindle for Windows 8, which likewise hasn't been updated since October of 2013. Meanwhile, Kindle for iOS and Android have had multiple updates and is a joy to use on both platforms.

I'm also a heavy podcast user, but there is not a single useable podcast app for Windows Phone 8. I did find a free one that offered variable playback speed, but it can't import. The native podcast app suffers from the same problem, and is limited to its own catalog, which doesn't have more than half of the podcasts I listen to. Even when I enter the URL manually, it can't find it because it only looks in its own catalog. Since I got the Windows Phone back in January, I've had to keep my Galaxy S3 around just to listen to podcasts.

Additionally, the phone I chose, a Nokia 920, has a horrible battery life. I'm forced to run in Battery Saver mode all the time unless I want my phone to be dead in under 3 hours. This limits operation.

So yesterday, I swapped my SIM card back into my Galaxy S3. Now I only have to carry one phone with me.

One strong positive to the Windows Phone is it integrates well with Microsoft Sync in my car. It will read my texts to me while I'm driving. However, the voice recognition flat out sucks, so I can't dictate responses like I could on the Galaxy.

I'll probably get one of the new iPhones when they come out later this year. I'm running the Yosemite beta on my MacBook Pro, and iOS 8 is supposed to integrate well on it.

A Feature Windows Needs

Here's something I'd love to see in Windows: a default setting for programs that are preventing Windows from shutting down.

It never fails, Windows starts running like crap, and you go to reboot it. Or, Windows Update tells you you have to reboot to finish installing updates. You relent, and tell Windows to go ahead and reboot like it's still Windows ME and can't stay up for 2 hours.

Then you walk away, and come back to find that some programs are preventing Windows from rebooting. Would you like to force them down? Are you sure? Are you really sure? Yes, yes, and yes.

But it's almost always the same programs that are keeping Windows from rebooting: Sticky Notes, Windows Explorer, and Windows Update. Every time.

So why can't we just tell Windows "Look, if Sticky Notes is stopping Windows from a reboot so I can get back to work, just kill it without asking me. Likewise for Windows Explorer and Windows Update."

Come on, Microsoft, work with us. What are the odds that killing Sticky Notes without a user's prompt will cause harm? Most of us just run it the first time and forget about it anyway. We're like "Hey! Apple had that more than a decade ago! Welcome to the party, Windows"

Microsoft Actually p0wns Apple!

I never thought I'd live to see Apple p0wned by Microsoft, but IF Surface is anything like they say, I think we just witnessed it.

I've had little excitement for Microsoft products since the Vista let down. Sure, Microsoft works hard, but something always screws it up for them.

I have a reason to be hopeful about Surface though:

• Microsoft made the hardware.

That's always been a weakness of Microsoft's. Sure, they can produce an operating system, but unless it's a mouse or an Xbox, somebody else makes the hardware. That means they also have to write the drivers and produce middleware, then they load it up with crapware.

I'm sure Windows Mobile could have worked if Microsoft didn't leave it up to the OEMs and telcos to screw everything up.

But in the case of Surface, Microsoft made the hardware itself. That means if there's a Blue Screen of Death due to a driver conflict, it's their own fault!

I'm looking forward to it. If Surface is available somewhere in the $400 range, I might try to squeeze another year out of my iPhone 4 rather than replacing it.

Real Dan Lyons: A Month of Microsoft

Dan Lyons (of Fake Steve Jobs fame) is going to give Microsoft another chance. He committed to using only Microsoft products for a solid month. Of course, it helps that Microsoft bought into the idea and sent him a phone and laptop to use.

I can't help feeling jealous. I use Microsoft laptops only because I can never seem to fit a MacBook into my budget when it comes time to replace them. My current laptop was bought for me by my in-laws when I went into real estate two years ago. It's an HP.

I'm not sure if Windows Phone fixed any problems in Windows Mobile, but I am NOT using my own money to find out. I've spent enough money and blood pressure points on Windows Mobile. If Microsoft would like to send me a review unit I'll be happy to evaluate it. Until then, I'll stick to the iOS platform.

I look forward to how Dan Lyons' project turns out.

My Comment On A Blog Post About Windows Phone 7

A colleague at work pointed out a blog post about Windows Phone 7. The writer of the post bought a new phone with Windows Phone 7 installed on it. He took it back within 4 hours and had to pay a restocking fee.

I would have simply left a comment on the blog post itself, but it’s hosted on InfoWorld, and I would have to register for an account. In a day and age when a 10 year old could easily code a site to allow me to log in with an existing account (like FaceBook, Twitter, or Wordpress), InfoWorld, a site that apparently markets itself to IT professionals, requires me to create yet another account on their site. I’m tired of having to keep track of logins and passwords. I can’t tell you have many sites and blogs and forums I’ve had to create an account on just to leave a comment or view information and NEVER GO BACK AGAIN. I’m tired of it.

Did Microsoft Actually Do Something Right?

After years of reading Lifehacker posts about tweaks to make Windows more like Mac OS X, here’s a post about a way to add some Windows functionality to Mac’s OS. Apparently, Windows 7’s Aero Peek is a coveted feature.

I like Aero Peek. If I ever get a Mac, I’ll install this program on it.

The Last Barrier To Me Using Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer has come a long was over the years. Version 6 was one of the most insecure and painful web browsers I've ever used. I still can't believe some organizations (like the United States Navy) still use it exclusively. As in, they actually design websites that will not work in any other browser but Internet Explorer 6. This is despite the fact that Microsoft has released 2 newer versions of the browser, both of which work a lot better.

I've been using IE8 a little more lately. I actually like it. It starts VERY slow. It's one of the slower browsers to start. But once it's running, it runs pretty well. It finally has a session manager, so if I have a lot of tabs open and have to restart my computer, I can pick up where I left off. I don't have to set a lot of bookmarks.

But there is one thing that is stopping me from using Internet Explorer more than Google's Chrome or Mozilla's Firefox: this stupid dialog. I wrote that blog post more than 3 years ago, and that prompt is still a part of Internet Explorer.

If Microsoft could either get rid of that prompt, or at least let me click "Don't ever bother me with this again", I would probably make the jump to using IE8 a lot more often.

Are you using IE8 more than another browser?

Steve Ballmer (Apparently) Fires Microsoft Employee For Not Being Excited Enough About Bing

I'm testing Typepad's new microblogging feature. OK, it's not that new, but I've never tried it.

Steve Ballmer at Microsoft apparently fired an employee for not being excited enough about Bing, Microsoft's latest attempt at a search engine that can't find anything.

http://mashable.com/2009/12/19/bing-youre-fired/

I have no enthusiasm for Bing. I think I tried it once, and it didn't return any useful results, so I went back to Google.

Another Great Quip From Fake Steve Jobs

Apparently, somebody at Microsoft who had nothing to actually do with Windows 7 made some comment that they tried to copy the Mac OS. He apparently got some retaliation. OK, whatever. That barely made me look up. But, Fake Steve Jobs (Dan Lyons) took this one on, and cracked me up:

And then the Borg rolls out this old chestnut: “Over nine out of ten computer users choose Windows.”

Now, come on. Windows is like herpes. Or genital warts. Nobody chooses Windows. People get Windows. It comes preloaded on their crap machine, and they’re stuck with it.

No Need To Pay For Security on Your PC. Lifehaker Says MS Security Essentials Are Enough

Most of my non-geek friends like to ask me about security. I tell them that unless they look at a lot of porn or spend time downloading pirated software, then they don’t need to worry as much. It’s not that big a deal.

Microsoft once had Windows Live OneCare. I hated the beta version, and installed it after less than 15 minutes. As it matured, I found it to be very useful, and I would recommend it to friends who asked what I though. I’ve long since had it with Norton and McAfee, although I’ve heard since they days that they gave me a bad taste that they’ve optimized their products so they don’t require as much time and attention, as well as system resources. I’m still not ready to pay for either again.

While Windows Live OneCare was a paid product, Microsoft now has Microsoft Security Essentials, which is free. Lifehaker says it works well enough that Windows users shouldn’t have to shell out money for other security products.

The Most Useless Windows Notification

I know the title of this blog entry is not unique. I've seen several variations. I'd like to submit my vote for the Windows dialogue that needs to be yanked from Windows IMMEDIATELY. When did I start using Windows Vista as a beta? 2006? Let's say it was 2006. For three years, programs on Windows computers that I've used have been crashing, and I get this dialogue that is absolutely useless. Note: programs on Windows computers I've used have been crashing all along, but this "feature" wasn't introduced until Vista. I can't remember (OK, one exception, which I'll get to later) this dialogue window ever doing anything. Here it is:



Figure 1. Pointless Windows Dialogue

I have no idea what VSCore announcer is. This is from one of my work laptops. For all I know it's some domain policy BS. Though I have administrative rights on this laptop, there are some funky policies running on the domain. Maybe I'll Google VSCore Announcer when I post this. It doesn't matter what VSCore is. I was working on my laptop this afternoon, and this window popped up, which is what Windows Vista and Windows 7 give you when a program crashes. Now, I do applaud that Windows Vista is more stable than previous Windows versions. Remember Windows ME (Malfunction Edition)? That's two years of my life I'd like to get back.

So I'm working, and this window pops up as it always does when a program crashes. The only difference is this time, I'm in the mood to rant about it on my blog. When I started using Windows Vista, I'd go for the "Check online for a solution (recommended)", and I'd get a Microsoft page that basically says

"We don't know what the heck the problem is. Did you find this information useful?"

I've gotten into the habit of just clicking "Close" and wondering why Microsoft built this useless functionality into Windows in the first place, unless it's part of some mind-conditioning program to prepare us for future versions of Windows, or to make us all convert to Apple so we can buy Office for Mac. I honestly don't think Microsoft cares if we use PCs or Macs. They're a SOFTWARE company. Many people who use Macs still run Windows and Office and other Microsoft software. SIDE RANT: I get annoyed when I see a headline stating something like "Another business switches to Mac!" Then I read the article, and find that yes, they did buy a bunch of Macs, but they use custom software that requires Windows. They're still running Windows either through Boot Camp or Parallels. That's not "switching to Mac". You're still a Windows user. You just switched your hardware OEM. Instead of buying your physical computer from Dell or HP, you're buying it from Apple, but you're still a Windows user. Yes, when I finally get my MacBook Pro, I'll probably still run Windows on it for certain purposes. Why buy another Office license, for instance? Why get a new license for Mind Manager?

I promised I'd tell you what happened the one time "Check online for a solution (recommended)" actually returned some potentially useful information. I got a page saying "This problem was caused by Windows Vista. Did you find this information useful?" Being one of the few people who actually LIKES Windows Vista, I sort of wish the results had been as useless as usual.

This time, since I planned to write a blog post ranting about this feature, I clicked "Check online for a solution (recommended)". Guess what happened? Nothing. Seriously, nothing happened. I was expecting Internet Exploder, the slowest, most annoying web browser ever, to launch and slowly connect to a site that then tells me "we have no idea what the problem is. Did you find this information useful?"

Microsoft, seriously, ditch this useless prompt.

Microsoft Can't Even Code a Web Page, Anybody Trust Office 2010?

I found out about an interesting new program by Microsoft. Apparently, they'll send you a loaner laptop with Office 2010 installed. You use the laptop, report on it, and they use you in their media and advertising. I thought it would be an interesting idea, and maybe just once they could get some real feedback about their office suite.

I spent the time filling out the form, including answering the questions as to why I want to participate and why I should be included. I submitted the survey, and guess what I got?

 

What does this mean? "Your response cannot be recorded because the survey has been changed by another user?" To me, it means that Microsoft can't code a web page.

I'm seriously ready to get a Mac. The only thing standing between me and a MacBook is the money. I'm getting tired of going with the lowest common denominator just because the price is lower.  I think the iPhone is like a gateway drug. I sit there getting frustrated at my Windows PCs, then I look at my iPhone and wonder "What if the whole computer was like this?"

The biggest reason I still use Microsoft office is because I was a heavy Outlook user, but since I stopped using Windows Mobile, I've mostly been using Gmail's web client. I hardly use Outlook at all anymore. Maybe it's time to look at OpenOffice again.

Windows XP: The Operating System That Can’t Die

If you went back in time to 2001-2003, you would read computer magazines that sound almost exactly like they do today. The only difference would be one word. “I don’t recommend Windows Vista. Stick with Windows XP” would read “I don’t recommend Windows XP. Stick with Windows 98”.

Now, in 2009, it would appear that Windows XP is the ultimate, most bestest version of Windows EVAR, and there is no way it should be allowed to die.

Lifehacker today wrote about a rumor that once computers begin shipping with Windows 7, you’ll still be able to downgrade to Windows XP.

http://lifehacker.com/5201786/pc-makers-can-offers-downgrades-from-windows-7-to-xp

Seriously, Windows XP has been around since 2001. I think it’s run it’s course. Windows XP is good, but it’s time to move on. I’ve always seen IT as a field that should be moving forward, not clinging to the past. Maybe that’s the big difference between Mac and Windows users. Mac users, at least those I’ve come into contact with, are always excited when Apple does something new. Windows users generally seem to have to be dragged kicking and screaming to the next version.

Happy Day After April Fool’s Day

It’s April 2nd. April Fools is over. I never really cared for April Fools jokes that involved things being done to me, although I do remember in grade school, we’d bring pieces of cloth to school, and whenever a teacher bent over, we’d take one out and rip it. The looks on teachers’ faces were priceless.

In a weird fluke of scheduling, my sister in law and I have birthdays that sandwich April Fool’s Day. Mine is March 31 and hers is Apr 2. Happy birthday, Faith. If either of us had been a day off…

I think my favorite April Fool’s joke was Gmail Autopilot. It has to be a joke. The link is still at the top of my gmail page, but since there’s no way to sign up, or no indication that it’s in labs, it has to be a joke. Also, Ramit Sethi rolled out “I Will Teach You To Be Frugal”. That was a good one.

Every single April Fool’s joke I fell for involved Windows Mobile, amazingly enough. I first fell for this one. I guess it’s because the joke sounds like something Microsoft would actually do.

What was your favorite April Fool’s joke?

I'm Going to Become a Windows Mobile "Hater"

I’ve decided that I'm going to become a Windows Mobile “Hater”. That will probably seem unreasonable and illogical to many, but so be it.

That does not mean I am going to become a Microsoft “Hater”. I won’t become a mobile device “hater". I won’t become a Windows “Hater”. My “hating” is going to be specifically directed at Windows Mobile. That includes Microsoft’s Windows Mobile team, their “partners”, and the telcos, at least in regards to Windows Mobile.

I am going to become overly critical of the platform to the point where I do NOT recommend it. If you’re considering a Windows Mobile device, please, to preserve your sanity, don’t get one. Get a BlackBerry or an iPhone instead, or just get a plain old dumbphone.

I’ve had several Windows Mobile devices over the years. I’m tired of the same annoyances and performance issues that are common to every device I’ve had. Here is my device history:

Microsoft Shutting Down Encarta? Did Anybody Actually Use It?

Apparently, Microsoft is shutting down Encarta, it’s long-running encyclopedia. I don’t want to be unkind, but I’ve never actually used Encarta. I think I had a computer once that came with Encarta, or it came with another MS Product I had, but I never used it. I think I tried to use it once, but the setup was painful or it asked for money or something and I decided it wasn’t worth my time.

Will you miss Encarta? Will it matter to anybody? Now if Wikipedia went down… I can remember when I used to be able to get away with using Wikipedia as a reference at the University of Phoenix. About halfway through, it wasn’t allowed anymore.

Microsoft’s New Advertising Campaign

As I was going through my RSS feeds in Google Reader this morning, I found this. It’s interesting. I watched the video as well. Microsoft has a new advertising campaign in which they find people shopping for new laptops, let them set a budget, follow them around with a camera crew and then apparently paying for the laptop. The “Laptop Hunter” sets his or her own budget. The video featured in the first blog entry shows a woman who set her budget at under $1000.

I wonder if I could be part of this campaign. I need a new laptop. My laptop died on me. It’ll still boot up, but there’s no telling how long until it goes down. I think it has a short in one of the USB ports. In any case, I need to figure out what I need to do to be part of this campaign. I’ll go on camera and talk about how I like Windows Vista, which is true, in exchange for a laptop and my 15 seconds of fame.

I left a comment asking what it takes to be part of the project. I wonder where they draw their participants from?