Windows 8

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 with Win 8, keyboard will cost $799

PC makers usually don't cough up pricing information on unreleased models easily, but apparently the folks at wpcentral merely asked Lenovo reps at a recent press event how much the ThinkPad Tablet 2 running Windows 8 Pro would cost at launch -- and the reps told them. The new slate will bow on October 26 -- the launch date of Windows 8 -- and cost $799.

That price will apparently include a keyboard, which could make it a slightly better deal than Microsoft's own Surface Pro tablet, which may cost $799 with an additional $199 for its keyboard … Read more

Project Austin's Windows 8 app takes notes from Courier

A group inside Microsoft's C++ team has developed a digital note-taking application for Windows 8 that is codenamed "Project Austin."

The app allows users to add pages to a notebook, delete or move them, use digital ink to write or draw and add photos. Notes created in Austin can be shared with other Windows 8 apps, like e-mail and SkyDrive. Users can choose different types of "paper" and view the pages in a variety of ways, including leafing through them like a real paper book.

The Austin team wasn't trying to compete with Microsoft'… Read more

German government tells public to stop using Internet Explorer

Update: 3:48 PM PT The fallout from this weekend's discovery of security holes in several versions of Internet Explorer continues to spread. The latest: Germany is urging its citizens to stop using Internet Explorer until there's a fix.

"A fast spreading of the code has to be feared," the German government's Federal Office for Information Security, or BSI, said. The BSI recommended that users access the Internet using alternative Web browsers until Microsoft's security update becomes available.

It's unusual for a government to flatly urge its citizenry to stop using a popular … Read more

Windows 8: As cheap as Win7, if you're building your own PC

Pricing information around Windows 8 has been trickling out over the past few months. I've received a new drip of information -- this time about system-builder pricing for Windows 8.

Here's what we know so far about Windows 8 pricing: In June, Microsoft announced an upgrade offer for those who purchasing Windows 7 PCs between early June 2012 and January 2013. For an additional $14.99, these users will be able to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro, as of October 26.

In July, Microsoft shared another drop of information: For $39.99, Windows XP, Vista and Windows … Read more

Microsoft: Come 'celebrate' Windows 8 on Oct. 25

Microsoft plans to hold a special event next month celebrating the launch of Windows 8.

The company today sent out an invite to a Windows 8 celebration for October 25 in New York City. Microsoft didn't offer up any details on the announcement, including the location or the time. The company also didn't say exactly what it plans to discuss, though it's easy enough to guess.

Microsoft has already announced that it'll launch Windows 8 commercially on October 26. It seems likely that it will take this opportunity to show off computers, tablets, and other hardware … Read more

How to dual-boot Windows 7 with Windows 8

If you have a Windows 7 PC but aren't sure you're ready to upgrade to Windows 8 yet, a dual-boot system might be a good way to ease into it. This will let you use both operating systems, side-by-side, until you're comfortable enough with Windows 8 to go all in. To configure your PC for dual-boot, all you have to do is create a new partition for Windows 8, then install it.

Caution: Before you begin, make sure to back up your system. This is a simple procedure, but there's always a risk of data loss … Read more

Microsoft opens up on managing Win RT, Win Phone 8 devices

Ever since it revealed that ARM-based Windows RT PCs and tablets would not be able to join Active Directory domains, Microsoft has been keeping users in suspense as to how Windows RT devices could be managed.

Yesterday, Microsoft officials finally shared a few more details about its plans.

The next version of Windows Intune, Microsoft's PC management and security service, coupled with System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Service Pack (SP) 1, will be the way administrators will be able to manage Windows RT and Windows Phone 8 devices both, according to a new post on the Microsoft "Server &… Read more

Windows 8 gets 'browser ballot' amid EU antitrust probe

Microsoft is pushing out an update to Windows 8 users to enable the "browser ballot" screen, even though the forthcoming operating system's release date is set for over a month away.

Windows 8 users in Europe are now given the choice of which browser -- including Microsoft's own Internet Explorer -- they wish to install.

The Windows Update-offered patch provides a Windows 8 "tiled" (formerly known as "Metro") application, which offers a range of third-party browsers, such as Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Maxthon 3, and Opera, along with Internet Explorer to be … Read more

Upgrading to Windows 8: What you need to know (FAQ)

Even if you're excited for Microsoft's new OS, you might not be planning to buy a new computer. If you have an existing Windows PC, Microsoft has made the upgrade process more or less simple, but there are still some things you might want to think about before making the switch. Here are a few key points to consider.… Read more

Bypass the Windows 8 Start screen with RetroUI

Still not crazy about the Windows 8 Start screen? A new app helps you avoid it entirely by taking you directly to the desktop.

Sold by a company named Thinix, RetroUI breezes right past the Windows 8 Start screen to deliver you to the desktop. You can still choose to open the Start screen and other Windows 8 UI features, or you can disable them entirely so that the Charms bar, hot corners, and other Win 8 elements are inaccessible.

The software costs $4.95. But you can try before you buy via a 14-day fully functional trial version. And … Read more