Experience Windows Phone on your Android or iPhone ... Awesome demo!

Microsoft has released a webpage that allow iPhone and Android smartphone to experience Windows Phone interface and features. The demo works well on iPhone and Android smartphone, awesome demo!  Thanks to the team who created this demo.

Below are few screenshots captured from an iPhone:

The front page of the Windows Phone webpage - tap on Demo now to launch the Windows Phone demo:

Welcome screen with instruction given on screen & Windows Phone demo is ready to start from this screen:

Here you go, the Windows Phone main Tiles menu demo on my iPhone (I have tried the demo on a Android smartphone and it works perfectly fine)

The tap and swipe works well when changing to next/other tile and you just got to try it on your smartphone :)

The Messenging menu:

Note: The demo does not on desktop or laptop based on the platform tested so far.

Microsoft Windows Intune

Have you heard of Windows Intune?
Microsoft Windows Intune was introduced in mid of 2011, it is cloud-based subscription desktop management solution where it allows to manage your desktop via browser anywhere, anytime.


Personally, I feel that Windows Intune is good to start with the below situation as these are the computers where IT Administrator face challenges:

• branches with limited IT resources
• branches with limited bandwidth
• non-domained joined computers
• on the road (roaming) computers

And since it is based on subscription basis with an monthly payment at approximately US$11 per PC per month, so you can forecast expenditures more accurately.  :)
 

For detail and free trial, check out official Windows Intune at http://www.microsoft.com/malaysia/cloud/Productivity/WindowsIntune/Default.aspx?gclid=COeR5Oj56qwCFch56wodZG-zNA

Windows 8 - Classic Start Menu

How to enable classic start menu in Windows 8?

The Windows 8 Developer Preview allows us to enable the classic start menu and at the sametime disable the Metro User Interface (UI) with few simple steps.  If you are interested to give a try, please follow the below steps in order to get back the classic start menu:

• Open regedit and locate HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

• Change value of RPEnabled from "1" to "0"

• Close regedit, you get your old start menu and no more Metro UI because as you just disabled it (a restart recommended)
• To et back the Metro UI, change the value back to "1" follow by a restart

The Windows 8 Desktop with mini Start Menu before Metro UI disabled

The Windows 8 with Classic Start Menu after Metro UI disabled

Back to classic Windows Task Manager (after Metro UI disbled) 

Back to classic Windows Explorer (after Metro UI disbled) 

Internet Explorer remain unchanged!

 

The same steps is applicable on Windows 8 Server and it was discussed on Chon Kit's blog recently.

Windows XP just turns 10 years old!!!

Windows XP just turned 10 years old!!!  

Although 10 years consider a long time for the same technology however Windows XP has proved that it is very successful technology and being widely use on personal computer for the last 10 years.  The following are few articles and blogs which I think is good to share, enjoy reading :)

 

 

Windows 7 overtakes XP globally, Vista found weeping in a corner

Microsoft Product Lifecycle - Windows XP

The Windows Blog - Then and Now: What 10 Years with XP Looks Like

Windows 8 Client - Working with Applications

Microsoft Windows 8 seems backwards compatible most Windows 7 applications so far. I have below few common applications installed on my Windows 8 client and it works fine, no compatibility issue found and the experience of working with applications on Windows 8 is similar to working on Windows 7.  Perhaps you should give a try and share your experience with me :)

• Microsoft Office 2010
• Microsoft Visio 2010 Viewer
• Microsoft SyncToy 2.1
• Microsoft Security Essentials 2.1.1116.0
• Adobe Reader 9
• QuickTime Player Version 7.7
• Skype Version 5.5.0.124
• Apple iTunes 10.4.1.10

Screenshots of applications running on Windows 8:

Microsoft PowerPoint 2010

Microsoft Word 2010

Microsoft Excel 2010

Acrobat Reader 9

Microsoft Security Essential

Skype

iTune

Windows 8 Client - Switching to Desktop Mode

Switch to Windows 8 Desktop Mode

• From the Metro UI Start screen, click on Desktop tile to switch over.
• The Windows 8 Desktop mode and environment looks familiar to us as it is still based on Windows 7 Desktop design. 
• Quick Launch icons & System tray still available in Windows 8.  However the traditional full Start menu has been removed.  

Windows 8 Desktop Mode

Internet Explorer is presented in two different interface in Metro UI and Windows Desktop, not sure about the purpose of having two interface Internet Explorer interfaces.   (Anyway, this is the Developer Preview version of Windows 8, Microsoft may change the design after hearing feedback from customer)

 

 

Internet Explorer Version 10

 

Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer with Disc Image Tools can now Mount ISO file as a drive as a drive, which is very handy for those that do not want to burn the installation media into a optical disc.

Select a ISO file and click on Mount button on menu

ISO file is mounted as DVD Drive G:

To burn a disc, click on Burn button on menu.  Now it support a disc to a CD, DVD, Blu-ray, or removable drive

By default, Task Manager launch with less details, click on More Details to expand

New Task Manager with improved interface & more enhanced features

 Control Panel remain unchanged

There are more features which yet discovered, stay tuned for the next post!


Switch to Windows 8 Metro UI

• To switch to Metro UI, move the mouse to the left hand corner of the Windows, a 'mini version of start menu' appear almost instantly.  Click on Start to switch to Metro UI.

By default, Task Manager launch with less details, click on More Details to expand

Windows 8 Client - Memory Usage

- One of the Windows 8 client fundamental improvement announced during Build Windows keynote #1 is the reduced of Windows processes and memory usage, below is a snapshot of the presentation about processes & memory usage reduction.  This should be a good news for all since more spare memory meaning more room for other applications running on Windows.

A snapshot of Build Windows Keynote #1 presentation

To do comparison, both plain Vanilla Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8 Developer Preview Edition were installed on two identical computer hardware.  And I have captured the Processes and Physical Memory usage for both Operating System during system idle and it is quite closed to what has been announced.

Processes & Physical Memory Usage on Windows with 7 SP1

Processes & Physical Memory Usage on Windows 8 Developer Preview

Windows XP End Of Support Countdown Gadget

While most of us are busy planning and exploring new features of new product, I think it is to good continue to remind ourself on End of Support dates of existing products.

You may now use this gadget on your Windows 7 to count down the number of days until Windows XP End of Support (EOS) in 2014.  It is a small and handy gadget and you may download the gadget at Microsoft Download center, Windows XP End Of Support Countdown Gadget.  And the following is screenshot of the simple gadget, let's countdown together :)

Microsoft Officially Welcomes Skype

Just to share the news of Microsoft officially acquired Skype and Skype is now a business division of Microsoft.  For detail about the acquisition, you may visit Microsoft Officially Welcomes Skype

The following is some of these interesting facts and stats published by Skype, showing the scope and impact of how Skype video calling is helping people around the world stay connected:

Windows 8 Client - Metro User Interface

On my opinion, the Windows 8 Metro UI is similar and based on Windows Phone 7 Metro UI.  It should be work best on touchscreen devices and it is a bit strange for a typical notebook or desktop computer using mouse or touchscreen because mouse simply can't 'slide' and 'tab' tiles on the Windows :)

The Windows 8 welcome screen can be quite confusing for the first timer.  For the first time, I have waited for 30 seconds and was expecting message to prompt up or some special effect however, it will just be ideal and there is no buttons at this stage, a bit strange.  Anyway, you may press any key or simply double to bring up the login page and subsequently logon to Windows.

The Start screen after you log on to Windows shows 'tiles' based menu and no longer the familiar Desktop interface on the main screen (I will share more on Desktop interface in my next post).  Familiar names like Internet Explorer, Windows Explorer, Control Panel and Desktop could be easily found on the main screen in titles mode together with some default widgets.

The Start screen is expandable by scrolling with mouse to the next screen.  You will find application icons from the second screen, in this case I have Microsoft Office 2010 installed and it works fine for now.

You will be able to rearrange the tiles by Step 1: click-and-hold the tile

Step 2: drag the tile and move your mouse to your preferred location

Step 3: drop and pin the tile to the target location

You may wonder how do I shutdown or restart my Windows since there is not Start button on the main screen.   To do so, move the mouse to right bottom corner and the Start button will pop up from the corner.  Click on Settings to bring up a 'Green side bar' from the right hand pane.

Click on Power icon to Shutdown or Restart the Windows.

To Change user tile, Lock, Log off and Add user, click the user icon on the top right. 

The Internet Explore on the Windows 8 Metro UI with with menu bar at the bottom of the screen, slight different from conventional IE on Deskop.  (You may find the conventional IE in the Desktop mode)

I like the download status bar, quite cool!

The Control Panel comes with a clean, fresh look and easy to work with interface.

Tested one the Widgets, the Weather forecast widget and it works!

Right click on the screen in order to bring up the settings menu.

Next, I will share more on Desktop mode interface, stay tuned :)

Windows 8 Developer Preview, 32 bit (x86) Installation Walk-through

The installation takes about 30 minutes to complete for both Hyper-V and physical environment.  Overall, it is running smooth with 1GB RAM in both environment with and there were no issues so far.

The Windows 8 Developer Preview ISO is available for download at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/br229516

Installation Walk-through

Boot from Windows 8 installation disc on a physical computer or boot from ISO image from VM

 

 Select Install now to proceed

Select preferred Language to install, Time and currency format and Keyboard or input method and click Next

"Setup is starting ..."

Check "I accept the license term" and click Next

Select Custom (advanced)

Select the available space and click Next to proceed

Installation begin ...

Click on Restart now to restart Windows

After Windows restart, Setup will update registry settings

 Enter a PC name

You may select Customize settings or in this case, I selected Use express settings

Enter username and password

Windows Finalizing your settings

Logon successful with credential created earlier

Metro look and feel on Windows 8!