Windows Phone 8: common problems, bugs, and fixes

via digitaltrends.com

Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 platform is chasing third place behind the ever popular Android and iOS. It is a decent option for anyone seeking an alternative to the big two, but it’s not without its flaws. In this roundup, we take a look at common WP8 issues that have been reported by users, and we try to find good workarounds or solutions. If you’ve encountered any of these Windows Phone 8 problems and you know of a good solution that hasn’t been mentioned, then please post a comment and we’ll add it just as soon as we can.

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Samsung: No One Is Buying Microsoft's Surface, Windows 8 Isn't Very Good

via businessinsider.com

More bad news for Microsoft and its new operating system, Windows 8.

The president of Samsung's memory chip division, Jun Dong-soo, had a lot of negative comments about Microsoft in a meeting with reporters. The Korea Times transcribed his quotes.

First, he said the obvious: "The global PC industry is steadily shrinking despite the launch of Windows 8."

Then he added this: "I think the Windows 8 system is no better than the previous Windows Vista platform."

Vista is considered to be one of the biggest disasters for Microsoft. It's not good for a partner to compare the new Windows to Vista.

He then added even more: "MS’s rollout of its Windows Surface tablet is seeing lackluster demand ... Meanwhile, previous vigorous pitches by Intel and MS for thinner ultra-books simply failed and I believe that’s mostly because of the less-competitive Windows platform."

This wouldn't be so bad if it were just one guy talking. But, he's just the latest to pile on. Executives at Asus, Acer, and Fujitsu have all had bad things to say about the state of Windows.

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50 Windows 8 Keyboard Shortcuts You Should Know

via hongkiat.com

Windows 8 is the latest offering from Microsoft and has reinvented itself as an operating system for both tablet and PC users. While touchscreen users can take advantage of the many navigational rewrites e.g. the Charms Menu, Metro UI with tiles, and swipes, Microsoft has also done their part to ensure that users who prefer getting around with the keyboard would not be left out.

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Microsoft Surface Pro hands-on

via engadget.com

Even though Microsoft doesn't have a booth at CES this year, that doesn't mean it skipped Vegas altogether. Panos Panay, the general manager for Surface products, is in town, holding meetings with a few members of the media, us included. And he brought some toys with him. Specifically, the forthcoming Surface Pro along with the pressure-sensitive pen that goes with it. We only had a few minutes of hands-on time and in any case, we plan on going into much more detail when we eventually write our review. For now, though, we've got a first look waiting for you past the break.

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5 Alternatives to Windows Media Center on Windows 8

via howtogeek.com

Windows 8 no longer comes with Windows Media Center by default. To get it, you can upgrade to Windows 8 Pro and purchase the Media Center Pack. It’s free until January 31, 2013, but this will soon be even pricier.

If you’re using Windows 8 and don’t want to buy two separate upgrades just to use a program that once came standard with Windows, you can try one of these alternative media center applications for your HTPC.

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10 Must Have Windows 8 Apps

via smashinghub.com

Windows 8, one of the most anticipated Windows versions ever, has finally been launched. It boasts a lot of new amazing features, but the most talked about and exciting thing is definitely the Store.

Now you can ameliorate the usability of your PC by adding new and exciting apps such as games, multimedia, tools, productivity tools etc. Installing these apps is now made extremely easy and you can do it in a click or two – thanks to the Windows app store.

Windows Store boasts a thousands of apps, thus finding the ‘awesome’ ones is a very tough task. Thus in order to help you out, we are going to present a list of 10 Must Have Windows 8 Apps. So check them out!

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Microsoft Releases Windows Phone 8 SDK

Microsoft has released the Windows Phone 8 SDK for the Build developer conference, now taking place on the Redmond campus.

The SDK is described as an environment “for building apps and games for Windows Phone 8 and Windows Phone 7.5.” That’s pretty obvious but why 7.5? That’s the odd thing here.

It has a stand-alone Visual Studio Express 2012 edition. It can also work as an add-on to Visual Studio Express 2012 edition for Windows Phone or works as an add-in to Visual Studio 2012 Professional, Premium or Ultimate editions. Microsoft says the SDK also includes emulators and additional tools for profiling and testing a Windows Phone app under real-world conditions.

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Windows Phone 8 review

via engadget.com

Two years ago, the mobile landscape was quite different than what it is today. Android flagship phones sported 1GHz single-core CPUs and were in the process of upgrading to Froyo, the iPhone 4 was the Apple phone of choice and the word "phablet" was sure to be followed by a "Gesundheit." (It still is, arguably.) This is just a brief glimpse at the world in which Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 was born. Destined to be the replacement solution for an obsolete Windows Mobile 6.x platform, WP7 did its best to disrupt the industry by offering its unique Metro user interface and slick performance across the board.

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Windows 8 Survival Guide: All the Tips, Tricks, and Workarounds

via gizmodo.com

Windows 8 officially launched yesterday, and starting today, Microsoft's army touchscreen devices are making their way into people's hands. It's a huge change from what you're used to. And we're here to get you through it.

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The 10 Best Free Windows 8 Apps For Work And Play

via businessinsider.com

On Friday, Windows 8, the long-awaited new operating system from Microsoft, will be here.

One key new feature: There's a store from Microsoft where you can download apps, just like you do on smartphones and tablets.

Microsoft's Windows 8 App Store is still pretty bare, but more apps are being added daily. We've scanned the early crop and picked the best ones, ranging from work productivity apps to some fun timewasters.

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Should You Buy The Microsoft Surface?

via businessinsider.com

The Microsoft Surface is out today, but we got to play around with one yesterday. While we think Microsoft's Touch Cover keyboard is a huge step forward in the tablet industry, we're not exactly rushing out to buy a Microsoft Surface just yet.

Watch below to find out why you should hold off on getting the new Microsoft Surface...

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Windows 8 vs. Windows 7

via techi.com

Microsoft is releasing a new operating system, Windows 8, October 26th. There have been many changes, and many backend improvements, as well as a huge buzz on the Internet. But how well does the new operating system hold up?

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Microsoft's Surface Tablet Is Already On Backorder

via businessinsider.com

Even though Microsoft's Surface tablet won't be officially available until Friday, Microsoft's online store has already run out.

Microsoft's online store says the Surface model running the special, tablet-optimized Windows RT operating system, which sells for $499 to $699, is on backorder, reports Gregg Keizer at Computerworld.

Depending on the model, customers will have to wait two to three weeks after the official release date before Microsoft can deliver the tablet.

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Get Ready For A Huge Week In Tech

via businessinsider.com

Today kicks off a week of tech news and events from just about every major company.

It's the perfect storm. Microsoft, Apple, Samsung, Google, and perhaps a few others are all planning major product announcements and launches between today and October 29.

Add that to earnings reports from Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Netflix, and you can see how the folks in the tech world are going to have an exhausting few days.

Here's a quick breakdown of everything coming this week...

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Windows 8 Is Really Confusing

via theatlanticwire.com

With less than a week to go before the big Windows 8 launch on October 26, everybody seems to be converging on the same unambiguous conclusion about the new software: bafflement. The business community is baffled about whether the new operating system can deliver the turnaround that Microsoft's stock needs right now. The technology community is baffled that Microsoft is tossing out a lot of widely known Windows conventions like the Start button and filling the screen with squares full of Facebook updates. Most important of all, consumers are just plain baffled. Nobody can figure out how to use the thing!

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Here's Everything We Know About Windows Phone 8 So Far

via businessinsider.com

Windows Phone 8, the newest version of Microsoft's mobile-phone operating system, launches at the end of the month.

Between various leaks and legitimate announcements, we've gathered all the substantive details on it for you here.

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Microsoft Is Finished Building Windows 8

via businessinsider.com

Microsoft's Windows boss Steven Sinofsky announced in a blog post today that Windows 8, its next operating system for PCs and tablets, is finished.

The company will release the finalized Release To Manufacturing (RTM) version of Windows 8 to third-party manufacturers today. Manufacturers will have the next several weeks to get Windows 8 installed on their machines in time for the October 26 launch.

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Windows 8 finally has a release date

via www.gadgetell.com">technologytell.com

Now that pricing for Windows 8 has been taken care of, Microsoft’s next course of action was to provide its potential users with a solid release date. On October 26, Windows 8 will be available for new and upgrading customers. You have the option of walking into your favorite electronics retailer and buying a new PC with Windows 8 pre-loaded in late October, but Microsoft has made it possible for almost anyone to upgrade their OS. Even PCs still running Windows 8 can upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for as low as $39.99.

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Microsoft Will Release Windows 8 On October 26

via techcrunch.com

Smack-dab in the middle of earnings season, Microsoft has officially announced that the long-awaited Windows 8 operating system will be available to upgraders and new PC buyers alike come October 26, 2012. For those of you keeping count, that’s about 14 weeks from now.

Just a few weeks ago, Microsoft announced that Windows 8 would be available in “late October” which was soon enough to be excited and vague enough to be an understandably unreliable timeline. But Microsoft has set a date, and that date is October 26.

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Windows 8 coming in October: Microsoft

via theglobeandmail.com

Computers running on the next version of Microsoft’s Windows operating system will go on sale in October.

Microsoft Corp. announced the time frame for Windows 8’s mass-market release Monday in Toronto. A specific sales date in October wasn’t provided.

Most industry analysts expected Windows 8 would go on sale in the fall to ensure that the machines running on the operating system would be available for the holiday shopping season. Consumers and businesses who don’t want to buy new computers will be able to buy Windows 8 and upgrade their systems.

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