8 things Microsoft is doing wrong
A few days ago, Tami Reller, Microsoft's chief marketing and financial officer for Windows, announced that the company had sold 40 million Windows 8 licenses since October 26 -- the day the new operating system launched. All puns aside, on the surface that seems pretty impressive, but recent articles by CNET and others indicate a much shakier start for Windows 8 and the hardware hinged to it.On November 29, an article by the New York Times cited poor sales figures for both Windows PCs and tablets from NPD, the retail sales tracking firm, painting "a darker picture of the Windows 8 introduction."According to NPD, unit sales of Windows PCs in retail stores in the U.S. fell 21 percent in the four-week period of October 21 to November 17 compared with the same period a year ago. And sales of Windows tablets have been "almost nonexistant" (less than 1 percent of all Windows 8 device sales).Windows 8 was supposed to jump-start sales of PCs, not help them drop off. So what's wrong?Well, plenty. Microsoft, of course, is a huge company that's flush with cash. It can afford to make mistakes. The 8-figure kind. And making them it is. With that in mind, I've put together a little "best of" list of Microsoft's faux pas. Feel free to agree or disagree and add your own items to the list (yes, there are more, but I figured eight was enough).1. Windows 8 upgrades cost too muchI have four or five Windows machines sitting around at home that I'd consider upgrading if I got more than one license for $40. The fact is, I'm fine running Windows 7 -- which is pretty darn good -- and don't see any compelling reason to upgrade the machines, particularly because none of them has a touch-screen display. I've also gotten used to Apple's new system of allowing you to upgrade at least five machines that have your iTunes account (App Store) once you buy an OS upgrade for $20.Windows 8 isn't such a great deal, even at its $39.99 launch price (click to enlarge).MicrosoftGranted, Windows 8 is a bigger upgrade than Apple's yearly changing of the felines, but I'm just not a one-license kind of guy anymore. I want more. At least three, preferably five. Call me cheap, but I just don't see myself upgrading until Microsoft offers up a better deal. 2. The muddle of Windows RTI was shocked when a few months ago someone told me Microsoft's Surface RT tablet didn't run Windows 8 Pro butWindows RT, which doesn't run older Windows programs.What the heck is Windows RT? Windows Retweet? And why would you put out a Windows RT tablet and then follow it up with a "real" Windows 8 tablet a few months later that does run legacy Windows software?I actually think the Surface hardware is nice -- and so did our reviewer, Eric Franklin -- but I'm not itching to run out and buy one since it doesn't offer a unique, killer feature that makes it seem better than the competition. Oh, and I'd rather wait for a real Windows 8 tablet that costs the same as an iPad. 3. Overpricing the Surface Pro tabletWhen Microsoft unveiled its tablets several months back without revealing the pricing for them, a lot of folks assumed the higher-end model, the "real" Windows 8 tablet, the so-called Surface Pro, would be pretty pricey. They were right. Recently, Microsoft said the Surface Pro would start at $899 without a keyboard (the keyboard costs $100). Why wouldn't I just buy an ultrabook with a touch-screen and twice the battery life for around the same price?4. The confusion over touch-screen vs. non-touch-screen Windows 8 laptopsA few friends have e-mailed asking me which Windows 8 laptop to buy. I tell them we here at CNET are recommending that folks buy a Windows 8 notebook with a touch screen. I've played around with a few Windows 8 notebooks and our laptop gurus, Dan Ackerman and Scott Stein, have reviewed several models. They both think touch-screen is the way to go -- and so do I. With its tile-based Metro interface, Windows 8 simply lends itself to being a touch-screen interface.Touch and go: Editor Dan Ackerman using the Acer Aspire S7 (click to enlarge).Sarah Tew/CNETNeedless to say, this creates some confusion for consumers. I keep watching these Windows 8 ads on TV and I'm seeing a Sony and a Dell and some other machines (we like the Lenovo Yoga and Acer Aspire S7). I have no idea which machine to buy, so I think to myself, "I'll wait for the dust to settle and hold out for next-generation Windows 8 devices to hit the market in 2013 before I'll seriously consider buying one." (Side note: I own both Macs and Windows machines and I'm writing this article on a Windows machine at work. I'm in the market for a new Windows machine at home because my young kids use only Apple devices and I want them to be exposed to Windows before they completely succumb to Apple.)At this point, it's hard to justify putting the resources forward to develop for their smartphones and tablets. We can't make any money.5. Failure to have developers buy inOn the same day the New York Times cited those NPD numbers, it posted an article titled "Microsoft Faces 'Year of Reckoning in Mobile Software,' IDC says." It cited an IDC survey where 33 percent of developers who replied to the survey said they were very interested in writing applications for Windows 8 tablets and 21 percent for Windows Phone 7 software. (Why they were polling for Windows Phone 7, and not Windows Phone 8, I don't know.) That's compared with 85 percent of developers who were interested in writing programs for the iPhone (83 percent for iPad) and 76 percent for Android phones (66 percent for Android tablets). Needless to say, the numbers looked bleak for BlackBerry devices. As part of the study IDC opined that, "Mobile platforms that fail to crack the 50 percent barrier of developers who are 'very interested' in developing apps for them will be on a gradual track to demise."In other words, unless Microsoft does a better job getting developers on board fast, it's looking at a downward slope, and not the good kind. On that note, I spoke to a major developer who was completely unimpressed by Microsoft's Windows 8 launch in New York City."They pretty much just showed their apps," said the developer, who didn't want to be quoted by name in this article. "And when we met with them, they just didn't provide any real monetary incentives for us to develop apps for them. At this point, it's hard to justify putting the resources forward to develop for their smartphones and tablets. We can't make any money." 6. Not seeding enough influencers with Windows phones and tabletsIn recent years Microsoft has spent millions of dollars on expensive advertising campaigns. That's fine. That's what big companies with lots of money do, even if they sometimes yield lackluster results. However, I would argue that Microsoft's media outreach has been suspect in recent years. Of course, it depends on which media you talk to, but I personally have had little to no contact with Microsoft's PR folks (they have two agencies) and couldn't tell who does what for them. I've barely used any of their mobile devices except in passing. Granted, I'm not very important, but I have written a lot of articles about Apple's, Amazon's, and Google's products.Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at the Windows 8 launch event in New York.Sarah Tew/CNETThis is just anecdotal evidence, but it's also worth noting that we never got a Surface tablet in CNET's New York office (we have one in the San Francisco office). We do a lot of video here at CNET and several of our editors regularly appear on TV, particularly during the holiday season. It's pretty hard to show or talk about a product if you don't have it.Consider Microsoft's big Windows 8 launch event in New York City on October 25. A lot of folks were expecting an "Oprah moment" for media attendees, with Steve Ballmer promising Surface tablets for all. Instead, journalists got a redundant walkthrough of the new OS. In the meantime, Samsung is doing big events in New York for its Galaxy phones (S3, Note II) and doling out hundreds of review samples for the press to try out. The same goes for Google, which routinely showers Google IO attendees with the latest Nexus tablets or phones. Apple did it with the iPod. And Amazon did it with the Kindle, too. It may sound crass, but that's how it's done. No, it's not about "buying off" the press with free stuff. It is about letting key influencers -- journalists, bloggers, college students -- live with these radically new operating systems for weeks, not just a few minutes at a press conference. Microsoft needs to get more people using the devices -- and evangelizing them -- before developers will truly buy into the platform. And the company won't get that with traditional advertising.7. No 'hero' phone for Windows 8Apple has always had the advantage of coalescing around one phone, the iPhone, whatever generation it is. Yes, the Android market is fragmented, but some of the Motorola models have stood out early, and now the Samsung Galaxy S3 is a true Android star.As for Nokia delivering a killer Windows 8 phone, that hasn't quite happened yet. The Lumia 920 is appealing, but it just doesn't have the pizzazz or a strong enough ecosystem to lift it past rivals in such a competitive market. Microsoft needs its iPhone 5 or Galaxy S3 to have a chance -- and it just doesn't have it yet.8. Missing the opportunity to expand Xbox brandMicrosoft has built a great brand with the Xbox and has been very successful in conquering the living room, with a huge core of loyal users. But Microsoft has failed to build on the Xbox brand across other platforms.As my colleague Jason Hiner has argued, Microsoft's smartphone should have been the xPhone, not a Windows product (ironically, Windows 8's tile-based interface has its roots in the Xbox's interface). Microsoft's been spending all this money trying to make Windows devices look hip and cool when the Windows brand just isn't that hip and cool, and I'm not sure it ever will be. You can argue over what it stands for now, but I don't think "hip" would make the top five in a Family Feud survey.Xbox, on the other hand, has an identity more closely tied to the audience Microsoft seems to be going after today. I would have gone with the xPhone. But what do I know?
How to disable or limit in-app purchases in iOS
How to disable or limit in-app purchases in iOS
Worried about your kids running up a big bill for in-app purchases on an iPhone or iPad? You can avoid sticker shock by disabling or limiting those purchases.The parental controls that limit in-app purchases aren't new. They've been around since Apple added them in iOS 4.3 in 2011. But the option is worth revisiting in light of Apple's recent reaction to the legal trouble caused by the in-app purchasing process.You must enter your iTunes password to confirm an in-app purchase. But by default, that password is good for 15 minutes. Make additional in-app purchases during that grace period, and no password is required. That grace period triggered a class-action lawsuit and a Federal Trade Commission complaint after parents complained that their kids were able to ring up lots of in-app purchases during that 15 minute span.Apple eventually settled the class-action suit and the FTC complaint with promises of some hefty financial compensation. In iOS 7.1, Apple also now flashes a warning when you make an in-app purchase that such purchases can go on for 15 minutes without requiring the password.That warning itself won't do anything to stop an in-app-purchase happy kid. But that's something you can do yourself. Here's how:On the iOS device, open the Settings screen. Tap General, and then tap Restrictions.Tap the option to Enable Restrictions. Enter and then re-enter a Restrictions passcode.By default, all of the apps and services are allowed. To disallow in-app purchases, tap on its button. In iOS 7 or higher, the button background for in-app purchases then turns from green to white.Now when you try to make an in-app purchase on that device, you're blocked and told that such purchases are not allowed.Okay, but what if you need to make an in-app purchase but simply want to disable that pesky 15-minute window? No problem.Head back to the Settings screen. Tap General, and then tap Restrictions. Type your Restrictions passcode.Tap the button for in-app purchases to turn them back on. Scroll down the Restrictions screen until you see a Require Password option that's currently set to 15 minutes. Tap that option and change the setting to Immediately.Tap the Restrictions link to go back to the previous screen and you'll see the setting now says Immediately.Now when you make an in-app purchase, you'll have to enter your iTunes password for each one. That restriction also applies to other types of purchases, so this just might help trim your future iTunes bills.
Worried about your kids running up a big bill for in-app purchases on an iPhone or iPad? You can avoid sticker shock by disabling or limiting those purchases.The parental controls that limit in-app purchases aren't new. They've been around since Apple added them in iOS 4.3 in 2011. But the option is worth revisiting in light of Apple's recent reaction to the legal trouble caused by the in-app purchasing process.You must enter your iTunes password to confirm an in-app purchase. But by default, that password is good for 15 minutes. Make additional in-app purchases during that grace period, and no password is required. That grace period triggered a class-action lawsuit and a Federal Trade Commission complaint after parents complained that their kids were able to ring up lots of in-app purchases during that 15 minute span.Apple eventually settled the class-action suit and the FTC complaint with promises of some hefty financial compensation. In iOS 7.1, Apple also now flashes a warning when you make an in-app purchase that such purchases can go on for 15 minutes without requiring the password.That warning itself won't do anything to stop an in-app-purchase happy kid. But that's something you can do yourself. Here's how:On the iOS device, open the Settings screen. Tap General, and then tap Restrictions.Tap the option to Enable Restrictions. Enter and then re-enter a Restrictions passcode.By default, all of the apps and services are allowed. To disallow in-app purchases, tap on its button. In iOS 7 or higher, the button background for in-app purchases then turns from green to white.Now when you try to make an in-app purchase on that device, you're blocked and told that such purchases are not allowed.Okay, but what if you need to make an in-app purchase but simply want to disable that pesky 15-minute window? No problem.Head back to the Settings screen. Tap General, and then tap Restrictions. Type your Restrictions passcode.Tap the button for in-app purchases to turn them back on. Scroll down the Restrictions screen until you see a Require Password option that's currently set to 15 minutes. Tap that option and change the setting to Immediately.Tap the Restrictions link to go back to the previous screen and you'll see the setting now says Immediately.Now when you make an in-app purchase, you'll have to enter your iTunes password for each one. That restriction also applies to other types of purchases, so this just might help trim your future iTunes bills.
64-bit Vista, memory, and you
64-bit Vista, memory, and you
Last month's desktop announcement from Gateway showed us two things: one, that desktop memory is now more affordable than ever; and two, that the 64-bit software era is upon us in full force.Each of the four desktops Gateway announced that day comes with 64-bit Vista, and they also all have either 4GB or 6GB of RAM. Considering the decidedly mainstream $550 to $1,150 price range for those PCs, all of a sudden those exotic features don't seem so exotic any more. But then we got our hands on one of those new Gateways for a review. What we found surprised us.What we learned in our recent review of the $1,150 Gateway FX4710 is that 6GB of RAM actually made almost no difference in current applications. We became suspicious when we compared its scores with the 4GB-equipped Gateway FX7026. To be sure, we ran our complete desktop benchmark suite (minus Crysis, which was acting weird) on the FX4710 three times, with 2GB, 4GB, and 6GB of RAM installed. As you can see in the charts below, moving from 2GB to 4GB in 64-bit has a definite performance impact, in some cases, especially in Photoshop and on our multimedia multitasking test, both of which handle large amounts of data at once. But going from 4GB to 6GB got us much less of a boost.Adobe Photoshop CS3 image-processing test (in seconds)(Shorter bars indicate better performance)4GB Gateway FX7026106 4GB Gateway FX4710108 6GB Gateway FX4710108 2GB Gateway FX4710143 Apple iTunes encoding test (in seconds)(Shorter bars indicate better performance)4GB Gateway FX7026142 6GB Gateway FX4710144 4GB Gateway FX4710149 2GB Gateway FX4710150 Multimedia multitasking test (in seconds)(Shorter bars indicate better performance)4GB Gateway FX7026523 6GB Gateway FX4710524 4GB Gateway FX4710529 2GB Gateway FX4710548 Cinebench (Longer bars indicate better performance)Rendering Multiple CPUs  Rendering Single CPU  6GB Gateway FX471010,767 3,009 4GB Gateway FX471010,628 2,975 4GB Gateway FX702610,306 3,008 2GB Gateway FX47109,343 2,682 Unreal Tournament 3 (in frames per second)(Longer bars indicate better performance)1,920x1,200  1,280x1,024  6GB Gateway FX471083 141 2GB Gateway FX471082 135 4GB Gateway FX471082 135 4GB Gateway FX702679 123 Gateway is not the only vendor guilty of selling more memory than is necessary at the moment. HP also has options for 6GB and even 8GB of RAM on some of its desktops. And to both vendors' credit, at least they offer 64-bit Vista. Dell still doesn't.This is also not to say that 6GB and higher will never have an impact. We just need new versions of Photoshop and other applications to come out that can support those higher memory allotments. But right now, you'd be smarter to spend your money on a faster CPU or graphics card, or some added features before boosting a 64-bit Vista system with more than 4GB of memory.
Last month's desktop announcement from Gateway showed us two things: one, that desktop memory is now more affordable than ever; and two, that the 64-bit software era is upon us in full force.Each of the four desktops Gateway announced that day comes with 64-bit Vista, and they also all have either 4GB or 6GB of RAM. Considering the decidedly mainstream $550 to $1,150 price range for those PCs, all of a sudden those exotic features don't seem so exotic any more. But then we got our hands on one of those new Gateways for a review. What we found surprised us.What we learned in our recent review of the $1,150 Gateway FX4710 is that 6GB of RAM actually made almost no difference in current applications. We became suspicious when we compared its scores with the 4GB-equipped Gateway FX7026. To be sure, we ran our complete desktop benchmark suite (minus Crysis, which was acting weird) on the FX4710 three times, with 2GB, 4GB, and 6GB of RAM installed. As you can see in the charts below, moving from 2GB to 4GB in 64-bit has a definite performance impact, in some cases, especially in Photoshop and on our multimedia multitasking test, both of which handle large amounts of data at once. But going from 4GB to 6GB got us much less of a boost.Adobe Photoshop CS3 image-processing test (in seconds)(Shorter bars indicate better performance)4GB Gateway FX7026106 4GB Gateway FX4710108 6GB Gateway FX4710108 2GB Gateway FX4710143 Apple iTunes encoding test (in seconds)(Shorter bars indicate better performance)4GB Gateway FX7026142 6GB Gateway FX4710144 4GB Gateway FX4710149 2GB Gateway FX4710150 Multimedia multitasking test (in seconds)(Shorter bars indicate better performance)4GB Gateway FX7026523 6GB Gateway FX4710524 4GB Gateway FX4710529 2GB Gateway FX4710548 Cinebench (Longer bars indicate better performance)Rendering Multiple CPUs  Rendering Single CPU  6GB Gateway FX471010,767 3,009 4GB Gateway FX471010,628 2,975 4GB Gateway FX702610,306 3,008 2GB Gateway FX47109,343 2,682 Unreal Tournament 3 (in frames per second)(Longer bars indicate better performance)1,920x1,200  1,280x1,024  6GB Gateway FX471083 141 2GB Gateway FX471082 135 4GB Gateway FX471082 135 4GB Gateway FX702679 123 Gateway is not the only vendor guilty of selling more memory than is necessary at the moment. HP also has options for 6GB and even 8GB of RAM on some of its desktops. And to both vendors' credit, at least they offer 64-bit Vista. Dell still doesn't.This is also not to say that 6GB and higher will never have an impact. We just need new versions of Photoshop and other applications to come out that can support those higher memory allotments. But right now, you'd be smarter to spend your money on a faster CPU or graphics card, or some added features before boosting a 64-bit Vista system with more than 4GB of memory.
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