Windows 10 running on More than 200 million devices.
As 2015 draws to a close, Microsoft's latest operating system is reaching a new milestone in terms of device installations. Windows 10 has now been installed over 200 million times. That's up from 14 million in the first day since it became available, 50 million in less than three weeks after that, and 110 million at the beginning of October.
200 million is certainly an impressive number, and even more so when you consider that it's been reached in only five months. So we've got an average of 40 million installs of Windows 10 per month. Then again, this evolution is hardly surprising given how Microsoft has been pushing users of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 to update to Windows 10 (which, let's not forget, is a free process). Microsoft's goal is to reach 1 billion installs in three years, and that could very well happen, at least based on these first five months of availability. Windows 10 will surely get a lot more users in 2016 as Microsoft continues to polish the OS and fix more bugs. The company is also expected to release two new major updates for Windows 10 to the public in 2016. For those who don’t know, next year’s update is codenamed as “Redstone” and it will bring extension support for Microsoft Edge,a floating Cortana, improvements to Continuum, and much more.
I have decided to sever my ties with Windows Phone.
I'm genuinely heartbroken over the decision. I'm a die-hard Windows geek, always have been. And I adore my Nokia Lumia 925 Windows Phone. In fact I've never owned a smartphone that wasn't a Windows Phone. But the decision is final. Why? Well the writing, as they say, is on the wall.
Here's what it looks like:
-- According to the IDC, Microsoft only claims 2.2 per cent of the entire smartphone market.
-- Microsoft's contract with Nokia, arguably the best cell phone Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) on planet Earth, is only for five years. It ends in 2016.
-- Nokia has already announced its intent to produce and distribute Android phones after their contract with Microsoft expires.
-- Chatter regarding a possible Surface Pro smartphone.
A phone that docks for PC-style interaction isn't intended for the average smartphone owner. With the advent of Continuum, Microsoft is again targeting its enterprise market, one that is paying closer attention since the release of the Surface Pro 4 and the Surface Book earlier this year.
It is also making Microsoft seem less like an innovator and more like a one-trick pony.
For me, the combination of Microsoft's mobile operating system and Nokia's hardware is unbeatable. It's everything I need my smartphone to be. But with the expiration of Microsoft's contract with Nokia, however, goes Nokia's hardware. And with Microsoft's insistence on making every device conveniently mimic a desktop computer goes the delusion that Windows 10 Mobile will be enough like Windows Phone 8.1 in its heyday to make it worth me waiting for.
I suspect Microsoft made a decision to cut smartphone losses ahead of the 950 series' release. My "wag-the-dog" sense tingles every time I read something that perpetuates the notion that Microsoft will continue to support status quo smartphone development. I don't plan to be one of the Windows Phone users wondering what to do after Microsoft's inevitable announcement that they will no longer support the smartphone OS as-is in favor of evolving technology commitments.
And I don't want to have to make phone calls on a PC. It's not who I am.
So I say farewell to my Windows Phone. It's been an enriching collaboration. And I wish Microsoft the greatest success in future technology endeavors, whatever those happen to be. source
Microsoft Surface Pro 4 landing in India in January first week
Less than a couple of months after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced that the Surface Pro 4 will land in India in January 2016, it has been revealed that the launch will happen in the "first week" of the month.
Technical Specifications
Operating System
Windows 10 Pro
Exterior
Dimensions: 11.50 x 7.93 x 0.33 in (292.10 x 201.42 x 8.4 mm)
6th Generation Intel® Core™ m weight: 1.69 lbs. (766 g)
Surface Pro 4 Review: Purity And Power Of Windows 10 Perfected Says Forbes/Tech
I’ve spent the last few weeks with a Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (supplied by Microsoft’s UK team) to put it through a long-term review. The hardware has been tweaked since the Surface Pro 3, and both the Surface Pen and the Type Cover have been improved. Has Microsoft built the perfect Windows 10 tablet? Not quite, but it’s an easy machine to recommend.
Approaching Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4 for a long-term review is a curious challenge. There is a huge amount of legacy in this device. It follows the design cues and size of the Surface Pro 3 but manages to be just that little bit better, the iterative approach to the Type Cover gives the Surface Pro 4 one of the best keyboards for an ultraportable I’ve ever typed on, and the Surface Pen finally feels like it belongs with the package.
There is also a huge amount of innovation from Microsoft’s engineering team. While the Surface Book may have caught the imagination of many reviewers, in the real world it’s the Surface Pro 4 that’s probably going to bring in more sales across the device’s lifetime. Not least because of the lower price point, but also because availability in the grace period after the official announcement has been higher than the Surface Book. It’s simply easier to get a hold of one.
It’s nice to see that the Pro 4 and the Pro 3 can share the same magnetically connected charger. It still takes two and a half hours to fully charge an empty Surface Pro, and when travelling the addition of a USB socket on the power brick to charge your phone is still a useful addition that I love.
The Surface Pro is available in 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB memory configurations, along with storage options at 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. A 1TB version will be available in the very near future. There’s also a microSD card slot tucked away under the kickstand if you need to boost the long-term storage on your machine. ==The peripherals complete the Surface Pro 4 story… hear
