Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • Cybersecurity
    • Development
    • Mobile

    Windows 8 Update, Windows Phone Tweak, Surface Marked Microsoft Week

    By
    Nicholas Kolakowski
    -
    November 20, 2011
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Microsoft’s relatively quiet week centered on some Windows 8 updates, an indicator that its Windows Phone could be attracting more developer interest in the wake of the Nokia partnership, and some updates to that aforementioned mobile platform.

      “We’re now sending out Windows Phone 7.5 updates to customers with Samsung Focus 1.4 phones on AT&T,” read a Nov. 17 note on the Windows Phone Blog. “We’re also sending out another wave of firmware updates from our manufacturers to select Windows Phone models.” Those updates will make improvements to the smartphones’ “overall function,” according to the posting.

      Microsoft has begun a hard push for Windows Phone adoption, boosted by the recent (and wide-ranging) “Mango” software update, and in conjunction with manufacturing partners such as Nokia. That Nokia partnership, in fact, could be sparking a rise in developer interest in the platform, which is currently languishing behind Apple’s iPhone and Google Android in market share.

      According to Appcelerator and research firm IDC, which surveyed 2,160 Appcelerator Titanium developers a few weeks ago, Windows Phone has surpassed Research In Motion’s BlackBerry OS as a subject of developer interest, placing it behind both Apple’s iOS and Android.

      “Microsoft is enjoying symbiotic success with Nokia,” read a summary of that report. “When asked why developers are more interested in Windows Phone 7 now than a year ago, a plurality (48 percent) said it was the Microsoft/Nokia partnership.”

      Microsoft has also kept up its steady stream of updates about Windows 8, its operating system due to arrive sometime in 2012; the most recent one, from Nov. 14, detailed the attempts to refine Windows Update to prove less annoying to those users who hate to constantly restart.

      “This means that your PC will only restart when security updates are installed and require a restart,” read a note posted on Microsoft’s official “Building Windows 8” blog. “With this improvement, it does not matter when updates that require restarts are released in a month, since these restarts will wait till the security release.”

      Microsoft will make an exception, and push through an update, in the event of a worm or other major security issue. Windows 8 will also offer an automatic start notification, with three days’ lead time before it takes effect. Within the enterprise, IT administrators can set policies “to prevent auto-restart after automatic installs (just as in Windows 7).”

      In a bid to capture the tablet market, Windows 8 offers a “Metro” interface with touch-optimized, app-connected tiles, paired with a more traditional desktop interface; users will have the ability to seamlessly flip between the two. In this bifurcated manner, Microsoft hopes to challenge the iPad and other competitors in the tablet arena, while appealing to its base of current users who don’t necessarily want a radical change.

      Speaking of touch screens, Microsoft and Samsung jointly announced the SUR40 with Microsoft Surface is available for preorder. The 40-inch Gorilla Glass screen doubles as a table, and its resistance to shock and water makes it, at least in theory, ideal as a restaurant and entertainment-venue display. Surface allows users to virtually “grab” and manipulate objects.

      For Microsoft, touch-whether for mobile devices, laptops, or tables-is evidently the future.

      Follow Nicholas Kolakowski on Twitter

      Nicholas Kolakowski
      Nicholas Kolakowski is a staff editor at eWEEK, covering Microsoft and other companies in the enterprise space, as well as evolving technology such as tablet PCs. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Playboy, WebMD, AARP the Magazine, AutoWeek, Washington City Paper, Trader Monthly, and Private Air. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×