Microsoft turns to extend them Influence PC makers

As he worked in the marketing of its system of exploitation of Windows 8 touch-activated, Microsoft attempts to expand its influence on decision-makers PC to run its new software that build systems that are better able to.

"For the systems Windows 8 be the best ever, we let a new approach to the way we work with our partners in the ecosystem," Michael Angiulo, Vice President of Microsoft Windows, hardware, and ecosystem planning support, said as he demonstrated the new OS in Taipei Microsoft hardware partners on Thursday.

Microsoft wants to influence PC manufacturers on such details as the proportions that they choose displays, where the radio and the buttons are located and even the width of the bezel or rim around the edge of the screen.

"On the first day we started engineering begins with manufacturing and continues through the configuration of the final system of these systems with a much closer degree of integration of hardware-software than ever and that the integration," Angiulo said.

Shows for the first time this week, 8 Windows has a touch screen interface which is very different from previous versions of the operating system, but Microsoft said works on both PC controlled with a mouse and a keyboard.

Developers will have the opportunity to write native applications Windows using HTML 5, Javascript, and CSS, as well as the code in c that they used in the past. HTML 5 applications appear on the screen as the colourful tiles, somewhat like the interface on Microsoft Windows 7 phone software.

Angiulo showed Windows 8 running on a PC screen with a 16: 9 aspect ratio and 1366 x 768 pixels resolution. "We believe that the best way to discover 8 Windows is this kind of direction", he said managers of equipment in the audience.

Microsoft has also "ideas" on "where to put the buttons and where to put the radio antennas for maximum performance", said.

The edge of the screen becomes more important with tactile interfaces, and Microsoft has "sizes bevel recommendations," so that you can easily maintain the system without activating the user interface inadvertently and still be able to reach all the keys for things like thumb-typing, Angiulo said.

"We are working with display and touch the vendors now, and we will have more guidance and recommendations on how to build a system Windows 8 really well in the coming months," said.

Greater involvement in the design of equipment should help Microsoft to optimize systems Windows 8 appearance and usability. This is a problem that apple doesn't have to worry about, since it controls all aspects of the design and manufacture of its Macintosh, iPhone and iPad computers.

But it is not known how the PC manufacturers will respond to Microsoft's efforts to expand its influence on their products. And these efforts can extend further than the design of equipment, the report published in the Wall Street Journal Wednesday.

Citing anonymous sources, the newspaper reported that Microsoft is demanding that officials of microprocessor to each partner with a manufacturer of PC, to help integrate new Windows tablets to market quickly.

Steve Guggenheimer, Chief of Microsoft's OEM business, declined to comment on the questioned on the report ahead of the event for Windows 8 Thursday. Responsible for Texas Instruments and Qualcomm also refused to comment on.

Microsoft will also present a new product with Windows 8 activation system, called OEM Activation 3.0, said Angiulo.

"This is a digital product key technology that will simplify the configuration and the process of development for the construction of PCs," he said. "For end users, this means experience seamless of activation, and for partners it will streamline their supply chain operations where we build together PCs."

He did not provide more details. Activation keys are a way for Microsoft to ensure that people use versions of its software, legitimate, licensed in its efforts to combat piracy.

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Netbooks Not Dead as PC makers show new models

Tablets can be the most exposed to the Computex gadgets this year. But netbooks yet have a presence at the show and vendors come out with several new models which will be on the market this year. Low cost will continue to stimulate sales, said analysts.

Manufacturer of PC Asus, a pioneer of the concept of netbook, showed off the coast of two new models to the Computex. The Asus Eee PC 1025 C and 1025 CE are Windows netbooks which will launch worldwide in the fourth quarter of this year. At a price of US $299 devices are built with an "instant on" feature that allow users to resume Windows in two seconds from sleep mode.

The other Asus netbook that has attracted attention is the Eee PC X 101, which manages Intel MeeGo mobile operating system. The device start in the world in July and cost of $199. ASUS also out a version of Windows 7 for the netbook which will cost between $240,000 and $250.

Rival of the ASUS Acer also shows a low-cost netbook priced at $199. The Aspire One Happy has Windows and installed Android 2.3. Users can switch between by restarting the system operating systems. Last month, Acer has launched a version of the device in the world.

Lenovo, Samsung and Fujitsu display other netbooks running Intel MeeGo operating system.

Frameworks Intel's Computex show said netbooks continue to be an important and market that the company wishes to bring prices netbook $ 199 with new chip technologies.

The boom in tablets however led manufacturers, as can International Taiwanese company to switch development resources more netbook devices. "We are staying away from them," said Henry Lu, senior vice President and co-founder of the company, which added that its shipments of netbooks are winning.

Business research also expect shipments around the world of netbooks to fall in the coming years, with sales led by the popularity of the tablets. Forecasts of IDC netbook shipments will fall 32.4 million units in 2011, a decrease of 35.6 million units last year.

Netbooks currently 20 per cent of the total market of PC laptop, said analyst IDC Helen Chiang. But in the two or three years, this market share take place the 10 per cent as vendors release new tablets with lower prices. IPad Apple 2 is currently a price as low as $499.

Even though netbook sales down, compressed shipments are expected to explode this year. Shipments for the devices is expected to reach 54.8 million units in 2011, an increase of 181% the previous year, according to research firm Gartner.

Consumers are picking tablets because of their longer battery life and short boot time netbooks, IDC Chiang said.

But netbooks will always sell until prices are kept. "I think that the most important thing for the netbook this year products is price, not technology, not the design", she added.

Despite the huge increase of sales of Tablet, there is always an important market for netbooks, said analyst Gartner Tracy Tsai. Low-cost netbooks makes it attractive for consumers in emerging markets, where people have more tight budgets and want to have a PC, she added.

Can International sees this opportunity as well, despite the decreasing popularity of netbooks. The company will continue to release new netbook devices because there is always a demand for them in emerging markets such as Asia, said Sambora Chern, a Senior Director with MSI.

"I think that more great advantage of the netbook is that it has a keyboard," he said. UNE with a tablet, it's a virtual keyboard." It is not true. »

As Tsai analysts believe that more vendors develop netbooks which allows to transform into a tablet of slate. On Wednesday, Intel has unveiled a netbook called Lake Keeley that uses its new processor Atom called Cedar Trail. The netbook is special in that the touch-screen display can rotate and fold over to the keyboard, becoming a tablet.

"In the future it will be more difficult to say if it's a netbook or a tablet," Tsai said. "I think in the future you'll have all sorts of possibilities for all types of users." "Users will have several choices and you can choose what you want".

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