Thurrott Daily: October 4, 2015

Here’s what’s happening today.

25 percent of Steam users are already on Windows 10

Well, we can add this to the list of ways in Windows 10 is a huge success: According to theSeptember 2015 Steam Hardware & Software Survey, 25 percent of all Steam users are already on Windows 10. Better still, it’s the second-most-frequently used OS overall, behind Windows 7, with 46 percent. All Mac and Linux users combined are just 4.3 percent.

Unanswered questions about the Microsoft/Google patent agreement

An article in Fortune claims there are three unresolved questions in the wake of the Microsoft/Google patent settlement. (If you’re not up on this topic, I wrote about it in Microsoft and Google Settle All Patent Lawsuits on Petri.) The questions this article presents are about patents. I have other questions.

Key among them are whether the settlement involves any quid pro quo in the mobile space. That is, Microsoft has a stranglehold on Android device makers because it owns patents that are infringed on by Android. But it has just let Google—the company that makes Android—off the hook. What is Google giving Microsoft in return?

This is a complete fantasy on my part, but how amazing would it be if Google actually started supporting Windows 10 (PC/tablet/phone) with native universal apps for its most popular services?

I know. It’s beyond unlikely. But there’s gotta be something going on here beyond some desire on the part of both companies to enact patent reform.

Cortana now links to LinkedIn on Windows 10

I missed this one the other day, but Microsoft recently announced that it was improving Cortana in Windows 10 to work with LinkedIn. A typical scenario goes like this: Cortana reminds you about a meeting (courtesy of the Calendar) app, and that reminder can include rich information about the people attending the meeting, provided by LinkedIn. “When you connect your LinkedIn account to Cortana, you’ll have access to information about people such as photo, job role and company, a link to their LinkedIn profile, and the ability to connect on LinkedIn directly from your Cortana meeting reminders,” Microsoft explains.

To make this happen, you need to connect your LinkedIn account to Cortana. You do so in Cortana, Notebook, Connected Accounts.

Microsoft’s slow And successful infection Of Android

I enjoy reading Ewan Spencer quite a bit, and his latest commentary is excellent.

“Microsoft’s cloud-based services and applications are becoming more prevalent within the Android world,” he writes, referencing the addition of ASUS to the list of Android device makers that will pre-install Microsoft’s apps. “Very slowly, Microsoft is becoming a major player in the smartphone space. Its applications are becoming ubiquitous no matter which handset you pick up. Its open and platform-agnostic nature means that it can be found on every modern platform. The ongoing deals to bundle the apps overcome the discovery problem.No matter your choice of smartphone ecosystem, Microsoft is going to be there waiting for you.”

Bingo. Spencer also has his own theory about the Google/Microsoft agreement I mention above. It’s a good one. No surprise there.

Some interesting stats from Google

In a post celebrating the one-year anniversary of Google for Work (which had previously gone by the name Google Enterprise), Amit Singh provided a few interesting stats. Over one million paying organizations are actively using Google Drive, including some big companies like The New York Times and Uber. Chromebooks are now the best-selling device in the US for K-12 education. And over 10,000 companies are testing, trialling and using Android for Work following its launch in February.

These are interesting because they hit at the heart of what has traditionally been Microsoft’s domain. But as Google noted with regards to the name change, “Enterprise is old business. We believe in a new way of working with collaboration at the core. A world where we work how we choose. Where getting stuff done in the office doesn’t feel like traveling back in time. Where our work tools are just as good or even better than the ones we have in our personal lives.” Ouch.

I’m flying home from Colorado today, but should be online in-flight, so more later….

UPDATE: So much for that theory. I was jammed in economy next to a guy who is bigger than me and was stealing my space. So I just watched a few movies. More today. 🙂 –Paul