Windows Weekly 532: The Foley SKU

Fr. Robert Ballecer joins Mary Jo and I to discuss Chrome Enterprise, a new Windows 10 Fall Creators Insider build, the Xbox One X preorder launch, and so much more.

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Tips and picks

App pick of the week: Newton for Windows 10

Perhaps the first professional-looking UWP app ever. There’s just one problem.

App pick of the week #2: Office Lens for Android

Office Lens for Android adds multi-document scanning.

App pick of the week #3: Skype’s new UI comes to (older) Windows

Yes, it’s that one.

PLUS: Windows 10 S for everyone!

Enterprise pick of the week: Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Marketing

Microsoft is discontinuing Microsoft Dynamics Marketing (as we knew) in May 2018. But now we know that its successor for SMBs Dynamics 365 for Marketing, is not coming until Spring 2018.

Codename pick of the week: Volta

Microsoft’s Premier support program is being overhauled. The new commercial support name is called “Microsoft Unified Support,” which is codenamed Volta. (Bonus: This isn’t the first time that MS has used the Volta codename. MS Research had its first.)

Beer pick of the week: Desthil Brewery’s Blueberry Gose

This is one of my first (if not the first) pick from Bloomington, Indiana’s Desthil. But it won’t be the last. Very nice blueberry gose

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Conversation 6 comments

  • navarac

    24 August, 2017 - 8:48 am

    <p>Just tried 10s for the first time. Truly awful. Only lasted 24 hours before I zapped it. </p><p><br></p>

    • gregsedwards

      Premium Member
      24 August, 2017 - 2:41 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#168404"><em>In reply to navarac:</em></a></blockquote><p>What, specifically, did you find "truly awful" about it?</p>

      • navarac

        24 August, 2017 - 5:55 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#168502"><em>In reply to gregsedwards:</em></a></blockquote><p>Edge for a start (I use Chrome). My Win32 Finance application, and Win 32 apps I use all of the time as well. It is just a general feeling of being hobbled I think. To be fair, I think I probably need to have another go again sometime. </p><p>I had better joy using my Android Phone (Samsung Galaxy S8+) and a Samsung DeX docking unit on a large screen. Certainly the apps are better than Microsoft's miserable offerings.</p>

        • navarac

          27 August, 2017 - 5:51 am

          <p>So, I have given it another go. If I was presented with 10S on a machine, the first thing I would do after initial OOB, is upgrade it to Pro.</p><p>As Paul says, Chrome is a non-starter, as is the Dropbox desktop app. OK so there is a store app, but does not suit me. OneDrive is far too slow in updating files to the Cloud in comparison and hogs all internet resources while it is at it. Everything feels hobbled.</p><p>I have a Linux machine as well as Windows 10 Pro machines, and that is far superior to 10S – I can run Win32 apps through WINE.</p><p>If 10S is the future of Windows, it will flip the switch for me. I wonder Microsoft is emulating Lemings at the cliff "edge".</p>

        • gregsedwards

          Premium Member
          07 September, 2017 - 1:41 pm

          <blockquote><a href="#168550"><em>In reply to navarac:</em></a></blockquote><p>In fairness, you're talking about running legacy apps on a system that's clearly not designed to run legacy apps. That's sort of like saying, "This toaster sucks, because it makes terrible orange juice." </p><p>Right now, Windows 10 S is a non-starter for folks like you, because you rely on some very specific apps that aren't available yet, and while that's a fair concern, it really just means you're not the target audience for this thing right now. Back in the early days of Windows, I'd bet there were a lot of people who couldn't make the switch because of some finance application that only ran properly under DOS. </p><p>But things change over time…if Microsoft and Google can figure out some way to get Chrome in the Store, and if app developers either port their Win 32 software over or new developers step in to fill the gap with quality apps that can meet the needs, then what's so terrible about what Windows 10 S is trying to do?</p>

  • nbplopes

    25 August, 2017 - 5:58 am

    <p>I think all stakes are open for next gen productivity ecossystems. Each with its advantages and weaknesses. </p><p><br></p><p><strong>Windows 10 S:</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Advantages: </p><p><br></p><ul><li>Desktop familiarity, its still Windows</li><li>Formidable culture and brand n the desktop space. All application built for Windows can potentially run here provided they are made available in the Windows Store.</li><li>x32 Apps support is in development and potentially all x32 apps will be in the Store.</li><li>Large business base in Windows 10 that can foster its growth.</li><li>Strong Pen, Touch and Keyboard Support</li><li>Best in class support for multiple IO Ports (depends on device)</li><li>Strong external display support</li><li>Best in class MDM</li><li>Strong extensions points for App Developers</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Weaknesses: </p><p><br></p><ul><li>Its a capped down Windows 10 version. </li><li>What's the point on premium laptops/desktops? </li><li>OS updates have a history of not going smoothly, </li><li>Constraints to Bing on search engine integration.</li><li>Weak mobile phone integration.</li><li>Built for light and thin PCs, yet Intel architecture does not fill this form factor as well as ARM systems. This has a big impact in performance and longevity of such systems comparatively.</li><li>Windows Store does not seam to be well managed.</li><li>MS usually, directly and agressively competes with app developers of any kind.</li><li>Its uncertain how Windows 10 S will support Web tech going forward.</li></ul><p><br></p><p>The achilles heel:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Lacking in apps except from Microsoft (even than)</li><li>Expensive strategy</li><li>Traditional Windows developers may not be willing to sell through the Windows Store, relinquishing 30% of the software sales. Its not just about supporting UWP or prepackaging apps the Store (Centennial). Its also about software sales culture.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Chromebooks:</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Advantages:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Cheaper than a PC or iPad Pro</li><li>Easier do use than Windows</li><li>Made for the Web, Best in class (Impeccable Web App support and its getting better by the day)</li><li>Android apps support is in development so eventually all the Playstore apps will be available.</li><li>Easy MDM</li><li>Easy update and recovery</li><li>Support multiple IO Ports (depends on device)</li><li>External display </li><li>Strong extensions points for App Developers</li><li>Hardware built specifically for mobile (ARM)</li><li>Google competes with App developers yet not as aggressively as MS.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Weaknesses</span>: </p><p><br></p><ul><li>Lacks productivity apps as functionally mature as the ones in PC (OS X/Windows).</li><li>Android App support is stalling</li><li>Constraints in search engine integration</li><li>Lacks pen support</li><li>Touch support is weak</li><li>Weak mobile phone integration</li><li>Tied to Google Cloud even to create a user</li></ul><p><br></p><p>The achilles heel:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>To make it cheaper than PCs the specs need to be lower down with a big impact in Performance and Longevity </li><li>Lacking in apps except from Google</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>iPad Pro's:</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Advantages:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Best in class App Store</li><li>Best in class mobile and tablet applications</li><li>Target device for innovative productivity apps (Ex: FluidText, and many more)</li><li>Easy update and recovery</li><li>Fas and solid performance</li><li>Best in class mobile phone integration</li><li>Best in class performance rivaling Core i5 and Core i7 PC in general productivity tasks.</li><li>Best in class Pens and Touch support</li><li>Easy MDM</li><li>Hardware built specifically for mobile (ARM)</li><li>Apple does not usually compete with App developers. Its software purposely lacks features if not the most essential to be useful. This is good for app developers.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Weaknesses: </span></p><p><br></p><ul><li>Weak IO Port Support</li><li>Weak external display support</li><li>Phone integration only for iOS devices.</li><li>Lacks traditional desktop apps features that may be critical to users.</li><li>Apple is too slow to give access to extension points to cor OS components and features. That might make developer look elsewhere for better integration of their apps.</li><li>Does not work as PC., Windows or OS X.</li><li>Its uncertain how Apple will support the Web tech going forward. </li></ul><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The achilles heel:</span></p><p><br></p><ul><li>As expensive as a medium range PC in market that still perceives these devices as less versatile</li><li>Does not support a mouse or a trackpad. While touch is great when the display is bellow the users head, when its in front, perpendicular to user head, its not nearly as good as a mouse and a trackpad for productivity.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p><p><br></p><p>So I think all stakes are open yet. Funny enough I find that the biggest hurdle to the replacement of laptops by next generation productivity devices are the ones each vendor will give to themselves.</p><p><br></p><p>For instance:</p><p><br></p><p><strong>MS:</strong> Confusing strategy that does not seam to encompass public perception of value vs cost. They seam to want to milk every single path to it including licensing Windows 10 S by some unknown value hence incomparable to a Windows 10 Pro license. </p><p><br></p><p><strong>Google:</strong> Seams to be divided between Android and Chromebook and there does not seam to be a clear and easy to follow path between both. The international presence of Chromebook are zero to none. Clearly Android could replace Chrome OS for instance, at least that is what I felt with Samsung DEX approach.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Apple: </strong>High resistance to support trackpad or mouse even in situations were they are far better forms of input than touch or pen. Clearly even an iPad Pro 10.5 is a companion device due to the screen size. The bigger brother costs as much as a Premium yet Medium performance PC, yet the lack of trackpad and mouse …</p><p><br></p><p>All these seam to be easy to solve on the outset by companies like these ones. Yet internal politics and dogmas might impair their tactical abilities moving forward. This could be solves with a strong leadership paired with an unique vision, yet none of the CEOa seam to have a very strong tech visionary abilities, much less unique, that they could rely on, relying on others for it.</p>

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