Thurrott Daily: May 27

Tech tidbits from around the web.

5/27/2016 1:26:27 PM

LastPass extension is now available for Microsoft Edge

If you’re running the latest Insider build of Windows 10, you might want to check this one out: The LastPass extension is now available for Microsoft Edge. (Fixed the URL, sorry about that. –Paul)

LastPass is a password manager that simplifies everything you do online by remembering your passwords, logging into your sites with one click, creating strong passwords for every account, and so much more.

Join over 7 million people who love getting more done every day with our award-winning password manager!

With LastPass, you only remember one master password and LastPass takes care of the rest. It fills your logins for you and instantly syncs from your desktop to your laptop, your computer to your smartphone, your tablet to the Web, so you never struggle to remember another password.

Remote Desktop UWP app for Windows 10 comes out of preview … sort of

Microsoft announced that the Remote Desktop UWP app for Windows 10 has exited preview and is now generally available.

We’re excited to bring the app out of preview so everyone on a Windows 10 device, whether that be a desktop, tablet, phone or through Continuum for phone can benefit from the same great experience.

Since Windows 10 shipped, if you installed the Remote Desktop app from the Store you were using our Windows [Phone] 8.1 app. Our new Windows 10 Universal app was only available if you installed the Microsoft Remote Desktop Preview app. As we exit the initial preview phase, we are moving the Universal app to replace the 8.1 version under the Remote Desktop name for devices running both Windows 10 and Windows 10 mobile.

Despite the status change, this app is not complete, so I’m unclear why it’s not still in preview. Microsoft says that it will add support for such basic features as support for microphones, multiple simultaneous connections, and dynamic resolution and rotation, plus printer and smartcard redirection, and … localization (!)> Seriously? It’s English only right now.

Microsoft is still pretending that Windows Store is doing great

As part of a summer sales promotion at its Windows Store, Microsoft talked to Forbes and convinced the credible Tony Bradley that Windows Store going gangbusters.

Windows Store has already had more than 6.5 billion visits in just its first year. 6.5 billion…with a “B”. That is roughly equivalent to the entire population of planet Earth. That is almost 18 million visits per day, more than 742,000 per hour, and more than 200 per second. Not too shabby.

In terms of total volume of apps, Microsoft lags behind established leaders like the Apple App Store, and Google Play … it seems we have matured past the point where we measure the success of an app store purely on the volume of apps—and that’s good. I don’t know what the current count is, but it doesn’t really matter if Apple has a billion apps in its App Store if 990 million of them are essentially junk. Quality is much more important than quantity.

Right. And that’s the problem. The Windows Store doesn’t just have far fewer apps that Apple’s and Google’s, it has far fewer high quality apps.

It may not have the most apps, and it might be missing some key apps available for competing platforms, but there’s no denying the success of the Windows Store.

See, I don’t agree with that. Things are improving, but then things can only improve. The recent spate of UWP apps are a good sign, and there are a very small number of professional-quality apps, like Office. But the Windows Store is still a backwater compared to the competition. And that “visits” figure? Show me app downloads and purchases: Those are metrics that really matter, and there’s a reason Microsoft doesn’t mention them.

Acer unveils new Windows 10 PCs for students and families

Microsoft is talking up a new family of Chromebook competitors from Acer, which I assume are just like last year’s family of Chromebook competitors from Acer except they were released this year. Put simply: Yes, you can still buy a $200 PC if you want to.

Acer Switch V 10

The Switch V 10 2-in-1 laptop powered by Windows 10 is a great choice for students and young professionals thanks to the fast data transfer, high-resolution video output and convenient charging of the USB Type-C port.

This Acer notebook will become available later this year in North America for $249.

Acer Switch One 10

The Switch One 10 powered by Windows 10 is convertible and detachable into four modes of usage — notebook, pad, tent, and display — and has a multi-touch HD screen, for the perfect blend of a laptop’s productivity and a tablet’s multimedia fun. This PC also features a built-in fingerprint reader for instant access to the device by logging in with Windows Hello.

The Switch One 10 will be available in Metallic Gray in North America in July with prices starting at $199.

These are OK looking PCs. And a $200-$250 PC makes a lot more sense than a Chromebook today, as you can put Chrome on there and go to town. But … that may soon change, with Android app support coming to Chromebooks, and I’m curious to see what impact that has on the equation. Plus, Microsoft’s weird 10-inch screen requirement—PC makers that build devices to these specs get Windows and Office 365 for free, basically—limits the usefulness of these devices.