Windows 8

Windows 10 Technical Preview

By Marcel Meijer

Since this week Windows 10 is available in a Technical Preview. This version is not for faint harted or inexperience users. Other advice is not to install it on your main computer. So I did download it and installed it on my Surface Pro 3. I choose not to upgrade my existing version of Windows 8.1. As a result I missed an awful lot of drivers 😉 Luckily I could download them on another laptop.  In the near future there will be a real beta for everyone. This version just scratches the surface on all coming changes. What did change? … Continue reading Windows 10 Technical Preview

Microsoft Project Siena

By Marcel Meijer

This Windows 8 app is available for some time now. This app makes it possible to create powerful Business apps and publish it without writing one line of code. More information can be found on Microsoft Project Siena site. It sounds great. Business users who click their own apps together to simply their own work. Sounds very interesting so I wanted to try it myself. After starting the app, you will the screen below. An empty screen on which you can add Visuals. It is recommended to look at some of the tutorials. Personally I found the flow, workflow or … Continue reading Microsoft Project Siena

Kinect for Windows V2 – Sensor

By Marcel Meijer

Probably you have already heard or read about it. In our SDN event in March we had a session and in our SDN magazine 120 there was an article, both by Dennis Vroegop and based on the Developers preview kit. In the meantime a lot is changed. The accompanied SDK has changed a lot and almost weekly there are new features. There is a public preview SDK available. After the installation of the SDK you get these apps: Gesture Builder Kinect Studio SDK Browser (examples) But without a device the SDK is not very useful, since 15 July the Kinect … Continue reading Kinect for Windows V2 – Sensor

Windows 8.1 goodies

By Marcel Meijer

It depends on which version of Windows you are using if you like Windows 8. The sentiments about it fill the full range of emotions, some like it a lot and others hate it. The haters mostly don’t like it because their cheese has been moved. It is still there, but a bit difficult to find perhaps. Windows 8 focus on touch. But everything can be done by keyboard and mouse too, although the it is less obvious. The  free upgrade to Windows 8.1 makes a few of the bad things better. The only thing it does not solve is … Continue reading Windows 8.1 goodies

Surface 2 vs Surface RT

By Marcel Meijer

I ordered my Surface RT when it came available in Germany. I had lots of fun with it. The differences between a Surface PRO or a Windows 8 laptop are obvious. On a Windows RT you are not able to install desktop apps (for example Visual Studio). Only apps from the Windows Store can be installed and used. Confusingly on both Windows RT and Windows 8 there is a desktop, which suggest and confuse the same time. A Surface RT is accompanied by a free version of Microsoft Office. And now with Windows 8.1 their is also a real Outlook … Continue reading Surface 2 vs Surface RT

Surface RT and Surface Pro

By Marcel Meijer

Since a while I am the proud owner of a Surface RT (which can be bought now in the Netherlands online Microsoft Store, Media Markt and TabletCenter). I love the device. It is a typical kitchen table device, except it is more personalized than other tablets of course. With the availability of lots of apps in the store I use it in the morning to catch up with the news: NU.nl, NOS, Telegraaf, mail etc. But also a little bit of surfing the internet, mail or Facebook it is the perfect device. Many criticasters will come with remarks as: “I … Continue reading Surface RT and Surface Pro

Windows Azure Mobile Services

By Marcel Meijer

Since some time the Windows Azure Mobile Services are available via de Windows Azure management portal. These Mobile Services make it easier to quickly create a mobile application with Windows Azure as backend. It is not limited to Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8, but also iOS is a target platform. Like we getting used to the new possibilities on the Windows Azure portal and the Cloud services are rapidly added and enhanced. We already were able to create Mobile applications with Windows Azure SQL Databases as backend, use push notifications and use different identity providers. But now there is … Continue reading Windows Azure Mobile Services

Windows Azure Websites and Storage

By Marcel Meijer

Windows Azure Websites are very handy to get a website quickly available. You can choose from a gallery of products. This gallery contains Blogs (WordPress), Content management systems (DotNetNuke), Wiki’s etc. And if you look closely their not all .NET based. Some need SQL Server database and others need MySQL. No problem at all. With a few clicks your website is up and running. But if you have a existing website, that one can also be hosted on Windows Azure websites. Also with a few more clicks you are up en running. Does the Website need to know about the … Continue reading Windows Azure Websites and Storage

Surface and Windows 8

By Marcel Meijer

Since the RTM of Windows 8 I am using Windows 8 on all my laptops. Also on the laptop without a touch screen and which I use for my daily work. I am very happy with the way Windows 8 works. It feels a lot faster and stable then Windows 7 did. Dennis Vroegop already explained why the question about the start button is strange. Eventually you don’t miss the damn thing . In fact in Windows 7 I installed so much apps, I had to use search a lot. In Windows 8 it is just easier. Before the official … Continue reading Surface and Windows 8

Windows Phone 8

By Marcel Meijer

With the Windows Phone 7 came the Zune software to our PC’s. With this software (sometimes called the iTunes of Windows Phone) you could move music, photos and movies to your phone. Automatically the stuff on your phone was synced to your PC. With Windows Phone 8 we leave Zune and are getting a Windows Phone app. This app can be installed from the Microsoft Windows 8 store. If you are using Windows 8, you can install it right now. But it will be useful until you have a Windows Phone 8. Perhaps even Windows Phone 7.8 is sufficient, but … Continue reading Windows Phone 8