Microsoft Support & Discussions

Today I would like to share information with you on the editions that will be available for "Windows 8" when it is released to market. We have talked about Windows 8 as Windows reimagined, from the chipset to the user experience. This also applies to the editions available – we have worked to make it easier for customers to know what edition will work best for them when they purchase a new Windows 8 PC or upgrade their existing PC. Windows 8 has the flexibility you need - whether you’re on an x86/64 or a WOA PC. You can use a touch screen or a keyboard and mouse – and switch anytime. It’s beautiful, fast, and fluid design is perfect for a wide range of hardware. And you…

Last year, word leaked about HTML5 and JavaScript add-ons coming for Office 15. Now we know the codename for those add-ons: Agaves. Source: All About Microsoft

A live tile is one of the best ways to entice users back to your app. This post shows you how to update your app’s live tile using polling and local APIs so that you can show off what is great about your app directly on the Windows 8 Start screen. Your tile can put front and center the best of what’s going on inside of your app. The app tile is a core part of your app, and quite possibly its most frequently seen part – take advantage of the tile to get users back into your app! In this post I walk through an example app to illustrate how to: Design for tile updates Choose templates to match the tile content Use polling notifications from the cloud to update the tile …

New updates are out for two Windows Phones: The Nokia Lumia 900 on AT&T and the HTC Trophy on Verizon. Source: All About Microsoft

Microsoft is taking the wraps off the latest iteration of its Media Platform, which is now hosted on Windows Azure and includes third-party integrations, at the NAB show. Source: All About Microsoft

Microsoft still isn’t talking about Windows 8 on Intel/AMD system-on-a-chip devices. But Intel has started to open up. Source: All About Microsoft

Microsoft has created a new wholly owned subsidiary that will focus on working with the open-source community. Source: All About Microsoft

Microsoft is moving its Bing Search programming interface to the Windows Azure Marketplace and turning it into a paid subscription service. Source: All About Microsoft

Anyone have any positive or negative experiences to report when buying Nokia’s latest smartphone from an AT&T store? Source: All About Microsoft

Screen shots of a Microsoft product roadmap for partners have leaked to the Web. Here are the key take-aways. Source: All About Microsoft

The latest decision in Microsoft’s patent dispute with Motorola Mobility is in Microsoft’s favor. Source: All About Microsoft

Office 2007 users: You now have a few more months before Microsoft ends your free support period. Source: All About Microsoft

Get your buzzword bingo scorecards ready. Machine learning is Microsoft executives’ newest favorite phrase. Source: All About Microsoft

Nokia revealed that it sold 2 million Lumia smartphones in the first quarter of 2012. Is that good or bad? Source: All About Microsoft

Microsoft isn’t often mentioned when it comes to in-memory database conversations. But here’s why Redmond thinks they deserve to be. Source: All About Microsoft

The app lifecycle model in Windows 8 means that users no longer need to manage which apps are running. It also makes it easy for developers to craft a great user experience that doesn’t affect the device’s battery or performance when the app is in the background. Using the new lifecycle events, your app will always feel alive, even though it never runs when it is off-screen. Today, batteries often run low on laptops, tablets, and phones, because all of us tend to leave apps running even when we’re not using them. We do this for convenience and to switch quickly between apps. We had this in mind as we developed the lifecycle model for Metro style apps in Windows 8 – keep…

Gartner’s latest tablet prediction data is out. In spite of Windows 8’s imminent arrival, Microsoft and its OEM partners don’t fare well. Source: All About Microsoft

The Microsoft-developed Office Mobile suite is available on a number of the newer Nokia Symbian smartphones, not just on Nokia’s Windows Phones. Source: All About Microsoft

OnLive, the company providing hosted a hosted Windows desktop on the iPad and Android, has taken steps to comply with Microsoft licensing terms. Source: All About Microsoft

April 10, 2012: That’s the date Windows Vista support moves from mainstream to extended (meaning paid for everything but security updates). Source: All About Microsoft

Does Facebook’s purchase of Instagram mean there’s a chance (after all) that it will be coming to investment partner Microsoft’s smartphones? Source: All About Microsoft

Nokia is relying on its free ‘Collection’ apps to provide Lumia users with a differentiated and updated Windows Phone platform. Source: All About Microsoft

On the development front, Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 seem to be joined at the hip. Source: All About Microsoft