Ballmer's last Ballmeresque video moment? Perhaps. Soak it in

Soon-to-be-former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer -- never one to hide his feelings for the firm he's worked at for decades -- once again gives us a video moment to remember.

 

(Credit: Screenshot by CNET) 

 

The initial reaction to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's imminent exit from the company may have been one of relief (at least as far as Wall Street and various critics were concerned). But where on Earth, some may've fretted, are we gonna find another chief executive who can deliver memorable video moments like Ballmer could?
There have been more than one of those over the years, and now Ballmer has provided another.
Our friends over at The Verge got their hands on footage from Ballmer's final go at leading an employee meeting as CEO, an event that happened Thursday.
The clip doesn't disappoint: the ever-emotional tech-world giant is tearful through much of it, before an orgy of high-fives and hand-slapping erupts as Ballmer hops toward the exit in a way that makes the phrase "developers, developers, developers" rise up in one's head.
Say what you will about Ballmer, but the man seems never to have been shy about expressing his enthusiasm for the company that's employed him for the last 30-plus years -- regardless of whatever gibes may've come his way as a result. As CNET's Charles Cooper put it, "In an era of stuffed-shirt chief executives who don't scratch their noses without first getting instructed by their public relations departments, Microsoft's CEO let it all hang out."
Indeed. So then, get out your Bic lighter -- er, fire up your smartphone screen -- wave it slowly above your head, and (to quote the man himself), as Ballmer once again lets it all hang out, "soak it in."

http://player.ooyala.com/iframe.html#pbid=dcc84e41db014454b08662a766057e2b&ec=U3d2E0ZjocmfLWnwvjGgDeW-fANfIQ2U

Microsoft meeting yields hints of 'Rio' streaming service

Microsoft execs' pleas for silence and secrecy didn't stop attendees of the company's annual meeting from sharing tidbits about new products and technologies in the pipeline.

(Credit: Microsoft)

The annual Microsoft company meeting has served as a showcase for many teams at the company for their near-term wares.
Even though it's open to all employees, Microsoft executives expect (or at least hope) that the Softies will be mindful enough not to tweet (thanks @m3sweatt), blog, or share with others the four-plus-hour-long internal presentation. And almost every year, information still leaks.
This year, Microsoft execs' latest promises about a single app store leaked. I've received conflicting information now as to whether Microsoft executives actually said whether the unified store will be part of the next version of Windows. (And given Microsoft's new cadence, exactly what "the next version of Windows" is considered to be remains rather murky. Is it Windows 8.1 with the Spring GDR update? Windows 8.5? Windows 9?)
There were other leaks from this year's meeting, too. A demo during the September 26 meeting by David Treadwell, who is now the head of program management in Microsoft's new OS engineering group, demonstrated what The Verge called its own "cloud gaming service." Microsoft demonstrated streaming Halo 4 to a Surface and a Windows Phone at "Xbox-level visual quality," from what I've heard.
That streaming service is code-named Rio, one of my contacts said. (Its former code name is Ridgeway, another of my sources added.)
Windows SuperSite's Paul Thurrott added a few more tidbits about the Rio demo from his sources:

The firm noted that latency (when streaming from Microsoft's Tukwila, Wash., data center) was down to 45 milliseconds, which is probably OK for simple single-player gaming but is in fact pretty high for real-time multiplayer gaming. But here's a secret benefit of this technology: Microsoft might use this to solve the backward-compatibility problem of the Xbox One, which cannot play Xbox 360 games: It could simply stream these titles to customers.

I'm wondering if this streaming technology will be applied to more than just games. Maybe Rio is also key to how Microsoft will allow users to stream applications like Office. I've blogged before about "Mohoro," which is allegedly Microsoft's "desktop as a service" offering under development. Maybe Rio figures in here somehow, or would provide Microsoft with an alternative way to deliver Windows and Office to users as a streaming service? (Just guessing on this part.)
The Verge's Tom Warren also noted that Microsoft demonstrated a future Office tool, code-named Office Reader, which is designed for "consuming different types of content," including PDFs, e-books and textbooks.
Office Reader sounds like an extension of Microsoft's focus on "active reading." Perhaps it's "Moorea" -- a long-rumored extension to Microsoft's OneNote product that some had expected to debut as part of Office 2013.
While OneNote is focused on notes and notes about content, Moorea is said to be more focused on the presentation, collection, and curation of the content. It was almost like the missing link between OneNote and PowerPoint. While users currently create Office content in the form of slide decks and spreadsheets, what would authoring and storing content look like if deliverables were meant to be consumed in digital form? That is supposedly the guiding principle behind Moorea.
In the Microsoft reorg memo from July 2013, CEO Steve Ballmer called out plans for something that sounded like Moorea:

We will ensure that the tools handle multimedia (photos, videos, text, charts, and slides) in an integrated way and natively online. These documents/Web sites will be easily sharable and easily included in meetings. They will offer complex options such as imbedded logic and yet be easy to author, search, and view. These documents will be readable from a browser, but the experience will be infinitely better if read, annotated, or presented with our tools.

I hear I even got a shout out at this year's company meeting by Surface Chief Panos Panay. Two mentions in a week by Panay (with the first being during this week's Surface 2 launch in New York.) I need to make sure to keep leaking more Surface road map info to ensure I get 15 more minutes of fame...

Microsoft forges ahead with ARM tablets

Just-announced Surface 2. Microsoft is committed to ARM, regardless of what happens to Windows RT.

(Credit: Microsoft) 

 

Despite the fading relevance of Windows RT tablets, Microsoft is not quitting the world's most prevalent mobile platform.
That would be ARM. "There are two very important chipset families in all of our devices, and that's [Intel] x86 and ARM," Terry Myerson, executive vice president of the operating systems group, said at the company's financial analyst meeting last week, in response to a question about RT.
"ARM devices, particularly in phones, have incredible share due to the battery life and connectivity options," he added.
CNET learned in May that Microsoft was planning a smaller ARM-based tablet. That device appears to be going forward, possibly as a 7.5-inch product.
Nokia is also expected to unveil an ARM-based tablet running RT.
More broadly, Windows executives are keen on ARM, according to Bob O'Donnell, an analyst at IDC.
"The powers-that-be in the Windows organization firmly believe that they need to have an ARM-based version of Windows," O'Donnell said in a phone interview.
"The question is, do they merge Windows RT and Windows Phone? At some point I think they will," he said. Both platforms run on ARM processors.
A merged ARM operating environment would address a major concern of Windows RT. Windows Phone apps don't run on Windows RT and Windows RT apps don't run on Windows Phone.
That's in stark contrast to Apple's iOS and Google's Android, which allow apps to run on both platforms.
O'Donnell said it was "the wrong decision" to not have one mobile operating system like Apple's iOS and Google's Android.
From day one, RT as a tablet operating system has not fared well. Hewlett-Packard and Toshiba never shipped RT tablets and Samsung quickly abandoned the platform.
Dell, the last major PC maker to offer an RT tablet, discontinued sales of the XPS 10 tablet in the US, though it continues to be available overseas. Dell is expected to announce a raft tablets next month that run the full version of Windows 8.1.
"The fundamental flaw in RT is that it won't run Windows applications," O'Donnell said. "The promise of Windows has always been compatibility and yet here's a version of Windows that's not compatible."
While Intel's new Bay Trail Atom chip, which runs the full version of Windows, addresses the compatibility problem, it doesn't address the larger issue of participating in the largest mobile platform in the world -- the reason for Microsoft's determination to stick with ARM.
"As phones extend into tablets, I expect us to see many more Windows ARM tablets in the future," Myerson said last week, hinting at a different Windows tablet future.

A Windows phone from HTC. Is a unified ARM platform in Microsoft's future?

(Credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft reportedly demos Office Reader app for Windows 8

Office Reader will reportedly let you view Word documents and other types of files.

(Credit: Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET)

Designed for tablets and PCs, the new app would let you read Office documents, PDFs, web pages, e-books, and other files, says the Verge.

Microsoft may have cooked up a new Windows 8 app that can display a variety of different files.
Codenamed Office Reader, the app supports Office documents, PDFs, web pages, e-books, and electronic textbooks, according to The Verge. Citing sources familiar with Microsoft's Office plans, The Verge said that the app was demoed at an employee-only meeting on Thursday by Kirk Koenigsbauer, a corporate VP in charge of Microsoft Office.
Beyond just displaying different files, Office Reader will let you interact with them. As one example, users of Microsoft's Surface Pro tablet can use a Surface Pro stylus to mark up and make notes on a document. Those notes then appear in a sidebar, similar to the way the Track Changes feature works in Microsoft Word.
Office Reader will also tie in with Bing, according to The Verge's sources. Selecting text from a document can trigger a Bing search, which then displays its results in the sidebar.
Microsoft already provides free Office viewers, which allow you to read, copy, and print various MS Office documents without requiring the Office application itself. But Office Reader seems ready to stretch that concept further by supporting other types of files and gearing up as a Windows 8 app.

Microsoft aims to get you in shape with Xbox Fitness

The online workouts come free with an Xbox Live subscription, but only for Xbox One users.

 

(Credit: Microsoft)

Xbox One owners will be challenged to shed pounds and build muscles with a new online workout program dubbed Xbox Fitness.
Available exclusively for the Xbox One, Xbox Fitness will work in tandem with the Kinect to check out your vitals and monitor your progress. It can examine your heart rate, measure your muscles, and evaluate your performance. The goal is to get you in shape through a series of interactive workout videos.
The videos feature such fitness gurus as Jillian Michaels, Tracy Anderson, Tony Horton of Beachbody P90X fame, and Insanity's Shaun T.
"What makes Xbox Fitness so innovative is the feedback it gives you," Shaun T said in a statement. "The Kinect sensor can evaluate your form, tell how high you're jumping, how hard you're punching, and even read your heart rate. It's that little missing piece of validation that hasn't been possible for home fitness products before. Xbox Fitness completes the puzzle."
Due to launch in time for the holidays, Xbox Fitness will be free to Xbox owners with Live Gold memberships valid through December 2014.

Ford CEO Mulally in lead for Microsoft CEO job?

Unnamed sources tell AllThingsD that, despite his initial claims to the contrary, Ford CEO Alan Mulally has warmed up to the idea of succeeding Steve Ballmer and is now a front-runner candidate.

Ford CEO Alan Mulally next to an electronically augmented S-Max concept car this month at the IFA show in Berlin.

(Credit: Ford Motor Co.)

Ford CEO Alan Mulally's name has already been bandied about the candidate pool for replacing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who announced his retirement last month. And it seemed the lively executive wasn't too interested in the post -- at least initially -- vowing to remain with his company in the upcoming year.
But All Things Digital is reporting Mulally may have had a change of heart. Citing unnamed sources "close to the situation," AllThingsD's Kara Swisher said Mulally "has become more amenable to the idea in recent weeks." Mulally, who has been CEO of Ford for seven years and has earned kudos for a restructuring plan that helped return the carmaker to profitability, has yet to respond to Swisher's request for comment.

Alan Mulally took over Ford in 2006.

(Credit: CBS News)

Ballmer said he plans to retire within 12 months, once a replacement is found who will carry out Microsoft's new vision of offering devices and services, not just software. The company's board has formed a special committee to seek out potential candidates. Meeting with Microsoft's shareholders, the committee has been narrowing down its list of possible successors from an initial 40 people, both internal and external.
Soon after Ballmer's announcement, Microsoft bought Nokia for $7.2 billion, which made its chief executive, Stephen Elop, a top contender for CEO of the software giant.
Among others rumored to be leading the list of candidates are Microsoft Executive VP Tony Bates, who had previously been CEO of Skype, Computer Sciences CEO Mike Lawrie, former Windows Chief Steven Sinofsky, and former Juniper Networks CEO Kevin Johnson.

Microsoft preps unified Windows app store, says sources

 

(Credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft may be closer to providing a single app store across Windows and Windows Phone (and possibly Xbox) than many believe.


Microsoft officials have been cagey about exactly when and whether the company would have a single app store for its Windows and Windows Phone devices.
But it sounds like that scenario is closer than many actually believed.
As Tom Warren reported on The Verge, Microsoft demonstrated a single app store for Windows and Windows Phone during its annual company meeting in Seattle on September 26. I've heard the same from my own sources.
I've heard a few additional details about what was supposedly shown Thursday from my sources.
The new unified store is supposedly going to be part of the next version of Windows, which I believe could be Windows 8.1 with the Spring 2014 GDR update, according to one of my contacts. (Another contact said no timing was shared as to when this will happen.) I'm not clear if Microsoft also demonstrated or outlined a plan to make that store the same one that is featured on Xbox One, some time post launch of that console this November.
I'm also hearing Windows Azure is likely playing a role in this scenario. I'm thinking that this might have to do with cloud compilation of applications. This would involve Microsoft compiling developers' applications for them, like they did with Windows Phone during the move from Windows Phone 7 to Windows Phone 8 to help with portability and performance.
The other Azure possibility: the back-end code for certain apps runs on Windows Azure and is streamed to phones and PCs. That would give users the impression that Halo 4 really is running natively on their Windows Phone or Windows RT tablet.
None of this is too surprising -- beyond the possible timing. Microsoft execs have been hinting, if not outright claiming, that in the future there will be "One Windows" and one Windows API (meaning WinRT, I would assume). At the company's Financial Analyst Meeting last week, Executive Vice President Terry Myerson reiterated that vision, noting "We should have one set of developer APIs on all of our devices. And all of the apps we bring to end users should be available on all of our devices."
In addition to making developers happy, a single store that included both Windows 8 Metro-Style and Windows Phone 8 apps would definitely help with the never-ending complaints about shortages of Windows 8 and Windows Phone apps.
I've asked Microsoft if the company has any comment on claims they've shown off the common store Thursday. A spokesperson said the company had no comment.

Bill Gates: Control-Alt-Delete 'was a mistake'

Microsoft's co-founder claims that an IBM keyboard designer created the function and wouldn't allow a single button to access the login screen.

Bill Gates recounts the history of how Ctrl Alt Del came to be.

(Credit: Harvard/Screenshot by CNET)

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has admitted what quite a few Windows users have been thinking for a long time: control-alt-delete is an unnecessary mechanism.

Give us a single button, Gates said. But it wasn't to be.

Speaking in a broad interview at Harvard over the weekend, Gates said that the control-alt-delete function, which allows users to log in to Windows and access the task manager (you may be most familiar with it as the first step in rebooting), was conceived after an IBM keyboard designer wouldn't give him a single button to perform the same chore. (That part of the conversation starts at about 16:45 in the video embedded below.)
"So we could have had a single button, but the guy who did the IBM keyboard design didn't want to give us our single button," Gates said. "So we had, we programmed at a low level -- it was a mistake."
As big a mistake as it might have been, the function lived on through generation after generation of Windows. This marks the first time that Gates has so forcefully acknowledged that the feature wasn't necessarily the best idea.
The function was created by IBM PC designer David Bradley as a way for computer users to reboot their machines. In an interview with CNET recently, Bradley said he didn't understand why Gates and Microsoft decided to make it a login feature, adding that "I guess it made sense for them."

Surface Mini may not show up till spring

Microsoft may not get its first Surface Mini tablet out the door until spring 2014 -- which is looking like the same time when its Windows variants may get a refresh, sources say.

Microsoft's new Surface Pro 2 tablet.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

There's been a lot of speculation -- and still no official confirmation from Microsoft -- that the company will field one or more "mini" versions of its Surface tablet.
That speculation has been heating up, especially with Amazon launching new Kindle Fires this week.
As I've blogged before, I've heard that the coming Surface Mini will be an ARM-based tablet. I continue to hear that's the plan.
There have been a variety of rumors on the supposed screen size of the coming Surface Mini -- everything from 7 inches to 7.5 inches to 8 inches. There also have been rumors and speculation that Microsoft might market the first Surface Mini as an "Xbox Surface," hoping to capitalize on the Xbox franchise and user base. I don't have anything to offer to advance or quash any of these rumors.
On the operating system front, however, I do have some new information.
One of my sources who has been solid on Microsoft's roadmap in the past says the Surface Mini is coming, but not in calendar year 2013. Supposedly, this source claims, Microsoft is going to launch the Surface Mini in early 2014. The reason? The Surface Mini is going to come preloaded with a Windows 8.1 update, that is codenamed "Spring 2014 GDR." (GDR, as those following Windows Phone know, stands for "General Distribution Release." Microsoft is in the midst of finalizing its third GDR for Windows Phone 8. GDR3 will add 1080p support and the ability to run the Windows Phone OS on 5- and 6-inch devices.)
The Spring 2014 GDR for Windows 8.1 will align with Windows Phone "Blue," which may or may not be called Windows Phone 8.1 when it ships, according to my sources. Whatever it's called, it will be the first "major" update for Windows Phone since Microsoft rolled out Windows Phone 8 in fall 2012.
If the new cross-divisional operating system division at Microsoft can pull this off, Microsoft will launch Windows 8.1 Spring 2014 GDR, Windows Phone Blue, and the Surface Mini on or around the same time in spring 2014.
A few points worth noting:
• Why is Microsoft so "late" with the Surface Mini? I've heard from several sources that the new OS engineering team, under Executive Vice President Terry Myerson, is working overtime to finish the Xbox One operating system. Like Windows 8.1, it's a constantly evolving thing. Two sources have told me that Microsoft is reassigning some of its Windows developers to Xbox One to help that team do the fit and finish on the Xbox One OS. Myerson's team's priorities for this calendar year are completing the Xbox One OS, releasing Windows 8.1 for general availability (which means providing final OS and app updates before October 18), and getting Windows Phone 8 GDR3 out the door.
• Why is Microsoft continuing to back ARM and Windows RT, especially with Intel's new Haswell and Bay Trail chips finally coming to market? In spite of tepid market reception and a backing away by other Windows OEMs from the platform, Microsoft is not going to dump Windows RT. The company still believes ARM offers better price points and battery life possibilities, from what I've heard. Microsoft likes Windows RT because it allows the company to field an OS with less/no crapware, viruses and piracy because of how locked-down (by Microsoft) ARM-based Windows RT machines are.
• Is there a longer-term/big-picture strategy and plan? Myerson hinted last week during Microsoft's Financial Analyst Meeting that he sees a world where "phones extend into tablets" on the ARM front. There will be a variety of ARM-based devices running Windows, in Microsoft's view, some of which will be phones, some tablets and some phablets. The Surface Mini fits in here, as does the expected Nokia "Bandit" phablet and ARM-based "Sirius" tablet. Over time, the OSes running on these different form factors will converge. I'm doubtful "Windows RT" will be the name of whatever runs on these platforms. Maybe Microsoft will (finally) just call all its OSes "Windows" -- even if they aren't really the same thing.
That's all I've got right now. Remember: don't shoot the messenger. And all Microsoft roadmaps are subject to possible derailments potentially caused by new CEOs with new business plans and/or reorg mayhem.

Nokia will reportedly unveil six new devices at Oct. 22 event

Nokia has more products up its sleeve than just the new 6-inch Lumia 1520 for an event in Abu Dhabi next month, sources tell The Verge.

 

(Credit: Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET)

Nokia will launch at least six new devices at its Nokia World event on October 22, according to The Verge.
Citing "sources familiar with Nokia's road map," The Verge said on Wednesday that at least two of the devices will be new Lumias. Reports have already surfaced claiming that Nokia will kick off the Lumia 1520, a new 6-inch device due to be the largest-screened Windows Phone handset to date.
Codenamed "Sirius," Nokia's much-rumored Lumia 2520 tablet could also be on the agenda. The company has expressed keen interest in diving into the tablet market, but so far, it has been mum about any specific products.
Sources also told The Verge that Nokia will introduce a range of accessories, saying that one of them will be "pretty special."
The October 22 Nokia World event will take place in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Microsoft to offer $200 for iPhone trade-in, reports Forbes

The deal will expand an existing program that offers at least $200 worth of in-store credit for a used iPad.

A rainbow of Windows Phones.

(Credit: Screenshot by CNET) 

 

Microsoft will try to lure iPhone users to Windows Phone by throwing in a financial incentive, says Forbes.
Citing information from an "inside source at Microsoft," Forbes reported Wednesday that customers who trade in an iPhone 4S or 5 will receive a minimum of $200 of in-store credit at a Microsoft Store. The trade-in program will launch Friday at select Microsoft stores in the US and Canada, Forbes added.
Microsoft confirmed the iPhone trade-in deal in the following statement sent to CNET on behalf of Jonathan Adashek, general manager of communications strategy for the sales and marketing services group:

Microsoft retail stores have an ongoing Recycle for Rewards program, where customers can trade in eligible devices and receive a store gift card for the value of their trade-in. We often highlight specific products eligible for trade-in at a set promotional rate. We will begina an iPhone trade-in offer on Friday, September 27, through Sunday, November 3, to help our customers realize value from their existing devices while enabling them to get new Microsoft technology.

The credit can be applied to any product in the store. But Microsoft obviously is hoping customers will renounce their iPhones in favor of a Windows Phone device.
Microsoft already offers a trade-in deal for iPad users. Consumers who trade in an iPad 2, 3, or 4 can score a $200 minimum gift card that can be used to buy a Surface tablet or other product in any Microsoft Store. This deal runs until October 27.
The company also has a corporate buyback promotion, offering credit to users who trade in a mobile device in exchange for a Windows tablet or Windows Phone handset.

Microsoft's Surface 2 tablets ready for preorder

Featuring new kickstands, better graphics, and longer battery life, the tech giant's new tablets can now be ordered via the company Web site.

Microsoft debuted its new line of Surface tablets on Monday, and now anyone can buy them for preorder.
The two tablets, Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2, double-down on their predecessors' features. They have enhanced components, new dual-position kickstands, better graphics performance, and longer battery life. The Surface 2, which runs Windows RT, now will come with Outlook, while the Surface Pro 2, which runs Windows 8.1, will continue to operate like a full PC.
Microsoft fixed nearly every hardware issue that buyers criticized in the first versions of the devices while sticking with the same essential design. While priced similarly to competitors, these tablets don't come cheap. According to Microsoft's preorder Web site, the 32GB Surface 2 will retail for $449, which is actually $50 less than its predecessor. A 64GB will cost $549. The Pro version, meanwhile, starts at $899 for the 64GB version, goes up to $999 for the 128GB, then $1,299 for the 256GB, and tops out at $1,799 for the 512GB.
Docking stations, Touch Cover, Surface Music Kit, and other accessories will all cost extra. The Surface 2 tablets are scheduled to ship on October 21 and arrive in stores on October 22.

Microsoft Surface 2 debut: Pricing, specs, and other info

The Surface 2 will come complete with its own set of motorcycles. Um, no. But interesting peripherals are something to watch for come Monday's launch. (The Surface 1 is what's pictured here, btw.)

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET) 

 

On Monday, September 23, Microsoft will be launching (but not shipping) its next-generation Surface tablets at an invitation-only event in New York City.
In the past few weeks, lots of leaks have revealed much of what's expected to debut at the launch. Though Microsoft officials haven't commented on or confirmed these specs, I've heard and seen information that leads me to believe they are correct.
The new Surfaces are going to look almost identical to the current Surfaces, as they are going to use the same 10.6-inch screens and VaporMg casing and be compatible with the same snap-on keyboard/covers the current Surfaces use.
They will have the same number of USB ports and they won't support LTE, just Wi-Fi. The Surface 2, the successor to Surface RT, will be an ARM-based (Tegra 4) tablet with an estimated eight hours of battery life. It will feature a new ClearType full HD display, the one that debuted on the Surface Pro earlier this year. The Surface Pro 2, the successor to the Surface Pro, will run an Intel Core i5-based Haswell processor, and allegedly get seven hours of battery life instead of just four to five hours.
Windows SuperSite editor Paul Thurrott has the full list of expected Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 specs, including weight, thickness, ports, and so on.
The more interesting part of Monday's Surface launch, in my view, will be the new Surface peripherals. In spite of Microsoft's claims last year that the company had no intentions of making a Surface Pro docking station, they built one. The new Surface docking station is expected to work with Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2 models only. It is expected to include one USB 3 and three USB 2 ports, according to leaks.
And the expected Surface Power Cover -- a thicker version of the Surface Type cover/keyboard, is coming, too. This cover will include a built-in battery that will extend the battery life of Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2 devices by some (still unknown) amount. I'm expecting new Touch and Type covers in a variety of colors at Monday's launch, too.
What about pricing and availability?
There are two big questions going into Microsoft's Surface 2 launch: Device availability and pricing. Obviously, Microsoft executives aren't commenting on either.
I've heard from one of my sources who has been in the loop on Surface information (and asked to remain anonymous) that both the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 may be generally available on or around October 22 -- right around the time Windows 8.1 is generally available, which is October 18.
I don't know if Microsoft will take preorders. I also don't have any information as to what the international and/or reseller distribution strategies look like. Microsoft was slow to make the first-generation Surfaces available outside the U.S. I am not sure what's changed in the company's distribution plans or capabilities on that front.
According to my source, it sounds like there are no huge price cuts in the works, which will surely disappoint those who've been expecting the so-so reception of first-generation Surfaces to have made Microsoft rethink its Surface pricing.
The aforementioned source told me Microsoft is planning to continue to sell its first-generation Surfaces alongside its new Surfaces. The supposed plan is to keep Surface RT pricing at its current level ($350 for the 32GB model with no cover included) and introduce the 32GB Surface 2 at $500. A 64GB Surface 2 will start at $600, the source said.
The Surface Pro will continue to start at $800. Surface Pro 2 will start at $900 for a 64GB version, according to the aforementioned source. There will be 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB models available at $1,000, $1,300, and $1,700, respectively, according to this source.
Touch and Type covers are still going to be priced separately, from what I've heard, as will the docking station.
I initially shared some of this pricing information as my "Rumor of the Week" on yesterday's recording of Windows Weekly (as some eagle-eared live listeners heard).
Keep in mind, this pricing and availability information is from one source only. The actual pricing/availability -- if Microsoft announces that information on Monday -- may be different.
Monday's Surface 2 event won't be streamed live, according to Microsoft. But I'll be filing and blogging from it for CNET sister site ZDNet, starting around 10:30 a.m. ET on September 23. CNET, too, will be live-blogging the event. Also: The Surface team will be doing a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) on September 23 at 3 p.m. EST, as well, where anyone can submit questions.

Microsoft: Turn the Xbox One vertical? Do so 'at your own risk'

The Xbox One: stay horizontal, friend.

(Credit: Microsoft) 

 

The upcoming Xbox One wants to keep its feet flat on the ground. It wasn't built to be upended, an Xbox exec warns. 

Microsoft has a warning to gamers: don't turn the Xbox One on its side.
Speaking to CNET sister site GameSpot in an interview published Thursday, Microsoft's senior director of product management and planning at Xbox, Albert Panello, said that the $449 Xbox One should not be placed vertically because it has a slot-loading drive.
"We don't support vertical orientation; do it at your own risk," he said. "It wouldn't be a cooling problem, we just didn't design the drive for vertical. Because it's a slot loading drive, we just didn't design it for both."
The admission is somewhat odd. Both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 come with slot-loading drives, and they support both vertical and horizontal orientations. The Xbox 360 came with a tray drive, but was allowed to be placed vertically. Vertical orientation is important for some gamers who want to save space in their home entertainment furniture and stack multiple consoles alongside each other.
But perhaps it won't be an issue for most gamers, since they seem to be a level-headed bunch: "We found," said Panello, "that 80 percent of people, believe it or not, have their Xbox 360 horizontally."
The Xbox One is scheduled to arrive in stores on November 22.

Lots of Windows ARM tablets on the way, says Microsoft

Microsoft's panel at its analyst meeting on Thursday. Terry Myerson, executive vice president of operating systems, is the third from left.

(Credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft is hardly giving up on ARM-based tablets.

But the company is keenly aware that investors have a lot of questions about Windows RT -- which has not fared well in the marketplace nor financially. Microsoft took a charge to the tune of $900 million for the Surface RT tablet in July.
"I know it's on the minds of the people in the room. Can you talk about the role that Windows RT plays going forward?" -- was the question Tami Reller, executive vice president of Microsoft's Marketing group, posed to Terry Myerson, executive vice president of the Operating Systems group at the company's financial analyst meeting on Thursday.
"There are two very important chipset families in all of our devices and that's [Intel] x86 and ARM," Myerson responded.

"The ARM devices, particularly in phones, have incredible share due to the battery life and connectivity options," he said. The latter refers to expected 3G/4G options in future Windows ARM tablets.
He continued. "As phones extend into tablets, I expect us to see many more Windows ARM tablets in the future."

If you parse Myerson's words, he seems to avoid saying "Windows RT" tablets but rather specifies ARM tablets. He also appears to be referring to phablet-like devices, rather than standard 10-inch class tablets, like Surface RT.
That's likely where Nokia could play a big role. Microsoft is in the process of acquiring Nokia's devices and services unit.

Ballmer: I'm long on Microsoft and remain a big believer

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer addressing financial analysts.

(Credit: Microsoft)

In his last appearance at a Microsoft analyst gathering, Steve Ballmer offers full-throated endorsement of the company he's led during a time of transition.

Steve Ballmer strode onto stage, facing an audience of financial analysts who haven't always given him rave reviews and didn't mince words. "We've built a heck of a good company," said Ballmer, making his last appearance at the annual financial analyst meeting as Microsoft's chief executive on Thursday.
This was part status update on the company's current business and part occasion to set the record straight -- as interpreted by a CEO who has never been bashful about waving the Microsoft flag.
"I won't talk as a CEO. I want to talk as an investor. After I retire I'm just a guy that owns 4 percent of Microsoft, and that's about 65, 70 percent of what I've ever owned. I think I've sold five times in my life and bought once, and I hold on and treasure my Microsoft stock. I know some of you wonder if I treasure it like a crazy founder who can't let go. I treasure it as an investor, too. I'm a believer in Microsoft. I'm a believer in the company and what we can do. I don't normally give you the sales pitch. Not today. Today -- all of you get up. You all own Microsoft stock. Cheer for it. We all want it to go the same direction, up. "
He also offered a status report on the search for the person who will inherit his job.
"I know our board is in the process of going through a process to evaluate candidates from within and outside of Microsoft to be open minded. We made this decision to announce before we had a replacement so we could run the absolute best succession process on the planet. It's kind of a little weird for me to come to work and have that known. And yet when we talked it all through, we said this is absolutely the best way to ensure that the company gets the leader that it deserves for this incredibly talented team. Whether it's one of our people who works here or somebody from outside. We want to be able to do that incredibly -- thoughtfully."
During the subsequent Q&A, Ballmer commented indirectly about the CEO search without showing Microsoft's hand.
"When there's something to say, you'll hear it from the full board. Not from me. I do think that whoever you put in this seat, my seat, will have some things they're stronger on and some things they're less strong on. That is inevitable. And the key will be for the board to evaluate who it thinks can be most effective. And when there's something to report you'll hear it."

Microsoft versus the competition.

(Credit: Microsoft)

Throwing up a slide with financial comparisons between Microsoft and Amazon, Google, Apple, Oracle, IBM, and Salesforce, Ballmer said the company had bested its competition based on the last decade's worth of results. "We have been very successful," he said. "We make a ton of money. We're very proud of that...I'm proud that we've made more money than anybody on this list in the last 10 years."
There wasn't much give during his remarks, though early on he did allude to weakening demand for the Windows operating system as more customers bought tablet computers and smartphones running non-Windows operating systems.
He said Microsoft will need to make sure that "the PC stays the device of choice when people try to be productive in life."
"We know that we've got to do a great job," he said, allowing that while Windows 8.1 "is, I think, a great improvement," Microsoft needs to do a better job branding Windows.
An introspective Ballmer?
"We have to make absolutely clear to people what the value proposition is," he said, holding out a hint that would extend to people accessing Windows on non-Microsoft devices.
Ballmer also offered a blunt assessment of Microsoft's record in the mobile market.
"We have almost no share," he said. "I don't know whether to say that with enthusiasm or kind of uncomfortable tension, but I'm an optimistic guy...Low market share sounds like upside opportunity to me."
That was an unusual departure from the usual rah-rah routine analysts and media have come to expect from Ballmer over his long tenure at Microsoft. And it was only a brief detour as he stepped up the hard sell: that Microsoft remains as potent as ever and is ready to take on the next big industry shift.
"But the other thing I want you to understand just before I move to wrap up is how uniquely poised I think Microsoft is to drive the next big thing," he said. "Now what is the next big thing? Well it's the next big thing. And you say, 'Tell us, Steve, what is the next big thing?' And of course there aren't that many next big things. I mean I know people say our industry changes all the time and blah, blah, blah and the thing is always flipping.
"...Bill Gates and Paul Allen realized that Microsoft and processes went well together. We bet and succeeded on the graphical user interface. We got serious about the Intel architecture...the data center in [1988], and today people say we're an enterprise company after about 15 years of saying we'd never get it right in the enterprise. And almost all the value in our company was created essentially on those three insights. If you look at our competitors, most of the wealth and value were created on one or two key insights. Getting search right first. Understanding the power of small form factors and low-power processors. Really understanding the value of an enterprise relationship. Getting databases figured out before anybody was there."

He said that the companies that best exploit the next major innovation in technology will need to understand natural user interface and hardware.
"Somebody, whether it's wearables or what is going on with screen or input technology, without the right hardware and software skills, without the right machine learning and cloud infrastructure, without the right focus on applications and flat forms, without the right appreciation of consumer and enterprise, I think it's hard to do," he said. "And when you write down the list of companies that have the capabilities that I listed, you'd certainly put Microsoft; you'd probably put Google. We have certain different strengths and after that -- Apple is there in many dimensions. They don't have the investment in cloud infrastructure or machine learning, and it starts to slide from there."
Ballmer told the assembled investors that Microsoft is well positioned for the short and long term, and is capable of shooting the moon, which is perhaps a nod to Google's penchant for moon shots, such as self-driving cars.

 

(Credit: Microsoft)

"With Microsoft not only do you get what I would say is incredible short-term upside albeit with some managed and focused areas of risk," he said. "But you also get a company that has unique capabilities to shoot the moon, if you will, for the thing that would really create something that might generate $30, $50, $100 billion of new economic value, which at the end of the day when you invest in a company with enterprise value of $200 billion plus, those are the kind of opportunities that have to look interesting and attractive to you.
Google and competition
Ballmer also alluded to the company's continuing battles -- both in the markets and in the legal corridors -- with Google. He also said Microsoft has discussed Google with the "competition authorities."
"I don't think their practices are getting less meritorious of discussion," he said. "We highlighted some bad practices in our advertising and discussions with regulators, the bundling they're doing with You Tube and Google maps. I think they need pressure from competition. I think they need pressure in the marketplace with product, with investment, with scale."
And since there's one less tomorrow for Ballmer as Microsoft's CEO, he saved the best for the last question of the day.
"I regret in early 2000 being so focused around Windows that we couldn't apply research to phones," Ballmer said. The effort to get Windows Vista out basically took attention away from Windows Phone at that time, and Microsoft is still paying for it.

Windows Phone 8 gets security thumbs-up from US government

Will government security accreditation increase the adoption rates of Microsoft's Windows Phone 8?


Windows Phone 8 has received a key government accreditation called FIPS 140-2, Microsoft said on Wednesday.
Robert Hoover, a Windows Phone project manager, wrote on the official Windows Phone blog that Win Phone 8 has reached an "important new security milestone," which could make the platform a prospect for governments and organizations that require high security and encryption on their networks and communications platforms.
The U.S. government has granted Win Phone 8 the FIPS 140-2 (PDF) security accreditation. FIPS 140-2 is used to scrutinize and assign a level of security to devices, including tablets and smartphones, that use cryptographic algorithms to protect sensitive data stored within.
In total, Windows Phone 8 has received FIPS 140-2 validation for nine cryptographic certificates. The full list of Windows 8 Phone accredited certificates is below:

• Kernel Mode Cryptographic Primitives Library (CNG.SYS) 
• Cryptographic Primitives Library (BCRYPTPRIMITIVES.DLL)
• Enhanced DSS and Diffie-Hellman Cryptographic Provider (DSSENH.DLL)
• Enhanced Cryptographic Provider (RSAENH.DLL)
• Boot Manager
• BitLocker Windows OS Loader (WINLOAD)
• Code Integrity (CI.DLL)
• BitLocker Windows Resume (WINRESUME)
• BitLocker Dump Filter (DUMPFVE.SYS)

The accreditation was awarded by the Cryptographic Module Validation Program. In addition to the announcement, Microsoft has also updated its Windows Phone 8 Security Guide to cover policy and EAS firewall settings.
The certification may further boost the adoption of Windows Phone in the enterprise sphere, not only in the U.S. but globally as well -- the FIPS 140-2 accreditation is widely accepted as a security endorsement. In addition, corporations that advocate a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy may be happier to accept platforms with government-backed security validation. However, competition still reigns as Apple's iOS devices and other manufacturers also have such certificates.
In January, the U.S. Department of Defense signed a three-year licensing agreement with Microsoft reseller Insight Public Sector to bring Windows enterprise products to 75 percent of all DoD personnel.

Microsoft plans more TV shows for the Xbox One

More TV projects will follow the already-announced Halo series from Steven Spielberg, reports Reuters.

Microsoft's Xbox One will launch on November 22.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

Xbox One owners are scheduled to get more TV shows airing on the upcoming game console.
In May, Microsoft revealed an agreement with Steven Spielberg to create a TV show based on the popular Halo game series. But that seems to be just the start.
"We are very close" to announcing similar projects before year-end, Microsoft Studios Vice President Phil Spencer said in an interview in Tokyo on Wednesday, according to Reuters. Microsoft has promised TV content exclusive to the Xbox One unrelated to games, but Spencer believes "there will be a certain level of interactivity to what we do."
The Halo TV show will be a live-action series. Microsoft's upcoming TV projects could convince third-party developers to create their own programming, Spencer added, according to Reuters.
The Xbox One is scheduled to reach consumers on Friday, November 22, across 13 different countries, including the US, the UK, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, and Spain.