Windows ecosystem in 2013 is more diverse than you think

Over the past year, I’ve used Windows 8 on more than 20 different PCs. Over the past three months, I’ve upgraded a dozen or so of those devices to the Windows 8.1 Preview and, more recently, to the Windows 8.1 RTM code.

Now, when I say used, I’m not counting devices where I had a few minutes of hands-on time at a tradeshow. That total includes devices I spent quality hands-on time with, for at least days and often weeks or months. In every case, it was long enough to get a solid overview and a feeling for the relative strengths and weaknesses of a very wide range of devices.

I’ve also spent lots of time working with end users at all skill levels, listening to their feedback and helping them adjust to the sometimes steep Windows 8.x learning curve. In this post and the accompanying image gallery, I want to share some of those experiences and the lessons I’ve learned
.

Read more at: The Windows ecosystem in 2013 is more diverse than you think | ZDNet
 
Computers are in a constant state of change, as always. Like it or not it will continue.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro x64/ Windows 7 Ult x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    76~2.0
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-3570K 4.6GHz
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE GA-Z77X UD3H f18
    Memory
    8GB (2X4GB) DDR3 1600 CORSAIR Vengeance CL8 1.5v
    Graphics Card(s)
    Sapphire HD 7770 Vapor-X 1GB DDR5
    Sound Card
    Onboard VIA VT2021
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LCD Dell SP2208WFP
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    Samaung 840Pro 128GB, Seagate 500GB SATA2 7200rpm 32mb, Seagate 1TB SATA2 7200rpm 32mb,
    PSU
    Corsair HX650W
    Case
    Cooler Master Storm Scout
    Cooling
    Corsair H80 w/Noctua NF P12 12cm fan, case fans 2X14cm
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wave
    Mouse
    CM Sentinel
    Internet Speed
    Abysmal
    Browser
    Opera Next
    Other Info
    Dell Venue 8Pro: Baytrail Z3740D, 2GB Ram, 64GB HDD, 8" IPS Display 1280 x 800, Active Stylus.
    Haswell laptop: HP Envy 17t-j, i7-4700MQ, GeForce 740M 2GB DDR3, 17.3" Full HD 1920x1080, 16GB RAM, Samsung 840 Pro 128GB, 1TB Hitachi 7200 HDD,
    Desktop: eSATA ports,
    External eSATA Seagate 500GB SATA2 7200rpm,
Computers are in a constant state of change, as always. Like it or not it will continue.
the good thing is there will always be something new to learn.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Home Premium x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Hewlett Packard P7-1017c
    CPU
    Intel Core i3-2100 @ 3.1Ghz
    Motherboard
    Pegatron HP
    Memory
    Crucial 2x4GB DDR3 1333 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Sapphire Radeon HD 7850 2GB GDDR5
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP 2211x
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Hitachi 1TB 7200 RPM
    PSU
    Corsair CX600 80+ Bronze
    Case
    Coolermaster HAF 912
    Cooling
    Stock Intel Fan
    Keyboard
    HP Keyboard
    Mouse
    HP Mouse
    Internet Speed
    30+ Mbps Download; 2Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Norton 360
    Other Info
    New build with custom parts later in the year

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8, (VM win7, XP, Vista)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion p1423w
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 3330 Ivy Bridge
    Motherboard
    Foxconn - 2ADA Ivy Brige
    Memory
    16 GB 1066MHz DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD 5450
    Sound Card
    HD Realteck (Onboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Mitsubishi LED TV/Montior HD, Dell 23 HD, Hanspree 25" HD
    Screen Resolution
    Mit. 1980-1080, Dell 2048-115, Hanspree 1920-10802
    Hard Drives
    1 SanDisk 240Gig SSD, 2 Samsung 512Gig SSDs
    Case
    Tower
    Cooling
    Original (Fans)
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Keyboard 2000
    Mouse
    Microsoft Optical Mouse 5000
    Internet Speed
    1.3 (350 to 1024 if lucky)
    Browser
    Firefox 19.1
    Antivirus
    MSE-Defender
Back
Top