IT Services Blog

Windows 8 Start Screen

There’s been a lot of talk this week about the future of Microsoft’s new Operating System (OS) Windows 8 and whether Microsoft jumped the gun on redesigning the user interface that has been a part of the business world’s psyche since Windows 95. Gone is the familiar start button and static desktop, instead Windows 8 has a more fluid approach to tools and aps showing that Microsoft is ready to cater to the growing tablet market. Are we ready for this? Do we have a choice?

The Future of Computing?

We shared last month that for the first time in history, the shipment of tablets outpaced desktops. The IDC reported a total of 49.2 million tablets were shipped in the first quarter of 2013 surpassing the entire first half of 2012. These numbers are only forecasted to grow. Last month, Microsoft’s Surface tablets broke into the top 5 tablet sales for the first time since their introduction. The Microsoft Surface Pro, along with other tablets running Windows 8 operating system, like those from Lenovo and HP, are being introduced rapidly into the business market. There may finally be contenders to deal with many of the complaints users have about not having access to Office products on their tablets.

Still, many PC users may not be ready for Windows 8 quite yet. Even Microsoft executives admit to there being a learning curve to using the new Windows 8 and are working on a new edition dubbed “Windows Blue” which is set to hit the streets this summer. Even though it is rumored to bring back familiar features of older operating systems, like the start button, it will maintain its increased focus on touch screen computing.

The Future is here. Learn how to make the most of it.

Have you seen the new Windows 8 operating system for yourself? Here’s a video tutorial on Windows 8’s new interface and features (both touch and laptop interfaces are demonstrated):

Learn Windows 8 in 8 Minutes

Contact us today if you’d like to speak to an Account Manager to learn more about Windows 8 or to discuss how to put together a BYOD or MDM policy for your company.

BlackPoint IT Services is also hosting a free Lunch & Learn seminar and Live Demo of Windows 8 in our offices later this month.

The New Office 365 & Windows 8
Tuesday May 14th
12:00pm – 1:30pm
BlackPoint IT Services
5200 S.W. Macadam Ste 155
Portland, OR 97239

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Spring is in the air! You may already be thinking about all the cleaning you need to do around the house, but it’s also a good time to think about spring cleaning around your office. We all get busy, and it’s easy to overlook those things we see and use every day, but neglecting your computer hardware and software programs can have some pretty dramatic consequences.

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Get to know the team at BlackPoint IT Services. 

Each month our newsletter will go behind the logo with one of the team members at BlackPoint IT Servcies.

Janelle Holland

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Photo by br1dotcom

Last week, Microsoft reminded users they will cease offering Extended Support for Office 2003 and Windows XP on April 8, 2014. With over 38% of PC users (according to data from Net Applications) still operating on this system, there’s reason for concern that 51 weeks from now we will see users – most at the enterprise level- scrambling for a solution for their Operating System (OS) woes. But with the rise in use of tablets and the tablet-friendly features of Windows 8, is this the end of an era for PCs as we know it?

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BYOD Compliance. Photo by Sean MacEntee

If you’re like most of us, your smartphone or tablet is never too far out of hand. With all the personal, social, and business applications mobile computing devices offer, these valuable tools make themselves indispensable to our everyday lives, and a potential target for cyber attackers who want the information we keep on them. How can you protect your personal and business data and comply with your BYOD policies?

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