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A: It doesn’t matter.
Fans of each system (and let’s not leave out Linux’s rabid fan base or Chrome OS’s growing one) have a litany of reasons why their choice is the only one that makes sense. But it really doesn’t matter. You can run a law practice just fine on any computer with an Internet connection and a document editor.
That said, there are some reasons why one or the other might suit you.
See our Law Technology Buyer's Guide for our top technology recommendations.
In theory, the Dell XPS 12 is the best of both worlds: a well-built ultrabook and a full-on Windows 8 tablet. Its unique, swiveling, touchscreen display switches between those modes with a quick flip. It is very well-adapted to Windows 8, but it also makes Windows 8′s flaws glaringly obvious. When it is a laptop, it is made awkward by Windows 8′s tablet UI, and when it is a tablet, it is weighed down by the size and bulk of a laptop.
If you like Windows 8, you will love the Dell XPS 12. It is a very good Windows 8 laptop. If you aren’t sold on Windows 8′s multiple personalities, the XPS 12 won’t make you fall in love.
Greg Broiles may call himself a fuddy-duddy (he’s relucant to upgrade from Windows XP), but he’s got some seriously good advice for anyone looking to upgrade Windows:
When you spot a good deal, share it with the LAB!
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Windows 8 is finally available to reviewers. I don’t plan to upgrade (it feels too half-baked for desktop users to me), at least not yet, but you can get your fill of minutiae on the final Windows 8 release elsewhere. I did, however, review the preview (here’s part 1 and part 2) and it doesn’t look like anything significant changed prior to release.
Read Windows 8 review on The Verge.
(photo: also from The Verge)
Windows 8 will come in two flavors: RT and regular. The RT version is optimized for ARM processors, the kind you find in mobile devices. The obvious conclusion was that Windows RT would scrap the desktop entirely, and function exclusively within the UI formerly known as Metro. The big news about this was that Microsoft promised a version of Office 2012 optimized for Windows RT.
This was really exciting news (to us gadget geeks). After all, Apple has a provided some pretty amazing versions of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote for iOS. Except that few people use Page, Numbers, and Keynote for business. So Office 2013 RT, optimized for tablets, was a potentially killer feature.
Instead, we get this:
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Yesterday, I opened my review of Windows 8 with an introduction to the new user interface — the main difference between Windows 8 and its predecessor. But while the UI is a pretty major change, Windows 8 signifies an even bigger change to the Windows 8 ecosystem.
So, when October 26th comes, should you upgrade to Windows 8? Read on to find out.
See our Law Technology Buyer's Guide for our top technology recommendations.
Windows 8, coming on October 26, 2012, is completely new, but comfortably familiar. It unifies touch-based tablets and traditional PCs without forcing you to adopt either paradigm. If you wanted something completely new, you’ve got it. If you are uncomfortable with change, you don’t really have to.
Let me explain.
Windows 8 will be released in October, but Microsoft is updating its web apps in preparation for the new OS. It recently released Outlook.com, a major overhaul of Hotmail that is so good I’m considering switching from Gmail. Now, it has upgraded SkyDrive, it’s anemic cloud storage service. The update is not just cosmetic, but it won’t have you uninstalling Dropbox anytime soon.
One neat feature I noticed: You can use Open Document Format as your default for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files.
The Office Web Apps get the new look, too, but it is just cosmetic. Still no custom styles, which means you can’t really use the web apps for creating documents, unless you plan to edit them later and apply a non-goofy style set. [via Lifehacker]
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“Windows 8 is … a stumbling half-step [in the right direction]“
by Sam Glover on November 27, 2012 in Legal Technology
My most-common response to Windows 8, which I unwisely installed on both my Windows PCs, is something along the lines of “oh, dammit.” That’s because Windows 8 has two completely different UI paradigms coexisting. I mostly use the Desktop to get work done just like I have in Windows for years, but it regularly kicks me out into a Metro app that (a) takes forever, and (b) is a completely different user experience. Menus work differently, things slide sideways instead of vertically, fonts are changed, there is no taskbar. So I have to stop and remember how to work things on the new screen, and how to get back to the one I was using before. I think I was right to compare it to Windows Vista, which was an intermediate step to Windows 7, which still rocks. Windows 9 will probably be awesome, but in the meantime, Windows 8 is a mess.
Read “Nielsen on Windows 8” on ignore the code, and “Windows 8 — Disappointing Usability for Both Novice and Power Users” on Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox.