Microsoft is working with major ARM chip makers like Nvidia and Texas Instruments to design PCs for WOA, but I suspect that the majority of the devices consumers see will be tablets.

The post is very long and offers a huge amount of information, but one thing in particular struck me:

Windows on ARM software will not be sold or distributed independent of a new WOA PC, just as you would expect from a consumer electronics device that relies on unique and integrated pairings of hardware and software.

Really?

Usually a consumer can get Windows as a disk for upgrading or installing on a computer they build themselves. Apparently the company is not up with self-built ARM computers.

Their reasoning for this is two-fold. Further down in the post the author brings up consumer-friendliness:

…you never have to worry about which DVD to install and if it will work on a particular PC.

…

While each WOA PC offered will be unique, the role of Windows is to present a consistent experience to customers while allowing the unique and innovative hardware to shine through…

And he also highlights that a great experience with WOA will depend on a tighter software/hardware integration than regular Windows:

[Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, and NVIDIA have] been working with partners that will bring WOA PCs to market. These PCs have all been designed and manufactured expressly for WOA. From the chipset through the firmware and drivers, the work is optimized to be great for WOA. Partners are working hard on creative industrial designs and form factors that will include more than tablets.

I know from experience that you can’t just slap an OS onto a device and expect it to run well just because it meets the basic specs, even moreso with the chips we’ve seen in tablets and smartphones recently. So I can see the merit in this strategy, especially for mainstream consumers.

I just wonder if this is also to keep hobbyist devs and hackers from putting Windows 8 is places where Microsoft thinks it doesn’t belong. Like on an iPad or a Galaxy Tab. I have no idea if such a thing is even possible, but you know someone is going to try.

Personally, I’d like to see if the Raspberry Pi can handle it.

Perhaps that’s part of it, too. It’s possible to build very inexpensive ARM-based devices like that. If you could get Windows 8 running on it, why buy a computer that costs more? Oop.

Not everything is an evil conspiracy, but I wonder what the end result will be? Can hackers somehow get at WOA enough to port it to another system? Will we see jailbroken WOA PCs shortly after launch?

I’ll be keeping a closer eye on xda developers to find out…

Windows 8 For ARM Devices Won’t Be Sold Separately is a post by K. T. Bradford from Notebooks.com.

The update also bring other fixes. Users can download the update directly at the links below or by using the Software Update feature built into OS X, which you find under the Apple Menu.

The MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 2.3 not only enables the Internet recovery of Lion but also fixes a problem where the system might restart if you press the power button right after your computer wakes from a deep sleep. Get the update here.

If you have a 2010 MacBook Pro, then you get the MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 2.6, which you can download from Apple’s support site. It only addresses the recovery feature. 2010 iMac’s get an update to version 1.8 with a download found here.

For those who might now remember, the Internet Recover feature of Lion creates a sector on the hard drive that runs a special operating system installation that will connect your computer to the Internet, download Lion from Apple’s servers, and install it on your computer. You don’t need to carry around a USB or DVD to recover your computer so long as your hard drive doesn’t stop functioning.

If you don’t have OS X Lion, you can purchase an upgrade in the Mac App Store for $29.99 to gain the ability to restore form the Internet and many other features. If you purchased your 2010 MacBook Pro as a refurbished unit from Apple, it may have come with the ability to upgrade for free.

Apple Updates 2010 MacBooks EFI Firmware for Internet Recovery is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

When I first saw the Folio I remarked that it fits right in with HP’s ProBook line, just thinner. That’s exactly the impression I have now, all the more impressive given some of the other ultrabooks I’ve seen lately.

The thin profile and light weight are wonderful for someone as mobile as I am, but unlike other ultrabooks I don’t feel like the Folio is out to impress me just with how thin it is. There’s no taper to a razor thin edge, just a curve that makes the notebook comfortable to carry. The Folio isn’t afraid to be the thickness it is from front to back, and the reward for consumers is a full range of ports.

You get 2 USB ports (2.0 and 3.0), an SD card slot, HDMI, Ethernet, and a combo headphone/mic. I’d like to see ultrabooks at least try for a third USB port, but otherwise this is acceptable.

So far I’m impressed with the performance, though I haven’t heavily taxed the system yet. In editing the pictures for this post the Folio took a noticeable second to crop or resize, but not enough of a lag that I got impatient.

The glossy display offers pretty rich colors, but only within a specific rage. Lighter colors looked blown out at more acute angles. I have to push the display back as far as it will go to get the depth I expect. And, of course, the glossiness can be an issue.

The keyboard is decent, though I am less and less willing to give flat keys a pass the more I use them. The keys have a faint matte coating that helps with accuracy but feels odd as my nails make contact.

The wide clickpad is this ultrabook’s Achilles heel. It does all right when doing basic mouse stuff, but as soon as you bring a second finger in — say when you want to click and drag or just rest the finger on the left mouse button area — the touchpad gets all confused and jumpy. Two-finger scrolling is satisfactory so far, but other multi-touch gestures aren’t smooth at all.

I know I’ll be calling on my friend the external mouse to get through this review.

Check out the gallery below for new pics. I’ll have the review up soon. In the meantime, what do you want to know about the HP Folio?

HP Folio Review: First Impressions of the First Business Ultrabook is a post by K. T. Bradford from Notebooks.com.

The Spectre 14 won’t start shipping until later this month, but if you can’t wait for this 14 inch Ultrabook, you an preorder the ENVY 14 Spectre starting today from HP.

The Spectre 14 uses an edge to edge display to fit a 14 inch display int he frame of a 13 inch notebook, and covered the display and much of the frame with Gorilla Glass. There’s even a glass covered trackpad, which we hope will perform better than the average Windows trackpad.

The 14 inch display is also a treat, with a 1600×900 resolution that allows you to see mor eon your screen at once. It is an HP Radiance display, which normally means better colors than your average notebook display.

HP ENVY 14 Spectre Hands On Video

Check out our hands on video with the HP Envy Spectre 14 that gives you a closer look at the Ultrabook and a rundown of the notebook’s features.

Inside HP has an Intel Core i5 2nd Generation mobile processor, , 4GB RAM and up to a 256GB SSD. The notebook is equipped with HP Beats Audio and HP Coolsense for better sound and faster cooling respectively. HP has also included NFC technology and built in HP Wireless Audio support. The full size keyboard is backlit for a better typing experience in low light conditions.

The notebook weighs in under 4 pounds and is 20mm thick. Despite the thin size HP is claiming 9 hours of battery life and delivers all the ports you need including a full size Ethernet port that flips open when you need to connect.

The HP Envy 14 Spectre starts at $1,399 – Preorder From HP

Preorder Your HP ENVY 14 Spectre Ultrabook Today is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Apple took down that update after users said their systems became unstable and applications began crashing. As a result Apple now would rather have users update with a large 1.3GB file which they will have to manually download and apply instead of using Software Update from the Apple menu with OS X.

A second snafu came about when a security update caused problems with Rosetta, the virtual interface that runs older PowerPC applications on top of OS X made for Intel based Macs. Users can run older software that doesn’t run natively on the Intel compatible version of the Apple operating system. A second version of the security fix came out that shouldn’t break Rosetta.

Apple normally doesn’t send out updates that cause this much trouble, causing the folks at The Inquirer to speculate that Apple moved some quality control people over to the iOS. Apple released financial earnings showing that iOS provides a larger percentage of their earnings, so it would be natural that they would move people to that side of their business, the post says.

That’s highly speculative and we have no evidence this is true. One failure doesn’t make a pattern. It does mean that Apple needs watch their updates carefully if they don’t want to tarnish their previously good reputation for stability.

To get the new full 1.3GB update from Apple, download it or check out the support page with the “client combo” file.

Via The Inquirer

Apple Takes Down OSX Updates Due to Stability Issues is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

A new page on Bing.com shows a video of a beta fish swimming through a tank filled with Windows 8 links, including an invitation to see what’s new in Windows 8 and answers to your questions about Windows 8 Consumer Preview.

You can’t download the Windows 8 Consumer preview yet, but Microsoft should be releasing the details about a widespread consumer test drive of Windows 8 later this month.

Windows 8 offers a new take on Windows that borrows heavily from the Windows Phone Metro user interface. There is a heavy focus on touch, but Windows 8 will also work with your mouse and keyboard. You can check out a closer look at the Windows 8 preview given to developers last year.

The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is expected to be similar to the Windows 7 preview, which allowed users to test drive the operating system on their existing computers for several months before the system was launched to the public. It is not recommended that you install this on a computer you need to use for work on a daily basis, but if you have a second computer around it could give an interesting look at the future of Windows.

Stay tuned for more details on the launch of Windows 8 Consumer Preview later this month.

Via Cnet

Windows 8 Consumer Preview Coming This Month is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Enter AirFoil, an AirPlay solution that lets you stream any audio from your computer to your AirPlay speakers or Apple TV.

AirPlay for the Mac and for Windows computers is the missing part of Apple TV experience, and that’s what AirFoil solves in a simple to use program. I wish it could also handle video, like Intel Wireless Display, but for now I’m just happy to be able to send my Pandora tunes to my home theater when I work in the living room.

AirFoil has a free trial that allows you tor stream your Mac or PC to the Apple TV for 10 minutes, after which they overlay a hiss on your audio. The full program is an affordable $25, and is delivered instantly.

Using AirFoil is incredibly easy. As long as you are on the same network as your Apple TV, which is almost a given if you are at home, you will see it and any AirPlay speakers listed in the app.

To use the Apple TV as your wireless speaker system, click on the music note to right of your item. You can stream to multiple sources at once, which makes it easy to pump music throughout your house. You can install the free AirFoil Speakers app on your Mac to turn in into an AirPlay receiver.

When you want to change your audio source, you just click the dropdown menu at the top. You can pick from any program on your computer, including your web browser. The only thing I don’t like is that AirFoil will need to restart the program to capture the audio, so you may have to save your work if you want to start using Chrome or Safari in the middle of the day. Thankfully you are warned about this so there are no surprises.

Overall this is a great solution for streaming music from your computer to the Apple TV. Hopefully we’ll have a way of streaming video in the near future.

Purchase AirPlay from Rogue Amoeba

AirFoil Streams Audio From Your Mac or PC to Apple TV is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Following along in the footsteps of the WorkFit series which we have reviewed, the new WorkFit A allows you to sit or stand at the same desk. This is a big plus for users who are trying to switch to a standing desk, and fr longtime users like myself who have days where you just need to sit down.

The new WorkFit A Sit – Stand Desk starts at $379, with a single display, and adding a laptop holder or second monitor mount is just $20 more. If you want a workspace while standing you can add one for about $100.

One of the reasons I really like this new system, and why I call it a refined sit stand desk is that this one mounts on the back of your desk. This means you aren’t a foot away from your desk at all times, perfect in small cubicles. Also, because the mount sits down right to your desk, you can still use your desk surface for a cup of coffee or to spread out papers while you are sitting.

The Ergotron WorkFit A has 20 inches of up and down movement, allowing you to find a height that works great for you, and is a nice touch if you have to share a workstation. The monitor mount has an independent 5 inch adjustment so that you can also find the right height.

For more on standing desks and our reviews of Ergotron Sit Stand Desks check out our previous coverage.

• Ergotron WorkFit S Review
• Ergotron WorkFit C Review
• Standing Desk Guide: Measurements, Examples and Benefits

Stay tuned for an Ergotron WorkFit D review later this month.

Ergotron WorkFit A: A Refined Sit Stand Desk for Your Office is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

In practical terms this means that manufacturers will be able to make very thin laptops that still offer good performance and graphics. If that sounds similar to the idea behind ultrabooks, it is. AMD just can’t call them that.

Apparently they’re going with the Ultrathin moniker.

No matter what they’re called, the idea is to satisfy the market’s current desire for slim and sexy hardware. Thus the reference design by Compal Engadget spotted. We won’t see this specific laptop come to market, but manufacturers are meant to draw inspiration from it. I wouldn’t mind seeing this sexy red beast on a store shelf, for sure.

These new chips aren’t just for ultraportables. There’s a high-end model for multimedia and gaming laptops and a mainstream chip destined for thin and light machines.

The best part about the ultrathins isn’t just the form factor, but also the price. The goal is to sell them in the $500 – $700 price range, much less than the current crop of ultrabooks. That price will certainly tempt consumers even if AMD can’t deliver the same power as Intel and Nvidia. Though the company certainly aims to compete in that area, too.

AMD’s Next Generation Chips Aim For Thin Laptops, Low Prices, And Good Performance is a post by K. T. Bradford from Notebooks.com.

The AirPort Utility handles your Mac Wi-Fi radio. This update brings compatibility with Apple’s AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule devices all of which are networking devices produced by the company.

For all the details, check out the description of the update below the screenshot:

Use AirPort Utility to set up and manage your Wi-Fi network and AirPort base stations, including AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and Time Capsule. See a graphical overview of your Wi-Fi network and devices. Change base station and network settings, or manage advanced features such as security modes, wireless channels, and more.

For the latest information on AirPort software, check Software Update in System Preferences or the following Apple website: Apple Support Downloads.

Learn more about Apple Wi-Fi at: http://www.apple.com/wifi/.

The Mac OS X Update brings the OS to OS X 10.7.3 and includes an update for Safari (version 5.1.3) which adds some international language support to Apple’s browser and fixes issues in the OS with smart cards, directory services and Windows file sharing. Read the description of the update below the image:

The 10.7.3 update is recommended for all OS X Lion users and includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac including fixes that:

• Add Catalan, Croatian, Greek, Hebrew, Romanian, Slovak, Thai, and Ukrainian language support
• Address issues when using smart cards to log into OS X
• Resolve issues authenticating with directory services
• Address compatibility issues with Windows file sharing

For detailed information on this update, please visit this website:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5048.

For information on the security content of this update, please visit:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.

Download these updates by clicking on the Apple menu and choosing Software Update.

OSX 10.7.3 Safari and AirPort Utility Updates Available is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.