Windows 8 is Now the 3rd Most-Used PC OS

Microsoft’s latest Windows 8 has finally overtaken Windows Vista to get a place on the podium of all PC operating systems. The new OS edged out Vista to get 5.10 percent of user share.

According to this new report by Net Applications, Windows 7 still stands tall at 44.37%, even though its user share has dropped a bit from 44.85%. XP remains there at the number 2 spot with a market share of 37.17%, down from 37.74% while Vista actually saw its share increase from 4.51% to 4.62%. Still, it just couldn’t cling to its third place.

On the upside, the growth of Windows 8 has caught traction, even if quite slightly. We’ve also seen several new Windows 8 running devices get launched, either it be traditional laptops or new convertibles, boasting the new Haswell processor. All this should be good for the operating system which has been yearning for the sight of good news since its launch.

Apple’s Macintosh-based systems, meanwhile, altogether stand at 7.2% which wasn’t unexpected given their price range and targeted audience. Windows-based systems, altogether, run on 91.51% PCs on the globe and are definitely not in a position to be dethroned of the place anytime soon.

96% People to Have Phones, 39% the Internet by the End of 2013: UN

United Nations has given us some really interesting figures in its new Millennium Development Goals Report regarding the mobile phone and internet population of the world. According to them, the amount of phones in the world will be almost as much as humans by the end of this year.

This won’t be meaning that every person of the world will be having a phone, of course, as dozens of countries have more than one mobile phone subscription per person. Still, 89 percent of people in developing countries will be holding a phone in their hands. The entire figure will be a staggering 6.8 billion subscriptions overall, constituting for 96 percent of the entire population.

The figures still aren’t as rosy for the internet users yet. According to United Nations, the no. of people connected via web will reach 2.7 billion by the end of 2013 which will be about 39 percent of our population. Still, it must not be forgotten that having an internet is a much, much more complex a process than having a Nokia feature phone.

In Pakistan, the no. of phone subscriptions per hundred people is 68, which though not mesmerizing, is nonetheless better than countries like, say, Myanmar where it tops at 3. The countries topping this list are Macau and Hong Kong, with 243 and 215 respectively.

A thing to note, however, in Pakistan’s case is that the rate of increase in mobile subscriptions has slowed over the past 3 or 4 years which is rather alarming. Also, a lot of Pakistanis too own two or three phones at a time.

For internet usage, Pakistan has around 30 million users or around 16 percent of total population is connected with internet.

Nokia announces 207 and 208 feature phones with 3.5G capabilities

Nokia has announced 3 new feature phones featuring the “candybar” by the names of Nokia 207, 208 and 208 dual SIM. These feature phones come with 3.5G capabilities and can be tethered to computer via USB to share internet connection. They will be available in red, cyan, yellow, white and black colours.

Nokia 207 and 208 are quite similar in terms of features with the main difference being camera. Nokia 208 and 208 Dual SIM have features like voice-guided self-portrait, sequential shot and panorama mode. The Nokia 208 Dual SIM uses the Nokia’s Easy Swap technology though which people can easily change their SIMs without turning the mobile phone off.

As is the specialty of Nokia, these phones offer faster and more affordable mobile Internet experiences. The combination of 3G support with the Nokia Xpress Browser will allow people to surf the net at a faster speed and lower cost.

How are 4th Gen (Haswell) Intel processors different from 3rd Gen (Ivy Bridge)

Intel usually releases a new set of processors during mid of every year with a number of changes from its predecessors. This year saw the release of fourth generation of Intel Core processors, codenamed Haswell which provide a number of new features as compared to 3^rd Generation processors, codenamed Ivy Bridge.

Architecture

3^rd Gen (Ivy Bridge) processors used a 22nm process which was quite a step up from the 2^nd Gen (Sandy Bridge which used a 32nm process. On the other hand, Haswell processors use the 22nm process but a different and more powerful and power efficient microarchitecture: Silvermont.

Motherboard Socket

If you needed to upgrade your Intel 2^nd Gen system with a 3^rd Gen processor, there was no need for changing the motherboard as both CPUs share the same LGA 1155 socket. The upgrade only required a BIOS firmware flash. The case for upgrade from 3^rd Gen to 4^th is quite different as the 4^th Gen CPUs use the LGA 1150 socket, which is electrically incompatible with the previous models.

Graphics

The Haswell processors come with an upgraded Intel HD Graphics and new Iris/Iris Pro Graphics which would improve its 3D performance over that of Ivy Bridge. Though you cannot expect to play a high end graphics game with the Haswell process.

Battery Life

In terms of battery consumption, the Haswell processors are specifically designed to reduce power utilization, allowing for a longer battery time. So if you have to travel long and spend more time away from a plug and charger, it is better that you buy a machine with Haswell processors.

Price

One of the most important factors is that of price. Once the 4^th Generation Core processors are in the market, prices of 3^rd Gen Processors are bound to fall down which makes it a best buy situation for those who were planning on buying a new system but are bound by the price factor.

Windows Store Reaches 100,000 Apps

The Windows Store platform for Microsoft’s Windows 8 and RT operating systems has just reached the milestone of having a hundred thousand apps. The achievement was announced via twitter and it took just 7 months to accomplish, not unlike what Microsoft had predicted.

The announcement came just days after the company announced that the Store was about to reach 100,000 app margin. Compared to 7 months, Android took 18 months to achieve the feat while iOS took 14.

The news, however, is the greatest for the Windows RT platform which can’t run legacy programs and is reliant on the Store solely for content. This, then, should help the OS to garner some new potential buyers as the main apps are almost all onboard now with the remaining ones coming in the meantime. Also along with the launch of RT 8.1, success might not be that far really, unless luck is really against them.