Top 20 Windows 8 features

As with any technological overhaul, Windows 8 has been met with passionate and mixed response among those who have had a chance to download and test run the Consumer Preview of Microsoft's flagship OS. The company's bold new direction for Windows, with its dual interface and emphasis on tablet functionality, certainly means changes ahead for IT departments when Windows officially ships. But for users there is a lot to like about the forthcoming OS. Here is a look at the 20 features that Windows 8 users will appreciate the most.

1. Metro Start
Metro Start is Windows 8's new location for launching applications. It includes updating live tiles that you can regroup as you desire, increasing the flexibility of your Windows 8 experience.

2. Traditional desktop
For those who prefer the traditional desktop experience, this still exists in Windows 8, which offers a traditional desktop view akin to that of Windows 7. Applications that run in Windows 7 will also run on Windows 8's traditional desktop.

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3. Metro apps
Part of the new Metro UI, Metro apps are full screen and easy to install, offering an immersive new way to work with Windows.

4. Windows Store
Integrated into Windows 8, the Windows Store offers Metro apps for download and purchase and soon will also offer desktop apps. A tile located on the Metro UI start screen offers one-click access to the Windows Store.

5. Tablet ready
Unlike previous versions of Windows, which were not built for tablets, Windows 8 has been built from the ground up as both a tablet and desktop operating system, providing a hybrid approach to computing on both PCs and mobile devices.

6. Internet Explorer 10 for Metro
Windows 8 ships with two versions of Internet Explorer 10, the classic desktop version and a new full-screen immersive browser that is lightweight and easy to use.

7. Touch interface
Windows 8's touch interface allows you to use a variety of touch commands to navigate the operating system.

8. SkyDrive connectivity
SkyDrive is not a new feature, but its tight integration into Windows 8 is. In Windows 8, the data you store in the cloud is easily accessible on all your Windows 8 devices, and the files you store in the cloud are easily viewable on your tablet, smartphone, or other Windows 8 device. SkyDrive soon will support large file sizes, meaning you will be able to transfer files that are up to 2GB in size.

9. Charms bar
The Charms bar is a replacement for the Start button, offering quick access to search, sharing features, devices, and settings.

10. Search bar
Search is by no means a new feature for Windows, but the search bar in Windows 8 is a powerful improvement on previous generations.

11. Windows 8 snap-to feature
Windows 8's snap-to feature allows you to multitask Metro apps, so you won't be stuck with just one Metro app at a time. With the snap-to feature, you can snap together multiple Metro apps onto the screen, or you can snap Metro apps to your classic desktop applications, giving you the best of both UIs.

12. Recover your PC
A new feature in the control panel, called Recovery, allows you to refresh or reset your PC. These are two new options offered in addition to the existing system restore and other recovery options available in previous versions of Windows.

13. Simplified settings
The Control Panel still exists in Windows 8, but now it is accompanied by a new PC settings section available through the Metro UI. The PC settings section offers access to the several of the same commands but in a simplified format so you don't have to dig deep into Control Panel to find popular options.

15. File History
File History offers a new, easier way to back up and restore files.

16. Ribbon and quick access toolbar
The unified menu system in Windows 8 now includes the ribbon and the quick access toolbar that were introduced in Office 2007. These are now standard features of the Windows operating system.

17. Windows Reader
Windows Reader is a native PDF reader included in Windows 8, freeing you from requiring an additional application to read or mark up PDF files.

18. Metro Video app
Microsoft has enhanced its video capabilities in Windows 8 with Video, a simple-to-use Metro video app. Both Windows Media Player and Media Center are still part of Windows 8, but Windows 8's Metro Video gives a lightweight alternative for video viewing.

19. Integrated social networking
Microsoft has made considerable effort to integrate social networking throughout Windows 8. Applications like Socialite and Tweet@rama allow you to post directly to Facebook or Twitter, and you'll find these among the tiles in the Metro UI.

20. Reduced hardware requirements
Perhaps one of the most important features for many users is actually having the ability to run the operating system. Machines that run Windows 7 and Windows Vista already meet the hardware requirements for Windows 8, and many systems running Windows XP will also be eligible to run the latest OS.

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Speed Up Windows XP With System Mechanic 10.8

System Mechanic 10.8 Put Through The Test

We've all seen those annoying television commercials that promise to speed up a slow computer, but do such solutions really work? The CRN Test Center put Iolo's System Mechanic 10.8 through its paces and was impressed with the results.

Our test subject was an old Pentium III-era PC running Windows XP so slowly that the machine was completely unusable. Just opening the Start menu easily took 20 seconds, opening an app required about a minute, and we could fix a steak-and-egg breakfast in the time it took to reboot this dinosaur.

But it was perfect for our purposes. We installed System Mechanic 10.8 and, after running a scan, the tool reported that the overall system status was poor and health and security were at alarming levels.

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Performance Problems
After many years of use (and neglect), Windows machines develop all sorts of issues that can sap performance and open the door to more problems. Listed first are the security flaws, which include absence of a firewall, dangerous start-up items and other security vulnerabilities.

System Mechanic also identified hundreds of registry problems, which happen normally over the course of time but nevertheless can slow down a system and make it prone to crashes. The tool also found more than 1 GB of junk. While this might not seem like much by today's standards, it represented more than 1 percent of this system's total hard drive capacity of 80 GB.

Results Of First Pass
System Mechanic was able to clean out all the clutter and remove the unwanted start-up items. Of the 611 registry errors found in the first scan, 591 were repaired, leaving 20 unfixed. Performance results after the first pass were moderate. After restarting, system responsiveness was slightly faster but still far too slow.

When we relaunched the tool, it reported that while our system's health was now firmly in the green, its security was still at warning levels and our system status had only been upgraded from poor to fair. So we ran another scan.

Third Time's The Charm
During a second pass at diagnosing the system, System Mechanic found 44 new registry errors in addition to the 20 problems left unrepaired from the first scan for a total of 64. It also found a new security vulnerability. But during the second repair pass, the tool fixed only 62 of the registry errors and did not repair the security problem.

A third pass found those issues, a third registry problem, and reported that available memory was running low. System Mechanic offered us the option of optimizing memory to fix the problem, which we did.

Getting Rid of CRUDD
We call them something else, but In Iolo's parlance, "commonly redundant or unnecessary decelerators and destabilizers" are known as CRUDD. Whatever they've called, System Mechanic gets rid of them with its CRUDD remover. On our system there were four: an AOL Toolbar, an Ask Toolbar, a Google Toolbar for IE and a Yahoo Toolbar.

The screen here identifies each along with a judgment as to its favorability and presents options to keep, kill or decide later. We killed them all.

Good Enough
During the last repair pass, System Mechanic reported it had done some repairs on the system drive, realigning more than 30,000 files and defragmenting another 6,518. This led on the next pass to even more misalignments and fragmentations, a problem so pervasive that it affected more than the total size of the 80-GB volume. System Mechanic was able to repair all the problems but was never able to achieve more than a "fair" system status. However, the test system was transformed from "a hammer and chisel would be faster" to one that performs well enough to be used as a jukebox, backup PC for Internet access or for doing school papers.

With more than half of all Windows computers still using Windows XP, there are millions of systems out there in need of similar repairs. For such systems, the CRN Test Center recommends System Mechanic, which provides 50 tools in all, including those for acceleration, repair, cleanup and security, for $40 list. System Mechanic 10.8, released in April, is compatible with the current Windows 8 beta. A free version of System Mechanic 10.8 includes.

.

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000-035 Q&A / Study Guide / Testing Engine

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QUESTION 1
How can a customer modify End of Life Details for an IT Asset that has already been disposed?

A. The customer can only specify End of Life Details once before the IT Asset will be disposed.
B. The customer can use the Modify Disposal Detail action in the Select Action menu of the Assets application.
C. The customer can modify information in the End of Life section on the IT Details tab of the Assets application.
D. The customer can use the Modify End of Life Detail action in the Select Action menu of the Disposed Assets application.

Answer: B

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QUESTION 2
How can a Self Service user view the details of assigned assets?

A. By using the Assets application.
B. By using the View Assets application.
C. By using the Asset Details application.
D. By using the Service Request application.

Answer: B

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QUESTION 3
If an escalation is created and activated to automatically promote deployed assets, which
mandatory information must be specified for the promotion using the Promotion Defaults action?

A. The site and status for the created asset are mandatory but the status must be available for the selected site.
B. The site and item for the created asset are mandatory and automatically set the Classification
field to the class structure ID for similar assets.
C. The site and location for the created asset are mandatory but if a parent asset is specified, the
Location field will be set to the Location of the parent item specified.
D. The site and classification for the created asset are mandatory but if an item is specified, the
Classification field will be set to the class structure ID of the item specified.

Answer: D

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QUESTION 4
If software is licensed for a location specified in the license, which license scope is applicable?

A. Site
B. Location
C. Computer
D. Enterprise

Answer: A

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QUESTION 5
What must be associated with a single escalation point before an escalation can be activated?

A. an organization or site
B. an escalation condition
C. a communication template
D. at least one action or notification

Answer: D

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Aged Windows XP costs 5x more to manage than Windows 7

As XP's life wanes, Microsoft talks dollars to get businesses to ditch 11-year-old OS

Computerworld - Microsoft yesterday added ammunition to its increasingly aggressive battle to get users off the nearly-11-year-old Windows XP by citing a company-sponsored report that claims annual support costs for the older OS are more than five times that of Windows 7.

Microsoft has been banging the Windows XP upgrade drum for years, but stepped up the campaign in 2012, including starting a "two-year countdown" to the demise of security support. Last month, Microsoft was blunt, saying "If your organization has not started the migration to a modern PC, you are late."

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Windows XP exits all support, including monthly security patches, in April 2014.

In a blog post Thursday, Erwin Visser, a senior director for Windows, used data collected by IDC to make Microsoft's upgrade case.

"The bottom line...[is that] businesses that migrate from Windows XP to Windows 7 will see significant return on investment," said Visser.

Microsoft sponsored the survey (download PDF) conducted by IDC, which in turn interviewed nine enterprises or large organizations to drill into the support costs of XP and Windows 7.

According to IDC, an amazing 42% of the Windows "commercial" installed base, or anything other than consumers' home machines, was Window XP, making Microsoft's job of moving everyone off the old OS by its April 2014 retirement nearly impossible.

In fact, IDC projected that if current trends continue, 11% of the enterprise and educational Windows installed base will still be running XP when Microsoft stops patch delivery in 23 months.

And those XP machines costs organizations considerably more to support than comparable PCs running Windows 7.

One reason for the increased costs for supporting Windows XP is that it's typically running on older hardware that, independent of the OS, is more expensive to simply keep running.

The magic milestone is after the three-year mark, when "costs begin to accelerate" because of additional IT and help desk time, and increased user downtime due to more security woes and time spent rebooting, said IDC.

IT labor costs jump 25% during year four of a PC's lifespan, and another 29% in year five, IDC noted, while user productivity costs climb 23% in year four and jump 40% during year five. Total year five costs are a whopping 73% higher than support costs of a two-year-old client.

However, the operating system also plays a major role in the cost differences, said IDC, with XP more expensive to support in every category the research company surveyed.

Organizations reported that they spent 82% less time managing patches on Windows 7 systems than they did on Windows XP, 90% less time mitigating malware, and 84% less help desk time.

Benefits were also striking for Windows 7 users' productivity compared to XP. Windows 7 users wasted 94% less time rebooting their computers and lost 90% less time due to malware attacks.

On the IT side, the savings of Windows 7 mount dramatically, IDC said.

"IT activities account for 11.3 hours of time spent per PC per year when using Windows XP," the research group said. "Shops that have moved to Windows 7...spend 2.3 hours per PC per year on maintaining those systems."

IDC did the math, and concluded that for every 230 PCs running Windows 7 rather than XP, an organization could shift one full-time IT person to other work. Or conceivably do without him or her entirely.

The Microsoft-commissioned report also painted a rosy return-on-investment (ROI) picture for companies who do ditch XP for Windows 7. By IDC's calculations, the acquisition of a new PC -- one where Windows 7 is retained as the OS rather than being downgraded to XP -- pays for itself in one year and generates almost $1,000 more in savings from reduced IT costs and worker downtime over a three-year span.

"The migration from Windows XP to Windows 7 yields a 137% return on investment over a three-year period," claimed IDC.

Windows XP have a shortening upgrade window -- no pun intended -- and not only because of the April 2014 end to all support. Microsoft is expected to launch Windows 8 this fall, a time when most new PCs will then also be pre-loaded with the OS by computer makers, or OEMs.

That will not immediately strike Windows 7 from the rolls, but it does start a couple of clocks ticking: OEMs can continue to sell Windows 7-powered PCs as long as two years after Windows 8's launch, but the older operating system will disappear from most retail outlets one year earlier, or in the fall of 2013.

Organizations that have Software Assurance (SA) agreements -- the Microsoft-sold software insurance policy that lets firms upgrade to every new version of a specific product released during the life of the deal -- can downgrade any Windows 8 PC to Windows 7. But SA is almost exclusively an enterprise program.

Smaller firms that buy Windows licenses at retail, likely in the form of a new PC, can also downgrade from Windows 8 to 7, but only if the new system is pre-installed with Windows 8 Pro, the higher-end edition. They will also need media -- a DVD or flash drive -- containing Windows 7 Professional to complete the downgrade. If smaller shops wait too long, they may find it difficult to locate a seller for the latter after late 2013.

Likewise, while Windows XP Professional can be upgraded to Windows 7 Professional, companies sans SA also require a copy of the newer OS. The same end-of-retail caveat for Windows 7 applies to them as well.

Microsoft has been dissing Windows XP for some time, but the ROI report was its first argument that stressed dollars and cents.

In June 2011, a Microsoft manager said it was "time to move on" from Windows XP; earlier that year an executive on the Internet Explorer team belittled XP as "lowest common denominator" when he explained why the OS wouldn't run the then-new IE9.

The company has not yet turned on Windows XP like it has on the 11-year-old Internet Explorer 6 (IE6). For more than two and a half years, Microsoft has urged users to give up IE6, going so far in March 2011 to launch a deathwatch website that tracks IE6's shrinking share.

It wouldn't be a surprise if Microsoft followed suit with Windows XP once the OS drops to a more manageable share mark: According to Web metrics company Net Applications, XP accounted for 46.1% of all operating systems used to go online in April.

If XP continues to shed share at its last-12-months' pace, it will still own a 17.6% share in April 2014, when it drops off support.

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Windows 8 touchscreen devices to cost more, Dell says

Windows 8 PCs and laptops with touchscreens will cost a bit more to buy, Michael Dell says

IDG News Service - Touchscreen laptops and tablets with the upcoming Windows 8 OS will be priced higher than their non-touchscreen counterparts, Dell's CEO said on Tuesday.

Dell will offer a full complement of Windows 8 products when Microsoft launches its new OS, CEO Michael Dell said during the company's quarterly earnings call. The touchscreen Windows 8 products will occupy higher price bands, which could mean higher profit margins for Dell, he said.

"Unlike other Windows transitions, this is a transition where you are going to need a new PC," Michael Dell said, adding that touch capabilities could drive more people to buy Windows 8 tablets and PCs.

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Microsoft hasn't provided a release date for Windows 8 but analysts expect its release later this year. Lenovo has said it will sell a ThinkPad tablet with Windows 8 when the OS is launched.

Despite excitement around the touch interface, however, the upgrade cycle to Windows 8 won't match that of Windows 7, especially in the enterprise, Dell said.

"Corporations are still adopting Windows 7, so we don't think there will be a massive adoption of Windows 8 early on," he said. It also remains to be seen if buyers will prefer tablets over PCs, he said.

The computer maker has been trying to reduce its dependence on sales of consumer PCs, where profit margins are lower, and is trying to sell more higher-priced systems, such as its XPS PCs. Dell's mobility revenue in the quarter just ended declined by 10 percent, while desktop revenue declined by 1 percent.

Its PC business underperformed as demand slowed down and more consumers opted for tablets and smartphones, Brian Gladden, Dell's chief financial officer, said during the call. Dell has shelved its consumer tablets and smartphones over the past few quarters, keeping only its enterprise tablets.

Dell's PC revenue also dropped below expectations because it didn't participate in the market for low-margin, entry-level PCs, which were a big chunk of PC sales for the industry overall, especially in emerging markets such as China.

Falling prices for memory and LCDs, and the normalization of hard drive supplies, favored companies selling those low-end systems, which in turn put pricing pressure on Dell's business.

The hard drive issues caused by flooding in Thailand last year have been resolved and drive prices will fall as the year progresses, Gladden said.

"That's behind us," he said.

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Preparation and Advantages of MCTS SQL Server 2008 Certification

This qualification helps you use growing technological innovation, fine-tune your trouble shooting abilities, and amplify your job fulfillment. Microsoft provides three MCTS qualifications on SQL Server 2008. These experts have in-depth understanding of using T-SQL statements, and holding day-to-day servicing and trouble shooting of directories using the SQL Server 2008. You may take any one examination from the three different examinations according to your understanding.

· If you have familiarity in dealing with SQL Server 2008 and performing database manager tasks: setting up, configuring, and maintaining, you may take 70-432 examination.

· You have to complete 70-433 examination to achieve this qualification, if you have the understanding in dealing with SQL Server 2008 and composing application value against systems that run SQL Server 2008, composing T-SQL or Microsoft .NET CLR code that operates inside SQL Server 2008, or creating solutions in SQL Server 2008.

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· You have to complete 70-448 examination, if you are expert in dealing with SQL Server 2008 and dealing with the business intellect technological innovation, such as Reporting Solutions, Research Solutions, and Incorporation Solutions.

After qualifying any one examination from the above described three examinations, you will be able to get MCTS SQL Server 2008 qualification.

Related CoverageMCTS Server Certification
MCTS and MCITP technicians try to keep Microsoft Exchange Servers operating efficiently. The MCTS can effectively design and implement Windows Server 2008, Sql Server 2008 and Exchange Server 2010. Those get yourself ready for a MCITP Certification should have 24 months of prior experience as an IT professional. The MCITP Certification for the Data Administrator 2008 or the Enterprise Support Technician further improves the skills required to master Microsoft products.

Prove Your Database Skill With MCTS SQL Server 2005 Certification
This article tells highlights of importance of MCTS SQL Server 2005 certification, eligibility, preparation for the certification and benefits of the certificate.

Preparing For The Mcts Certification
An article giving information on becoming Microsoft certified.

Mcts Braindumps
Certkingdom, as a leading IT certification examination guide, nuggets, and study guide provider, assures you passing your MCTS exam in your first try with high scores so as to get Microsoft 70-640 Certification. All Certkingdom exam nuggets are backed with 100% money back guarantee if you fail to take the exams in the first attempt. From Sybex, you would get the latest MCTS braindump, MCTS PDF exam. If you want to know more about these qualifications, please check out the Microsoft’s MCTS SQL Server 2008 qualification web page.

Career & Job Options
Getting this qualification after you pass the 70-432 or 70-433 or 70-448 examination provide you the profession possibilities as a Database Administrator in medium to large companies. This qualification validates that you have the ability to ensure that database security, accessibility, and efficiency please company specifications. The job tasks for MCTS qualified professionals typically include:

· Data storage manager
· Database analyst
· Database developer
· Database developers
· Business intelligence developers

Training for MCTS SQL Server 2008 Certification
There is no speedy method for accomplishment. A number of researches have told that the perfect way to discover your abilities is to take an exam. Taking training exams before the real examination come out to be the trendiest method of learning; even better than other famous ways like reiteration and concept mapping.

Premium exam training software will not only facilitate you to understand the 70-432 or 70-433 or 70-448 examination stuff and qualify the certification examination in your very first try.

Advantages of MCTS: SQL Server Certification
· Microsoft database techniques are the most commonly used techniques today and the MCTS: SQL Server 2008 qualification shows skills on the MS products and technological innovation.
· Professionals positioning the MCTS: SQL Server 2008 qualification is recommended by the business employers and they also get personal preference in special offers.
· MCTS: SQL Host 2008 qualification is beneficial for database experts who have initial-level qualifications in related technological innovation to update their experience and get acknowledgement from the market.
· MCTS: SQL Server 2008 qualified professional can find appropriate job easily and get compensated more.
· And most of all, on regular, an MCTS: SQL Server 2008 certified person gets more wage than individuals having the same job information.

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PC Self-Paced Certification Training Courses In MCTS SQL Simplified

Everybody is busy these days, and inevitably should we decide to advance our future prospects, taking a course alongside a job is the only option open to us. Certified training from Microsoft can be the way to do it. In addition, you may like to talk in detail on the sort of careers to be had when you’ve finished studying, and which personalities those jobs may be appropriate for. Many people like to discuss what they might be good at. Ensure your course is matched to your needs and abilities. A reputable training company will ensure that your training track is relevant to the status you wish to achieve.

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Any program that you’re going to undertake must provide a properly recognised qualification as an end-result – and not a worthless ‘in-house’ diploma – fit only for filing away and forgetting. If the accreditation doesn’t feature a big-hitter like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco or CompTIA, then chances are it will have been a waste of time – because it won’t give an employer any directly-useable skills.

Don’t get hung-up, as a lot of students can, on the accreditation program. You’re not training for the sake of training; you’re training to become commercially employable. You need to remain focused on where you want to go. It’s quite usual, for instance, to find immense satisfaction in a year of study only to end up putting 20 long years into a tiresome job role, simply because you did it without some quality research at the beginning.

Take time to understand how you feel about career development, earning potential, and whether you intend to be quite ambitious. You should understand what (if any) sacrifices you’ll need to make for a particular role, which particular certifications will be required and where you’ll pick-up experience from. We’d recommend you seek guidance and advice from an industry professional before you begin a particular training path, so you can be sure that the specific package will give the skill-set required for your career choice.

There are colossal changes washing over technology in the near future – and it becomes more and more thrilling each day. We’re barely beginning to get a handle on what this change will mean to us. How we interact with the world will be inordinately affected by computers and the web.

If earning a good living is around the top on your wish list, then you will be happy to know that the usual remuneration for most men and women in IT is much better than with most other jobs or industries. The need for appropriately qualified IT professionals is certain for a good while yet, thanks to the substantial growth in the technology industry and the huge deficiency that we still have.

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