Windows 8 Installation for Dummies

Okay, spared you all; no blah blah blah this time!  Let's just go straight to the point. Following is the recommended procedure to get the new Windows goodness on your PC:-

• Firstly, my advice is to install a fresh version of Windows than upgrading your current windows. I do not want to elaborate what happened to my Lenovo G450 last time (Windows 8 Developers build) but trust me it's better to install Windows 8 on a separate partition which you can access and manipulate from your current windows. Also, the consumer preview expires in March 2013.

• Download the Windows Consumer Preview relevant to your PC capabilities, 32 or 64 bit. The 64-bit version is recommended for 4GB RAM or more.

• If you already have unallocated space, great! Just create a partition by performing a quick format in FAT 32 only. This can be done  using Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Computer Management and by choosing Disk Management under Storage.

• If there is no unallocated space on you hard drive, make sure you have at least 20GB free space (25GB or 30GB is recommended) on any of the partitions (even combined free space from all partitions will do).

• After you have made sure you have enough free space, shrink the volume(s) using the same Disk Management tool to create a cumulative unallocated space of 20GB or more. Now, create a new partition in FAT 32 from this unallocated space.

• Once the empty partition is created, you are all set to install Windows 8. The downloaded ISO can be burnt into a disc or can also be used virtually using Daemon Tools or Virtual CloneDrive. It can also be installed from a bootable USB disk or hard drive using the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool.

• The easiest and the least cumbersome way is to use a Virtual DVD drive and mount the ISO. Skip the AutoRun because this will only upgrade the current OS and will not give options to install on a separate partition.

• Explore the contents of the ISO. Go to the Sources folder and run the Setup.exe file. This will launch the installer which can't be more self-explanatory.

• You can change the default OS and the timer settings in the new Boot Screen. It's probably better to keep the non-Windows 8 OS as the default.

Touch-Screen devices: The primary appeal of Windows 8 is touch. It's a beautiful amalgam of the Metro Style UI of Windows Phone 7 yet keeping the Windows 7 design sense intact. A mouse and keyboard works but does not do complete justice to the UI. So the best way to test Windows 8 on a touch-screen. The best touch-screen device we know obviously is the iPad 2.  Use Windows 8 Consumer Preview on the iPad as follows:-

• Install Splashtop HD on your iPad
• Install Splashtop Streamer on your PC
• Splashtop HD automatically detects your PC if connected to the same wireless network

To say the experience is seamless, is a valid exaggeration. The resolution settings and touch-responsiveness is almost perfect. So far this is the best way to get Windows on your iPad, OnLive Desktop is a strong contender of course.

Note: Instructions for installation of Windows 8 on a Mac shouldn't be much different than the regular Boot Camp / Dual-boot procedure.

Enjoy your Windows 8!!

PS: "Only a dummy knows what a dummy wants". Please comment below if you actually used this tutorial of all the ones on the interwebs.

Let's write about Sony! Nah, HTC it is!

After the high profile break up of Sony - Ericsson, Sony re-branded it's Mobile division as Sony Mobile, which deserves appreciation. As seen from the website, Sony Mobile is here with quality products and marketing. It's revamped line of Xperia smart-phones along with the SmartWatch and SmartTags is rather impressive, the utility and value for money of the latter is questionable though. So all this lead to extreme anticipation, hopes and sleepless nights before MWC 2012 ( sorry for being so dramatic ). 

At MWC, I must say, HTC stole the show! Subtle yet effective marketing, brilliant hardware and not to forget the software that beats them all. That is when I decided that HTC deserved the next post on GeekyVerses ;) After the launch of Galaxy Nexus and ICS, an ICS phone from HTC was very much awaited.

HTC launched its new line of smarphones branded as One. Following are the highlights:-

• One X : This is the beast that everyone's drooling over. Packed with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, 1GB RAM, 4.7" HD display, 32GB internal storage (no SD card support) what else could you ask for in a smart-phone? One X is coming exclusively to AT&T in the US however sporting a dual-core Snapdragon S4 which is not at all a slouch compared to its four-cored counterpart, at least according to reviews so far.

• One S and One V : Unlike Apple's one-size fits all philosophy, HTC has a phone for everyone. The One S is a smaller smart-phone with 4.3" display, 16GB on-board storage and a dual-core Qualcomm processor. This one is comping to T-mobile in the US. The One V is a descendant of the HTC Legend with it's characteristic chin design.

• Sense 4 : The HTC Sense 4 along with Ice Cream Sandwich is the killer feature here. This is undoubtedly the most fluid Android till date, thanks to the quad-core goodness. Transitions are smooth and the dedicated multi-tasking button reveals an interface similar WebOS's or more recently Windows Phone 7's multi-tasking interface but with 3D cards which can be swiped off the screen to end an app. HTC is touting the new camera with f/2.0 lens and HDR claiming blazing shutter speeds and simultaneous video and image capture which is something so basic and useful you would wonder why don't smart-phones already have it.

• Dropbox Integration : Smart move by HTC and Dropbox to compete with the iCloud. They are giving you a 25GB cloud storage free with the device for two years.

• Beats by Dr Dre : The HTC-Verizon Rezound was the first phone to incorporate Beats and boy did  it zound amazing!! Now the HTC One phones come with this premium audio technology.

• Wireless Media Link : This may not be so fancily named as Air Play but it does the job, probably more elegantly. It's like a WiFi dongle connected to your TV and boom you can mirror everything you do on your phone to your TV with a three finger swipe gesture. Multi-tasking on the phone with simultaneous video playback on the TV is also enabled. Sadly this is exclusive to the One series.

HTC expects sales to start sometime in April here in the US. Pricing is not released yet but one can expect the One X to cost somewhere around the $199 price tag, after all they are all striving to end iPhone's tyranny.