Power, Meet Touch

As a libertarian-leaning social conservative that happens to vote nowhere close to party lines, I'm not one for labels. Yes, I own a Mac and the business I help run owns a few more. And, yes, I live across both platforms: although I still prefer Windows XP to Windows 8, both pale in comparison to the ease of use of OS X.

Still, I'm not a fanboy and keep an open mind. That's what's so interesting about the HP Z1. It has the potential to be a game-changing workstation.

Read the review I wrote on the HP Z1 for @streamingmedia last November, and you'll see a few dings against the first-generation Z1. I'm happy to report, though, that many of those dings—from lack of MSATA to lack of Thunderbolt—are addressed in the new Z1 G2 (generation 2).

So when you read the "first look" assessment of HP's Z1 G2 and consider this: touch is a powerful thing.

For those interested in having both a Bluray burner and the dual Thunderbolt 2 connectors, consider an external USB 3.0 unit. An HP spokesperson had this to say when asked about the idea of having both units:

"HP sells an external Blu-ray Drive, but it only writes to DVD or CD," the spokesperson said. "It is read only for Blu-ray. The model number is HP DVD630i, but it looks like it may no longer be available from HP.com. It does look like its available through our channel partners."

At that, the spokesperson gave the nod to something we often suggest clients consider: third-party options.

"If customers need Blu-ray burner, there are many 3rd party external USB options available," the spokesperson said.

We've had success recently with the Asus A455-5030 (aka Asus BW-12D1S-U) Bluray burner, on sale this week for $119.99 with a $20.00 mail-in rebate through the end of January, 2014.

And, just in case you need the details, here's the pricing information for the Thunderbolt 2 module: $235 E3X57AV HP Thunderbolt 2-Port Module Desktops & Workstations.

Happy work(station)ing! 

Windows 8.1 update FAIL Privacy

Testing out a newer Windows workstation computer for a product review, and really missing the Start button. Was delighted, therefore, to find that Microsoft had released Windows 8.1 today.

Turns out, though, that Microsoft will no longer allow one to install without a Microsoft account. You know those accounts: Xbox Live, Hotmail, other services you may not have used for years.

And to take it one step further, one can't use a Microsoft account to install Windows 8.1 without providing either an alternate email address or a phone number. Microsoft takes its data-collection job for the NSA very seriously.

On the screen titled "Help us protect your account" the company gives a long explanation as to why one should provide these linking details between a Microsoft account and an alternate email or phone number.

Fortunately, at the bottom of the screen, right above the privacy statement, there's a link to "skip this for now". Except clicking the link resulting in a loop that returns one to the "Help us protect your account" screen.

In other words, there's no way to install Windows 8.1 without giving Microsoft additional personal information. The use of a Start button isn't worth Microsoft adding a notch to its NSA belt, so Windows 8.1 install is off the table (and the machine's a brick) until Microsoft makes the "skip this step" link actually skip the give-up-your-privacy step.

EDIT: Video Proof of Microsoft's Privacy Fail for Windows 8.1 ...

EDIT2: Microsoft claimed that the ability to log in via a local account would be available for the final (non-preview) version of Windows 8.1 but that appears not to be the case. In fact, we find that they've made it even harder to opt out of using a Microsoft account (not just for those of us who choose not to provide additional NSA bait in the form of an alternative email or phone number).

The phrase quoted earlier this year ("In order to use Windows 8.1 Preview  you must sign in to your PC with a Microsoft account. The option to create a local account  will be made available at the final release of  Windows 8.1.") has now been stricken from Microsoft's site...

Hacking the Xbox

When Mark Whitten, General Manager of Microsoft's Xbox LIVE, spoke at today's Streaming Media West 2009, he was asked about the ability to Xbox community to legally hack an Xbox.

"I am going to agree with you but in a slightly different way," Whitten said to the questioner who identified himself as a Linux user that wanted to get 'under the hood' and change things. "The community should be able to change the experience, but it may not be people writing lines of source code. The ability to share experiences and change things such as vehicles or levels is already in place on various gaming platforms."

"I believe that consistency and simplicity are very important," Whitten continued, "which doesn't mean heavy-handed dev control, but does mean we need to start with the 'mom' button instead of the 'hacker' button."

. . . Or maybe not

Remember yesterday's comment about Microsoft using Mac OS X Leopard as its inspiration for the new Windows 7 operating system?

Apparently Microsoft now denies any, any, any influence from Cupertino, as noted in today's retraction: How We Really Designed The Look and Feel of Windows 7.

An inaccurate quote has been floating around the Internet today about the design origins of Windows 7 and whether its look and feel was “borrowed” from Mac OS X.  Unfortunately this came from a Microsoft employee who was not involved in any aspect of designing Windows 7. I hate to say this about one of our own, but his comments were inaccurate and uninformed. 

Sometimes, it's just impossible to make these things up, but Brandon LeBlanc, a Windows Communications Manager at Microsoft who runs the official The Windows Blog, is certainly trying.

Public flogging of Microsoft's partner group manager, Simon Aldous, at 11.

Making Windows Look More Mac-Like, Microsoft Style

This just in from Microsoft's UK partner event: "One of the things that people say an awful lot about the Apple Mac is that the OS is fantastic, that it’s very graphical and easy to use. What we’ve tried to do with Windows 7 – whether it’s traditional format or in a touch format – is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics."

PCR has the quote from Simon Aldous, partner group manager with Microsoft in the UK.

iPhoned