Windows 8–Why the Start button and menu are gone

With the public release a few days ago many users may – or probably will – be frustrated when they find that in the Desktop mode there is no longer a Start button or menu. The start button has long been a subject of discussion/criticism from a usability point of view and has had minor changes over the years. With the introduction of the live tile screen in Windows 8 and the removal of the start menu from the Desktop view it’s time to step back and think of why Microsoft have gone with this approach and specifically why is…

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Breaking up Microsoft

In my previous post, Microsoft’s new logo: The hidden mesage, I mentioned what I called Microsoft’s hidden message in the new logo where I noted that I believe they are trying to send out a message that they are changing. There’s no doubt that that is the case given Steve Ballmer’s recent letter. As most of you will agree Microsoft is now trying to focus more on reaching out to consumers in addition to being a business focused company and one of the things I talked about in my previous post about their logo change is…

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First time to Tech.Ed? Read these tips

So tomorrow I’m going to be at Tech Ed Australia 2012 in the Gold Coast. This year is my fourth time at Tech Ed and while not even close in count to some other people I know I feel that I’ve been there enough times to know my way around. As a result I thought I’d share some tips on how I think you can make the most of the event. Hopefully you find these useful. If you’ve been to Tech Ed before and are reading this post please share your tips too in the comments.…

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Microsoft's new Logo: The hidden message

So you may have recently heard that Microsoft today has unveiled a new logo for the company and you might be thinking – new logo, what’s the big deal? – on the surface it might seem like a simple change that’s irrelevant but is it? Maybe, and maybe not. As you can see from the search results, as with anything else, some will like it and some wont. To dig a bit deeper I think one should ask: What’s in a logo – brand –https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand? So from the link one of the things noted about…

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Ballmer’s baby – Time to let it grow

So I recently came across the article How Microsoft Lost Its Mojo: Steve Ballmer and Corporate America’s Most Spectacular Decline. After reading the article I’ve been thinking how things can change at Microsoft and I think it is probably time for Ballmer to step aside from the CEO post. As per the comments in the article since Ballmer joined Microsoft back in 1980 he was there to be the ‘business’ guy, doing the deals, sales …etc. That’s all well and good, and he has obviously done well over the years but as per common opinions today Microsoft…

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