Category Archives: News

Microsoft Announces the New Surface Pro

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20170622

Microsoft Product Releases

Microsoft combines stunning creativity with powerful productivity in the new Surface Pro, announced on May 23rd, 2017. The Surface Pro’s top-down redesign includes an extremely long 13.5 hour battery life; lightning-fast Intel Core 7th generation processor; support for the new Surface Pen with its amazing inking capabilities; and a great deal more. Yet despite the long list of improvements, the new Surface Pro weighs only 1.69 pounds and costs only $799 USD.

Faster performance

The new Surface Pro, which runs on an Intel Core 7th generation processor, delivers speeds that are 2.5 times faster than the Surface Pro 3. Despite its remarkable performance, the Surface Pro’s fanless design keeps it nice and quiet.

Longer battery life

The new Surface Pro’s battery has an extremely long life of 13.5 hours, lasting 50% longer than its predecessor.

Streamlined design

With softer edges, an ultra-thin 8.5mm profile, and a weight of only 1.69 pounds, the new Surface Pro is elegant and streamlined. Furthermore, users can not only customize the color of their new Surface Pro, but also the Surface Arc mouse and the new Surface Pen. There are three rich colors available: cobalt blue, burgundy and platinum.

Improved keyboard and display

The new Surface Pro’s type cover features 1.3mm of key travel for quicker, more accurate typing than its predecessors. A soft, elegant, yet strong, covering envelops the keyboard for maximum comfort and aesthetic appeal. Thanks to a new hinge with a 165-degree range, users can now take advantage of Studio Mode, which provides the ideal position for drawing or writing with the Surface Pen. The new Surface Pro also has a high-resolution 12.3 inch PixelSense Display (supporting the new Surface Pen) and a full-glass trackpad that includes multi-touch, five-finger precision.

The new Surface Pen

Thanks to its PixelSense Accelerator, the new Surface Pen is not only faster than its predecessors, but features twice the accuracy and responsiveness. With 4,096 levels of sensitivity to pressure, both writing and drawing are vastly improved with the new Surface Pen. The device also features support for tilt functionality, which detects the angle that the user holds the pen against the screen’s surface. The result is enhanced shading with an improved, natural quality.

Windows 10, Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft Whiteboard will unlock still more possibilities for inking with the new Surface Pen in 2017.

Surface Dial capabilities

You can now access many of the creative experiences from Surface Studio by using Surface Dial with the new Surface Pro. Simply place Surface Dial on the screen to access app-specific shortcuts and tools.

A new path to productivity

Microsoft is bringing the creative power of the new Surface Pro and the Surface Pen into the domain of productivity. In June, 2017, Microsoft 365 subscribers will begin to see new inking functionality, including a gallery of drawing devices that follow you throughout your activities in Word, Powerpoint and Excel. Office users will soon find themselves inking comments in their documents with the Surface Pro and Surface Pen. Later in 2017, Microsoft will release Whiteboard, unlocking still more features for ink-enabled Windows 10 devices. Subscribers of Office 365 will have exclusive access to many features.

Launch date

Microsoft plans to release the new Surface Pro on June 15th, 2017 in twenty-four markets. Pre-ordering is already available in select markets and stores. Microsoft plans to release the new Surface Pen in the coming weeks.

With the new Surface Pro, Microsoft offers both a creative studio and a powerful laptop in a single, 1.69 pound package. The top-down resign includes a faster processor; an extraordinary 13.5 hour battery life; an ultra-thin 8.55mm profile; a redesigned keyboard for faster typing; and support for the new Surface Pen’s industry-leading inking capabilities. As Microsoft rolls out Whiteboard later this year, owners of the new Surface Pro will find themselves unlocking even more remarkable features to enhance both their creativity and productivity in 2017.

Contact us to learn more about Microsoft’s new Surface Pro.

Microsoft Product Releases: Visual Studio 2017 Was Released In March

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20170413

Visual Studio 2017 gives you the depth of capabilities you need to create outstanding solutions

Microsoft recently launched another application development tool, Visual Studio 2017. Microsoft first introduced the application development tool in 1997, and the company has continued to introduce a versatile and flexible toolkit that is unlike any other in the industry.

Visual Studio 2017 gives a programmer the depth of capabilities he or she needs to create outstanding solutions for their business. Visual Studio 2017 includes more developer activities than it ever has, and the latest features are more focused on improving productivity, streamlining the development, and improving mobile development.

Here are some of the high-level improvements that have been made in Visual Studio 2017:

Improved Productivity

For Visual Studio 2017, Microsoft did not just focus on the cloud, mobility, and development capabilities. Microsoft also focused on improving the performance and productivity experiences that programmers would obtain from using Visual Studio 2017. When you use Visual Studio 2017, you will experience a faster start time, it will use less memory than it has before, and it will be more responsive.

Multiple Accounts

Visual Studio has introduced a new service that will allow you to share your user accounts across various platforms. Another great improvement in Visual Studio 2017 is that you will be able to stay logged into those accounts longer. You will not be asked to sign into your account again after 12 hours.

Extension Manager

You will find it easier to manage your extensions because you will have the Roaming Extensions Manager. The Roaming Extension Manager will be able to keep track of all of your extensions. When you want to see a full list of your extensions, you can click the Tools option, go to Extensions & Updates, and then go to the Roaming Extension Manager. The Roaming Extension Manager will keep track of all of your extensions, but you will have the ability to choose the extensions you want to add to the list.

Improvements In Performance

The new Visual Studio makes it easier, faster, and better for you to install the features you will need. When you need to use certain features, you will be able to use them immediately once they have been installed. One of the most important changes you will see when you install Visual Studio 2017 for the first time is the experience when it comes to the setup.

How Long Will It Take To Load?

When you are working on solutions that require you to have a large number of projects at one time, this does not mean you will have to use all the files at the same time. You will have the ability to edit the files without waiting for Visual Studio 2017 to load for every project.

Mobile Application Development

When you use Visual Studio 2017, you will be able to be more innovative. You will also be able to get more results faster. With Visual Studio 2017, you will be able to go mobile with your current teams. When you make investments in technology and new equipment, Visual Studio 2017 will allow you to go mobile with those investments. If you want to deliver a first-class consumer experience when it comes to mobility, Visual Studio 2017 is the tool for you.

It does not matter if you want to use Visual Studio 2017 to build something for the Web, mobile, cloud, etc. It does not matter if you are building something for educational purposes, healthcare purposes, government, etc., Visual Studio 2017 will have everything you need, in every language, on any device, and on any platform.

Are you interested in learning more about Visual Studio 2017 and other Microsoft product releases? Do not hesitate to contact us today for additional information on recently released or future Microsoft product releases.

What can we expect from Microsoft’s new Windows 10 updates?

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20170302

New anticipated developments are being worked on at Microsoft Windows

Windows 10 has been around for roughly two years now, and by the end of September 2016, Microsoft reported its use on hundreds of millions of active devices. Usage is expected to keep growing, and we can expect to see additional updates to the operating system’s capabilities and features.

For 2017, Microsoft announced the major “Windows 10 Creators” update (codenamed Redstone 2); at this point, it’s scheduled for April. More recently, additional reports have emerged about a second Windows 10 update for later in the year; its codename is Redstone 3.

What can we look forward to from each of these updates?

 

Windows 10 Creators

Anyone involved in creative work such as art, graphics, gaming, and animation will be especially excited about the features becoming available through the Windows 10 Creators update.

Even if your work doesn’t largely involve artistic endeavors, some of the new features can help you enrich the visuals you display in PowerPoint presentations, insert in your reports, or share through other software. You’re in a better position to capture people’s attention, present your evidence convincingly, or illuminate the points you’re making as you drum up interest for a project.

What are some of the expected developments from Windows 10 Creators?

  • Working in 3D. In October 2016, the Windows YouTube channel posted a video demonstrating some of the beautiful visuals you’ll be able to create using 3D imagery. With Microsoft Paint 3D, for example, you can convert 2D images into 3D. Presenting, sharing, and printing in 3D are all possible through Windows 10 Creators.
  • Immersing yourself in mixed reality. With relatively affordable VR headsets, and no need for any elaborate setups, you’ll be able to work in a mixed reality environment that blends virtual images with real-world settings. Imagine meetings where you use VR headsets to explore and interact with objects your team is designing, structures they’re planning to build, or landscapes they intend to remake. It opens up new possibilities for innovation, testing, and feedback.
  • Enjoying a better Internet experience with Edge. With the features getting introduced through the Edge browser, users are expected to have an easier time staying organized while on the internet. More powerful tab management gives people thumbnail previews of all the tabs currently open on the browser, helping them find what they’re looking for more quickly and avoid a mess where they’re not sure what tabs they’ve opened; this will improve efficiency and help people switch more easily from one task to another on the web. Edge also offers other powerful features, including support for websites that provide a virtual reality experience.

Redstone 3

There’s still quite a bit of mystery surrounding Redstone 3 and the exact features that will be available through it.

One possible feature is something that Microsoft initially intended for the Windows 10 Creators update but ultimately postponed. This is the MyPeople taskbar, which allows you to organize your most important contacts right in the toolbar on your desktop, making it easier for you to quickly communicate with them. Let’s say you want to share an important project update with one of your contacts. You can drag a file right onto their icon and transmit it to them in various ways.

Redstone 3 may also give us the developments promised through Project Neon, the anticipated redesign of the Windows 10 user interface. MS Power User has described and highlighted some of the possible qualities of this new design, which will include improved ways of interacting with 3D visuals and mixed reality experiences.

With all of these anticipated developments, you may have questions about how you can best use Windows 10 for your business. How can you harness it to improve productivity, inspire creativity, and keep your work secure? Don’t hesitate to contact us for advice and assistance.

The Benefits of Office 365

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20160715

Office 365 offers some unique and convenient benefits for both businesses and individuals.

When you’re in the workplace, there are many products that you should consider purchasing for your business. Whether they’re not a necessity or are absolutely essential, they can assist you in a variety of ways. If you’re purchasing an anti-virus product, for example, then it’ll be a great tool for protecting your network. However, what if you also purchased a product that helped you to better use social media? If that’s the case, it’ll be a step in the right direction for the success of your business. After all, social media is an easier way to draw in customers, right?

With that said, have you also considered purchasing and using Office 365? Perfect for any business, it’s a subscription plan which is both suitable for someone who’s working in an office or one working from home. Even more so, though, you can also install it on up to 5 PCs/Macs (in addition to mobile devices). The fact that it also comes with numerous applications makes it very efficient for just about any type of job. However, let’s look into more detail about why the subscription plan is important for your business. Overall, here are the main benefits of Office 365.

#1. Numerous Applications Available

As I had briefly mentioned before, one of the main benefits of Office 365, is the amount of applications at your disposal. Whether you want to complete a written assignment in a word document, or are looking to finish a lengthy project with PowerPoint, there’s practically no limit to the type of work you can accomplish. However, having these numerous applications available, also helps you to save time in the long run. After all, when you download Office 365, all these apps come with the entire package. Compare that to tedium of before when users had to download every application one by one.

#2. Office 365 is Easy to Use

Another benefit of the subscription is that it’s easy to use, and not just if you’re familiar with Microsoft Office, either. Unlike many other applications in the workplace, there are no “tricks” to learning how to use Office 365. It’s not some obscure piece of software that requires weeks of training. Whether you’ve used Microsoft Office to write a term paper, or created a PowerPoint for a school project, most people have used one or more of the applications that come with Office 365.

Between the numerous apps available, and a sense of familiarity that comes with using the subscription plan, Office 365 is easily accessible to anyone.

#3. It’s Portable

Another great aspect of the subscription plan, is that it allows you to work from anywhere. With the industry constantly changing, and more businesses becoming mobile on a daily basis, it’s great that Office 365 can accommodate said changes. However, Office 365’s portability isn’t just beneficial for helping you adjust to changes in the business world, but you can also complete numerous tasks faster.

Considering how the subscription plan can be installed on mobile devices, you’re no longer restricted to working in your business office. Not to mention you can communicate with your customers whenever. As an example, let’s say you did a lot of traveling on your job. You may be away from the workplace a lot, but that doesn’t mean you’re limited in the ways you could work or interact with your customers. Also, don’t forget Office 365 includes 60 Skype minutes per month, and the calls are always free. Between being able to work on multiple projects when you’re on the road, as well as interacting with your customers at the business, Office 365’s portability is a great feature.

For more information about the benefits of Office 365, contact us today at SystemsNet.