Stories by Preston Gralla

  • Opinion: Windows 8 tablets - A disaster in the making

    Tablets were clearly top of mind for the designers of tablets were clearly top of mind for the designers of Windows 8. The Metro interface sacrifices usability on the PC, which suggests that Microsoft is focused on overtaking the iPad. This design choice was met with conjectures that Microsoft believed enterprises would

  • Google Drive review: Adding cloud storage to the mix

    The long-awaited Google Drive is a simple, useful, straightforward cloudstorage and syncing service that offers a full 5GB of online storage for free, with no surprises along the way. Utilitarian rather than flashy, it makes storing files to the cloud and syncing them among multiple devices as simple as saving a file to a local hard drive.

  • Google and Microsoft's new battleground: Your living room

    Microsoft and Google aren't going head to head just over Internet search, office productivity suites and Cloud-based applications and services. Their next looming battle is over who will own the living room, and the outcome will have surprising implications for IT as well.

  • Hands-on: Nokia Lumia 900 puts Windows Phone back in the race

    If you've been sitting on the fence about making the switch to Windows Phone 7, the just-released Lumia 900 could prod you to make the leap over. This stylish, well-engineered phone shows off the strengths of the Windows Phone platform on a bright, crisp 4.3-in. AMOLED screen with a high-bandwidth LTE connection.

  • Outlook 2010 cheat sheet

    If you've just upgraded to Outlook 2010 from an earlier version, expect to see some very big changes, most notably the ubiquity of the Ribbon interface. The Ribbon first made its appearance in Outlook 2007, but in a relatively minor way -- on the main Outlook screen there's no Ribbon, but when you open or compose an email, the Ribbon appears. Now it's everywhere.

  • Blogging service shootout: Blogger vs. WordPress

    With all the noise about social networking sites in the last several years, it's easy to forget that if you've got more to say than what can be expressed in 140 characters, or want to do more than post brief updates, your best bet is a blog.

  • Upgrades: Are Computers Just Big Smartphones?

    The beta versions of Mac OS X (code-named Mountain Lion) and Windows 8 are now being tested worldwide, and although they are quite different from one another, they share one characteristic: Both take designs and features built for smartphones and tablets

  • A deep dive into Windows 8 Consumer Preview

    Windows 8 Consumer Preview is one of the biggest changes that Microsoft has made to Windows, moving it from an operating system aimed at a single class of hardware (PCs and laptops) to one that spans a wide range of devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones.

  • Opinion: Microsoft's app blitz bodes well for its future

    Once upon a time, Microsoft would rarely release a product on a competitor's platform. Those days may be over. At the end of last year, Microsoft launched a blizzard of apps for iPhones, iPads and Android phones. That's good news for anyone who cares about the company's future.

  • Kindle Fire vs. the Kobo Vox vs. the Nook Tablet

    With the <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9222461/Cool_stuff_Your_2011_holiday_tech_gift_guide">holiday season in full force</a>, a lot of gift-givers are going to be considering one of the new color e-readers that have been introduced recently: <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9221888/Amazon_s_Kindle_Fire_misfires">Amazon's Kindle Fire</a>, the Kobo Vox and <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9221898/Nook_Tablet_Hands_on_with_Barnes_Noble_s_alternative_to_the_Kindle_Fire">Barnes &amp; Noble's Nook Tablet</a>.

  • Opinion: Look who's discovered the virtues of openness

    You know the stereotype: Microsoft is the sworn enemy of openness, unwilling to open its code or hardware to others. It's a monopolist bent on world domination, willing to use its lawyers and market strength to ensure that Windows and Office don't face any serious competition.

  • Kindle Fire, Nook Tablet, Kobo Vox

    Print books may not be dead, but it's not for want of the biggest booksellers trying to kill them. This week, Amazon released the <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9221888/Amazon_s_Kindle_Fire_misfires">Kindle Fire</a>, with Barnes &amp; Noble following with the <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9221898/Nook_Tablet_Hands_on_with_Barnes_Noble_s_alternative_to_the_Kindle_Fire">Nook Tablet</a> -- while one week ago the lesser-known <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/kobovox">Kobo Vox</a> went on sale.