Friday, September 21, 2012

Windows (Phone) 8

Windows 8 marks the first time I am actually excited about anything Microsoft that is not directly related to the Xbox gaming platform. True, it only works well on touchscreen devices - e.g. Microsoft's own Surface device, Samsung's ATIV smartPC, all-in-one PCs - but I'm looking forward to getting it. However, I need money to do that, but I think I am just too lazy to go out there and really try to find a job. There are other ways of getting money, like selling items on eBay, but again, I'm too lazy.

Another thing that I'm looking forward to is the release of WP8, or Windows Phone 8, in October, three days (I think) after the release of Windows 8. Ever since my friend Dewey showed me his Windows Phone 7, the LG Optimus Quantum, I've slowly grown to like the platform. Now that the Nokia Lumia 920 and the HTC 8X have been announced (others have also been announced but these are the high-end devices), I am really excited. The Nokia Lumia 920's coolest feature, for me at least, is its Qi wireless charging system. Qi (pronounced "Chi") is actually a standard used in a few other devices, and hopefully will grow in popularity. It is similar to the Powermat systems that you can buy in Future Shop, Best Buy and other electronics stores, but instead of having to purchase a separate battery pack/case that plugs into the phone, you merely need a charging plate. You just plop the phone onto the plate and it charges. There are also other neat features, like the PureView camera that has OIS (optical image stabilizing) but that's the biggest one for me. The HTC 8X is also really cool, with a beautiful display and Beats audio, but as it lacks a microSD card slot (ironically the lower-end 8S has one) I don't think I'll be getting it. After all, I recently bought a 32 GB card for my budget-oriented (read: low-end) Samsung Galaxy Gio. There is another phone I might end up getting, the Samsung ATIV S, but I don't know as much about it as I do the others.

No comments:

Post a Comment