This year, the Microsoft Hardware group celebrates its 30th anniversary of being in the hardware business. It all started back in 1982. In a blog post today, the Microsoft Hardware Team takes a look back at 1982 and reminisces about the year that started it all.
I can’t really reminisce about 1982. I was born in 1983. But I can talk about how much Microsoft Hardware is integrated into how I use my PCs today! Especially their mice and webcams.
Every single mouse, keyboard or webcam I own is from Microsoft Hardware. But things really kicked into high gear (my obsession with Microsoft Hardware that is…) for me however in September of 2010. That’s when we announced the Arc Touch Mouse. The Arc Touch Mouse was the first Microsoft mouse to use the touch scroll strip for easy navigation with haptic feedback (vibration technology that simulates the feel of a traditional scroll wheel). It uses BlueTrack Technology that allows it to be used on virtually any surface. The best part about the Arc Touch Mouse is that you can flatten it to turn the mouse off and slide it in your pocket or messenger bag to take with you on the run.
As of today, I pretty much own every Arc Touch Mouse ever made. Almost.
My collection includes:
There is one Arc Touch Mouse I won’t be adding to my collection - an exclusive commemorative special edition Arc Touch Mouse was created specifically to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Microsoft Hardware.
And this Arc Touch Mouse will be one Arc Touch Mouse I won’t be adding to my collection because we’re giving it away on Twitter! The giveaway for this commemorative mouse is dedicated to celebrating the decade in which Microsoft Hardware started – the 1980’s. All you need to do is tweet something you loved about the 80’s with the hashtag #MSHWturns30 to enter in to the contest. The full contest rules can be found here. Good luck! The commemorative 30th Anniversary Arc Touch Mouse comes with a special certificate signed by Young Kim, Senior User Experience Lead for Microsoft Hardware and Brett Kelleran, General Manager for Microsoft Hardware.
There’s nothing like having a flock of mice on your desk, right?
I also make it a point to own Microsoft Hardware’s latest and greatest HD webcam. Today that’s the LifeCam Studio. However, Microsoft Hardware has a fleet of HD webcams from the high-end (LifeCam Studio) to the reasonably priced. Back in March, we announced that all of the currently available HD webcams and headsets from Microsoft Hardware are now Skype Certified. Over the weekend, my dad did a video call from his brand new Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone using the Skype app to me on my PC with Skype for Windows and my LifeCam Studio. Video calls are how I stay in touch with my family.
Happy anniversary Microsoft Hardware!
UPDATE 5/21: Find out more about this offer here at www.windows.com/freexbox.
The school year is wrapping up for many but for those who are graduating high school - thoughts are already on the upcoming school year this fall and starting college. Starting college can be a big adjustment and we’d like to help with that. Starting May 20th in the U.S., students who buy a qualifying Windows PC worth $699 or more at participating retailers can get a 4GB Xbox 360 console for free, just like last year! Starting May 18th in Canada, students who buy a Windows PC worth $599 or more can also get a 4GB Xbox 360 console for free!
Participating retailers in the US include Best Buy, Dell.com, Fry’s Electronics, HPDirect.com, Microsoft Stores, and NewEgg.com. In Canada, they include Best Buy, Dell.ca, Future Shop, Staples and The Source.
Please note that participating retailers and terms and conditions may change over the course of the promotion.
In college, students will spend quite a bit of time in front of their PC working on reports in Microsoft Word or creating PowerPoint presentations for group projects. They are going to want a stylish, thin and light PC that boasts great performance, yet is also durable for staying connected and on the go – PCs like the HP ENVY 15, Samsung Series 5 ULTRA and the Dell XPS 13. I sometimes feel like a college student myself running to all my meetings and constantly taking notes in Microsoft OneNote. So I recently picked myself up a Dell XPS 13. So far, the XPS 13 has proven to be a quick and nimble PC and is barely noticeable in my messenger bag as I trot through the halls of buildings here at Microsoft.
With all the hard work students put in for their classes in college, they need some downtime, right? That’s where the Xbox 360 comes in! To blow off some steam, you can just hop on Xbox LIVE and play some Halo with friends and family far away or just down the hall. Could be a great way to blow off steam and relax after a long day full of studying and classes. And this fall, Halo 4 hits – which you can now pre-order today! And the Xbox isn’t just for gaming – students will be able to enjoy a variety of entertainment options, including streaming movies and TV shows, sports, music and more!
To take advantage of this offer or more information, check with participating retailers mentioned above. Students or their parents must provide valid student identification as defined by the participating retailer.
Today, Lenovo is announcing updates to their line of laptops that are built to handle all the work that you can throw at them. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a leader in the business category of Ultrabooks and the ThinkPad Classic L, X, T, and W Series laptops have all had refreshes that build upon the performance, great battery life, and productivity that Lenovo’s laptops are known for.
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon weighs less than three pounds and beats Ultrabook specifications. Lenovo understands that it can be a hassle to wait for your laptop battery to charge, so they armed this Ultrabook with Lenovo RapidCharge which charges up to 80% battery in just 30 minutes. With built in 3G you have the ability to access the web from practically anywhere without being tethered to your Wi-Fi network. This laptop is a great choice for business pros who are out and about or travel frequently because it won’t break your back when being toted around in your bag and you have 24/7 access to the internet, email, and corporate networks.
The ThinkPad Classic L, X, T, and W have all been privy to some solid upgrades that are representative of the quality and care that are trademark Lenovo. Purchase one of these laptops and you will reap the benefits of your choice of the latest 3rd Generation Intel Core Processor and Lenovo Enhanced Experience 3.0 with RapidBoot technology on selected models. This innovative work from Lenovo will boot your laptop up to 40 percent faster than a typical Windows 7 computer. If web conferencing is a large component of your 9-5, then make sure you check out the advanced video and calling features.
Pictured below: Lenovo ThinkPad X230
If you are looking to take one of these laptops to the next level make sure you investigate adding a Solid State Drive (SSD). All of these ThinkPad models have the option to include a 250GB self-encrypting SSD. This is a great storage solution if you want extra protection for sensitive files and increased performance and reliability than the alternative Hard Disk Drive.
Lenovo will start to roll out these laptops for purchase in June. Lenovo was gracious enough to send me the gorgeous light and small ThinkPad X230 to take for a test drive, so stay tuned because I will be sharing my impressions in a future blog post. This will be my first hands on experience with a Lenovo (many of my coworkers have them), so I am anxious to be able to join club of Lenovo enthusiasts.
Kristina is out this week on (well-deserved) vacation so I’m stepping in to post about today’s Tech Tuesday Live Twitter Chat! Kristina has been really enjoying her Tangerine-colored Lenovo IdeaPad U300s – which she blogged about here. She says it is one of the best PCs she has ever used because it feels specifically made just for her hands and is very durable. Matter a fact - she mentioned she spilled a cup of water on her U300s on a plane to Brussels on Friday. And the U300s is working fine. Kristina’s IdeaPad U300s brings me to today’s Tech Tuesday Live Twitter Chat guest: Lenovo.
Lenovo will be talking about a variety of their great product offerings today during the chat. Whether it’s their tough ThinkPad X1 or their new U310 IdeaPad, they offer a range of great PCs that suit the needs of a variety of discerning customers. If you really want thin and light PCs, then you are in luck.
During today’s chat, we’ll be giving away the Lenovo IdeaPad U310 weighing in at under 2 lbs., super slim and with up to 8 hours of battery life – it’s a great PC for someone looking for style and functionality.
To participate in the Tech Tuesday Live Twitter Chat:
Note we will only be talking about the outlined topic each week and we will not be answering questions outside those topics. Questions for this week may include: How much does the Lenovo U310 weigh? Where can I purchase this PC model? How much memory does it have?
Every week, I meet a lot of inspiring women in my job – both people who I work with and people who I meet along the way because of what I do. Just this past week we hosted a variety of workshops around the country and some very cool inspiring journalists and bloggers touched me with their stories. They shared what they do from running a family to managing a business but what struck me was the impact these women make in their communities at large.
One such woman, Leticia Barr of Tech Savvy Mama went to Haiti last year to assist other women in giving them the tools to voice their stories. This November she’ll return to teach and mentor on the blogging tools which allow their voices to travel even further (#bloggers4haiti). Meanwhile in Minneapolis, I connected with moms like Mimi Baker of Woven By Words who is raising four children, working full time and still finds time for a daily blog that connects her with the community. She does it all while looking stunning, I might add.
Over the last few weeks to celebrate mom’s and the women who inspire us -- we’ve shared a few fun tips around how to create free gifts from mom for Mother’s Day. You can create a fast digital card in Paint like the one below. Check out our Facebook page for a step by step how to. Then you can even go one step further and create a digital photo album for Mom, like this one, by taking your Paint image and adding other great images for your mom in a SkyDrive folder. You may also want to create a fun video of favorite clips and images using Windows Live Movie Maker.
Who inspires you? For me it’s these women and of course my mom. So, why not stop for a moment and say: Thanks to the Moms and the women that we know who inspire us.
The possibilities are endless- so go ahead, get creative and mostly don’t forget to #saythankstomom.
Happy Mother’s Day!