Microsoft Surface

I was wrong about yesterday's announcement, which was all about hardware and not about software.   

Microsoft announced Surface, a new 10.6 inch tablet with a really innovative keyboard/cover.  The tablet looks like it will be really good, but Microsoft revealed almost nothing about it.  No specs, other than the size.  Downloading the spec sheet doesn't help much, other than to give you the rating for the battery, but that is in Watt hours, not in usage hours, so it is pretty worthless.  They announced two models, one with an ARM processor running Windows RT and one with an Intel processor running Windows 8. 

Unfortunately, not being one of those invited to the announcement, I have to rely on others to tell me about how it feels, but the reports so far are good.  It looks like it will be a solid unit, with a good balanced feel in your hands.  It has a Gorilla Glass screen, which means it should hold up well to daily use.   

It has a couple of features that some members of the tech press are suggesting are unnecessary or unwanted, but I disagree with them.  Putting a kickstand on a tablet seems like an obvious thing.  There are plenty of times when you will want to prop up your tablet, and if it does not compromise the weight or the sturdiness of the case, then I say bring it on.  Phones, at least some of them, have had kickstands for a long time and it is about time that a tablet got one. 

The other feature is a stylus.  Now, your Applefanboys will dismiss the idea of a stylus, because the iPad does not have one, and so obviously you don't need one.  If Steve Jobs didn't think it was necessary, then it isn't.  You'll have to imagine the this-is-utter-BS tone of my voice.  I can hear it in my own head, but it doesn't come out well onto the page. 

While, having to use a stylus is not the best user experience...and yes, I am familiar with that experience, I have a Samsung Q1U, a stylus has some distinct advantages, especially when combined with handwriting recognition.  I read lots about people taking notes on their iPads, but personally, I think they are kidding themselves when they say it is easy.  First, I don't like talking notes on a keyboard anyway, and second, an onscreen keyboard is just a pain to use on top of that.  My guess is they don't take many notes. 

A stylus, combined with handwriting recognition, allows you to take notes as fast as you can scribble, and I can scribble pretty damn fast.  And, did I mention that the handwriting recognition in Windows 7 is excellent?  If Microsoft has kept that same capability in Windows 8 and RT, then we are in for a treat.  Touch when we want it, and stylus when that makes more sense than fingers. 

But, the biggest part of the announcement...in my opinion...is the new keyboard/cover that will come with, or at least be available for, the new Microsoft Surface Tablet.  This cover seems to be about the same thickness as the Apple Smartcover, but this is a lot smarter, since it actually adds functionality to your tablet.  You see, it's a keyboard, with a touchpad.  Now, with a cover that's a keyboard, and a stand that is built in, your tablet converts to a laptop anytime you open it.  You can fold the cover onto the back of your Surface and it is smart enough to recognize that it should not take input.  So, you have a tablet with no hassles.  Then, you pop out the stand and unfold the cover so that it sits out in front of the tablet and there is your keyboard and touchpad, instant portable. 

It looks incredibly cool, and if it works like they say it does, then it blows Apple right out of the water.  It's widescreen, as tablets should be.  It is thin and light, as tablets should be, and without buying or carrying an extra piece of hardware, your tablet turns from the standard consumption device into a productivity device.  And, if you buy the Windows 8 version, it runs all your legacy apps. 

Now, there are still a lot of questions about the Surface.  What is the actual battery life?  How well does the keyboard/cover work (they were not available for the media to test yesterday)?  How much will it cost? 

Any of these could put a roadblock in the way of the success of the Surface, but for today, Microsoft has taken a bold step and I cannot wait to get my hands on one. 

Microsoft Monday

Today is Friday and on Monday Microsoft is announcing something.  No one knows for sure, but lots of people have guesses.  My guess is a bit different from others, and this is where you will read my prediction.  If I am right, then everyone else is wrong and I'm a genius.  If I'm wrong, then oh well. 

My prediction is based on this picture.

Now, as we look at this lineup, we know most of what Microsoft will be doing in relation to each of these.  The TV will be handled by XBox, and when we move to the other end of the lineup, we know that the Desktop, Laptop, and Tablet will definitely be handled by Windows 8.  The Slate in the middle might be handled by Windows 8, or its sister, Windows RT.  We know that the Smartphone is handled by Windows Phone, now 7 and sometime soon Windows Phone 8. 

Now, the entire lineup is dealt with...all except one, the Reader.  Now, I find it important to note the orientation of the screens.  The Slate is in landscape orientation, which is the orientation of both Windows 8 and RT.  The Reader on the other hand is in portrait orientation.  The question of orientation is an important one, because Windows RT is landscape orientation, but Windows Phone is portrait orientation. 

And, that brings me to my prediction. 

I think that Microsoft will announce a new OS for smaller tablets, which they might refer to as Microsoft Reader 7 or more likely 8.  I think that Microsoft Reader will be based on the Windows Phone interface.  It makes a lot more sense than Windows RT. 

Well, that is my prediction, which goes against every other prediction out there.  That probably means I am wrong, but if not, then I am a genius. 

Windows 8 Success

First, some background.  Windows 8 is the next version of the world's most popular OS, and it is going to be rather different, with an interface called Metro, that looks like this. 

 There is also another big change, in that it is going to run on ARM processors, though under the name of Windows RT.  The biggest difference between 8 on x86/x64 processors and RT on ARM processors will be the support of legacy apps.  Windows 8, when installed on your desktop, portable, or even x86/x64 tablet is going to run every app that you already own.  Windows RT will only be available pre-installed on ARM tablets, and will only support new apps written specifically for the Metro UI, and delivered through the Microsoft Market. 

Now, obviously these Metro apps are going to be key to the success of Windows RT and the new Windows ARM tablets that we should see before the end of the year.  Unfortunately, there may be the same problem that we are seeing today with Windows Phone 7.  While there are more Windows Phone 7 apps everyday, there are still many great apps that you can get on iOS or Android, but not on Windows Phone 7.  Getting a good slate of apps for Windows RT is going to be very important. 

Strange to say, but I think that the long term success of Windows 8 will also depend on Metro apps, and yes, I mean the desktop version.  Tech writers have often complained of the jarring effects of going from the Metro Desktop to the old style desktop.  I believe that acceptance of Windows 8 and the Metro UI are going to hinge on keeping users in the Metro UI, and not on ensuring that all their old apps work. 

I am concerned that developers may ignore Metro.  Many of them may not care if their app won't run on Windows RT, and that means they will have little incentive to work on Metro versions of their apps.  I am not picking on Adobe, but I see two programs from their stable that are prime candidates, Photoshop and Acrobat, and I don't mean Reader, but the full Acrobat for creating and editing PDF files.   

Will Adobe really care if Photoshop and Acrobat won't run on Windows RT?  Remember that Windows RT means ARM tablets, with the same processing power as Android tablets, and the iPad.  Full Photoshop is not available for these operating systems.  What do you get through iTunes?  Photoshop Express.  The reviews are mostly saying that this is not even the best Photo Editing app available for iOS.  Will Windows RT see any better?  Probably not, since like the other ARM tablets, there really isn't enough processing power for full Photoshop. 

When Windows 8 is installed on desktop and portable systems, there will be plenty of processing power for Photoshop, but will their be a Metro app?  Since the present app will be able to run on Windows 8, without alteration, how much incentive will Adobe have to spend the time, and effort...which will equate to money...to convert the app to run in the Metro UI.  Acrobat may not require the processing power of an x86 processor, but it is primarily a business app. It isn't something that most home users need.  Again, Adobe might forgo the expense of converting since they know that the app will run on Windows 8 without doing anything.  And, Adobe certainly isn't the only one that might take this route. Heck, Microsoft has already stated that Office will not be running in Metro, though there will be a limited version of Office that comes as part of Windows RT.  Software vendors  can have their developers fix bugs and add functionality to their programs, or they can spend those same man hours on getting the apps converted to the Metro UI. 

Which are you willing to bet on? 

The experience of using Windows 8 is not going to be improved by constantly shifting back and forth from Metro to the Windows 7 style desktop, and users who find themselves mostly working in the old desktop mode are going to complain, asking why they cannot default to the mode where they do most of their work.  Also, why would you upgrade to Windows 8, when working in Windows 7 is more convenient for most of what you do? 

If Microsoft is really committed to Metro as the future of Windows, then they need to find a way to convince application developers that they should convert to the Metro UI, and I haven't seen much incentive given.  Of course, I am not a developer, so I might not have noticed.   

Keeping people out of the old desktop mode means more apps that run in Metro.  This is important for the long term strategy of Microsoft and Windows, because if Metro is the future, then either Windows 9 or 10 needs to leave off the old desktop and no longer support non-Metro apps.  If it is going to succeed, that process needs to start now.

Velocity Micro Cruz T301

I finally pulled the trigger on a cheap tablet.  Yes, that is it there.  It isn't the nice Samsung Tab that I looked at, but it doesn't carry the added cost of the Verizon contract.  I finally found one for only $60 on Woot.  

The Velocity Micro Cruz T301 is also an Ingenic T301, which is how it will appear on Google Play after you get it registered.  It's an 800x600 7 inch tablet and it runs Froyo, Android 2.2.  Now, when you buy it, it doesn't have the Android Appstore, nor Google Play, but if you will do a little quick research using the device name, you will find instructions on how to correct that.  It's terribly easy, because it basically comes rooted. 

Here's the instructions on slatedroid.com. 

This will make the tablet more useable, but unfortunately, it won't make it fast, and that is the biggest problem with the T301.  The website says that it is an 800mhz processor, but it feels more like 80.  Another site says it is 528mhz and that sounds closer to the truth.  Most of the apps work okay, only slowly.  The screen is capacitive and seems fairly responsive, except that it is hard to tell sometimes, because the OS responds so slowly.  

Now, just in case anyone thinks that I am just complaining about Android, you should know that I also have a Samsung Fascinate to play around with, and it works quickly, much nicer than the tablet, but the difference between a 4" screen, and a 7" screen is significant.   

I like it for reading.  The Kindle app works pretty well, and I can read my email and blogs.  It can be a bit finicky though.  It may kick you back to the desktop from a browser session, and it may display a connection error in email and fail to display the message.  Now, I know this is some weirdness in the software, because if I hit reply it shows the message as part of the reply.  Of course, this rarely happens, except when I am viewing my email newsletters that are heavy on html.  I think that sort of throws a monkeywrench into the works. 

The other big problem is that there are a lot of apps that won't install, most noteably, Netflix and Angry Birds, two apps that I really want to install.  Now, I have both Google Play and the Amazon Appstore installed, and there is an oddity in the Amazon Appstore.  Amazon does not seem to have a good grasp on the fact that these apps won't install.  In fact, the Amazon Appstore shows about a half dozen apps that it has attempted to download and install, and failed.  The problem is that they never go away.  They sit there in a list with a reinstall button as if the third or fourth try will be the lucky charm and they will install.  I have yet to find any way to remove them from the list.  It feels like Amazon is mocking me. 

On the other hand, apps that won't install simply don't come up in searches in Google Play.  And, if I go out to the Google Play website on my desktop, then it will actually tell me that the app is not compatible with the Ingenic T301.  This is a very nice feature. 

This app is compatible with some of your devices. 

What I wish one of them would tell me is why they won't install.  Is it the resolution, the processor speed, or the version of Android that is the problem. 

I've rambled a bit here, but I like having a tablet, I just wish it were a better one.  Another serious lack to the T301 is bluetooth.  No keyboards, which might make it a little more useful, if any of the keyboards work with 2.2.1.  Unfortunately, the T301 does not seem to have sold well enough for anyone to have made an updated ROM for it.  I have seen how well a device can work with Android 2.3 and I don't know if the T301 would do as well, but it would be nice to see.  What I really want to do is to move the innards from the Fascinate into the T301, but that isn't going to happen. 

I cannot really recommend the T301.  You get what you pay for.  I didn't pay much for the T301 and I didn't get much, but it was within my price range, and it works.

Spoiler Alert - Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning - Part 2 - Spoiler Alert

This is where the spoilers live, so either don't read it, or don't complain. 

So, this game is much like Oblivion and Skyrim in that it dumps you right into the story.  To be direct, you start off dead.  Two gnomes are pushing a cart with a body on it, and you are the body.  At the moment where they are about to whip back the sheet and record information about you, the game pauses so that you can choose your race, and create the appearance of your character. 

Here, the game diverges from standard fantasy RPG format, because you don't pick a class.  There are no classes in KOA:R.  Actually, that makes it similar to Skyrim.  There are three disciplines, called Abilities, Might, Sorcery and Finesse, which equate pretty neatly with Warrior, Mage and Rogue.  You get three points at each level to put where you want in these three disciplines.  Sorcery includes spells, staves, scepters (wands) and chakrams (flying disc weapons).  Might includes attacks with sword, greatsword, hammer, and other weapons.  Finesse includes dagger attacks, archery attacks, and something called faeblades, double ended daggers.  There are also poisons, and other things of that sort. 

After you set up your character, the dwarves reveal your newly created face, and then they dump you onto a pile of dead bodies...which is where you wake up.  Now, you begin to explore and then fight your way out of the vast complex where you were reborn after having died in your first life. 

So, that is enough spoilers for now.  You fight your way out, and you learn about Fate, and Fateweavers.  In the world of Amalur, all are ruled by Fate.  Each person has a path through the weave of Fate which cannot be altered, at least not in any major way...until you come along.  Shortly after escaping,  you are told that you have no fate, that you are the master of your destiny, in fact, throughout the game, you character is called the Fateless One. 

The problem is that the game belies that idea.  You are pushed along a narrow path, as if you have no decisions to make on your own.  You can delay the inevitable next step, but you cannot bypass it, nor can you choose how it will play out, at least not often.  The best way to effect the plot line is to dump all the points you can into Persuasion, because then you may not have to fight as often, however, even that did not work for me during the penultimate confrontation with Gadflow.  My persuasion attempt was successful, but I still had to fight him. 

It reminded me of two spots in Mass Effect, where you have the opportunity to either Charm or Intimidate Saren, but either way, the same scene plays out. 

Game designers need to work on more complicated scenarios, not only with multiple endings, but with TRUE multiple endings, and truly different paths to those endings.  A persuasive or intimidating character should have the opportunity to resolve ending conflicts without a fight, or at least not the fight he imagines. 

In the case of Gadflow, why not have the persuasion work, and Gadflow attempt to change, but then Tirnoch is too strong, and eats him anyway.  Even if Gadflow followed you into the final chamber as an ally, it could still lead to the final confrontation with Tirnoch.  He would still have served his purpose by getting you into the chamber where Tirnoch attempts to use you escape her prison. 

I know there is only so much you can do with multiple storylines in the context of a game, but I think they can do better, and after seeing this in KoA:R, and seeing the same thing in Skyrim, Morrowind, Oblivion, Mass Effect 1 & 2, and reading all of the negative comments about the end of Mass Effect 3, it seems to me that game designers need to get with the program and move on to truly interactive storylines, where the player can effect the story and the ending in a bigger way. 

There is one key part where the main quest line splits into two quest lines, but you either do both, or not and in either case, you end up in the same place, where they come back together. 

So, like so many other fantasy RPGs, you pursue the mainline quest, the faction quests, and side quests.  Some of the side quests are so paltry that they are called tasks.  One annoying problem is that some of the tasks never end.  You cannot complete the quest, which can be quite annoying. 

Fateweavers will allow you to remake your character for a fee.  You are set back to level 1, but you get back all the points you have invested in Abilities and Skills.  This means that you can try out other builds, and if you find that you are annoyed with some choice you made in the past, then you can undo it.  Level 40 is the maximum supported, and I reached that before I even got to the final portion of the game. 

The faction quest lines are not quite as much fun as the ones in Oblivion...about on a par with Skyrim, but Skyrim wasn't as good as Obilivion. 

I've run out of things to say, so I will stop here. 

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Having just finished the game, I thought I would record a few thoughts about it.

Kingdoms of Amalur is the first game from a new company, 38 Studios, which is the brain child of Curt Schilling, yes, the Curt Schilling, former Major League Baseball pitcher. Turns out he was a big fan of Everquest II, and used to hang out online in various places and discuss what was wrong with the game. As he says himself, like every else, he thought he knew how to fix it, only unlike everyone else, he had the resources to do something about it.

He assembled a really good team. Best-selling author R.A. Salvatore is the Executive Creator of Worlds. Ken Rolston worked on RPGs like Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind, before going to Big Huge Games, which was working on a single player RPG (like Morrowind) and was purchased by 38 Studios. Todd McFarlane worked on the Spawn and Spiderman comic books before going to work at 38 Studios as the Executive Art Director.

So, today we have a single-player game built mostly by Big Huge Games, with a story set in the pre-history of the MMO that will be coming sometime in the future. In the game world of Amalur, 2500 years will pass between the events of Reckoning and the MMO...hopefully, we won't have to wait that long to play it.
Now, I should state ahead of time that I am not a big fan of MMOs, but I am a big fan of single-player, and multi-player RPGs. The problem is that I like to Role Play, and most MMOs don't really foster RP, but that has nothing to do with Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (KOA:R), since it is completely single player.
Let me start them by reviewing some of the game factors, before I give the spoiler alert and go into the actual game.

The style of the art is slightly cartoonish, but not in a truly horrible way. Comic-bookish might be a better word, and considering the background of the Executive Art Director, that shouldn't be too surprising. On the other hand, parts of it are truly beautiful. The landscape is often dramatic, though with more than a hint of the fantastic, a fantastic that is often unrealistic, huge jutting rocks and enormous stone bridges are common place. The architecture is monumental, which is good. The characters are relatively realistically drawn, so while all the women are well endowed in the chest area, and all the men large and muscular, it isn't grotesque, some of the monsters are, but they are supposed to be that way.

Of course, like most fantasy games, the armor is awful and the weapons are worse. The armor would hinder your movement and the weapons would all be heavy and cumbersome. As someone who has made armor, I am always disappointed by the armor in games. No one seems willing to study the real thing. The same goes for swords and other weapons, so the one hand swords appear to be at least six feet long, with blades that would bludgeon rather than cut, and the great swords would look accurate if you were 10 feet tall. And, don't even get me started on the hammers (OMG). But, that is a personal peeve, so let's move on.
I've decided to make this into two posts, and put all the spoilers in the other post.

The game is fun, but the combat system is a bit hard to master, and I cannot say that I ever really did. You have several different weapons types, and for each weapon types there are a series of moves. First, there is the basic attack button move, then there is a attack button, pause, attack button move. After that, there is dodge, attack button move, and a block, attack button move. There are also a couple of moves where you hold the attack button while your toon sets him/herself for another special move. The problem is that at times you are surrounded by multiple enemies, and stopping to try one of the various moves means that one of the guys you are facing blasts you into next week. I found that I could really only use a few of the moves, because the key to staying alive and not spending an hour killing enemies was to keep mashing the attack button, which makes it a lot like all the other games out there. 38 Studio tried really hard to make the combat more complex, but really all they did was make it more complicated and only partially usable.

Also, the basic outline of the game is a clone of the one used in Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim, Elder Scrolls 3, 4 and 5. There is a mainline plot, which you must follow in a direct line. You can delay as much as you want, but there is only a single path to the end of the game. The same is true for the factions, one path from the start of the faction quests to the end. Once again, you can delay as much as you want, you can start a faction quest line, and then go back to the main quest line, and then do some side quests, and finally get back to the faction quest line, but it doesn't hide the fact that it is a single path from one end to the other. There are multiple paths through the game, but it is only by leaving one path and then moving to another and then coming back. The side quests and faction quests don't do anything to advance the main quest.

So, while, in game terms, you are the master of your destiny, at some point there is only one way to proceed. After playing a lot of fantasy RPGs, I have to admit that I am getting tired of it. It never really makes a difference at the end. Yes, you get choices along the way, and you can create and devise your character anyway you want, but you are constantly reminded that you are really in someone else's story, and in the end they push you along to the conclusion they envisioned.

I'll try to remember to put another part of my conclusion in the other post, since it includes some spoilers.
I enjoyed playing Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, and I might play it again, but not right away. It has been less than 2 days since I finished the game, and already it seems a little boring. That is not a good sign. I am a little tempted by the idea of playing it again, but I am trying to figure out how I am going to make it different. But, for now the game is over and I need to work on other things.

Next time, there will be spoilers, as I go into the storyline and Role-playing aspects of the game.

Computer Decision

Well, sort of...

The history of my personal computers is long and mostly boring to anyone but me. I have had three portables, a Latitude CPt, an Inspiron 9100 and an XPS M1530. I have had a series of desktops as well, but those have all been homebuilt, from the early models that were made up of parts scavenged from various friends to several that I build from parts that I bought at Frys. The problem is that both my portable and my desktop are getting a bit long in the tooth.  

For most things that is not a problem. The web works great, I can write and post to my blogs, facebook and check my email without any issues. I can even watch Hulu, Netflix and the BBC iPlayer without a glitch....but I like to play computer games. Most recently, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, and I want to buy a copy of Mass Effect 3, and neither of my systems meets the minimum specs for these games. Now, they aren't far off, but the video cards are one notch below what they suggest. Kingdoms of Amalur played just fine though, so at the moment it isn't really a problem.

But, I cannot help but look forward to what I want next.

As you can tell if you have been reading these pages, I am fascinated with tablets, and I think rather than getting another portable, I think I will get a tablet, maybe like this one.

Now, this particular one runs Windows 7. This should not be a surprise to anyone who has read this blog, since I am not a big fan of Apple. Now, I could go with an Android tablet, like say, this one:

This second is the Asus Transformer Prime, which is probably the best Android tablet available right now, though the Lenovo Thinkpad might give it a run for its money.  

Now, each of these comes with a keyboard, at least as an option. The Iconia's keyboard acts like a case when you aren't using it, and the Transformer's turns the tablet into a netbook...with the advantage of extended battery life. Now, I like the idea of having a keyboard, but the Transformer's keyboard is just too small for my big fingers. And there will be the rub with the iPad, which has a couple of nice keyboard/cases and every other Android tablet. They size of the tablet means that they cannot fit a full size keyboard on something the same size as the tablet.

But, because the Iconia runs Windows, it is larger and so the keyboard is larger. I've given the Iconia keyboard dock a try and it is big enough. Plus, the Iconia runs Windows 7 and will run Windows 8, both the Consumer Preview now, and the final release later. That's important to me, because I think that Windows 8, and its ARM tablet iteration, Windows RT are going to blow both Android and iOS (iPad) right out of the water. Now, I am not predicting that it will outsell them, at least not at first, and maybe never, but anyone who wants a tablet that is truly more than a large-screen smartphone is going to move to Windows RT (on ARM) and Windows 8 (on x86/x64).

Maybe by the time I can replace my portable, I will be able to buy a tablet with Windows RT, but for now, this would be the choice.

And, for my desktop, I think I will look for a new motherboard and processor and then start building a new desktop piece by piece, because games are working their way onto tablets, but I think it will be a long time before I am playing a version of Amalur or Mass Effect, or whatever future games I want on a tablet.