Windows 8 overtakes Windows XP adoption on Steam, while OS X drops and Linux

Valve on Friday updated its Hardware & Software Survey for February 2013, and the news is once again very good for everyone except Apple. Both Microsoft and Canonical have reason to celebrate Steam usage for their respective platforms as Windows 8 has overtaken Windows XP and Linux has passed the 2 percent mark (the majority of Linux users are running Ubuntu).

Here is how things looked like for February 2013 on Steam, in order of biggest to smallest share:

• Windows 7: 69.31 percent
• Windows 8: 9.63 percent
• Windows XP: 9.33 percent
• Windows Vista: 5.84 percent
• OS X: 3.07 percent
• Linux: 2.02 percent

Breaking down the numbers even more, here is how each operating system version fared:

How to turn your Windows 8 PC into a Wi-Fi hot spot

In Windows 7 (and previous OSes), the tool could turn your PC into a Wi-Fi hot spot, allowing it to share its Ethernet or other Internet connection with other devices by broadcasting its own network.In Windows 8, Microsoft quietly removed a useful networking feature: ad-hoc networks.

So, if you paid for Internet access at a cafe, or you're at work, and want to share your PC's Internet with your phone or tablet, this feature would let you do that.

It is very possible to do this in Windows 8, but the built-in method requires fiddling with the command prompt. And for some of us, walking into that black abyss is daunting.

Instead, check out Virtual Router Plus. It's a free, open-source program that does the geek work for you, allowing you to quickly fire up an ad-hoc network whenever you need one.

(Credit: Screenshot by Sharon Vaknin/CNET)

Once you've downloaded the file, extract it, and launch the VirtualRouterPlus file within that folder. There's no real installation here -- the program will simply launch.

At this point, setup is easy. Enter a name for your network, then choose a secure password with at least eight characters. Finally, choose the connection you want to share (there will most likely only be one choice), and click Start.

To test it out, grab your phone or tablet and connect to your newly created Wi-Fi network. If it doesn't show up, stop the connection on your computer, and hit Start again.

Also remember that your computer needs to stay awake and running to keep its ad-hoc network alive. So, tweak your power settings if need be.

by Sharon Vaknin via CNET How To

Microsoft Surface Pro ad debuts amid supply gripes

The Surface Pro ad is here, but so are gripes about supply.

The ad (above) has an obvious business bent, focusing on pen input. And, of course, how light it is (two pounds). There's also a nod to the touch interface and USB connectivity.

The ad was directed by Jon M Chu, who directed the earlier Surface RT ad.

Meanwhile over at the official Surface Blog commenters are howling about supply.

"I went to three Best Buys, and two Future Shops. Sold out everywhere...Am I disappointed? Of course, I was really looking forward to 'trading-up' my iPad 4 for the Surface Pro," said a person identified as ChrisJamesKnapp.

LA Microsoft Store not mobbed, but Surface has a following

The Surface Pro

(Credit: Brooke Crothers)

LOS ANGELES -- The launch of the Surface Pro at the Microsoft Store in LA's Century City was a relatively low-key affair compared with the debut of the Surface RT.

When I arrived just after 10 a.m. there was a small line (see photo). That said, both versions -- 64GB and 128GB -- of the Surface Pro had sold out immediately.

Of course, no one would say how many units were set aside for first-day sales, and the lines didn't exactly snake around the Westfield Century City mall. So, it wasn't like a Depression-era run on a bank.

And back in October the lines were longer and the atmosphere a bit more frenzied when the Surface RT launched.

The Windows 8 UI: How do interface and usability experts rate all the changes?

When Windows 8 debuts on October 26, users will be confronted with the most radical changes to the look and feel of Windows in nearly 20 years. The traditional desktop has been relegated to second-class status, hidden beneath Windows 8's new touch-centric Start screen. And that’s just the first confusing surprise that awaits long-time Windows users.

Traditional point-and-click functionality on the Windows desktop will also change, to accommodate the needs of the new touch-centric interface. Once they get past the new Start screen and enter the traditional desktop interface, users will discover that the Start button is gone, and that key features such as the Control Panel and Search have moved to the new Charms bar, which pops from the right side of their display.

The new Start screen—with the Charms bar exposed on the right edge.

Microsoft is changing the design of Windows to adapt the OS to our new multidevice world. So whether you're playing Diablo III on a desktop PC, checking quarterly numbers on an Ultrabook, or reading an ebook on a tablet, Windows 8 can serve as the operating system in each hardware scenario.

“[With Windows 8] Microsoft is doing something we are all going to have to do soon, which is designing for all these different outputs and inputs,” says Josh Clark, an interface designer and the author of Tapworthy: Designing Great iPhone Apps.

But Microsoft's new direction poses a problem for users: Many people who’ve played with the RTM version of Windows 8 on non-touch-enabled desktop PCs complain that the new OS is difficult to use.

“The problem for Microsoft is that it has millions of users

How to Re-Enable Hibernation in Windows 8

Many people have an issue with the way power settings are accessed in Windows 8 – there is certainly more mouse and keyboard action involved in shutting down than in previous versions. When you access the power menu you may well have noticed that you are missing the hibernation feature. If you want it back, it takes just a few moments to reinstate.

Open the power menu on your computer to see what you are currently working with. You can go through the step of bring up the charm menu either with a swipe or pressing Win + C before hitting Settings, or you can jump straight to the right place by hitting Win + I.

What do you see here? The chances are that you are only presented with three options: Sleep, Shut down and Restart.

It is worth pointing out that the hibernation state has been largely replaced by an enhanced Sleep mode. Put your computer into sleep mode and when you return to your computer you can pick up from where you left off.

However, should your computer lose power while in sleep mode, you will lose changes in any open files that you have not saved. This, coupled with the fact that some users have issues with sleep and, and that others just prefer the idea of hibernation, means that you may want to gain access to additional power options.

Press Win + I and click the Control Panel link, and then open Power Options.

How to Create Custom Windows 8 Tile Icons for Any Desktop Program

Windows 8 shows desktop application shortcuts on its Start screen, but these shortcuts look out of place in the new, tile-based interface. However, there is a way to spruce up your Start screen with detailed tile icons for your desktop applications.

This trick also works with other types of shortcuts you can pin to your Start screen — folder shortcuts, favorite websites, and direct links to Steam games.

Download OblyTile

We will be using OblyTile for this, as Microsoft didn’t build this feature into Windows 8. You will need to download and install OblyTile (it’s free) to get started.

Creating a Program Tile

Using OblyTile is fairly simple — enter a name for the tile,

Do you hate Microsoft?

(Credit: Microsoft)
In a recent column, magazine editor Jon Phillips tackled this provocative topic: "Why PC users hate Microsoft."

Noting that few users would admit to anything like fondness for the company, Phillips suggests that because we're effectively stuck with Windows when we buy a new PC, Microsoft is the obvious scapegoat when things go wrong. "When Windows fails [users]," he writes, "they elevate Microsoft to boogeyman status: a craven, profit-hungry monopoly that runs an unreliable service."

True, but I think there's more to it than that. Much, much more