News Microsoft updates Windows 8, Windows RT apps

It's a shame the Google/Microsoft issue still hasn't been sorted. I use Google apps for domains, and have attempted to use Windows 8 and Office 2013 on my laptop using my Technet licenses. Of course, it failed. I have a couple of customers soon to be upgrading their office PCs, however, they use Google too, so they are almost being forced to switch to a on-site Exchange server, or MS365. Even an on-site Exchange server is becoming a financial no-no with Server 2012 Essentials replacing SBS Standard.

 

The Music App also got updated (just today).
It has performance improvement, small UI changes, independent volume control, simplified control on over music in the cloud. Ability to dd songs from your collection and have them replicated on other Xbox Music devices, and there's also an option to automatically add matched songs from PCs into music in the cloud.

Now playing interface now lists all the tracks from an album alongside the song currently playing.

 

Can it play my FLAC music collection now? It's still totally useless to me if it can't do this simple task.

 

Microsoft never supported FLAC, I doubt it will change. FLAC isn't popular enough for Microsoft.

 

For most people (me included) file sizes are just too big, plus the fact that I can very rarely tell the difference.

However, since its open source I don't see why they haven't supported it yet.

 

http://blog.dabasinskas.net/enable-flac-support-on-windows-8/

Check it out. May work.

 

@Nexxo, that's fine for desktop and WMP, but i think r3loaded was referring to the Music app.

+rep for the link nontheless

 

I know, but you never know... perhaps the Music app shares code with the desktop media player. When you change the default search engine on desktop IE it also does on Metro IE.

 

You kinda answered your own question, M$ isn't a lover of open source.
They defiantly don't like Linux.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/03/26/us-microsoft-eu-idUKBRE92P0E120130326

 

They're two separate apps, however what you linked to may work for media centre as iirc they do share things..

 

Yep, I know about the Media Foundation codecs, but the app still wouldn't acknowledge their existence. I also don't believe I should convert my entire library purely to suit the whims of an app's developer, especially when they're in an otherwise commonly used format.

 

Why should it?

I've never had a problem with FLAC files I don't have my library completely in that format anyway.

These positive changes are as good as any, well done Microsoft

 

Forgive me, looking into it some more M$ are more favorable to open source than they have been in the past.

 

You are looking at the wrong company. We are talking about Microsoft. Not "M$" Corp.
For Microsoft you are right, back in the early days of Windows 95/98 and before, and significantly smaller in size, Microsoft was not great on OpenSource. I am sure your company that you work for, isn't either. Therefore I am not supporting it, and wish it closed, even thought your company that you work for, isn't doing software. That's silly talk.

And yes, to comment on your link, when 90%-99%+ of OEM consumer wants Windows, and that Linux has no official support service, and require costly and very long, staff training and education it's difficult for OEMs to sale Linux systems. Therefore, it's Microsoft fault for making Windows good.

And yes, of course Microsoft will offer price discount on Windows if they only sale Windows. Tip in life: Big large successful businesses, don't become how they became by being nice and writing checks. Businesses is all about taking advantage of things. If not, then it's a Co-op, where profits are very low, and re-invested within the company.

If you think that only Microsoft is doing bad things.. you really have no idea how things are. I would even say that right now as we speak, possibly, Microsoft is the least offending company. The only reason why Microsoft it put under the light, is because they are this big. Don't you think similar exclusive deal isn't made with OEM by chip makers, capacitor makers and such, where they get a deal, if they get exclusive contract with them? How about day 1 DLC from your favorite publishers or game dev studio. Or how about content of games cut out, and made as DLC later on for extra revenue. How about Creative that does everything it can, so that you buy a new sound card for every version of Windows is released (unless its a few month apart, Creative is still nice on that). Or how about the numerous companies that forced you to buy a new printer/scanner/wtv peripheral when Vista was out, for driver support, when there was no reason to not support it, and could get the peripheral to work, if the drivers were not encrypted or found extracted and you know what you are doing. I can go on, but you get the idea...

As mentioned, the only reason why Microsoft is put onto light, is because they are so big... and if you think that IE as default web browser is such a crime.... oh man. Companies avoiding paying taxes year after year, as paying lawyer fees and paying lobbyist to push laws with holes that companies take advantage off to avoid paying taxes is cheaper than to pay taxes, is what then? How about companies that bribes the government for contracts?

 

Well obviously. You need to pay people for having the infrastructure to have an official support line, and of course specialized expertise such as Linux OS programmers, to be able to fix issues or customize things, etc. Hence where distro comes along.. my point is that its added cost, which, possibly for OEMs, comes down to about the same price as just buying Windows. Maybe if the demand for Linux was wider and they can offer on more models it would beneficial, but it's not really. At least in their eyes, as it seams. You can see with Dell, trying a few times with Linux but it ends up disappearing and not selling well to keep them up. Now I am not going to debate on execution of making Linux based system available, but all I am saying is that it's not closed doors, even for big OEMs. As another example, I recall HP have some business class system with Linux as an option too, if I am not mistaken, and definitely their POS, and mini/tiny computers they make for businesses runs on Linux. Sure it's not their gaming consumer grade system running Linux, but it's a start, and an opening. You just have to dig a bit.

 

@GoodBytes, WOW that came out of no where, all i said is M$ isn't a lover of open source, and then apologised after i realised i was thinking of the M$ of 10 odd years ago.

I wasn't expecting to be told that i "really have no idea" or be told how lots of other company's do the same, i know they do but it doesn't make it right.