One OS, three installation options: What's the best way to install Windows 8?

Ahh, Windows 8. If you’ve decided you're ready to plunk down your hard-earned cash to give this modern UI a shot, you'll want to spend a few minutes considering just how you take your first steps into the Windows 8 experience.

You have three ways to install Windows 8 after you’ve purchased it: (a) Run it as a virtual machine on your current operating system; (b) dual-boot it alongside your current operating system; or (c) perform a full install and overwrite the OS you're currently rolling with. While the installation methods vary in complexity, all three are within the grasp of even Windows novices, and each brings its own pros and cons to the table.

Let's take a deeper look at each option.

Running Windows 8 in a virtual machine

One of the easiest ways to play with Windows 8 without having it affect your current operating-system setup is to install it in a virtual machine. While you can get fancy and purchase premium VM software like Parallels Workstation for this purpose, a completely free program called VirtualBox accomplishes the same thing, minus a few bells, whistles, and advanced options.

Cool gadgets and hot tech that will shine at CES 2013

With less than a week to go before this year’s International CES Show in Las Vegas commences, it’s unclear which new products will generate the most buzz among attendees of the massive trade show. However, Ultra HDTVs, Windows 8 tablets, smart appliances, and smartphone apps figure to fight for center stage.

Tech companies tend to be tight-lipped about specific product details in the run-up to the biggest tech trade show of the year, but we expect the march toward total connectivity to continue on the CES showfloor. Camera-equipped smart vacuum cleaners, Internet-connected TVs, mobile apps for controlling your home’s heat, and Wi-Fi cameras that can upload your photos to Facebook will dot the large landscape of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Though gadgets remain the stars of CES, manufacturers are building on a foundation of hardware innovation with incremental updates, accessories, and apps that connect the gadgets. “We’re seeing not only the broad adoption of technology, but also density is increasing,” says Shawn Dubravac, research director for the Consumer Electronics Association.

Dubravac points to tablet ownership, which has increased from one in ten households less than two years ago to one in three today. Dubravac says that he expects CES 2013 to be “the largest apps show in the world,” a prediction driven by wider adoption of tablets and smartphones.

“You’re going to see apps influence every aspect of the show,” Dubravac says.

Apple, one of the major drivers behind the growth of smartphones and tablets in recent years, has no official presence at CES; but mobile apps and accessories designed for iPhones, iPads, and Macs will have a strong presence the showfloor. Microsoft won’t be there, either, after ending its CES run last year, but the company and its products will cast a long a shadow as Redmond’s partners in hardware, accessories, and apps display their Windows 8 wares.

Windows 8 dominates

The 2013 edition of CES comes at an awkward for the PC industry. The big Microsoft news, the release of Windows 8, occurred in October. Intel’s upcoming Haswell processor is still a few months away. Graphics chipmakers AMD and Nvidia have new products impending, but are unlikely to launch them at CES.

The Windows 8 launch, however, positions most PC makers to roll out the bulk of their Windows 8 products at CES. Windows 8 tablets, based on Intel’s latest Atom Z2760 processor, have rarities until now, but we’ll probably see lots of them on display in Las Vegas. Additional hybrid designs are on the way, too, as are more budget-friendly clamshell laptops, with and without touch interfaces.

LG has a number of Windows 8 PCs planned for CES 2013, including its LG Tab-Book H160 hybrid notebook featuring an 11.6-inch display, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, HDMI, USB, and a MicroSD slot. At CES, LG also plans to display an Ultrabook version of the Tab-Book, another Ultrabook called the Z360, and a 23-inch touchscreen all-in-one PC, the V325. The H160 is already available in South Korea and is importable via an Amazon third-party seller for $1400. Presumably, LG will announce a U.S. ship date for the H160 during CES.

Aside from the Windows 8 tablets on display next week, we expect to see scores of cheaper, generic alternatives from Asian manufacturers, some with Android Jelly Bean operating systems. Specialized Android tablets are on the horizon, too. Already, as CES approaches, we're hearing talk of tablets aimed at kids, gamers, and seniors.

HVD Comic Serif is a wholesome hero of a font

"So many designers hate Comic Sans," designer Hannes von Döhren of HVD Font says in email. "They think people who don't know design are overusing this funny little friendly font, which is nearly every time out of place." His Comic Serif is a (PostScript) OpenType font that's an interesting alternative if you want to stick with the comic book theme. The slab serif letters are drawn monoline, but with a fun, easy-going attitude.

Just like its archnemesis, Comic Serif is very legible, even at small text sizes, and can easily be used equally as a display or poster font. However, although the two Comic fonts have a vaguely related heritage, and both include the handwritten styles for lowercase a and g (rather than letter press style), Comic Serif probably isn't going to be a good choice for beginning readers, mainly because of the heavy weight of the font and the short descenders, which cause the heavy slab serifs to almost not fit in the glyph.

Comic Serif is regular (400) weight, although it seems heavier, possibly because of the short ascenders and descenders relative to the x-height, and x-height slightly above the median. Plus, there's no bold version of the font, so bolding the font in a text editing program like Microsoft Word or Open Office makes the letters almost run together. That said, Comic Serif includes a crazy 11,940 kerning pairs, so whatever your copy, it's going to be well spaced; plus all upper and lowercase glyphs, plus numbers, punctuation, many mathematical and scientific glyphs, and Eastern, Central, and Western European language support.

As designer von Döhren suggests, appropriate use is key to not looking out of place, whatever font you use. So even though it includes scientific and mathematical glyphs, don't use Comic Serif (or any font with the word Comic in its name, for that matter) for grant proposals, dissertations, or signs at MIT. Comic Serif includes installable embedding, and is free for personal and commercial use.

Architect's Daughter font works with playful precision

Inspired by the formal handwriting of architects, Architect's Daughter is delightfully precise, yet lighthearted and not at all bossy. Architect's Daughter is a TrueType font you could use at larger text sizes (14 point) and encounter no problems with legibility, or use at poster sizes to enjoy the detailed edges of the letters (the tiny serif at the end of the upper case E, and gentle slope within the center stroke of the F, for example).

The slightly off-scale width of some letters, like lower case o and c, and upper case B, D, and R among others; plus the non-mirror image lower case b and d seem to aid the legibility. Indeed, many experts cite these differences as things that can make a typeface easy to decipher, especially for early readers and people with a disability such as dyslexia.

The lower case a and g in Architect's Daughter also are handwriting style rather than letter-press, similar to Comic Sans, which is a benefit to beginner readers. Although Architect's Daughter may seem casually handwritten, 377 accurate kerning pairs help give it a sensible cleanness that expands its usability. However, still pass it through the suitability filter: Just like Comic Sans, this is not the font for memorial signs or grave markers.

Architect's Daughter includes full upper and lower case glyphs, plus numbers, punctuation, and accented characters; all at 400 (regular) weight. It's fully installable, allowing you to embed the Architect's Daughter font in documents ready for other users to install. Architect's Daughter is free for personal use; for commercial use, contact designer Kimberly Geswein.

Asus launching oversized Transformer AiO hybrid in April

Consider this a friendly reminder that the Asus Transformer AiO, a gigantic hybrid PC that runs both Windows 8 and Android, still exists.

Asus says via press release that it’s launching the “all-new” device just now, but we’ve been hearing about the hybrid since last June. As far as I can tell, the only change with Thursday’s announcement is the Transformer AiO’s availability—it arrives April 12, a bit later than Asus had anticipated when it showed off the hybrid at CES in January.

New or not, the Transformer AiO is an interesting concept. When nestled in its docking station, the AiO can run either Windows 8 or Android 4.1 on an 18.4-inch, 1080p multi-touch display. An Intel Core i3 processor and Nvidia GeForce GT 730M graphics card live inside the docking station to handle the Windows side of the device, while an Nvidia Tegra 3 chip built into the display handles the Android side.

Detach the screen from the dock, and the oversized tablet can run for up to five hours on its built-in battery. A button on the side of the device switches between Android and a remote desktop mode for Windows 8.

Although we’ve seen other extra-large Windows 8 desktop-tablet hybrids, including theSony Tap 20, the Transformer AiO is unique in its ability to run Android 4.1. The secondary OS should help fill in for those times when app selection in the Windows Store falls short.

Also, because the Transformer AiO has two processors, it can even serve as two separate computers. Just plug an external monitor into the docking station’s HDMI output, and you have both a desktop PC and an oversized Android tablet.

Other specs for the docking station include 4GB of RAM, a 1GB hard drive, 4 USB 3.0 ports, 1 USB 2.0 port, an SD card slot and Bluetooth 4.0. The tablet itself has 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a microSD card slot, and Bluetooth 3.0. On its own, the tablet weighs 5.3 pounds and measures 0.7 inches thick.

Pricing for the Asus Transformer AiO starts at $1299. More expensive configurations can include up to 8GB of RAM, a 2TB hard drive and an Intel Core i7 processor.

Microsoft may slash Windows licensing costs to jump-start cheap, touchscreen laptops

Windows 8 has landed with more of a thud than a bang, to hear many retailers and manufacturers tell it. The root of the problem is up for debate, but a new report suggests that Microsoft is taking one of the possible culprits—the lack of low-cost, touchscreen Windows 8 devices—head-on, offering manufacturers steep discounts on Windows 8 and Microsoft Office licenses destined for small, finger-friendly laptops and hybrids.

Licensing fees for Windows 8 and Office could be as low as $30 for devices with touchscreens under 10.8 inches, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing “people familiar with the situation.” Previously, the same bundle would have cost $120. Larger touchscreen devices can also get a discount license, but without Office, the Journal claims.

Microsoft didn't confirm or deny the discount. A spokesman merely told the Journal that “Microsoft will “continue to work with partners to ensure that Windows is available across a diverse range of devices.”

Windows 8's interface was overhauled to work best with touchscreen devices, but touch capabilities add significant cost to the price of a display. When combined with the cost of a Windows license, it's no surprise that low-price touchscreen laptops have been scarcely seen, though a few models can be found for south of $500.

Low-cost tablets put the squeeze on Windows 8

The high cost of Windows 8 licensing has been a problem for Microsoft, as Windows hardware feels the squeeze from cheap tablets like Amazon's Kindle Fire and Apple's iPad Mini. To date, no one has launched a Windows 8 or Windows RT tablet for less than $500. Meanwhile, a handful of Android-based tablets have begun to crack the $150 barrier.

As I wrote earlier this week, these small, inexpensive tablets pose a big threat to the existing PC market. Instead of buying new laptops and desktops, people are delaying those purchases and picking up cheap consumption-oriented tablets instead.

The rise of small tablets does leave room for larger Windows 8 hybrids and convertibles to compete on the high end, and there's already some evidence that touch-based notebooksare performing well. Still, Microsoft can't afford to ignore the booming low end of the market, which is geared toward content consumption. Putting cheaper Windows hardware in the hands of more users will help establish Microsoft's own ecosystem of apps and content.

It's not hard to draw parallels to the netbook boom of five years ago, when Microsoft offered cheap Windows licenses to stave off Linux-based machines. Now, as then, there's a risk that the discount will create a class of inferior products that will ultimately collapse.

Samsung locks up Sharp as long-time screen provider

Japan's Sharp has secured a $110 million lifeline investment from Samsung Electronics, and agreed to become a major supplier of screens for the South Korean company's growing electronics empire.

The deal gives Samsung a steady supply of screens and deals a possible blow to chief rival Apple, which has long been a major customer of Sharp. Sharp gains a massive customer in Samsung, the world's largest maker of mobile phones and smartphones.

The agreement will give Samsung a 3 percent share in the struggling Japanese display maker when the investment is completed at the end of this month. Sharp is in the midst of a restructuring as it heads for a nearly $5 billion loss this fiscal year, but is still one of the world's largest LCD panel makers and possesses many cutting edge technologies.

Analysts and industry observers praised the deal.

"Sharp already has Apple as a customer, and with this deal they add another very stable customer in Samsung," said Hiroshi Hayase, an analyst for DisplaySearch. "Samsung is a very fitting partner for Sharp as they move away from TVs and expand their business for smaller screens."

The Japanese firm's shares soared Wednesday as news reports of an imminent deal ran in the local press. Sharp shares were up 14 percent in trade, versus a 2 percent rise in the Nikkei index.

Samsung said in a statement the deal will help it "secure a steady supply of LCD panels from diversified sources" and emphasized it would be a passive investor in Sharp.

"As this investment is for strengthening our partnership, Samsung will have no involvement in Sharp's business management in any way or form," it added.

Sharp has endured job cuts, leveraged its major properties, faced credit downgrades, and admitted last year it is facing financial collapse if it can't turn around its business. While the cash infusion will help its short-term prospects, the company stressed its future with Samsung.

"We have supplied Samsung Electronics with LCD panels in the past, but with this capital partnership we will strengthen our business relationship, providing Samsung with a long-term, stable and timely supply of large-screen LCD panels, as well as medium and smaller LCD panels for laptop computers and mobile devices," Sharp said Wednesday in a statement.

As well as large production capacity, Sharp also has advanced technology such as itsIGZO  (Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide) panels, which allow for higher resolution displays that use less energy than traditional LCD screens.

In December, Sharp announced a major investment from Qualcomm, worth up to $120 million. The two companies said they would team to develop low-power displays for mobile devices, as Sharp works with Qualcomm subsidiary Pixtronix to further develop its MEMS (microelectromechanical system) display technology.

Earlier last year Sharp sealed a deal with Foxconn Electronics parent Hon Hai Precision Industry for a roughly $800 million investment in one of Sharp's main factories to produce large LCD screens. The companies now run that factory together, but a separate deal for Hon Hai to invest in Sharp fell through as Sharp's shares plunged.

The sudden gain in Sharp's stock price Wednesday has already given Samsung a substantial boost on its investment. Sharp's shares ended the day at ¥341, while Samsung's purchase price for its allotment of about 36 million shares is ¥290 per share.