I still maintain that OneNote is the best FREE tool you’re not using. Especially if you have a touch or pen device — but any device will do. There’s a OneNote App for that (really!). One of the arguments against switching over to OneNote was the lack of ability to move those files over easily. Well, here goes that argument.
Microsoft has released a tool that will import your Evernote files into OneNote from the Evernote Plus ($25/yr) and Evernote Premium ($50/yr). No word on the ability to import from the Basic (free) or Business ($120/yr/user) versions.
This is version 1 of the tool, so I’m sure there will be glitches and imperfections. I would also anticipate that, if successful, the tool will be upgraded to include all versions. In order to use this new tool, you’ll need Windows 7 or later. There currently is no Mac version of the converter tool.
Microsoft is in what appears to be a huge rush to get everyone to upgrade to Windows 10. They’ve even put a date on when they will quit giving it away for free: July 29, 2016.
Why is that and what’s the rush you ask?
There are a few good reasons to get everyone on the same playing field. It’s easier to issue patches and updates if you don’t have to create and test four (or more) different versions of whatever exploit the bad guys found. You wouldn’t have to worry about anything that was over 10 years old and still using software that has been full of security and performance holes for the last eight. That old, slow hardware that diminishes the customer experience can be retired. These are the reasons that come from the top of my head. There are more and (likely) better reasons than these few.
So how will Windows make money off of this? They’re giving it away for free.
One billion devices. (It’s necessary to do that line with your best Dr. Evil voice impersonation.) Microsoft has set a goal of getting Windows 10 on one billion devices. The fastest route to that goal is giving it away for free. They have a sunset date of July 29, 2016 but it seems logical for them to continue past that date as they haven’t quite reached one quarter of their goal (200,000 at last report). One billion devices delivers enough customers for developers to come back to the Windows Store and start designing those Apps we’ve all become so familiar with. The Windows Store really is pathetic compared to Apple’s iTunes and Android’s Google Play stores. Apple already is on over a billion devices and reported $31 billion dollars in sales per year. In Apps and “services”. That’s not a fair comparison you say? Microsoft is an operating system on a computer, not a phone. True — until now. Microsoft is building Windows 10 as a “universal platform” that works on all your devices from desktop to tablet to phone. It’s designed the App Development kit to enable developers to take advantage of all those different screen sizes in one set of code so that the experience is consistent across all those different devices.
Microsoft is taking a page from the Apple and Google model.
Apple gives away its OS. So does Google (Chrome OS). Apple makes its money from a 30% cut of the pie for every sale in it’s app store. Google primarily sells advertisements (and by extension your tracked data). Microsoft giving away Windows 10 to encourage you to engage in their own subscription model. Office 365 is the current “flagship” with what Microsoft hopes is the Microsoft Store nipping at its heels IF they can get the developers on board. Microsoft has been dabbling with the advertising (like in the free email client Outlook.com), but so far has stayed away from it on most other things. I hope they continue to do so. I will gladly pay for a subscription if it means I can stay “commercial free.”
It ends up being a numbers game.
One billion devices provides incentive for developers to create; users to buy and Microsoft to make money. They take a “hit” on revenue up front, but in the long game they come out ahead as we buy Apps and Office365 and whatever other subscription based product they come up with. It makes sense to me to just continue to offer Windows 10 for free as an upgrade with a small fee for the OS on new devices that would be part of the purchase price (like it is now). Only time will tell what strategy Microsoft will use but it looks like they’re on a path that can keep them relevant and solvent. Even when they’re “giving it away.”
I really wish the conspiracy theorists would go after Google and Apple as hard as they do Microsoft. Microsoft is huge, but the other two are just as big and in many cases doing things far shadier than anything Microsoft has come up with.
In any case, I stumbled upon an article today from Business Insider that was ripe with conspiracy theory claiming that Microsoft was working with its hardware vendors to “kill Windows 7 & 8” and “forces chip makers into supporting Windows 10.” (source: “Microsoft forces chip makers into supporting Windows 10”)
Well, I say they’re right.
Last time I checked, time marched on and we can’t run Windows 7 on a 386 or 486 computer. OK, someone will probably come out of the woodwork now and claim to have done so, but my question is: how many hours did you spend making that work? Was it worth it in the end?
Windows 10 is here. It is streamlined code that runs more efficiently than 7 or 8. The new processors (specifically Intel’s “Skylake”) are more efficient. Why not combine the two and “double down” on processing efficiencies and battery life?
I don’t see anyone “forcing” anyone else here.
Unless you’re unfamiliar with how this whole computer life cycle thing works. If they move on with new silicone and new operating systems, then we have to buy more product. There’s nothing technically wrong with the hardware we have — but if you already have it, you’re not buying. The Bad guys are exploiting more vulnerabilities in operating systems and apps of all sorts and plugging those holes is often easier in the new version instead of trying to patch code that was obviously flawed. We don’t live in a “fix it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry” society. We live in a “throw it away and get new” society. It’s a shame, really.
Reading the whole press release makes a difference.
“In addition to our OEM partners, throughout the design of Windows 10, we’ve been working closely with our silicon partners, including Intel, AMD, NVidia, and Qualcomm, on collaborative engineering to ensure Windows 10 takes full advantage of new silicon features. We continue to partner with these companies on their roadmaps, to achieve breakthroughs in performance, imaging, connectivity, power, graphics, and more as the Windows platform evolves with them.”
I’m reading this as saying that they’re working with the silicon makers to further increase the efficiency of Windows 10 by taking advantage of innovation on the silicon itself.
Of course, this does leave 7 & 8 in the dust.
Just like Win 3.1, Win95 and WinXP were left behind by advances in processors and graphics. SURPRISE! (not really)
I understand that business currently lives in the Windows 7 (and A LOT of WinXP) world. Testing applications and business processes take time — this slows down adoption of new technology. (The Bad Guys love you for this, BTW) It’s looking like business will need to start hiring more “nerds” to increase their testing and adaptation rates. Time marches on faster and faster in each technology year.
Windows 10 is here. “Skylake” is here. Microsoft, Intel and their kind want you to buy more stuff.
Guess what they’re going to do? First, they’re not going to market to you. They’re going for the “kids.” Then they’re going to make the “candy” you already have look like a big pile of manure so you’ll buy their “new and improved candy.” Oh, and they’re not going to make the old “candy” anymore (because you’d probably buy that instead).
I wonder where I’ve seen this strategy before. Hmm.
There’s been much made about the information Microsoft collects and uses for its own purposes. It’s really come to “light” with the push of Windows 10 upgrades and Microsoft’s inability to communicate anything effectively.
Here’s my take on the whole matter: Microsoft finally did what my mother always told me not to. (“If EVERYONE jumped off the bridge, would you have to?”) Oh sure, they’ve been collecting data on you all along. Just not as much and not as often. How do you think they knew how many machines were running what operating system and what kind of machine it was?
However, if the “new revelations” about the data Microsoft is collecting on you just scare you silly; I suggest you:
close that Chrome Browser,
deactivate your GMail,
shut down your
Facebook account,
Instagram,
SnapChat,
Twitter,
remove iTunes,
and shut down your iCloud account
Although from a “selling you out” and “invading your privacy” standpoint, the damage is already done.
Microsoft is not doing anything that the others aren’t already doing. None are completely transparent in what they do with the data. That’s a problem for anyone truly and deeply concerned about privacy.
Here’s my example. I’m not a Google fan. I was when they started out, but I became troubled with their revenue model. It bugs me. They rely almost entirely on advertising for revenue. That makes where I go, what I look at, click on and buy extremely attractive for collection — and that’s exactly what they do. Want to test it ? Look up anything you wouldn’t normally look for. See how long it takes the advertisements in Gmail or in the Chrome browser to change to what you just looked for. It’s creepy. I avoid their services. Now I still have an account because as a business, I need to be “everywhere” but I don’t use them for anything in my personal life.
I’m extremely sad that Microsoft has apparently “jumped on the bandwagon” but I am still more comfortable with them (or Apple for that matter) having my data than I am with Google.
There’s a couple of articles that are nice counterpoints. You can read more here:
