Day 12 - The Magic of an Always On Always Connected Windows 8 Tablet
A Windows 8 Tablet for Teaching and Learning - Day 12Sunday, December 16, 2012
One of the new features receiving little notice by the technical press is the combination of the Windows 8 operating system on new hardware designs that support something called “connected standby”. The Samsung Ativ Smart PC 500T Tablet is such a device. It may not be a flashy and exciting topic for the average user but the engineering behind this new technology is magical. The new Intel Clover Trail processor with the new SoC (System on a Chip) designs from Intel are changing the way devices manage power settings and thus extend battery life. In laymens terms Intel is bringing features of mobile phones to PC's and Tablets like instant on and off and connected standby.
What does this mean for the average user? First connected standby allows for fast task switching at reduced power levels on Windows 8 devices. On the Ativ Tablet I can actually start playing an audio podcast or a MP3 file from my music collection and it will continue to play in the background when I switch to other apps. That is very nice but even better, from a power management point of view, I can press the off button at the top of the Ativ tablet and the screen will turn off but the music or podcast will continue to play.
When in connected standby the tablet is in a very low power state and this allows for very long battery life. The other benefit of connected standby is that background tasks can continue receiving information so your email will update as well as other notifications and updates when you turn the tablet back on. Pretty Cool!
This is how the “Live Tiles” on the Windows 8 Start screen can stay up to date even when the tablet is “off”, magical.
In the not so magical department I have had a couple of occasions where the Ativ tablet has locked up and I have had to do a hard reset to turn it back on. If the tablet is locked up you can hold the power button down for 5 seconds and it will turn off (of course any unsaved work may be lost). Both times the tablet locked up on me was when working with playing an audio file and switching between apps so it may be a driver issue. This has also happened to me on iOS and Android devices where I have to end the task or turn the device on and off for a reset.
For a more detailed article on Windows 8 power efficiency I have provided a link to an article that does a good job explaining the improved power management.
Microsoft explains Windows 8's improved power efficiency
I have talked quite a bit about the dual personality nature of this tablet, is it a PC or is it a tablet? The Windows 8 operating system has undertaken the task of unifying the “look and feel” of Windows 8 across device types including desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones.
In order to meet the demands of disparate devices the dual personality of the Desktop for traditional PC use is there in Windows 8 as well as the Start screen for the new style of Windows 8 apps going forward.
This has been a monumental task but after using Windows 8 on all of the different form factors including Windows Phone and now this Ativ Tablet the benefits are definitely there for end users. Add a Microsoft account that can save and sync settings across devices plus access online Skydrive storage across device types and you have one of the best ecosystems out there, bar none.
Discovery of the Day – Personalize your Lock Screen
On the Ativ Tablet changing the Lock Screen (what you see when you turn on the device) is an easy way to personalize your tablet. To change the Lock Screen picture simply go to the Charms Menu, (swipe in with your right thumb, or Win + C on a Keyboard) select Settings, select Change PC Settings, select Personalize, then select Lock Screen. You can then browse for pictures in your Library and choose the picture you want for your lock screen. This picture is a statement about what is important to you and how you want to be noticed by others. For me I chose a picture of my family to remind me what is most important in my life every time I turn on this tablet.
Keep on Learning,
Dr. Grissom
Tom Grissom, Ph.D.
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