Here's the deal: We've already reviewed the HTC EVO View 4G, under a different name. This tablet is just a re-packaged, re-branded HTC Flyer, with a few key changes, the addition of Sprint 4G coverage chief among them. If you buy the EVO View, you'll be getting the same Android-plus-Sense-UI experience, the same fast 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor, the same excellent pen input features, and, unfortunately, the same limitations of the non-tablet-specific Android 2.3 ("Gingerbread") that hurt the Flyer. For the in-depth nuts and bolts of you need to know about the EVO View, read our HTC Flyer review. Again, there are some differences, however, so read on if you're interested in the EVO View.
The short version of the Flyer review: It's a very capable tablet that's aimed at a specific type of user. It doesn't run a dual-core, but instead uses a 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor that helps it zip along as fast as any Tegra-powered tablet. The 7-inch touch screen works well, but it's smaller than many of the Honeycomb tablets we've seen so far with 10-inch screens. The biggest upside of the Flyer, and thus the View, is the pen input system, making it a great choice for those who want to draw on their tablets. Powered by a company called N-Trig, the tablet is remarkably detailed and accurate with pen input, and will let you do things like annotate a screenshot, or free-draw, with just the tap of a button.
The main downside of the Flyer/View is that it runs Gingerbread, which means the operating system you're getting is one meant for phones, and not for tablets. HTC's Sense UI covers up some of the glaring issues, but you're still not getting Google's best tablet effort, and without Honeycomb, which is version 3.0, you can't get things like the updated Gmail app or video chat in Google Talk. There are some good apps on the device, like HTC Watch for video and OnLive for gaming, but the browser's performance can be slow and the cameras are nothing special.
Pricing for the Flyer is simple: $499 for a single 32GB, Wi-Fi-only iteration. And there's only one option for the EVO View: $399.99 plus between $29.99 and $89.99 for monthly service. A 4G plan will either cost you $59.99 per month (unlimited 4G, plus 5GB of 3G bandwidth) or $89.99 per month for unlimited 4G and 10GB of 3G. At least for now, unlike with the Flyer, you don't need to pay the extra $80 for the Smart pen accessory, which you don't need to operate the tablet, but is nice to have. It's part of the introductory promotion with the EVO View, which will be available at Sprint stores later this month.
Specifications
CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8655
Operating System Google Android 2.3 or earlier
Screen Size 7 inches
Storage Capacity (as Tested) 32 GB
Dimensions 7.7 x 4.8 x 0.5 inches
Networking Options Wi-Fi, 4G
Service Provider Sprint
Design Changes
The HTC EVO View 4G is sleeker and more business-like than the Flyer, sticking to the tablet norm of black and dark gray, rather than the more noticeable but more toy-like light gray and white you get with the Flyer. The bezel around the screen is black, and the device's shell is dark gray with lighter gray accents, and the occasional red flourish. It's a very Droid-like color scheme, and the View actually looks like a bigger HTC Droid Incredible 2 ($199.99, 3.5 stars), with the bump-out camera lens and bumpy back. Otherwise, it's the same device in weight and dimensions, and the same 7-inch 1,024-by-600 touch-screen LCD that is so responsive and sensitive to pen input.
New Apps
You get plenty of carrier bloatware with the EVO View. It ranges from shortcuts to websites that you'll probably never use and games you'll likely never play, to apps that let you access your Sprint account or other carrier services. Others, like TeleNav GPS Navigator, might be useful to some, but for many, they'll just take up space in the app drawer. You can't delete them, but you'll learn to ignore them.
There are two important new cellular-coverage-related apps here. First is Sprint Hotspot, which lets you share your 3G or 4G connection as a Wi-Fi network (for a $30 per month fee). It works well as a way to get the whole family online through a single, unlimited 4G connection. The other is Messages, which is a full text-messaging client—pieced together with Google Voice or Skype apps, the EVO View could be a nice full-service phone all by itself. There's an internal mic, but it's not strong, so if you want to use the View as a phone you'll want to pair it with a Bluetooth headset like the Aliph Jawbone Era ($129, 4.5 stars).
3G and 4G Coverage
The biggest difference between the Flyer and the View is all the G's: the Flyer has none, and the View has 4. Sprint's 4G coverage isn't everywhere yet, but it's growing, and where it's available it's fast. In my tests, in midtown Manhattan, I got 5Mbps down, and 954Kbps up, both about as can be expected from Sprint's WiMAX network. 3G is more reliably available, but not quite as fast.
4G can be toggled on and off with just a tap in the Quick Settings menu, accessible via the pull-down Notifications windowshade; that's key to battery life, because 4G can a serial battery killer. Toggling between 3G and 4G creates about five seconds of disconnect, but that's not a huge problem unless you're on a video call, and it's nice to be able to choose between fast speeds or long life. Our own battery tests are underway, and will be posted here shortly.
Conclusions
The EVO View 4G is a solid tablet, that's bolstered by its excellent pen input, but somewhat hampered by its lack of Google's tablet-specific OS. HTC's Sense UI helps, but it's not a replacement for true tablet Android, which is Honeycomb. Overall, the View/Flyer is neither the best tablet nor even the best Android tablet your money can buy, but if handwriting, drawing and doodling are things that appeal to you, and the 7-inch screen size is right, it might be just the tablet for you. Similarly, if 4G coverage is something you must have, then you must have the EVO View 4G over the Flyer. If you want the best tablet you can buy, the Apple iPad 2 (4.5 stars, $499) still can't be beat. But if it's Android you're after, the Asus Eee Pad Transformer ($399, 3.5 stars) has enough unique features, like a laptop-like docking system, to send it to the head of the Honeycomb class—for now.
Read the views of online Certification Experts, which provide the real questions and correct answer and explanation for the students / professionals who are seeking or enhancing their level of expertise. more at certkingdom.com
June 16, 2011
June 14, 2011
Business Intelligence With Microsoft SQL Server
SQL Server Business Intelligence is a thriving discipline in the marvelous era of computing we live in. It's the process of analyzing and exploring the information, trends and patterns hidden in data. BI escalates the business roadmap and facilitates business users to deliver better strategic solutions. This process helps enterprise decision makers by providing data models, statistical analysis, forecasting for comprehensive data analysis.
Microsoft provides the most comprehensive integrated business intelligence, data mining, analysis and reporting solution with its state of the art Microsoft SQL Server Analysis services and Microsoft SQL Server reporting services. With the modern architecture design based on XML web services, SQL Server Reporting Services provides highly flexible, scalable, customizable and high performance reporting solution in a cost effective way. This article is a developer's introduction to SQL server reporting services, its functionality and how it can be used to provide state of the art reporting solutions.
SQL Server Reporting Services, due to its robust but user friendly architecture, is an obvious choice for Enterprise or in-house reporting, for product management, sales, and human resource and finance departments. Its flexibility makes it an ideal for usage in applications as well (Deliver User-Friendly Reports from Your Application with SQL Server Reporting Services - MSDN Magazine August 2004). Reporting Services offer various delivery methods, from ftp to email and it provides various rendering formats therefore it makes adds easiness to business to business reporting. Similarly because of its flexibility and industry standard security model, it makes extra net and secure internet reporting easily achievable.
Microsoft Certified Technology Specialists in Microsoft SQL Server Business Intelligence are trained to possess an in-depth knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Business Intelligence Development.
These professionals have an understanding in database schema, debugging, monitoring, and troubleshooting Business Intelligence solutions, create ssis package, and working with the Microsoft .NET Framework. These specialists can create database queries, use SSAS data mining algorithms, T-SQL Tutorial, and write and deploy SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) reports. Also, they write and deploy SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) packages. Professions include business intelligence developers, database administrators, and database developers.
Microsoft business intelligence solutions put critical business information in the hands of customers at a fraction of the cost and time of alternative products in the market, by integrating leading industry-standard systems and applications with comprehensive services, so customers can focus on growing their business.
Microsoft provides the most comprehensive integrated business intelligence, data mining, analysis and reporting solution with its state of the art Microsoft SQL Server Analysis services and Microsoft SQL Server reporting services. With the modern architecture design based on XML web services, SQL Server Reporting Services provides highly flexible, scalable, customizable and high performance reporting solution in a cost effective way. This article is a developer's introduction to SQL server reporting services, its functionality and how it can be used to provide state of the art reporting solutions.
SQL Server Reporting Services, due to its robust but user friendly architecture, is an obvious choice for Enterprise or in-house reporting, for product management, sales, and human resource and finance departments. Its flexibility makes it an ideal for usage in applications as well (Deliver User-Friendly Reports from Your Application with SQL Server Reporting Services - MSDN Magazine August 2004). Reporting Services offer various delivery methods, from ftp to email and it provides various rendering formats therefore it makes adds easiness to business to business reporting. Similarly because of its flexibility and industry standard security model, it makes extra net and secure internet reporting easily achievable.
Microsoft Certified Technology Specialists in Microsoft SQL Server Business Intelligence are trained to possess an in-depth knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Business Intelligence Development.
These professionals have an understanding in database schema, debugging, monitoring, and troubleshooting Business Intelligence solutions, create ssis package, and working with the Microsoft .NET Framework. These specialists can create database queries, use SSAS data mining algorithms, T-SQL Tutorial, and write and deploy SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) reports. Also, they write and deploy SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) packages. Professions include business intelligence developers, database administrators, and database developers.
Microsoft business intelligence solutions put critical business information in the hands of customers at a fraction of the cost and time of alternative products in the market, by integrating leading industry-standard systems and applications with comprehensive services, so customers can focus on growing their business.
June 12, 2011
Microsoft's Office 365 not ready to leave beta, analyst says
Support forums illustrate numerous customer complaints about the beta of Microsoft's Office 365 cloud service
Microsoft Office 365 cloud service is likely on the verge of exiting beta and entering general availability. CEO Steve Ballmer revealed that the service will launch this month and will be giving a speech about the service's future on June 28.
But is Office 365 really ready to ditch the "beta" tag? One analyst who has been testing Office 365 for a few months says no -- and a quick look at Microsoft help forums shows that numerous beta testers are experiencing problems.
MICROSOFT'S CLOUD: Office 365 beta now public
"I'm a big fan of Office 365. I think it's going to do well," says analyst Paul Burns of Neovise, who spent 20 years as a software engineer and senior product manager at HP, a strong Microsoft partner, before becoming an industry analyst. "But if they are moving out of beta at the end of June, then yes, I'm surprised."
Burns signed up for the Office 365 beta for himself and five part-time employees, and plans to continue using the service at the small-business rate of $6 per person per month once it becomes generally available. Burns is using Exchange for email as well as SharePoint, Lync, Office Web Apps and the regular version of Microsoft Office MCTS Online Training - MCITP Online Training .
One missing capability, in Burns' opinion, is the ability to import contacts from, say, an Outlook client into a shared global address list that can be accessed by all employees through an Exchange server.
Currently, Microsoft requires Office 365 customers to either manually enter each email address one by one, or use Windows PowerShell.
Burns isn't the only one complaining about this, as a help forum thread shows.
A Microsoft support specialist told users on May 12, "If you'd like to import a list of contacts into your Global Address List, you'll need an Enterprise subscription. In Enterprise, you can use Remote PowerShell."
A week later, the Microsoft moderator followed up and said, "Small Business subscribers can now use Remote PowerShell."
But PowerShell requires users to work in a command-line interface, and "not everyone has the expertise to do that," Burns said. It's also time-consuming.
Because of the global address list snafu, and another issue that made it difficult to create properly functioning email aliases, Burns says, "I went to download PowerShell, but very quickly I realized this is going to be time-consuming -- and if I write the script, how do I test it? How do I know it's right? Now I'm afraid to run the script on my data. What if I biff it and delete all my stuff instead?"
One Office 365 beta user complained in the global address list help forum, "This is another example of how such a basic requirement from any business cannot be executed unless you have the Enterprise package. Why the heck should you need to have the Enterprise package simply to be able to import contacts into the GAL?"
In response to a query from Network World, Microsoft said it provides tools to small businesses to migrate users and mailboxes from other services.
"Office 365 for small businesses is designed specifically for smaller businesses and professionals who are looking for cloud-based productivity tools without the IT hassles," Microsoft said in an email statement.
Microsoft Office 365 cloud service is likely on the verge of exiting beta and entering general availability. CEO Steve Ballmer revealed that the service will launch this month and will be giving a speech about the service's future on June 28.
But is Office 365 really ready to ditch the "beta" tag? One analyst who has been testing Office 365 for a few months says no -- and a quick look at Microsoft help forums shows that numerous beta testers are experiencing problems.
MICROSOFT'S CLOUD: Office 365 beta now public
"I'm a big fan of Office 365. I think it's going to do well," says analyst Paul Burns of Neovise, who spent 20 years as a software engineer and senior product manager at HP, a strong Microsoft partner, before becoming an industry analyst. "But if they are moving out of beta at the end of June, then yes, I'm surprised."
Burns signed up for the Office 365 beta for himself and five part-time employees, and plans to continue using the service at the small-business rate of $6 per person per month once it becomes generally available. Burns is using Exchange for email as well as SharePoint, Lync, Office Web Apps and the regular version of Microsoft Office MCTS Online Training - MCITP Online Training .
One missing capability, in Burns' opinion, is the ability to import contacts from, say, an Outlook client into a shared global address list that can be accessed by all employees through an Exchange server.
Currently, Microsoft requires Office 365 customers to either manually enter each email address one by one, or use Windows PowerShell.
Burns isn't the only one complaining about this, as a help forum thread shows.
A Microsoft support specialist told users on May 12, "If you'd like to import a list of contacts into your Global Address List, you'll need an Enterprise subscription. In Enterprise, you can use Remote PowerShell."
A week later, the Microsoft moderator followed up and said, "Small Business subscribers can now use Remote PowerShell."
But PowerShell requires users to work in a command-line interface, and "not everyone has the expertise to do that," Burns said. It's also time-consuming.
Because of the global address list snafu, and another issue that made it difficult to create properly functioning email aliases, Burns says, "I went to download PowerShell, but very quickly I realized this is going to be time-consuming -- and if I write the script, how do I test it? How do I know it's right? Now I'm afraid to run the script on my data. What if I biff it and delete all my stuff instead?"
One Office 365 beta user complained in the global address list help forum, "This is another example of how such a basic requirement from any business cannot be executed unless you have the Enterprise package. Why the heck should you need to have the Enterprise package simply to be able to import contacts into the GAL?"
In response to a query from Network World, Microsoft said it provides tools to small businesses to migrate users and mailboxes from other services.
"Office 365 for small businesses is designed specifically for smaller businesses and professionals who are looking for cloud-based productivity tools without the IT hassles," Microsoft said in an email statement.
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