Author: Clinton

The quiet but consistent rollout of Windows 10 look and feel continues to march across Microsoft’s websites.  This morning you can now see the new look Devices page on the new Microsoft account pages that reflect the look and feel as well as the icons for Windows 10.  It is certainly more dramatic than the current device look you find on the Windows Phone pages today and is likely the look we can expect to see across all Microsoft digital properties in the coming months.

If you are looking for a great deal on a small Windows tablet, the Microsoft Store may have your answer.  Right now you can get the HP Stream 7 Windows Tablet for just $79.  That’s a $20 savings off the regular price of $99.  But wait, there’s more!  In addition to saving the $20, you also get a year of Office 365 Personal Edition with it free (a $69.99 value) plus you get a $25 Windows Store Gift Card so you can buy apps and games online with your new tablet.  Yeah, it’s a pretty good deal all the way around.

For those of you who are wanting to try the first Windows 10 for Phone preview this month and have a 512MB RAM device such as the Lumia 635, you may be in luck.  According to a tweet from Microsoft’ Gabriel Aul, there will be some 512MB devices that will be supported with the first preview.  Which ones however remains a mystery and we likely won’t know that until the preview actually drops later this month.

We are expecting the Windows 10 for Phone preview any day now but more and more information is coming through leaks and comments from Microsoft employees on social networks.  Microsoft’s Gabriel Aul is one of them and he has been answering a lot of questions and making suggestions of what we can expect to see in the first preview of Windows 10 for Phone.  One of the key questions is being able to rollback to Windows Phone 8.1 should there be a meltdown on your Windows Phone.  The answer it seems would be yes.

Any day now Microsoft is expected to release Windows 10 for Phone to Windows Insiders.  The update will allow you to run Windows 10 on most existing Windows Phones running Windows Phone 8.1.  The release is highly anticipated and based on leaks, screenshots and what Microsoft showed at the Windows 10 event last month, it should be impressive.

But should you install it?

It is a question ultimately you have to answer for yourself but there are a few things to consider.  First and foremost, keep in mind that whatever is released this month for your Windows Phone, it will be in beta.

Microsoft has released an update to the Nokia Software Recovery Tool with support for newer Lumia devices.  The update, version 5.0.5 for those keeping score at home, fundamentally works the same way as it always has although there are a few minor layout changes.  If you are not familiar with this tool, it is a download that allows you to recover your Lumia phone to its original firmware configuration if your phone will not respond or is stuck in a loop.  Rarely should you need to use this if ever but the tool is there and available for free.

If you need more insight into how the tool works, read my How To on restoring your Lumia’s software.

Nokia Software Recovery Tool – Free – Microsoft