Hardware

Because I’m still sick and I’m taking this entire town down with me, this edition of Short Takes focuses on the PC market nosedive, whether Microsoft should buy Fitbit, Samsung profits are exploding like its phones, Blackberry will try to license its mobile OS, and a lot more.

One year ago, Microsoft launched its Surface Enterprise Initiative, in which it allowed select partners to both sell and support Surface devices to the enterprise. This week, the initiative is expanding to Microsoft partners worldwide.

HP Inc. announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Samsung’s printer business in a deal valued at just over $1 billion. The goal? To disrupt the $55 billion copier market with multi-function printers, HP says.

Microsoft is said to be launching a new Surface, codenamed Cardinal. The new device will be a one-box desktop PC—i.e., an all-in-one (AiO), as popularlized by Apple’s iMac. The avian-themed rumor seems credible and well-sourced. And an October hardware event would fit with Microsoft’s previous form. But beyond that, everything is mere speculation. None of which stops us from some amusing Friday musing…

With new PC chips rapidly approaching, here’s a timely reminder about Windows 7 support: There isn’t any—at least not on Intel or AMD’s new silicon. Only Windows 10 is supported. Your downgrade rights were wrenched away, back in January…

Microsoft HoloLens is now available to all. Redmond wants more businesses and developers to get going with its augmented-reality Windows headset. No longer do you need an invitation. And along with the latest build of Windows 10 come a container-load of new, enterprisey features. But it may (or may not) still cost $3000. In today’s IT Newspro, we mow the lawn like it’s 1992…

Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air is a sleek Ultrabook for an amazing price. It also beats its Apple namesake in many respects. It’s smaller, lighter and faster. But it might be tricky to buy—outside of China, anyway. Oh, and you can custom-order a famous painting on the lid. Perhaps that’s appropriate, given Picasso’s famous quote. In today’s IT Newspro, good artists copy, great artists steal…

Microsoft’s Surface Hub, the device designed for the conference room and can cost as much as $21,999, is a hit and the company is ramping up production to meet demand.

Analysts from both Gartner and IDC reported this week that the PC market declined once again in the second quarter of 2016, by 4.8 percent, with PC makers shipping just over 63 million units.

Microsoft has sold off the last remaining asset it had from the Nokia acquisition, marking an end to the disastrous chapter of the Steve Ballmer era.