The secret is to use Windows 8 but make it look like you are using Windows 7. Everybody’s happy, you have the huge power, speed, and security of Windows 8. Maybe nobody will ever know you upgraded.

Be sure to have your IT pro go into that “tiled interface” one time, right-click the programs you want to use, and choose “pin to taskbar.”

Remember to ask your IT Pro to start by upgrading one computer to Windows 8, iron out any bugs – and there may be no bugs, and then your IT Pro can upgrade the rest of your machines.

Use this tip to reduce the resistance your users may have about moving from Windows 7 to Windows 8.

Please post your comments below…

The post Use Windows 7 with Windows 8’s Benefits appeared first on Foster Institute.

Is your IT department busy? Of course they are.

Do you want your IT professionals to focus on the most important tasks? Of course you do.

And the IT Engineers at Microsoft are swamped too. They have to choose where they will devote their best talents, their money, and their resources – and Microsoft is funneling their efforts into Windows 8.1. Not Windows 7.

Do you want to be a step ahead of your competition? You have to take risks. And guess what, this isn’t a real risk – it is a perceived risk.

Let your competitors wimp out. Now is your chance to move ahead! Start testing Windows 8.1 today.

If you choose to upgrade to Windows 7, and not Windows 8.1, you are making a real mistake. Stay tuned for more next week. We’ll handle the objections then.

Driving my 6 year old son to school the day after Halloween, he told me that some kids in the class got into trouble because they used blue and pink crayons to color a picture of a pumpkin. The teacher made those kids redo their pictures. My son was proud because he “colored it right the first time!” How dare that teacher. Since then, and for the rest of his life, I’m going to urge him to be different. Most successful people are. His only restriction is to be nice to others. As long as he isn’t hurting anyone, it is essential for him to “get out of the box!”

My intent is to stir up some anxiety and influence you to “get out of the box!”

The post Do NOT Upgrade to Windows 7! appeared first on Foster Institute.

Do you like the Kindle and ESPN app for the iPhone? They work great on the Surface too. Of course the Kindle reader works. Visit http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/apps to choose “Search for Apps.”

Smoke and Mirrors: When we look at Windows 8 on a Surface Pro (not Surface RT), in the “tiled” interface, it has icons like the iPad has icons. It is a “tease” that you can operate the Surface Pro like you operate an iPad. It is true that the tiled interface is similar to the icons on an iPad, sort of.

One of the best tiles on the Windows 8 tiled screen is the tile named “Desktop” that takes you to something the iPad will never have: Windows, with an interface almost exactly like Windows 7.

Practically any Windows program runs on the Surface Pro. That’s a huge boost in your choice of apps.

Applications that run via web site interfaces – commonly called Web Applications – run fine as well.

Remember, Apple has had time to polish iOS, Microsoft is still polishing.

The post Where are the Microsoft Apps? appeared first on Foster Institute.

Depending on your IT Pro’s expertise and their roles and responsibilities at your organization, facilitate their earning their MCSE Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert level certifications in one or more: Server infrastructure, SQL Server, cloud, messaging, etc.  Additionally, there are certifications for Windows 7 and Windows 8.

For IT Pros that support your users, Microsoft even has certifications for Word, Excel, etc.

More info about Microsoft Certifications: www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification-overview.aspx.

IT changes so fast that IT professionals must—continuously—update their knowledge and skills. Your business depends on it.

The post What Your IT Pro Doesn’t Know Can Hurt You appeared first on Foster Institute.

Ta-da! You are in familiar territory! It looks, feels, tastes and smells like Windows 7.

All of your existing software runs. Microsoft Office, Chrome, Firefox, your ERP, Adobe, PowerPoint, Mindjet, Carbonite, and even that program the guy named Joe wrote for you four years ago. Everything! And it seems like you are in Windows 7. Your IT professional can perform any tweaks you want.

You already know how to use Windows 8. It is faster, better, and more secure. What are you waiting for?

The post Yes, Windows 8 Looks like Windows 7 appeared first on Foster Institute.

1. The learning curve inside of your organization will be shorter since you can still use your Windows 7 applications. Windows 7 runs on top of Windows 8 in what Microsoft calls the “Desktop.”

2. Windows 8 can increase the productivity of your workforce by providing an interface that looks and feels more like Android and Apple iPhone/iPad experiences.  Your workers can drag work in the way they’ve become accustomed to.

3. Everything is “right there” on each device so that your workers can be productive on their computers, tablets, phones, etc. Documents and settings automatically synchronize to every device.

And two more bonus tips:

4. As you buy new hardware at your organization, strongly consider having a touch-screen computer or tablet to use Windows 8. Yes, the mouse will work, but the touch screen is much better. Imagine using an iPad, iPhone, or Android device using a mouse and no touch-screen.

5. If you want your IT professional to show you how this works, tell them:

To download and install an evaluation of Windows 8 go here:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-8.aspx

To download and try Microsoft Office 2013 go here:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/en

The post 3 Things All Executives Need To Know About Windows 8 appeared first on Foster Institute.