"Why can't we all just get along and celebrate each other's achievements and breakthroughs?" uh... human nature?

I am wondering if that method isn't more in-line with your regular process of putting server-side code elsewhere and accessing it via AJAX.

cute.

I'm probably going to be one of the last employee to move out of XP, a dissadvantage of being in IT and support where I am the test subject for updates before rolling out to everybody else.

I see it as natural for working with Visual Studio and the like, but would love to try Windows 8 for all of my non-development needs.

I think, though, that one advantage to using a Mac for hardware is the ability to install and run Windows 8 as well as Linux and use Xamarin to build focused on iOS or Android or be able to use Visual Studio for Windows Phone.

Unless Apple opens up and allows people you to install it on other hardware (even in a VM), then for the most cross-platform availability Apple hardware wins.

I don't have a Surface or even Windows 8. I am just curious.

I'm surprised there aren't more like this.

Once you have the Crystal Report so you can run it, apply your criteria and get back what you want then you can set up the display page.

I use 2 pages; one to collect the parameters and one to display the page.

The process I use, as an overview, is

1. Create the object
2. Create and apply the parameters
3. Export the report to a temporary location (as a .pdf)
4. Display the report to the user
5. Remove the .pdf file

Imports CrystalDecisions.Shared
Imports CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine
Dim crpt As New CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine.ReportDocument

Dim paramFields As New CrystalDecisions.Shared.ParameterFields
Dim paramField As New CrystalDecisions.Shared.ParameterField
Dim dVal As New CrystalDecisions.Shared.ParameterDiscreteValue

' I use a session variable to store the object
crpt.Load(objReport.ReportFullName, OpenReportMethod.OpenReportByDefault)

'Parameters
Dim pvParamValues As ParameterValues
Dim dvDiscreteValue As New ParameterDiscreteValue

pvParamValues = crpt.DataDefinition.ParameterFields(<<parametername>>).CurrentValues
dvDiscreteValue.Value = <<parametervalue>>
pvParamValues.Add(dvDiscreteValue)
crpt.DataDefinition.ParameterFields(<<paramtername>>).ApplyCurrentValues(pvParamValues)

'Log in
Dim myTable As CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine.Table
Dim myLogin As CrystalDecisions.Shared.TableLogOnInfo
For Each myTable In crpt.Database.Tables
    myLogin = myTable.LogOnInfo
    myLogin.ConnectionInfo.ServerName=<<servername>>
    myLogin.ConnectionInfo.DatabaseName=<<database>>
    myLogin.ConnectionInfo.Password=<<password>>
    myLogin.ConnectionInfo.UserId=<<userid>>
    myTable.ApplyLogOnInfo(myLogin)
Next

'Export
Dim crExportOptions As New ExportOptions
Dim crDiskFileDestinationOptios As New DiskFileDestinationOptions
Dim fname As String = ""
Dim gFileId As New Guid

fname=<<wheretosavefile>> + gFileId.ToString + ".pdf"
crDiskFileDestinationOptions.DiskFileName=fname

crExportOptions = crpt.ExportOptions
crpt.ExportOptions.DestinationOptions = crDiskFileDestinationOptios
crpt.ExportOptions.ExportDestinationType = ExportDestinationType.DiskFile
crpt.ExportOptions.ExportFormatType = ExportFormatType.PortableDocFormat

crpt.Export()

'Display and Cleanup (comment out to debug)
Response.ClearContent()
Response.ClearHeaders()
Response.ContentType = "application/pdf"
Response.WriteFile(fname)    'writes out PDF if created

'Cleanup
Response.Flush()
Response.Close()
System.IO.File.Delete(fname)

Unfortunately I have to leave until tomorrow. Have fun!

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/01/24/windows_8_blame_game/

I don't know what, if any, official channels Microsoft employs for communicating issues such as bug reports.

have any of you tought before W8 "dang, I wish I could stretch my arms out to poke the screen!" ?

Actually, long before Windows 8 came out  I had those thoughts.  It feels more natural.

It is all just getting tiring because practically the same things have been (and are being said) over and over again with the changes to the Gnome desktop and Unity on Linux.

SSDD (same sh.., different device)

I did not say, however, that Windows 8 is any good (or bad).  

Personally, I have gone through some UI changes on the Linux front (Gnome2, Gnome -shell, Unity, KDE, Xfce, etc.) and the one thing I have gathered from this is that you cannot go into a new interface and expect it to run just like the other interfaces.  It's a mind-set that most people haven't had to use because Windows has predominantly stayed the same in a UI manner since 95!

So Microsoft is starting something new, a new UI and a new "philosophy" of how to navigate the system. This after waking up and realizing the world has gone on without them and IE 6 is no longer the only browser in the market (let alone Office, Windows Server, etc.).  It's taken a while for them to rub the sand out of their eyes, and I think they are still working on their first cup of coffee but at least they are shambling around like a Monday morning zombie.

The OEMs, though, are grumbling and whining about having to change their way of thinking, to include touch, mobile devices, power AND efficiency and more device-like computers than the old beige boxes sitting on a desktop.  Coupled with strong Apple sales and a slower economy to navigate through and they have had to actually... um... work!  Innovate!  Come up with something more than same-old-same-old.  And just to help drive home the point, now they have to compete with Microsoft themselves!  Gosh, guess they can't be caught sleeping at the wheel anymore.

Microsoft "rebooting" Windows 8 does make some sense.  The name "Vista" became synonymous with "sucks" and though it was more of a bug-fix and polishing up of Vista, "Windows 7" has become the heir of Windows XP's mantle of being the most popular operating system (of the world).  

Technical issues will exist regardless of how long they tested and developed the OS, especially at the size and and magnitude Microsoft and Windows exist. Really what Microsoft needs is a marketing "reboot", not a technical one!

Hopefully they have learned.  They have had 3+ months of real-world feedback that they could address so that Windows 8 Pro on Surface can benefit from it and have fewer flaws.  The world has had 3+ months to learn how to operate this new UI.

I think that Microsoft needs to push the education (books, video, blogs, etc.) on HOW to work the Windows 8 interface and push the deals to get it into the hands of people so they can get used to the new interface.  Also, there are plenty of improvements "under the hood", let people know how it benefits them whether it be safety, security, stability or even putting into place a framework that can easily handle massive changes in the near future.

Now is their time to push and push hard on it; Apple is looking old, Linux's competition is still young and the mobile market is young enough that nothing is set in stone.  

Yet.

It is something to consider, though, the choice of generations. 

There can be a lot of factors for such changes too... maybe using a Surface is considered "rebellious" because everybody is using an iPad (including stogy old parents! yikes!) or Android.  Or maybe it could be that it looks very different.

Is it as much as Apple's? Are you crazy enough to think that it would be?

I wonder if it would have been better if more than just the 882 were available through Verizon.  Wonder how well the Lumia's would go.

I would think if they were going to add a feature, they would make their own browser work with it?!

It used to be I had to use Firefox or Chrome to access my SkyDrive, though thankfully that has changed since they dropped running it on Silverlight.