How to upgrade to Windows 10: What you need to know

Beginning July 29, Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users will be able to download Windows 10. It's a monumental shift for both Microsoft and its customers. But Microsoft has provided a wealth of information to ease the transition, and let you upgrade to Windows 10 as simply and easily as possible."

For consumers, the choice is a simple one: You'll be upgraded to one of two versions of Windows 10: Windows 10 Home, or Windows 10 Professional. (This guide doesn't cover the upgrade process to Windows 10 Mobile for phones.) Microsoft has also released the official retail pricing for Windows 10, in case you're building a your own PC.

During the update process, plan to invest some time in prep work and at least an hour in the upgrade process itself. And be careful--some of your applications may be left behind.

Aside from one major component of some versions of Windows 7, however, the transition between the earlier versions of Microsoft's operating system and the new Windows 10 that will officially be released on July 29 should be relatively painless. Basically, if you own a "Pro" version of Windows, you'll migrate to the Professional version of Windows 10. Otherwise, expect to receive a copy of Windows 10 Home. (We have more about the individual Windows 10 editions here.)

Besides this story, a good reference is Microsoft's Windows 10 FAQ itself, which explains, for example, what the Windows 10 reservation app is, how it works, whether you can update more than one Windows PC (yes) and whether you can cancel your reservation (also yes). Also, it offers one piece of important advice: You're running a genuine, licensed copy of Windows--sorry, Microsoft won't be upgrading pirates for free.

Windows 10 prep work

If there's one thing you need to make sure of, though, it's that your PC is up to date. Windows 7 users must be running Service Pack 1 to enable the update, and Windows 8 users must have upgraded to the latest version of Windows 8.1. You'll also need to enable your Windows 10 reservation. Look for the tiny Windows icon down in the right corner of your taskbar, and click it to launch the Windows 10 reservation app. Our earlier story walks you through the quick reservation process.

Here are the system requirements for Windows 10:

Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor or SoC

RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) for a 32-bit version, or 2GB for 64-bit

Hard disk space: 16GB for a 32-bit OS; 20GB for 64-bit OS

Graphics card: DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver

Display: 1024x600

Microsoft also warns that even if your PC seemingly meets those specifications, it might not be upgraded. "Driver and firmware support, application compatibility, and feature support" could affect whether the Windows 10 upgrade takes place. Fortunately, there's one way to be sure: use the "check my PC" function within the reservation app.

Microsoft advises that the Windows 10 download will be about 3GB in size. Installation will take about 20 minutes for newer PCs, and possibly more than an hour for older ones. What the reservation process does is kick off background loading of some files before Windows 10 "unlocks" on July 29. (Some preordered PC games do the same thing.)

Be smart: Make sure all of your important files are backed up before beginning the upgrade process, either via OneDrive or a local external hard drive. By default, your files will remain on the hard drive. "Applications, files and settings will migrate as part of the upgrade, however some applications or settings may not migrate," Microsoft says, somewhat cryptically.

And yes, it's completely free, as long as you take advantage of the upgrade before July 29, 2016. Microsoft promises that upgrades will be free for the "supported lifespan" of the device; that's the phrase that the company hasn't really explained fully as yet.

What you'll leave behind by migrating to Windows 10

The upgrade process will involve some sacrifices--but Microsoft is making an effort to make the transition as painless as possible.

For one thing, if you own the premium versions of Windows 7 -- Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate--as well as Windows 8 Pro with Media Center or Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center... say goodbye to Media Center. Microsoft is going to install its own DVD-playing app into Windows 10 to replace it. Likewise, Windows 7 desktop gadgets will be uninstalled. And the Windows 7 versions of Solitaire, Minesweeper, and Hearts that came with Windows 7 will also vanish, to be replaced with new versions of those apps with Windows 10.

Microsoft also says that it may erase "some applications that came from your OEM." That seems to imply that some of your PC's bloatware--or prized utilities, depending on your view--could vanish.

Finally, Microsoft will uninstall, then reinstall, your antivirus application. If your subscription is out of date, however, only Microsoft's own subpar antivirus app, Windows Defender, will be installed. (Microsoft tried this in 2013, then backed off.) Be sure and check this after upgrading.

Some additional assembly required

Keep in mind that older hardware simply won't include some of the hardware conveniences being included inside new Windows 10 machines. For example, Windows Hello, which logs you into your PC by recognizing your face or your fingerprint, won't work with a webcam--you'll need a new depth camera (like a Kinect for Windows or Intel's RealSense) to enable it, or a fingerprint reader. Speech recognition will work best with a high-fidelity microphone array, no surprise there. And there's a whole host of nitty-gritty specifics that Microsoft has included for Windows 10 Professional, such as a requirements for BitLocker and Wi-Fi Direct Printing.

In general, however, it seems like your pre-Windows 10 checklist will be pretty short: Sign up for a "reservation" for Windows 10, back up critical files, and keep an eye on your antivirus subscription as the transition takes place. Chances are we'll be upgrading at the same time, so you can rest assured that we're all in it together.

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Lutron's Caseta lighting controls are now (mostly) compatible with Apple's HomeKit

Apple was quick to bat down rumors that its HomeKit connected-home technology wouldn't be ready until late this summer, and lo and behold, Lutron has announced that a HomeKit-compatible version of its Caseta lighting system is available for purchase at Apple Stores today.

HomeKit-compatible Caseta kits enable you to use Apple's Siri voice-recognition technology on an iPhone or iPad to control Lutron's Caseta in-wall dimmers and plug-in lamp modules, as well as its Serena motorized window shades. Tell Siri "turn the lights off," and all the lights controlled by Caseta devices will automatically turn off. You can give Siri similar commands to close its Serena roll-up and honeycomb window shades.

Lutron Director of Product Management Matt Swatsky told me in a briefing last week that HomeKit also allows you to define "Rooms" (all the controlled lights in a given room) and "Zones" (all the controlled lights in groups of Rooms). This enables the Caseta system to turn the lights in the living room on or off without impacting the lights in the rest of the house.

If you'd like to know the status of an individual light, you can ask Siri that as well. Or you can ask Siri to set any of your lights controlled by Caseta dimmers to a certain percentage of brightness. Finally, Caseta can also be integrated with smart thermostats from Honeywell and Nest, and Lutron has a Caseta channel on IFTTT.

Why this matters: Apple often bides its time before entering a new market, letting other companies prime the pump before it jumps in with its own take. Whatever your opinion of Apple, the fact that it sees the connected-home market as large enough and mature enough to warrant its attention can only be good for everyone in this space, consumers and manufacturers alike.

That's doubly true because Apple is smart enough not to try and reinvent the wheel in this space with an entirely proprietary solution. These are early days, but from what I've seen so far, HomeKit leverages some of the best technology that's already available. 

How the Caseta system works

Lutron originally launched its Caseta product line in April 2014. The system receives instructions from Android and iOS devices connected to your Wi-Fi network and sends them to Lutron's switches and window shades (using a proprietary RF protocol) by way of a Lutron Smart Bridge. The system also supports schedules, so you can make your home look occupied while you're away; and it supports geofencing, so that it can automatically turn on your home's lights as you approach. The system can even send you reminders if you leave a light on when you leave the house.

The Caseta HomeKit-enabled Wireless Lighting Starter Kit--consisting of the Smart Bridge, two plug-in dimmer modules, and two remote controls--is priced at $230. Similar kits with in-wall dimmers will also be available. Additional plug-in or in-wall dimmers cost $60 each, while additional remote controls cost $15 each. Why would you want a remote when you can use your phone or tablet? In rooms where lighting is under three-way control, you'll need to disconnect the secondary switch if you install a Caseta dimmer. Mount a remote in its place and you won't give up the convenience of having wall switches on multiple entrances to a room.

All the components in the new HomeKit-compatible kits are the same as what Lutron has been shipping since 2014, with the key exception of the bridge. If you've already invested in Lutron's Caseta and Serena products, you'll need to replace the bridge if you want to use Siri to control them. A new bridge will cost $119 (or $200 for the Pro version that can be integrated with other connected-home systems, including certain multi-room audio systems and Logitech's Harmony remote controls).

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Insteon ships its HomeKit-enabled hub and app

Now that HomeKit devices are finally starting to ship, Apple fans will need to build an entirely new collection of HomeKit-certified smart home gear in order to command it all with Siri, right? Not necessarily.

Insteon is bringing its entire ecosystem of products under the HomeKit umbrella with the new Insteon Hub, which was announced at CES and is available to purchase starting Tuesday.

Why this matters: Insteon has decades of experience building home control devices, and its embrace of HomeKit will give users a jump start on building out an expandable system for their home. Even if you dont want to go all-in with Insteon, you can pick and choose some HomeKit prodcuts from other companies, and the Hub will bridge those to your Insteon gear, letting you control everything from the Insteon app. HomeKit also supports voice commands via Siri, and Insteon has already been working with voice assistants, adding Cortana support with Windows 8.1.

One Hub, many products

HomeKit devices use Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to communicate, but Insteon's family of home control devices (lights, plugs, switches, sensors, cameras, locks, the works) use a different dual-band communication technology that combines both wireless and powerline networking. The $150 Insteon Hub acts as a bridge between Insteon's mesh network and your regular Wi-Fi network, so you can reach your Insteon devices from outside of the house, and to bridge your Insteon system with HomeKit.

With an updated Insteon app, you'll be able to set up scenes, grouping devices together so you can control them in concert, with a single command. The Dashboard shows your favorite devices, along with all the scenes you've set up, and a quick-glance view at devices currently in use. You can set up timers, add new devices with just a few taps, and group them into rooms and scenes. With your iPhone, you'll be able to ask Siri to change an entire scene for you, and Insteon recently announced Apple Watch control as well.

The Watch app has thoughtfully designed controls for dimming your lights, changing the speed of a ceiling fan, or just flipping a switch on or off. The app also lets you check in on sensors, confirm doors are locked, and even get a live view of your cameras, right from your wrist.

HomeKit doesn't lock you into using devices from just one manufacturer--Apple certifies each device, and any certified device should work together. But Insteon doesn't even lock you into using HomeKit. Different hubs can bridge your Insteon gear to a Nest thermostat or (coming later) an AllJoyn-compatible setup. Having to switch hubs might seem like a pain, but it's better than having to replace an entire system you've built out one $50 lightswitch at a time.

Insteon's HomeKit hub is available at Amazon and Smarthome.com, and will have wider retail availability next month. We'll have a full review when we can. Apple will likely devote some of next week's WWDC keynote to HomeKit demos as well, especially if rumors of a Home app in iOS 9 or a next-gen Apple TV slash HomeKit hub prove true.

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1TB PlayStation 4 and new Xbox One bundle, controller tipped ahead of E3

The E3 gaming conference is still two weeks out, but some console-related news is already leaking. It looks like both Microsoft and Sony have upgrade plans for their consoles that we assume will be announced during E3, which begins in Las Vegas on June 16.

First up is Sony, which may soon release a PlayStation 4 console packing a 1TB hard drive; the largest version of the PS4 right now is 500GB.

Sony filings with the Federal Communications Commission recently popped up online showing two new PS4 models: CUH-1215A and CUH-1215B, with the latter being the 1TB model.

Other than storage there's not a whole lot else that can be gleaned from the FCC filings. It appears these models are a little more power efficient and slightly lighter than current models, as first noted by DualShockers.

Sony has said before it planned on releasing a 1TB model and DIY types have already been able to swap hard drives for larger capacities themselves. But anyone looking for an out-of-the-box solution will be glad to see a larger capacity HDD for all those game downloads.

Jacked up controller

Meanwhile, in Xbox land, Engadget spotted a new Xbox One bundle called the Independent Developers Pack in the Australian version of the Microsoft store. For $500 Aussie bucks you get a Kinect-less 500GB Xbox One console, download tokens for five games from indie developers, plus in-game content downloads for two games.

On top of that, the pack has the recently rumored Xbox One wireless controller with a headphone jack. Microsoft has since removed that listing (you can still see it in Google's cache), but we'd bet the headphone-enabled Xbox One controller will make a reappearance during E3. It's entirely possible this bundle won't make it stateside, but at the very least we expect to see the new controller.

The impact on you at home: If you're thinking about picking up a new console, you should wait until we see what's coming at E3. The conference should be mostly about new games, but Microsoft and Sony will likely announce these console tweaks as well. We don't know when the console upgrades will roll out, but since Sony's documentation is with the FCC and Microsoft's new controller is popping up outside the US it's a good bet this stuff will hit store shelves before the month is out.

Be sure to check out PCWorld's E3 coverage starting June 15. At this year's show we expect to see a whole lot of VR with Oculus Rift leading the pack, and E3 is finally giving PC gaming its due.

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WikiLeaks raising $100k bounty for a copy of the Trans-Pacific trade pact

WikiLeaks wants to raise US$100,000 to offer as a reward for whoever leaks the full text of the controversial free trade agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

The news leaks website launched a fund-raising campaign Tuesday to come up with the bounty money. The free trade agreement, involving the U.S., Japan, Canada, Australia and eight other countries, has been negotiated in secret, and just three of its 29 chapters have been leaked.

"The transparency clock has run out on the TPP," WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said in a statement. "No more secrecy. No more excuses. Let's open the TPP once and for all."

With the TPP bounty, WikiLeaks also launched a new competition system that allows the public to pledge prizes towards each of the world's most wanted leaks.

Supporters of the TPP say the agreement will make it easier for companies to sell their products to the nations involved in the deal.

Opponents in the U.S. say the trade deal will make it easier for domestic companies to ship jobs to countries with much lower minimum wages and to set up manufacturing facilities in countries with looser environmental regulations.

In addition, leaks have shown that the U.S. and some other countries are pushing for signatory nations to adopt strong new intellectual property laws. The proposed intellectual property protections would require some signatory countries to rewrite their existing laws, criminalize noncommercial sharing of works protected by copyright, and, critics say, create new criminal penalties for whistleblowers and journalists who access computer systems without permission.

TPP is the first of three large trade deals that the U.S. is pushing for in the coming years. It's unclear when the nations will wrap up negotiations, although the U.S. Senate passed legislation in May that gives President Barack Obama's administration authority to negotiate the deal with limited input from Congress.

Grant Gross covers technology and telecom policy in the U.S. government for The IDG News Service. Follow Grant on Twitter at GrantGross. Grant's email address is grant_gross@idg.com.

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Facebook says 'oui' to AI with Paris research team

Along with its enormous success, Facebook has a giant, growing TMI (too much information) problem: how to help its almost one and a half billion users sort through the onslaught of news reports, photos, messages, and posts generated on the social network around the world every day.

One answer is artificial intelligence. Facebook already has two AI teams in the U.S. and on Tuesday it announced that it is establishing a third AI site, in Paris.

The new site will help ramp up efforts, begun a little over a year ago, to develop AI-based image recognition, natural-language processing and speech-recognition applications, Facebook said. By providing better ways to sort through the trove of information people deal with on the social network, users should be able to more effectively communicate with friends and family, the company said.

The researchers in Paris will also work with the teams in Menlo Park and New York on projects related to the physical and logical infrastructures needed to run AI systems, the company said.

In addition to improving existing features, Facebook hopes that the research teams will come up with entirely new ways to connect and share on the network.

Paris was chosen as the company's third AI site because it is home to some of the best researchers in the world, Facebook said, adding that it expects the team will bring new perspectives to the company.

Facebook also has an agreement with science and technology institution INRIA in Paris, an arrangement that will open up new opportunities for students and research professionals, it said.

The company's overall AI research efforts are headed by Yann LeCun, who also is a professor of computer science at New York University (NYU). He was hired in 2013 to focus on machine learning, a branch of AI involving computers that mine information from vast data sets.

In the long term, Facebook expects the team in Paris to grow to between 40 and 50 people, roughly the size of the teams in the U.S., a Facebook spokeswoman said. Six people have been hired in Paris, and the team's size should double by the end of the year, she added.

Loek is Amsterdam Correspondent and covers online privacy, intellectual property, online payment issues as well as EU technology policy and regulation for the IDG News Service. Follow him on Twitter at @loekessers or email tips and comments to loek_essers@idg.com

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Across the board

More CIOs are being appointed to the board or are tasked to present regularly to this group as a member of the technology committee. Gartner executives Denildo Albuquerque and David Spaziani -- both former CIOs -- share pointers for stepping up to this role.

Gartner Executive Partner Denildo Albuquerque does not sugarcoat what it is like to be working with the board. "The boardroom is a scary place...even when it is empty," he says.

He reveals his first interaction with the board was "so bad, when I think about it, I still want to cry".

His first interaction with a company board was to explain a serious IT error which caused major repercussion for senior executives and a severe reputation damage to the IT department. "This is the sort of board interaction you do not want to have...and you will never forget it!"

Albuquerque has since moved on to other CIOs roles which required him to present regularly to boards, "fortunately a lot more positive experience than my first one".

The upside of these interactions is that, "You can improve with experience and practice."

Albuquerque and fellow Gartner Executive Partner David Spaziani shared their experiences on CIO and board interactions at the recent CIO100 events in Auckland and Wellington.

The two point out there is no prescribed formula on how best CIOs deal with and influence company boards. Board composition varies across industries and organisation size which also translate to different business technology challenges, they state.

But both agree the CIO should start honing their skills for these interactions as these will increasingly be part of their remit.

Research bears this out. Albuquerque cites a 2013 survey by the MIT Centre for Information Systems Research which found that (only) nearly a quarter (22 per cent) of CIOs attend every board meeting, and nearly half (48 per cent) meet with the board more than once a year. Nearly a fifth (18 per cent) meet with the board once a year, and 12 per cent, never.

The good news is that the frequency of interactions is growing year-on-year, he states.

His own experience proves this. In the 12 months leading to November last year when he joined Gartner, he has had more interactions with the board than in his whole 12 years as senior IT leader. This was largely due a transformation project the organisation was implementing.

Albuquerque also shares some sobering statistics from Gartner on why CIOs need to focus more on working with the board and the executive team.

Gartner surveyed CEOs and senior business executives across the globe on where they get their digital and IT-related business ideas. Fifty-four per cent of respondents mentioned publications, newspapers and reports. Less than half, 47 per cent, said they get it from personal or professional networks, and from that only 10 per cent ("a very low number", says Albuquerque) said they get this information from the CIO. Around 31 per cent of respondents said they get the information online, and 19 per cent get it from market or industry sources including Gartner.

The key is to discuss the tactical and strategic topics the board is interested in, says Albuquerque. These include capability, accountability, risk, agility, customer expectation in a digital world, business performance and investment alignment.

Spaziani, on the other hand, notes that when talking about IT-related investments, CIOs need to analyse these against three valuable criteria: topline growth, bottom-line savings, and risk management.

"Talk less about technology and more about the business," notes Albuquerque, "and what you can do to influence bottom line results."[3]

A topic that is of growing interest to organisation boards is digital, he states, and these are around "what the competitors are doing, how digital is going to contribute to exceeding customer expectations, how it will enable competitive advantage... and very importantly what is the risk of doing nothing".

Albuquerque says most of his interactions with organisation boards were focused on risk and compliance, security, and management of large contracts.

It is important to get to know the board members, he says. The company secretary can help provide insights on their role in the board and other boards, career background and influencers.

But while building one's credibility is important, nothing will matter if CIOs and their teams do not do two things right, says Spaziani.

The CIOs and their teams must be able to provide stable and resilient systems and infrastructures, and understand the organisation's security strategy and architecture in terms of protecting the company from cyberattacks. The latter can severely cripple the organisation's reputation and cause financial loss, which is a primary concern for the boards.

Guidelines for board interactions

Spaziani says when interacting with the board, CIOs need to be:

Brief

Most board interactions last no more than 15 minutes. Know your time schedule and be attentive to time cues from the chair and the rest of the directors.

Open 

Transparency is a key objective for most boards. Focus on sharing good and bad news openly and appropriately.

Accurate

When you don't know something, say so and then go find out. Always check your data before using any with a director. Spaziani notes it is the accuracy of the CIO presentation that the board will remember. "The board has a very short period of time to judge you. They are looking for body language, a sense of purpose, confidence and for someone who realises, 'I don't know' is a great answer. At times, it is hard to say, but it is best to just admit that you are not sure, but you know where you can find the answer and get back to them."

Relevant

Keep in mind what directors want and need to know rather than what you feel they should know or become educated about.

Diplomatic

Board interactions are not about being right or owning the floor. Your success hinges on being tactful and sensitive to what is happening around you and skilfully responding to it.

Albuquerque notes the rise of technologists (ex-CIOs and other senior IT leaders) joining company boards as members which is no doubt a positive impact in assisting boards to come up to speed with technology trends that will impact the industry and within competitors. There is also a growing trend of Board Technology Sub-Committees being created which are responsible for directing and advising on technology matters similarly to other sub-committees which are responsible in dealing with specific key functions like risk and compliance and remuneration.

In some organisations, in the absence of a board "Technology Sub-Committee", the CIO alone has the responsibility to advise and influence the board on IT matters.

Depending on the CIO's style, this can be a very challenging position. If you are not a good influencer, says Albuquerque, you can use someone to assist with this briefing. It could be a technology evangelist or an analyst presenting to the board or advising/preparing the CIO for key board interactions.

 "The CIO interactions with the board are often brief so in order to achieve the best outcome, presentations have to be short, sharp and well delivered," he stresses.

Albuquerque and Spaziani note that timing is important when presenting issues or technology investments to the board.

As the global economy has slowed down in the past 24 months, they note boards have become reluctant to approve investments which deliver ROI only after a year, or which require multiple years to complete.

CIOs, they say, must sense and understand the investment mood of the board at each moment, and time initiatives appropriately.

There is no such thing as a "good surprise" when it comes to execution of major projects, says Spaziani.

They point out the quote from the chairman of the board of a retail company who said: "Our CIOs have been reluctant to tell us that they will be late to implement -- until it is too late."

Gartner's advice?

"To succeed in their board interactions, CIOs must build board-level acumen, prepare extensively for each board interaction, excel in each board meeting and continue their influence into the future."

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Apple may have a 2-in-1 in the works

Is Apple planning some variation of a 2-in-1 device that would combine the iPad with a detachable keyboard?

It's not completely far-fetched.

If Apple did so, it would be keeping with a growing industry trend, analysts said. Apple wouldn't comment on this story, but that hasn't kept people from speculating.

Of course, the iPad already works with various Bluetooth keyboards, including Apple's own and those from some third-party manufacturers. There are also various covers that can double as a way to prop up the tablet.

But some analysts see a need for Apple to further integrate the keyboard with the iPad, perhaps even allowing the keyboard to attach to the iPad in some manner, magnetic or otherwise -- and probably not permanently. The setup would likely include other integrated features that could include a keyboard that doubles as a cover/case.

The Microsoft Surface 3, starting at $499, comes to mind, as a comparison.

Asked in an interview if Apple will have a 2-in-1 product for market anytime soon or even to announce at next week's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), IDC analyst Jean Philippe Bouchard said emphatically, "We'll see it in 2015."

His colleague, IDC analyst Ryan Reith, added: "My personal belief, and not anything Apple has confirmed, is that Apple will launch a larger screen iPad in Q4 and they will offer an optional Apple Keyboard, like Microsoft does with Surface." The current size of the Apple iPad and the iPad Air is 9.7-inches, but rumors have suggested a 12-in. iPad is in the works.

Bouchard argued that a 2-in-1 is the natural evolution for all tablets, including Apple's, which have been seeing declining shipments globally.

"An important trend we're seeing is a lot of growth in the 2-in-1, the tablet with a keyboard," Bouchard said. "As you grow the tablet in size, the tablet becomes a productivity tool and requires a keyboard to become a true productivity tool."

That said, there was a dramatic downturn of tablet shipments in 2014 and so far this year, according to IDC.

"As tablets decrease in terms of shipments, the much more positive trend is about mobility and growth," Bouchard said. "Windows 10 will help that trend along with touch and finer touch with a pen and a keyboard in the Surface device," he said.

"The tablet is not dying, but going into transition," Bouchard said.

The growth in tablet shipments sunk dramatically in 2014, reaching about 4.4% growth over 2013 and totaling about 230 million tablets, IDC said in February. Still, that was far behind the growth of 2013, which was 52% vs. 2012.

Then in the fourth quarter of 2014, IDC announced an actual decline of 3.2% over the same quarter of 2013, dropping to 76.1 million tablets shipped, from 78.6 million. A second quarterly decline was again reported for the first quarter of 2015, but IDC didn't release actual figures for the first quarter.

For all of 2015, Bouchard said tablet shipments will fall globally over 2014 by 3.8% (including 2-in-1's), a trend that will continue at least for the next four years. "Tablet shipments are decreasing gradually through 2019 and every year is smaller than the previous one -- in the single digits," Bouchard predicted.

Apple's iPad got hurt by its own success with the release last fall of the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, both which are larger smartphones, with displays of 4.7-in. and 5.5-in., respectively. IDC and various analysts last year noticed that larger smartphones, especially those out previously from Samsung, were cannibalizing sales of smaller tablets with displays in the 7-in. to 8-in. range.

For all of 2014, Apple's iPad shipments declined 15%, to 63.4 to million from 74.3 million in 2013, IDC reported in February. Number 2 Samsung held about even for 2014, at 40.2 million shipped -- a 1% increase over the 39.7 million shipped in 2013.

Smaller tablets under 8-in. will drop from 64% of the market in 2014 to 58% in 2015 and then to just under 50% by 2019, IDC said. "This illustrates the direct impact phablets [large smartphones over 5 in.] are having on the market, as users with larger-screen smartphones have tended to have less need for a tablet with a screen size comparable to their smartphone," Reith said.

Bouchard and Carolina Milanesi, chief of research at Kantar WorldPanel, said even smartwatches like the Apple Watch have cut into the total disposable income consumers have for buying Apple devices. "If you think about Apple, and the same goes for the lower-end Android [market], consumers could pretty much spend the same money on a smartwatch or a tablet...and consumers might find that money hard to justify over a smartwatch," Milanesi said.

Another factor in the decline of tablet shipments is that users simply keep them two or three years, or longer, and can usually update to a newer version of the operating system on the older device, which makes getting a new tablet far less important, Bouchard noted.

In addition to growth in 2-in-1s, Bouchard noted that manufacturers are now trying to sell tablets with cellular connections (not just Wi-Fi) or by increasing the display size of the tablet.

IDC didn't share the size of the 2-in-1 market in its latest forecast, but called it a "small portion" of the overall tablet market and said that 2-in-1's combined with cellular-ready tablets will grow by 5.6% annually in the next five years.

Windows 2-in-1 Surface devices in 2014 shipped about 10.9 million devices, or 4.6% of the total tablet plus 2-in-1 market. Dell, Lenovo and others are making 2-in-1's as well as Microsoft. About 67% of the total market in 2014 was Android, compared to 28% for iOS, IDC said.

Because the growth rate for 2-in-1s is expected to be relatively small, some skeptics doubt Apple will produce a 2-in-1, at least not in the vein of Microsoft's Surface.

Still, Bouchard's and Reith's conviction that Apple will have a 2-in-1 in 2015 was matched -- somewhat -- by some other analysts. Patrick Moorhead, an analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, believes some kind of 2-in-1 will eventually come from Apple.

Apple was reported to have developed a prototype internally of a large tablet, Moorhead said. "A large tablet would need some kind of stand for it to sit on, maybe even a keyboard, which you could technically call a 2-in-1," he said. "I think they will eventually productize one, as I believe a product category exists between a MacBook and an iPad."

Moorhead noted that consumers have been "gobbling up" third-party keyboards that double as cases for iPads, he added. "There's user demand [for a 2-in-1 at Apple] but I think there's a usability requirement for some kind of iPad stand, not just one designed and built by partners, but [by] Apple," Moorhead added.

"I don't see the Apple keyboard as permanently attached, but I envision something which does detach, but is integrated with the right Apple keys and backlighting," Moorhead added.

Bouchard said Apple might provide its own keyboard for the rumored larger iPad -- to sell in the box with the iPad or as an option. "It might make sense to announce that at WWDC, along with an update to iOS that that allows for multiple apps to run at the same time," Bouchard added.

Of course, it might be wrong to call this expected Apple 2-in-1 an actual 2-in-1, at least as Intel would define it. "There's little difference between a tablet with a keyboard and a 2-in-1," noted Jack Gold, an analyst at J. Gold Associates. "Is the Surface Pro a tablet or a 2-in-1? Could be either."

Gold said Apple probably wouldn't directly market any such product as a 2-in-1, while adding, "it certainly has the equivalent with a high-end iPad and a keyboard."

Part of the reason Apple might not use the 2-in-1 moniker is that competitor Intel has primarily driven the 2-in-1 concept with |several TV ads| (http://ift.tt/1RHdzOJ) featuring comedian Jim Parsons that promote the devices as having "the power of the PC and fun of a tablet."

Indeed, some Intel-powered 2-in-1's do come apart so that one half is a tablet, such as the Asus Transformer series. But others are really more like laptops with clamshell designs that permanently attach a keyboard to a display, which sometimes folds back on itself. One of these is the Lenovo Yoga.

To be clear, IDC analysts do not define devices where the keyboard remains permanently attached to the tablets as 2-in-1s, as Intel would. IDC instead calls these newer devices from Intel with the keyboard permanently attached to the display as "convertibles" that are counted alongside laptops. To be classified by IDC as a 2-in-1, the keyboard must be able to detach like on the Surface, IDC analysts Reith and Jitesh Ubrani said.

In this newer 2-in-1 terrain, definitions get cluttered, Milanesi noted.

"There is now confusion about what a tablet is," she said. "If Windows 10 picks up, there will be consumers buying 2-in-1s that will think they are buying a PC versus a tablet, so to some extent you will be ending up talking about perception and segmentation." In other words, analysts will have to worry about the definitions.

Milanesi had doubts about what Apple could or might announce in a possible 2-in-1/tablet/laptop mashup category. "If Apple went with a 12-in. iPad we might see a different keyboard, but if they wanted to do a new 2-in-1, what better fit would there have been than with the new Air? And they didn't do that."

Time will tell.

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Most big firms to be data-driven by 2019

More than 70 per cent of Australian companies with 200 staff or more will become data-driven by 2019, up from about one-third today, Telsyte has found.

The research and analyst firm believes that big data analytics is fast becoming the best way to empower CEOs and boards to drive an innovative agenda.

"We are seeing a new generation CEO who no longer relies on a hunch or gut feel to determine the future direction of their organisation," said Telsyte senior analyst, Shayum Rahim.

He predicted that if the CEO is not data scientist themselves, their companies will certainly have one on the executive team within a few years.

Research conducted by CIOs, CMOs and other business executives found that 38 per cent of large businesses are currently using big data analytics, but many are still at early stages of maturity.

Barriers to big data analytics adoption across Australia still include the ongoing skills shortage, and infrastructure and data integration challenges.

Meanwhile, big data investments outside their remit of IT are fuelling the growth of technology spending. Around 5 per cent of organisations reporting that line of business spending on technology is surpassing that of the IT department. The main spenders outside of IT were management (63 per cent), operations (62 per cent), and marketing (54 per cent).

Read more:7000 students learn coding with Microsoft campaign

Telsyte said it expects that trend to continue, driven by technology solutions that use data from the Internet of Things, social media and digital marketing.

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Read more:Tablet sales drop 20 per cent as wearables rise

Read more:Metadata regime to spur speculative invoicing, say Greens

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