Building "Windows 8" - Video #1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p92QfWOw88I#ws)
Warning: My opinion ahead ;)
I personally find this all funny. Apple announces that Lion OSX will contain elements from its iOS devices. Namely: iOS folder system, full-screen-apps, how apps are deleted, Instant On/Off, the App Store, "Apps" on the Desktop and a few other things I can't remember. Not a revolution, but an evolution. So Microsoft, turns around, takes the entire UI and setup of its so-far-failed Windows Mobile 7 OS and puts it on a Windows 7 platform. Forgetting about taste or preference, but taking a failed product that has about 2% of the Smartphone market and putting it on one of the most successful Operating Systems that controls about 90%+ of the PC market....seems like a bad decision.
Windows 7 worked, but this seems to be taking a step in the wrong decision. Mostly because I don't think Microsoft has thought out the Metro UI well enough for mouse and keyboard. Its a conglomerate mess of information that isn't that clean, and blown up on a 21" screen it just doesn't work from that video. I realize they are trying to make a universal OS, but there is a reason why Mac OSX and iOS are separate OSes.
Granted, I'm being picky, its early on and maybe once we get to the final product it'll look good so I'm not saying I won't even try it, but...I wonder if it is the right decision to go down this route. (Although I am not a fan of the "tile" OS)
King
Companies the size and complexity of Apple or Microsoft don't make announcements like this at the drop of a hat. I've been hearing about integration of Metro features in Windows 8 for at least the last few months, which means it has been in the works much longer then that (most likely since before Win Phone 7 released).
They didn't announce this because Apple did it.
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on June 02, 2011, 01:17:59 PM
Warning: My opinion ahead ;)
I personally find this all funny. Apple announces that Lion OSX will contain elements from its iOS devices. Namely: iOS folder system, full-screen-apps, how apps are deleted, Instant On/Off, the App Store, "Apps" on the Desktop and a few other things I can't remember. Not a revolution, but an evolution. So Microsoft, turns around, takes the entire UI and setup of its so-far-failed Windows Mobile 7 OS and puts it on a Windows 7 platform. Forgetting about taste or preference, but taking a failed product that has about 2% of the Smartphone market and putting it on one of the most successful Operating Systems that controls about 90%+ of the PC market....seems like a bad decision.
Windows 7 worked, but this seems to be taking a step in the wrong decision. Mostly because I don't think Microsoft has thought out the Metro UI well enough for mouse and keyboard. Its a conglomerate mess of information that isn't that clean, and blown up on a 21" screen it just doesn't work from that video. I realize they are trying to make a universal OS, but there is a reason why Mac OSX and iOS are separate OSes.
Granted, I'm being picky, its early on and maybe once we get to the final product it'll look good so I'm not saying I won't even try it, but...I wonder if it is the right decision to go down this route. (Although I am not a fan of the "tile" OS)
King
How is windows 7 phones failing? King you should research those numbers
http://wmpoweruser.com/great-news-windows-phone-hits-7-us-market-share-in-march-2011/ (http://wmpoweruser.com/great-news-windows-phone-hits-7-us-market-share-in-march-2011/)
Quote from: billybob476 on June 02, 2011, 01:28:27 PM
Companies the size and complexity of Apple or Microsoft don't make announcements like this at the drop of a hat. I've been hearing about integration of Metro features in Windows 8 for at least the last few months, which means it has been in the works much longer then that (most likely since before Win Phone 7 released).
They didn't announce this because Apple did it.
Just saying that the timing is rather interesting and amusing to me.
@X, I heard from 4 news reports that WP7 had only gotten 2% and was unlikely to ever hit 10% in its lifetime about a month ago. I guess doing my own research right this moment now, it shows at 7%.
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20061111-251.html (http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20061111-251.html) <---shows that WP7 is also in decline. I'd call this a failure. I don't think I've even seen a Windows Phone in the wild around here, although granted that isn't saying much as I rarely see BlackBerry phones around here. See plenty of iPhones and Droids though with basic phones.
King
windows 8... hmm. looks interesting.
then again, this is coming from a person who only just learned what ROM was yesterday. :-\
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on June 02, 2011, 01:46:23 PM
Quote from: billybob476 on June 02, 2011, 01:28:27 PM
Companies the size and complexity of Apple or Microsoft don't make announcements like this at the drop of a hat. I've been hearing about integration of Metro features in Windows 8 for at least the last few months, which means it has been in the works much longer then that (most likely since before Win Phone 7 released).
They didn't announce this because Apple did it.
Just saying that the timing is rather interesting and amusing to me.
@X, I heard from 4 news reports that WP7 had only gotten 2% and was unlikely to ever hit 10% in its lifetime about a month ago. I guess doing my own research right this moment now, it shows at 7%.
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20061111-251.html (http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20061111-251.html) <---shows that WP7 is also in decline. I'd call this a failure. I don't think I've even seen a Windows Phone in the wild around here, although granted that isn't saying much as I rarely see BlackBerry phones around here. See plenty of iPhones and Droids though with basic phones.
King
Didn't you also say Droid didn't stand a chance against iOS and now it's the #1. I'm not seeing failure here.
http://www.mobilityfeeds.com/mobility-feed/2011/02/it-is-official-nokia-partners-with-windows-phone-7-and-let-meego-and-symbian-down-microsoft.html (http://www.mobilityfeeds.com/mobility-feed/2011/02/it-is-official-nokia-partners-with-windows-phone-7-and-let-meego-and-symbian-down-microsoft.html)
Quote from: X on June 02, 2011, 08:05:12 PM
http://www.mobilityfeeds.com/mobility-feed/2011/02/it-is-official-nokia-partners-with-windows-phone-7-and-let-meego-and-symbian-down-microsoft.html (http://www.mobilityfeeds.com/mobility-feed/2011/02/it-is-official-nokia-partners-with-windows-phone-7-and-let-meego-and-symbian-down-microsoft.html)
Where did Droid come into this argument anyway? If I did state it would fail, then yes, I was proven wrong. However, Droid also did come a long way from whenever I would have made that statement and back then it was a pretty bad phone back then. Google did a good job of upscaling it to meet and in some cases beat iPhones.
Also unsure of what relevance the above article has to this. As far as Nokia is concerned, they are a top-heavy company that has no clue of what they were doing. Heck, they even had an interview and all but admitted it yesterday http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/02/the-oh-sh_t-moment-that-nokia-decided-to-abandon-meego/ (http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/02/the-oh-sh_t-moment-that-nokia-decided-to-abandon-meego/)
It really was Nokia trying to save itself from an R&D disaster.
But Nokia couldn't stand being just another Droid-producing company because the CEO's/Board of Director's ego wouldn't allow that. (my opinion btw, they obviously didn't admit this) So they joined an exclusive partnership with Microsoft so they could pat themselves on the back saying what a good job they did while in the meantime having tens of thousands of developers and fans leave the Nokia company. Sure, its sound business to save your company...(so long as WP7 doesn't fail altogether) But it still had consequences. (And obviously they couldn't join RIM or Apple who control their hardware)
King
Quote from: turtlesrock on June 02, 2011, 07:26:42 PM
windows 8... hmm. looks interesting.
then again, this is coming from a person who only just learned what ROM was yesterday. :-\
He's Quark's brother. :roflmao
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on June 02, 2011, 08:37:44 PM
Quote from: X on June 02, 2011, 08:05:12 PM
http://www.mobilityfeeds.com/mobility-feed/2011/02/it-is-official-nokia-partners-with-windows-phone-7-and-let-meego-and-symbian-down-microsoft.html (http://www.mobilityfeeds.com/mobility-feed/2011/02/it-is-official-nokia-partners-with-windows-phone-7-and-let-meego-and-symbian-down-microsoft.html)
Where did Droid come into this argument anyway? If I did state it would fail, then yes, I was proven wrong. However, Droid also did come a long way from whenever I would have made that statement and back then it was a pretty bad phone back then. Google did a good job of upscaling it to meet and in some cases beat iPhones.
Also unsure of what relevance the above article has to this. As far as Nokia is concerned, they are a top-heavy company that has no clue of what they were doing. Heck, they even had an interview and all but admitted it yesterday http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/02/the-oh-sh_t-moment-that-nokia-decided-to-abandon-meego/ (http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/02/the-oh-sh_t-moment-that-nokia-decided-to-abandon-meego/)
It really was Nokia trying to save itself from an R&D disaster.
But Nokia couldn't stand being just another Droid-producing company because the CEO's/Board of Director's ego wouldn't allow that. (my opinion btw, they obviously didn't admit this) So they joined an exclusive partnership with Microsoft so they could pat themselves on the back saying what a good job they did while in the meantime having tens of thousands of developers and fans leave the Nokia company. Sure, its sound business to save your company...(so long as WP7 doesn't fail altogether) But it still had consequences. (And obviously they couldn't join RIM or Apple who control their hardware)
King
What it has to do with Win 8 is say that you have a poor track record predicting failures. Hell if less than 10% of a market is a failure, Apple Computers has been a failure for more than four decades.
Beyond that, there are now analysis that are saying the windows phone will be the dominant os on the market within the next two years and well into 2015. Not only is the platform diverse, the open nature of the os will allow a wide variety of phones without the fragmentation that Droid had with multiple os in the wild.
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/gadgetreviews/500-features-coming-to-a-windows-phone-7-mango-tomorrow/24983 (http://www.zdnet.com/blog/gadgetreviews/500-features-coming-to-a-windows-phone-7-mango-tomorrow/24983)
Still more than a year off from Win 8. I've said many times, Windows products have worked fine for me. They've continued to grow and improve and there really isn't a lot of choice if you want to do certain things on a PC. I still want a Mac someday (but that's really only for some of the apps/software they can run). For now Windows is just fine for my needs.
Quote from: Feathers on June 03, 2011, 02:31:40 AM
Quote from: turtlesrock on June 02, 2011, 07:26:42 PM
windows 8... hmm. looks interesting.
then again, this is coming from a person who only just learned what ROM was yesterday. :-\
He's Quark's brother. :roflmao
OH! uhh... ;D (rom as in read-only-memory)
Well X, I'm not being paid to be an analyst (though hey, I'm open to anything at this point ;)) But I have read where several analysts say that WP7 will be dead in 3 years so as far as analysts go, I don't think they can accurately predict the future of WP7+. It will depend on whether they can gain traction again after the Windows Mobile 6 disaster and whether consumers find the OS attractive again. I also don't have a giant crystal ball but darnit, I wish I did.
And windows mobile being the dominate smartphone? Right....umm, how long has Windows Mobile been out in the streets? I had to check this but its been 11 years since they initially released a phone with their mobile software. Were they ever the dominate mobile OS during those 11 years? I know at least WM6 never was. So now analysts turn around and say that this phone will? Over iOS and Droid? Unless WP7 comes out with some killer-must-have-feature, this will never happen. A lot of people like Open Source. A lot of people like stuff that works.
What Windows managed to do was bring itself back to the lineup, but it took a long time to do this and there are no doubt some resentful feelings of the Window Vista era (as I like to refer to it now). WP7 finds itself in the situation where if you like/depend on their Office Software and apps, then its the phone for you, but if you don't care/dislike, then Droid or iPhone or RIM do the job just as well if not better than WP7. I guess time will tell if they'll be the leaders again or if the "Big 4" are the leaders of this new decade.
King
I have no doubt Windows 8 will be a fine OS, but in regards to the analyst community King makes reference, there is no enthusiasm for Windows 8 or it's ability to move the needle in regards to MSFT's presence in the mobile market. I have said it before, Steve Balmer is a terrible CEO and MSFT is falling ever further behind in the portable market, which is the future of personal computing.
I sell pc's and software among other things at work. Whenever there is a new OS my job can get very...interesting. In my expierance most folks don't like change. I don't mind because even saying that it will bring in more business.
Developer preview due very soon!
http://www.engadget.com/photos/windows-8-developer-preview-screenshots/#4438401 (http://www.engadget.com/photos/windows-8-developer-preview-screenshots/#4438401)
(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/09/start-screen.png)
Windows 8 tablet
You know, this could work. I'm not keen on the Metro UI, too big and colourful I think but....
[embed=425,349]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59mP3R4I8wU[/embed]
Eh, we will see. Windows 8 will be coming out about the same time as iOS6 and their next gen tech. So it will be interesting to see how Apple "responds" to Windows 8. For now, this is all vaporware until it hits the market, so I'm not all that excited about it. Mostly because Windows is promising way too much to work and as we all know, MS products have 1 good release and 1 bad release and we are on the bad release....
King
I'm not keen on MS trying to push a touch OS out to desktop users. Why do this? Are we all going to start tapping on our monitors? I just read a multi-page article in Maximum PC about Win 8. I'm not super happy about some of the proposed changes. Might be keeping Win 7 for quite awhile. :)
Quote from: Rico on September 16, 2011, 08:34:20 AM
I'm not keen on MS trying to push a touch OS out to desktop users. Why do this? Are we all going to start tapping on our monitors? I just read a multi-page article in Maximum PC about Win 8. I'm not super happy about some of the proposed changes. Might be keeping Win 7 for quite awhile. :)
Didn't you say that you wanted more trek tech progression?
I think the advantage will be in the cross compatibility with the desktop. Although you can do most things with iOS you can't do everything. This can. If they pull this off it may be good news for Microsoft.
I find it amusing that the discussions on this thread seem to be about alternative platforms "winning" rather than about Windows 8 itself :)
I've read several articles on Win 8. For a tablet or mobile device it sounds fine, but not for a desktop until touch surfaces are all built into my desktop surface. I don't want to have to lean over to tap my monitor all the time to do things. Of course, a lot of that Metro interface (as it's known) can be turned off in Win 8. Which is a very good thing!
Quote from: Rico on January 04, 2012, 04:01:25 PM
I've read several articles on Win 8. For a tablet or mobile device it sounds fine, but not for a desktop until touch surfaces are all built into my desktop surface. I don't want to have to lean over to tap my monitor all the time to do things. Of course, a lot of that Metro interface (as it's known) can be turned off in Win 8. Which is a very good thing!
You don't need a touch surface to use it. Your mouse will still work fine.
Been playing with Windows 8 Consumer Preview. Liking it so far.
http://www.dangelus.com/teknocratik/?p=84 (http://www.dangelus.com/teknocratik/?p=84)
I watched the preview and I'm not sure why MS will kill the start button. I've always MS should allow us to use the last UI instead of this giving out marching orders. The number of touch pad systems are increasing (remember when those monitors used to cost a small fortune?). The mouse and keyboard are still the major input devices. I may upgrade to 7 by the end of the year but I'm still an old fashioned XP kinda guy. I would like to check out the framework for touchpad systems. Its been my experience that the 1.0 dev components have more than their share of bugs.
Wow - only $39.99 to upgrade to Win 8 from Win XP - Win 7 current users. That's not a bad price - but I won't be adopting anytime soon. Offer will be good only until Jan. 31, 2013.
http://www.crn.com/news/applications-os/240003123/microsoft-to-offer-39-99-upgrade-to-windows-8.htm (http://www.crn.com/news/applications-os/240003123/microsoft-to-offer-39-99-upgrade-to-windows-8.htm)
Quote from: Rico on July 03, 2012, 08:33:14 AM
Wow - only $39.99 to upgrade to Win 8 from Win XP - Win 7 current users. That's not a bad price - but I won't be adopting anytime soon. Offer will be good only until Jan. 31, 2013.
http://www.crn.com/news/applications-os/240003123/microsoft-to-offer-39-99-upgrade-to-windows-8.htm (http://www.crn.com/news/applications-os/240003123/microsoft-to-offer-39-99-upgrade-to-windows-8.htm)
To clarify, it's an update to W8 PRO which is a great price considering. This also means Windows Media Center users can install that component for "free" with this upgrade. Good move from Microsoft although like you I won't be upgrading. I don't use Windows apart for HTPCs, and they already do all I need. :)
I'm already running 8 on most of my systems and will upgrade the rest tonight. i'm loving it. there was about a 10 minute learning curve, but other than that, it's great.
Quote from: Rico on July 03, 2012, 08:33:14 AM
Wow - only $39.99 to upgrade to Win 8 from Win XP - Win 7 current users. That's not a bad price - but I won't be adopting anytime soon. Offer will be good only until Jan. 31, 2013.
http://www.crn.com/news/applications-os/240003123/microsoft-to-offer-39-99-upgrade-to-windows-8.htm (http://www.crn.com/news/applications-os/240003123/microsoft-to-offer-39-99-upgrade-to-windows-8.htm)
I saw a price of $19 somewhere - think microcenter.
It's 15.99 to convert a new system to 8 if you buy it between a few weeks ago and jan 31, 2013
This is a no-upgrade for me until I see any benefit of upgrading to this OS.
King
Releasing on October 26, 2012. And the tech community all goes - meh. :biggrin
http://www.slashgear.com/windows-8-release-date-finally-announced-18239231/ (http://www.slashgear.com/windows-8-release-date-finally-announced-18239231/)
Blah.......and meh
I think Windows 8's biggest flaw is they aren't giving Enterprise businesses any reason to upgrade. Been having this discussion at my new job and they, the other IT co-workers, have no plans as they consider the touch interface a step back in productivity on desktops.
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on July 18, 2012, 06:15:38 PM
I think Windows 8's biggest flaw is they aren't giving Enterprise businesses any reason to upgrade. Been having this discussion at my new job and they, the other IT co-workers, have no plans as they consider the touch interface a step back in productivity on desktops.
People i've been talking to have the exact opposite opinion in terms of business. Many companies that I work with are excited about the cross platform application and the touch/ easy click features. Also since touch screen PCs are becoming more affordable, they see this as a boon.
The place I'm at now with about 550 people on site all still use Win XP!
Most larger organizations tend not to blanket upgrade operating systems until their current version hits end of life. Companies using Windows 7 will remain on it until MS stops providing support and updates for it.
Quote from: Rico on July 19, 2012, 05:32:01 AM
The place I'm at now with about 550 people on site all still use Win XP!
Same here - across the Enterprise it is XP. Although we are just now piloting Windows 7.
An interesting trend here is a move towards 'BYOD' - Bring Your Own Device - and then use it (almost any platform) to connect to a terminal \ Citrix session to run company apps.
Yeah, the companies that I'm working with are using more updated systems ... once they let go of XP. They have a lot of stuff invested in XP software, but when they find that most of it can run on 7 Pro, they start the transition. Expecially when the ones that don't run on 7 have new and better versions of what they are using.
Most of my business clients are small businesses, two dozen computers at the most, but they are excited.
Quote from: X on July 19, 2012, 10:35:55 AM
Yeah, the companies that I'm working with are using more updated systems ... once they let go of XP. They have a lot of stuff invested in XP software, but when they find that most of it can run on 7 Pro, they start the transition. Expecially when the ones that don't run on 7 have new and better versions of what they are using.
Most of my business clients are small businesses, two dozen computers at the most, but they are excited.
Mmm, that's probably why. I work for the college and the need for cross platform devices is nill.
Seems Gabe Newell of Valve doesn't care for Windows 8 either.
http://www.slashgear.com/gabe-newell-of-valve-windows-8-a-catastrophe-25240280/ (http://www.slashgear.com/gabe-newell-of-valve-windows-8-a-catastrophe-25240280/)
Yeah that's a pretty hefty blast by him. I'm glad that Valve is starting to work on porting Steam over to Linux for gaming, I think more companies encouraging that would be great.
Ergh, thinking about it now, I don't want Microsoft to have an app store on the PC. Take a look at Games for Windows Live. That is some disastrously bad software right there...
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on July 25, 2012, 06:29:14 PM
Yeah that's a pretty hefty blast by him. I'm glad that Valve is starting to work on porting Steam over to Linux for gaming, I think more companies encouraging that would be great.
Ergh, thinking about it now, I don't want Microsoft to have an app store on the PC. Take a look at Games for Windows Live. That is some disastrously bad software right there...
It's going to have the app store and you can still purchase traditional software. I'm not seeing what the issue is. People get upset because windows is so fragmented and then they get upset when microsoft tries to solve the issue. I'm going to side with MS here only because I benefit from a less fragmented OS and love how it works on my systems thus far.
Everyone is out to make their money and I think Valve is just upset that MS is making a system where they can benefit from the sale of Apps. Valve is looking past the benefits and seeing the possible competition ... which there really wouldn't be if you spent 5 seconds thinking about it. If you want some simple game, you might go through the App store, but you'll still be going through Steam for all of the Valve games.
I don't think Valve is worried about competition, not from Microsoft at this point. I think he's attacking the fact that it's an OS that is exerting control over the platform where none is needed and the entire idea of a touch screen OS for hardware that doesn't use touch screens is a silly idea.
You still have yet to really spell out what the benefits of Windows 8 is. You say it's a great OS with plenty of benefits, but what are they? What is it about this OS that makes you excited? What features are you looking forward to?
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on July 25, 2012, 10:28:47 PM
I don't think Valve is worried about competition, not from Microsoft at this point. I think he's attacking the fact that it's an OS that is exerting control over the platform where none is needed and the entire idea of a touch screen OS for hardware that doesn't use touch screens is a silly idea.
You still have yet to really spell out what the benefits of Windows 8 is. You say it's a great OS with plenty of benefits, but what are they? What is it about this OS that makes you excited? What features are you looking forward to?
Okay, let's start with the interface. The tiles are easy to use and you don't need touch. You just click the app that you want. You can also still pin things to the desktop with no issue. Drivers load really fast for new devices. It's linked to my Live id and when I log on I also log into live and can sync the info from my computer to my laptop, ect.
From a visual standpoint. I see the benefits of the tiles. It has nothing to do with just being touch, but a quick visual display of what you have. Since you can customize the tiles, you can have everything that you want to use often, right there when the system boots up. It's not mind blowing, but it is easy to use.
The OS is designed to work easy with a mouse or a touch, but clicking something does seem out of place at all.
All in all, it's a very streamlined interface that doesn't dismiss the mouse in favor of the touch, it works for both.
Quote from: X on July 25, 2012, 11:32:25 PM
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on July 25, 2012, 10:28:47 PM
I don't think Valve is worried about competition, not from Microsoft at this point. I think he's attacking the fact that it's an OS that is exerting control over the platform where none is needed and the entire idea of a touch screen OS for hardware that doesn't use touch screens is a silly idea.
You still have yet to really spell out what the benefits of Windows 8 is. You say it's a great OS with plenty of benefits, but what are they? What is it about this OS that makes you excited? What features are you looking forward to?
Okay, let's start with the interface. The tiles are easy to use and you don't need touch. You just click the app that you want. You can also still pin things to the desktop with no issue. Drivers load really fast for new devices. It's linked to my Live id and when I log on I also log into live and can sync the info from my computer to my laptop, ect.
From a visual standpoint. I see the benefits of the tiles. It has nothing to do with just being touch, but a quick visual display of what you have. Since you can customize the tiles, you can have everything that you want to use often, right there when the system boots up. It's not mind blowing, but it is easy to use.
The OS is designed to work easy with a mouse or a touch, but clicking something does seem out of place at all.
All in all, it's a very streamlined interface that doesn't dismiss the mouse in favor of the touch, it works for both.
Ok, fair enough. I see what your saying.
I still disagree that the UI is a good idea. (Probably just going to have to agree to disagree on this) Its designing a touch interface for a hardware platform that doesn't use it. I am of the opinion that you design the software around the hardware. That's why we don't see Mac OSX on an iPad. Maybe laptops will use the touch interface and obviously Tablets/Phones will for the forseeable future, but I just don't see myself, reaching out to my screen to do something at my PC. And its not that mouse and keyboard won't work, we've seen in Mac OSX that a touch-centric desktop works just fine, but it feels like a step backwards in usability on Mac OSX and I'm not seeing it any better with 8. Idk, time will tell ultimately. Just my 2 cents I suppose.
For long time PC and Windows users, Win 8 is a step back. We know how to use Windows and Windows 7 works very well. For someone maybe brand new to using a PC I can see the benefits of tiles and the new interface. But I don't need it.
Though I guess you can't fault Microsoft for trying something new and trying to push things forward (even if some of us see it as a step back).
Quote from: billybob476 on July 27, 2012, 05:37:49 AM
Though I guess you can't fault Microsoft for trying something new and trying to push things forward (even if some of us see it as a step back).
Actually, yes I can. If you look at the established user base of Windows/PC users vs. a brand new person coming into using a Windows based PC it is pretty clear to me that most people seem to be doing just fine with the current edition of Windows (or even several editions back). If my mother-in-law can handle using a Windows PC right now just about anyone can. Perhaps by launch for Win 8 it will be easier to get the OS to give you a more "typical" Windows system for those of us that want it. For now, I only see drawbacks by upgrading for my use and I really think this launch is not going to go well for MS. I have anxiously bought and used each new version of Windows when they came out (even Millennium) - but not this time.
I think we all just have different takes on it. The only really obvious major difference that I've noticed is that there is no start button. It basically has been replaced by the tiles and pretty much serve the exact same function except that you don't have to click start, go into the file you want for the program you want and then click the program. It's already there on the screen, ready to click. At the very worse, you have to scroll left or right to get the program you want.
The desktop is still there and you can set up it exactly how it was, save for the start button. Hit the start button on your keyboard and you get the tiles.
touch or drag the mouse to the side of the screen and you can access all of the setting for your computer.
Everything else is still there and working as far as I can tell, but it is a lot faster getting to that stuff.
Learning curve isn't that hard, but the benefits for me far outweigh the few minutes it took to learn the system and start customizing my tiles.
And now 3rd party developers have reassurected the start button!
http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/ (http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/)
Quote from: Dangelus on July 27, 2012, 02:17:51 PM
And now 3rd party developers have reassurected the start button!
http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/ (http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/)
I think the fact that someone even bothered means Microsoft might as well just re-add it back. Why was it even removed in the first place?
Because it has been replaced by the Metro start tiles. All your apps are displayed there. The desktop is just a legacy for desktop apps as far as Microsoft are concerned.
You can't even boot into the desktop (at least without some hacks) or into desktop apps.
Like I've said before I've no need to upgrade right now but I'm really interested in how it goes down with the public after October 26th.
Possible Steam strategy:
1) Port to Linux
2) Convince a few top-name game houses to port to Linux
3) Release a "Steam Console Linux" distribution
4) Wait for other game houses to follow (snowball effect, tipping point, etc.)
5) ???
6) Profit!
I'll be selling this at work so I hope I sell alot, but I don't want to upgrade. That might not be a good selling tool to use. :D
because it's funny:
Notch (creator of Minecraft) weighs in and says that Windows 8 will make or break Indie Developers. His fear is that Microsoft will lock down Windows 8 with its Apple-like App Store and kill off the Indie scene.
Blizzard also weighed in, stating that Windows 8 "is not awesome" for the company either.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/118846-Notch-Windows-8-Could-Be-Very-Very-Bad-for-Indies?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=news (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/118846-Notch-Windows-8-Could-Be-Very-Very-Bad-for-Indies?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=news)
These industry comments are really there to stir the pot. Think about it.
On the one hand many are saying Windows 8 is a bad idea that won't take off. If that's the case Windows 7 will retain market share and developers and software houses will have no problem. If Windows 8 succeeds it will be a huge boost to indies especially.
It's funny that Apple have been applauded for increasing the profile of indie developers but when Microsoft adopt a similar model they get the negative response. :)
I don't agree these comments are just to stir the pot. These are leaders and big names in the gaming community and don't generally "stir the pot." Also, you can't really compare to what Apple and MS is now trying to do with Win 8. There is a key difference. The Windows world has evolved to the point where we just don't need an "MS App store" for the PC. Steam is the best example. You can pick up games easily and inexpensively already - including an easy path for Indie folks. One last thing to consider. The MS/PC market has two very large groups that drive much of it - business and the hard core PC/gaming community. I see neither of these groups moving to Win 8 anytime soon. And that is becoming quite obvious.
Quote from: Rico on August 02, 2012, 05:24:38 AM
I don't agree these comments are just to stir the pot. These are leaders and big names in the gaming community and don't generally "stir the pot." Also, you can't really compare to what Apple and MS is now trying to do with Win 8. There is a key difference. The Windows world has evolved to the point where we just don't need an "MS App store" for the PC. Steam is the best example. You can pick up games easily and inexpensively already - including an easy path for Indie folks. One last thing to consider. The MS/PC market has two very large groups that drive much of it - business and the hard core PC/gaming community. I see neither of these groups moving to Win 8 anytime soon. And that is becoming quite obvious.
There's nothing stopping them supporting Windows 8 and you can bet that if it takes off their apps will support it. It's just business sense.
In terms of needing an app store, true, it's not a necessity but never was the Mac app store. What it does do it give a much higher profile to developers without too much effort on their part. A centralised repository of software makes it easier for people to search for the app they need instead of trawling the Internet and using Google. It also gives the consumer confidence that the software they are installing isn't some sort of malware as opposed to an app they might find on somebody's website. It has worked for Apple for a few years and has worked for many many years in the Linux community, which has always had software repositories.
I think this issue is totally separate from the aesthetic, GUI and other decisions Microsoft have made about Windows 8.
What we don't want is what Apple is trying to do with the Mac and create a "sandbox" ecosystem like iOS that will restrict software being installed independently from the official respective app store. In my opinion this is the wrong model for the PC. It's starting in OS X and there are certain sandbox limitations to Metro apps in Windows 8. As long as we don't get to the point where "unofficial" apps can't be installed then we have the best of both worlds.
There are plenty of solid places to download software. Gamers know this - businesses know this. This isn't 1994 anymore. Why should companies that have already setup distribution methods switch over to MS and give them a piece of the action? It's just another middle man to be paid. Also, if you think that MS is going to keep their OS "open" in the future I think you might want to think about that again. My biggest beef about the whole thing is we already have an Apple company of hardware and software doing all this. I don't need or want another one.
Quote from: Rico on August 02, 2012, 08:42:55 AM
There are plenty of solid places to download software. Gamers know this - businesses know this. This isn't 1994 anymore. Why should companies that have already setup distribution methods switch over to MS and give them a piece of the action? It's just another middle man to be paid. Also, if you think that MS is going to keep their OS "open" in the future I think you might want to think about that again. My biggest beef about the whole thing is we already have an Apple company of hardware and software doing all this. I don't need or want another one.
The only reason to do it is the same reason they do it with Apple and that is exposure. Solo developers and small indie companies benefit from the free advertising, easy discoverability and user reviews these "app stores" provide them. Of course the trade off is a 30% cut or go it alone (for now).
I'm in total agreement with you that the sandbox ecosystem is wrong for PCs and I seriously hope we don't end up there.
I think this is funny to me. There is a ton of hate about Windows 8 and none of it has to do with the actual OS by people that have actually used it. Those that are gripping about the UI are those that haven't even taken the time to download the free version and test it for themselves. Software developers aren't even taking swipes at the UI. Less than a hand full of people are talking about the Metro Store and how they are going to run it. Zero information has been given at how it will be run and there is a 100% chance that you can download the stuff you want from outside the Metro Store. All you have to do is install the OS and check it out.
Here is the problem I see. People want a stable OS and stable programs to run on that OS. The Metro Store is a way for programs to be vetted as something that will be stable on the OS. MS gets a piece of the pie, but it's also their people that will be testing and certifying the software. You will still be able to get other stuff in the wilds.
Those plenty of solid places to download software will still be there, but for those people that like using the magic box and not knowing anything on how it works, the Metro Store will benefit them.
There is no way in hell that Windows will become a closed system. It's not going to happen. MS knows that the openness of the system is what has driven it to be the dominant OS. They are not dumb and won't shoot themselves in the foot just because it's a new release.
This is yet another case of people as a whole being afraid of change and listening to hearsay rather than looking into the fact of the matter.
If something was that broken about the system wouldn't you expect more people coming out? How many have we seen? Is that even a thousandth of a percentage of the development community?
So the guys that back Steam are pissed ... umm, aren't people already pissed at Steam for their business model? Could they be trying to deflect from the critiques of their own venture?
At the end of the day, I'm enjoying the changes and when I am getting something for me, that's how I measure if it is a success.
We can say that business won't adapt, but I don't buy that at all. The cost benefits of adaptation are what's going to sell the product and a $40 upgrade isn't something that people are just going to look away from.
XP is dead. Support has stopped. 200 bucks to rush to a 7 upgrade or 40 for 8. It's not a hard decision and I'm sure that MS is working hand and hand with their business partners around the world to promote and push 8 into the world successfully.
Quote from: X on August 02, 2012, 10:28:51 AM
They are not dumb and won't shoot themselves in the foot just because it's a new release.
As long as Steve Balmer is in charge I would argue that....
Well Metro apps are going to be sandboxed to some extent, we know that much.
Microsoft are discouraging the development of Windows 8 desktop apps. Visual Studio Express isn't going to support W8 desktop app building.
I wouldn't rule anything out for the future.
Quote from: Dangelus on August 02, 2012, 08:52:01 AM
Quote from: Rico on August 02, 2012, 08:42:55 AM
There are plenty of solid places to download software. Gamers know this - businesses know this. This isn't 1994 anymore. Why should companies that have already setup distribution methods switch over to MS and give them a piece of the action? It's just another middle man to be paid. Also, if you think that MS is going to keep their OS "open" in the future I think you might want to think about that again. My biggest beef about the whole thing is we already have an Apple company of hardware and software doing all this. I don't need or want another one.
The only reason to do it is the same reason they do it with Apple and that is exposure. Solo developers and small indie companies benefit from the free advertising, easy discoverability and user reviews these "app stores" provide them. Of course the trade off is a 30% cut or go it alone (for now).
This is currently being questioned right now, a lot of indie devs feel like they don't get much of a chance unless they are either featured on the front page of the app store or somehow make it to the top 10 list of their category, as far as the iOS store goes. And I don't blame them, wading through all the apps is a time-consuming chore that I've given up on. Realistically, unless the app goes viral, indie devs don't have much of a chance on iOS of getting spotted by myself. The Mac App Store also is starting to get too restrictive and app devs are starting to pull their products from the store in order to give customers a better product for their money. Plus, I'm getting fed up with many of the business practices on iOS. So it isn't all happy rainbows and sunshine in Apple's territory, but that's a discussion for another thread.
@X, for now the App Store is optional. But as we've seen with Apple, they have been restricting the OS and we have no way to be certain Microsoft won't do the same. Heck, we are already seeing restrictive tendencies with the Windows 8 tablet. How long until the desktop is next? But granted, granted, they could just as easily leave it open. Time will tell.
Also, will MS actually test each metro app? We're starting to question whether Apple actually does with iOS and Mac OSX, as we've seen far too many apps get into the store that should never have gotten in there, but they have just the same. And Apple has a "smaller" development base in comparison to Windows.
Also, not sure which "guys who back Steam" your referring to. Both Notch and Blizzard are not on the Steam store for their various reasons. Notch is concerned with Steam's dominance as well, as are quite a number of other people, but so far Valve hasn't done anything truly concerning. Yet we are watching them. Blizzard isn't on Steam because they just don't want Valve getting a piece of the pie and I can understand that, Blizzard doesn't need Steam anyway.
As far as MS shooting themselves in the foot...let's see, Windows ME, Windows Vista, and Zune. Just to name a few bad decisions MS has made among many. Yes, they will make a mistake and push it all the way. Just like Apple has done in the past among many other tech companies. Let's not kid ourselves here, they are fallible.
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on August 02, 2012, 01:29:07 PM.
As far as MS shooting themselves in the foot...let's see, Windows ME, Windows Vista, and Zune. Just to name a few bad decisions MS has made among many. Yes, they will make a mistake and push it all the way. Just like Apple has done in the past among many other tech companies. Let's not kid ourselves here, they are fallible.
I have a Zune. It's a great piece of tech. The problem wasn't the tech, it was Apple's dominance in the market. The Zune I bought 4 years ago came standard with HD Radio, Web, and wireless syncing. It still is quality tech, but they got beat by Apple. The product itself wasn't a bad product. The UI was easy to use. As for ME, I can agree to some extent, but when it comes to Vista, it's the John Carter of OSes. There were some initial issues out of the gate, but it was a solid product after that was corrected, but bad blood had already soured the name. I used Vista for years with no issues.
As for guys that back Steam, I meant Valve.
Things like this aren't going to help. Microsoft have never been great at marketing and now there seems to be an issue with using the term "Metro" and they are going to replace the term.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/2/3215039/microsoft-metro-name-dispute-developers (http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/2/3215039/microsoft-metro-name-dispute-developers)
I don't care if they rename it the "Rico Interface" - I'm still not buying it. :)
Honestly, I havent tried it much. One of the QA testers here set up Winodws 8 on a VM here at work and played with it a bit. I wasn't too put off by the whole thing, but then I didn't actually use it myself.
I'll wait and see how things turn out. It also looks like upgrades are only going to be 40 bucks.
http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/bloggingwindows/archive/2012/07/02/upgrade-to-windows-8-pro-for-39-99.aspx (http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/bloggingwindows/archive/2012/07/02/upgrade-to-windows-8-pro-for-39-99.aspx)
I will be selling this at work as I do the Win 7 product so even though I don't think I need to upgrade my system, especially since I just got my laptop, I hope lots of folks want it. If you buy a desktop or laptop now till Jan. you can get the upgrade for $15 bucks. The rebate prints automatically when you buy a computer from our store, so its really easy to get the rebate.
Quote from: WillEagle on August 05, 2012, 12:22:19 PM
I will be selling this at work as I do the Win 7 product so even though I don't think I need to upgrade my system, especially since I just got my laptop, I hope lots of folks want it. If you buy a desktop or laptop now till Jan. you can get the upgrade for $15 bucks. The rebate prints automatically when you buy a computer from our store, so its really easy to get the rebate.
hey will, check again with your system. It should be free after the rebate.
Yes, thats what I meant. It will be free after rebate. Thank you. I should have worded that a little better. We are setting up a laptop in the back and we are going to have the Win 8 on it so we can all try it out and be familiar with it when it comes out.
Quote from: WillEagle on August 07, 2012, 03:48:59 PM
Yes, thats what I meant. It will be free after rebate. Thank you. I should have worded that a little better. We are setting up a laptop in the back and we are going to have the Win 8 on it so we can all try it out and be familiar with it when it comes out.
Do you work at a Staples?
Quote from: X on August 07, 2012, 07:25:04 PM
Quote from: WillEagle on August 07, 2012, 03:48:59 PM
Yes, thats what I meant. It will be free after rebate. Thank you. I should have worded that a little better. We are setting up a laptop in the back and we are going to have the Win 8 on it so we can all try it out and be familiar with it when it comes out.
Do you work at a Staples?
Yes, what made you think I worked there? I have been with them for 14 years.
Windows 8 Store will not allow the sale of M-rated or PEGI-18+ rated games. I guess this means Steam and the rest of the online retailers can breathe a sigh of relief, because many of the Top Games of 2011 (and probably 2012) were rated M. Last year's top game was Skyrim, followed by Call of Duty Modern Warfare, Mass Effect and others, which wouldn't be sold on the store under the current policy. I don't support this move. Most of their customer base is going to be adults, it's not like they couldn't implement an age system to prevent younger kids from buying/looking at the mature apps.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-10-11-windows-8-store-wont-allow-pegi-18-rated-games (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-10-11-windows-8-store-wont-allow-pegi-18-rated-games)
Like with many other things, it would be great if they could provide tools to restrict games of higher ratings as opposed to just disallowing them for all.
Quote from: billybob476 on October 11, 2012, 09:52:15 AM
Like with many other things, it would be great if they could provide tools to restrict games of higher ratings as opposed to just disallowing them for all.
Yeah, and even then, Rated-T games aren't exactly great for kids below age 13 so this setup still doesn't do enough for keeping things appropriate for all audiences. I don't pay attention to ratings anymore (why would I need to) but I have a feeling a large chunk of my games would be considered "inappropriate" according to this App Store.
OR perhaps this move was one that they decided to do so that Steam and others don't feel as they are being crushed out of the business. I think it's a nice move because it shows that they made a choice not to force out the little guys with their new OS.
Quote from: billybob476 on October 11, 2012, 09:52:15 AM
Like with many other things, it would be great if they could provide tools to restrict games of higher ratings as opposed to just disallowing them for all.
Don't you need a credit card to buy a game?
Quote from: Rico on October 12, 2012, 08:45:59 AM
Quote from: billybob476 on October 11, 2012, 09:52:15 AM
Like with many other things, it would be great if they could provide tools to restrict games of higher ratings as opposed to just disallowing them for all.
Don't you need a credit card to buy a game?
Technically yes, but you can now buy money/point cards from Gamestop to buy games from Steam, so that circumvents the credit card requirement I believe. Plus, parents are surprisingly open with giving kids access to their credit cards for whatever reason.
So, I'm still away in Texas, but I managed to upgrade my laptop to windows 8 and then download and add office to it. I'm really enjoying the way it runs and the simplicity that is IE 10. I went for the full upgrade because Iu wanted to have a clean start.
I will let you know more when I'm done playing with it for a few hours.
So, that's one sale of Win 8. Do I hear two? ;)
Some of the guys at work have purchased upgrade codes for their machines. I know Tom Merritt already upgraded his main work computer. I don't foresee any glaring issues, at the core this is still Windows 7 with some new stuff on top of it.
http://www.gamefront.com/serious-sam-3-dev-tells-us-why-hes-skipping-windows-8/ (http://www.gamefront.com/serious-sam-3-dev-tells-us-why-hes-skipping-windows-8/)
This caught my attention today: Serious Sam 3 dev reports that if you make a Metro UI app:
"One cannot release a tiled UI application by any other means, but only through Windows Store!"
You cannot mod Metro apps either. Which for some games on PC would be an inexcusable feature to lack. This is gravely concerning to me.
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on November 06, 2012, 06:03:40 PM
http://www.gamefront.com/serious-sam-3-dev-tells-us-why-hes-skipping-windows-8/ (http://www.gamefront.com/serious-sam-3-dev-tells-us-why-hes-skipping-windows-8/)
This caught my attention today: Serious Sam 3 dev reports that if you make a Metro UI app:
"One cannot release a tiled UI application by any other means, but only through Windows Store!"
You cannot mod Metro apps either. Which for some games on PC would be an inexcusable feature to lack. This is gravely concerning to me.
Yeah, well it sounds like they never actually used the system. YOu can run things as standard applications with no problem. Apps are still mini programs on 8, I don't see why they would need a app for the game at all. Sounds idiotic to me. Sure you can't release a tiled app, but you can make the application itself a tile to launch it even if it's not an app.
That's just fear-mongering and stupidity on his part.
Quote from: X on November 06, 2012, 06:58:09 PM
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on November 06, 2012, 06:03:40 PM
http://www.gamefront.com/serious-sam-3-dev-tells-us-why-hes-skipping-windows-8/ (http://www.gamefront.com/serious-sam-3-dev-tells-us-why-hes-skipping-windows-8/)
This caught my attention today: Serious Sam 3 dev reports that if you make a Metro UI app:
"One cannot release a tiled UI application by any other means, but only through Windows Store!"
You cannot mod Metro apps either. Which for some games on PC would be an inexcusable feature to lack. This is gravely concerning to me.
Yeah, well it sounds like they never actually used the system. YOu can run things as standard applications with no problem. Apps are still mini programs on 8, I don't see why they would need a app for the game at all. Sounds idiotic to me. Sure you can't release a tiled app, but you can make the application itself a tile to launch it even if it's not an app.
That's just fear-mongering and stupidity on his part.
His concern is that this is Microsoft wanting to push us into the iOS way of doing things and with a rule like that, I can see why he thinks so. We could see Windows 9 pushing us even further. And as I understand it, you can only sell Metro apps on the Microsoft store. So if this indeed not true, then maybe Microsoft should clarify the rules.
Then again, Microsoft needs to make a lot of things clear. They aren't really telling people the difference between RT and regular 8 or other facts such as the Surface only having 16GBs worth of space and not 32GBs (like advertised) is something that they should be telling people. So yeah...
I'm with Tim on this. The concerns many are having (especially in the gaming area) is that this new interface is a sign of things to come. MS is making it clear they seem to want to mimic Apple & iOS. You can't just write a game for iOS and put it up on your own website and have people use it. If this closed system trend for Windows continues it could mean Windows becomes more closed off and less open and flexible. I hope that doesn't ever happen, but I wouldn't count on it staying open at this point.
I am toying with buying the upgrade for one of my laptops.
So the guy at Microsoft that led the Windows 8 development team (Steven Sinofsky) has quit. Hmmm....
http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/microsoft-windows-chief-sinofsky-abruptl/240124904 (http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/microsoft-windows-chief-sinofsky-abruptl/240124904)
And the plot thickens...
http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/microsoft-windows-8-tablet-plans-in-disa/240142137 (http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/microsoft-windows-8-tablet-plans-in-disa/240142137)
Guess Consumer Reports says to not bother with Win 8 either.
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Consumer-Reports-Windows-8-Upgrade-Donna-Tapellini-Modern-UI,19878.html (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Consumer-Reports-Windows-8-Upgrade-Donna-Tapellini-Modern-UI,19878.html)
It's a mess, no doubt. I say again Steve Balmer needs to go.
They hit upon the ultimate problem with Win 8. There isn't a lot of reason to upgrade. New UI and some speed enhancements aside, its not very compelling. Heck, I just built my PC with an SSD and the start up time is around 30seconds flat.
The success of the windows store and apps will be the incentive but it's a bit of a catch 22 at the moment.
I'm not planning on upgrading my Win 7 laptop, which I'm using right now, that I purchased back at the end of summer but I would buy a new pc with it. I think alot of folks I deal with just don't like the big changes that were made.
You know I consider myself pretty computer savvy but I am having a really hard time digging Windows 8. It's not very intuitive at all. That said though I don't have a copy on my own PC to play with and get to know but trying to use the laptops or desktops at work with 8 on them has been a nightmare for the most part. I really do not like the UI at all. I got an offer from Windows to upgrade for only $39.99 but there's no way I would consider leaving Windows 7 until I'm forced to. I'm even considering buying a full copy of 7 so that if my PC bites the bullet I can still format a new PC and install 7 on it. None of the associates I work with like 8 and so many customers have made negative remarks about it and our PC sales have fallen since Windows 8 is now the only option. I really think this was too drastic a change for the public. People like what is familiar and I think Mircosoft made a mistake on not building one what everyone knows. I never thought I would ever consider buying a Mac but I'm now re-thinking that.
Kevin
Quote from: Ktrek on December 21, 2012, 08:48:49 PM
You know I consider myself pretty computer savvy but I am having a really hard time digging Windows 8. It's not very intuitive at all. That said though I don't have a copy on my own PC to play with and get to know but trying to use the laptops or desktops at work with 8 on them has been a nightmare for the most part. I really do not like the UI at all. I got an offer from Windows to upgrade for only $39.99 but there's no way I would consider leaving Windows 7 until I'm forced to. I'm even considering buying a full copy of 7 so that if my PC bites the bullet I can still format a new PC and install 7 on it. None of the associates I work with like 8 and so many customers have made negative remarks about it and our PC sales have fallen since Windows 8 is now the only option. I really think this was too drastic a change for the public. People like what is familiar and I think Mircosoft made a mistake on not building one what everyone knows. I never thought I would ever consider buying a Mac but I'm now re-thinking that.
Kevin
The sad thing is people most people think these are their only 2 options. This is a fantastic time for great Linux distributions such as Ubuntu or even better Linux Mint make a dent in the market.
Quote from: Dangelus on December 21, 2012, 09:32:29 PM
The sad thing is people most people think these are their only 2 options. This is a fantastic time for great Linux distributions such as Ubuntu or even better Linux Mint make a dent in the market.
You know Linux might not be a bad option for me Dan. I'll look more closely at it and think about converting over if most of the software I use is available on Linux.
I also think a Google Android desktop might be a good option if one was available. Since I love my Android phone and tablet I would seriously think about an Android desktop if Google made one.
Kevin
Quote from: Ktrek on December 21, 2012, 09:49:03 PM
Quote from: Dangelus on December 21, 2012, 09:32:29 PM
The sad thing is people most people think these are their only 2 options. This is a fantastic time for great Linux distributions such as Ubuntu or even better Linux Mint make a dent in the market.
You know Linux might not be a bad option for me Dan. I'll look more closely at it and think about converting over if most of the software I use is available on Linux.
I also think a Google Android desktop might be a good option if one was available. Since I love my Android phone and tablet I would seriously think about an Android desktop if Google made one.
Kevin
Yes there is very little you can't do with a good Linux distribution these days. Coming from Windows I'd definately recommend Linux Mint.
http://linuxmint.com/ (http://linuxmint.com/)
PC use in our house is down to Internet and office applications so whatever happens with regard to MS store etc really doesn't bother me at this point (since I don't get near the PC anyway.
I guess if I was still supporting my own software on it then I might have a bigger issue but I haven't done that for years. If I were a gamer I might also have something to say, I suppose.
The other point I was going was Windows 7? What's that? I'm still on Vista.
I'd say where Linux is still lacking is game support but that has been steadily rising over the past year alone. Steam for Linux BETA is now available for all and they've got 40 officially supported games so far.
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on December 22, 2012, 10:07:40 AM
I'd say where Linux is still lacking is game support but that has been steadily rising over the past year alone. Steam for Linux BETA is now available for all and they've got 40 officially supported games so far.
And a great amount of modern games these days are playable (and in some cases perform better than on Windows) via the WINE project in Linux.
I personally love my windows 8. My wife has finally made her adjustments to it and is actually enjoying it better than 7. My only problem is that I bought it for all of my machines and Microsoft just gave me another copy and are probably going to give me one more before it's all said and done. Hell, I still have a pair of 7 ultimate editions they gave me somewhere, but I think 8 works fine and if you aren't into the changes, it's pretty easy to ignore them.
Quote from: X on December 22, 2012, 02:13:55 PM
I personally love my windows 8. My wife has finally made her adjustments to it and is actually enjoying it better than 7. My only problem is that I bought it for all of my machines and Microsoft just gave me another copy and are probably going to give me one more before it's all said and done. Hell, I still have a pair of 7 ultimate editions they gave me somewhere, but I think 8 works fine and if you aren't into the changes, it's pretty easy to ignore them.
Then please tell me how! Is there a way to set it up for the "classic" look or anything where I don't have to see those stupid windowpanes? If I can work around that I would maybe then consider upgrading but I find the whole thing clumsy and awkward and obviously I am not alone because we have people calling every day asking if we have any windows 7 PCs left in stock. hello! Is anybody at Microsoft listening? :unsure
Kevin
It's simple enough. After booting, click desktop and just have icons on your desktop for your favorite programs. Rather than worry about the missing start button, just put your cursor to the bottom corner of where the button used to be to access the start screen. IN all truth, you don't need to use the start screen at all if you're not using apps.
As for the start screen itself, it's customizable. you can take of pretty much everything you don't need and if you really want a program list, just right click on the screen and click the bottom right icon that pops up that says all apps.
Once you spend a few minutes exploring the features, it's not hard to replicate 7 with a few mouse clicks.
Thanks for the tips! I'll try it at the store and see how it goes and if I can get a similar feel to Windows 7 then I'll spring the $39.99 and download it. I'm just afraid that I won't like it much and then won't be able to go back to Windows 7 once it's on my PC if I really hate it.
Kevin
My dad bought a new Dell machine which he had shipped to my house so I could set it up for him. After using it for a bit...I like it!
Quote from: billybob476 on January 10, 2013, 09:19:41 AM
My dad bought a new Dell machine which he had shipped to my house so I could set it up for him. After using it for a bit...I like it!
Does his Dell have any type of touch monitor or touch pad?
They may, though this was just a straight up desktop machine.
I guess the thing I needed to get my head around is the new "start" screen is almost the opposite of the current start menu. The start menu held all of your programs, the win8 start screen is more like your current desktop, it holds links to your most often used programs.
I have been training folks at work on the Win 8 and I hope most of them feel more confortable with it when I'm done. They seem to really like it when I pin some of their favorite websites to the start screen and they can just click the "tile" and get right to the site.
Windows 8 is useful after all! ;)
http://m.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitzreport/2013/04/north-korean-missile-test-delayed-by-windows-8.html (http://m.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitzreport/2013/04/north-korean-missile-test-delayed-by-windows-8.html)
Quote from: Dangelus on April 12, 2013, 06:36:01 AM
Windows 8 is useful after all! ;)
http://m.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitzreport/2013/04/north-korean-missile-test-delayed-by-windows-8.html (http://m.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitzreport/2013/04/north-korean-missile-test-delayed-by-windows-8.html)
Love it! Thanks for Microsoft for keeping the world safe! :)
Windows 8 only meaningful contribution to western society!
Everyone knows you never upgrade your OS in the middle of an important project ;)
- Tech support sez "Turn it off, wait 30 seconds, turn it on".
A lot of people hate on Windows 8, but I just recently purchased a new laptop with Windows 8 on it, and my thoughts are that it's much easier to use then people give it credit for. Granted, it took me a solid day to work everything out, but once I did I found it almost as easy as Windows 7. I guess what a lot of people don't realize is that in "Desktop View" Windows 8 is almost identical to Windows 7, minus the start screen. Familiar features like the Control Panel and various settings menus look and function just like Windows 7.
What really sets Windows 8 apart is the home screen, which If you don't have a Windows Phone, and/or an Xbox Live account, or a Skydrive account, you definitely won't get all the benefits of. What I love about the home screen is that I can download music from Xbox Music, which automatically uploads to the Skydrive, which automatically syncs to my Windows phone. I have something like 30 gig of music and podcast's all stored on The Skydrive and accessible easily through all my Windows devices. It works the other way as well. Every photo or video I take on my phone automatically uploads to Skydrive and syncs to my laptop. It works with XBox Live as well. All my Xbox game data automatically syncs to the home page, so I can see my history and progress from every game I've ever played on Xbox, and can also chat with my Xbox friends through the home screen. Another really cool thing is that from the home screen I can access my Windows Phone history and view every app/game I have ever downloaded on my phone, and re-download those apps through the homepage, which will automatically sync to my phone... Anyway, I guess my point is that Windows 8 is awesome if you are using other Microsoft devices and accounts. If you aren't using a Windows Phone, or an Xbox, or Skydrive, or Xbox Music, then you aren't using Windows 8 for what its designed for, and your experience won't be as good.