Win8, all a bad dream 8

[dilettante]

Microsoft to share Windows Threshold plans at Build 2014 show: Report

Currently, as I mentioned as part of a recent Windows Weekly episode's "Rumor of the Week," Microsoft is moving toward naming Threshold "Windows 9," so as to distance and differentiate itself from Windows 8, Thurrott said he's heard from his contacts.

 

[1DMF]

Great Windows 9 is just a reworked Windows 8 with version 2.0 of Metro... Thanks for the heads up, now I can steer clear of Windows 9 as well!

"In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"
Free Electronic Dance Music

 

[strongm]

>just a reworked Windows 8 with version 2.0 of Metro

That's not quite what it says.

One of the things, for example, that V2.0 is anticipated to enable is allowing Metro apps to run in windows on the classic desktop. And that's a big, important change, since it means that Microsoft have realised that their desktop users are rather important.

 

[1DMF]

Why would you want metro apps to run on the desktop, most of the metro apps suck in comparison to the desktop versions, just look at Adobe Reader for starters, let alone the IE metro app, I'd rather use Chrome and for me that's saying something, as I am not a Google fan!

M$ are still high if they think that's what us desktop users want, crappie metro apps, honestly!

"In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"
Free Electronic Dance Music

 

[strongm]

>Why would you want metro apps to run on the desktop

That's not why it is important. See my most recent comments in thread1787-1686161 for why (IMO) it is important

 

[dilettante]

In theory WinRT will eventually be used for in-house applications. Pretty much any CRUD-like client that you might have written against the legacy Win32/.Net environment could be done in WinRT instead. Time keeping, trouble ticketing, inventory management, or almost any LOB app might be done on WinRT.

So it isn't just about Store Apps, and much less about the current crop of them... at least for enterprise users.

During the long transition that will occur, allowing newer WinRT apps to run on the Explorer desktop instead of just within the Metro overlay screen should make life a lot easier.


Right now such issues are probably only being examined by enterprise developers. I can see why they wouldn't be on the radar of a home user or a PC tech.

 

[hairlessupportmonkey]

Gates Spends Entire First Day Back in Office Trying to Install Windows 8.1

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blo...k-in-office-trying-to-install-windows-81.html

ACSS - SME
General Geek

 

[dilettante]

It's getting weird out there:

Nokia's Android phone: X marks the forked spot?

It's not just on the Windows Phone side of its business that Microsoft is looking for ways to beat Google at its own game. Might Microsoft end up supporting Android apps on Windows at some point? If you'd asked me this a year or two ago, I'd have laughed. Now I have to say I think anything and everything is on the table.

 

[1DMF]

Hairlesssupportmonkey... That is absolutely priceless.

The guy who built the Windows empire, won't use the latest version either!

dilettante... So basically M$ have ditched their desktop users to chase android and mobile devices.


"In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"
Free Electronic Dance Music

 

[strongm]

>that is priceless

If only it were not a satirical blog ...

>M$ ... ditched desktop users to chase Android

I don't think the article says Microsoft are doing either if those things.

 

[1DMF]

If only it were not a satirical blog ...

You mean it's a hoax, :-(

I don't think the article says Microsoft are doing either if those things.

Well no, it was purely my perspective on them destroying my desktop, while concentrating on getting their apps to run on Android and vice versa.

I guess the proof will be in the Windows 9 pudding!



"In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"
Free Electronic Dance Music

 

[audiopro]

Microsoft built their empire by thinking outside the box and pushing the boundaries of design to a whole new level based on solutions to previously unsolvable problems.

Their latest designs appear to address problems which don't exist and solve them by using solutions for which they have been unable to find a use.

Keith

http://www.studiosoft.co.uk

 

[hairlessupportmonkey]

Someone at MS thinks the same OS can be used on a phone, tablet and laptop / PC.

I call bullshit and I don't want to.



ACSS - SME
General Geek

 

[vacunita]

Someone at MS thinks the same OS can be used on a phone, tablet and laptop / PC.

Don't forget Xbox.

Still, Its technically and fundamentally not the same OS they are going for. Merely the same general Aesthetic and user interface and user experience. So going from one platform to the other maintains a sense of continuity.

Clearly the Desktop PC version of Windows 8 is a completely different beast to that of a Phone or Xbox. While the tablet version is a streamlined version of the general desktop OS.

However, the Desktop OS still retains all the features and power tools from previous Windows versions like Windows 7 if you use Desktop mode. The Start screen is merely a larger layout for the usual start menu.

There is nothing in Windows 7 that is not still fully accessible in Windows 8 and 8.1. And in the same manner for the most part.

So the Start Screen is not as friendly with a mouse. There are still many many things about Windows 8 that make it a great desktop OS. And comparing it to a Phone Os is just ridiculous.



----------------------------------
Phil AKA Vacunita
----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

Web & Tech

 

[audiopro]

I agree that comparing WIN8 to a phone OS is ridiculous but it didn't stop MS from initially trying to convert our desktops into idiot proof phone interfaces though did it?

There are some great features on Windows 8 but most of them are hidden from view.

Useful things like instructions and menus seem to have been sacrificed in favour sleek new lines and little in the way of intuitive operation.
Take the one and only APP I use for example, PDF reader, does exactly what it says on the tin - well actually it says nothing on the tin but did you know you can print PDF's from it? I didn't until I read a 3rd party article about it.

Computers have always been either intuitive or have come with a manual to read, if all else fails. WIN8 does not deliver on either option.

I have stuck with WIN8 as I see no advantage of upgrading to 8.1. I have already fallen into the trap, of getting their latest OS once and look how much time we wasted just getting the darned thing working how we want to work. The biggest obstacle was getting the boxes to boot to desktop and sorting out the Email.

I know it is mundane stuff when we have the option of Weather apps and apps telling us the temperature of the snow at the North Pole but I don't care about those apps, I want to use my computer for productive processes.



Keith

http://www.studiosoft.co.uk

 

[dilettante]

The oddball news just keeps on coming. Who knew this might be on the horizon?

Would (and should) Microsoft enable Android apps on Windows?

The biggest issue for Microsoft, in my view, would be how to explain its new Android-embracing strategy to its existing developer base. Why should developers still bother writing apps for Windows -- and especially the fledgling Windows Store/Metro Style market -- if they could simply write to the larger Android marketplace and have their apps available on Windows?

 

[mikrom]

IMO, the best Windows forever was the XP. Then I got Vista and later Windows 7. Maybe Vista was more ressource demanding than XP and W7, but with W7 I got more problems running older applications than with Vista.
IMO: it seems that newer is worse than older and I really don't want to switch to Windows 8.

First, I seriously thought about switching to Mac ... But in the meantime I got a handy: an iPhone and my daughter got an Android - so I could compare both: With iPhone there is absolutely no freedom - no SD card and ... damn iTunes. Maybe the hardware of iPhone is a little bit better, but the iTunes is a disaster. So I said that I will probably never buy something other from Apple.
Now I'm on switching to Linux. At first, I was firmly decided to switch to Ubuntu ... but what a pity ... now Ubuntu has Unity. So I'm not sure ... I'm trying some Linux distribution running in Virtualbox on my W7.

 

[strongm]

>There is nothing in Windows 7 that is not still fully accessible in Windows 8 and 8.1

Wifi management ... functionality remains, but only accessible through netsh commands. This is clearly a backwards step.

 

[audiopro]

>There is nothing in Windows 7 that is not still fully accessible in Windows 8 and 8.1

If you have the time and patience to find out were it is hidden.

Keith

http://www.studiosoft.co.uk

 

[1DMF]

Wifi management ... functionality remains, but only accessible through netsh commands. This is clearly a backwards step.

Not to mention the fact that initially in Win 8 , there was no way of brining up , control panel, computer, printers and devices, etc.. come on, we all use the context menu all over the shop in Windows especially on 'Computer' to choose either 'Properties' or that powerful GUI shortcut 'Manage', I'll even go that route to get to 'Device Manager'.. the list goes on.

And that's before we get into most metro apps aren't [x], closable and who can press alt+f4 on a touch screen? I used to think apple were stupid for having the [x] on the left, M$ must be totally retarded to have removed them altogether.

Windows 8 / 8.1 is a total backward step in usability, user friendliness and user experience. That's what XP was meant to stand for wasn't it?, and although we all got peed off with Vista, we could see it was meant to be a good OS, it was just a total dog as it wasn't finished and had a lot of back-compat issues, all of which were more or less resolved with Windows 7.

I have so little faith that Windows 9 will be the magic bullet Win 7 was to Vista, that I , a devout Windows only user, is now running Linux, and now that M$ has forced me into making a move to the Linux OS, something I had never envisaged I would do, unless the distro I am running screws things up, what reason could M$ possibly give me to ever move back?

Of course, in my profession we are locked into MS, we run MS SQL Server, Hyper-V, IIS, MS Office including (Access VBA), and all users run Windows OS, so putting up with the current crock of xxx OS from M$ is simply part of the job, but for personal use, it's Linux Mint all the way now

Interestingly enough, the nice lady who heads up our accounts department, who is an intelligent, computer savvy user, who uses the full suite of M$ Office, all our VBA apps, special email encryption services, WinZip, SAGE.. etc.. all on a Win7 OS... you get the picture, just got a new laptop, and this is the email I received today in reply to the Bill Gates spoof link regarding Windows 8.1...

We have this on our new laptop – yuk – where is the start button? Why does the desktop keep moving? Why does it have icons I don’t want or use? The list is endless.

Who is this user base M$ are targeting, because no-one I have spoken to who has Windows 8 has had a single good word to say about it apart from the odd techy on this forum, which I didn't think would be the core target user M$ were aiming at. If the only people that think windows 8 is any good are professional techies who understand what goes on under the hood, as a GUI interface to enable users to control a micro computer, it has failed on every level.

You wouldn't believe the smile I put on our accounts ladies face, when I let her know I could make here Windows 8 machine look and behave more or less like Windows 7.

If Windows 9 doesn't resolve this serious issue, next time I'll be telling everyone not to worry, because I can set up Linux and make that look and behave more or less like Windows 7 ;-)

M$...over to you ... your move!



"In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"
Free Electronic Dance Music