Is this forum dead or what? Used to be talking about new hardware / software way before it's coming out.

Anyway, Windows 8 is coming out as probably most of you have already heard. Very much aiming for the tablet market. Some of the stuffs sound pretty cool, but I am wondering how it will run in traditional PC hardware, rather than tablet hardware. Also I wondering am I the only one don't like the Tile graphics interface that was borrowed from Windows Phone OS. Looks too cheesy to me.

Here is a video I found, good information, though quite a bit of PR bullcraps from M$.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDry3QUllYk

So, what's your opinion on Win8?

To be honest Dr.P I'm not too happy with what I've seen from Windows 8. I've been following it closely on Tom's Hardware and to me it seems that Microsoft may have made the best Tablet OS in existence, I mean I was astounded with the Metro UI it seems extremely functional and has some very cool features but for a tablet! I don't want any of that crap for my PC, the thing is that they've said that Metro UI can be disabled but what about the desktop portion? I'm still confused, I don't know If Microsoft will literary deliver us just another Windows 7 with some extra tacked on features or a new skin. I've barely read any news about the desktop portion of the OS and it p**sed me off that the Metro UI will need its own programs designed to work with it, so to me they're just splitting up the functional part of Windows into a more playish sandbox work environment, clearly Apple has had a big impact on the market and Microsoft desperately needed to adjust but I feel this Windows 8 came way too soon. They should have just made their Tablet OS and leave it at that.

.
I think it's MS's beginning steps toward the business model that forecasts that within 10 years there will be NO new products offered that even resemble a stand-alone computer. "The Cloud" (with some variants) will be the only game in town...because it will be the most profitable and the most easily monitored (with or without warrant).
(see 04:30-05:20 of the originally referenced video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDry3QUllYk )


As a technology futurist, I personally predict that so-called "Green" policy wonks will eventually even dictate (probably via EPA or U.N. or country equivalent autonomous regulators that don't answer to the affected electorate or sovereign legislative bodies) that consumers will ultimately either:
1) ...NOT be allowed to have standalone devices as they will be deemed inherently energy inefficient (e.g. multiple copies of software required, larger/more hard-drives, larger PSUs, etc when compared to a "Green-Cloud Client" (GCC, (my terminology))...OR
2) ...will be required to pay a severe TAX for their "abusive consumption" of resources. The government tax may be included in software licensing fees, software/firmware update fees, electric rate add-on fees, etc. but it will be there for those who are not 100% GCC users.


And as a GCC user you will be ultimately REQUIRED to pay a monthly (or perhaps annual) "service fee" for your OS and hardware to continue to work. You will have to connect at least periodically for license renewal/software enablement. Every application AND every datafile will be regularly examined for copyright "compliance" and license, and scanned by the State for any indicators of illegal or "improper" activity or "content" (i.e, "radicalizing", "violent", or nonPC-thinking). For example, the technology is currently in use to monitor radio stations and certain internet users in real-time and determine if they are playing/using a copyrighted song/video, and whether they have paid or will pay a usage fee for doing so.
(ref: http://arstechnica.com/old/content/2007/06/att-willing-to-spy-...d-riaa.ars )
The same or superior technology will be used to periodically verify that every file on your computer/"cloud"-storage is "legal"...regardless of the intended usage. Extemporaneous "Fair-Use" will be a thing of the past.

Similarly regarding the scans on content for "PC" thought (also ref: internet monitoring programs like "Carnivore"
(ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnivore_%28software%29 )
and AT&Ts compliance with government warrantless monitoring of internet traffic
(ref: http://www.alternet.org/blogs/themix/34733/ )).


This will technologically, legally, and fiscally converge internet, audio entertainment, video entertainment, etc. You won't be able to "buy" a permanent, independently usable music file, video/movie, or book, newspaper, magazine, etc. A number of cellphones/mobiles and music/video service providers have already used this model...once you quit your service contract (or they unilaterally cancel it), either the major applications no longer work or they are severely crippled, and the video/audio files are removed, disabled, or de-HD'd. Even "unlocked" phones can be severely crippled.

You also won't be able to buy or use any "unapproved" (non-PC) software...ala the iPhone business model unless you illegally modify the OS.


edit to add:
I believe in the next year or two, we will start seeing the political "Demonization" of people who continue to use "standalone" computers and software packaging and thus "they contribute more to climate change".

yeesh john! you make me want to hope the world ends by 2012 so we don't suffer this terrible fate.

Here's the first pic of the windows 8 start menu:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/windows-8-win8-start-menu-build,13417.html


Tablet OS much? Really, which desktop user will have a freaking 24" touch capacitive LCD in their desk? Grrrr!

sux

Meats_Of_Evil said:
Exactly what I've been wondering. They are making the tablet feature a top marketing gimmick. But what I really want to see is what's new in the actual PC OS.

john albrich said:
I hope not, John. I need my standalone computers! F**k the Cloud. You mean it's not green to run my desktop with a 2000W PSU?! It's probably more energy efficient and more green than them servers running the Cloud. You need to run the AC 24/7 for those servers. Green? Yeah right...

http://www.ntcompatible.com/news/story/windows_8_articles_roundup.html

What M$ needs to do, is stop messin' around with stupid stuff none of us care about ( especially the interface) and give us things we DO care about like:

Get rid of the registry completely, it's old and stupid. Slows the system down and most problems come from it.

.
An recent item from techrepublic.com

The pics of the new interface I've seen really spew. ME - XP - Vista - Win7 - Due for another turkey here. I want a picture on my desktop, not some damned phone interface! I think this picture sums it up!
http://www.techspot.com/gallery/random-stuff/p4436-the-evoluti...ndows.html

This article called 5 deal breaking flaws in Windows 8 is painful to read but totally reinforces the view that this is a major piece of crap.
http://tinyurl.com/3j5wkok

sovietdoc said:
LOL, agreed.

angryhippy said:
True that. Win1.0 LOL. XD I freaking hate those boxes. Hurts my eyes to look at all those stuffs in different boxes, stacking up, down, left, right... Too damn busy for the eyes. Call me old fashion, I like to look at one box at a time.

Here's a preview of Win 8 Server.
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/reviews/server-os/2011/09/14/windows-8-...-40093932/

Here is one interesting "change", read below. Power Shell?! Anyone thinking Linux?? Or Win3.1, which the "UI" was running on DOS?

I HATE that command line crap. May as well be running Linux.

Lol @ Hippy's link!

@ Dr.Paz

Jesus! I get the Apple influence but wtf, Microsoft is marketing Windows like Apple does and they're re-branding old tech as new an innovative?

I mean wtf! I'm looking at the link posted here and I'm still wondering why the hell would I want to scroll pages from left to right with my freaking mouse!

*Edit* #2

Wtf! no proper multi-tasking? So they basically decide to give us a castrated OS, it may look nice but it lost a lot of feeling. (features)

I wonder what's the price for Windows 8, I sure as hell won't be paying premium price for a tablet OS on my desktop!

If what I'm seeing is the future, I'll probable be using Win7 long after they dropped support. And why do we need a standardized OS for both PC and tablet. You'd think they would come out with different flavors. And as far as the cloud crap goes, I don't want my stuff floating around out there. I'll gladly stick with my roms and HD's

.
Looks like they're turning it into an OS interface targeted for the Lowest Common Denominator and only the LCD (or in my phrasing, the Least Competent Demographic)

I sincerely hope this is just due to limitations of being a preview.

There's a difference between designing for ease-of-use and an inane design.

"There are two ways of constructing a software design; one way is to make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies, and the other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies. The first method is far more difficult."
- C. A. R. Hoare

I think the latter is more akin to what I'm seeing in early stage Win 8.

angryhippy said:

Only if you like your independence.

If you like being totally dependent on the providers for making your update and usage decisions for you, then it is "simpler".

As I understand it, Win8 takes ALL update decisions and involvement out of the users' hands...just as mobile providers do. You won't have a choice to accept or decline updates. And unless you're using a "hacked" phone, you may be able to use only "approved" apps and maybe even get apps only from their store or other "authorized" sources. Microsoft and others seem to be gushing over the control that kind of market model provides to them. It will certainly increase their profits.

The problem is (IMO just as with personal security these days) the general populace seem all too willing to give up personal control, responsibility, and privacy in return for the promise of "safety" and things that will "simplify" their need to do any thinking/learning.


edit to add:
Also, my deep concerns about making your company (or control of your personal finances, etc) even more dependent on "the Cloud" are not assuaged by this model.

edit to add:
Will Windows 8 Have Legal Problems in the EU?
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/dutch-government-to-ban-us-provi...erns/58342 Oh...well changing the EU data protection laws makes everything better.

.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/perlow/microsofts-metro-proves-the-p...dead/18705

By the way, I think in this article the author has pushed-out his EOL date for desktop computers from a few years to 10 years. I might not be recalling that correctly because I'm sleep deprived and the pain meds are definitely making it difficult to concentrate.