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Windows 8 - Deeper Impressions


JorgeA

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Since the good guys have all but conquered the Start Menu, I hope now that someone can tame the Metro GUI and do what Microsoft should have all along: and that is cram it into a portable, windowed application like Media Center was on WinXP and later. One that can be launched from a shortcut, and terminated at will. Since it is "nothing more than a full-screen launcher" ( according to the MicroZombies ) then it should be able to operate as such, just like all the thousands of other alternative program launchers available for many years. Of course we all know that Microsoft didn't simply create an alternative full-screen launcher at all, instead it is the prototype gateway to their Walled Garden Apple-ripoff.

Brilliant connection (and conclusion) that you've made!! :thumbup That's right, the fanboys keep telling us that Metro is just another program launcher, but it's really not. Instead of getting out of the way, it's in your face, and it aggressively tries to channel the user into (for example) its own newfangled version of Internet Explorer.

BTW, did you notice the comment in that thread that said,

There was a tutorial video in Office RT that wouldn't play because it didn't have the right video plug in. Silly MS.

:lol:

--JorgeA

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Trolls :sneaky:

Yep, pro-Windows 8 or pro-Metro is normal, contrarian views are trolling. God, if you disliked that, you're really gonna hate these ...

Microsoft Surface trounced in browser benchmarks, iPad 3x faster ( TechSpot 2012-11-05 )

Web Performance: SunSpider, V8, And BrowsingBench ( Tom's Hardware 2012-11-05 )

Surface RT gets crushed in Peacekeeper browser benchmark ( NeoWin 2012-11-07 )

Contrary to the many reviews which applaud the snappy responsiveness of Surface's multi-gesture-capable UI, Futuremark's synthetic tests indicate Apple's latest iPad man-handles HTML5 three times faster than Microsoft's $499 tablet. In fact, Surface -- which scored 348 points on Peacekeeper -- even falls behind the 3rd-gen iPad (522), the iPad Mini (515) and the Nexus 7 (522).

Tablets aside, the iPhone 5 (907), Galaxy S III (680) and HTC One S (460) were the three top-scoring smartphones on the list, all of which managed to best Surface by rather cushy margins.

Now we know why Microsoft didn't let a single hands-on review or benchmarking occur prior to launch. And they are doing precisely the same thing with Surface Pro. They are more like a carefully sheltered political candidate these days.

Ummm, I shouldn't have to, but I'll say it anyway, I have no love for Apple ( and I truly despise the possibility of MicroApple ). I have but a few things Apple around here that were given me, and an iPhone we got on our plan which I rarely use anyway. That's it. However, I do have probably 3 dozen computers here with as many as 4 different Windows versions on each on various drives. My bonafides with Microsoft and their software and operating systems are ancient and deep. They lost my respect, and they will have to earn it back. If that's a troll, then I think you need a new dictionary.

Now who could possibly resist this story ( not me! ) ...

Microsoft, Dell Releases Free Windows 8 for Dummies, More ( Tom's Hardware 2012-11-05 )

It's actually right here (PDF). The article also mentions a very useful official Microsoft link for people ... UPDATE 2012-11-11: Link is now dead. Don't complain to me or to this great forum. Complain to the 1st party geniuses: Microsoft and Dell.

E-Book Gallery for Microsoft Technologies ( social.technet.microsoft.com )

... and there are at least 60 books there right now ranging covering Office, VS, cloud, SQL and much more. Most are very recent. Have at it. <-- That part is all completely serious and on the level. Promise. :yes:

This however, might upset some people :whistle: ...

EcPKv.jpg

Microsoft Windows 8 : We Rule, everyone else sucks! ( Apple, Google, Linux, and even Windows XP and 7 )

EDIT: added another link

Edited by CharlotteTheHarlot
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Dell has seemingly based the book on an assumption. :ph34r:

The assumption being that the target for Windows 8 are users already capable of reading, which seems not like the case, as everything as already said is seemingly targeted to 5 years old. :whistle:

Every time an "additional" instructiion manual comes for something that is supposed to be "easy", "intuitive", "self-explicative" I tend to believe that either the instruction manual or the thing supposed to be easy are a failure.

About Apple, I had a few of them, even today if you run an old System 7 or 7.1 (1993 or 1994) you can see how it was years ahead of the comparable Dos/Windows 3.x and even much better than Windows 95.

Believe me when I tell you that it is another world (a word I have no actual use for :w00t: , but still another world :thumbup ).

My mom - now over 80 - got her first computer about two months ago, and she learned to operate an iPad decently (for what her needs are: e-mail, web browsing, a couple dictionaries/encyclopedias, Skype) in less than two weeks and with very little intervention/assistance by me or friends (and without needing toread an iPad for dummies guide).

jaclaz

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Dell has seemingly based the book on an assumption. :ph34r:

The assumption being that the target for Windows 8 are users already capable of reading, which seems not like the case, as everything as already said is seemingly targeted to 5 years old. :whistle:

:D

My mom - now over 80 - got her first computer about two months ago, and she learned to operate an iPad decently (for what her needs are: e-mail, web browsing, a couple dictionaries/encyclopedias, Skype) in less than two weeks and with very little intervention/assistance by me or friends (and without needing toread an iPad for dummies guide).

Good for her! :yes: Tablets and their simplified operation definitely have a place. Not everyone needs a full-featured OS every time and everywhere they go.

But, to borrow CharlotteTheHarlot's car concept, Microsoft apparently has decided that everybody should ultimately be driving a Smart Car (or a Geo Metro :w00t: ), regardless of what they want the vehicle (the OS) for.

--JorgeA

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But, to borrow CharlotteTheHarlot's car concept, Microsoft apparently has decided that everybody should ultimately be driving a Smart Car (or a Geo Metro :w00t: ), regardless of what they want the vehicle (the OS) for.

But, as already mentioned a Smart Car would run a Smart GOOD, REAL TIME OS, such as QNX:

http://www.qnx.com/

For a comparison between a Porsche 911 GT3, a Toyota Hi-Lux and a wheel-barrow :w00t: see here:

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=24502&st=12

jaclaz

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Here's a video review of Windows 8. Be sure to check out the discussion of the search function behavior starting at about 20:25, and of annoyances with scrolling at about 21:35.

Also, apparently they found an ad inside the weather Metro app.

--JorgeA

Edited by JorgeA
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Steve Ballmer was interviewed by the Wall Street Journal (October 30). Here's an excerpt relevant to our thread:

Q. "How has reception been for Windows 8 and the Surface tablet in the first few days?"

SB: "Numerically there's not really much that's interesting. If you were to call the retailers, they would say, 'Hey, off to a very good start.' We're out of stock a lot of places on touch machines." [emphasis added]

--JorgeA

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Windows 8 Users Receiving How-to Emails From Microsoft ( Tom's Hardware 2012-11-07 )

The first e-mail, entitled "Getting Started with Windows," offers advice on utilizing the OS' revamped Start screen through a brief description of Live Tiles. ...

The second e-mail, meanwhile, is dubbed "Personalize your Windows". It shows users how to customize their Start screen, download new apps from the Windows store, work with built-in apps and create a picture password.

Well this is so, so much better than having built-in help available by pressing F1 ( or is that ALT+FN+F1 :whistle: ), or perhaps built-in tutorials ( the kind that are always available, not just on first login ), or simple plain intuitive GUI elements and yes, discoverability. What is very strange that they begin suddenly sending these helpful Emails a week later after launch. I mean this experiment has been ongoing for over one year now, I would think that it would have been scheduled immediately with launch. One week later indicates to me that something has happened between then and now. File this under "things that make you go hmmmmm".

Editorial: Will 2013 be Microsoft's biggest year ever? ( NeoWin 2012-11-07 )

It will be their biggest something. However I do not think it will be something they, or the sycophants hope for.

AT&T off contract Lumia 920 only $450 ( NeoWin 2012-11-07 )

Now at first glance this does sound almost reasonable, definitely a marked improvement over the $700 to $800 price tag alleged in stories seen in a few earlier posts. However, this is definitely partially subsidized by AT&T. More importantly, it is the bare phone which does not include high priced charger gadgets. It looks like the thing + charger will be a minimum of $550 to $600 range off-contract. That is still a lot of dough. I was going to say that you might instead buy a very good 17" laptop or killer desktop instead for the same amount of money, but even that may not be possible since the net result of the fabulous Windows 8 era is dragging prices UPWARD not downward. The bulk of the offerings at the moment are Windows 8 based. God forbid if OEMs completely switch over. The long-running trend of more power and performance at a lower cost year after year will have ended thanks to Microsoft and their toy operating system. Thanks guys! :realmad:

Sad News: Microsoft Currently Has No Plans for Halo 4 PC ( Tom's Hardware 2012-11-07 )

Inching towards that walled-garden. Slow cooking frogs will shrug their shoulders again. Don't believe it? Well there are allegedly 1.3 Billion computers using Windows and there are a total of 24 Million Xbox sales total. If you have some software that is RTM and ready for sale, why on Earth would you choose to limit the maximum pool of purchasers to 24 Million and leave the 1.3 Billion alone? Obviously the plan is to get them to access the game through Windows 8 Metro via the store eventually. I have no doubt that at least a few sane business people at Microsoft pushed for a Windows PC release in addition to Xbox. Imagine the contortions those that shot it down had to go through to justify the limitation. May this fail spectacularly.

Preliminary teardown suggests Surface RT is more profitable than iPad ( TechSpot 2012-11-07 )

A new report from IHS iSuppli suggests that Microsoft’s Surface RT tablet is more profitable than Apple’s iPad. The company’s preliminary teardown report on a 32GB Surface with the optional black touch cover reveals a bill of materials (BOM) of $271.00. That figure increases slightly to $284 after manufacturing expenses are applied.

Microsoft sells the 32GB Surface RT with touch cover for $599 which equates to about $315 in profit on the hardware alone. According to the teardown experts, this shows that manufacturing profits are higher, in percentage terms, than Apple’s entry-level $499 iPad.

... IHS also estimates that it costs Microsoft no more than $18 to manufacture the touch cover, an accessory that tacks on $100 to the price of the 32GB Surface RT tablet.

Succumbing to Apple-envy, the transition to MicroApple is well underway now. The business model Apple pioneered and that Microsoft longs for is selling mediocre quality hardware at premium prices portrayed as trendy and fashionable boutique technology. It is quite simple to do. Just farm out construction to the lowest bidder by nailing down contracts with 3rd-world near-slave labor, take the money you save there and spend it on Madison Avenue advertising firms to whitewash the disparity, and create an image of a purely American made device just yearning to be clicked and swiped by eager throngs of hipsters twittering and facebooking their way to their next Starbucks nonfat Vanilla-Blueberry Latte Grande. The plan might work, for a short while. They picked the wrong time economically though, and I imagine there are some rather large fiscal crises upcoming in shot order. The other problem is that the world is more connected than ever before. Apple has not been able to yet get out from under the FoxConn worker suicide situation, and the news will only get worse over time. The opportunity for fail here for Microsoft is very high, especially since they are tone-deaf and prone to making huge errors under Ballmer. I see a very narrow path to success here with many possible detours into trouble for Microsoft.

Microsoft Patent Lets Hollywood Watch You with Camera ( Tom's Hardware 2012-11-06 )

In Microsoft patent, Kinect watches you ( NeoWin 2012-11-07 )

A content presentation system and method allowing content providers to regulate the presentation of content on a per-user-view basis. Content is distributed an associated license option on the number of individual consumers or viewers allowed to consume the content. Consumers are presented with a content selection and a choice of licenses allowing consumption of the content. The users consuming the content on a display device are monitored so that if the number of user-views licensed is exceeded, remedial action may be taken.

And the slow-cooking frogs will still be silent, relaxing on their lilly-pads watching their facebook page and email live tiles. The two things I have noticed that most impacted Google's reputation over the past few years was the China episode ( collaborating with regime censorship ) and their many questionable data-mining and privacy violations. Never underestimate the power of ill-will. It has damaged Google's reputation for many people. So now we see something here far, far more Orwellian, at least in design. We all know it is a complete sell-out to the Hollywood mafia, almost all these companies will sell-out their users in a heartbeat when push comes to shove. Unfortunately for Microsoft, with their unique monopoly they are situated in a more precarious position and might pay a higher cost. At the very least, this Patent demonstrates extraordinary tone-deafness ( again! ) and tells me that the company has a serious problem in the boardroom. I don't know when, but there will be a Wall Street rocking shakeup in management eventually. The only possible good reason to Patent this would be if they announced they are: "freezing the concept so that it may never be used on their customers, ever". An act of significant benevolence for the computer user community. I have yet to see such an announcement. Welcome to MicroGoogle

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Steve Ballmer was interviewed by the Wall Street Journal (October 30). Here's an excerpt relevant to our thread:

Remember me to file this under "News" :whistle:

;)

jaclaz

LOL, I'm sure that if the sales figures were good he would have given them in the interview.

--JorgeA

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Jeez, I was just saying: "God forbid if OEMs completely switch over. The long-running trend of more power and performance at a lower cost year after year will have ended thanks to Microsoft and their toy operating system.". Then this story arrives ...

HP won't support Windows 8 to 7 downgrade on consumer PCs ( NeoWin 2012-11-08 )

Windows 7 will not be supported on these new platforms, and no drivers, apps, or Windows 7 content will be available through HP. If users choose to downgrade their HP consumer desktop or notebook system, HP will continue to support the hardware but if there is an issue where HP diagnostics are required OR it is determined that the loaded software or upgrade operating system is causing the issue, HP may suggest returning the system to the original Windows 8 OS that shipped with the computer.

Yep, this is how it happens, in small steps, just small enough so that the slow cooking frogs aren't disturbed from their comfortable warm baths. To be sure, OEM support for the operating system has always been a joke, and is the only thing actually sillier than Microsoft support of the OS since Windows is actually maintained by and only survives because of legions of unpaid non-softie tech people all over the world ( if you are reading this, you are most likely one of them ).

But there is also the very real issue of backroom deals that Microsoft engages in with OEMs which is exactly how they got their monopoly position in the first place. So what role did they play in this one? Are they instigating this or are they merely giving a wink and a nod? The most dangerous thing to the end-user that likely occurs in these backroom arrangements is Microsoft getting hardware builders to drop the previous DDK and only produce drivers for the next version of Windows. By hook or by crook they will get their planned obsolescence. And if you are an OEM what is the upside for producing drivers for previous versions of Windows ( e.g., motherboard drivers for XP or 7 )? None at all. By forgoing the previous OS they stay off of Microsoft's bad-side and get to push more hardware out the door.

At the risk of another auto analogy imagine if the car makers were able to completely shut down the new and used parts industry ( batteries, engine parts, everything ). You new car would be instantly obsolete, dead in the water when the first thing needed to be replaced. Not a perfect comparison ( they never are ) but the effect is identical, you would only be able to buy another car. This is what we have been dealing with when there is one operating system and the company that produces it has direct power over every one of the the component makers through driver development. Planned obsolescence is a fait accompli. No-one can tell OEMs to make drivers for different versions of Windows except for the customers themselves. This might be accomplished through the media and blogs criticizing them and by direct communication with email, letters and phone calls, in short by applying pressure and reminding them not to engage in collusion with a dangerous monopoly lest they become legal targets themselves.

It should be noted that HP is pretty much the perfect equivalent of Nokia in that it is a company in a very precarious position financially, practically on life support and is recklessly betting its entire future on Windows 8. Ironically in both cases, it won't actually be Windows 8 that takes them down should they collapse, but it will have been the straw that broke the camel's back. If and when these companies fail, there will be blowback on Microsoft, and even though it wouldn't be solely due to this, it will however be 100% deserved. That's Karma baby.

What is Decor8™? ( Stardock )

And another small piece of the Windows 8 mess gets mopped up by a 3rd party. This is a $4.99 program with a clever name. It only handles the Metro wallpaper, once again restoring what should have been a no-brainer all along. How could Microsoft and the OEMs like Dell and Acer and HP already forget the irate phone calls and Netbook returns from the many purchasers that could not change the wallpaper on Windows 7 Starter Edition?

why.png

Interview: Stardock's CEO talks about Decor8 for Windows 8 ( NeoWin 2012-11-08 )

Being able to change the Windows 8 Start screen background images seems to be a natural for Microsoft to support. Why do you think the company didn't put this kind of support in the first place?

Frankly, I'm baffled by it. Android and iOS devices all let you do this. I don't know why Microsoft would lock down something as basic as customizing the background of the Start screen.

Here is a larger screenshot ( PNG 3 MB ).

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@CharlotteTheHarlot

You are evidently not very familiar with mathematics/economy.

You would have to add the question:

Are you running Windows 7 or Windows 8?

to the list of questions that an underpayed, good willing but technically inexperiened help desk operator in an eastern country will have to ask calling customers .

That (and the customer answer after having checked) would increase the duration of the call by 10 to 15 seconds.

To that you should add the increased costs for the (non-)training of the help desk operators.

And drivers for BOTH 7 and 8? :w00t:

Those represent money, BIG bucks.

The new solution under study for HP support for windows 7 is a recorded message to the effect of:

Welcome to HP technical support.

If you called you are running WIndows 8 and you have an issue with it.

Windows 8 has NO issues whatsoever, you can ask Mr. Steve Ballmer about that.

Your particular installation was perfect but you somehow managed to make a mess of it.

Please re-install Windows 8 and reactivate it, your issues will be likely gone.

If they are not, please call again, adding to the phone number you just dialed the number on the back of the machine, the Windows 8 serial number and the activation code you just got when you re-installed, this way you will go through and talk to a human being (not necessary a knowledgeable one).

Have a nice day, HP wishes to thank you for the good hardware choice you made.

One size fits all!

128953962391835022.jpg

jaclaz

Edited by jaclaz
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Welcome to HP technical support.

If you called you are running WIndows 8 and you have an issue with it.

Windows 8 has NO issues whatsoever, you can ask Mr. Steve Ballmer about that.

Your particular installation was perfect but you somehow managed to make a mess of it.

Please re-install Windows 8 and reactivate it, your issues will be likely gone.

If they are not, please call again, adding to the phone number you just dialed the number on the back of the machine, the Windows 8 serial number and the activation code you just got when you re-installed, this way you will go through and talk to a human being (not necessary a knowledgeable one).

Have a nice day, HP wishes to thank you for the good hardware choice you made.

I'm crying right now because its funny and its true.
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Jeez, I was just saying: "God forbid if OEMs completely switch over. The long-running trend of more power and performance at a lower cost year after year will have ended thanks to Microsoft and their toy operating system.". Then this story arrives ...

HP won't support Windows 8 to 7 downgrade on consumer PCs ( NeoWin 2012-11-08 )

Windows 7 will not be supported on these new platforms, and no drivers, apps, or Windows 7 content will be available through HP. If users choose to downgrade their HP consumer desktop or notebook system, HP will continue to support the hardware but if there is an issue where HP diagnostics are required OR it is determined that the loaded software or upgrade operating system is causing the issue, HP may suggest returning the system to the original Windows 8 OS that shipped with the computer.

There is a perfectly valid reason for them not doing this. There are new processes for OEMs with the Downgrade Rights program for Windows 8 than with previous versions of Windows. Its not surprising to me but it shows that HP isn't willing to spend the money to change their process in order to accomodate both OSes. Its purely a time vs money question... I'm sure HP could have figured it out, but they are playing it safe by not offering downgrades to Windows 7.

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