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Windows 8 - Deeper Impressions


JorgeA

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Stop ragging on Microsoft. Don't you KNOW that their highly paid Professional Experts have metrics and focus groups and crystal balls to support their design choices?? Shame on you, you hater...

NO, shame on you. :realmad:

That sentence is highly offending and discriminating towards crystal balls users. :angry:

Being one I can assure you that when tuned properly a crystal ball is quite accurate :thumbup , the issue is that they become VERY easily and VERY often out of tune.

IMHO they could save the money given to their highly paid Professional Experts and should instead invest in research in crystal balls tuning. ;)

On average, crystal ball originated decisions have rates of correctness higher than the roughly 50% rate that MS showed (see the MS OS chess-like game :whistle: .

You might want to acknowledgge that a crystall ball since several hundreds years has as well a touch interface :yes: BUT is also 3D...... :lol:

jaclaz

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That sentence is highly offending and discriminating towards crystal balls users. :angry:

Being one I can assure you that when tuned properly a crystal ball is quite accurate :thumbup , the issue is that they become VERY easily and VERY often out of tune.

rotflmao.gif

You might want to acknowledgge that a crystall ball since several hundreds years has as well a touch interface :yes: BUT is also 3D...... :lol:

:D:thumbup

There's the design concept for The Next Big Thing in mobile computing!!

--JorgeA

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if it just Tegra-3-SoC,

the incoming "Ouya" would much cheaper and its promised to be open architecture too.

Review from PC World: http://www.pcworld.com/article/259121/why_ouya_is_making_a_killing_on_kickstarter.html

Interview with Engadget: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/17/interview-ouya-ceo-julie-uhrman/

Though this one not technically a tablet or phone ... I found this better than that $600 RT deals.

Wow, a modestly priced game console that you can maintain yourself -- what a great idea! And the "crowdfunding" model is itself intriguing.

Thanks for the links.

--JorgeA

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There's the design concept for The Next Big Thing in mobile computing!!

Yeah, sure, the issue actual researchers are after is synthetic spider web and artificial moonlight.

This is mis-information:

http://www.themysticcorner.com/Crystal_Ball_Gazing.asp

http://www.silverhoofs.com/c-ball.htm

you DO NOT use liquid soap or distilled water with salt :w00t: to wash a crystl ball :realmad:

You need cobweb dew (and only that gathered in a full moon night)!

flat,550x550,075,f.jpg

Now, for NO apparent reason and just as an example of the difference between not funny humour and good humour, a couple Lolcats :yes: :

606cc8e1-3b38-4a54-b6d8-c876cb439878.jpg

:(

lolcat.jpg

:lol:

jaclaz

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From everything I've seen and heard, the Android phone is comparable to Linux, ie more flexible and powerful but it can get complicated to use so it's a power user phone, while the iPhone is like a Mac, it just works, even your grandmother can learn to operate it. The Windows phone looks like a toy, but it's market share is so small that it really doesn't matter.

I haven't really compared Android vs iPhone ease of use (both are pretty user friendly), but so far all Android phones I've seen were bought basically because it's cheaper (free with the plan), not based on technical merit in any way. It's basically what you get if you don't want to spend the money to get the iPhone. It's not the user interface that's the main differentiator for me either, and I don't see how some people here think it attracts different age groups or whatever based on that. It mainly needs to be non-horrible unlike the WP8 phone which I can't see anybody buying but the most extreme MS fanboys (and possibly only the blind ones... I mean, no-contrast white on yellow?) Most people would be perfectly happy with the other two.

I've seen some users who had issues with Android phones (performance, spam, malware, etc) that I haven't seen iPhone users experience. Meanwhile, I know that the iPhone has a pretty good program to sync music (with smart playlists and all -- using the same software as our ipods) which is a very big deal for me, it has by far a better app selection (that's where the money is, so that's where the devs go, and the iDevice devs typically value things like user experience more) which is also very important to me (Apple's store is better too), and if you buy an app for your iPhone then it'll also work on your iPod and iPad (everything just works between your devices). I also know for a fact that it works great in an enterprise setup: you can very easily check your emails from exchange server (we replaced our BlackBerries by iPhones). It also has a lot of "premium" features, like Siri and FaceTime, a far better LCD display, arguably a somewhat better OS, the battery life is better than most Android devices, the on screen keyboard typically works better, etc. An iPhone gets iOS updates (if you have a 4S, you're getting iOS 6 now), unlike if I bought some Android 2.x device from my phone company in which case it'll run Android 2.x forever. The hardware is awesome but yes, it's expensive for sure. I just view it as a very good but premium phone (which pretty much just works). If I wanted a great smartphone and that I had the budget, that's what I'd get. And if I basically wanted that and didn't have the money then I'd get an Android phone. As simple as that.

Just my $0.02 (we're pretty off-topic, BTW)

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Image discovered of retail box for Microsoft Plus!, I mean Windows 8 Pro Pack ...

More Windows 8 box art revealed, "Pro Pack" spotted too ( NeoWin 2012-09-22 )

"Something new contained in these leaked images is the "Pro Pack", whose box art was not previously leaked. We can also now see that the "Pro Pack" will include Media Center but it will only include a serial key, no disc. This package is likely an upgrade only for those who already have Windows 8 and sticks with the announcement by Microsoft that Media Center will be a bolt on application"

What should be a bolt-on application is Metro itself. :yes: But I digress.

What is it? Recall from the official Destroying Windows blog this carefully crafted excuse from Windows Destroyer-In-Chief Sinofsky blaming the users, the 'partners' and the decoders themselves for the removal of a ubiquitous compatibility feature from Windows 8 ( ummm, does it still support serial, parallel, floppy, PS/2 and IDE out of the box, just wondering? ) ...

"In the process of building a robust platform, we’ve also evaluated which in-box media playback experiences we want to provide. The media landscape has changed quite significantly since the release of Windows 7. Our telemetry data and user research shows us that the vast majority of video consumption on the PC and other mobile devices is coming from online sources such as YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, or any of the other myriad of online and downloadable video services available. In fact, consumption of movies online in the United States will surpass physical video in 2012, according to this recent IHS Screen Digest research.

On the PC, these online sources are growing much faster than DVD & broadcast TV consumption, which are in sharp decline (no matter how you measure—unique users, minutes, percentage of sources, etc.). Globally, DVD sales have declined significantly year over year and Blu-ray on PCs is losing momentum as well. Watching broadcast TV on PCs, while incredibly important for some of you, has also declined steadily. These traditional media playback scenarios, optical media and broadcast TV, require a specialized set of decoders (and hardware) that cost a significant amount in royalties. With these decoders built into most Windows 7 editions, the industry has faced those costs broadly, regardless of whether or not a given device includes an optical drive or TV tuner.

Our partners have shared clear concerns over the costs associated with codec licensing for traditional media playback, especially as Windows 8 enables an unprecedented variety of form factors. Windows has addressed these concerns in the past by limiting availability of these experiences to specialized “media” or “premium” editions. At the same time, we also heard clear feedback from customers and partners that led to our much simplified Windows 8 editions lineup.

Given the changing landscape, the cost of decoder licensing, and the importance of a straight forward edition plan, we’ve decided to make Windows Media Center available to Windows 8 customers via the Add Features to Windows 8 control panel (formerly known as Windows Anytime Upgrade). This ensures that customers who are interested in Media Center have a convenient way to get it. Windows Media Player will continue to be available in all editions, but without DVD playback support. For optical discs playback on new Windows 8 devices, we are going to rely on the many quality solutions on the market, which provide great experiences for both DVD and Blu-ray."

TivbXGz.jpg

Who didn't see this coming though? They can be remarkably consistent when it comes to charging more money for the illusion of extras. Most of the Plus! packs could have been part of the RTM distribution, and I would say should have been. But this is the first time they remove a common compatibility feature and charged for it. Coming soon, the non-operating operating system, Windows nOS with feature charges à la carte, 'Please check off the features of your system that you would like to enable: PS/2 input, Serial Ports, IDE, Parallel ... Thank you for choosing Windows nOS!" :realmad:

Microsoft Plus!

Q8gDn.jpg

YC1Ljvq.jpg

Image Sources: 1,2,3,4,5,6

EDIT: updated image URLs, and again

Edited by CharlotteTheHarlot
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While Windows 9 might be the 'tock' that saves us from the cringe fest that is Windows 8, it seems a safe bet that we're not far from Microsoft taking the old 'hamburger scam' t the next level; 'Hambugers 99¢! (cooked and with bun $5.00)'... Or, god forbid, a 'subscription OS'!

:D

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Or, god forbid, a 'subscription OS'!

I guess that this will largely depend on how many morons users will subscribe to the new Office licensing scheme :ph34r: .

This still reminds me of elementary school:

02TcX.jpg

|7|	+	|1|=	| |
|8|
|6| + |2|= | |

jaclaz

P.S.:

For NO apparent reason a possible explanation of the creative process (re: "new" Windows Logo):

windows.png

Edited by jaclaz
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And thank you for helping me to stay on a regular monitor cleaning schedule.

And wait until you will have a touchscreen :ph34r:

Anyway, from time to time you really should clean those monitors from the inside too.

http://www.linein.org/blog/2008/01/11/free-screen-cleaner/

http://www.linein.org/blog/2008/03/20/free-screen-cleaner-cat-version/

Another version more interactive (that requires a Spoiler and changes to xxx) :ph34r: :

hxxxp://links.flashdance.cx/swf/ciagnijcycka.swf

jaclaz

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While Windows 9 might be the 'tock' that saves us from the cringe fest that is Windows 8, it seems a safe bet that we're not far from Microsoft taking the old 'hamburger scam' t the next level; 'Hambugers 99¢! (cooked and with bun $5.00)'... Or, god forbid, a 'subscription OS'!

:D

You may note be that far off the mark. The article that I linked to above, cites a newspaper interview with Ballmer, where he says

I think when you look forward, our core capability will be software, (but) you'll probably think of us more as a devices-and-services company. Which is a little different. Software powers devices and software powers these cloud services, but it's a different form of delivery....

Other tidbits from that interview:

Q: What is Microsoft's plan if Windows 8 doesn't take off?

A: You know, Windows 8 is going to do great.

Q: No doubt at all?

A: I'm not paid to have doubts. (Laughs.) I don't have any. It's a fantastic product. ...

And:

It also brings us into this world of much more mobile computing and more mobile form factors. I think it's going to be hard to tell what's a tablet and what is a PC.

Ballmer's fundamental mistake. As we have noted a number of times in this thread, a PC is not a tablet, and a tablet is not a PC. :realmad:

--JorgeA

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So, putting Thurrott's declarations together, "the desktop must die" and the Metro-faced PCs we use will be running on ARM.

What will that mean for gaming, CAD, video and photo editors, financial analysts, and anybody else whose work and interests require the use of high-powered machines?

Well obviously not today but the theory is sound; ARM architecture can scale just fine to meet high-power computing requirements, and some software Developer/Publishers might like the idea of a 'reboot' on a new platform, with DRM and a walled garden that works and offers at least the promise of more profitability. However when you factor in that it will be Microsoft's DRM, Microsoft's walled garden, and Microsoft's dysfunctional Metro/Modern/NCI (where did NCI come from?) interface -- it's difficult to understand how any Developer/Publisher without a twenty year contract with Microsoft could find this any more appealing then any rational Consumer that's functioning above the neck...

:unsure:

Bad news, hoak -- while researching something else, I came across this bit of information.

There's also this.

In December 2011, Microsoft published a document entitled "Windows Hardware Certification Requirements" for client and server systems. As the introduction explains:

This release to web (RTW) document contains the Windows Hardware Certification requirements for Windows 8 Certified Systems. These requirements are Microsoft’s guidelines for designing systems which successfully meet Windows performance, quality, and feature criteria, to assure the optimum Windows 8 computing experience. Successfully following this guidance will allow a partner to receive certification for their system.

On page 116 of this document, there are some details about the circumstances under which Secure Boot can be disabled:

MANDATORY: Enable/Disable Secure Boot. On non-ARM systems, it is required to implement the ability to disable Secure Boot via firmware setup. A physically present user must be allowed to disable Secure Boot via firmware setup without possession of Pkpriv. Programmatic disabling of Secure Boot either during Boot Services or after exiting EFI Boot Services MUST NOT be possible. Disabling Secure MUST NOT be possible on ARM systems.

Unless the Windows 8 hardware certification requirements have changed since that was written, it looks like our hypothetical switch over from Intel to ARM systems on our desks would mean the end of multibooting with other OS's. Yet another way in which Microsoft with Windows 8 is restricting user choice. :realmad::realmad::realmad:

EDIT: It's conceivable that ARM PCs might be enabled at the factory to boot other OS's (maybe), but here is some more background on the issue:

“UEFI's Secure Boot is implemented at OEM (originial equipment manufacturer) level, all new PCs purchased (with the intent of loading your favorite distro) will have Secure Boot." This cripples them as far as Malmrose is concerned.

“Yes, you can disable it. But 'disabling' something that's 'secure' makes you bad.” Besides as Malmose told me, “the keystroke(s) needed to get Linux to run on machines post-2012 will be simple at first, becoming increasingly complex at a non-shocking rate. It's a monumental shift at OEM level.” Malmrose fears that this will desktop Linux “too difficult to new users, [and this will cause] slow death by suffocation” for Linux.

--JorgeA

Edited by JorgeA
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While obviously Microsoft will (and already has) lock down ARM platforms it licenses Windows RT with OEM partners as well as ARM hardware it licenses outright -- the good news is ARM licensure is not mitigated by just three licensees, so we'll likely never see Microsoft prevailing on ARM the way it has on x86 -- there are just too many licensees, and anyone that wants to can inexpensively license ARM and build a new system with any BIOS boot configuration, that loads any OS (or excludes any OS) that pleases them.

ARM hardware and licensure is and should remain very free market so, and if alternatives to Windows RT are as competitive and credible (as we know them to be), it's a forgone conclusion that Microsoft is shooting themselves in the foot with a triple salvo of: 1) a higher price point, 2) exclusivity with their OEM hardware partners, and 3) an even more exclusive Microsoft ecosystem... Who is going to pay more for the same hardware just because it has Windows RT on it, when you can run Linux or Android on it and Run Windows 7 under emulation for substantially less?

:)

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