A preview of Windows 8

[Mychael]

As long as it took to get a good system like W7 and they're already working on how to kill it for something worse?

That's always been a bit 'Microsoft' though don't you think?
They have not had a steady progession through their O/S's, you get some improvements and they seem to be on the right track, then they drop the ball again and bring out a clanger, then something quite enduring like XP and so on.
Apart from 95-98 it's appeared to me that they sometimes try too hard to bring out something entirely different instead of steadily evolving in a more linear progression.

 

[catilley1092]

As much money as Win 7 is bringing in, I honestly don't see the need for a new Windows yet, but the folks at MS seem to think so. There's a steady flow of cash pouring in, plus a new Office coming, why screw it up? BTW, Office 2012 hasn't even hit the stores yet, and Office 15 is already in the works?

http://www.office-2012.com/tag/office/

MS won't really make that much more cash, it'll only divert from Win 7/Office 2010 sales. There's only so many customers to go around.

I do understand that tablet computers & touchscreens have popularity with some, it would seem that Win 7 could be modified for these things, just as they did with XP. There were both tablet & media center editions of that OS, the same could be done with 7.

Cat

 

[DallasDad]

I totally agree DallasDad. I just bought my LCD screen a few months ago, I'm not going out to buy a $$$ touchscreen I'm not gonna use on my desktop PC.
Honestly my first thought was, "Hey, they're running a souped-up version of Windows Media Center" and then " YUCK".

"YUCK" is right! I just can't believe they're actually going to try and shove a tablet OS down the throat of everyone who runs a desktop!
There's no reason for a "one size fits all" OS. If they want a new system for tablets then make one for tablets and leave the desktops alone!

 

[clifford_cooley]

If they want a new system for tablets then make one for tablets and leave the desktops alone!

I'm pretty sure that will be the case.

If they do change, this long time windows user will convert to something else.

 

[DallasDad]

I'm pretty sure that will be the case.
If they do change, this long time windows user will convert to something else.

I'm with you Clifford.

 

[catilley1092]

That's what I was saying. MS can do this w/o creating a new OS, or should be able to. They had a version of XP to do it, I don't know if there was a Vista version.

I have a feeling that for the masses, most will stick with Win 7. Except those who will benefit from the features of the new OS. MS is probably going to wait another 3 years before releasing another big one (a potential Win 7 replacement), probably after support for XP ends. And why not? MS is currently making cash hand over fist with 7. Ballmer isn't going to screw that up.

This way, by that time, they can dump 32 bit entirely, the developers by that time should have plenty of native 64 bit apps for us, and that release will most certainly be no less than 64 bit, with a 128 bit option for those who really wants kick ass system. Kind of like it was a few years ago, when 32 bit was mainstream, yet for those who wanted it, 64 bit was available. 64 bit began being available to customers in the spring of 2005, but at that time, not many bit. Only when Win 7 went to RTM, 64 bit computing skyrocketed, 4 and a half years after availability.

The same will happen with 128 bit, it'll take some time to become mainstream, but probably not as long as it did with 64 bit. Technology is moving at a faster pace now.

But I do want to get my hands on the beta of 8, probably not to buy it, but to take it for a test drive. It'll still be interesting to see how good it really is, but I highly doubt, from all accounts that I've read so far, that it has no chance of overtaking 7, or even seriously cutting into it's market share.

However, it may very well cut into the market share of previous versions of Windows that's aimed at a certain market.

Cat

 

[m1r2hud]

touch screen would be great for the clean freaks,lmao.

 

[Habibk20]

windows 8 is nice....

 

[msdos622wasfun]

To say the least, I think Windows 8 will be a controversial release. Seems like it's making more waves than even Windows 95 did.

I finally installed the release preview as my production OS right now on my system at home with my new 2 TB hard drive. I'm trying to get ready for the final release on October 26, which I plan to upgrade to.

As I've been testing the waters, most things seem to work well. I could complain about some things, like the fact that I've been unable to get the Dropbox client to work. Hopefully that might get straightened out soon.

I don't deny that there was a bit of a learning curve, and sometimes it can seem strange trying to juggle the desktop and "Metro" at the same time, but overall I am really looking forward to this upgrade. Now that I'm used to the changes, it seems to work well (for me). Take the Start screen -- I'd rather have it fill up a whole screen with information rather than have it crammed into the corner inside a menu (the Start menu). To me that just makes more sense. Let it spread out and use all the visual real estate. We can afford it now.

Windows 8 RP has proven to be very fast on my machine. I like the way it looks and all the small tweaks. I know that for now, my desktop apps will still run and I can still spend time in desktop mode as we deal with this new transition or transformation to the new architecture that Microsoft has planned. And I am very seriously considering the purchase of a Surface Pro early next year to replace my current HP laptop, which is now three years old.

I don't know if Windows 8 is the new "Bob." When Bob came out, I saw no reason to use it. But I see Windows 8 as something more sophisticated than that, in other words, the future. I also know that some people disagree with that, and that's fine. Whatever problems we have with these changes that are being made, hopefully they can be ironed out in time.