[FutureShock]

The latest Windows 8 buzz is beginning to come in with its scheduled release coming up and evaluters speculating on what the final product may be like. Here are the results of a recent poll:





This is from a source I give some credence to based on past experiences with the group. I think it's a pretty alarming breakdown for MS. Couple that with the fact that the metro angle can't be used to market the product, and things look grim for this unpopular and unmarketable product...bad combination.

There is also talk that Microsoft may block system changes that would make it possible to boot to the desktop in Windows 8. I don't see how this would hurt much honestly, considering the start menu has been wiped out. StarDock supposedly has an app for a start menu, but apparently MS is moving against even Administrative capabilities for setting boots into the desktop mode using Group Policy. Even start menu would not change the fact that there is an unnecessary behemoth over the desktop.

All this talk can't be helping make positive perceptions of 8, and to me there seems to be a groundswell growing...potentially much bigger than the Vista rebellion...against the OS. Just a guess here, but I would say that unless something changes, the reception to this release will make Vista look like the Queen's ball in comparison.

I think MS could continue to drag this out to bleed developers of apps, convincing them that all boots will go into the tiled area, then change the setup, possibly even add a start menu. But this would be a HUGE mistake as these developers carry a lot of weight when it comes to deciding what will be next. I hope MS isn't counting on being able to change the game with developers that way.

At this time MS is apparently declining comment on these developments...

[marko]

Although I've said in the past that Windows 8 will just be another Windows 7, in the sense it will simply be forced on new computer buyers and they will inevitably "get used to it", the figures generally speak for themselves - having worked in corporate IT infrastructure's myself, the challenges that Vista/7 brought to mass rollout's were bad enough but I can't even speak of the nightmare that lay's ahead of those unfortunate enough to have to be involved in administering Windows 8 in a domain/corporate environment containing many thousands of users. Group policies at server level normally control the desktop computers for the users, but from what I've read on the subject so far, Windows 8 is simply not viable (or even ready) for any corporate environment which, to me, means they could be making the choice between the desktop or attempting to capitalise on the mobile market ... it really depends on which they think is the more lucrative, but it would appear they have made their choice from what we see at the moment.

I know for sure now though that most new computer buyers will likely resist Windows 8, like many did with Windows 7, and in particular the corporate sector may just as well put their millions of pounds of IT investment into investigating the possibilities of going open source - chances are it can't be any more complicated or impractical now than considering Windows 8 surely - problem is, MS could be putting all their egg's in the one basket and if enough corporate clients pull out of Windows licenses, MS will have to be pretty confident they made the right choice because without the corporate licenses to fall back on, they will have to rely solely on the public purchases which isn't a particularly wise move if you ask me.

[Bala7]

I have to admit the boot times are incredibly fast ... right now I'm testing Win8 RTM Ultimate (cough) on a very low powered Intel (cpu) Atom Netbook and wow, boots up in 7 to 10 seconds.

Push Button Reset: not quite but nicely done nevertheless.
One overriding quagmire i simply cannot rap my brain around is how / whose idea was it to continue embedding Visa era drivers? Dumb beyond words can express! Think about this, Windows 8 relies on drives nearly 6 years old! And yet, Windows 8 moves to a completely different printer driver model featuring fantastic printer driver improvements.

My opinion hasn't changed, superb on touch enabled hand-helds but a real annoyance with an old fashioned keyboard and mouse desktop.

What does truly excite me is the proposed new filing system geared up for Win8 Service Pack 1 call "ReFS" or Resilient File System. Directly from the horse's mouth --> http://blogs.msdn.co...ndows-refs.aspx

Paint a picture if you will of the new EUFI BIOS standard, paired with a new OS filing system and a 10, 15 or possibly 20 Terabyte hard-drive. Nope, not science fiction ... 2 years away.

[FutureShock]

All of this brings a couple of things to my mind Bala...

1. Microsoft's design and sell on a product cycle has been generally something to forgive them for to date...
2. Microsoft's design and sell on a product cycle has yet to bring to market a finished product

When I first found out that there wouldn't be native support in XP for burning to DVD I was shocked. I believed that MS was getting close at that time to abandoning design and sell on a product cycle. Since then there have been numerous examples of how wrong I was, of course. Looks like your Vista era drivers issue points to the still thriving economy of Microsoft unfinished projects...all to be marketed correctly and justified by their successful sales numbers of course.

That situation was comical to me. Native support to burn to CD...check. Native support to burn to DVD...nah. If that seems bad, it really shows up in MS Office. There are so many things such as charts, for example, that just decide what you meant for you. In spite of all this, so far MS has been able to count on the fact that the software is so inefficient that noone ever gets around to exploring the failures in it. Instead, everyone finds two things that can (like highlighting in this case) be done, and everyone just goes ahead and does those (italics in this)...especially at the office. Seriously, and they become experts of those two things by far...I mean experts...I'm being a little comical here, but I sense that with this new Windows, not even two things will count to master at the office. If MS is soon forced to turn to IT for answers, they will find the arena full of angry sharks. This is if things don't work out with 8...

IT is the guys who work around the machines. They don't care about software much, but it better work. But these guys are roughnecks...the ones I've run across. They could care less who forgives anybody. MS will have to answer to them eventually.

Oh, Bala. I did a little reading on the abandoned 3D storage idea. Wow is that a cool idea. I bet it shows up again...

[Claw]

Well, it looks like Microsoft officially changed the name of Metro to,,,,,,,, Windows 8. Now that's original !!!!

[JoninOz]

Maybe MS had more complaints following Germany's complaint.

Metro Underground. Russia.
Metro Rail & Bus. L.A.
Metro Construction & Consultancy. India.
Metro Credit union. MA.
Metro Bank. PA.
Metro Trains. Melbourne. Australia.


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