AZ Nerdz: Windows 8

[Glenn]

The tech blogs seem pretty excited about this on a tablet. Engaget has a good review with a short video: http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/13/windows-8-for-tablets-hands-on-preview/

It looks pretty cool. I think it could help Microsoft get a bit more marketshare in the tablet arena. Could help with smartphone and PC sales as well.

 

[SkiDork]

So the new interface will look like the smartphone? Is it configurable to make it look like classic/win7?

 

[mondeo]

So the new interface will look like the smartphone? Is it configurable to make it look like classic/win7?

The traditional power-usery front end is still there, and at the moment is pretty much Win7.

And the interface does work really well on my phone.

 

[bvibert]

A lot of blogs seems pretty excited by this, I've haven't been interested enough to read any of the articles though. I'm not a big fan of the direction that the Windows UI has been going, a quick glance of the above article further supports that opinion. I have no plans on getting a tablet anytime soon and when I do it will likely be an Android device. On my desktop computer I want a desktop OS, not a desktop OS made to look like a tablet.

 

[mondeo]

A lot of blogs seems pretty excited by this, I've haven't been interested enough to read any of the articles though. I'm not a big fan of the direction that the Windows UI has been going, a quick glance of the above article further supports that opinion. I have no plans on getting a tablet anytime soon and when I do it will likely be an Android device. On my desktop computer I want a desktop OS, not a desktop OS made to look like a tablet.

The desktop OS is still there. And I'm still confused why people would get something the size of a small laptop with the functionality of a smartphone.

 

[bvibert]

The desktop OS is still there. And I'm still confused why people would get something the size of a small laptop with the functionality of a smartphone.

From the article above it sounds like the desktop interface is an app running on top of the new UI. So, it sounds like a tablet OS that has desktop functionality...

 

[bvibert]

I find it funny that the first article I found when I went searching for some more Windows 8 information was on the new blue screen of death...

Windows 8 Has A Friendlier Blue Screen Of Death

 

[mondeo]

From the article above it sounds like the desktop interface is an app running on top of the new UI. So, it sounds like a tablet OS that has desktop functionality...

http://www.computerworld.com/s/arti...eveloper_Preview_?taxonomyId=125&pageNumber=2

Calling it an app is misleading. It's on the Metro UI as an app, but they're coexisting UIs. It's not like the UI actually consumes resources, so even if they run both of them simultaneously it's not a big deal. Also, with the big change being the Metro UI, they're not really talking about the traditional UI yet, and there will probably be changes once they start getting more feedback. There's no way they can try to force enterprise customers over to Metro, so it's not going anywhere yet.

 

[bvibert]

http://www.computerworld.com/s/arti...eveloper_Preview_?taxonomyId=125&pageNumber=2

Calling it an app is misleading. It's on the Metro UI as an app, but they're coexisting UIs. It's not like the UI actually consumes resources, so even if they run both of them simultaneously it's not a big deal. Also, with the big change being the Metro UI, they're not really talking about the traditional UI yet, and there will probably be changes once they start getting more feedback. There's no way they can try to force enterprise customers over to Metro, so it's not going anywhere yet.

Right, so in other words it's a whole lot of fuss over something that I could care less about (the Metro UI)...

BTW - It's probably just me, but whenever I read the word metro in these articles the first thing that comes to mind is the metrosexual episode of South Park. Not the best name, IMHO.

 

[Glenn]

And I'm still confused why people would get something the size of a small laptop with the functionality of a smartphone.

Do you mean why people by tablets? Even if you don't, I'll answer. :lol: For us, it was portability. Yeah, it can't do everything, but it can do most things. And it's very easy to take with you.

 

[Nick]

Do you mean why people by tablets? Even if you don't, I'll answer. :lol: For us, it was portability. Yeah, it can't do everything, but it can do most things. And it's very easy to take with you.

I use a tablet fairly often.. IMO great for consumption (reading, browsing, watching) but poor at creation (writing, Editing, etc.)

Sent with Tapatalk

 

[bvibert]

I'm not dismissing the benefits to having a tablet. I understand making an OS more tablet/touch screen friendly, that's surely the way that the majority of consumers will interface their computing device of choice in the future. What I don't get designing a next generation replacement for a desktop/non-touch screen OS with a heavy focus (apparently almost all the focus) on touch enabled interfaces that the majority of your current user base won't be able to use effectively.

From a business perspective the new features of Windows 8 seem entirely useless and not worth updating to. Maybe there's more to the standard interface that isn't being reported on, or that's still in development. That's still to be seen. I have seen in a couple of places that the new windows explorer now sports the ribbon interface instead of the standard menu bar. Having used the ribbon interface on newer versions of Office I can say, without doubt, that I do not appreciate that feature.

It sounds like their doing some interesting stuff, but overall I'm not impressed by what I'm seeing so far. That said I wouldn't mind playing with Windows 8, to get a taste of what it's about for myself.

 

[mondeo]

I use a tablet fairly often.. IMO great for consumption (reading, browsing, watching) but poor at creation (writing, Editing, etc.)

Sent with Tapatalk

But, I can do anything a tablet can do on a phone. So you're essentially paying $600 or whatever for a second monitor for your phone.

There are niches I can see the big-screen phone being useful in. Medical, travel heavy but IT-light business, etc. But I've yet to do something on my phone that I'd be willing to pay another $600 for just for a larger screen. Or even $50.

And being adapt to better ways of doing things despite having used the same obsolete methods for the last 15 years, I, for one, welcome the proliferation of the ribbon.

And the Metro UI does work really well on a phone. Even with using engineering applications and the like, I could see myself using the new UI as the desktop the majority of the time under Win8. As slick as the UI is, I'm betting it'll be pretty easy to go back and forth between UIs, launch stuff into the traditional desktop from Metro, etc. I won't upgrade on either of my computers, but I'm looking forward to playing around with it some, and I'm pretty comfortable that it will work well when I need to replace a device.

 

[bvibert]

And being adapt to better ways of doing things despite having used the same obsolete methods for the last 15 years, I, for one, welcome the proliferation of the ribbon.

There's nothing wrong with the menu bar. It's easier to scan through the vertical list than to look across multiple sized icons and text for a command that you don't use on a regular basis. In addition they regrouped everything, so if you had an idea of what menu the command used to live in there's a good chance it doesn't live there any more. This makes it a PITA when switching between an older version of Office, that doesn't have ribbon (my desktop computer at work), and a newer version of Office (my laptop at work).

They fixed something that wasn't broken. I'm sure I'll get more used to it as I use it more (I spend way more time using non-ribboned Office), but I just don't see any benefit. It looks like the typical Microsoft MO of dumbing the UI for the less computer savvy to me.

 

[riverc0il]

Ick. Looks great on a tablet. But I can't imagine using that type of OS on a desktop or laptop. Me likely my menus and taskbar and mouse and keyboard. Also, I have been running Win7 for about a year now and it has only crashed once. Who cares about the death screen. Win is as stable as I need it to be.

The thing I want to know is what businesses think. Traveling folks that tablets are made for will love it. But what about desktop bound workers? Just like many businesses, we still run XP across our entire enterprise (thousands of desktops). Win7 had a MAJOR issue that many applications didn't play nice (especially true in the medical world). Win8 looks like that problem will only get worse. How long will be be until MS gets those business upgrades it needs to truly change the marketplace for OS?

 

[andyzee]

How do you do a three finger salute on a tablet?