Linked by Thom Holwerda on Mon 14th May 2012 22:49 UTC
For weeks - if not months - I've been trying to come up with a way to succinctly and accurately explain why, exactly, Windows 8 rubs me the wrong way, usability-wise. I think I finally got it.
Thread beginning with comment 518109
To view parent comment, click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To view parent comment, click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
Member since:2005-11-29
Member since:2006-05-06
Then don't update, I don't know what else you want people to say.
Then Windows 9 will come, slightly polish Windows 8 like 7 did with Vista, and people will go nuts over it, proving how fickle you all really are.
Then Windows 9 will come, slightly polish Windows 8 like 7 did with Vista, and people will go nuts over it, proving how fickle you all really are.
Vista was bloated and slow... but it was not fundamentally switching to a interface paradigm that was hostile to power users. They are setting a course for Win 9 to be worse in that regard... not better.
Member since:2011-09-22
Then don't update, I don't know what else you want people to say.
Then Windows 9 will come, slightly polish Windows 8 like 7 did with Vista, and people will go nuts over it, proving how fickle you all really are.
Then Windows 9 will come, slightly polish Windows 8 like 7 did with Vista, and people will go nuts over it, proving how fickle you all really are.
I really don't buy into this argument myself. To begin with Windows 8 is more than just Metro and its flaws, you also have the "multitasking" changes in addition to the explorer interface that has been fluglyfied. Vista's issue was bloat and performance, but overall it was still Windows.
It's a little crazy to believe a touch interface that is already well behind Apple and Linux(Android), has few supporting applications, and is a PITA to use on existing PC keyboard/mouse interface is somehow going to increase market share in either market. It's more likely going to push more folks to Apple, like Vista did, and possibly into the arms of an Android/Linux desktop, assuming developers of that platform can create desirable productivity software for things like video editing, desktop publishing etc. I mean lets face it, as a developer you want customers, and today the customers on I-whatever and Android touch systems look pretty tasty if you can bring them over to the desktop. I mean, if you have to learn to develop in a new API for Metro, why not write for something else?
Member since:2006-07-14
Member since:2012-05-19
What I want is for Microsoft to listen to their customers and offer a means of opting out of Metro in favor of the current UI/desktop. I've tried, really tried to like Metro. I have it installed on my laptop but I find I keep going back to my desktop more and more because having to switch back and forth from Metro to the Desktop is just too much work. I like the live tiles in Metro but could have essentially the same from gadgets on Windows 7 (at least before Microsoft did away with most of the gadgets they had listed). I like the fact that Windows 8 boots up/shuts down faster and overall seems more responsive. But I just cannot warm up to Metro and am irritated that Microsoft is unwilling to listen to its customer base. So while I'll probably reinstall Windows 7 on my laptop, I'm also checking out Linux distros in case the day comes that I decide to ditch Windows altogether. I like the fact that at least with Linux I am offered UI choices so that I can find the one that works best for me. (Note: I consider myself a Windows fanboy in the long run but hey, sometimes you have to make a change)
Member since:2010-04-06
Member since:2005-07-06
My company did the same, 200k licenses Microsoft will not be collecting for any longer, there are many vendors that sell PC's without an OS so no big deal.
If your organisation purchases 200,000 licences (or is it $200,000? please be precise rather than throwing around meaningless figures) then your organisation is run by morons because almost every enterprise customer:
1) Leases their computers and is signed up for a Microsoft licensing scheme that gives them the latest version of all their software for a set price per year.
OR
2) Buy their computers without an operating system and is signed up for a Microsoft licensing scheme that gives them the latest version of all their software for a set price per year.
It is clear to me that either the organisation you work for is run by morons or the scenario you gave is a load of crap - I have a hunch that it is the later rather than the former.
News
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/18/13 17:45 UTC
"I can't find one person who has been using the Nexus 7 for an extended period of time, and hasn't seen a massive downgrade in performance. Just what kind of downgrade are we talking here? I cannot pick up my Nexus 7 without experiencing problems like a lag of ten seconds, or more, just to rotate the display; touches refusing to acknowledged; stuttering notification panel actions; and unresponsive apps." Fully and utterly agreed. My Nexus 7 was blazing-fast and awesome for a few months, and at some point, it just started sucking. Just like that. I've tried loads of ROMs, and nothing helps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/18/13 17:32 UTC, submitted by poundsmack
A new release of the hobby operating system MenuetOS! The release notes are a bit non-descript, but you'll have to take what you can get: "updates and improvements (picview, httpc, ehci, ...)".
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/17/13 17:58 UTC
"The Internet is one of the most transformative technologies of our lifetimes. But for 2 out of every 3 people on earth, a fast, affordable Internet connection is still out of reach. And this is far from being a solved problem. There are many terrestrial challenges to Internet connectivity - jungles, archipelagos, mountains. There are also major cost challenges. Right now, for example, in most of the countries in the southern hemisphere, the cost of an Internet connection is more than a month's income. Solving these problems isn't simply a question of time: it requires looking at the problem of access from new angles. So today we're unveiling our latest moonshot from Google[x]: balloon-powered Internet access." Insane.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/17/13 17:52 UTC
"MineAssemble is a tiny bootable Minecraft clone written partly in x86 assembly. I made it first and foremost because a university assignment required me to implement a game in assembly for a computer systems course. Because I had never implemented anything more complex than a 'Hello World' bootloader before, I decided I wanted to learn about writing my own kernel code at the same time. Note that the goal of this project was not to write highly efficient hand-optimized assembly code, but rather to have fun and write code that balances readability and speed. This is primarily accomplished by proper commenting and consistent code structuring." Just cool.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/14/13 21:03 UTC
Jon Rubinstein, former CEO of Palm: "Well, I'm not sure I would have sold the company to HP. That's for sure. Talk about a waste. Not that I had any choice because when you sell a company you don't get to decide that. Obviously, the board and shareholders decide that. If we had known they were just going to shut it down and never really give it a chance to flourish, what would have been the point of selling the company? I think the deal we had with Verizon really hurt us, but who knew that at the time? These things are all hindsight."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/14/13 20:46 UTC
"And so it is with Dell's Alienware X51 R2, a small form factor gaming PC in console digs. It's shaped similar to Microsoft's Xbox 360 Slim, and though it's slightly larger than either a 360 or PlayStation 3, the X51 R2 would be right at home in a living room setting nestled next to a large screen TV. Indeed, it's adept at running Steam's Big Picture mode, and if your primary objective is to play games in the living room, go ahead and consider the X51 R2 a hybrid game console." This is obviously not the only machine like this - still, these are very valid console alternatives even for those that don't like being hunched over with a cramped WASD-claw. Also, PC gamers among us: could you get away with the $699 model for gaming?
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/14/13 17:32 UTC
From Bloomberg: "Microsoft, the world's largest software company, provides intelligence agencies with information about bugs in its popular software before it publicly releases a fix, according to two people familiar with the process. That information can be used to protect government computers and to access the computers of terrorists or military foes." The lid has officially been blown off.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/14/13 11:39 UTC
"The key takeaway we've reached (after two less than 24 hours playing with the iOS 7 Beta release) is this - every App must consider even basic updates to its UI to survive in a post-iOS 6 world." Great. Telling developers to update their entire application - user interface and behaviour alike - to target a look and behaviour that isn't final yet. Seems like potential for a lot of wasted work here.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/14/13 11:32 UTC
"Overall the app is really basic, and designed for on the go editing. Microsoft says it's not planning to create an iPad version, noting that tablet users can utilize the Office Web Apps instead. We'd like to see some additional options for editing, including more clear options for text formatting and the ability to insert and change images, but it's a solid attempt for something you're only really going to use for editing in emergencies." A resounding meh can be heard from all over the world.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/13/13 19:39 UTC
"Today, most people are using modern browsers that support the majority of the latest web technologies. Better yet, the usage of legacy browsers is declining significantly and newer browsers stay up to date automatically, which means the leading edge has become mainstream. Given these factors we've decided to retire Chrome Frame, and will cease support and updates for the product in January 2014." Eh.More News »
Sponsored Links
Member since:
2006-05-06
I guess windows 7 will be the windows 8 pro edition. I know my company has written WIn 8 off already. It seems strange to me that MS is pissing in the same pool they drink from.
Metro is just about as exciting to me as Dashboard was on OSX. Only no one expected you to get you work done in Dashboard.
It deserves vitriol because it is leaving a big hole for professionals. Even worse than Final Cut X did for video professionals.
Edited 2012-05-14 23:44 UTC