Linked by Thom Holwerda on Sat 16th Jun 2012 17:52 UTC
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes pens a rant on Windows 8, calling it 'awful': "I'm now ready to sum up my Windows 8 experience with a single word: awful. I could have chosen a number of other words - terrible, horrible, painful and execrable all spring to mind - but it doesn't matter, the sentiment is the same." I've been using Windows 8 Release Preview on both my ZenBook and my regular desktop since its release, and here's my short review: "I like it." Issues a-plenty, but for what is essentially a 1.0 release - not bad. It's a hell of a lot better than other releases which were similar in scope (Mac OS X 10.0, KDE 4.0).
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Member since:2007-03-30
Member since:2006-07-04
Member since:2006-05-30
Hooray! Somebody here gets it!
This release of Windows 8 isn't intended for:
- geeks
- business users
That seems obvious, doesn't it?
Geeks are a small part of the overall market - and shrinking!
Businesses are slow adopters. Heck many are still on Windows XP/Server 2003. I just dealt with one the other day. Ugh.
Microsoft is going after the 90% consumer market. They need market share. They need an ecosystem where someone buys into the whole Windows 8/Xbox/Phone 8 ecosystem. It has to be consistent, have the same basic runtime support, etc...
I can't believe we have so many short-sighted commenters here. Remember how the iPhone was poo-pooed as a toy? Then the iPad?
Member since:2005-11-16
I sincerely hope that Microsoft breaks every single paradigm from the start menu to the desktop to the files and folders metaphor. We need something new and fresh.
Touch optimised phone/tablet interfaces with limited features aren't a particularly new and fresh idea. The iPhone was released over 5 years ago, and in all that time I don't think I've seen anyone clamouring to have its interface replace the GUI on their desktop PC.
We need systems that can handle the large amount of data that goes through our inboxes, rss feeds and phones.
How does a crippleware tablet GUI running space wasting full screen apps help people handle large amounts on data on their desktop PC?
A system that quickly lets us see the important things in a glance not having to dig through virtual filing cabinets, folders and documents.
What are you talking about? I don't need to dig through the file system to see my Twitter timeline, email inbox, online forums, RSS feeds, or any other things that I monitor regularly.
Existing apps can generally provide notifications, and if I want to see things at a glance on my Windows desktop then I can keep the windows open and arranged on screen.
In Metro I'm limited to one main app and another as a sidebar regardless of how much screen space I have to play with. On a tablet that's to be expected, on a desktop PC it's a huge step backward.
Of course the limitations of Metro are relatively minor when its just used to consume online information. It'd often be a productivity crippling disaster if it was used to replace the desktop for creative work.
Having multiple windows on screen is essential for my workflow, especially when working on DTP projects. I'm not "afraid of change" or "unable to grasp new concepts", I'm just able to see how much Metro would slow me down, and not content for my computer to be crippled.
Member since:2006-07-04
IF multiple windows is essential for your workflow, then use the desktop. What's your problem? And don't whine to me about the Start Menu, as that has nothing to do with whether there are multiple windows or not. Windows 8 provides an environment for multiple windows. I tire of those who pretend that it does not.
Member since:2006-07-04
I would agree with you, but it's not just a few morons, it's over half of the tech media, and they have the power to manipulate the public perception of a product. Which is why I'm am coming to the conclusion that Microsoft should bite the bullet, and add a setting to put back the Start Menu and allow booting straight to the desktop. The tech media will trash W8 to no end if they don't do that, and that trashing will indeed seep into the public conscience.
Features
Linked by David Adams on 05/16/13 4:23 UTC
OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/11/13 21:41 UTC
"Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/08/13 14:22 UTC
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/02/13 15:28 UTC
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/29/13 21:06 UTC
Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/24/13 22:24 UTC
They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/18/13 11:21 UTC
Nokia has posted its quarterly results for the first quarter of 2013, and just like the quarters that came before, there's not a whole lot of good news in there. The rise in Lumia sales still can't even dream of making up for the sales drop in Symbian phones, and when broken down in versions, the sales figures for Windows Phone 8 Lumias in particular are very disappointing. In North America, Nokia is getting slaughtered.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/16/13 9:29 UTC
The day has finally come: Google has started shipping Google Glass to the lucky few early adopters. Now that it's shipping, Google has also unveiled a lot more about the API and the specifications of the device itself. While the company had already given out substantial details at earlier occasions, there are still a few surprises here.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/15/13 22:44 UTC
Almost exactly three years ago, I wrote about why OSNews was no longer OSNews: the alternative operating system scene had died, and OSNews, too, had to go with the times and move towards reporting on a new wave of operating systems - mobile, and all the repercussions that the explosion of smartphones and tablets have caused. Still, I was wondering something today: why aren't we seeing alternative operating systems on mobile?
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/14/13 18:22 UTC, submitted by MOS6510
You can say what you will about Windows Phone and Windows 8's Metro interface (I refuse to drop that name) - it's inefficient, unpopular, cumbersome, beautiful, ugly, organised, clean, limiting - but there's one thing we can all agree on: it's unique and distinctive. CNet has published a profile of Microsoft's Albert Shum, the man behind Metro, and he highlights what I think is at the very core of Microsoft's problems in mobile right now.More Features »
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Member since:
2005-08-31
WOW, rarely does a story actually makes me want to post a comment but this article is ridiculous. The product has not been even put through to RTM and this guy is already making this sweeping pronouncements.
This article is a perfect example of people not being able to accept change.
I sincerely hope that Microsoft breaks every single paradigm from the start menu to the desktop to the files and folders metaphor. We need something new and fresh. We need systems that can handle the large amount of data that goes through our inboxes, rss feeds and phones. A system that quickly lets us see the important things in a glance not having to dig through virtual filing cabinets, folders and documents. The OLD WAY IS NOT CUTTING IT ANY MORE! No a single desktop environment has been able to get away from that clap trap paradigm. UGH!!!!
I hope that windows 8 is that first shift... just because a few morons cannot grasp new concepts, it should not hold the rest of us behind. They can keep their start menus for all I care.