Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 26th Sep 2012 20:16 UTC, submitted by Bob Stein
ActiveWin.com has just posted their 45-page, 40-screenshot review of Microsoft Windows 8. The review covers many different aspects of the OS including performance, security, application compatibility, and more. "Is Windows 8 a hit or miss? It's a hit, it is clearly Microsoft's most bold development in years, it probably beats out the transition from Program Manager (Windows 3X) to Windows 95, the move from Windows 9x to the NT Kernel. The Windows 8 platform represents so many things: truly touch centric, support for modern processor architectures, fast and fluid as Microsoft puts it and also represents where the majority of the world is heading when it comes to computing, entirely mobile."
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Member since:2005-06-29
Also, is it just me or does the new flat, 2D looking default theme seem...cheap?
I love it on my phone, but you're right: Something about it on a PC screen just seems off. I really wish Windows 8 Metro on PCs was half as good as it is on WP7 devices. I think I'll be sticking with GNU/Linux and Windows 7 on my main PC for a while.
On the other hand, based on my experience with Android on a touch screen tablet/laptop device (Asus EeePad Transformer) I would love to try out Win8 in that arena. I know Microsoft will never release a build of Win8 for my Transformer, but if I ever have the opportunity to get one of the new Samsung hybrids I'll jump on it.
Member since:2005-07-06
Of course I shouldn't even be commenting as I switched to Linux for all my own computers when Windows XP debuted with activation. But, as an IT consultant I do have to support others who might use this ugly, cumbersome OS. I have to agree with the conclusions of the article in that all of the touch-centric features should be optional on traditional form factors. While I can appreciate that much of the new functionality will go over well on devices such as 'Surface' and other tablets, on traditional laptops and desktops I think most people are going to very quickly find themselves lost. Especially people who have been working with Windows since '95 and who are accustomed to a 'Desktop' paradigm.
I've moved away from my iMac and MacBook thus now own a Lenovo ThinkCentre and ThinkPad X1 Carbon; I've given the enterprise 90day trial a go and quite frankly apart from a few changes here and there I don't think there will be a backlash. As for enterprise adoption, it is always going to be a slow path because of the number of factors that need taking into account. Windows 8 marks a more focused direction when compared to the past where it appeared that Microsoft would create something then try to gel it together afterwards with other products rather than designing everything to work together from the ground up. Is Metro going to replace the desktop? doubtful, it'll become one in an arsenal of API's that developers can choose from so long term those of us who are traditional desktop users have nothing fear other than the usual tweaks that come with each release.
Also, is it just me or does the new flat, 2D looking default theme seem...cheap? At least Aero looked slick as hell! Sorry Microsoft, I give this a two thumbs down!
No, it is just you - 'transparency' is as about as slick as tail fins on cars, 'streamlining' appliances for the home 'orbit rings' ala 'The Jetsons'. At least for me transparency is tacky and the kind of thing one would associate with a design and tone deaf person attempting to be 'modern' and 'up to date'. It is about as unwanted on my desktop as the idea of having faux leather on my calender application.
Member since:2009-08-18
Of course I shouldn't even be commenting as I switched to Linux for all my own computers when Windows XP debuted with activation.
Yes because Activation is such a terrible thing.</sarcasm>
Anyway everyone was pirating Windows at the time, f--king everyone. Blame all the pirates for things like DRM and Activation and what not.
Edited 2012-09-27 17:40 UTC
Member since:2006-04-10
Yes because Activation is such a terrible thing.
Anyway everyone was pirating Windows at the time, f--king everyone. Blame all the pirates for things like DRM and Activation and what not.
Anyway everyone was pirating Windows at the time, f--king everyone. Blame all the pirates for things like DRM and Activation and what not.
Activation is for paying customers. Pirates use the easy version that installs itself without any hassle.
Edited 2012-09-28 21:48 UTC
Features
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/21/13 21:38 UTC
At an event earlier today, Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox - the third model, but confusingly named Xbox One. The big focus was TV, integrated Kinect, and all the other stuff we all expected to be forced down our throats. I think it took them 25 minutes to actually come to what should be the core of the story: gaming. Nothing groundbreaking in the gaming department, except for how Microsoft intends to handle the used games market and borrowing games from friends: pay up, buddy!
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/20/13 11:29 UTC
The day has finally come! Jolla has finally announced the launch device for its Sailfish operating system - and by god this is a looker. It's decidedly different from other phones out there, but it has good specifications and carries a relatively reasonably price tag - EUR 399, and it's up for pre-order today, shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/18/13 21:33 UTC
Why does Google get so much credit in the technology industry? Why, despite the company's many obvious failings, do many geeks and enthusiasts still hold a somewhat positive view on the all-knowing technology giant? A specific talk at Google I/O this week provides the answer.
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.More Features »
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Member since:
2006-07-16
Of course I shouldn't even be commenting as I switched to Linux for all my own computers when Windows XP debuted with activation. But, as an IT consultant I do have to support others who might use this ugly, cumbersome OS. I have to agree with the conclusions of the article in that all of the touch-centric features should be optional on traditional form factors. While I can appreciate that much of the new functionality will go over well on devices such as 'Surface' and other tablets, on traditional laptops and desktops I think most people are going to very quickly find themselves lost. Especially people who have been working with Windows since '95 and who are accustomed to a 'Desktop' paradigm. Also, is it just me or does the new flat, 2D looking default theme seem...cheap? At least Aero looked slick as hell! Sorry Microsoft, I give this a two thumbs down!
Edited 2012-09-26 21:25 UTC