Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 16th Oct 2012 15:47 UTC
Casey Muratori dissects the consequences of Windows 8's closed distribution model. "But how realistic is the assumption that the Windows desktop will still be a usable computing platform in the future? And what would be the consequences were it to disappear, leaving Windows users with only the closed software ecosystem introduced in Windows 8? To answer these questions, this volume of Critical Detail examines the immediate and future effects of Microsoft's current certification requirements, explores in depth what history predicts for the lifespan of the classic Windows desktop, and takes a pragmatic look at whether an open or closed ecosystem would be better for Microsoft as a company." The section that details how none - none - of this year's greatest games (or last year's fantastic Skyrim) and only one of this year's Emmy-nominated TV shows pass Microsoft's rules sent chills down my spine.
Thread beginning with comment 538726
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
Member since:2008-07-15
While I have been a Windows user over 20+ year, I am so utterly tired of the lack of refinement in the GUI. This is proverbial final nail in the coffin. I am flipping Microsoft the bird and choosing Mac OS X.
Fcuk this, I'm done.
Fcuk this, I'm done.
From an open/closed perspective, you're no better off supporting Apple than Microsoft. However, I suspect both Windows and OS X are in the same situation. Both companies would love to close them completely off, but simply won't be able to do so without losing 99% of their business customers. I certainly hope that Apple won't be able to close off OS X like iOS, because I absolutely love OS X and really don't have an alternative. At least, so far, Apple has known where to draw the line in both closing by default (Gatekeepr) and not to tabletify (if that's not a word, I just coined it) their os too much. What features they have merged into OS X from iOS have actually been mostly complete and well thought out and, from both a keyboard and mouse perspective, OS X is simply a pleasure to use in my opinion. I'm sticking with OS X as long as possible, the nice GUI coupled with the Mach/BSD underpinnings is perfect for me. As long as Apple doesn't go the Metro route, and keeps their os locked down to exactly how it is now, I'll be happy for a good long while. Now, if only they'd open iOS up to the OS X level: yeah, it's a pipe dream, but I can dream right?
Member since:2009-08-18
And how is Mac OS X any different? Every new version brings the os closer to iOS. Furthermore, the last version brought out "Gatekeeper" which is a application that checks from where other apps can be installed in your mac. Right now it's possible to say "allow from everywhere", but there's another saying "only from Mac App Store", and the way things are going, it looks like it'll be the only option 2 or 3 versions down the road.
Member since:2008-03-17
Furthermore, the last version brought out "Gatekeeper" which is a application that checks from where other apps can be installed in your mac.
But they are providing a way out. Plenty of osx developers and apps do not use the app store.
MS is pushing people hard to Metro by making the regular desktop paradigm harder to use, yet it isn't providing a way out to create apps for an open system.
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 »
Sponsored Links
Member since:
2009-02-01
With over a decade of experience it is shocking how little talent has gone into Windows 8. Perhaps Microsoft management consisting of apathetic old men is the gordian knot that needs to be removed before crap like this stops happening.
While I have been a Windows user over 20+ year, I am so utterly tired of the lack of refinement in the GUI. This is proverbial final nail in the coffin. I am flipping Microsoft the bird and choosing Mac OS X.
Fcuk this, I'm done.
Edited 2012-10-16 17:51 UTC