Linked by Thom Holwerda on Thu 25th Oct 2012 20:50 UTC
"Microsoft today announced the global availability of its popular Windows operating system, Windows 8. Beginning Friday, Oct. 26, consumers and businesses worldwide will be able to experience all that Windows 8 has to offer, including a beautiful new user interface and a wide range of applications with the grand opening of the Windows Store." I'm still not clear on what '12:01 AM local time' means, but if it means it goes on sale in every country on 12:01 AM, I'll be buying in a bit over an hour!
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RE[5]: I'd rather put my head in an oven.
by kwan_e on Fri 26th Oct 2012 16:36
in reply to "RE[4]: I'd rather put my head in an oven."
Member since:2007-02-18
"What did the wheel fix that walking needed to be fixed badly?
Just feel like pointing out that that question actually does the opposite of what you intended: the wheel provided much faster and easier means for people to transport heavy loads as compared to walking and made entirely new avenues possible, and as such it was actually a hugely beneficial "fix."
What did Charles Babbage's analytical machine fix that the French automated looms needed fixing badly?
It didn't "fix" anything in the real world at the time, but the "fix" was that it proved that such analytical machines are not only possible but will be entirely viable in time, and therefore proved that it is an area worth researching. Ie. it "fixed" a mentality in scientific circles of the time.
I don't think either of those can really be compared to Metro. (Or Unity. Or GNOME 3. Or anything the likes.) "
The larger point people keep missing is that you're all mistaking a semantic game for an argument. By phrasing the question as Metro "fixing" something "broken" completely mischaracterizes why Microsoft thought they needed to go the Metro route.
The fact is, while walking didn't need to be fixed, it can be improved upon. Did the inventor of the wheel know the full extent of its power? No, but it was worth a try.
In much the same way, the original iPod interface was a bit of a gamble, and many people thought it wasn't a good idea not to have an unusual interface. Same with the Ribbon interface, which by and large is accepted without much complaint.
RE[5]: I'd rather put my head in an oven.
by modmans2ndcoming on Sat 27th Oct 2012 17:48
in reply to "RE[4]: I'd rather put my head in an oven."
Member since:2005-11-09
Features
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/24/13 17:26 UTC
So, the Xbox One disaster continues. Microsoft's policy for dealing with the used games market has reportedly leaked - and it's a clear and direct attack to destroy the used games market. Prices for used games will be set at the retail value of a new game, and retailers have to hook into Microsoft's computer systems and comply with Microsoft's terms and conditions.
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.More Features »
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2006-02-15
Just feel like pointing out that that question actually does the opposite of what you intended: the wheel provided much faster and easier means for people to transport heavy loads as compared to walking and made entirely new avenues possible, and as such it was actually a hugely beneficial "fix."
It didn't "fix" anything in the real world at the time, but the "fix" was that it proved that such analytical machines are not only possible but will be entirely viable in time, and therefore proved that it is an area worth researching. Ie. it "fixed" a mentality in scientific circles of the time.
I don't think either of those can really be compared to Metro. (Or Unity. Or GNOME 3. Or anything the likes.)
Edited 2012-10-26 15:18 UTC