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Microsoft Suffers Leaks, Lagging Sales Numbers As They Look Forward To Windows 8
nandemoari writes "With only a few weeks until Microsoft's Windows 7 Release Candidate 1 (RC1) is released, Microsoft is already looking for people to help with Windows 8. An April 14th job ad posted by Microsoft says the upcoming version of Windows will have new features like cluster support and support for one way replication. Apparently the Windows 8 kernel is being reworked to provide dramatic performance improvements. Windows 8 will also include innovative features that, according to Microsoft, will revolutionize file access in branch offices." Relatedly, several users tell us that both 32 and 64-bit versions of the Windows 7 release candidate have been leaked into the wild via p2p networks. The current leaked version shows little change beyond bug fixes, so it would seem what you see is what you get. This all comes as Microsoft posts quarterly sales that have fallen for the first time in the company's 23-year history. Seeing a 6% drop in revenue and a 32% drop in earnings, some within the Redmond giant expect the downward trend to continue.
So thats saying that what isn't out yet is already being replaced, so why should i upgrade.
How about just make something that works?
---- Booth was a patriot ----
It's vaporware. Announced features tend get dropped from Windows during the development process. Don't believe anything from Microsoft until it's released.
Almost, but not quite. Microsoft just ran clustering up the flagpole to see who would get excited.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
This all comes as Microsoft posts quarterly sales that have fallen for the first time in the company's 23-year history.
This is a perfect opportunity for trash talk! Suck on failure, Microsoft! Sales looking a little limp this quarter? I guess that's why they call it both micro and soft!
Heh. More seriously, as Joel points out:
Microsoft has an incredible amount of cash money in the bank and is still incredibly profitable. It has a long way to fall. It could do everything wrong for a decade before it started to be in remote danger, and you never know... they could reinvent themselves as a shaved-ice company at the last minute.
It's good to see a hint that this fall might finally be starting, but even in this economy, it will be a long time before Microsoft dies.
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
Point of reference: Apple Q2 sales of Macs fell 3% as opposed to MS' 6%, but ipods and iphones were still growing, giving the company a net profit. Couple this to the data over the last year or so showing that usage share of windows operating systems has been eroding a 1-3% a year for the last four years, it appears that microsoft seems to be losing, but it's slow going. It could easily turn around with a new successful operating system by MS.
Gentlemen! You can't fight in here, this is the war room!
Microsoft realized after Apple's OSX that their current naming scheme robbed them of the ability to release Windows X, which would be similar to Windows, but more streamlined, and with flames painted on the sides. They went back to the standard sequential number scheme so they could legitimately call a release "Windows X" without looking like poseurs.
Isn't it a good thing that they are concentrating on the bugs from the betas, instead of adding features? Perhaps users of the final release wont feel like beta testers this time?
I'm no ms fan but they seam to be doing it right this time, move feature work and innovation to windows 8, while a 'stable' branch of the code is finalized for release.
IranAir Flight 655 never forget!
Windows 2000--still the best version they ever made. Simple, clean, and snappy. Try it on a modern PC. It's so wonderfully fast with an interface that stays out of the way. If Windows 2000 had supported my laptop in 2002, I wouldn't have made the jump to XP. I would have used Windows 2000 for many years.
Windows 7 looks like Vista with an OS X Dock. I can't stand Aero, and there doesn't appear to be any refinements to it, so that's disappointing. The cloning of OS X's Dock and window management behavior is another amusingly obvious ripoff that Microsoft and its supporters will deny (the common talking point appears to be that the inspiration was Windows 1.0, not OS X). The option for the classic Start menu has been removed. I really dislike Vista's Start menu and how you scroll inside it to get to things. Thankfully, the search field is a faster, better launcher.
Snow Leopard will be fun to compare to Windows 7. While Microsoft has been moving in a direction of adding more visual flair with each release, Apple has been removing flair from OS X. Right now, it almost resembles NexTStep's dark gray. Once they replace the harsh, blue gel scrollbars with iTunes' clean ones, I'll be really happy staring at my screen all day.
Microsoft will adopt the a scheme of releasing incremental versions once a year like clockwork, starting with Windows 7 in 2009, Windows 8 in 2010, as so on.
Finally, in 2097, Microsoft will re-release vintage Windows 95 as the OS of choice for ancient computers dug from the rubble of the post-apocalyptic nightmare world.
Never let it be said that Microsoft doesn't have its corporate eye on the future.
It didn't leak, it was squirted...
I think the most interesting new feature will the new Windows XP Mode which is
basically Virtual PC running Windows XP client seamlessly on the desktop. Most
likely it will gain interest in enterprises planning to upgrade XP installations.
http://community.winsupersite.com/blogs/paul/archive/2009/04/24/secret-no-more-revealing-virtual-windows-xp-for-windows-7.aspx
Neither. It has been posted prior to every previous OS release by Microsoft, replacing only the current and next OS names.
In particular, they include this statement every time: "provide dramatic performance improvements"
And is "revolutionize file access in branch offices" the filesystem MS promised for Vista, or is that still DOA?
Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
Keep in mind that in this case we are extrapolating features from an MS job posting, not from an official press release. Therefore this isn't exactly hype we're looking at here - but rather internal plans which may change as time progresses.
But from what end? :P
* Windows 9 (maybe?)
Close. By that time Linux will have gained enough steam with things like Suse 13 and Mighty Mandrake that they'll change the name to make sure they don't look inferior. It'll be called Windows 9000: Accounting Alan.
What about Windows 1.0, 2.0, 2.1, 3.0, 3.1 and 3.11?
You have to remember, that for a majority of /. these days, there weren't any OSes before Windows 95 because everyone was too busy fighting dinosaurs.
And is "revolutionize file access in branch offices" the filesystem MS promised for Vista
Microsoft never promised a new filesystem. WinFS was an abstraction layer running atop NTFS.
It's good to see a hint that this fall might finally be starting, but even in this economy, it will be a long time before Microsoft dies.
I'll be at the start of any "I hate Microsoft, they're evil!" line, but I DO NOT want to see MS die. We need more competition not less.
Falcon
Should there be a Law?
But from what end? :P
Let's just say, it sent a chair flying...
Send me message if you want me to continue my licensing rant in detail.
Ok... I'll bite...what did they say?
Next rant: Windows Vista.. Stop telling me it is better than Windows XP.
But it is.
Next rant: Why are you forcing Vista on everyone that buys a computer in the store?!
Because Vista is the current version. And people who buy computers in a store should get the current version.
XP is essentially discontinued except for businesses that REALLY need it, and netbooks. Personally I can't wait for it to be all dead.
Next rant: DRM. Fucking stop it. Start enabling people - not disabling them. Stop listening to media companies that are trying to force you to handicap your operating system. People pay for stuff that's convenient. Make it convenient as possible. Stop installing WGA spyware on everyones' computers.
DRM is virtually a non-issue in Vista. Go ahead, install some non-MPAA signed video drivers. The worst that will happen is your bluray player won't work. It sucks that its there, but Microsoft is actually doing a pretty good job of balancing things.
Next rant: Stop changing interfaces for the hell of changing interfaces. Give me a 'compatibility mode' interface.... I want my fucking classic startmenu.
1995 was not the pinacle of GUI design. Just because you are used to it doesn't mean it was ever good. Suck it up and roll with progress. Sometimes it takes a step backwards, but its mostly forwards.
Next rant: Stop adding more steps in the process to get anything done!!! In Windows 95, Startmenu > Programs displayed everything..
Yep, and having more start menu items than fit on the screen sucks. Even after the panel expands itself horizontally.
Then.. Windows 98/ME/XP started scrolling and hiding shit by default.. How the fuck is that more convenient?
Yes it was annoying, but it solved the problem of so much stuff installed that never gets used preventing you from conveniently accessing what you do use. It wasn't the best solution, but it was a start. Vista's and OSx's solution -- using search is far better. Try it. I never look at the all programs list anymore... i just type the first few letters of the name of the program... and the really common stuff I pinned.
How about changing an IP address? It is easier and quicker in XP than Vista.. How about changing resolution? so much easier in XP than Vista.. or Windows 7..
Are these things really you do all that often that its worth a rant? And XP's UI for setting up multiple monitors wasn't great. (better than linux tho.)
Next rant: Stop choosing the dumbass options for everyone by default.. give a 'poweruser' setting during setup so Windows explorer doesn't try to hide exensions, hide details, hide operating system files..
If you are such a power user build a short .reg file stick it on a usb key for storage and double click it after you install to apply all these settings. I'm not happy with a lot of the defaults of my Linux and OSX installs either.
Next rant: No puppy dogs.
Really? You liked that little brown search dog? I never did; little bugger never seemed to find anything.
Next rant: Build disk-imaging into the OS. Let me install a drive, go to disk manager, and copy my old drive.. It's easy as hell to program.. And it's easy as hell to do in linux.. make it easy to do in Windows.
But... but... Norton will sue them for cutting them out of that market...kidding... that would be a nice feature.
Next rant: Stop wasting GUI space.. How is a thicker window border any more convenient?
Oh come now, its not like you're running 800x600 anymore... are you? are you? I pity you. Me, I don't really relish trying to pick at 2pixel wide widgets on a 24" screen. That said, your comments about scalable windows is the direction I'd like to see things go too.
[...]
Most of those I cut I agreed with.
Mod Parent Up.
This lovely little tidbit of information is completely correct and it always gets iterated every single time someone bashes Microsoft over WinFS. It's not a file system. It never was. And it's not dead, it's now part of SQL server under a different name.
But somehow, people don't get this. It's been years since it's been "dropped" from Vista (presumably because it's not actually all that useful after all) yet people still harp on about it.
I don't know why the message isn't getting through: It's not a file system. It's not abandoned. It's not a big deal.
Until it gets through, all we can really do is mod up the people that constantly point this out =\
+1 IDisagreeSoHeMustBeATrollOrAnAstroturferOrAShill
The following is taken form Adobe's website. Adobe Systems Incorporated and ARM today announced a technology collaboration to optimise and enable Adobe® Flash® Player 10 and Adobe AIRâ for ARM Powered® devices
The joint technology optimisation is targeted for the ARMv6 and ARMv7architectures used in the ARM11â family and the Cortexâ-A series of processors and is expected to be available in the second half of 2009. announcement here
It's become so bad that they had to drop to the singular.
Do you have ESP?
MS has a new strategy for performance and stability - they're only going to allow you to open 8 Windows and the new name reflects that.
Yeah, those retards thinking WinFS nee Relational File System nee Object File System was supposed to be a file system! Rubes!
I don't know what it is, but I'm really angry that Microsoft isn't making me use it!
Business. Numbers. Money. People. Computer World.
And is "revolutionize file access in branch offices" the filesystem MS promised for Vista, or is that still DOA?
I would hope by now that people are able to see through this as yet another defense against encroaching Free and Open Source solutions. If this "feature" is actually delivered, any bets that it will not play well with Samba? Given Microsoft's history, there is every reason to suspect poison in every Microsoft offering.
Well that depends on how long you have been listening to msft hype. A database file system has been promised from msft sine roughly 1994. Back then it was a full FS. The latest version is a database layer on top of NTFS. Something they have been promising since 2002. They still can't get it to work. It has led to improvements in windows. However apple and gnome had those features without false promises of winFS.
i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
In a stunning public relations coup, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MNPLY) has successfully overshadowed today's release of Ubuntu Linux 9.04 "Juicy Jubblies" by announcing its failed financials for a fourth quarter in a row and laying even more people off.
Microsoft announced new and expanded roles for remaining key executives as another several lesser, losing quitters deserted upper management. "It shows the fantastic opportunity available to everyone at Microsoft to climb seven or eight reporting levels up the org chart," said marketing marketer Steve Ballmer to pitchfork-wielding Wall Street analysts today. "If we haven't laid them off for making too much money or not kissing enough ass."
The Yahoo! deal is expected to go ahead. "We figure they'll go broke before we do. Probably." Mr Ballmer also plans to run the Yahoo! servers on Windows NT rather than FreeBSD after a similar change worked so well at Hotmail. "Some say synergy's another word for two plus two equals one, but you just have to make the value of one work for you."
Windows 7 betas have been greeted with remarkable positive press. "Of course, the betas preview the 'champagne and hookers' edition, which would be way too much for netbooks and explode users' brains. Imagine thinking those little things are computers! So we're releasing what we call Windows 7 Dumbass Edition. It lets you log in and look at the shiny. Even Spider Solitaire has the ribbon toolbar! And you can buy an upgrade to the version that runs programs! It lets you do that!" Dumbass Edition comes with pre-installed viruses to make the computer part of the Storm, Conficker and FBI botnets. "If you can't beat ’em, join ’em."
However, Microsoft has indicated to its press corps, Microsoft Completely Enderlependent Analysts, to ixnay on the evensay and highlight the job openings for work on Windows 8, firmly penciled in for a 2012 release. Windows 8 will be optimised for low-end 32-core systems with a mere 16 gigabytes of memory — 28 cores for the interface, 3 cores for the DRM and one core for everything else. "Seven is just so this year. I hear they'll get $DATABASE_FILESYSTEM done next release for sure!" said ZDNet marketing marketer Mary-Jo Enderle. "It'll be awesome!"
"I'm sure it'll be fine, fine," said Bill Gates, upping his hours at his charitable foundation and scheduling the sale of several more packages of Microsoft stock.
Larry Ellison of Oracle, who recently purchased Sun Microsystems, merely snickered, muttered "Java. OpenOffice." and let out a long and resounding laugh.
Mark Shuttleworth of Canonical, speaking from his castle on a crag high on a mountaintop in west London, was sanguine at Ubuntu's news being overshadowed. "I lost ten million dollars on Ubuntu last year. I'm losing ten million dollars on Ubuntu this year. I expect to lose ten million dollars on Ubuntu next year. At this rate, I'll be broke in ... sixty years."
http://rocknerd.co.uk
Every press story about Windows since 1994 reads:
I am so excited about $NEXT_VERSION of Windows. It will go beyond just solving all of the problems with $CURRENT_VERSION, it will be an entirely new paradigm. Forget about security problems, those are all fixed in $NEXT_VERSION. And they're finally ridding themselves of $ANCIENT_LEGACY_STUFF.
Also, there'll be $DATABASE_FILESYSTEM. It'll be awesome!
I wonder how $NEXT_VERSION will compare to $NEXT_NEXT_VERSION.
http://rocknerd.co.uk
WinFS: neither file system nor win.
Windows 7 isn't even out yet and already there's talk of the next product coming around the corner. I think this is part of the problem Microsoft is having with Vista: Nobody wants to invest in the considerable outlay in "upgrading" to the latest version of Windows when they already know their investment is going to be irrelevant in a year or two when something newer (read "better" in the eyes of Joe Sixpack) hits the shelves.
"I'll hold off," say millions of cash-strapped computer users.
And thus, the cycle repeats.