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Windows 8 To Be Released In October 2012

dkd903 writes "Microsoft has been very secretive about the next version of its Windows operating system. After the success of Windows 7, everyone is very interested in the next iteration – Windows 8. A few leaks have been the only source of news about Windows 8 till now. However, a slip up from Microsoft Netherlands has put the release date in October 2012."

14 of 337 comments (clear)

  1. 2012-10 by jo42 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I wager 1,000,000 quatloos that it won't be released that month.

  2. Let me be the first to say to Microsoft... by Pollux · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I want Windows 7.1, not Windows 8.

    Windows Vista sucked horribly. Windows 7 fixed some suckage with Windows Vista. But just stop this runaway train and fix all the problems, not just a few with each new Windows version. There's a very good reason why 61% of Windows users still use XP. Give them a reason to want something new. Otherwise, you'll just create more division and confusion by creating another version of Windows that PEOPLE JUST DON'T WANT.

    1. Re:Let me be the first to say to Microsoft... by 91degrees · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It probably will be. Windows 95 was Windows 4.0. Windows 98 was Windows 4.10, and ME was 4.90. Same basic OS with minor revisions. Windows 7 is version 6.1. This does suggest it's actually Windows Vista.1 but version numbers are pretty arbitrary. Still, Windows 8 doesn't have to be a complete rewrite. Simply an update.

    2. Re:Let me be the first to say to Microsoft... by cheekyjohnson · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Yeah, like perhaps doing something noteworthy with the new release. Not many people want to buy (or even move to, even for free) a new OS that barely does anything that their old one can't. It's simply a waste of time and money for a lot of people, including me.

      --
      Filthy, filthy copyrapists!
    3. Re:Let me be the first to say to Microsoft... by gstoddart · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Windows Vista sucked horribly.

      OK, so historically, I'm one of the least likely to ever defend a Microsoft product ...

      But, what exactly about Vista sucked horribly? It's actually been the OS from Microsoft I've been most happy with.

      Granted, I put it on a new machine with loads of resources, but I've found it to be quite stable. And, coming from a UNIX background, the UAC thing to me is a good thing.

      Just curious to know why people actually hated Vista -- despite reading from a lot of people that it's awful, my experience has actually been contrary to that.

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    4. Re:Let me be the first to say to Microsoft... by UnknowingFool · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Money. If something works now, why replace it if there is no need. Unless there is a feature of Windows 7 that people really, really need, most people will just keep XP until they get a new computer that comes with Windows 7 or 8 already installed. For businesses, it's a little more complicated as they have enterprise licenses and such but the goal of saving money is probably more pronounced.

      --
      Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
    5. Re:Let me be the first to say to Microsoft... by Jugalator · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I agree, this isn't a bad idea IMHO. They could use Windows 7 as a base for incremental improvements for some time. It's rare for MS to get as many things right as there after all is in Windows 7, so why not make carefully move from there?

      People may say "but where's the money in that!", but if 7.1, 7.2, etc would still be paid for, and more often than the major releases, people might be *more* willing to upgrade since they'd know that they wouldn't get something huge at once, and maybe even use the old rule of wanting to wait for the first service pack. Less such risks with smaller updates. Also, smaller updates would be able to be more frequently released, and they could compensate for this somewhat by selling them for less.

      If this all sounds wild & crazy -- Apple is pretty successful with their systems, and they've been doing exactly this since OS X 10.0...

      --
      Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
  3. Well, of course. by Orsmo · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Everyone knows that's why the Mayan calendar stops there. Windows 8 comes out. The world ends. Apocalypse explained.

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    -- Begin thoughtfuly, end insensitively.
    It has more impact that way.
  4. If Microsoft wanted to be evil... by MikeRT · · Score: 4, Insightful

    this would be the perfect time.

    Google, Apple and Oracle, their biggest competitors, are in a major shoot out.

    What Microsoft needs to do is exploit the patent conflict by publicly ending its patent threats against FOSS. Completely, no exceptions.

    While it does that, it should make Windows 8 the first release that breaks with the past by moving all legacy technologies into a sandbox a la what OS X originally did.

    Finally, they should work on extending whatever POSIX compatibility they still have left until Windows 8 can reliably run code originally written on Linux and OS X. Why? Because it would bridge one of the last gaps between Windows 7 and OS X.

    Apple is getting increasingly controversial. Microsoft could exploit by becoming the first vendor to make peace with everyone.

    1. Re:If Microsoft wanted to be evil... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Have to reply to this as AC. I know people deep in the windows team at MS. Without getting into any details, your outline for Windows 8 (which is in tune with what many of the engineers I know think is exactly what the next Windows should be) is way off from what's being produced. The focus is on things that make no sense to any one but a PHB. I really was amazed by the Dilbert like initiatives they told me about (backed up by copies of memos). If you've seen the recent Windows commercial with the mom editing the family photo in the cloud with her finger, well, hint, hint.

      MS is at best is well on it's way to being the next IBM; still big, still relevant to some large enterprises, but not dominant. Many of the most core Windows engineers are defecting because they believe this. I'll let you "search" your feelings as to where they might be going.

  5. Re:Only one week to go! by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You don't understand.

    The ERP incumbents are guys like ORACLE.

    They make SURE that the upgrade path for their ERP front end brings the whole stack. Ten, if not HUNDREDS of millions. So. Not the kind of IT big spend that will be driven, in a down economy, by an IT sub-department's need for Windows licensing.

    Trust me, Oracle knows that Windows desktop and MS Office revenue are Microsoft's lifeblood.

    By holding off IE-next or FF compatible rendering for Oracle Financials and PeopleSoft, they hit Microsoft where it hurts - core revenues. They also reinforce the perception of Microsoft as a difficult upgrade, and a general poor technology choice.

    Larry likes this. There are other vendors, playing this game, too. Some are MS partners, so work th angle with more ambiguity.

    --
    "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
    Never been known to fail..."
  6. Re:What he means, why should we pay fullprice for by Sir_Sri · · Score: 2, Insightful

    What exactly is NEEDED in Windows 8.0 that I should buy a license for? Until MS can answer that, they won't be making many sales from people who aren't buying their PC in the shop or must have the latest shiny. That is a LOT of people, but MS has always been a company that burned through cash. They NEED more sales. Vista hurt them bad. Windows 7 was better but not back to old form. I see no reason 8 should change this.

    What exactly is needed in windows vista, or 7. Or Ubuntu anything greater than about 6? How about anything newer than OS 10.2? That's why people aren't upgrading. You only upgrade OS's when you buy a new computer. We're at the point where operating systems basically do what they're supposed to properly, and have been for a decade. That is to say, they generally don't crash unless you really torture them (or bad hardware), they generally run programs without getting non- recoverable stuck. Everything beyond that isn't really operating system, it's just fundamental computer user experience, but ultimately application level. What the new OS's do is have access to new hardware features, which could be supported in old versions but intentionally aren't, they add new computer experience programs (think windows media player, itunes etc.). Even how you organize your programs, whether it's a start menu list or a layered list or icons on screen or whatever is basically irrelevant, there might be very minor degrees of efficiency with different organizations but they all do basically the same thing.

    So what are any of the OS makers going to do to get you to upgrade? They are trying to glue flashy stuff into an otherwise working system, and they're intentionally depreciating old versions. If you want a truly new computer use experience, stick in solid state drives. Otherwise it's all application driven. If I play a lot of games I want an OS that has the best drivers and the best support for OpenGl/DirectX possible, I still don't care if my desktop is 3D or 2D, or if my start button is on the bottom or top. And who ever said the OS was supposed to be upgraded except for that limited set of people who actually care about those sorts of minor details of the operating system anyway? You're suggesting MS is trying to sell boxed copies of Windows and Office, I'm sure they aren't opposed to selling boxed copies, but they are under no illusion that they could add new 'features' to warrant an upgrade over whatever comes with a computer, or whatever people already have. Unless you actually know what the new version adds for you specifically, you probably don't want to upgrade. And if you do know what it does for you, you already know why you're upgrading.

    Now to be fair, one version of office/windows/OS/ubuntu/OO to the next is usually minor in new features. Even major revisions need time to iron out. But enough new versions along and you can start to see what has been fixed, and what has been improved with productivity studies advancing design. Which ultimately is to benefit of MS and the user. If you jump from a computer running windows XP to one running windows 8 (and I don't mean upgrade the OS I mean the next time you buy a computer), hopefully the new user experience will be that much better you'll be glad about the purchase.

    15 or 20 years ago new OS's meant fairly dramatic changes in how the underlying OS worked. From 3.1 to 95, then from the 95/98 era up to XP you went from 'on top of DOS' to a full windowed system that crashed a lot, to a full windowed system that was basically stable. After that, there's not a lot of room to grow until someone comes out with a reason for a 3D UI or something else, and even then the underlying scheduling, etc. are all done sufficiently well that the OS shouldn't crash no matter what type of front end you stick on it. Unless they can figure out some fancy new multi core scheduling algorithm I don't see much to improve on. And since people don't generally run more than one or two intense applications at a ti

  7. Re:NT 7.0 or NT 8.0? by compro01 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    in a VM that only has access to the company Intranet

    You wish.

    --
    upon the advice of my lawyer, i have no sig at this time
  8. Re:NT 7.0 or NT 8.0? by CBravo · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Pricing the OS too high is the same mistake the Unices made. It cost them their head.

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    nosig today