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Windows 8 To Natively Support ISO and VHD Mounting
MrSeb writes "With a masterful nail in the optical disc coffin, Microsoft has announced that its new operating system will natively mount ISO disc images. On the slightly more enterprisesque side of the equation, VHD files will also be supported by Windows 8. Both new features will be smoothly integrated into Windows 8 Explorer's ribbon menu, and mounting an ISO or VHD is as simple as double clicking the file. This is obviously an important addition with Windows 8 being available on tablets — and in a year or two, it wouldn't be surprising if all software is made available as an ISO on a USB drive which can be read by tablet and PC alike."
it wouldn't be surprising if all software is made available as an ISO on a USB drive which can be read by tablet and PC alike
I hate to say it, but I think Apple's "walled garden" formula is probably the one that's most likely to succeed--for tablets anyway. No loading software on USB drives (Apple's tablets don't even have USB ports), no mounting ISO's, no unapproved outside software. Everything is downloaded through the official app store. And Apple/Microsoft get their cut, of course.
Even more scary is the possibility that this could become the model for not just tablets, but also PC's in the future. About the only thing stopping this now is tradition and bandwidth limitations/download caps. The days of walking into Best Buy and buying a game or application and getting a physical copy of the software could well be numbered. Of course, Linux will still be there, but how many developers will devote resources to Linux development when Apple and MS can pretty much guarantee them a locked-down, piracy-free platform (even if they do take a cut of the action)? For that matter, how many hardware developers will be making locked-down PC's that won't even let you install Linux without some hardware hacking?
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
Even more scary is the possibility that [requiring all applications to have been digitally signed by a device's manufacturer] could become the model for not just tablets, but also PC's in the future.
Then how would computer science education work? Would schools be able to afford $99 per platform per student per year "programmer's licenses", or would schools switch to a model preferred by E. W. Dijkstra in which all programming assignments are done on paper?
About the only thing stopping this now is tradition and bandwidth limitations/download caps.
Given the general failure to expand the single digit GB/mo cap for wireless (satellite and cellular) Internet access in the United States market, I don't see this happening as soon as some alarmists predict.
For that matter, how many hardware developers will be making locked-down PC's that won't even let you install Linux without some hardware hacking?
Given the general trend of opening up, from the BREW model (just slightly more open than a game console, must convince wireless carriers to carry the product) to the Xbox Live Indie Games/iPhone model ($99 per year plus 30% of sales, open to all adult developers in supported countries, approval rules are public) to the old Android model (locked bootloader, but "adb install" allowed and usually also "Unknown sources") to the new Android model promoted by HTC (unlocked bootloader), I don't see this happening as soon as some alarmists predict.
You know, I have to give Apple all these props (yes, my life is filled with iThings, but still), but once again they set the standard. Macs have been mounting ISO images and DMG files for the last decade - I was really surprised when Vista dropped without this basic native ability and even more so when it didn't make the cut for Windows 7. Sure, most PCs still ship with optical drives but it's been more convenient for years now to ship image files than .EXE installers or zip files in most cases. You'd think that Windows would have gained this ability before now.
As said earlier in this thread, the App Store model now will begin to take over for most packaged software and for Windows as well. Linux users have downloaded from repositories for the better part of 20 years (ever since the RPM). Mac users have downloaded DMG installers forever, and now have an App Store. Retail software distribution is going down the toilet.
The only wildcard is bandwidth capping - the carriers all want it, none of the users and none of the content providers want it. More and more things are going digital. Something's got to give, and within the next year or so we'll know which it is.
-- Josh Turiel
"2. Do not eat iPod Shuffle."
it was a meek surrender on here without a whimper to some extremely strong and abusive DRM.
Look, I was and am a staunch fighter against DRM.
But that was mostly for media, because I wanted the ability to easily transfer files between devices. For music, Apple is the company that finally ended DRM. For that you should thank and support them, not curse them.
For video the matter is different, but note that when it is up to Apple - for instance in the case of the WWDC videos for developers - there is no DRM present on the media. So plainly Apple would just drop DRM video if they could, but content providers have not seen the light yet. In fact Apple just dropped a more advanced use of Video DRM - TV rentals.
Lastly we come down to applications, which is what you may be talking about. But here the DRM is a benefit to most people, because it ensures you have a signed application that you know has not been tampered with. It is about as un-restrictive as such a system could be - Apple mandates developers allow the application to be distributed across multiple devices, when some application developers would make you pay per-device if they could.
So in what way is what little DRM Apple uses "abusive"? Please give clear examples.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
and in a year or two, it wouldn't be surprising if all software is made available as an ISO on a USB drive
Why stop there? I plan on shipping my software by printing the ones and zeroes, faxing it to myself, scanning it in as a JPEG, and pasting that into a Word Document. Only once that's done I'll tarball the Word doc, encode it on an ISO filesystem, and finally write it to a FAT32 USB stick.
No comment.
Even more scary is the possibility that this could become the model for not just tablets, but also PC's in the future. About the only thing stopping this now is tradition and bandwidth limitations/download caps. The days of walking into Best Buy and buying a game or application and getting a physical copy of the software could well be numbered.
You say that like it was a bad thing.
The problem with your assertion tis this; what were you getting with the physical copy that was any different than you get via an online App Store like Steam?
I mean, almost any game that is in a store is ALREADY laden with protection. And frankly that protection is often much more odious than what you get via Steam.
The thing I am sad to lose is resale ability (really the ability to lend a game to a friend), but that lives on in consoles more strongly than in the PC world, and that model is even more locked down than the PC... so I don't see any DIFFERENT danger than what we have already in that regard.
However I am annoyed at losing resale value, the features Steam grants are worth it to consider games as very expensive rentals instead of purchases.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
"Masterful"? That'd be like Ford waiting till 2012 to add a reverse gear to their transmissions? I don't think "masterful" is the word I'd pick. "slow cluestick" maybe.
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
In Soviet Russia ISO images mount your.... never mind.
Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
You're using the term "third-party software" in a difference sense than bigstrat2003 was. You mean it in the sense of "anything other than the kernel". He/she meant it in the sense of "anything that didn't come with your distro". Big difference. And in this case your definition isn't as accurate, since from the user's perspective the question is "can I mount ISOs after installing the operating system without having to acquire any other tools?" And until this announcement the answer for Linux was yes, while for Windows it was no.
Read my blog.
You know, I have to give Linux all these props, but once again they set the standard only to have Apple copy them and claim innovation. Linux boxes have been mounting ISO images and other image files for well over a decade now.
The real litigious bastards...
Heck, OSX has been able to Create ISOs from Disks, and mount them natively for at least the last 6-7 years (not sure if this feature was included in 10.0).
Its an incredibly useful feature in troubleshooting, in a Remote VM environment, or for bringing along a DVD full of (legal) 'old school' games to play (on a convenient USB drive instead of as lots of disks).
Its nice to see Windows catching up with the rest of the world.
This space for rent. All reasonable inquiries will be entertained at proprietors discretion.
Just look at how quickly Apple's iPhone took off, with its walled-garden app store. And then Android came along, with the exact same concept, and it's been doing great too.
Unlike iPhone, Android phones don't lock out applications obtained outside the Market. AT&T used to hide the "Unknown sources" checkbox until earlier this year when popular demand for Amazon Appstore forced AT&T to either reconsider or lose customers at contract renewal. But even AT&T phones still supported and continue to support adb install.