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Microsoft: Start Menu Returns, Windows Free For Small Device OEMs, Cortana Beta

Posted by Soulskill on from the giving-in dept.

At Microsoft's BUILD conference today, the company announced that the Start Menu will officially be returning to Windows 8.1. It will combine the Windows 7 Start Menu with a handful of Metro-style tiles. They're also making it so Windows 8 apps can run in windows using the normal desktop environment. In addition to the desktop announcements, Microsoft also talked about big changes for Windows on mobile devices and Internet-of-Things devices. The company will be giving Windows away for free to OEMs making phones and tablets (9" screens and smaller), and for IoT devices that can run it. Microsoft also finally unveiled Cortana, their digital assistant software that's similar to Siri.

12 of 387 comments (clear)

  1. April Fools was yesterday by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Microsoft listens to end users?!

  2. Digital Assistant software by slapout · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Microsoft also finally unveiled Cortana, their digital assistant software that's similar to Siri."

    As opposed to Clippy, their digital assistant software that's similar to Jar Jar Binks.

    --
    Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
    1. Re:Digital Assistant software by The123king · · Score: 1, Funny

      That's a really unfair analogy. Jar Jar Binks was never that annoying.

      --
      If you gave me a choice between a printer and a giraffe with explosive diarrhoea, i'll get my ladder and my raincoat
  3. Re:"Free" Windows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Seriously why would you use something as bloated as Windows

    Because we know that the current iteration of Android is svelte, lean and mean...

  4. Re:Gee, so only a year of screaming by rikkards · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's because they can't use their usual solution which is "you need to upgrade to the next version"

  5. Re:Gee, so only a year of screaming by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 5, Funny

    OT: I finally found your moped jesus:

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new...

    now that that mystery is solved, all the rest look comparatively simple.

    --

    --
    "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
  6. "Digital Assistant" by FuzzNugget · · Score: 1, Funny

    Oh god, it's clippy 2.0

  7. Re:Gee, so only a year of screaming by mwvdlee · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Product X is great, you just have to replace it's main features with additional products Y and Z".

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  8. Re:Gee, so only a year of screaming by ackthpt · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's because they can't use their usual solution which is "you need to upgrade to the next version"

    The next version is a trap!

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  9. Re:Gee, so only a year of screaming by lgw · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm sure Windows 9.5 will be revolutionary, unlike anything we've seen before, and Windows 9.8 will continue to improve on it.

    --
    Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
  10. Re:Gee, so only a year of screaming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Who knows -- by 9.x maybe it'll even be as usable as 7 again.

    This is horrible news. It just might save Windows.

  11. Re:What about 2012R2??? by rahvin112 · · Score: 1, Funny

    Only if you are a fool.