Exactly, it is quite funny the way these "Analyst" predict. So selling 60 million copies in 2 months, which is the same as Windows 7 did is bad? and Xbox is the top selling console after many years and they want to sell it to Sony and who? It is certainly is a good joke, the PC market is changing but don't see exodus of people demanding PC's without Windows. They may sell 11% less than last year, but probably recover more with their 30% application share.
iPad comparison is hilarious, the big issue is people comparing iOS to WinRT. Feature to feature RT has much more than iOS, a better comparison will be with Windows Phone 8 than RT. Incidentally iOS and Windows Phone have similar sizes.
As an example, no file system access or network share, multi-user support, microSD, USB, 450 million device support, etc. etc. Plus desktop grade tools such as disk manager, task manager and not to forget Office. The size is justifiable
I been in industry for too long to take sides, have seen screw up from all players. So if something is on right path, I will say so.
It doesn't matter what technology or platform. We have some smart people on this site, but blind extremists as well.
In case of payment, not sure any company will pay to write on Slashdot. Folks here already seem to have made up their mind, and have strong opinions.
Exactly! If pure consumption is the focus then Android is way to go, if you need larger form, Office, side by side apps, keyboard, etc. then think of Surface.
How so?
So with your logic, Apple should have sold Mac's lower than PC's to gain market share? How did it work for Linux desktop?
The thing is, Ipad may have lead the consumer market but Enterprises have not "really" embraced it in their ecosystem. For any IT or managed service provider, mix of technology is no-no for support overheads and cost, they want the tablets to be managed the same way as their PC's. Microsoft has a real advantage in this areas.
On the consumer side, there are enough Microsoft followers to make this one a success. All it needs is a tiny fraction of existing Windows desktop ecosystem and they will get success.
Not really, this time Microsoft has worked out more diligently than ever before and the product has all the elements to be successful.
The reality is, this is the first Enterprise grade tablet with Office and other features and enterprises are looking forward to evaluate it.
http://gizmodo.com/5952078/inside-surface-microsofts-insane-quest-for-gadget-perfection
How it will perform in consumer space needs to be seen, and the wait should not be more than few months from now.
Meego has zero ecosystem support, unlike Android or iOS. Unproven, not ready for market.
On Lumia 920, you better get the facts correct. It is based on Windows Phone 8 and display, camera, navigation are the best in all respects.
E.g. Display is more sunlight readable than any other phone, you can operate it with keys or with gloves (no other phone can do that), best image stabilization in phone camera, navigation (they own Navteq, best maps period), first with build-in wireless charging, etc. etc.
Search the net, you will find dozen links which actually show how Nokia 920 is better
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Photo-contest-against-the-Nokia-Lumia-920-shows-how-the-Galaxy-S-III-and-iPhone-4S-shoot-in-the-dark_id34152
Well, you make it sound like Apple and Google never had their share of failures. This is business, things go wrong with timing, readiness and dozens of factors.
With you logic, we should never buy Apple products because Newton failed or Nexus did not do good, so no point in buying Android.
Zune - As a audio player, it has the best elements but the timing was heck wrong. It came when the market was already saturated, and ramping down.
Kin - It seems to be a test pilot, trying a concept which was prices outrageously for the intended teenager market.
MS Bob - Another Idea, with no substance and hence failed to pick up. Tons of these in the market, Bob was not the first or the last
Anyone comparing Windows Phone 8 with above just ignorance, the UI is not only well designed but the philosophy of activity centric use is very productive and addictive. Android in a way is bad copy of iOS mixed up with remnants of Windows 6.5 (openness, custom skin, etc). Windows Phone seems to have the best of both sides, controlled experience like iOS with better integration and customization options.
Whatever hardware they can come up with (they make one of the best hardware, no doubt about it) the success was dependent on what ecosystem it brings together. The option was to go with Android or Microsoft, there is simply no third option to ready to compete.
So with Android, they would have been me too player and not really any strong support from Google both on IP or monetary. In addition they may have to pay Microsoft and Apple if they went that route. Regarding Microsoft, strong financials with one of the largest developer community and ecosystem. Even with few % market share the applications have increased faster than Android, which is telling us something. Say what, but desktop, enterprise, cloud no one has the integration as good as Microsoft. The Windows phone, as a product in itself is actually better than iOS or Android. It is not as closed as Apple or open as Android, but the UI is fresh, new and very effective. Simply said, if this had happened 3-4 years back we would have a different market composition.
Regarding future, the Lumia 920 is the top contender in terms of display, features, camera, navigation and the OS. Not even iPhone 5 or any of the current Android phone come close to it. The interest is picking up, but Microsoft has to fight against the bad image it created with its earlier Windows mobile 6.5. The providers are not helping in any way. Verizon is all behind Android, Sprint is confused so the only players are ATT and TMobile. If both Nokia and Microsoft are persistent for some more time the success is sure to follow. Expect better traction in the market, once the Windows 8 PC, tablets are released. Any one with objective mind will appreciate what Microsoft has done.
Here is the list -
1) The performance is snappier - boot, wakeup, application launch, task switching, almost everything is faster than Windows 7. My 5 year old laptop cold boots in 12 seconds, and wake-up is instantaneous
2) Start menu
- It is a better replacement to original start menu, takes some time to get used to but not much.
- Applications can be accessed quicker, all the common tools are just right click-lower left corner or just start typing when on start screen. Very convenient
- WinRT applications are very snappy, even switching tasks with video (left click- upper left corner)have zero lag.
- Side by side is useful, for consumption. Any more parallel tasks run just fine in the full desktop mode
- Live tiles are better than static shortcuts, why? you don't need to open those to see any updates. Just a quick glance is enough to be catch-up things of interest. One click on Win key and you are then back to your work
- Charms menu left click-upper right corner is also useful, all application specific context, settings and search is available. No need to navigate to folders and menus for that
3) Desktop Mode - This works exactly like Windows 7, and is required for any serious work. All said and done, touch has its limitation and real work gets done by keyboard and mouse. But having both options is better than having just one.
4) Built in antivirus - no nagware, updates or system slowing antivirus to worry about. It totally runs in background
5) Task Manager is much improved, keep it simply or get more details
6) Full backward compatibility, everything I had on Windows 7 works in Windows 8. All drivers, CAD, RC simulator, ESC programmer, everything
In my view it is the best Windows version, and a must upgrade
The biggest advantage for Windows was becoming it biggest problem, no way to find out which application is safe and which is not. On OS front they made considerable progress after XP SP6, but the weak area was still applications the end user will download and screw up the machine. All blames came to OS.
Now they have learnt, thanks to Apple, that a controlled experience is better especially for tablets and phones with limited resources. iOS, Android all started the same way and its still beneficial to non-technical user community. Everybody blamed the OS when performance was bad, not to all those gazillion applications consuming CPU, network, IO cycles.
So restricting this for ARM based computers is the right way, on the traditional x86 you can still code and all applications work the same way.
Its definitely good for Linux, but may not be at the cost of Windows. The followers are in different silos, and this is not huge advantage to shift from one to other.
Anyone ignoring Windows on desktop has a big challenge for sure, its like ignoring Android and iOS for phones. They still have over billion users, if not more.
Pretty sure these folks has not used it enough to realize the advantages. They probably picked more from all the anti writers about it.
Nothing is lost from Windows 7, and lot to gain. Its a trash survey
Not sure what this is about, but after using Windows 8 for over 5 months now I don't see anything that is of concern. Everything that worked on Windows 7 work on Windows 8 without any issues. The new UI is good, and overall the OS is very snappy and quick performer. All that complains about learning curve are wrong, pick the basics in 5 minutes and you are done. All my machines run RTM now,It is a must upgrade for all Windows users for sure.
Intel always had power issues to manage, which are more critical on tablets. That may be one of the areas of concern, but it has nothing to do with PC users.
Get 5 copies, free upgrades, Cloud storage and use anywhere software. The streaming download is quite good as well.
It may not make sense for home users, but anyone who primarily works with Excel, Word and Powerpoint it is a steal. That covers most of the managers and pursuit folks in the industry.
Most of the key features touted surpass all other phones at this point, the camera, image stabilization, navigation, indoor maps, display, wireless charging, UI, NFC.
Looks like I will jump ship from Samsung to Nokia in coming months.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/what-is-windows-defender-offline
Download it on another machine, boot with it and clean up the mess. I will recommend installing the free Microsoft Security Essentials, and avoid using administrative login. Also not using any browser plugins will help as well.
Its not a suicide but a brilliant strategy and product offering. This has success written all over it.
First of all, it retains all the good things that made Windows 7 popular (700 million copies, and still going). So natural upgrade for most of the users. Secondly, it is now more optimized than Windows 7, so faster boot as well as application run, file copy, secure, etc. Third, it is now touch friendly but still keeps mouse and keyboard compatibility. Nothing lost, but lot of gains.
Now the question of learning curve, it just takes 5 minutes to understand how corners react to touch and clicks plus few key shortcuts using Win key. Heck, the Win8 UI is just a better replacement for start menu and worth it. And no, it is not just bunch of icons in a grid format, but live tiles that present application substance without starting the application itself. So glance and go, or quickly swap from desktop mode to check on what is happening in your world.
To all comparing this to Bob or Vista, first start using it than making such ignorant remarks. From organization point of view, Windows 8 is just the right strategy to maintain its lead in desktop plus get more in the tablet. Nothing could be done better
exactly, the interface is quite easy and hardly takes 5 minutes to orient and understand. The RTM version has quick help to re-iterate this.
All the hue and cry is over nothing, and looks like coming from people who have not used it at all
I am using it for few months, and find it natural and even better than Windows 7 in many areas. This all hue and cry, and re-learning is all bull shit. It hardly takes few minutes to understand how to utilize edges and corners, and use of Win key.
To you concern about desktop, you can pin your favorite applications on taskbar the feature is still present including side by side snap and multi tasking. This way you can work almost entirely in Windows 7 like environment.
Comparing Start Menu with Metro, Metro is actually way better. The live tiles are quite useful, to quickly glance and check whats happening in your network without even going into individual applications. Plus ability to group and do symantic zoom, and type and search is way powerful and easy.
All this negative articles are just click baits, actual Windows users will end up loving this new UI and start demanding upgrades. I will be upgrading all my machines day one.
If the price is right, Surface will sell extremely well. The interface is better than iPad, and with Office 13, USB adn keyboard it is better fit in enterprises. I wont mind paying higher price than iPad, it has a better utility.
Waiting to pre-order it the day it is announced.
Slashdot Mirror
Exactly, it is quite funny the way these "Analyst" predict. So selling 60 million copies in 2 months, which is the same as Windows 7 did is bad? and Xbox is the top selling console after many years and they want to sell it to Sony and who? It is certainly is a good joke, the PC market is changing but don't see exodus of people demanding PC's without Windows. They may sell 11% less than last year, but probably recover more with their 30% application share.
iPad comparison is hilarious, the big issue is people comparing iOS to WinRT. Feature to feature RT has much more than iOS, a better comparison will be with Windows Phone 8 than RT. Incidentally iOS and Windows Phone have similar sizes. As an example, no file system access or network share, multi-user support, microSD, USB, 450 million device support, etc. etc. Plus desktop grade tools such as disk manager, task manager and not to forget Office. The size is justifiable
I been in industry for too long to take sides, have seen screw up from all players. So if something is on right path, I will say so. It doesn't matter what technology or platform. We have some smart people on this site, but blind extremists as well. In case of payment, not sure any company will pay to write on Slashdot. Folks here already seem to have made up their mind, and have strong opinions.
Exactly! If pure consumption is the focus then Android is way to go, if you need larger form, Office, side by side apps, keyboard, etc. then think of Surface.
How so? So with your logic, Apple should have sold Mac's lower than PC's to gain market share? How did it work for Linux desktop? The thing is, Ipad may have lead the consumer market but Enterprises have not "really" embraced it in their ecosystem. For any IT or managed service provider, mix of technology is no-no for support overheads and cost, they want the tablets to be managed the same way as their PC's. Microsoft has a real advantage in this areas. On the consumer side, there are enough Microsoft followers to make this one a success. All it needs is a tiny fraction of existing Windows desktop ecosystem and they will get success.
Not really, this time Microsoft has worked out more diligently than ever before and the product has all the elements to be successful. The reality is, this is the first Enterprise grade tablet with Office and other features and enterprises are looking forward to evaluate it. http://gizmodo.com/5952078/inside-surface-microsofts-insane-quest-for-gadget-perfection How it will perform in consumer space needs to be seen, and the wait should not be more than few months from now.
Meego has zero ecosystem support, unlike Android or iOS. Unproven, not ready for market. On Lumia 920, you better get the facts correct. It is based on Windows Phone 8 and display, camera, navigation are the best in all respects. E.g. Display is more sunlight readable than any other phone, you can operate it with keys or with gloves (no other phone can do that), best image stabilization in phone camera, navigation (they own Navteq, best maps period), first with build-in wireless charging, etc. etc. Search the net, you will find dozen links which actually show how Nokia 920 is better http://www.phonearena.com/news/Photo-contest-against-the-Nokia-Lumia-920-shows-how-the-Galaxy-S-III-and-iPhone-4S-shoot-in-the-dark_id34152
Well, you make it sound like Apple and Google never had their share of failures. This is business, things go wrong with timing, readiness and dozens of factors. With you logic, we should never buy Apple products because Newton failed or Nexus did not do good, so no point in buying Android. Zune - As a audio player, it has the best elements but the timing was heck wrong. It came when the market was already saturated, and ramping down. Kin - It seems to be a test pilot, trying a concept which was prices outrageously for the intended teenager market. MS Bob - Another Idea, with no substance and hence failed to pick up. Tons of these in the market, Bob was not the first or the last Anyone comparing Windows Phone 8 with above just ignorance, the UI is not only well designed but the philosophy of activity centric use is very productive and addictive. Android in a way is bad copy of iOS mixed up with remnants of Windows 6.5 (openness, custom skin, etc). Windows Phone seems to have the best of both sides, controlled experience like iOS with better integration and customization options.
Whatever hardware they can come up with (they make one of the best hardware, no doubt about it) the success was dependent on what ecosystem it brings together. The option was to go with Android or Microsoft, there is simply no third option to ready to compete. So with Android, they would have been me too player and not really any strong support from Google both on IP or monetary. In addition they may have to pay Microsoft and Apple if they went that route. Regarding Microsoft, strong financials with one of the largest developer community and ecosystem. Even with few % market share the applications have increased faster than Android, which is telling us something. Say what, but desktop, enterprise, cloud no one has the integration as good as Microsoft. The Windows phone, as a product in itself is actually better than iOS or Android. It is not as closed as Apple or open as Android, but the UI is fresh, new and very effective. Simply said, if this had happened 3-4 years back we would have a different market composition. Regarding future, the Lumia 920 is the top contender in terms of display, features, camera, navigation and the OS. Not even iPhone 5 or any of the current Android phone come close to it. The interest is picking up, but Microsoft has to fight against the bad image it created with its earlier Windows mobile 6.5. The providers are not helping in any way. Verizon is all behind Android, Sprint is confused so the only players are ATT and TMobile. If both Nokia and Microsoft are persistent for some more time the success is sure to follow. Expect better traction in the market, once the Windows 8 PC, tablets are released. Any one with objective mind will appreciate what Microsoft has done.
Here is the list - 1) The performance is snappier - boot, wakeup, application launch, task switching, almost everything is faster than Windows 7. My 5 year old laptop cold boots in 12 seconds, and wake-up is instantaneous 2) Start menu - It is a better replacement to original start menu, takes some time to get used to but not much. - Applications can be accessed quicker, all the common tools are just right click-lower left corner or just start typing when on start screen. Very convenient - WinRT applications are very snappy, even switching tasks with video (left click- upper left corner)have zero lag. - Side by side is useful, for consumption. Any more parallel tasks run just fine in the full desktop mode - Live tiles are better than static shortcuts, why? you don't need to open those to see any updates. Just a quick glance is enough to be catch-up things of interest. One click on Win key and you are then back to your work - Charms menu left click-upper right corner is also useful, all application specific context, settings and search is available. No need to navigate to folders and menus for that 3) Desktop Mode - This works exactly like Windows 7, and is required for any serious work. All said and done, touch has its limitation and real work gets done by keyboard and mouse. But having both options is better than having just one. 4) Built in antivirus - no nagware, updates or system slowing antivirus to worry about. It totally runs in background 5) Task Manager is much improved, keep it simply or get more details 6) Full backward compatibility, everything I had on Windows 7 works in Windows 8. All drivers, CAD, RC simulator, ESC programmer, everything In my view it is the best Windows version, and a must upgrade
The biggest advantage for Windows was becoming it biggest problem, no way to find out which application is safe and which is not. On OS front they made considerable progress after XP SP6, but the weak area was still applications the end user will download and screw up the machine. All blames came to OS. Now they have learnt, thanks to Apple, that a controlled experience is better especially for tablets and phones with limited resources. iOS, Android all started the same way and its still beneficial to non-technical user community. Everybody blamed the OS when performance was bad, not to all those gazillion applications consuming CPU, network, IO cycles. So restricting this for ARM based computers is the right way, on the traditional x86 you can still code and all applications work the same way.
Its definitely good for Linux, but may not be at the cost of Windows. The followers are in different silos, and this is not huge advantage to shift from one to other. Anyone ignoring Windows on desktop has a big challenge for sure, its like ignoring Android and iOS for phones. They still have over billion users, if not more.
Yes, completely agree. Lack of objectivity and strong opinions without even using it in the first place is common on this forum
Pretty sure these folks has not used it enough to realize the advantages. They probably picked more from all the anti writers about it. Nothing is lost from Windows 7, and lot to gain. Its a trash survey
Not sure what this is about, but after using Windows 8 for over 5 months now I don't see anything that is of concern. Everything that worked on Windows 7 work on Windows 8 without any issues. The new UI is good, and overall the OS is very snappy and quick performer. All that complains about learning curve are wrong, pick the basics in 5 minutes and you are done. All my machines run RTM now,It is a must upgrade for all Windows users for sure. Intel always had power issues to manage, which are more critical on tablets. That may be one of the areas of concern, but it has nothing to do with PC users.
Get 5 copies, free upgrades, Cloud storage and use anywhere software. The streaming download is quite good as well. It may not make sense for home users, but anyone who primarily works with Excel, Word and Powerpoint it is a steal. That covers most of the managers and pursuit folks in the industry.
Most of the key features touted surpass all other phones at this point, the camera, image stabilization, navigation, indoor maps, display, wireless charging, UI, NFC. Looks like I will jump ship from Samsung to Nokia in coming months.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/what-is-windows-defender-offline Download it on another machine, boot with it and clean up the mess. I will recommend installing the free Microsoft Security Essentials, and avoid using administrative login. Also not using any browser plugins will help as well.
Its not a suicide but a brilliant strategy and product offering. This has success written all over it. First of all, it retains all the good things that made Windows 7 popular (700 million copies, and still going). So natural upgrade for most of the users. Secondly, it is now more optimized than Windows 7, so faster boot as well as application run, file copy, secure, etc. Third, it is now touch friendly but still keeps mouse and keyboard compatibility. Nothing lost, but lot of gains. Now the question of learning curve, it just takes 5 minutes to understand how corners react to touch and clicks plus few key shortcuts using Win key. Heck, the Win8 UI is just a better replacement for start menu and worth it. And no, it is not just bunch of icons in a grid format, but live tiles that present application substance without starting the application itself. So glance and go, or quickly swap from desktop mode to check on what is happening in your world. To all comparing this to Bob or Vista, first start using it than making such ignorant remarks. From organization point of view, Windows 8 is just the right strategy to maintain its lead in desktop plus get more in the tablet. Nothing could be done better
exactly, the interface is quite easy and hardly takes 5 minutes to orient and understand. The RTM version has quick help to re-iterate this. All the hue and cry is over nothing, and looks like coming from people who have not used it at all
I am using it for few months, and find it natural and even better than Windows 7 in many areas. This all hue and cry, and re-learning is all bull shit. It hardly takes few minutes to understand how to utilize edges and corners, and use of Win key. To you concern about desktop, you can pin your favorite applications on taskbar the feature is still present including side by side snap and multi tasking. This way you can work almost entirely in Windows 7 like environment. Comparing Start Menu with Metro, Metro is actually way better. The live tiles are quite useful, to quickly glance and check whats happening in your network without even going into individual applications. Plus ability to group and do symantic zoom, and type and search is way powerful and easy. All this negative articles are just click baits, actual Windows users will end up loving this new UI and start demanding upgrades. I will be upgrading all my machines day one.
If the price is right, Surface will sell extremely well. The interface is better than iPad, and with Office 13, USB adn keyboard it is better fit in enterprises. I wont mind paying higher price than iPad, it has a better utility. Waiting to pre-order it the day it is announced.
Apple has done a great job, but others are not standing still - http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-microsofts-massive-windows-sales-compared-to-apple-2010-7
Strategic for Microsoft, and who would want it? Just few % of Windows 7 users will make it a huge success - http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-microsofts-massive-windows-sales-compared-to-apple-2010-7
the data shows Windows 7 is most successful, 3 times all of OSX, iOS put together http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-microsofts-massive-windows-sales-compared-to-apple-2010-7