Windoze 8

On day 2 of the XPocalypse, I've seen no problems in my work PC, or any of the other 5 XPs still extant at our department (three of which are regularly used); that is aside from the last modifications imposed by IT on orders from HR, which render fucntionality to such a low level one thinks malware might improve things.

I've yet to check on my OEM XP CD, but if it had gotten loose from its drawer and engaged in some mischief, I'm sure I'd have noticed.

Not much has happened on the Windows front. The big news was the launch of the Surface Pro 3, which seems a decent enough idea for a tablet/ultrabook combo, albeit way too expensive. And even this is comepting with the tech press' disappointment that there was no launch of a Sruface mini, which they'd all been expecting and lightly hyping. Specualtions on "why no mini" seem as numerous as reviews and coverage of the Pro 3.

Now, I've been looking into a 10" tablet with a keaybaord. With the release of the newest Surface, it may be the Pro2 will drop enough in price to make it a good buy. not now, but in a few months (they were pretty much wiving away the RT when the Surface 2 (NOT PRO) came out). Or maybe not. We'll see. Fact remains any 10" tablet I get will likely be (ugh) Win8.

If I go that way, I'll research first whether 1) it can run Start8, and 2) how likely one is to be able to upgrade it to Win9 when it comes out (I'm suggesting it be named Windows NOT EIGHT!)

Rumors now that Windows 9 will either launch or be released as a preview in the second or third quarter of 2015. In other words, no definite dates yet.

But the article I read this in made passing mention of an unspecified Update 2, which I assume would be for Windows 8.x. There was also mention of something called Windows 365, which may be a subscription-based OS <roll-eyes>.

More as the rumor mill turns.

BTW I was entirely right in my prediction that MS would eventually back off their "Metro" vision of computing and would restore a start menu. I was just way off in the timing.

About the Surface 3 Pro, Win8 apologists have morphed and some are calling for removing the desktop entirely from this product. Others, with mroe sense, IMO, say the 3 Pro is the one and only product which actually needs Win8, because it is a tablet that can sub as an ultrabook.

The desktop on a PC is what the tires are for cars or wings are for airplanes. You need them, even if they are "old" technology. You can improve them, you can amke a great many changes to them, but they will always be there.

Things are looking good for Windows.

Windows 7, that is.

The adoption rate of Win8 is so low it compares unfavorably to WIndows Vista. That is to say, it's hardly any bigger than Vista's was at a comaprable time after its release. This has given rise to speculation that Windows 7 will "enjoy" an extended period alive, much as XP did, having its main and extended support pushed a few years.

It's sad, really, that a company like MS has blundered so badly. Looking back, and being a lot less angry now, it seems they meant well and were acting boldly. Still, they would have spared themselves a lot of heartache and losses in the billions had they merely bothered to consult with me ;)

Look at the screenshots of the conceptual reborn start menu:

http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/new-start-menu-delayed-until-2015

All the way down on the bottom right there's the "all apps." Now, why do I have the sneaking suspicion that when it gets clicked it will open the infamous Windows 8.0 "Metro" Start Screen?

Yes, Microsoft cleaned house and either fired or reassigned just about everyone involved in the Windows 8 debacle. They even got a new CEO. But I keep feeling they still want to push the start screen on their innocent usesrs.

It would make no sense as 1) it negates the whole start menu and 2) allegedly the "modern" "apps" will run on floating desktop windows (meaning desktop users can overpay for limited programs as much as tablet and phone users can). But then the whole idea of Windows 8.0 amde little sense on desktop PCs, as did the idea of touch on desktop PCs, or movinf the desktop to "legacy" status on desktop PCs, or getting rid of the start menu in the ddcesktop on desktop PCs to begin with.

<sigh>

ON other thigns, Update 2 is slated for August. No idea what's in it yet.

Still no clue about what will be in Update 2 (I suspect it will be more like an old-fashioned Service Pack, with most changes under the hood), but there are rumors about the next Windows version (ie maybe or maybe not Windows 9).

The top two rumors are that MS will show a preview of Threshold, the code name for the next version, and that the Start menu will be highly customizable.

The latter includes options like displaying live tiles or not, displaying tiles at all or not, and so on.

While this is indeed very welcome, I must ask: where was this attitude when the Windows 8 distaer was being designed and then sold?

Another rumor is that the OS will configure itself as either desktop-centric or touch-centric depenidng on whether it runs on a desktop or laptop for the former, or in a 2-in-1 or a tablet for the latter (something like this was propposed early on at Infoworld under the banner of Windows Red).

I expect if a working preview is released, I'll run it in my laptop and check it out.

My read right now is that MS is giving up on the very bad idea of making everything a tablet (hurray!), or at least in making everything controllable by either touch and gesture sor imitation of touch and gestures on the desktop. Either way it is long ovredue, like two years overdue.

Now just put in Aero Glass or something like it, rather than the insipid, flat theme endemic to Windows 8, even if just as an option, and I'm very likely in.

Guess which Windows variant is gaining market share:

http://wizardofvegas.com/forum/questions-and-answers/casual-corner/14308-windows-8-must-be-destroyed/13/#post374463

This article almost amkes me extremely cautiously optimistic:

http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/start-menu-will-replace-start-screen-threshold#comment-598321

To paraphrase from an ep of Babylon 5:


Microsoft: If we don't make inroads in mobile, the consequences will be unfortunate

PC Users: If you force us to walk where we do not wish to, the consequences will be even more unfortunate.

Intreesting article, this time predicting a rise in PC sales for next year:

http://winsupersite.com/windows/report-windows-pcs-rebound-2015#comment-599581

Hmm. The year Windows 8 dies. Coincidence?

The newest rummor states Win9, if it's called Win9, will begin with some publicity this fall.

BTW as Win8(.1) is being unfairly branded as the new Vista (it's unfair to vista), Win7 is now being called the new XP. This means pundits expect Win7 to be kept running past its support expiration date.

It might, but there is one important difference: XP "good enough" machines could not be upgraded to Win7, whereas Win8(.1) uses up less resources precisely not to have an upgrade lag for that reason, and pressumably Win9 will be the same in this respect.

Of course, the problem now is the interface, not the system requirements. And there's money, too. What MS must do, then is make the Win9 interface irresistible for desktop users. In other words, it must offer at least superficial improvements to Win7 and maintain Win8(.1)'s performance. As for money there are rumors that Win9 upgrades will be free for Win7 SP1 users (also to Win8(.1) users). If so, great. if not, then it must be very, very cheap. In the order of no more than $50, perhaps $75-$100 for the Pro version.

Give me all that and I'm in. Put a higher price on it, and I'll have to really think about it.