We've had a lot of bad press for Microsoft's introduction of Windows 8... And the drum beat continues:


Microsoft's ARM blunder: 7 reasons why Windows RT was DOA

Industry doomsayers were circling Windows 8 like buzzards before it even launched, but they picked the wrong carcass. Microsoft's real 2012 roadkill was Win8's ARM-powered cousin, Windows RT. ...

... Redmond delivered an oddly hobbled OS that's neither fish nor fowl, one that falls somewhere between Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 – but with the advantages of neither.

For all Microsoft's hype around Surface RT, customers aren't buying it – literally. ...

... too expensive ... The software stinks ... Windows RT is too closed ... Microsoft's marketing sucks ...

... But as we have shown, running Windows RT instead of full Windows isn't an advantage. It's a "gotcha".

Microsoft desperately needed to explain to consumers why removing all of the familiar functionality from Windows 8 makes Windows RT devices preferable to the Windows PCs...


Microsoft to end Windows 8 discounts on January 31

Say what you will about Windows 8; at least the upgrade from Windows 7 is cheap. Or it is for now. After January 31 will be a different story. ...



There's some pretty good comments to both those articles...

Does this all suggest that Microsoft needs to get Windows 9 out the door and into people's hands PDQ?!


My previous comments about the issues against the Windows 8 user interface appear to be echoed in some Microsoft research done years ago!


Here's watching for how this unfolds through the year...

Happy crunchin',
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Then there's this video review.

Which leads me to expect a 2nd pass on useability.

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"Life is just nature's way of keeping meat fresh." - The Doctor

What this topic has to do with number crunching?

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What this topic has to do with number crunching?

Follows on from the Windows 8 Preview Released which inexplicably is also in "Number Crunching"...

Hey Ho!

All in a Microsoft Windows monopoly?...


Happy crunchin',
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Excellent video, thanks for the link.

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What this topic has to do with number crunching?

So you're crunching on what exactly? A kid's abacus maybe?

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... A kid's abacus maybe?

I wonder if a s@h WU could be processed on this one?

The WITCH: "DEKATRON reborn: Full details on World’s Oldest Digital Computer"


Happy hot crunchin',
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

....a lot better than an abacus!

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We've had a lot of bad press for Microsoft's introduction of Windows 8... And the drum beat continues:

PC sales worldwide have tumbled...

Global sales of PCs fell 14% in the first three months of the year...

... "Unfortunately, it seems clear that the Windows 8 launch not only didn't provide a positive boost to the PC market, but appears to have slowed the market."

Windows 8 is designed to work well with touch-sensitive screens, but the displays add to the cost of a PC. Together, the changes and higher prices "have made PCs a less attractive alternative to dedicated tablets and other competitive devices,"...



Here's watching for how this unfolds through the year...

Happy crunchin',
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Windows 8 is designed to work well with touch-sensitive screens, but the displays add to the cost of a PC.

How many of us in terms of %age ownership, have touch touch sensitive screens, or are likely to buy one in the next year? 5% 10%?

I touch my screen with my mouse.
XP on 8 out of 9 crunchers here.

I only went to 7 on my daily driver because my version of XP on it died and I needed to buy a new OS......

XP is the best, most solid OS I know.

Outside of NT.

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"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

Windows 8 is designed to work well with touch-sensitive screens, but the displays add to the cost of a PC.

How many of us in terms of %age ownership, have touch touch sensitive screens, or are likely to buy one in the next year? 5% 10%?

I wont buy one for a Home PC, I like sitting back in my chair and clicking away with my mouse. Why the hell would I want to be a conductor for a band. For the amout of web browsing I do there is no way id get a touch screen. A mobile device is different. But even then one wrong touch and off you go to somewhere else.
Thats why I hate the scroll pad on a laptop also. A nice wireless mouse took that headache away.
I think some egghead saw Minority Report and had a aha moment. I can see that working in a command and control enviroment. But not for a home PC.

I like win 7, Microsoft should let that stay for PCs and make an OS for a mobile device only. But i think the stinking dogs they made with win 8 and the winRT has doomed them.

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[/quote]

Old James

But i think the stinking dogs they made with win 8 and the winRT has doomed them.

no, think Steve Ballmer done that!

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I see now why this thread was moved to politics.
Same ol' bashing about between the Linux camp and Winders.

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"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

Win 8 has obviously been designed by MS to cater for an expected future uptake of touch sensitive screens. But if as I suspect, there is a low market penetration of them, now and in the future, Win 8 will likely be judged on its day to day performance with current screens. On that basis, is it demonstrably better than Win 7? I don't know, I haven't tried it.

If you are a new company starting up, it probably makes sense to take the current offering which will have drivers for the latest peripheral hardware i.e. printers, scanners etc. If you are running Win XP or 7 on older kit, there are probably no drivers, so while the kit is still serviceable, it is not likely to be economically viable to change at this stage. A good maxim to work by is to never take on a new MS system until SP1 is released, because we know that their Marketing boys regularly over-ride the developers and go to shrinkwrap too early.

Also, when developing a new system, MS will go to the hardware people and ask what upcoming new features will their software need to cater for. The Hardware people when developing new kit, will go to MS and say what new features of your next software offering would we need to take best advantage of. They work hand in glove, and not necessarily in the best interests of the consumer either from what I can see. I'm a reluctant MS user at the best of times.

What MS does not recognize, and never shall, is the bevy of 'old school' users that don't have a touch screen, still use a traditional PC. and will until either they die or the PC ceases to exist.
Granted, they are becoming a smaller percentage of their user base, and pay fewer tithing fees to MS than they should like.

But we are still here.

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"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

Which is why I will build my own pc's from now on. As long as I can get parts that is.

The thing I cant understand is the TV market is going bigger sized while the computer market is going small size. I like my smartphone but if i go to a webpage I have to expand the screen size to read it. Now the tablest for the most part by being bigger its easy to read. But Im not going to lug a tablet even if they put a phone it.

I think MS needs to pull a few heads out of their butts and see that they dont need a new OS every two years.

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[/quote]

Old James

I think MS needs to pull a few heads out of their butts and see that they dont need a new OS every two years.

But that does not fulfill a 'business model'......
Profit taking. MS cannot improve anything and make more profits unless they forsake what works and insist on making it 'better'.

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"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

I think MS needs to pull a few heads out of their butts and see that they dont need a new OS every two years.

It is fairly common knowledge that Bill Gates took a back seat in the company that he founded, because he was pissed off with the Marketing boys insisting on putting out a new OS every 3 years, ostensibly to maintain market share. He wanted quality not quantity, but was outvoted, so he took the money and went.

I ran NT on a few rigs until it just became useless to most new apps and the 'net.
That was a solid OS, my friend.

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"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

On that basis, is it demonstrably better than Win 7? I don't know, I haven't tried it.

I have it installed on my laptop and once past the "Metro" interface it is WIn7 just a bit sleeker. I quite like it. It has breathed new life into my 3 year old laptop. However the metro interface is for touch screen and as mine isn't I just go straight to "desktop".

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Windows 8 is designed to work well with touch-sensitive screens, but the displays add to the cost of a PC.

How many of us in terms of %age ownership, have touch touch sensitive screens, or are likely to buy one in the next year? 5% 10%?

I touch my screen with my mouse. ...

And with flying screwdrivers?!... ;-)


Touchscreens have their place but not for large sized viewing. I don't want to suffer strained eyes from finger smears, nor strained arms from having to stretch my fingers out across a vast expanse of screen.

Beyond a 10" screen, go with some pointing device instead...


Happy crunchin',
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

... making it 'better'.

Define 'better'...

And 'better' for who?... The user, the sellers, or the supplier?...


My view of the "Metro" screen (or whatever it's called now) is that it looks just like an advertisement tile...

Keep searchin',
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)