Why Windows Blue heralds the death of the desktop

[dcs18]

Balmer needs to be tested for drugs and dementia.

There are some others, too who need to be tested - check them out at the Disclaimer on the links of my signature. :)

[D1v1n3D]

DONATE TO REACTOS so we can see a final version so we can see the end of Microsoft/apple/Linux it is windows NT code based but written from scratch with all bad code erased instead of hashed out making bloated gigs worthless data hogging up your hard drive not to mention installs and loads 1000 times faster even on ancient computers no need for SSD to get their load speeds it's all about software hardware is a small part of it these guys are proving it in a major way.

REACTOS, REACTOS, REACTOS, pass it on and stop whining like women on their period and just man up donate what you can get this project going FOR REAL.

[R0H1T]

Isn't metro the main (and only) problem of Windows 8?

Umm is it ? Most people don't have a clue what they hate in win8(granted you might not be one of'em) but it can easily be overcome by installing a third party app like start8 that skips metro completely ! The obvious advantage of metro is that it lets you access your windows phone apps on your traditional desktop which has its pros even without the touch interface, now as I said it's a transitional phase to pave the road for Win9 ~ a true cross platform multitasking OS !

Why should I worry about what Microsoft wants for bread and butter? I'm happy with Android and will not buy a Windows phone in next 10 years, no matter how much does Microsoft push - and it seems it's same elsewhere - Windows Phones sales are just not taking off.

Because they're not a charity & they need $ to survive, loads of it infact so unless you're buying/paying for any M$ stuff that you've ever used you don't have the right to complain ! Also FYI Windows phone is indeed the fastest growing mobile OS in the world just to clear things up !

Legacy x86 support? Well, not on tablets - people complain that MS market it as a unified platform but can't run x86 on tablets. Also, who is Microsoft to call them "legacy". What Microsoft has is webapps (kinda) - it has it's own name, no one deserves to call the main softwares as "legacy".

Legacy as in traditional desktop apps for the x86 platform & yes Windows RT pro supports them ! Legacy doesn't mean old/dated you know it's just a pseudonym for the traditional desktop platform, geez !

There is no misdirected hate always, Windows 8 lovers and haters always fail to read the details.

You think so ! Most people that I know don't have a clue as to why they like/dislike a given product cause most of'em buy stuff due to peer pressure especially Android/iOS phones ! On this particular forum people are well versed with much of the software side of things but in the real world hardware is what drives software not the other way around ~ that either you've failed to acknowledge or have deliberately ignored for some misplaced bias against M$ maybe ?

[dcs18]

Those who fail to dismiss the Modern UI (Metro) despite reading the tutorial need to wait until they attain puberty - who forced them guys to install Windows 8. :o

[ffi]

@eurobyn - totally agree with you, and I perfectly understood what you said. I used Linux (Ubuntu) too, for a few days, but I couldn't use it more than that. Why? Simple, because over 90% of my fav. apps work only on Windows, the same goes with games.

If you work with linux for a longer time you will get new favorites and WINE is getting better every 2 weeks. I haven't used WINE in 2 years but even then it was quite good already (Office 2010 ran mostly okay and gaming was okay to, some games even ran faster though some with less details)

[dcs18]

Why Windows Blue heralds the death of the desktop

This is the kinda alarmist disinformation that steals my pleasure of logging in, here - cheap sensationalism!!! . :thumbsdown:

[Misaki2010]

Guys, I perfectly understand why some of you don't like Windows 8. The thing that made me sad about Windows 8 were the lack of multitasking on non-widescreen monitors (which was available in Windows 8 Dev Preview), also the problems with the uxtheme files (when you edit them so you can be able to use custom visual styles and update your Windows afterwards you can't boot the OS anymore). Anyway, the problems with the "multitasking" were fixed, I can finally have two metro apps at the same time on my desktop in Blue.

It's true that Microsoft is removing "old" features and they shouldn't, there should be an option to get them back... but as far as I see, third-party apps can bring that back, even the transparency...

[dcs18]

. . . . . . . . . . the problems with the uxtheme files (when you edit them so you can be able to use custom visual styles and update your Windows afterwards you can't boot the OS anymore).

This issue, too has been overcome. :wub:

[Gabben]

Stick to 7, no one pushes you to upgrade...

Uhm... Windows 7 with SP1 support ends 2015. jan. 12 so you MUST switch at one time. And we have the right to share our opinions about the new versions of Microsoft products and we don't like it. Even if i buy a notebook or PC with touchscreen i don't like it. We shouldn't replace everything with touchscreens.

I hope that Linux will get more attention from game developers. Steam is already sopporting it. We need an alternative.

[RadioActive]

Windows Blue heralds the death of the desktop

I say Windows Blue heralds the death of Windows.

[Misaki2010]

@dcs18 - the problem is that I can't run UX Style Core Beta :( it's only for 64-bit and I only use 32-bit - I had some problems with 64-bit (well pretty much every time I used it so I decided to stick with 32-bit for the moment. I got only 4GB of RAM.

@Gabben - of course that everyone has their right to their opinion. Microsoft wants to keep the UI but after seeing your feedback they want to improve it, and the did improved a part of it in Windows Blue :) At least I'm happy at the moment, there are still things that I would like in Windows 8, for example more features in Metro Apps.

[dcs18]

@dcs18 - the problem is that I can't run UX Style Core Beta :( it's only for 64-bit and I only use 32-bit

Oh yeah, ATM, it's available only for x64-bit Users - one of our good members rach went through the same way. The Developer is shortly releasing a x32-bit variant, though. :yes:

[Misaki2010]

@dcs18 - I'll be looking forward to that, thank you. Sorry because I don't use the "Quote" button but apparently it doesn't work properly in IE11 :(

[brain_death]

I <3 threads like this...

They get everybody talking and expressing an opinion and if you think they aren't read by those with the power to make decisions, you're wrong. Only I don't think it comes down to either loving or hating Windows 8 and Blue, or that feeling M$ is heading in the wrong direction makes you a Linux fanboi.

I'm typing this on a Windows 8 machine and have run Windows 8 on its own hardware ever since the first developer preview. I like this OS because it uses less memory and you can bypass the Recycle Bin easily if you want. The ribbon has a "Copy path" button that is useful too. But I don't run it on my primary workstation, because the Windows 7 device manager gives you access to a wider array of drivers and I've had some weird issues with Windows 8 and strange accounts being added, that I know some people had with Windows 7 but I never did. Perhaps if I were to reformat I would stick it on there, but it's a shame seeing my expensive monitor looking like a shitty phone. As for putting my fingers all over it, I won’t ever be doing that…

Linux is chaos and the Unix file system is a mess, everybody knows. Nobody in the so-called community can agree on anything and developers break stuff randomly almost for the sake of it. But I can use my very pricey Quadro card from *2002* (oh, yes!) that M$ and Nvidia otherwise stopped supporting with Windows XP. Also Linux *is* more secure because of the permissions angle and in a world where the future of humanity rests on computing power, you simply can't have this in the hands of those who can afford to pay, or at the mercy of one company whose source code we cannot see.

Currently, I work on six machines regularly. These run Windows 8 x64, Windows 7 x64 (twice), Windows 7 x86 and two different Linux distros, one 64-bit and the other 32-bit. The days of one OS dominating are over, it is time to broaden your skills base folks and get used to it…

Please don't even get me started on Apple, the biggest closed shop ever...

:secret:

[dcs18]

Some good news!!! :rockon:

The following Start Menu alternatives are confirmed to be working with Windows Blue:-

• IObit Start Menu
• Pokki
• Power 8
• Retro UI Pro
• Startmenu8 and
• Vistart

BTW, that's not the good news that I was referring to - most of the Developers of the other Start Menu alternatives that do not ATM work on Windows Blue have received support to fork their work to be made to work on Windows Blue (this is the good news - we fight back against those who try to snatch our beloved Desktops from us.)

Those who do not have the resolve / time / inclination to fight back and / or lend support are welcome to bow before Microsoft - I'm proud of the rest of us who've decided that we shall not allow the Desktop to die and refuse to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . be a slave - a failure.

[cyberber]

And the best of all Classic Shell 3.6.5 Final

[dMog]

only thing i miss that is not on my win8 is boot to desktop .desk top is still there and EASY to get to,but i find myself using and actually liking the start screen more and more...the rest of stuff you need to tweak is all there just a bit harder to find on win8...but really with touch screen tablets ouselling desktops and notebooks what did you expect to happen...i alos find now that my desktop is not cluttered up with all the shortcuts i used to have on my older computers...

[x3r0]

Now, now, let's talk about the people who use computer instead of Microsoft's product...

Don't forget, many of us, there are still a lots of who rarely sit in front of computer every day, know how to put a good use of highly customizable OS. They just want to get their things done. That's it. Years of how long they has been using a computer don't matter, as long as they aren't willing to learn more than they just want to do.

From the mind of developers, operating system Windows 7 and earlier, it was considered too advanced to be used by people who are from the beginning, did not want to trouble themselves with knowing how to maximize the functionality of the operating system or its program inside it. There are many, who is actually non-geek users, were forced to operate in a world where geek belong, and they seems hate it.

But those days are over. Apparently, the non-geek users, who used to be had to struggle to learn to use the operating system Windows 7 and earlier, more likely adapt faster to use operating systems such as Android and iOS, and they seems to love it more...

This leads to the conclusion ... Operating System Windows 7 and earlier, now are only suitable to be used by people who are "power users", like application developers, application experts, gamers who require a big PC horse power, computer technicians, but NOT for non-geek users whose numbers far dominate this world than the geek.

[DKT27]

Isn't metro the main (and only) problem of Windows 8?

Umm is it ? Most people don't have a clue what they hate in win8(granted you might not be one of'em) but it can easily be overcome by installing a third party app like start8 that skips metro completely ! The obvious advantage of metro is that it lets you access your windows phone apps on your traditional desktop which has its pros even without the touch interface, now as I said it's a transitional phase to pave the road for Win9 ~ a true cross platform multitasking OS !

>> Why should I worry about what Microsoft wants for bread and butter? I'm happy with Android and will not buy a Windows phone in next 10 years, no matter how much does Microsoft push - and it seems it's same elsewhere - Windows Phones sales are just not taking off.

Because they're not a charity & they need $ to survive, loads of it infact so unless you're buying/paying for any M$ stuff that you've ever used you don't have the right to complain ! Also FYI Windows phone is indeed the fastest growing mobile OS in the world just to clear things up !

Legacy x86 support? Well, not on tablets - people complain that MS market it as a unified platform but can't run x86 on tablets. Also, who is Microsoft to call them "legacy". What Microsoft has is webapps (kinda) - it has it's own name, no one deserves to call the main softwares as "legacy".

Legacy as in traditional desktop apps for the x86 platform & yes Windows RT pro supports them ! Legacy doesn't mean old/dated you know it's just a pseudonym for the traditional desktop platform, geez !

There is no misdirected hate always, Windows 8 lovers and haters always fail to read the details.

You think so ! Most people that I know don't have a clue as to why they like/dislike a given product cause most of'em buy stuff due to peer pressure especially Android/iOS phones ! On this particular forum people are well versed with much of the software side of things but in the real world hardware is what drives software not the other way around ~ that either you've failed to acknowledge or have deliberately ignored for some misplaced bias against M$ maybe ?

Granted. But just because you can repaint your car or change it's parts doesn't mean general public will like to buy the car with colour or accessories they don't like. Half of the Windows 8 users don't even care for apps or metro. Why Microsoft needs push it to us? It can always be a option.

There are many ways for Microsoft to earn money without forcing users to adapt their crap. As I said, everything can be given as option, but no, they force it down our throat, and Microsoft fanboys take it as a god given. Windows Phone fastest growing OS in the world? :huh: It has lesser market share than even the Chinese OSs out there. This, after failure of WP 7.x and then really bad WP8 start, it was only after introduction of Lumia 920 like phones from Nokia that it's doing something. And no, Windows Phone is not the fastest growing OS, Android is. Android is not only one of the most used, it's still the fastest growing - it has eaten both iOS and BBOS for lunch.

All I'm aware is only the Microsoft Surface Pro can run x86 apps - probably the only tablet out there which can do that - I don't see the Pro version being the most sold Windows tablet out there, especially for it's price.

They have all the clue and idea about what they hate in Windows 8 - it's the very front page of it. Buying due to peer pressure, sure, but if "Windows" on tablet and phone doesn't turn them on, I'm not sure what else will do.

I'm not taking any sides here, however, Windows 8 fanboys fail to accept or notice that Windows 8, like it or love it, has been a massive failure, both on desktop side and mobile side. I'm a Windows 8 user myself, from many months now, but nothing is taking away the truth from me.

If Windows 8 is failing, Microsoft should take a stance that helps everyone, instead, it's raging everyone further. Talk about doing what you want, not what your users want - a path to failure in business.

[dcs18]

@dcs18 - I'll be looking forward to that, thank you. Sorry because I don't use the "Quote" button but apparently it doesn't work properly in IE11 :(

Have made a note to keep you posted about the x32-bit Ux Style Core Beta release (whenever that takes place.) ;)

[R0H1T]

Granted. But just because you can repaint your car or change it's parts doesn't mean general public will like to buy the car with colour or accessories they don't like. Half of the Windows 8 users don't even care for apps or metro. Why Microsoft needs push it to us? It can always be a option.

There are many ways for Microsoft to earn money without forcing users to adapt their crap. As I said, everything can be given as option, but no, they force it down our throat, and Microsoft fanboys take it as a god given. Windows Phone fastest growing OS in the world? :huh: It has lesser market share than even the Chinese OSs out there. This, after failure of WP 7.x and then really bad WP8 start, it was only after introduction of Lumia 920 like phones from Nokia that it's doing something. And no, Windows Phone is not the fastest growing OS, Android is. Android is not only one of the most used, it's still the fastest growing - it has eaten both iOS and BBOS for lunch.

All I'm aware is only the Microsoft Surface Pro can run x86 apps - probably the only tablet out there which can do that - I don't see the Pro version being the most sold Windows tablet out there, especially for it's price.

They have all the clue and idea about what they hate in Windows 8 - it's the very front page of it. Buying due to peer pressure, sure, but if "Windows" on tablet and phone doesn't turn them on, I'm not sure what else will do.

I'm not taking any sides here, however, Windows 8 fanboys fail to accept or notice that Windows 8, like it or love it, has been a massive failure, both on desktop side and mobile side. I'm a Windows 8 user myself, from many months now, but nothing is taking away the truth from me.

If Windows 8 is failing, Microsoft should take a stance that helps everyone, instead, it's raging everyone further. Talk about doing what you want, not what your users want - a path to failure in business.

Lets just forget all this for a moment, now the time you took to send in these responses & the time you take to fiddle around with your android phone(I'm assuming you have one) either of them is more than what it'd take to disable Metro on win8, you just have to put some effort into it even though its minimal at best !

I'll repeat it once more ~ M$ needs this strategy to work "for OS is their core biz" & whether you like it or not this approach isn't gonna change so be ready to see one OS to rule them all ! I'd add one more thing here, as consumers we can ask for certain features from the manufactures(that's all) & not demand it, have you ever seen phone manufacturers give in to demands for each & every feature their customers want ?

About the windows phone OS, you do know that absolute market share doesn't imply percentage growth don't you ? I'll bet that it'll double its previous years market share hence grow over & above 100% this year, now tell me any other major phone OS doing that !

I'm not here to demean you, but you of all joining the chorus of people complaining about M$ strategy is rather surprising for me, now clearly when convergence is the way forward & unless they turn their mobile strategy around the legacy market(yes x86 is crashing big time, check Intel/AMD vs the meteoric rise of ARM) isn't gonna save them not to mention all corporations are increasing their upgrade cycles so its a double whammy for them !

Lastly it seems you're either not aware of what/why they're(M$) doing or you deliberately chose to sidestep that argument & for the record I don't have a smartphone, just those usual symbian phones from Nokia are enough for me atleast for now !

[MidnightDistortions]

Uhm... Windows 7 with SP1 support ends 2015. jan. 12 so you MUST switch at one time. And we have the right to share our opinions about the new versions of Microsoft products and we don't like it. Even if i buy a notebook or PC with touchscreen i don't like it. We shouldn't replace everything with touchscreens.

I hope that Linux will get more attention from game developers. Steam is already sopporting it. We need an alternative.

Windows 7 won't become obsolete once support is dropped. You can still use it like any other OS, now whether or not current software will work on an older system is really up to the manufacture. I still have my 99' monitor and still have no desire to replace it. Heck i even have an HDTV that works with PCs as a monitor but i still go back to the monitor.

Granted. But just because you can repaint your car or change it's parts doesn't mean general public will like to buy the car with colour or accessories they don't like. Half of the Windows 8 users don't even care for apps or metro. Why Microsoft needs push it to us? It can always be a option.

There are many ways for Microsoft to earn money without forcing users to adapt their crap. As I said, everything can be given as option, but no, they force it down our throat, and Microsoft fanboys take it as a god given. Windows Phone fastest growing OS in the world? :huh: It has lesser market share than even the Chinese OSs out there. This, after failure of WP 7.x and then really bad WP8 start, it was only after introduction of Lumia 920 like phones from Nokia that it's doing something. And no, Windows Phone is not the fastest growing OS, Android is. Android is not only one of the most used, it's still the fastest growing - it has eaten both iOS and BBOS for lunch.

All I'm aware is only the Microsoft Surface Pro can run x86 apps - probably the only tablet out there which can do that - I don't see the Pro version being the most sold Windows tablet out there, especially for it's price.

They have all the clue and idea about what they hate in Windows 8 - it's the very front page of it. Buying due to peer pressure, sure, but if "Windows" on tablet and phone doesn't turn them on, I'm not sure what else will do.

I'm not taking any sides here, however, Windows 8 fanboys fail to accept or notice that Windows 8, like it or love it, has been a massive failure, both on desktop side and mobile side. I'm a Windows 8 user myself, from many months now, but nothing is taking away the truth from me.

If Windows 8 is failing, Microsoft should take a stance that helps everyone, instead, it's raging everyone further. Talk about doing what you want, not what your users want - a path to failure in business.

Honestly i don't care what Win 8 can do that Win 7 can't do. If i have to deal with that ridiculous start screen even for 5 minutes i'll go crazy. I just find it irritating and i find the design horrid. Again i could fix it to make it look different and the way i like it but that's really no different then what i already do with the previous OS's. I love my android phone, i can figure out how to use linux, the chrome book looks to be too constrained but still looks appealing and i am already thinking of moving to the Apple OS.

Yeah it's kinda pointless for MS to put the start menu back the way it was if people are still going to install 3rd party ones but that won't change the fact that some people are going to be turned off by Win 8 right from the featured display. Not only that some users already have switched elsewhere. For now, Win 7 does everything i need it to do and there isn't any reason for me to move elsewhere.

[Misaki2010]

@dcs18 - thank you so much :D I really appreciate this :)

[Ganxxta]

I have only a few words for Microsoft:

- M$ needs $$$.

- much $$$ comes mostly from big companies

- companies need Desktop for work

- MS will kill Desktop

- Touch!=practicable for work

...

M$ go figure how Win8+ will bring $$$...

[DKT27]

Lets just forget all this for a moment, now the time you took to send in these responses & the time you take to fiddle around with your android phone(I'm assuming you have one) either of them is more than what it'd take to disable Metro on win8, you just have to put some effort into it even though its minimal at best !

I'll repeat it once more ~ M$ needs this strategy to work "for OS is their core biz" & whether you like it or not this approach isn't gonna change so be ready to see one OS to rule them all ! I'd add one more thing here, as consumers we can ask for certain features from the manufactures(that's all) & not demand it, have you ever seen phone manufacturers give in to demands for each & every feature their customers want ?

About the windows phone OS, you do know that absolute market share doesn't imply percentage growth don't you ? I'll bet that it'll double its previous years market share hence grow over & above 100% this year, now tell me any other major phone OS doing that !

I'm not here to demean you, but you of all joining the chorus of people complaining about M$ strategy is rather surprising for me, now clearly when convergence is the way forward & unless they turn their mobile strategy around the legacy market(yes x86 is crashing big time, check Intel/AMD vs the meteoric rise of ARM) isn't gonna save them not to mention all corporations are increasing their upgrade cycles so its a double whammy for them !

Lastly it seems you're either not aware of what/why they're(M$) doing or you deliberately chose to sidestep that argument & for the record I don't have a smartphone, just those usual symbian phones from Nokia are enough for me atleast for now !

It isn't always about me. I'm happy using StartIsBack. It's about general public. Metro is easier to learn for people who have never used Windows, not for the people who use it time and again - everyone I've shown Metro wants to puke or turn it off. I also forced my expert, but hardly using computer sister and she couldn't figure out shit. Now, now, who is there to tell them there's a way to disable all that? Even if someone tells them, do you expect them to even consider it after seeing this ugly thing?

I too will say it again, their strategy, no matter what (if they come to know what it is), is failing severely. The one OS to rule them all, atleast in this way, is as unlikely as one country ruling the the whole world for thousand of years. If businesses cannot fulfil the basic demands, they are destined to be doomed.

That's one big way to count marketshare - by hiding the real truth. If Android is eating 5% of market share every year (actually, it ate 13% last year), Windows Phone is adding 0.50% This is not growth, this is an ridiculous failure of an operating system which is hardly receiving any looks. I'm not saying positives and negatives about WP here - I've heard great things about it from the non-fanboys, it must be a great OS for the phone, but that's not the point here.

In business, running is great, but running solely is absolutely useless. Running and carrying your customers together with you, that's something I'll call an excellent company - something that Microsoft has failed to do drastically. Talking about upgrade cycles, everytime I hear it, I remember Mac OS, and Microsoft's executive's words "we will try to beat Apple in everything they do", suggesting how they are bound to their competitor's achievements rather than ruling things themselves and setting examples. I don't mind yearly upgrades, however, this raises simple question: what does it have for me? For desktop? Absolutely nothing.

Yes, I'm well aware about what Microsoft is doing. Give me the company to run and I'll do it ten times better, ten times more marketshare and ten times more number of backing from the customers, without loosing anything and forcing down people's throat. As I've explained about and have said it before: return the start menu (as an option), but metro-fied. Market it as the best of both worlds. Make users aware about the richness and future of apps. Give users what they want as an option. Stop making puking coloured frontpages. Allow re-sizable apps. Re-work on metro so that it can be enjoyed more on desktop. Lot of things can be done, which Microsoft fails to think about.