Formfiller

Those Neowin comments are always a fountain of hilarity. In the Vista days I actually defended MS and thought the hate on Vista was totally overblown. Mostly because the criticisms of it were in part completely overblown - like the claim that it cannot play self-recorded MP3s due to DRM and stuff like that. The DRM issue was for the most part just scare (it only came into play with blu-ray and HD-DVD as far as I know. And MS did a terrible job explaining that). Windows 8 though - that's a real stinker. Anyway, what I wanted to say is that to me, the other people who didn't flip out over Vista back in the days seemed to be quite reasonable. It's really sad that some of them have apparently converted to a full blown metro-cult now.

Hey: http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Create-a-ShutdownRestartLog-37c8111d MS has released this Powershell script. (although unofficial etc.) Actually the script creates the links on the start screen, not start menu.. but still they wrote "chore" in relation to W8 here. First signs of sanity?

You should read the "Windows 8 - Deeper Impressions" megathread on this to get the picture.. Short answer: Don't "upgrade".

Wow, so many eightards in the comments here: http://money.cnn.com/2013/01/24/technology/enterprise/microsoft-earnings/index.html They are now demanding the kill-off of the desktop outright! And: These dolts are worse than Sinofsky and Ballmer. I doubt they are ALL shills (it would be actually comforting if that would be the case though). What's their motivation yearning for a touch-only smudge OS, that is hugely crippled to boot? WinRT API is extremely gimped. Something like Photoshop or Visual Studio is pretty much impossible on it due to its restrictions. Seriously, what the heck is their motivation? I know what Microsoft's motivation is, but what is it in case of these über-eightards? If they want a pure consumption device, why don't they just buy an iPad and shut up? What drives them to destroy Windows?

Earnings data in: http://www.microsoft.com/investor/EarningsAndFinancials/Earnings/PressReleaseAndWebcast/FY13/Q2/default.aspx “Our big, bold ambition to reimagine Windows as well as launch Surface and Windows Phone 8 has sparked growing enthusiasm with our customers and unprecedented opportunity and creativity with our partners and developers,” said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer at Microsoft. “With new Windows devices, including Surface Pro, and the new Office on the horizon, we’ll continue to drive excitement for the Windows ecosystem and deliver our software through devices and services people love and businesses need.” The Windows Division posted revenue of $5.88 billion, a 24% increase from the prior year period. Adjusting for the net deferral of revenue for the Windows Upgrade Offer and the recognition of the previously deferred revenue from Windows 8 Pre-sales, Windows Division non-GAAP revenue increased 11% for the second quarter. Microsoft has sold over 60 million Windows 8 licenses to date. ---- Of course, it's pretty obvious that lots of those 60 Million are still on PCs that are still in warehouses. Otherwise OEM's wouldn't be p***ed.

Glad that I could help!

I am still active there as "wastingtimewithforums". Their nerves are razor-thin currently: http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/Microsoft-still-in-denial-phase-over-W8-possible-relaunch-in-February

About the "60 Million" number, quote: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/01/24/windows_8_blame_game/page2.html So the vast bulk of W8 licences are on OEM PCs, but those OEM PCs are not so much in customers' hands but taking a nap in the shops and warehouses. I also love it when the eightards try to tell people that W8 is doing badly because PC sales are declining. Wait, wait.. wasn't W8 supposed tackle this? Windows 8's commercial performance on tablets is even worse than on PCs. It's so bad that almost all the major OEMs decided to cancel their RT plans. And 8 Pro isn't doing that great on this form factor either. So, H8 is such a debacle on the desktop and laptop because of its dual FrankenOS nature, yet it's doing even worse on tablets sales-wise! (the reason it got crippled) Lose-Lose

Wow. Quotes from article: What what? Read this out loud: Microsoft is not blaming itself for not selling enough Surface, it’s blaming OEMs for not having enough touch-based product [!] They are in a COMPLETE DENIAL. Boy, they have really thick skull with this sub par product. It's like they are in collective trance. So, W8 relaunch in February.. The most dormant time frame of the year for commerce.. This will be surely a hit!

Knowing time got actually more complicated. About your other stuff.. wouldn't bookmarks in a browser (or pinning/linking them on the taskbar/desktop) do exactly that? And far easier? It's easier to switch between sites in the desktop browser than in the metro browser. Browsing is a lot more complicated in metro in my opinion. Not to mention the Flash/Silverlight issues there. Anyway, Microsoft not only p***es off Windows users, but Office users as well! (No.1 cash cow) Just look at the dissatisfaction, that the new Office UI generates: Office hate 1 Office hate 2 These design hipsters that Ballmer let run wild without supervision are going to kill the company completely. But I must admit, if MS crashes and burns I wouldn't be a too sad now. And I liked them before W8. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A COMPANY ON SUCH A SUICIDE COURSE. Some posts from the Office front: ---

How is Windows 8 easier though? You have to remember a lot of additonal stuff, because many things are hidden and you need to play hide & seek. Even the metrotards advice learning keyboard shortcuts. Serious question: Unless you only use metro craps, how the heck is W8 easier? Also, what counts is not Neowin. Stats wise, W8 is doing worse than Vista.

Interesting article about W8's "design": http://www.fastcodesign.com/1670705/microsoft-new-design-strategy#1 Although it's hyping W8, there is a really interesting tidbit about Ballmer's role in this mess: WoW, CEO OF THE CENTURY!!!

Especially funny is that they label anyone who disagrees as Apple/Android "fanatics". It doesn't cross their mind for a second that lots of complainers are veteran Windows users. Anyway, good article here: http://www.extremetech.com/computing/146278-understanding-windows-8s-lackluster-launch-and-microsofts-cryptic-sales-figures The comments are great too, lots of mZombies. Here's my favourite zombie comment: Abominable Start Screen? Seriously? Is this supposed to be a news article or an op-ed piece? I could just as easily state that anyone who doesn't like and/or understand the new start screen is just mentally deficient. For an article demanding facts from Microsoft it sure is laced with a lot of ill-conceived opinions. And another gem from the same poster: CTRL+ALT+DELETE will let you show down with ONE click. For your petty little mind I can see how that would be more complicated than clicking Start, clicking a tiny little arrow and choosing Shut Down from a sub menu. That's 3 clicks to one keystroke. Your desktop sounds like a hot mess of garbage but stick with it, it obviously works for you. I have everything I want to use on One screen that I can access in One click. One click. You can't get any more efficient than that. Again you've made no attempt to make an actual point except that you don't have the mental fortitude to understand something as "advanced" as ONE click. I would suggest you spend a little time actually learning something before you comment on how bad you 'think" (and I use that term loosely with you) it is.

Oh, boy, I have to post this: http://www.neowin.net/news/former-microsoft-executive-latest-to-slam-steve-ballmer-in-tell-all-book#comment-2074367 ----- ----- Can Neowin be officially classified as a cult now? In fact, before W8 I was generally pro Microsoft, but even then I would have prefered the classical anti-Microsoft "freetards" to these cultists. In the long term, haters are better for a company than fanboys. Haters drive a company and they keep the idiots from screwing up too much. Fanboys do the complete opposite.

Oh, I love the pseudo-critical tone of that article! The same trolls who wish a walled-garden for Windows act suddenly concerned. Hypocritical bunch!

Steve Ballmer gets bashed again: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/01/22/us-microsoft-book-idUKBRE90L04320130122 http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57565121-75/former-microsoft-exec-does-some-ballmer-bashing/

Oh, I can't believe that these idiots at Neowin are actually excited about W8 surpassing Linux.. How deluded are those dumbf..? Desktop Linux lingers at around 1% since over twenty years. An MS OS surpassing that is nothing exciting. They could re-relase Windows 98 and it would most likely surpass Linux marketshare as well.

Yes, he went there ... 1.64 percent ... big growth ... 2.25 percent. Many people have turned on their new W8 PCs/laptops that they got for Christmas only in January. Also, gifting money and shopping coupons became quite popular as well. Some have bought computers for that money after Christmas. After January, this post-Christmas effect will wear off, thus W8 will grow far slower in the next months. Since MS wants to raise W8 upgrade prices, upgrades to W8 will decrease very heavily as well.

http://www.zdnet.com/microsofts-windows-8-upgrade-promotion-really-is-ending-on-january-31-7000010025/ Quote: ---- When Microsoft announced last year a "limited time offer" for Windows 8 upgrade pricing, some thought -- or at least hoped -- that the discounted price might be indefinite. Microsoft officials announced on January 18 that this will not be the case. After January 31, the $39.99 upgrade price will end. Starting February 1, the Windows 8 upgrade (from previous Windows home/consumer SKUs) will cost $119.99. The Windows 8 Pro upgrade will cost $199.99. ---- 200 bucks for a mandatory bolted-on toy interface, yummie! It's like they WANT to bring W8 down. It isn't selling well at 40$... Who would pay 200$ for this?! I think they are deranged enough to still think that W8 pro is indeed something for "Pros".

On the question what they saw with Windows 8... well, as you've said earlier Charlotte, Ballmer was willing to buy Yahoo for 44 billion dollars. That was because he was blinded by Google envy at that time. Now he has Apple-envy. Envy makes Ballmer literally mad apparently.

Quote: These dolts are all consumed with Apple-envy. It's like a disease.

Yet the paychecks of the customers stay the same. Is Microsoft even aware that the Mac marketshare is one-tenth of the Windows marketshare? Pricing is one of the reasons for that. If the majority can't afford Mac AND Windows now.. what's the gain for Microsoft?

List of projects that Ballmer bonkered up Except for WebTV, all products on this list got axed/failed under Ballmer's reign. Is Ballmer in the know about dark secrets of the board members, or Bill Gates himself? Any other explaination why he still keeps his job?

My God! I wasn't following the prices of these thingies very much. 1650$ !??!!!? For less than half of it you can get this: http://www.amazon.com/Dell-Inspiron-i15R-2369sLV-15-Inch-Laptop/dp/B009LTUB5A/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1357901769&sr=1-3&keywords=i7 Intel Core i7-3632QM 2.2 GHz Processor 8 GB DDR3 1 TB 5400 rpm Hard Drive 15-Inch Screen Windows 8 is controversial enough, yet it seems Microsofts want to sabotage it even more with loony-bin prices like this. Is there any logic in this? You have a confusing product that scares your existing customers, coupled with crazy hardware prices... A winner, obviously! Is pot allowed at Redmond?

Let me quote a neowin fanboi: http://www.neowin.net/news/samsung-gets-cold-feet-wont-launch-windows-rt-device-in-the-usa#comment-2062131 I think that's really it. As I said earlier: I am pretty sure Thurrott, Ed Bott, Sinofsky, the metrotards etc. have completely bought into the idea that all people do with computers is facebooking, twittering and porning the whole day and nothing else. So the opposition against W8 comes as a complete shock to them. They can't fathom they were wrong and would rather blame the whole world than Windows 8. All the references to Steve Jobs and Apple are there because they have taken his "Post-PC" talk far more seriously than Jobs himself did (Jobs didn't convert the Mac line into touch abominations after all) - I am pretty sure the mSheep revere Jobs more than the average Apple user does: With Gates gone they had a vacuum to fill and Ballmer isn't exactly in the same league. They just can't admit that the whole Post-PC talk was a marketing stunt and that people do indeed "work" with their computers. That's why they even have to go as far and hate the typical Windows PC user and praise the Angry Birds addicted as "teh future". They are completely missing the fact that tablets for the most part aren't replacements for desktops/laptops. They are a supplement device. http://www.techbroil.com/2012/12/ghost-of-jobs-laughs-at-tech-world.html Yet the metrodrones at MS and their circle-jerkers on neowin have completely bought into touch hype. Even low sales don't seem to cure them. (not selling? ADD MORE TOUCH!) It's madness. Actually, no, it's far from the xbox model or the cheap printer model: The Xbox and cheap printers are actually popular! It's just that they get sold below their production value. Windows 8 is NOT popular. The W8 "plan" (?) is far more insane.