Monroe Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Let's not forget Captain Kangaroo !!! ... what the heck is all this about ???... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TELVM Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Windows Experience Blog: Help your friends and family get off Windows XP ( Brandon LeBlanc Blogs.Windows.com 2014-01-07 ). ^ ... don't miss this thread, it is a bona fide slaughter!Indeed! :... On behalf of everyone here, I'm prepared to offer you a deal. If Microsoft brings Windows7 back on to the market, you can ... ... (Big breath) ... ... bring back that ridiculous talking paperclip. On anything MS wants. OS, Office, Live, MS Server, what the heck -him the copilot on FlightSim if you like ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JorgeA Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 (edited) Somebody else has noticed Paul Thurrott's dizzying changes of heart, and eloquently takes him to task for the position Paul takes after his latest 180-degree turn:Paul Thurrott thinks Microsoft should stop trying to please everyone. He's wrong.Thurrott complains that Windows 8 is evolving in a spaghetti-like fashion and there are now -- as there have always been -- multiple ways to achieve the same thing. This is not a bad thing. It is choice. For me, the modern interface doesn't work. I don’t like it, so I don’t use it. But there's another side of Windows that works very well for me, so I use that instead. Even within desktop mode there are multiple ways to do the same task. Want to create a new folder? This can be done using keyboard shortcuts, context menus or toolbar buttons. They are options that you can use as the mood takes you.There is absolutely nothing wrong with presenting users with choice, and there is even less wrong with listening to them and adopting Windows to meet requirements. The claim that Microsoft is "trying to please everyone" is one that sticks. Of course Microsoft wants as many people as possible to like and use Windows -- this just makes sense -- and it follows that their product would be adapted as deemed necessary. --JorgeA Edited February 12, 2014 by JorgeA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JorgeA Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 A pair of insightful critiques of Windows 8.1U1:Windows 8.1 Update 1 -- A Frankenstein product stitched together with compromisesA sign that real choice is approaching?There’s no classic Start button and menu in Update 1, but that’s the only thing that’s really missing from the next big update. When the OS runs it will automatically detect the hardware it’s on (something that should have always been the case) and adjust its behavior accordingly. If it’s running on a tablet, or a touch enabled PC, Windows 8.1 will boot straight to the Start screen -- unless you set it not to. If, however, it’s running on a computer with mouse and keyboard, it will boot straight to the desktop.Windows 8.1 Update 1 lacks the one thing that could save the troubled OS -- a Start menuIn trying to woo the mouse and keyboard brigade, Microsoft has made various changes to its OS -- some welcome, others less so -- yet stubbornly hasn’t delivered the one thing that people have been asking for since the tiled OS first debuted -- a traditional Start menu.[...]It’s like the Start menu is viewed as the ultimate admission of failure at Microsoft, and the company will do anything, customize everything, so long as it doesn’t have to go back to that. And as a result, we have Update 1 that will introduce several slightly odd, frankly unnecessary changes, but not the one that perhaps might have persuaded a decent number of Windows 7 (or XP) users to finally make the switch.--JorgeA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JorgeA Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 (edited) Re: Charlotte's post upthread, here's a company that does seem to listen to its customers, at least in some respects:H-P Says It Will Clarify Controversial Server Software PolicyHewlett-Packard Co. said it will clarify a recently announced server software policy that limited access to security updates, prompting a small firestorm online and among some H-P customers.[...]Last night, H-P updated its blog post to “provide more context for the decision” and “address some of the concerns” raised by users. The company said if a customer is out of warranty or doesn’t have a service contract, it will still be able to get security and safety patches, and the company “will continue to provide those updates to all users” of its servers.First they brought back Windows 7 PCs, and now they fixed a policy that users objected to.Are you listening, Mr. Nadella? Watch and learn...--JorgeA Edited February 12, 2014 by JorgeA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TELVM Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 (edited) Paul Thurrott thinks Microsoft should stop trying to please everyone. He's wrong.Interesting lines in that article from Mr. Thurrott:... After watching Windows Vista get mismanaged and then slapped around by Apple, it tapped Steven Sinofsky to reimagine Windows. It's fair to say that this man shares many of the same character traits—and flaws—that defined Steve Jobs. He was belligerent and one-sided, didn't work well with others, had no qualms about tossing out features and technologies that didn't originate with his group, and had absolutely zero respect for customer feedback. Here, finally, was a guy who could push through a Steve Jobs-style, singular product vision.And he did. Sadly, the result was Windows 8.The reason this happened is that while Sinofsky had the maniacal power and force of will of a Steve Jobs, he lacked Jobs' best gift: An innate understanding of good design. Windows 8 is not well-designed. It's a mess. But Windows 8 is a bigger problem than that. Windows 8 is a disaster in every sense of the word.This is not open to debate, is not part of some cute imaginary world where everyone's opinion is equally valid or whatever. Windows 8 is a disaster. Period ...... When the OS runs it will automatically detect the hardware it’s on (something that should have always been the case) and adjust its behavior accordingly. If it’s running on a tablet, or a touch enabled PC, Windows 8.1 will boot straight to the Start screen -- unless you set it not to. If, however, it’s running on a computer with mouse and keyboard, it will boot straight to the desktop ...^ But but but that would mean ... ... (drums beating) ... ... the application of plain logical common sense! Taboo! Edited February 12, 2014 by TELVM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaclaz Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 ... When the OS runs it will automatically detect the hardware it’s on (something that should have always been the case) and adjust its behavior accordingly. If it’s running on a tablet, or a touch enabled PC, Windows 8.1 will boot straight to the Start screen -- unless you set it not to. If, however, it’s running on a computer with mouse and keyboard, it will boot straight to the desktop ...^ But but but that would mean ... ... (drums beating) ... ... the application of plain logical common sense! Taboo!No. Common sense would be a simple MANUAL switch/preference that the user can use to choose between NCI and "normal" Windows, INCLUDING Start Menu on ANY device, whenever he/she wants, and NOT something "automatic" (that - like any other unneededly complex setup - WILL fail before or later on some hardware).Practical example.HOW exactly will the senseless automatic determination of workspace behave on this specific (possibly also senseless) newish device? http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/review/2233469/asus-taichi-reviewhttp://www.asus.com/taichi/jaclaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlotteTheHarlot Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Snowden and Manning real American heroes.....................Next to Mister Rogers and Bob Ross. Gotta admit that I do miss Bob Ross very much. His paintings with trees living on mountains underneath happy little clouds beats the heck out of our Modern UI world. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoYSFlZ8Du8 See that video there for a crash course Jorge. He was one class act. ... "Listen and understand. Windows XP is out there. It can't be bargained with, it can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear, and it absolutely will not stop. Until you are dead." ... Love the graphic!! --JorgeA That's most likely an XP boot screen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monroe Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Thanks Charlotte for clearing it up about Bob Ross ... I knew the name but couldn't register it in my brain and I was too cold and lazy to search it out. I also liked William Alexander and watched him for years ... but my really favorite was Morris Katz who could paint a "masterpiece" in less than ten minutes using only "toilet paper". He was great, saw him several times on TV as a guest ... truly entertaining and he painted really good. He was known as the "fastest painter" also ... like I said, a masterpiece in less than ten minutes ... sometimes only seconds!Morris Katzhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_KatzMorris Katz (born Moshe Katz on March 5, 1932 in Galicia, Poland, died November 12, 2010 at age 78 in The Bronx, New York) was a Jewish-American painter. He holds two Guinness World Records as the world's fastest painter and the world's most prolific artist. He has also been called the "King of Schlock Art" and the "King of Toilet Paper Art" because of a novel means of painting he developed using a palette knife and toilet tissue instead of a paintbrush.Morris Katz (web page)http://www.morriskatz.com/Some of his paintings in the Art Gallery tab.Beautiful Scenes Galleryhttp://www.morriskatz.com/sceneGallery.cfm... I didn't know he had passed away ... you posting about Bob Ross brought him back into my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JorgeA Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 ... When the OS runs it will automatically detect the hardware it’s on (something that should have always been the case) and adjust its behavior accordingly. If it’s running on a tablet, or a touch enabled PC, Windows 8.1 will boot straight to the Start screen -- unless you set it not to. If, however, it’s running on a computer with mouse and keyboard, it will boot straight to the desktop ...^ But but but that would mean ... ... (drums beating) ... ... the application of plain logical common sense! Taboo!No. Common sense would be a simple MANUAL switch/preference that the user can use to choose between NCI and "normal" Windows, INCLUDING Start Menu on ANY device, whenever he/she wants, and NOT something "automatic" (that - like any other unneededly complex setup - WILL fail before or later on some hardware).Practical example.HOW exactly will the senseless automatic determination of workspace behave on this specific (possibly also senseless) newish device? http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/review/2233469/asus-taichi-reviewhttp://www.asus.com/taichi/jaclazI would take either idea as an improvement over the current situation with Win8. We've favorably mentioned here before the concept of an OS that would detect the hardware it's on and then offer the UI that's best suited for that hardware. (As we were saying early on in this thread: a PC is not a tablet, and a tablet is not a PC.) It's not unprecedented for an OS to select features depending on the hardware: for instance, Windows Aero vs. Basic for machines that lack the graphics capacity to handle Aero. Although as TELVM suggested, it should be possible to change one's choice of UI.But sure, the purest solution would be to have an installation (or first-boot) screen that would put the two choices side by side (without automatically selecting a "default") and let the user decide -- and then allowed him to easily switch back and forth.--JorgeA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JorgeA Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 Lest anybody get the impression -- in the wake of the NSA revelations -- that the U.S. government is the only one that snoops into private individuals' business, read this:Foreign regimes use spyware against journalists, even in U.S.--JorgeA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpalone Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 From JeorgeA above:But sure, the purest solution would be to have an installation (or first-boot) screen that would put the two choices side by side (without automatically selecting a "default") and let the user decide -- and then allowed him to easily switch back and forth.I would add, and allow the user to set a default and not have to choose every time they boot up. Do something like grub does, give you a few seconds to choose another option, then go into the default if no choice is made.In other words, give the poor user some control over their system. After all, they have chosen to use your OS and by doing so have acknowledged that the OS maker and various alphabet groups are going to be reviewing the content of the system. So, at least make the user feel like they have at least a tiny bit of control.bpalone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaclaz Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Lest anybody get the impression -- in the wake of the NSA revelations -- that the U.S. government is the only one that snoops into private individuals' business, read this:Foreign regimes use spyware against journalists, even in U.S.--JorgeAWhat is surprising is IMHO the apparent surprise at these kind of "news" (actually not really "news").It is obvious that any government will do everything in its powers (and even more) to keep under control dissidents and potential menaces to the status quo.From a purely technical standpoint this makes little or no sense:Mekonnen was wary as soon as he received a document, through a Skype chat with a person he did not know, on Dec. 20. But the file bore the familiar icon of a Microsoft Word file and carried a name, in Ethiopia’s Amharic language, suggesting that it was a text about the ambitions of a well-known political group there. The sender even used the ESAT logo as his profile image, suggesting the communication was from a friend, or at least a fan.When the screen filled with a chaotic series of characters, Mekonnen knew he had been fooled — in hacker jargon, he had taken “the bait” — yet it wasn’t clear what exactly was happening to his computer, or why.any *decent* spyware/remotecontrol/whatever will (should) NOT produce ANY visible effect, i.e. it should be as "stealth" as possible.This:That same day, an ESAT employee in Belgium also had received mysterious documents over Skype chats. Noticing that the files were of an unusual type, he chose not to open them on his work computer. Instead, the ESAT employee uploaded one of the files to a Web site, VirusTotal, that scans suspicious software for signs of their origins and capabilities.also makes little sense, the whole idea of such a high-tech (and presumably high cost) spyware is that is not detected by "common" antivirus/antimalware.The HT guys have however a clear customer policy:http://www.hackingteam.it/index.php/customer-policyand undoubtedly they will proactively react at the news, besides the results of their process of monitoring news media, activist community blogs and other Internet communication, and other available sources for expressed concerns about human rights abuses by customers or potential customers, by activating their unique in the industry panel of technical experts and legal advisors, which will timely report to the board of directors suggesting appropriate actions.(I hope I managed to replicate properly the fluffiness of the mentioned page )I would add, and allow the user to set a default and not have to choose every time they boot up. Do something like grub does, give you a few seconds to choose another option, then go into the default if no choice is made.In other words, give the poor user some control over their system. After all, they have chosen to use your OS and by doing so have acknowledged that the OS maker and various alphabet groups are going to be reviewing the content of the system. So, at least make the user feel like they have at least a tiny bit of control.bpaloneBut even a simple setting under "Control Panel" (or similar) would do, I mean one can bear looking at the desktop or (once ) to the NCI, at least the strict time needed to navigate to where the custom setting can be changed....jaclaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROTS Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 (edited) This piece of footage is good for so many examples, when something works, do not mess with it. Windows = bikeMicrosoft = clownsUsers = bike ownerFictionalized Devil = government, lawyers, lobbyists, sellers, advertisers ( AKA the "Golden Rule" )Lets just all agree, that is what Windows is. We are users who had something nice, but then Microsoft took our bike, and catered it to the devil. Everybody who buys a newer computer will contribute to the problem. Edited February 13, 2014 by ROTS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
351837 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Lest anybody get the impression -- in the wake of the NSA revelations -- that the U.S. government is the only one that snoops into private individuals' business, read this:Foreign regimes use spyware against journalists, even in U.S.--JorgeAAnd this:Open letter to the President of the Republic of SerbiaDear President Nikolic, Regarding your claims that your communications are being surveilled without authorisation, we want to let you know that we share your concern and remind that we as citizens also fear that our communications are being accessed without our knowledge or consent. Article 41 of the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia guarantees the right to privacy of communication and ensures that electronic communications of every person are not arbitrarily intercepted without any oversight. Lack of transparency and compliance of mechanisms and procedures with the Constitution and international standards in the field of privacy protection, for all citizens of Serbia, may result in the loss of confidence in state institutions, therefore making it difficult to establish a stable democratic society.Additionally, journalists, human rights activists and researchers are not able to perform their roles in society independently, impartially and adequately if their communications are subjected to unauthorized surveillance. Software for mass surveillance in Serbia The use of technology for mass surveillance of electronic communications is no longer a secret - there are indications that FinFisher/FinSpy software and tools sold by a company called “Trovicor” are used in Serbia, although there is no precise data of whether they are used by public authorities or private organizations. There is no clear legal framework nor control mechanisms for the use of these tools, and their misuse roughly violates the right to privacy, and thus threatens the foundations of a democratic society.About FinFisher/Finspy Wilileaks I just wonder, how many people listen my conversation with my wife over the phone or whatever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts