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Windows 8 - Deeper Impressions


JorgeA

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Not just MS, but Adobe, Corel, Cyberlink, Symantec -- so many of the big houses who once made great software products, now produce garbage. Google too -- Youtube used to be great, so too Gmail and Google's Blogger. Now all are afflicted with this change mania, as if staying pat with what works, were bad.

It's scary. Every decline in civilization is preceded with such a mania. It usually manifests itself in more and more micro-managing of laws, more complex architecture, more fervid music and dance, basic 'flow' of incessantly added complexities in the name of 'better'. Same for fashion, more and more complex and weird styles. Same for religion. Simplicity goes by the wayside.

The only thing that gets simpler, is language: the people get dumber and dumber, so language deteriorates into grunts and swear words. It's positively frightening, that the average commenter in a video or forum cannot spell, compose a good sentence, paste quotes properly, or articulate thought.

So that's why MS and the others can be so blind, deaf, dumb. The Board of Directors must be also. Or else, NOT PAYING ATTENTION.

There's a bell curve to improvement. Go beyond a certain level, and instead of making things better, it gets worse. That's where we are now.

I'd like to meet this guy (or gal). :thumbup:thumbup

--JorgeA

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Anyway, in a few days Microsoft has to disclose their financial numbers. Everything points to sucky W8 sales, - what will they do? Cooking up the numbers would generate some outrage. All analyst data and OS stats data would counter their numbers.

On the other hand, Microsoft is *so* insane with Windows 8, I just can't imagine that they would admit defeat. Frankly, given their crazy behavior, I would rather expect some Enron-esque number cooking.

You jest, but it's perfectly legal to include "deferred revenue" and to draw upon cash reserves, which I expect they will do. Remember that 7 for the most part is sold to the enterprise as "8 with downgrade rights" so this will put 8 on the books even though that is not what's happening. Microsoft charges upfront for their subscriptions so they can apply the revenue any way they want, basically, during the lifetime of the subscription, so losses will be less apparent. When Microsoft has a surplus, they add it to cash reserves to be drawn upon later as needed.

You will see a flurry of articles proclaiming the superior health of Microsoft and that criticism is overblown based on a proper looking balance sheet.

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More news on the control-freak front:

Exclusive: Microsoft's next Xbox will take over your TV, interact with your cable box

Multiple sources familiar with the company's Xbox plans have revealed to The Verge that Microsoft will introduce a feature that lets its next-generation console take over a TV and set-top box in a similar way to Google TV. We understand that the next Xbox will require an online connection to use the entertainment services, allowing them to be always-on for streaming and access to TV signals.
Coupled with this TV functionality, Microsoft's next-generation Kinect sensor will also play a role in the company's TV focus. The Verge has learned that the next Kinect will detect multiple people simultaneously, including the ability to detect eye movement to pause content when a viewer turns their head away from a TV. Microsoft is said to be using these capabilities as part of its UI and features for its TV plans.

At long last, Microsoft has an Apple-beating vision

Now is the time for Microsoft to act. In the past, the company was not structured to address a challenge like this. To even be in a position to attempt to break down the walls between mobile and PCs, Microsoft needed the ability to do a few important things.

First, it had to exert tight control over the third-party apps that run on its devices. Windows store -- check.

One fly in the ointment:

Microsoft still has 90% of the PC market in its corner, and it has the ability to move towards mobile-PC convergence from its strong base of more than 1 billion loyal customers.

A strong base it is, but if Microsoft doesn't start showing more loyalty to it, those customers will start staying away in droves. Loyalty is a two-way street.

--JorgeA

P.S. The article links I found thanks to this post in another forum and, at the end of it, a very pertinent comment on MSFT's strategy:

Quote:

Originally Posted by skybolt

You guys may find this interesting, and may very well be why Ceton is not jumping through hoops right now. JMO.

Microsoft's Xbox Plans

But you never know what that really means do you?

Quote:

The functionality will work by taking a cable box signal and passing it through to the Xbox via HDMI, allowing Microsoft's console to overlay a UI and features on top of an existing TV channel or set-top box.

So you use a power hungry cable set top box with high rental fees and new Xbox just to watch t.v.? I wonder if the same Win8 for desktop group came up with this idea.

:thumbup

Edited by JorgeA
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Any idea if there is anything even slightly respecting actual facts in this? :w00t: :
If you look at Dell's web site, you will see that there is a 3-week delay for Windows 7 machines. This is because the motherboards are being shipped from USA, BACK to China, to have Windows 8 UEFI-BIOS code removed, then brought back to Texas and Tennessee to be made Windows 7 ready.

If there is, then - as said earlier - humanity is really doomed. :(:ph34r:

Yeah I don't know how to verify it. I also took that as a reference to UEFI secure boot, and while it makes no sense to me to ship things back on a slow boat to China, these days it might be cheaper to use young slave labor than USA factory workers. Who knows? I couldn't tell ya.

I do agree humanity is doomed though because I think the problem is that there is no honesty now, and no company will tell the truth even at gunpoint. They are almost all operating under the patented Microsoft siege mentality. So when a commenter throws this out there, he may be actually trying to prompt the release of the true story. But who knows, maybe he does know what goes on behind the scenes.

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The upcoming PCs that could help boost Windows 8 ( NeoWin 2013-04-12 )

While PC shipments are reportedly taking a beating, many OEM makers are still trying to come up with new and interesting designs that think out of the box in terms of both their case design as well as their features. The truth is that there are a few Windows 8-based PCs coming in the very near future that take some real risk in terms of hoping to find a market niche.

Below are three upcoming PCs that we think show the promise of Windows 8, and we are very interested to see the final products.

Oh that optimism! Strange editorial though, really really strange at least to me. All he does is give a quick glimpse at a few new Windows 8 devices, and the only thing they have in common is a touchscreen. Yep, that's the extremely low bar that the NeoWhiners have set for themselves and the designers who will save their colored blocks fantasy. Here's how he ends the piece ...

It looks like at least some PC OEMs are trying to come up with some new designs and concepts that use Windows 8, and that can only be good for the PC industry. Even if one or more of these designs fail to impress the public, this kind of experimentation is needed in order for the industry to remain viable. Hopefully, there's even more new and cool designs that we don't know about still waiting in the wings to be revealed.

Seriously, no! The have touchscreens, nothing more. If anything, the innards are lower spec'd than the expected trajectory we should now be on as we approach 4th generation i7 and other Cores. What these guys at NeoWin and The Verge are doing now is loudly blaming the OEM manufacturers for their own epic fail of pushing a pOS playskool phone operating system as a magic fix for strategic corporate errors.

Study says Bing is five times more likely to find malware than Google ( TechSpot 2013-04-12 )

AV-Test: Bing search results bring up more malware links than Google ( NeoWin 2013-04-12 )

Naturally this doesn't go down well with the peanut gallery, emphasis on nut."Yandex is worse!". I just can't imagine the circumstances that allow someone to submit their soul and captive mind to all product mistakes by Microsoft, to defend everything tirelessly 24/7/365, Windows 8, Blew, Server, Xbox, Office, Bing, Studio, and the rest. Ballmer might be the new Jim Jones or Sun Myung Moon. :lol:

Xbox Exec Leaves After Being Cyber-Bullied ( Thurrott 2013-04-12 )

Paul "The Desktop Must Die" Thurrott addresses the Adam Orth issue in his "Short Takes" column ...

Last weekend, I wrote about the crazy uproar that occurred in the wake of an Xbox executive, Adam Orth, indirectly confirming that the next Xbox would require an “always on” Internet connection. My take on this event was significantly different than most of the opinions I’ve seen online, and I’d argue that Orth’s comments, while a bit tactless, certainly didn’t necessitate the bizarre cyber-bullying the guy subsequently received. What this comes down to is simple: People are jumping to all kinds of crazy conclusions about the next Xbox based on his fairly innocuous comments and are using those misguided conclusions to lash out at both Orth and Xbox/Microsoft for their imaginary sins. Anyway, now Orth has apparently left Microsoft, and although it’s not yet clear whether he was fired or just left voluntarily, I think it’s fair to say that the outrage over his comments was the trigger. And you know what? That’s your fault, not his. Screw you, Internet.

Yep, wouldn't that be convenient for Softies and their sycophants, no consequences for their actions. It is clear that Thurrott has never worked in a real job with NDA's or a morals clause. Getting fired was actually doing him a favor because he now learned a valuable lesson about posting in a high-profile public forum with Microsoft attached to his name. The fact that he proceeded to mouth off while disregarding the "Microsoft" connection showed he couldn't care less about his written and unwritten responsibility to be professional. What is amazing is that Thurrott cannot even vaguely grasp this. Thurrott himself is a menace to Microsoft and he doesn't even know it.

EDIT: added article(s)

Edited by CharlotteTheHarlot
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There's a remarkable exchange in the comments section there:

cliffordcooley, TechSpot Paladin, said:

This still doesn't make Google look good in my eyes. I will take my chances with Bing. Call me an Anti-Google fan boy, a hatred that started many years ago. I will use anything other than Google, if I have a choice.

Death to Google!

Death to Google!

wastedkill said:

Glad someone is crippling there experiences without being forced to then :) Being Anti-google comes with many possitives like getting malware and finding out you have had your credit card stolen thanks to microsofts great security :)

cliffordcooley, TechSpot Paladin, said:

Any other reasons, I have no issue with those two.

:w00t:

A prime example of fanaticism at work! Despite his first paragraph, I'm not positive if it's pure Google hatred or actually a case of half-concealed Microsoft fandom. In any case, it shows what closing one's mind can lead to. Wow.

--JorgeA

Edited by JorgeA
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Paul "The Desktop Must Die" Thurrott addresses the Adam Orth issue in his "Short Takes" column ...

Last weekend, I wrote about the crazy uproar that occurred in the wake of an Xbox executive, Adam Orth, indirectly confirming that the next Xbox would require an “always on” Internet connection. My take on this event was significantly different than most of the opinions I’ve seen online, and I’d argue that Orth’s comments, while a bit tactless, certainly didn’t necessitate the bizarre cyber-bullying the guy subsequently received. What this comes down to is simple: People are jumping to all kinds of crazy conclusions about the next Xbox based on his fairly innocuous comments and are using those misguided conclusions to lash out at both Orth and Xbox/Microsoft for their imaginary sins. Anyway, now Orth has apparently left Microsoft, and although it’s not yet clear whether he was fired or just left voluntarily, I think it’s fair to say that the outrage over his comments was the trigger. And you know what? That’s your fault, not his. Screw you, Internet.

Yep, wouldn't that be convenient for Softies and their sycophants, no consequences for their actions. It is clear that Thurrott has never worked in a real job with NDA's or a morals clause. Getting fired was actually doing him a favor because he now learned a valuable lesson about posting in a high-profile public forum with Microsoft attached to his name. The fact that he proceeded to mouth off while disregarding the "Microsoft" connection showed he couldn't care less about his written and unwritten responsibility to be professional. What is amazing is that Thurrott cannot even vaguely grasp this. Thurrott himself is a menace to Microsoft and he doesn't even know it.

I have to shake my head at the depths to which Thurrott is descending. Is there any outrage by Microsoft or its employees that he will simply acknowledge? Here we have a classic "let them eat cake" crack by that now-former employee, and Thurrott takes his side??

I have little doubt but that what Orth said represents how the bulk of MSFT drones think (and no, it's not "fairly innocuous" and it's not simply "tactless"); he just had less sense than most of them and actually said it in public. His superiors probably think much the same way, but at least they still have a feel for the PR angle.

--JorgeA

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The upcoming PCs that could help boost Windows 8 ( NeoWin 2013-04-12 )

While PC shipments are reportedly taking a beating, many OEM makers are still trying to come up with new and interesting designs that think out of the box in terms of both their case design as well as their features. The truth is that there are a few Windows 8-based PCs coming in the very near future that take some real risk in terms of hoping to find a market niche.

Below are three upcoming PCs that we think show the promise of Windows 8, and we are very interested to see the final products.

Oh that optimism! Strange editorial though, really really strange at least to me. All he does is give a quick glimpse at a few new Windows 8 devices, and the only thing they have in common is a touchscreen. Yep, that's the extremely low bar that the NeoWhiners have set for themselves and the designers who will save their colored blocks fantasy. Here's how he ends the piece ...

It looks like at least some PC OEMs are trying to come up with some new designs and concepts that use Windows 8, and that can only be good for the PC industry. Even if one or more of these designs fail to impress the public, this kind of experimentation is needed in order for the industry to remain viable. Hopefully, there's even more new and cool designs that we don't know about still waiting in the wings to be revealed.

Seriously, no! The have touchscreens, nothing more. If anything, the innards are lower spec'd than the expected trajectory we should now be on as we approach 4th generation i7 and other Cores. What these guys at NeoWin and The Verge are doing now is loudly blaming the OEM manufacturers for their own epic fail of pushing a pOS playskool phone operating system as a magic fix for strategic corporate errors.

The only new design that I could see myself being remotely interested in, would be a "Dick Tracy"-type watch. As long as I could keep the timekeeping function working while selectively turning on or off the communication (and location-tracking) functions.

Because it would remain attached to my body, this would be less prone to getting lost or stolen than today's free-standing smartphones. One less thing to lug about with me or to keep track of, it would just live on my wrist.

Of course that wouldn't be a PC, as such, unless you want to factor in miniaturization. Other than that, the PC has developed a number of eminently practical form factors and IMO it's silly to seek salvation in some chimerical "new design." That's not to say that there aren't any "different" designs out there -- the Moneual HTPC in particular is made to blend in with other family-room A/V components -- but rather that they haven't shown themselves to solve anything that many people consider important.

--JorgeA

Edited by JorgeA
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The only new design that I could see myself being remotely interested in, would be a "Dick Tracy"-type watch. As long as I could keep the timekeeping function working while selectively turning on or off the communication (and location-tracking) functions.

...and even in this the good MS guys will be late :ph34r:

http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/4/4062448/apple-watch-will-run-ios-and-arrive-later-this-year-say-sources

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-12/apple-s-iwatch-will-measure-more-than-time.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505124_162-57576066/3-reasons-apple-samsung-watches-could-be-a-bust/

But are wrist devices the next big thing? Will consumers gravitate to looking like Dick Tracy comic strip characters using wrist communicators? Or will the mass market -- the one that ultimately counts in consumer electronics -- take a pass on adding yet another chunk of equipment?

http://www.techradar.com/news/world-of-tech/your-laziness-will-force-nfc-onto-apple-watch-1143721

People are lazy; fact. I know this because I am a fully paid up member of the human race and, shock horror, sometimes I can't be bothered to reach those into my pocket even when it benefits me to do so.

es, for the people who type Facebook into Google rather than into their browser's URL bar to those who still sit through the adverts on their DVR rather than reach for the remote control, I have come to a conclusion that will not only save you oodles of effort - but may well make Smart Watches like the moted Apple Watch a viable piece of tech.

With Apple, Samsung and Pebble beavering away at persuading us that we need to fork out for a connected wrist watch, it occurred to me, while buying a pint of milk no less, that Smart Watches would only be worthwhile for me if they had an NFC (near field communication) chip in.

Humanity is doomed... :whistle:

jaclaz

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Report indicates Microsoft working on smartwatches ( NeoWin 2013-04-15 )

Microsoft is also working on a smartwatch project, says WSJ ( TechSpot 2013-04-15 )

Man, that was fast. Either they read Jaclaz's post above or one of mine! But I wonder how they are gonna make a BSOD that small? :lol:

Xbox Live hit with login issues Saturday; Last.fm app still down ( NeoWin 2013-04-14 )

Microsoft debunks rumors of hackers causing Xbox Live outage ( NeoWin 2013-04-15 )

I am so glad we got this cloud thing all squared away. :yes:

Bing makes solid gains in yearly U.S. search share; Yahoo keeps dropping ( NeoWin 2013-04-14 )

The numbers, from March 2013, show that Bing's share went up from 16.7 percent to 16.9 percent from February to March, a gain of 0.2 percent.

:blink: 'nuff said.

Lobbying group representing Microsoft and Google backs CISPA ( NeoWin 2013-04-14 )

A letter, spotted by The Hill, sent to the leaders of the House Intelligence panel on Wednesday, outlines the support of Google, Oracle, Microsoft and Yahoo (amongst others) who support CISPA. The lobbying group, TechNet, is the face of the support, with the CEO, Rey Ramsey, writing: "We commend the committee for providing liability protections to companies participating in voluntary information-sharing and applaud the committee's efforts to work with a wide range of stakeholders to address issues such as strengthening privacy protections." Ramsey said he looked forward to "continuing the dialogue with you and your colleagues on further privacy protections."

That's like a double kick in the butt. They voluntarily give up their customers to the feds and then they get rewarded with immunity ... from us. The government wiins because they have successfully dodged the 4th Amendment and have no evidentiary threshold to even consider and they did this by bribing the companies. Big Government colluding with Big Technology. The only ones that lose ... the citizens. We have pretty much re-created the old monopoly telco system all over again, but instead of just AT&T we make believe we have competition this time with several corporations. This is the plan folks. Not just Big Brother, but Big Mother ( government ) and several Big Brothers ( Microsoft, Google, etc ). It's enough to drive you to anarchy. :yes:

Will Windows 8.1 allow users to boot to desktop? ( NeoWin 2013-04-14 )

So it seems there might be an export in TwinUI.dll that will be called CanSupressStartScreen that might point to something like a group policy setting enabling bypass of Metro. Naturally this has ignited trouble in land of MetroTards, anger naturally: "Well at least it will shut up all the cry babies who are stuck in the past.. But I'm sure they'll find something else to throw a tantrum over.. Personally I love the start screen. And don't miss the old start menu at all.", and denial: "Keep dreaming. There's a reason traditional PC sales are soft,everyone wants touch and slim devices like ultrabooks and tablets. Windows 8 is adapting to what consumers want not a select few master internet complainers.".

What I think is happening is that the option will be in place, much like sideloading exists, but will have only two scenarios ... for use by Enterprise customers ... and ... kept as an Ace in the Hole just in case the government ever pursues antitrust, which they should because Windows will no longer be an operating system if it boots straight to Metro and all software must be signed, vetted and originate from the Microsoft Store.

EDIT: added article(s)

Edited by CharlotteTheHarlot
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The only new design that I could see myself being remotely interested in, would be a "Dick Tracy"-type watch. As long as I could keep the timekeeping function working while selectively turning on or off the communication (and location-tracking) functions.

Well, despite my status as a certified Win8 "hater," I'm glad to learn that my tastes are actually in tune with the latest trends in technology... ;) About twenty years ago (the exact timeframe doesn't matter), I remember thinking how it would make a lot of sense to have a single machine that would (1) print documents, (2) photocopy documents, (3) scan documents, and (4) send and receive faxes, and I wondered why nobody was selling anything like that, it would save space in the office and money for all these different pieces of equipment. And then lo and behold, soon thereafter my fantasy came true and manufacturers started coming out with multifunction printers. :)

MS being late to a tech party? So, what else is new?? :D

http://www.techradar.com/news/world-of-tech/your-laziness-will-force-nfc-onto-apple-watch-1143721

People are lazy; fact. I know this because I am a fully paid up member of the human race and, shock horror, sometimes I can't be bothered to reach those into my pocket even when it benefits me to do so.

es, for the people who type Facebook into Google rather than into their browser's URL bar to those who still sit through the adverts on their DVR rather than reach for the remote control, I have come to a conclusion that will not only save you oodles of effort - but may well make Smart Watches like the moted Apple Watch a viable piece of tech.

With Apple, Samsung and Pebble beavering away at persuading us that we need to fork out for a connected wrist watch, it occurred to me, while buying a pint of milk no less, that Smart Watches would only be worthwhile for me if they had an NFC (near field communication) chip in.

Humanity is doomed... :whistle:

Man, if people are so lazy that they can't be bothered to spend 1/20th of a calorie to hit the remote, and they would rather while away their limited time on Earth letting the commercials run -- then I have to agree with you: humanity is doomed. :no:

--JorgeA

Edited by JorgeA
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Will Windows 8.1 allow users to boot to desktop? ( NeoWin 2013-04-14 )

So it seems there might be an export in TwinUI.dll that will be called CanSupressStartScreen that might point to something like a group policy setting enabling bypass of Metro. Naturally this has ignited trouble in land of MetroTards, anger naturally: "Well at least it will shut up all the cry babies who are stuck in the past.. But I'm sure they'll find something else to throw a tantrum over.. Personally I love the start screen. And don't miss the old start menu at all.", and denial: "Keep dreaming. There's a reason traditional PC sales are soft,everyone wants touch and slim devices like ultrabooks and tablets. Windows 8 is adapting to what consumers want not a select few master internet complainers.".

What I think is happening is that the option will be in place, much like sideloading exists, but will have only two scenarios ... for use by Enterprise customers ... and ... kept as an Ace in the Hole just in case the government ever pursues antitrust, which they should because Windows will no longer be an operating system if it boots straight to Metro and all software must be signed, vetted and originate from the Microsoft Store.

Here's a couple more links on this "boot to the desktop in Win8" idea:

Microsoft to allow users to jump straight to desktop in Windows 8.1?

Here's what booting to the desktop in Windows 8.1 might look like

--JorgeA

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Additional tidbits on "Windows 8.1" (or "Blue"):

More screenshots of Windows 8.1 build 9374 leak online

Does Microsoft have a 'Plan B' if Windows 8.1 (Windows Blue) fails?

Some add-ons expected in this new version are: An easier-to-customize Start Screen, Internet Explorer 11, newer apps, Slide-To-Shutdown, more Personalization Options, Modern File Manager, and better Battery life. There are so many more I can't even begin to list them. But...what if that's not what the people want...and it does nothing to relieve the tension lingering within Windows 8 users and Microsoft?

According to rumors, Microsoft will delay the release of Windows 9, which is currently being worked on alongside Windows 8.1, and Windows 8.2 will be developed as a last resort to save themselves.

--JorgeA

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