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Windows 8 - Deeper Impressions


JorgeA

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If you remember that Technet thread with the guy complaining about having to manage hundreds of Live accounts for his employees.... We already have seen that some Enterprise level requirements weren't taken into consideration when designing parts of Windows 8. So how do you think this person will fare?

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w8itproinstall/thread/2197719f-073d-48bc-965a-f569fa54d4ef

Is such a task even possible? :blink:

Ten hours later, the guy had one solitary answer, consisting of a couple of links to other places.

The first link is a 2.32MB download and I didn't look through it, but the second doesn't look very promising in terms of his needs. In fact it looks worse than neutral, as one commenter reported that

You forgot to mention that Windows Phone 8 doesn't support all the common Exchange Active Sync security settings. WP8 sets storage card encryption to "no" and can't be changed. This lack of security support, by default, eliminates WP8 phones from any security conscious enterprise. Any users who try to sync get error 85010013 and the choice of not syncing with Exchange or taking their WP8 phone back and exchanging for iPhone or Android.

I'd love to know when MS plans of fixing this.

--JorgeA

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Microsoft pokes fun of the fanboys in new Windows Phone advert ( NeoWin 2013-04-29 )

HeHe, it's not what you think. :lol: It is about a Microsoft commercial for WP8, Nokia users of course, who are portayed as the normal folks while the rabid wedding-goers are Android and Apple fanatics.

But what does the ad say actually? It seems the only reason the "normal folks" aren't fighting is because they are in the minority. There's no hint that they wouldn't fight if their numbers increased. Although one of the Lumia people says that there would be no fight if the others knew about Lumia, but why exactly? - "my Nokia has pureview! *punch*". There would be no fight if ALL people would only use Lumias in this scenario. Bit farfetched, huh? And what's the significance that the Nokia users are probably the poorest people there?

The only actual message I can extract from it is that Lumia users are the minority, and they are poor.

Makes sense to me. Given what we've seen Win8 fans say and do in forums around the Web, there's no reason to think that their kind of attitude couldn't carry over to Windows phones. If only there were enough of them... ;)

--JorgeA

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Blackberry CEO: Tablets are doomed!

An interesting forecast, even if it does come from the leader of a company which may itself be doomed. He believes smartphones will ultimately take over for both laptops and tablets.

Personally, I can't imagine putting my whole digital life (or any important part of it) on a small device that can easily get broken, misplaced, or stolen. And I'm not sure that I'd want to do business with somebody who transacted business from their phone, as then my own information would be sitting in their stolen device. It's a recipe for disaster.

--JorgeA

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Windows 8 market share now at 3.82%, still almost a full point below Vista (!).

"Windows 8 Touch" (0.02%) and "Windows 8 RT Touch" (0.00%) are hovering in the asterisk range alongside reporting errors such as "Win64" and "Mac OS X (no version reported)."

--JorgeA

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Windows 8 market share now at 3.82%, still almost a full point below Vista (!).

"Windows 8 Touch" (0.02%) and "Windows 8 RT Touch" (0.00%) are hovering in the asterisk range alongside reporting errors such as "Win64" and "Mac OS X (no version reported)."

--JorgeA

That's a increase of 0.50% compared to last month:

http://www.neowin.net/news/windows-8-market-share-up-slightly-in-march-to-331-percent

Windows 8 market share up slightly in March to 3.31 percent

Absolutely pathetic compared to the run Vista had in its time. And FAAAAAAAAR below Windows 7's run.

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Oh my God, you have to read the comments here:

http://www.neowin.net/news/net-applications-windows-8-up-slightly-in-april-to-384-percent

They are partying like it's 95 and, and the Apple-envy is once again oozing from EVERY body orifice.

Windows 8 is not competing with just Windows. It's competing with OSX, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, and Linux. Fact is, there is more choice in OS now than there ever was in history, and yet Windows 8 is STILL the fastest growing OS out there today.

As much as you refuse to admit it, I can go out to the store *today* and buy any of the above machines instead of a Windows 8 device. Many people are doing this, as evidenced by declining PC sales. I can even go online and buy a Windows 7 machine if I wanted; all the major OEMs still offer them. But again, despite this, Windows 8 is growing faster than any of them.

Windows 8 steadily acquires 0.5% of market share each month. With that growth rate it'll be installed on 15% of all PCs in two years. Impressive!

Also this is comment is a beauty to behold:

http://www.neowin.net/news/net-applications-windows-8-up-slightly-in-april-to-384-percent#comment-2185119

I am not going to quote it here, you have to read it. The dolts are complaining that the Netapplications data is flawed and biased against Microsoft, then a commenter posts a link where Microsoft themselves praise Netapplications over Statcounter. What follows is a long-winded refute that only a fanboy could write. Lesson of the story: When it comes to defending Windows 8, even Microsoft can be wrong for once.

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Apple iOS 7 May Sport 'Very Flat' Look Like Windows Phone ( Tom's Hardware 2013-05-01 )

The new interface, reportedly codenamed "Innsbruck", will be "very, very flat" like Windows Phone 8: all the gloss, shine and "skeuomorphism" will be ripped out. That means icons will be void of any shadows, reflections and heavy textures, and may be presented as mere multi-colored boxes with the app's logo. This would make a more streamlined interface across both multiple devices and time itself.

This has to be disinformation. Nothing good for Apple could possibly result from this. The last thing they need is people turning on them and jumping ship due to a strategic mistake. People using iPhones actually like the interface. A move like this would be a huge gift to Samsung, Google and Blackberry. Maybe MicroApple really is inevitable?

Microsoft looking to expand its SaaS offerings with Windows Desktop ( NeoWin 2013-05-01 )

While we would not expect the service to replace your standard Windows desktop, this will be the first possible steps towards moving Windows to a subscription service as opposed to a one-time payment, which many believe is in the pipeline for Microsoft.

Yep. Don't listen to the propaganda saying "Don't worry". Microsoft has plans to monetize every single shred of their so-called Intellectual Property. Given half a chance going forward, most companies will piece out everything they have for sale. They want subscriptions, they don't want customers. Fear for the future. The wild world of x86 systems and indie software have been sentenced to death. Clouds and walled gardens are all that lies on their horizon. Don't contribute to this garbage by obsoleting your hardware and software. Don't play their game.

Businesses want Windows 8 hybrids, not Windows RT, says Lenovo ( PC World 2013-04-30 )

Lenovo: Businesses don't want Windows RT tablet ( NeoWin 2013-05-01 )

According to Lenovo Think PC and visual category manager Simon Kent, Windows 8 Pro was the right choice because it is the "full version of Windows" and not "cut down" like RT, enabling users to use the Helix as a "proper Windows tool."

"We don't believe that Windows RT is what businesses want," he said.

[...]

"Even Microsoft has started to review the RT path they have gone down," he said.

Ruh Roh. This is gonna sting the MetroTards because Lenovo is their sweetheart these days.

Twitter to Media companies: Brace yourselves, more hacks are coming! ( TechSpot 2013-04-30 )

Twitter receives top marks for protecting users' data - MySpace and Verizon, not so much ( TechSpot 2013-05-01 )

Interesting juxtaposition eh? The first story is telling us to get ready for more possible false breaking news on Twitter, like the last one concerning an attack on the White House sending the stock market tumbling. Meanwhile the 2nd story just hours later awards Twitter with high marks for user data security. Welcome to the Matrix where nothing is real.

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Microsoft looking to expand its SaaS offerings with Windows Desktop ( NeoWin 2013-05-01 )

While we would not expect the service to replace your standard Windows desktop, this will be the first possible steps towards moving Windows to a subscription service as opposed to a one-time payment, which many believe is in the pipeline for Microsoft.

Yep. Don't listen to the propaganda saying "Don't worry". Microsoft has plans to monetize every single shred of their so-called Intellectual Property. Given half a chance going forward, most companies will piece out everything they have for sale. They want subscriptions, they don't want customers. Fear for the future. The wild world of x86 systems and indie software have been sentenced to death. Clouds and walled gardens are all that lies on their horizon. Don't contribute to this garbage by obsoleting your hardware and software. Don't play their game.

I had just the very same argument on Channel9 with a MS employee. They are all busy claiming that all is well in desktop-country:

http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/Windows-desktop-as-SaaS

Make of that what you will.

The wild world of x86 systems and indie software have been sentenced to death.

I have the feeling that the wild times of the 90s and 2000s scared the powers that be. So all the cloudification and storization is an effort to put the genie back into the bottle. Ironically, the Linux fanboys helped them along the way by grossly exaggerating the dangers of using classical Windows. The (overblown) security problems of Windows a few years ago helped to pave the way for all that forced store-stuff.

Edited by Formfiller
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Windows 8.1 build 9385 has leaked ( NeoWin 2013-05-01 )

~yawn~ :boring: Interesting comments though. Some of the remaining adults at NeoWin are having a go at the MicroZealot MetroTard-in-Chief. :lol:

11.65 percent of Steam owners used Windows 8 in April ( NeoWin 2013-05-01 )

File this one under "Stuck-on-Stupid". As explained before, this is a voluntary survey, a self-selecting sample no less. This isn't website statistics or Steam system reporting. I can't believe how far they will go to fake a story. Not to mention the fact pointed out in the comments is that Steam is desktop software, defeating the entire purpose of Metro and "apps". Stunning cognitive dissonance.

Microsoft shipped 900,000 Surfaces in Q1 2013, according to IDC ( NeoWin 2013-05-01 )

Microsoft hasn't shared the actual sales numbers for the Surface tablets, leaving research firms to speculate. Strategy Analytics speculates that 3 million "Windows tablets" were shipped in Q1 2013, while Bloomberg claims that Microsoft sold only 1.5 million Surface tablets - 1.1 million Surface RTs and 400,000 Surface Pros - since their release in 2012.

IDC has just released their estimates for Q1 2013, pegging Surface sales at just 900,000, most of which are Surface Pros. Microsoft entered into the top five tablet vendors, alongside Apple, Samsung, ASUS (who makes the Nexus 7) and Amazon during the last quarter. Overall, Microsoft accounted for 1.8% of Q1 tablet sales, a drop in the ocean compared to Apple and Samsung's combined share of 58%.

Ruh Roh. That's three hugely different sets of numbers now. And all because no company these days will tell the truth about anything. They are like pathological liars, or at least avoiders. Keep in mind that first story ( Post #2658 ) ...


Strategy Analytics: 3 million Windows tablets shipped in Q1 2013 ( NeoWin 2013-04-24 )
... three million Windows-based tablets shipped worldwide in the first quarter of 2013. [...]
... the market share of Windows-based tablets was at 7.5 percent for the quarter. [...]
Apple admitted earlier this week that it shipped 19.5 million iPad units during the first quarter of this year. Strategy Analytics said those numbers were enough for Apple to capture 48.2 percent of the tablet market during the quarter [...]
... there were 17.6 million Android-based tablets shipped during the quarter, which enabled it to claim 43.4 percent of the total market. [...]
Overall tablet shipments reached a record high of 40.6 million units ...
Astonishingly, the MetroTards are rejoicing. No, I am not kidding. Here are the hard facts in the story, Q1 2013 tablets ...
Apple ..... 19.5 million ... 48.2%
Android ... 17.6 million ... 43.4%
Windows .... 3.0 million .... 7.5% :lol:

... is what prompted all the talk about "marketshare", especially that astonishing whopper from from Thurrott: Windows 8 Secures 7.5 Percent of Tablet Market ( :no: ). He actually took that Q1 2013 sales estimate as absolute marketshare against products that have been out for much longer. Well let's update what we know now ...

Apple ..... 19.5 million ... 48.2%

Android ... 17.6 million ... 43.4%

Windows .... 3.0 million .... 7.5% <-- Strategy Analytics ( all "Windows" )

Windows .... 1.5 million .... ?.?% <-- Bloomberg ( only "Surface" models )

Windows .... 0.9 million .... ?.?% <-- IDC ( only "Surface" models )

In theory, the Bloomberg and IDC estimates might just change the proportion of "Windows" tablets from Microsoft to 3rd party OEMs, but I doubt it. I suspect that IDC number is closest to reality, 900,000 in Q1, or approximately 1,000 per day. Some of the detailed posts I have seen are describing this number as "filling the pipeline", and definitely not true sales at all. We shall see. Microsoft cannot dodge this for much longer.

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Net Applications: Windows 8 up slightly in April to 3.84 percent ( NeoWin 2013-05-01 )

The good news? Windows 8 keeps adding to its market share among PCs worldwide. The bad news? According to the just updated numbers from research firm Net Applications for all of April 2013, the growth of Windows 8 is still moving at a very small pace.

Ya think? :lol: And this is with the advantage of the holiday season wind at their back and most importantly, killing off all their competition, other Windows versions.

Here are all the snapshots I have located around the net so far. I think you need an account at netmarketshare to obtain them officially ( if at all possible ).

2013-01-21 ... Tzrgfrr.jpg

2013-01-28 ... xFXAoJl.jpg

2013-02-01 ... c3cuytX.jpg

2013-03-01 ... MBhkaiv.jpg

2013-04-01 ... fOdRtxE.jpg

2013-05-01 ... KP9LAqD.jpg

As usual the comments can be mined for all sorts of examples of 'tardism. Naturally we get treated to the nonsense about Apple and Android competition. Sorry Charlie. Windows does not compete with them. Neither consumers or OEMs have the choice to install Mac OS. In fact, no-one does except Apple themselves or owners of Apple computers. Windows sales are a consequence of a monopoly and are not impacted by the existence of Apple or Google whatsoever. If Apple or Google had the same monopoly in the OEM channel installing their operating systems instead of Windows then they would have similar marketshare. As it stands, Android is not x86 and although hackers can install Mac OS on OEM x86 computers, Apple have not ever allowed this. And you MicroZealots should be thanking them. If they ever allow Mac OS into the wild, well let's just say that Microsoft will be in really big trouble. Truth be told, I believe there really is a non-aggression pact in place from Jobs and Gates but never announced. As a result Microsoft and her zealots get to continually use Apple as a foil, a phantom competitor to distract everyone from Microsoft only competing with itself. The phantom competitor helps thwart government action against this obvious monopoly.

Oh yeah, here is a classic 'tard trying to slam Windows XP ...

You are crazy. Windows XP has literally no security, you need to install an A/V software, and even A/V softwares can only go so far.

Windows XP isn't even fast, have you booted up a 2-year old XP installation? Takes forever. Windows 7 is so much faster than XP on today's hardware.

Say what? :blink: No security? What does that even mean? It has the same ACL's that all NT versions have when using NTFS. Install AV software, what, you mean the same MSE that you need to install in Windows 7? Makes no sense at all. Well at least he's got one thing right, he needs to install AV software, it was designed for people like him. Clueless.

And booting a two year old XP installation takes forever? No kidding? This is the comparison he envisions, a fresh new Windows versus a several year old user profile. The level of ignorance and lack of intelligence is just astounding. It's why I had to get out of there. At NeoWin, Steven is running a sandbox now for adolescents and arguing with children is just plain creepy.

EDIT: typo, updated image URLs

Edited by CharlotteTheHarlot
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Windows 8's market share going up isn't really news, its inevitable. Think of all those people that have to buy a new computer, they go to the local store. All those stores only sell PCs with Windows 8 on them, at least the big retail guys.

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% statistics are not relevant imho. I use Windows Server 2012.. I use Windows 8... BUT... I HATE IT. I absolutely HATE Windows 8 and not only that, it made me want to get away from Microsoft as much as I can. I miss my Aero Glass badly. I always use new software but does not mean at all that I like it. In my book, Microsoft has lost me as a customer. I never use the built-in store and none of their other services. I make sure that me and all members of my family spend as less as possible on Microsoft stuff.

Why? I no longer trust them.

EDIT: As soon as steam-box comes out and runs ARMA on it, bye-bye Microsoft. B)

Edited by ciHnoN
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Yeah, so long as stores offer mainly or only Windows PCs, the market share for Windows 8 is bound to increase over time as people replace their broken-down computers, so in that sense the statistics aren't very revealing.

Where the statistics come in handy is as a comparison with how earlier versions of Windows sold, at comparable points in their lifecycle. And, so far, that shouldn't be too encouraging for the folks over at Neowin.

But if Microsoft insists on blurring the conceptual distinctions between mobile and desktop machines, melding all computing devices into one single category, then the proper way to look at OS share is to include iOS and Android in the pie charts. Unfortunately, Netmarketshare requires a paid subscription ($1000/year :w00t: ) to get the blended figures.

--JorgeA

Edited by JorgeA
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For a change, instead of a comment, I will post some data.

Please find attached a small Excel spreadsheet with the data that Charlotte kindly posted, rendered in a basic XY graph.

I used as reference the 28th of January.

The data shows how in the three days 29, 30 and 31st of January evidently a noticeable amount of people downgraded from 7 to XP :w00t:.

This is only to show how the accuracy of such "OS shares" data should be considered. :whistle:

jaclaz

OSshares.zip

post-25215-0-11685600-1367513785_thumb.j

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My long time banter-partner on Channel9, EvilDictaitor, explains what caused the "crack" at Microsoft that lead to their shameless Apple-envy. He's an insider, and here are some valuable insights:

Part of the problem though is that at the end of day, Microsoft can't sit on the moral high ground with it's 10-year support cycle (yes - XP and IE6 are still supported products until the end of the year, despite 4 major releases since and another due before then - Google doesn't support the Chrome you were running last week, never mind one released 10 years ago).

If the US had kicked Apple for their stranglehold on its AppStore half as much as Microsoft was kicked for its stranglehold on Windows, or if consumers had decided that "no. I'm not going to buy a new iPhone just because this one is a year old and is no longer supported. In fact - that's completely unreasonable" half as much as Microsoft were berated for "ditching XP" even when Windows 7 was first being launched, then I think the world would be a very much better place.

Instead of Microsoft saying, "holy crap - Apple are destroying us in the market, we need to up our game and drop all of this expensive stuff like support and multi-year cycles and not taking 30% of everyone's profits that are holding us back", Apple would instead be adopting the "Microsoft way". Your iPhone from 2006 would still work for the next five years, you could write an app and give it to your friend for a fiver without Apple taking a cut, and Google maps would never have disappeared from iTunes to make way for an inferior offering from Apple.

The problem isn't that Microsoft is being a bad citizen. It's that we as a society and as consumers have failed to incentivize them for being good citizens when they were, or punish others for being bad citizens when they were.

There's only so much "OMG aren't Microsoft crap - not supporting their software that I bought 8 years ago - WOW ANOTHER iPHONE!" that you can take before you just give up and say "Sod it. If the market wants shiny toys instead of stable and consistent platforms, then shiny toys they shall have".

http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/Windows-desktop-as-SaaS?page=2

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