Windows 8 - Deeper Impressions

[Formfiller]

[*]Are you for any reason affectionate to MS (because they have been good to you all these years) ...-> Get a Windows Phone

jaclaz

Given how they are p***ing off almost all their former customers, that segment is getting tiny.

[JorgeA]

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/13/05/06/0425258/microsofts-new-coke-moment

"Remember New Coke? Twenty-eight years ago, Coca-Cola replaced the secret formula of its flagship brand, only to announce the return of the "classic" formula just 79 days later. Had it launched in 2013, Coke's Jay Moye suspects a social media backlash would have prompted it to reverse itself even sooner. In a timely follow-up, ZDNet's Steven Vaughan-Nichols points out that Microsoft is facing its own New Coke moment with Windows 8. 'Does Ballmer have the guts to admit he made a mistake and give users what they clearly want?' Vaughan-Nichols asks. 'While it's too late for Windows 8, Blue might give us back our Start button and an Aero-like interfaceWhile it's too late for Windows 8, Blue might give us back our Start button and an Aero-like interfacean Aero-like interfacean Aero-like interface. We don't know.'"

@Ballmer: GIVE ME AERO GLASS OR GO TO HELL M.F....!

Lots of good perceptive observations in that discussion. Here's two, including the following exchange:

What these critics all miss is that Microsoft is now betting on the tablet market, and doesn't give a **** what its PC users think.

If that's really how they're thinking, they're dead and don't realize it yet.

Windows on the PC is known by just about everybody. Microsoft's tablet offerings are not. If people hate what Microsoft is offering them in Windows 8, why would they ever seriously consider buying Microsoft in the tablet market?

People don't have a lot of choice in the PC market, but MIcrosoft is a nobody in tablets. If your experience with the last MIcrosoft thing you used sucked, why would you go with them in a market where they're nobody when you could just get a known commodity in either Apple or Android tablets?

Microsoft needs to leverage their PC users to grow their tablet base, not beat them and hope they come back for more. That is not going to fly.

And then there's this comment:

Ask any computer professional or any focus group of moderately intelligent users and you'll get the same thing. Bring back the start menu, leave the new features that are actually beneficial, dump UEFI, and ditch Tile Land. That's it. After that, it's all set to go.

Like ciHnoN, I'd add Aero Glass to the list, but that commenter comes pretty close.

--JorgeA

[JorgeA]

A rumor from MondoXbox has surfaced claiming that Microsoft's upcoming Xbox Infinity (720, Fusion etc) may be delayed over licensing issues with Blu-ray. Originally the console was expected to arrive during the 2013 holiday season, but this latest report suggests that Microsoft may miss this lucrative window, and instead launch the highly-anticipated console in the first half of 2014.

This rumor is not good news if true. That would be one enormous delay, absolutely huge. And if true. this will be yet another case of a horrendous management screwup, not getting a license in place, which pretty much mirrors several other massive screw-ups like the Metro naming fiasco and the EU browser ballot. This should be one interesting announcement coming up, especially if they decide not to say when it will actually be available for sale, because that will in turn feed the fire that they are being held back over the Blu-Ray thing.

My God, NuMicrosoft can't even hire decent lawyers anymore. Incredible ineptness. NuMicrosoft would have been crushed in the 80s by Atari, Commodore and Digital Research.

Does Ballmer have photos where Bill Gates and the board are involved in a human-sacrifice ritual? If not, why isn't he fired already?

Yeah, he must know where the bodies are buried, or something equally bad.

--JorgeA

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

No Apple envy at all:

What the ...? ... Are they buying phones and the running a gauntlet giving high-fives?

Any actual description of these photos? I mean staged is one thing, but this is community college theater. I take that back and I apologize to community colleges and theaters everywhere.

It almost looks like the photographer had them yell "Metro" instead of saying "cheese".

We were exactly right when we said MetroTards and MicroZealots have far surpassed all iTards and NixTards and FreeTards and DroidTards and ..."

P.S. I wonder if there are any high-res images of this fiasco. I see lots of material to use.

EDIT: fixed strange problem from database error ( random characters missing broke the quote tags )

Edited May 6, 2013 by CharlotteTheHarlot

[Formfiller]

Any actual description of these photos? I mean staged is one thing, but this is community college theater. I take that back and I apologize to community colleges and theaters everywhere.

It almost looks like the photographer had them yell "Metro" instead of saying "cheese".

The first two Microsoft Store photos are from this event:

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/56145264-79/microsoft-store-lake-salt.html.csp

They had to bribe the hipsters with gifts, free food and tickets to come by. Something that Apple doesn't need to do.

Crowds jam Utah Microsoft store for opening, concert tickets

Hundreds of people lined up inside City Creek Center Thursday to shop at Utah’s first Microsoft Retail Store during its grand opening event, which featured giveaways, music and food.

Many also showed up at the downtown Salt Lake City location for free tickets to a concert set for 2 p.m. Saturday by the rock group Train at the Gallivan Center, 239 S. Main St. Gates will open at noon

Edited May 6, 2013 by Formfiller

[Formfiller]

New round of Spot-the-Difference, MS Edition:

There are actually 3 key differences! (headset not included)

Can you find them?

I will tell the winner some leet Windows 8 trick how to emulate a poor-man's start menu.

Edited May 6, 2013 by Formfiller

[JorgeA]

There are actually 3 key differences! (headset not included)

Can you find them?

I will tell the winner some leet Windows 8 trick how to emulate a poor-man's start menu.

Umm... how about

1. The Microsoft pic shows drawings of products and boxes, whereas the Apple pic shows actual products and boxes.
   
2. The background in the Microsoft pic is abstract and 2D, while the background in the Apple pic is a real-life, 3D setting. Kind of like their respective OS interfaces.
   
3. The model in the Microsoft pic is wearing an orange t-shirt, while the Apple model is wearing a blue t-shirt. Not sure how much of a "key" difference that could be, but nothing else jumped out at me!
   

--JorgeA

Edited May 6, 2013 by JorgeA

[Formfiller]

There are actually 3 key differences! (headset not included)

Can you find them?

I will tell the winner some leet Windows 8 trick how to emulate a poor-man's start menu.

Umm... how about

1. The Microsoft pic shows drawings of products and boxes, whereas the Apple pic shows actual products and boxes.
   
2. The background in the Microsoft pic is abstract and 2D, while the background in the Apple pic is a real-life, 3D setting. Kind of like their respective OS interfaces.
   
3. The model in the Microsoft pic is wearing an orange t-shirt, while the Apple model is wearing a blue t-shirt. Not sure how much of a "key" difference that could be, but nothing else jumped out at me!
   

--JorgeA

No, I meant differences between the clothing and equipment of the "geniuses".

[G8YMW]

Are those MicroSofties cheering because some one actually BOUGHT a Surface???

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

New round of Spot-the-Difference, MS Edition:

You know, this is a good angle you got here. Lots of us way back in this thread cited Apple-envy ( and Google also ) as the disease that Ballmer caught and has driven him clinically mad. But you are really illustrating this even better with the photos of crystal-clear perfect examples. You really got to keep this up, actually we all should, because you just know that illustrating this shameless cloning of Apple will cut them to the bone.

It has to simultaneously be the truest observation ever and the absolute worst possible insult for Softies and their surrogates who openly despise the "Fruit Company".

[JorgeA]

No, I meant differences between the clothing and equipment of the "geniuses".

Ah, I see now. OK, here goes --

1. The model in the Microsoft pic is wearing an orange t-shirt, while the Apple model is wearing a blue t-shirt.
   
2. The Microsoft model's collar under the t-shirt matches her long sleeves, whereas the Apple model is wearing something with a dark collar under her t-shirt.
   
3. The company logo on the Microsoft model's t-shirt is on the sleeve, while the company logo on the Apple model's t-shirt is on the chest.
   
4. And a bonus one: The string on the Microsoft model's name tag is black, while the string on the Apple model's name tag is white.
   

You really should cut it out with the sarcasm. These are important differences that set off one brand from the other in the public's eye.

Anybody else want to give it a shot?

--JorgeA

[SIW2]

One is offering a product a lot of people want to buy.

That could be the biggest difference.

This from manu made me laugh

Edited May 7, 2013 by SIW2

[bpalone]

It looks like the lunacy is contageous, Adobe is making what appears to be a bad step. Most of the comments I read were very negative, go take a look and see what you think. The full article is here.

It may be that in the not to distant future, that Open Source software becomes the defacto standard. I know that the programs I am aware of don't match up to Photo Shop, but they can get somewhat close. If some larger commercial operations, decide to support the development things could change.

I realize, this is somewhat off topic, but not really.

[ciHnoN]

Microsoft is dead. They just don't know it yet. Microsoft will be like IBM, exist only on business side for a while to then be sold to China or Africa later on and become "LENOVO" or whatever...

[Formfiller]

No, I meant differences between the clothing and equipment of the "geniuses".

Ah, I see now. OK, here goes --

1. The model in the Microsoft pic is wearing an orange t-shirt, while the Apple model is wearing a blue t-shirt.
   
2. The Microsoft model's collar under the t-shirt matches her long sleeves, whereas the Apple model is wearing something with a dark collar under her t-shirt.
   
3. The company logo on the Microsoft model's t-shirt is on the sleeve, while the company logo on the Apple model's t-shirt is on the chest.
   
4. And a bonus one: The string on the Microsoft model's name tag is black, while the string on the Apple model's name tag is white.
   

--JorgeA

We have a winner!

The key difference were company logo on the chest, company logo on the sleeve, and white string. (shirt color doesn't count since it's too obvious).

The white string is important since that's a huge deal at Apple:

http://www.oilchangestore.com/motor-oil/apple-in-ear-buds-in-black-do-they-exist/

So, ok, just as promised, here's the poor man's start menu:

http://www.registryrecycler.com/blog/2013/04/must-know-windows-8-tips-and-tricks/

right click on Taskbar, select Toolbars then ‘New toolbar’ from the menu, and navigate to;

C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

In above path, ‘C’ refers to your system drive and username is user’s account name. Click on Select Folder button, the new toolbar will be added. Now you can click on the double arrow in Taskbar to see the programs.

Note: If you are unable to browse the path, enable show hidden files and folders settings from Folder Options

And as a result you get something like this!:

Windows 8 is saved!

Edited May 7, 2013 by Formfiller