Windows 8 - Deeper Impressions

[Aero7x64]

http://windowsitpro.com/windows-7/microsoft-preparing-extend-retail-sales-windows-7

And it only took some days and Windows 7 retail sales might be extended. If retail sales truly are extended it would be good decision. Windows 7 is popular OS and I wonder who made decision to end retail sales at first place. It would make sense to extend Windows 7 retail sales as that would bring a lot more profit than Windows 8. Microsoft might starting to slowly realise that Windows 8 "one interface to rule them all" strategy has failed. Of course it is still important to any company in the market get to growing mobile market, because consumers like tablets and smartphones, but sacrifising desktop and laptops users in the process is huge failure. Different devices are different for reason. Microsoft tried to force tablets users to use desktop interface in Windows Xp tablet edition and it failed. Windows 8 failure will teach that desktop and laptop users don't wan't tablet interface either.

Edited December 9, 2013 by Aero7x64

[jaclaz]

The real problem here is that you can actually break the boot sequence of the console by playing with this menu. That is the fault of the developer, not the users of the menu.

Well, there are more "real" problems IMHO....

Meanwhile in England....

http://www.nottinghampost.com/Warning-student-pays-pound-450-photo-Xbox/story-20263203-detail/story.html

A TEENAGER has been left fuming after mistakenly buying a photo of an in-demand computer console online.

Peter Clatworthy thought he had paid £450 for an XBox One console on eBay, but actually received a picture of one in the post.

jaclaz

[MagicAndre1981]

MS may listen to users and add startmenu back in 8.2 and allow those new apps to be run in Windowed mode:

I've not heard anything independently about the product versions in Threshold. But I do know about a few changes that Microsoft is planning for what my sources have described as "the next version of Windows," which I assume is Threshold. (Though to be clear, they never used this name.) And they're big news.

They are...

Metro apps running in windows on the desktop. As you can today with third-party utilities such as ModernMix, the next version of Windows will let users optionally run Metro apps in floating windows on the desktop.

Start menu. After bringing back the Start button in Windows 8.1, Microsoft will take the next logical step in the next Windows version and make the Start menu available as an option. It's possible this will appear only on those product versions that support the desktop.

http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/further-changes-coming-windows-threshold

After firing Sinosfky Windows may go back to the right direction.

[Aero7x64]

We see if Windows 8.2 truly put start menu back or not. Either way I do want full Windows Aero back also and I want it natively. Flat design is outdated, throwback to Windows 2.0 and I won't tolerate it. So yeah, full Windows Aero is also necessary before I will upgrade OS. If start menu truly is back this soon then situtation has been worse than I thought (To Microsoft, not customers) and more money has been lost which has caused Microsoft to reach feedback faster. And I would like to get ability add new user through control panel instead of PC settings back like it was in Windows 7 ( ability removed in Windows 8).

I will upgrade OS immediately when most important things, meaning start menu and full Windows Aero are back.

Edited December 9, 2013 by Aero7x64

[vinifera]

you won't see aero anymore

it clashes with their Metro vision, if anything they will progress everything to full screen app

I wouldn't surprise that Explorer becomes like that Skydrive manager metro crap

Edited December 9, 2013 by vinifera

[JorgeA]

http://windowsitpro.com/windows-7/microsoft-preparing-extend-retail-sales-windows-7

And it only took some days and Windows 7 retail sales might be extended. If retail sales truly are extended it would be good decision. Windows 7 is popular OS and I wonder who made decision to end retail sales at first place. It would make sense to extend Windows 7 retail sales as that would bring a lot more profit than Windows 8. Microsoft might starting to slowly realise that Windows 8 "one interface to rule them all" strategy has failed. Of course it is still important to any company in the market get to growing mobile market, because consumers like tablets and smartphones, but sacrifising desktop and laptops users in the process is huge failure. Different devices are different for reason. Microsoft tried to force tablets users to use desktop interface in Windows Xp tablet edition and it failed. Windows 8 failure will teach that desktop and laptop users don't wan't tablet interface either.

Wow, two very exciting Windows news items on the same day!

Maybe Windows 7 will become "the new XP" after all -- the OS that customers demand and buy instead of the new version that Microsoft is pushing.

And if they do bring back the real Start Menu, we'll have gone a long way toward getting everything we've been asking for.

Maybe there are some brains left over at MSFT HQ -- people who pay more attention to customers' wishes and sales figures than to "telemetry data" and arrogant theories about how everybody ought to be interacting with their computers.

--JorgeA

[JorgeA]

MS may listen to users and add startmenu back in 8.2 and allow those new apps to be run in Windowed mode:

I've not heard anything independently about the product versions in Threshold. But I do know about a few changes that Microsoft is planning for what my sources have described as "the next version of Windows," which I assume is Threshold. (Though to be clear, they never used this name.) And they're big news.

They are...

Metro apps running in windows on the desktop. As you can today with third-party utilities such as ModernMix, the next version of Windows will let users optionally run Metro apps in floating windows on the desktop.

Start menu. After bringing back the Start button in Windows 8.1, Microsoft will take the next logical step in the next Windows version and make the Start menu available as an option. It's possible this will appear only on those product versions that support the desktop.

http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/further-changes-coming-windows-threshold

After firing Sinosfky Windows may go back to the right direction.

Again, this is really good news -- thank you for posting it! With BigMuscle's AeroGlass, I could see myself using this 8.2 on a daily basis. I could even make it look like Longhorn, the OS that never was.

BTW, a commenter to that article agrees with you about Sinofsky:

Most of this sounds like stuff Microsoft should have done when Windows 8 was released but Sinofsky had too much power.

--JorgeA

Edited December 10, 2013 by JorgeA

[JorgeA]

Microsoft warns against using fake Xbox One backwards compatibility "trick" ( NeoWin 2013-12-06 )

...apparently a JPG image has been making the Internet rounds today with a procedure to use that code in a way to get the console to recognize Xbox 360 games. There's just one big problem; the procedure is fake and all it will do is brick an Xbox One console that costs $500.

Ouch. Sounds like a pretty clever case of social sabotage, the bait being a desirable feature that Microsoft purposely obsolesced from the new Xbox. The devious perps ( Sony fanboys? ) see this opening, design a fake fix for the Xbox to restore backwards compatibility and voilà ... Xbrick! Clever and devious.

The actual trick isn't fake, it just won't work if you do it wrong (much like USB connectors)

Microsoft had already said that there will be no Xbox One devkits, and it was discovered that all retail Xbox Ones have a devkit menu. The problem with it "not working" is due to people not having an authorized key to enter in the field.

The real problem here is that you can actually break the boot sequence of the console by playing with this menu. That is the fault of the developer, not the users of the menu.

This is all so mysterious and intriguing, I'm tempted to go out and get an Xbox One just to see for myself what it's all about!

--JorgeA

Edited December 10, 2013 by JorgeA

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

The BIG story just mentioned by MagicAndre1981 ...

Further Changes Coming in Windows "Threshold" ( Thurrott 2013-12-09 )

Windows 'Threshold' may bring back the Start menu ( TechSpot 2013-12-09 )

Start menu may return with Windows Threshold' update ( NeoWin 2013-12-09 )

I just knew Jorge had a scoop earlier and now confirmation is appearing! : The story is really making the rounds after Mary Jo Foley wrote this article here.

I'll let others pick through the details because I'm not ready to believe it yet. As one Thurrott commenter said: "I don't know, this sounds too intelligent to be true....". But if it actually happens here's a financial tip ... start buying stock in pharmaceutical companies that make anti-depressants and perhaps liquor or bullet manufacturers. The NeoKids are going to empty the shelves of everything along these lines. As of this writing that NeoWin thread already has 347 comments, and it's being helped along by some adults who are twisting the knife around a little just for fun


And the other big story just mentioned by Aero7x64 ...

Did Microsoft just extend the retail sales life of Windows 7? ( NeoWin 2013-12-08 )

However, since those stories were posted, Microsoft has quietly changed the Windows lifecycle page. The deadlines for both retail sales and the sales of Windows 7 PCs are now listed as "To be determined." In other words, Microsoft currently has no set date when retail stores and OEMs can stop selling the OS. We have emailed Microsoft to see if they wish to comment on why they have changed the dates.

Microsoft: Sales of PCs preinstalled with Windows 7 have no deadline yet ( NeoWin 2013-12-09 )

We have yet to determine the end of sales date for PCs with Windows 7 preinstalled. The October 30, 2014 date that posted to the Windows Lifecycle page globally last week was done so in error. We have since updated the website to note the correct information; however, some non-English language pages may take longer to revert to correctly reflect that the end of sales date is to be determined. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused our customers. Well have more details to share about the Windows 7 lifecycle once they become available. Additionally, we are confirming that the Retail software end of sales date for Windows 7 did happen on October 30, 2013.

Microsoft racing to put out another fire, the one started a few days ago when people noticed that the clock ran out on new Windows 7 licensing. I don't suppose it has anything to do with the November operating system report.

In the first article there are a string of comments from one particular NeoKid ( pointed out by a reader at TechBroil ) who is campaigning ferociously for MetroTard Of The Year and knock Dot Matrix out of his previously secure perch. One gem that he spouted out: "There's no such thing as an intuitive user interface" is an amazing example of cognitive dissonance. These jokers begged for Microsoft to remove Skeuomorphism from the GUI leaving a skeleton of flat two-dimensional text and/or icons that are a throwback to Windows 3.x but with icons from public road signs 30 old at least. Skeuomorphism actually ensured use of pictures that represent the function that the user would get by clicking it. That is the literal definition of "intuitive".

EDIT: formatting

Edited December 10, 2013 by CharlotteTheHarlot

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Justin Bieber BEGGED for a $200k RIM JOB and got REJECTED ( UK Register 2013-12-06 ) <---- Headline Award!

Report: BlackBerry passed on Justin Bieber as a spokesperson; Nokia still wants him ( NeoWin 2013-12-08 )

Well the first thing that comes to my mind is the fact that Justin Bieber would be the perfect mascot for Microsoft Tiles. Like chocolate and peanut butter or Jack Daniels and Coke, the two truly belong together. However, if you read the article here it looks like MicroNokia has really gone out on a limb here by soliciting him publicly, after Blackberry refused him. For one thing he might just say no. For another, he might just say yes. Finally, what if he got onboard and then later jumped ship like Jessica Alba!

Amazingly, most of the NeoKids recognize this potential disaster, even Dot MetroTard. The comments are priceless. One commenter ( not me ) says: "Fisher price UI that looks like it was done by a child, guy barely out of puberty. It's hideous but it fits." Also note the Register article title, which I nominate for headline of the year!

Samsung tries to silence user whose S4 caught fire, it doesn't go over well ( NeoWin 2013-12-08 )

Galaxy S4 Catches Fire, Samsung Tries to Silence Customer ( Maximum PC 2013-12-09 )

Samsung Accused of Trying to Silence Report of GS4 Fire ( Tom's Hardware 2013-12-09 )

Interview: We chat with the man behind the exploded Samsung Galaxy S4 video ( NeoWin 2013-12-09 )

The three-minute video shows off a partially melted micro-USB cable and a burned charging port. Gadgets malfunction all the time, but Samsung's response is more than a little disheartening.

Samsungs reply was a settlement proposal that offered a replacement phone only if ghostlyrich deleted his YouTube video, promised not to upload similar material, waived his right to sue, and would also irrevocably release, remise, quit claim and forever discharge Samsung.

Ghostlyrich has responded by uploading another video which has since generated over 400,000 viewsover five times the 70,000 view count on his original video.

No clearer textbook example of the Streisand Effect can be imagined! Samsung lawyers must come out of the same law school that Microsoft's do, because they are both 100% incompetent. Unlike most of the commenters I don't think Samsung should be trying to make the issue disappear, instead they should have moved quickly to purchase back that phone and all the related equipment it may have been plugged in to and done a thorough investigation to find the true cause(s) here. The should be done with complete public transparency and voluminous communication with the public, flooding them with updates, and even an official forum thread. That response would protect the company reputation and show integrity and the negative would become a positive. And you never know, maybe it was a user screwup, or a budget component in a charger, or defective part. None of those reasons would cause the company to suddenly be painted as a bad guy. However thanks to the lawyers here, they managed to pull a publicity fail out of nowhere.

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

JPMorgan Chase data breach exposed half a million customers' data ( NeoWin 2013-12-09 )

JPMorgan Chase is the latest in a long line of companies to suffer a server breach exposing customer data; this time around, 465,000 customers may have had their personal details stolen from the banking giant.

The company played down the extent of the breach, saying that only a "small amount" of data was taken and that, while card numbers may have been exposed, it did not believe critical personal information such as birth dates and email addresses had been exposed. Even so, JPMorgan Chase is notifying affected customers through email starting Monday; the process is expected to take a few days.

Another day another hack, and another content-free statement from the company. Without knowing the real facts we can't say whether the company is a victim here, because they may have done it all on the cheap, no encryption, no security, whatever. The actual victims are the cardholders, but even that is stretching it if these customers really expects that the company cares about security in the first place. It's a case of blind leading the blind, or sheeple leading sheeple with lots of wolves crouching out of sight picking off targets at will. This begs the question, if the world's largest banks and credit card companies are sitting ducks and the most sensitive data is routinely captured, then why on Earth would we want to add more stuff to the cloud like personal networked devices or home security monitoring equipment?

The first commenter at NeoWin asks a good question IMHO ...

Does this fall under financial or economical terrorism and the NSA can then use their data to bring down the breaching parties?

Or are many of these attacks because of the backdoors required by the NSA?

I feel like this will get worse and worse over time.

Exactly. How is it possible for any of these hackers to not be instantly nailed unless our government protectors simply don't give a crap ... or are once again afraid to use the information because it might disclose methods ( like the WWII codebreakers ). Ummm, that horse has left the barn, eh?

The FBI can turn on your webcam without you knowing ( NeoWin 2013-12-09 )

Here's the NeoWin coverage of the webcam story mentioned earlier. I thought you guys would like to get a glimpse into the minds of the NeoKids, obedient little sheeple already well broken in and ripe for shearing. No story, not even one about using your webcam to watch and listen is enough to penetrate their protective force field rationalizing everything in exchange for the promise of shinier toys.

In fact, many of them in the comments go to great lengths to exculpate Xbox and Kinect as possible spy avenues using various bogus analogies and comparisons. Then, as fate would have it, along comes this next story ..

Government agents reportedly spied on World of Warcraft and Xbox Live gamers ( TechSpot 2013-12-09 )

NSA Has Secret Agents Planted Inside World of Warcraft? ( Tom's Hardware 2013-12-09 )

NSA, GCHQ Caught Spying on Online Games ( Tom's Hardware 2013-12-09 )

Report: Xbox Live among online gaming services infiltrated by NSA ( NeoWin 2013-12-09 )

According to leaked Snowden documents, American and British intelligence agents have virtually infiltrated World of Warcraft and Second Life. Based on reports from The Guardian and The New York Times, documents dating back to 2008 point at agents creating anonymous characters inside of both game worlds in order to keep tabs on fake gamers.

Apparently the reasoning is that nefarious individuals and even those involved in possible terrorist activities could be using the anonymity of these MMOs to secretly communicate, plan attacks and even transfer funds.

The documents, which were first created in 2008, were published by The Guardian today. Titled "Exploiting Terrorist Use of Games & Virtual Environments", it states that services like Xbox Live, World of Warcraft, Second Life and many other online gaming communities were considered to be a "target-rich communications network" for agents to enter and find terrorists.

So ironic to see this story after so many NeoKids circled the wagons protecting Xbox and Kinect in that other thread. I feel a little sorry for these kids though, because it is only a matter of time until stories about spooks exploiting the abilities of Kinect become public.

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Microsoft Pledges to Protect Your Data From Snooping ( Tom's Hardware 2013-12-08 )

Tech Giants Launch Site for Government Surveillance Reform ( Tom's Hardware 2013-12-09 )

Microsoft, Google and others unite to call for "government surveillance reform" ( NeoWin 2013-12-09 )

6 Ways Tech Companies' 'Reform Government Surveillance' Fails ( Tom's Hardware 2013-12-09 )

Today, eight of the world's tech giants - Microsoft, Apple, Google, Yahoo, Aol, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn - spoke with one voice, describing an "urgent need to reform government surveillance". In an open letter - addressed to President Obama and Congress - the companies presented a united front that sides firmly with the rights of their users.

I'd say that the spy leaks exposing the secret collaboration of these companies with the spooks is really taking a toll now. And to that I say - excellent. Especially if their little cloud preoccupation and plans for private little walled-garden fiefdoms becomes the first casualty. In the meantime, I wouldn't believe a single word of this or any other face-saving exercise.

How strong is your password? Microsoft's Telepathwords may well predict it ( NeoWin 2013-12-08 )

NeoWin's mention of that Microsoft password site called Telepathwords. Comment after comment by NeoKids who joyfully pumped their passwords into the form. Just a few of them ...

2 out of 12 for my Neowin pass. Good stuff!

4 out of 18

It guessed 4/7 on one password, but only 3/12 for another

4 ticks out of 8, that's strong enough for my liking.

It guessed 1 in my first password and 0 in the second one

i must be doing alright it only guessed 1 character in my password, also does anyone else thing that every password you enter they are storing somewhere?

Three out of sixteen, I am all right....

I tried all of my work passwords and all of my personal passwords. It guessed one... out of 15. I guess I'm good.

No you're not good. You're special. And you're just a statistic waiting to be counted.

Only a single commenter senses the risk here and leaves this witty remark ...

The easiest way to get passwords is to build a website where people will input them freely. Just sayin'.

Naturally another NeoKid has a kneejerk response ...

Because Microsoft doesn't have large databases filled with passwords? Remove the tinfoil hat.

But who really is the one really wearing a hat that blocks incoming information? The NeoKids of course! They have some super-duper head-ware that blocks all information questioning their MicroGod and leaves them compliant sheeple prepared to trust them at all costs and reflexively attack everyone that disagrees. They'll even trust the government's first and primary PRISM partner to discard their personal passwords entered into their website, and even disregard the external threat of interception outside of this Microsoft domain, perhaps the local Wi-Fi in their neighborhood or school or Internet cafe they might be located in. Absolutely unerring trust is a significant component of blind fanboyism.

[jaclaz]

At least we tried to solve one of the problems :

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/events/justin-bieber-to-north-korea

Some grammar correction:

I tried all of my work passwords and all of my personal passwords. It guessed one... out of 15. I guess I'm good.

should actually read:

I tried all of my work passwords and all of my personal passwords. It guessed one... out of 15. I guess I'm was good, as now the good MS guys know all 15 of them for sure and can guess them alright .

jaclaz

[Formfiller]

I guess Neowin will transform soon into "start menu ain't so bad"-mode, we've-never-been-at-war-with-eurasia style.

Expect some "Microsoft is listening, the others are not!" articles.

Some metrotards will dissent, but not for long.

Edited December 10, 2013 by Formfiller

[jaclaz]

A couple blasts from the past (2012):

http://www.extremetech.com/computing/138701-windows-8-the-disastrous-result-of-microsofts-gutless-equivocation

As consumers who actually have to interact with this crazy, cross-paradigm hodgepodge of an interface, the utter ludicrousness of this decision is plain to see. For developers and specialists, though, the problem is far worse. For these experts, who are the actual lifeblood of the Windows ecosystem, Windows 8 comes across as confused. If you’re baffled by Windows 8, then I assure you that developers, sysadmins, and other businessy types are looking at Windows 8 with the same agape, aghast scrutiny that one gives a circus freak.

http://www.extremetech.com/computing/121015-windows-8-may-drive-me-to-linux

Never — and I’m going to repeat this for additional emphasis, never – have I been as horrified by one of the company’s products as I am by this one. (Yes, I used Microsoft Bob.)

jaclaz