Windows 10 - First Impressions

[JorgeA]

Fortunately (some might disagree ), everything I need still works great on my Vista system.

 

Now for some hopeful news:

 

Windows 10: Microsoft hints at Aero Glass' return, but only if you vote for it

 

 

Microsoft moved away from the Aero theme with the launch of Windows 8 and its flat, Modern UI designed language, previously known as “Metro”, but with the software giant’s renewed focus on customer feedback with Windows 10, there is a good chance of Aero making a comeback, provided enough people vote for it that is.

 

Anybody using the Win10 Technical Preview, please search for all suggestions in the Windows Feedback app proposing to bring back Aero, and vote for them!

 

There's no guarantee that they will listen, of course, but if nothing else then we'll at least have called their bluff (if that's what it is).

 

--JorgeA

 

[NoelC]

Might as well forget about it then.  There are too many idiots in the world who think flat and lifeless is fashionable.

 

-Noel

[JorgeA]

Blame for the whole sorry state of Windows must be shared with Microsoft by too many of its users.

 

I don't know what's more shocking: the fact that an annoying bug (which AFAIK did not exist in Vista/7) has been known for years and nothing has been done about it, or the totally blasé attitude toward this flaw of the people who've replied.

 

--JorgeA

[JorgeA]

BTW, anybody else notice the Windows Insider Program announcement that the Terms of Use are changing next month?

 

I wonder what that's all about. Maybe they'll require testers to uninstall any Start Menu alternatives and use only Microsoft's new FrankenStartMenu that "features" Metro tiles in the right panel.

 

--JorgeA

[NoelC]

I've seen it a couple of times too.  I'm thinking that, since they want us to re-read their privacy statement, they feel we haven't given quite enough of our privacy rights up to them yet.  After all, running Windows is all about Microsoft gathering info on how we run Windows.

 

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/preview-privacy-statement

 

Bottom line is that no one should be using a pre-release copy of Windows for anything they'd prefer to keep confidential.

 

-Noel

[JorgeA]

That points up a certain tension inherent in the TP program. On the one hand, we're encouraged to use the TP extensively to help iron out the kinks as fast as possible -- which means installing and using the applications that we'd actually be using on a daily basis. But on the other hand, we are (1) warned that "it's only test software," so we shouldn't keep any critical data on it or do anything crucial with the OS, as well as being (2) warned that they'll be monitoring everything we do while on the OS, which will tend to make people shy away from doing anything on it that they wouldn't want the world to know (say, mapping out your business plan for the next five years).

 

Myself, I haven't opened or even logged into any accounts there (except as related to the Insider and Preview programs, of course), let alone installing anything where they could read my personal or professional documents, much less financial information. I know that this limits the usefulness of my participation in the TP, but then if something goes wrong I don't care to be subjected to the inevitable sarcasm by some self-important expert that "you DO know it's a test OS, right?"

 

Yes, I know it's a test OS, which is precisely why you ain't gettin' anything useful from my use of it.

 

And then there's the reality that I am only one of what, 1.5 million people using the TP, so the impact of my one voice is, uh, rather limited. Not worth the price in terms of security and privacy.

 

--JorgeA

[JorgeA]

Uh-oh --

 

Microsoft's Windows 8 Suffers Embarrassing Setback

 

One month after Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows 8 finally surpassed Windows XP in market share by usage on the Internet, it fell back below the 13-year-old operating system in December.

 

Windows 8 recorded 13.5% market share worldwide in terms of online usage last month, down sharply from 18.7% in November, according to Net Applications. It rose to second place among PC operating systems in November but was back to third place behind Windows 7 (56.3%) and Windows XP (18.3%) in December.

 

 

OS usage stats seem to have gone haywire since October, which is why I didn't report it before (over on the Windows 8 Deepter Impressions thread). At first we were told that the apparent leapfrogging of XP by Windows 8/8.1 was due to an "adjustment" involving dropping a ton of XP users in China, which suggested that 8 had been doing better all along than we'd been led to believe. Metro fanbois were ecstatic over XP's apparent sudden collpase and singing over its grave. I was dubious, and in any case the before-and-current stats were now no longer comparable.

 

But now 8/8.1 has mysteriously dropped back to where it was back in October, firmly behind Windows XP. What gives -- did they add all those Chinese users back in?

 

It's all very strange.

 

--JorgeA

 

P.S. Here are some of the relevant stat keepers. Note that not all of them show such wild swings:

 

http://marketshare.hitslink.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=10&qpcustomd=0&qptimeframe=Q# (the culprit, along with Net Applications whose data is hidden behind a paywall; click on the little left arrow next to "Timeframe" above the pie chart to see pre-December stats)

http://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php?year=2014&month=12 (shows XP steadily ahead of 8 and 8.1, but not ahead of both put together)

http://gs.statcounter.com/#os-ww-monthly-201410-201412 (ditto)

 

Note, too, Windows 10's debut on the Netmarketshare pie chart for December, at 0.06%.

Edited January 3, 2015 by JorgeA

[NoelC]

...warned that they'll be monitoring everything we do while on the OS, which will tend to make people shy away from doing anything on it that they wouldn't want the world to know (say, mapping out your business plan for the next five years).

 

I'm thinking mostly the smart ones will shy away.  So the feedback Microsoft has set itself to get is by irresponsible or uneducated people, or from basic usage of the OS that doesn't involve doing "real" things.  See also my thread on why "crowd driven" development is a bad idea.

 

Trouble is, Microsoft shows NO signs of using even basic common sense when interpreting the feedback.  They remind me of an old joke that ends with "then the statistician says, 'What would YOU like the answer to be?'"

 

-Noel

 

 

Edit:  P.S., I may be guilty as one of those "self important experts" who says "don't use Win 10 for real stuff".  If I have offended, I apologize.  But I still say "don't use Win 10 for real stuff".

Edited January 3, 2015 by NoelC

[jaclaz]

 But I still say "don't use Win 10 for real stuff".

 

My personal shorter version being :

"don't use Win 10."

 

 

jaclaz

[NoelC]

Only problem with that is:  A geek without insatiable curiosity is an old, tired geek (or one with attention focused elsewhere ).

 

-Noel

[JorgeA]

Edit:  P.S., I may be guilty as one of those "self important experts" who says "don't use Win 10 for real stuff".  If I have offended, I apologize.  But I still say "don't use Win 10 for real stuff".

 

Not a problem at all. What irks me is the sarcastic, superior attitude of folks whose first (and, often, only) response to a reported issue is, "You DO know that XYZ?"

 

Such people may be very knowledgeable in computing and highly intelligent, but severely deficient in tactfulness and diplomatic skills.

 

--JorgeA

[JorgeA]

Ed Bott just published an excellent survey of the OS stats mess, while Winbeta.org updated its previous reporting with pie charts showing how the numbers changed after the latest correction (assuming that that's what it is).

 

--JorgeA

[NoelC]

I wonder whether anyone has a good handle on the web stats reporting any more.

 

As an obviously flawed example, I just requested the stats re: visits to my own web site for the month of December.  Take a close look at the versions of the OS being shown.  See any popular operating system missing from the list?

 

 

Windows 7 is probably lumped under Windows 2008, but beyond that the numbers sure look odd.  I only put this up to illustrate that the state of the art in web stats reporting - well, can't really put it any other way - sucks.

 

I get the distinct impression - over and over in modern times - that in high tech very few people care about getting details right any more, and in this field more than any other Details Matter!

 

How does a culture effect a return to greater discipline and care in everything they do?  I'm not sure it's possible.

 

-Noel

[JorgeA]

I wonder whether anyone has a good handle on the web stats reporting any more.

 

As an obviously flawed example, I just requested the stats re: visits to my own web site for the month of December.  Take a close look at the versions of the OS being shown.  See any popular operating system missing from the list?

 

That's a pretty cool graphic you have there... if only the data could be considered reliable, as you said. It looks odd, for example, that it would log a lot more Vista users than XP users.

 

Still, I think I'll fire up my Windows for Workgroups 3.11 computer and visit the site repeatedly just to bulk up the numbers for that OS.

 

--JorgeA

[JorgeA]

The Windows UI seems to be set to go from bad to worse:

 

Windows 10 to feature Windows Phone-like dark and light themes, new image reveals

 

(click on the image to see it in proper proportions)

 

A new report revealed today that the upcoming Windows 10 operating system will sport Windows Phone-like dark and light modes, which will be the main draw for the new user-interface which has been rumored to be coming to Windows 10.

 

A leaked images (of which CNBeta claims is an internal concept image) reveals just what Microsoft is planning to make Windows 10 look like. The taskbar is black, much like in build 9901 which leaked recently.

 

The Verge claims that there will also be a light version of the theme, for those who dislike the dark mode. This is very similar to that on Windows Phone, which also has dark and light modes.

 

 

Just what I was hoping for -- big black rectangles cutting across my screen, obscuring everything behind them. I can't think of a single use case scenario where this would be an advantage over Aero Glass transparency.

 

Let's hope that this is truly just "a concept" by some MSFT developer gone mad, and that it doesn't make it as the default (let alone only) theme in Windows 10.

 

--JorgeA