http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/01/live-from-d9-microsofts-steven-sinofsky-talks-windows-and-more/

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/01/microsoft-unveils-windows-8-tablet-prototypes/

So, the breakdown:

1. Microsoft decided to NOT do a separate OS for tablets (a bad decision IMO, more on that in a minute). They are actively looking to combine Windows Phone and desktop into a unified OS.

2. The new UI does not appear togglable, but rather "swipe-able".

3. "We're aiming to keep new Windows builds coming every two the three years."

4. Thumb-based keyboard on a tablet. Smarts IMO.

Anyway, my two cents:

Combining tablet and desktop is a BAD move. I've thought this from the beginning when they first started announcing it. In general having your desktop version on ARM chips is going to cause issues. People expect to be able to run their old software on Windows, but that isn't going to happen on ARM-based copies since the programs aren't compiled against the ARM architecture (exceptions obviously for things running under Java). Can't wait to see the people who say "this svcks" after getting an ARM-based Windows tablet and can't use any of their old software. Here's to hoping no ARM-based Windows desktops come out.

Beyond that combining the two will undeniably lead to a massive increase in general bloat of the OS. There's a ton of Windows desktop stuff that makes no sense on a tablet and vice-versa.

Not being able to toggle the UI makes me see the possibility of people accidentally switching between the two UIs as a very real and very frustrating possibility

2 years between Windows releases is going to be a nightmare from both a consumer and developer standpoint. Uhg.

Once again, though, happy to see it shipping with a thumb-based keyboard. [Default] Tablet screen keyboards all svck still.

Dumb Microsoft they should do the new changes every 3 to 4 years, it's not like Mac is going to destroy them completely.

No?

Well, I certainly look forward to an addendum to my recent addition of Windows 7 Blue Screen Edition to the "OS I have to fix a lot for friends/family when it [censored] up" list.

20 seconds into the video: "cool stuff we've been working on for Windows 8" I thought it was an OS, who gives a crap about this "cool stuff"?

And APPS, give me a break. This is probably the first Windows OS that looks aesthetically terrible to me. (yes, worse than 3.1 and 95)

My God, this looks truly awful. I was getting worried following the rumors suggesting a more tablet oriented OS, but this is worse than I was expecting. I'm glad you can still use the "classic" Windows 7-esque desktop, but that tablet oriented overlay is just terrible. It looks clunky and those boxes only waste space. It was for this exact reason I avoided WP7. The OS just kills me, and now it's making it's way onto my PC as well. No thank you. I think I'll stick to Windows 7.

Windows 8 looks like it's turning out to be the next Vista.

At least they're trying to be inventive :shrug:.

EDIT: Of course, I typed this using a GNU/Linux machine .

Will it still support all previous games and software? That's my only concern with a more tablet-centric OS.

Most of the tablets probably won't, as most of the tablets will be on ARM is my guess, but the desktop version shouldn't have a problem with older games.

Ugh... so bad. Well chuck it in the Vista bin, this is going to svck folks. Pack it up for about 5 years until they get their [censored] together... again.

I saw this. I don't think it's necessarily a bad idea to have one OS that does everything (it makes sense) but the part that concerns me is that they want that UI to be standard. Honestly, that does not work for PC's in the least. I'm glad that Microsoft is finally jumping into the tablet market with a very superior product compared to Android and iOS, but the desktop market shouldn't need to suffer as a result. Apple understands this, hell, even Google understands this to an extent (difference between Android and Chrome). If I was to purchase Windows 8 for my desktop, I want to install it and never need to look at that tablet interface. I use a mouse and keyboard, I want to only use the part that works well with a mouse and keyboard.

Having the tablet interface for everything is much worse than porting Console UI's to PC games.

Didn't mean for tablets.

I've gotta say, the UI looks fantastic, especially for a tablet. :wub:

I just hope they have an option to make the normal Windows 7 style interface use the "Metro" design to match the other screens.

Have they announced any other features? I.E. what's changed from Windows 7?

Edit: The metro UI is actually pretty nice, it just needs a bit of a tune-up in terms of button size, which it seems they're addressed that. The current Zune software is an example of the UI.

Do they have a video showing mouse and keyboard control yet?

Well, Windows 8 is gonna come out sometime in 2012, and then after that they want to release another new version in at most 3 years, so you'll only have to wait 4 years at most ^_^


You don't have to use the classic UI if you don't want (you also can't disable either UI, stupid MS). However, the Metro UI, while nice for tablets looks like utter [censored] to do actual work on. The Interface owes itself faaaaar too much to a touch input method, which isn't the case for desktop (unless you want http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchscreen#Gorilla_arm) It's going to be horrid in the workplace, especially since you can't toggle off Metro. I can already see the calls now of people getting stuck in Metro and needing me to help them get out :shakehead:.

The choice to combine tablet and PC was purely money-based (get more money from a Windows license than they do from the Windows Phone license) and it's just baaaad in my book. It does no favor for the tablet version (bloated with stuff it doesn't need) and definitely no favors for the desktop version (given a UI that is useless on the desktop)

There are only rumors as to new feature, but they are pretty strong rumors due to leaked images and versions of Windows 8. This was just merely to show off the new UI. New features are History Vault (A time machine-like program that uses Shadow Copy), syncing your desktop settings to the cloud, and the ability to have a persistent USB install (For enterprise only).

I'd assume the changes are relatively small and mostly aimed towards programs on the OS rather than the OS itself. The biggest feature of this OS is the tablet functionality and support for ARM. Microsoft sees the iPad and the growing line of Android tablets, and they want in badly. As far as other changes go, like I said, probably program-centric. Internet Explorer 10, new versions of Office, and from what I saw, perhaps the addition of the Ribbon interface (which has received mixed criticisms since its creation) to the default Aero skin for the "Windows 7 Ghetto". The little preview also inadvertently showed an "App Store" feature (like Apple recently created), and if it's a more mobile platform, I'd assume that Windows Media Player/Media Center will see large overhauls (perhaps even making Media Center standard)

Though I must say, if Windows is going ARM, I hope that they will drop x32 versions of the OS. We're at the point where x64 is pretty standard, it's superior to x32, and it doesn't make much sense to support 3 versions of the OS when you can continue supporting just 2. Only a different pair than before.

Vista wasn't bad... It was just... Misunderstood...

Nope, couldn't keep a straight face.

Anyway, assuming they're working directly off of Windows 7, then this should be a good OS. Too bad they don't have OS demos like game demos.

Isn't x64 reliant on hardware as well? I.E. specific types of hardware, not general. Or am I totally wrong?

Some Intel Atom chips aren't 64-bit.


MS has given out beta versions of their OS to try the past two times. Not sure if they did a public beta for XP or not (doubt it)


Yeah, the hardware that almost all modern home PC processors use.

I agree it has a very minor case of serious use impairment. It needed some equally as special people for it and there happened to be such an extreme demand for them to not be there Vista never really found a home. Now to test definitions of misunderstanding...

Did you watch the video? :poke:

Sweet, would I need to reinstall Windows 7 once the beta is over/I'm done with it?



Oh good, I should be fine then.

Not really sure what x64 does though.

Edit: @PowerMapler: I'm not sure what you mean. Sure the UI is a bit different, but I mean all the under-the-hood stuff.

That's what Virtual Machines are for.

Otherwise you'd have to reinstall if you don't partition properly.


Not certain what you mean by this. That video showed absolutely NOTHING as far as under-the-hood. The video did one thing that is show off Metro (along with the inclusion of ribbon interface in Windows Explorer and confirmation of the App store)

Exactly why I said that if they're working off Windows 7, then it should be good, I.E. stable. I didn't/wasn't referencing the UI.

Ah, I had forgotten Atom. That's actually pretty important to Intel if they want to compete with the low power of ARM. Supporting 3 versions of the OS may not be such a bad thing for this generation at least. It would at least allow us to see which side will win in the end (x32 or ARM). If one of them becomes too insignificant (because the goal of Intel's low-power x86 chips and ARM are to service the same market), then drop them. Like a format war or something.

counterexample: Windows Millennium edition was based on Windows 98


ARM's been around for a very long time. It's not going anywhere. Actually we are going to see an increase in 32-bit offerings by Intel.

Actually, me musing here, but Windows 8 can't be distinguished as 32-bit, because both x86 and ARM are 32-bit

haha! wow.. horrible times 2!!!

I don't really care though. I have a mac, and I am perfectly happy with my operating system. Since I'm not really a PC gamer I don't need a Microsoft product for a computer.