Microsoft to RIP THE SHEETS off Windows 9 aka 'Threshold' in April Microsoft will map out its plans for the successor to Windows 8.1 – which might be named Windows 9 – at a company event in April, we're told. Microsoft will start a discussion around the next iteration of its client operating system at its Build Conference on 2 to 4 April in San Francisco, California. "Threshold", believed to …
I'm conflicted about that one. True, Aero will run on any modern graphics including Intel on-chip. But is it worth the extra electricity cost the 3D effects will inflict on your organisation?
I'd say bring back XP-style windows. Neither Aero nor Notro desktop were improvements.
At least Aero on Win7 can be disabled. I just cannot grasp the thinking behind the removal of so many options from the more recent versions of Windows and Office. The mentioned ALL CAPS and hideous corners, forced colours (we're down to what, black (which is grey), grey, and white now in Office) all serve to make people feel like their preferences aren't important. If I were told that the new car I was looking at was only available in peach I'd be looking at another car, not joyously lining up to conform with the herd.
I just don't understand!
There is a real WIDE variety of what people want their desktops to look like. Its Windows, people love their customizations. Some folks bling it up, some folks go minimal. MS just needs to realize that and not force bling down folks throats.
Back when I was running XP, I turned off all effects to save memory and CPU/GPU cycles on a laptop to maximize battery power. It worked of course, but strangely (to me anyway) I got a lot of compliments on how nice it looked and was I running a beta of a new Windows. Effectively it looked like the completely boring NT4.
I agree completely! Bring back Aero! Bring back the start menu, ditch the ribbon and bring back menus. The rounded corners and transparencies were nice. For those that do not want the 3d effects, as the other poster indicates, have a classic theme that turns all that off. Aero is very functional and metro is a disaster.
Take an approach like Linux and give the user choice of interface. I like Mate, it's simple and functional. If Microsoft doesn't ditch Metro I'm ditching them. Windows 8 has encouraged me to delve into the joys of Linux and have found Linux Mint Mate very usable.
I'd prefer XP with a compositing window manager and a smarter start bar. Or Windows 7 as I like to think of it.
I actually think I'd probably be fine with Windows 8 as I've noticed that I tend to launch a few applications at the start of the day and then just use those, but there seems to be no benefit in upgrading. It's a shame there's no obvious commercial model that just makes the OS updates free, without locking down the hardware and introducing planned obsolescence.
Agreed! Mixed case is easier to view without really thinking - hence why it's used on road signs and the likes. And I also bemoan the loss of rounded corners. Even Windows 3 had rounded corners...
The default themes in Windows 8 for the desktop are dire, and you can't add new ones without hacking about with system files. Even then, you cannot restore all the functionality that Windows 7 could do with the desktop visual elements.
MS: Add choice. Give people a choice of flashy/rounded UI themes or flat/square ones. Give them a choice of TIFKAM or Start Menu. Add choice and the complaints will go away.
It will be amusing watching all those who waxed lyrical about TIFKAM and the absence of the start button, and who kept telling everyone to get hip and with it and get rid of XP, to go on about how good the start button is in Win9 and how you can find stuff as there is a menu you can pin it to etc. etc. and so tell us all to ditch that so yesterday Win8.n interface ...
I hope they do this, I really do. But after windows 8.1 where they still tried to promote that metro shite I'm not sure I have faith in them.
Surely adding a start menu and metro apps in normal windows can't take until 2015? I love start8 and modernmix but I'm pretty sure they only took StarDock a few weeks to write.
> It will be amusing watching all those who waxed lyrical about TIFKAM and the absence of the start button, and who kept telling everyone to get hip and with it and get rid of XP, to go on about how good the start button is in Win9 and how you can find stuff as there is a menu you can pin it to etc. etc. and so tell us all to ditch that so yesterday Win8.n interface
Why assume that anyone who preferred Win8 did so purely because it was new? I disliked the Start menu for years, and was pleased to see it go. If it comes back, I'll be disappointed, unless they do the decent thing and make it optional.
"Why assume that anyone who preferred Win8 did so purely because it was new?"
Because in many cases the arguments which these people presented for preferring Windows 8 over 7 were flawed.
Arguments such as claiming that things were just as easy to use, that Windows 8 provided the exact same user experience as 7, or at least could be made to do that. Well, in the latter case it couldn't without the help from 3rd party software (think Stardock).
And when people claim that having access to admin tools using a context menu (right click) is a very decent replacement for the "System tools" start menu option in Windows 7 then they obviously have never used Windows to its full potential. For example; I need to raise my privileges whenever I start something like the event log viewer, because by default I don't have access to security logs (I run Windows 7 as a regular user).
Needless to say; but you can't do that ("Run as administrator") while you're already in a context menu.
And this is but one example; there are dozens more out there.
Don't get me wrong here; I can understand that some people will actually prefer Windows 8. But I also think most of them were indeed driven by "It's new so it's better".
As I've said elsewhere, I have a couple of such criticisms of 8 myself -- why can't we create an ad-hoc wi-fi network any more without running a bloody custom batch file? But, as you can see throughout this thread, that's got nothing to do with it. The overwhelming majority of people who hate Windows 8 just want their old Start menu back and tiles to be banned, and that's it. They may say things like "Why can't Microsoft just give us choice?" but then they also downvote me when I suggest that, if MS must bring back the Start menu, could they please make it optional.
> Arguments such as claiming that things were just as easy to use, that Windows 8 provided the exact same user experience as 7, or at least could be made to do that. Well, in the latter case it couldn't without the help from 3rd party software (think Stardock).
I've not seen anyone say that 8 priovides the exact same user experience as 7. Why would anyone say that? They're different UIs. Obviously.
As for Stardock, I always hated the Start menu -- I came to Windows from Macs in the min-Nineties, found it clunky and annoying and fiddly then, and never thought it improved with age. I've been quite surprised by how many people apparently loved the damn thing. Funny old world.
Anyway, I find Windows 8 preposterously easy to use. Took me minutes to pick it up. That's the only reason I like it. I have sod-all time on my hands, and wouldn't like anything that wasted my time forcing me to learn how to use it before I could get on with what I actually want to do, whether it was new or old. And I hated iOS, even when it was new.
Some people are just going to have to accept that different people have different opinions. But they're finding it really REALLY hard, and prefer to cope with my bizarre claim to liek Windows 8 by accusing me of bribery or idiocy or lying or just anything rather than that I might actually enjoy using it, just like I say I do.
let me clear on something, XP should have died a long time ago, were it not for the ill conceived Vista this probably would have happened a lot sooner. As for metro, it is perfectly fine to use, its really efficient and ill be a bit pissed off if they ditch that completely.
Now, before you all down vote me I am not saying that metro apps are any good, im not saying there shouldn't be a trad start button, but I am saying with a small amount of setting up the live tile apps are really handy and have definitely improved the overall windows experience. yes that's right, I like it, its like a giant more useful start menu. Do I use apps? no, I find them crap, I spend most of my time in desktop mode and bar a few games for my kids I don't think there is much in the way of an app that I use (other than live tile updates) regularly
Im just saying that for all the fuss about metro, there is a lot of good to come from it, even on desktop.
By April 2015, Microsoft Windows will probably be considered stone age type technology and as such the real question will probably be how to move away from it rather than how to "upgrade" to it.
Microsoft has got some great technologies, Exchange, Sharepoints, for instance but the rest is legacy and should be treated as such.
> Aw - I'll bet you think Exchange only does email, don't you? That's so cute...!
Have you ever tried another collaboration platform? They are pretty much all better* than Exchange. With some of them using Exchange's native protocols, for those dumb clients that can only talk to Exchange.
* less of a ressource hog, easier to maintain, easier to taylor to your needs and/or more stable.
"Have you ever tried another collaboration platform? They are pretty much all better* than Exchange."
Including Notes? !!
Pretty much the main alternative to Exchange you'll find in a corporate environment and will have you pulling your hair out and screaming for them to switch to Exchange.
Sharepoint is fantastic. A revelation in technological wonderment! Especially after using Lotus Notes!
I used SP for ages in a manufacturing environment for all kinds of stuff across the business. It's ok I suppose. It's uber-clunky, security setup is horrible, but it served its purpose. Then I got stuck working in 2 global companies using the mess that is lotus Notes.
I'll take SP back any day!
Microsoft actually have a team whose job is to figure out what search strings frustrated users will use under what circumstances. So typing "Goddam Clippy" into Office Help used to bring up the page on how to remove the office assistant. When we discovered this, some friends and I started experimenting with other swear-words to see what they did. Entering "Fuck off" in Word Help brought up a template job resignation letter.
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