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The End of Windows

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Re: The End of Windows

#231

Post by pythonaut_16 »

jasonjayr wrote: post #60
SonicSoul wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

well, as a long time developer in financial enterprise space (18 years) I think MS made a lot of right moves already since Nadela took over. betting all your eggs on Windows dominance proved to be a faulty (and dangerous) strategy especially since a lot of enterprise started using Linux / open source. For example I know a very major hedge fund that went from Windows everywhere to using every open source database they…

Microsoft could kill Linux's foothold in the server + SMB space right now just by simplifying licensing. Get rid of CAL's. Charge a fixed price for a certain # of simultaneously running Windows instances, no matter how you run it. Even charging an ongoing subscription for this would be acceptable. Simplify the licensing situation for SMBs wanting to run an on-premise redundant systems, without needing diagrams to exp…

This is blatantly false. You're assuming that people only use Linux because they don't want to pay or deal with licensing complexities of Microsoft which is not the case.

Re: The End of Windows

#232

Post by pjmlp »

thedoctor79 wrote: post #176
pjmlp wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep, the other day I was also pretty amazed how using VS Code alongside Rust, for writing a Gtk-rs application, managed to hang X forcing me to reboot the whole thing. With the open source AMD drivers.

Tip: when X hangs, press Ctrl-Alt-F1 or F2 to switch to console mode, then Ctrl-Alt-F7 (or F8 on some distros) to go back to X. While in terminal mode you can investigate which process is reponsible for the X issue (high CPU? memory? disk I/O?) If that does not fix it, Ctrl-Alt-Backspace will kill X and every X application and you won't have to reboot.

That only works if console mode and X escape keys are configured.

Which is usually not the case on desktop oriented distributions.

Re: The End of Windows

#233

Post by avtar »

simonh wrote: post #215
asveikau wrote: post #33

I still can't wrap my head around everything that was wrongheaded about Windows 8, and I was working there for most of its dev cycle. One wonders what would have happened if they just sort of let Windows be Windows. I.e. if they had continued iterating on core stuff but left UI and general philosophy resembling Win7's trajectory and not tried to force people into WinRT/UWP/store. Even though Win10 attempted correctiv…

It would have helped if they hadn’t done everything they could possibly imagine to fragment windows as much as possible. Six SKUs of Windows desktop, then on top of those two entire desktop UI environments in desktop and Metro, then Windows on ARM, then shifting from one new development stack to another, then another. Then mandating store apps. This was foot shooting on full automatic, clip after clip. I switched to…

> Six SKUs of Windows desktop

Here's hoping they'll rethink that at some point and follow Apple's approach of having just one desktop OS instead of nickel-and-diming the masses for features such as BitLocker.

Re: The End of Windows

#234

Post by tonyedgecombe »

ckaygusu wrote: post #87
ynniv wrote: post #48

This seems like a ridiculous strategy. Who would abandon an ecosystem that they own over 80% of? If they're spending too much money on it, stop adding features and harden what they already have. It's increasingly clear that macOS isn't business-level stable, and Linux isn't polished... No one has an Android device on their desk at work. Maybe if they stopped trying to take over the world they would realize that they…

> macOS isn't business-level stable. Can you elaborate this assertion? As far as stability goes, macs are top notch. I'd say in the business context Windows machines are prevalent because of successful MS strategies (in terms of marketing, not ethics) in 1995-2005 era, and it kind of stuck around.

I always thought one of Apples strengths was that they ignored the enterprise market, Windows has always been compromised by the need to support both home users and corporations.

Re: The End of Windows

#235

Post by willtim »

pjmlp wrote: post #159
ekianjo wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This has nothing to do with Linux, rather with the publishers who decide not to support Linux or any particular distro at least.

Why bother to try to sell desktop software to users that want everything for free, and with source code available? Usually the only ones willing to pay for Linux software are enterprise shops.

Linux users expect not to be locked-in and controlled. Perhaps if vendors tried different revenue models, such as sponsoring new features or charging for support/bug fixes. Over the last few years I have spent several hundred dollars in donations to free (libre) software. We are not all cheapskates :)

Re: The End of Windows

#236

Post by giancarlostoro »

asveikau wrote: post #33

I still can't wrap my head around everything that was wrongheaded about Windows 8, and I was working there for most of its dev cycle. One wonders what would have happened if they just sort of let Windows be Windows. I.e. if they had continued iterating on core stuff but left UI and general philosophy resembling Win7's trajectory and not tried to force people into WinRT/UWP/store. Even though Win10 attempted correctiv…

One thing I love about Windows 10 which may sound silly. The Netflix app. I can download anything downloadable on Netflix. I can't do this basic thing on my Macbook Air sadly cause they have no desktop app. Small thing that makes me enjoy Windows 10.

Re: The End of Windows

#237

Post by bluGill »

ynniv wrote: post #98
jmuguy wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're not abandoning Windows or the ecosystem. This is just the end of it as the tip of the spear/driving force for MS strategy. Nadella is (rightly, imo) focusing more on o365 and Azure. One of the points the article makes is that Ballmer's MS would do things like not release Office for iOS because that would potentially eat into Windows marketshare. That no longer will happen. MS sees its more important to get o3…

I agree that getting Office to run on Android and iOS is a bright future, but that doesn't mean you put Windows in the corner with "some other stuff". Maybe there are too many people on it and they've gotten too comfortable? Spin it out into a company with half the staff and let it soak up its own sun.

The problem with Windows is operating systems are a commodity. You shouldn't care about it. You are about opening your documents on your desktop and phone - you don't even care what program opens the documents.

Mac OSX, Linux+desktop (any of several), IOS, and Android are all operating systems that can do everything you need of an OS, except MAYBE run windows programs.

Which is to say Windows as a separate company probably cannot make it long term.

Re: The End of Windows

#238

Post by opmac »

ynniv wrote: post #121
SonicSoul wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> macOS isn't business-level stable amazing how many people here are missing the point. this is not about Windows vs MacOS. Client OS has become a commodity with prices approaching 0 (MacOS no longer charges for upgrades, neither does iOS or Android) and users care less about how they get to Facebook. Think about server/mobile space. if MS tried to hang on to their dominance simply via desktop lock-in (because it wor…

Established businesses aren't going to put their data in someone else's datacenter. Small to medium businesses perhaps, but all it takes is one downturn that tightens the purse strings, or one critical event that reveals their absolute dependence on a third party. SAAS solutions are fair weather, and while we've had a lot of good weather I don't expect them to be used for critical business functions in the long term.

> Established businesses aren't going to put their data in someone else's datacenter

[CITATION NEEDED]

This is very myopic. Establishes businesses are huge customers (both current customers and potential customers), for cloud providers.

Re: The End of Windows

#239

Post by cjarrett »

TheForumTroll wrote: post #128
alkonaut wrote: post #109

You can have my windows when I can game properly somewhere else (and no, no you can’t).

Xbox and PlayStation. The "problem" is that you want to game on your PC, not that there isn't another viable option.

Mouse / Keyboard input. Though, that is opening up more and more nowadays.....

Re: The End of Windows

#240

Post by tonyedgecombe »

rootusrootus wrote: post #89
jsty wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anecdata: most of the SMBs I know are using web/cloud-based accounting products, and like it for varying reasons (not having to manage / upgrade the software, easy to collaborate with their accountant) but a major one is being able to access their accounts from anything with a web browser.

As a counterpoint, my wife runs her own bookkeeping business and pretty much all of her clients are using Quickbooks on Windows workstations, with no real desire to try anything new. I know a couple people myself that are using cloud-based accounting products but they seem to be the exception. In both cases they are tech businesses, which perhaps makes them more open to trying something new than a typical small busin…

Can you even buy a new Quickbooks desktop license now, I got the impression it had all moved to the cloud.
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