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Building Windows 8

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Re: Building Windows 8

#31

Post by Someone »

thebigshane wrote: post #23

I think some commenters here seem to have missed (or forgotten about) the IE blog[1] and the Windows 7 blog[2] which had great technical articles. This initial post resembles the first Windows 7 blog post posted 3 years ago [3]. If this new blog continues the standard set by these other two, then I have high hopes. Bottom line: This post does sound fluffy because it is intended as an introduction to an entire series…

I agree there was content, but the wording, to me, way too often made it look as if a flock/herd (what's that called? A burial?) of marketeers vetted every stroke of every character in those posts.

Re: Building Windows 8

#32

Post by wmf »

dade_ wrote: post #25

I've heard rumour that MS has already axed any radical changes to the UX. In other words, the Windows 95 interface will continue. Windows needs a vision, right now it looks like it is being run by a Dilbert comic. If it wasn't for Bill, we would be using Program Manager and File Manager with Aero graphics. Sad. Get rid of the Gorilla.

Didn't you see the "radical new WP7-inspired UI"? (Which will presumably have to revert to a normal Windows desktop as soon as you actually launch an app.)

Re: Building Windows 8

#33

Post by nxn »

mitjak wrote: post #19
lukifer wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel the same way; what we've seen of Win8 marks the first rethinking of desktop computing since the original WIMP (Windows, Icons, Menus, Pointers). (Not the first, actually, but the first to actually see the light of day from a vendor as big as MS). And the fact that it's HTML5-based doesn't hurt. :)

What exactly are they rethinking? To me it looks like a desperate attempt to catch up with the tablet trend without leaving their massive existing customer base out in the cold.

So what do you suggest they do? Stay with a stagnating UI that's not suitable for anything other than a desktop in fear of looking "desperate"? The UI they pulled off is far from desperate, in my personal opinion it beats everything available right now in the mobile world as far as usability and looks go. For example, I haven't seen any one call the new windows phone UI anything short of amazing and it's the same concepts that will be applied to the Win8 UI from what I've seen so far. Their approach also seems much more likely to remain unified across multiple touch device form/scale factors when compared to something like Android.

As far as being last to arrive at the scene, need I remind that this is Microsoft? They're always last, and sometimes that actually works out for them (XBox, .NET), and sometimes it doesn't (Bing).

Re: Building Windows 8

#34

Post by cooldeal »

benatkin wrote: post #28
morsch wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yup, I honestly expected an article about the build environment and stuff like build times. Can you compile Windows from scratch on a regular development machine in a decent time frame? I guess it depends on whether you're thinking of the Windows kernel or Windows the desktop environment.

I posted my own version. http://batkin.tumblr.com/post/8967355366/building-windows-8 I agree that they could have taken a different angle with the post title, even though it isn't open source. I'm sure many would be interested in hearing about how they build it. I would.

A cursoy search gives this:

http://mkl-testhead.blogspot.com/2011/01/testhead-book-club-...

http://www.developerfusion.com/media/59835/dogfooding-tfs-at...

I am sure there's more content on Channel 9 etc.

Re: Building Windows 8

#35

Post by evanlong »

ezy wrote: post #18

"Building the next release of Microsoft Windows is an industry-wide effort that Microsoft approaches with a strong sense of responsibility and humility" and "we learned some great lessons and renewed our sense of responsibility to the community" Given that this was full of stuff worded like this, I sort of doubt that. You feel like you're being snowed from the first sentence onwards. I realize this is somewhat orthog…

Great blog on history of Windows and why things are the way they are: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/oldnewthing/

Re: Building Windows 8

#36

Post by cooldeal »

ezy wrote: post #18

"Building the next release of Microsoft Windows is an industry-wide effort that Microsoft approaches with a strong sense of responsibility and humility" and "we learned some great lessons and renewed our sense of responsibility to the community" Given that this was full of stuff worded like this, I sort of doubt that. You feel like you're being snowed from the first sentence onwards. I realize this is somewhat orthog…

The real reason for the PR like speak is what he says in the blog post. They don't want to end up with the WinFS like fiasco where they over promised but under delivered.

MS is still ridiculed about WinFS.

Wait for the engineering blogs to actually start. They will have the real meat like the Windows 7 engineering blogs did.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/e7/

Is there something like this for OS X or Chrome OS ?

Re: Building Windows 8

#38

Post by shriphani »

I had the rare opportunity to speak with Mr. Raymond Chen and Mr. Larry Osterman last week. Both were extremely down-to-earth and full of enthusiasm for windows 8. I mean, this product has 1 billion users across the world and for a lot of people, this will be the first computing experience. I am truly excited about this windows release.

Disclaimer : MSFT Intern but I haven't worked on / don't work on Win 8.

Re: Building Windows 8

#39

Post by dorian-graph »

dade_ wrote: post #25

I've heard rumour that MS has already axed any radical changes to the UX. In other words, the Windows 95 interface will continue. Windows needs a vision, right now it looks like it is being run by a Dilbert comic. If it wasn't for Bill, we would be using Program Manager and File Manager with Aero graphics. Sad. Get rid of the Gorilla.

Whoa, Digg in 2006.

Re: Building Windows 8

#40

Post by cpeterso »

morsch wrote: post #20
benatkin wrote: post #12

This headline would have a different meaning if it was an open source project.

Yup, I honestly expected an article about the build environment and stuff like build times. Can you compile Windows from scratch on a regular development machine in a decent time frame? I guess it depends on whether you're thinking of the Windows kernel or Windows the desktop environment.

Though it's a pretty old, this Microsoft presentation from USENIX 2000 describes how Windows NT development evolved from NT 3.1 through Windows 2000, including details about source control and build machines.

Windows: A Software Engineering Odyssey

https://db.usenix.org/events/usenix-win2000/invitedtalks/luc...

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