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Windows 8 Arrives

microsoft.com

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Re: Windows 8 Arrives

#211

Post by viscanti »

HelloMcFly wrote: post #158
CamperBob2 wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Metro is no iPhone.

No, it doesn't need to be in order for the illustration to be apt. "If it isn't broke, don't fix it" is a mentality asking for disruption.

The argument isn't "If it isn't broke, don't fix it". It's that not all change is necessary (or even good). If something is clearly broken, by all means fix it. If it's not, then things get more complicated. Maybe a change is still in order (but maybe it's broken in a non-obvious way, like the Razr in a smart-phone world). The idea that change is always good and always a sign of progress is absolutely false.

Re: Windows 8 Arrives

#212

Post by bduerst »

the_p wrote: post #202
bduerst wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.

And those who cannot remember the past (and only look to the future) are condemned to repeat it.

Sounds like a good case for change.

Re: Windows 8 Arrives

#213

Post by shawndellysse »

engtech wrote: post #208
Zak wrote: post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems to me that many people treat software licences like physical goods in their minds. The idea of buying a chef's knife from Victorinox for one price if it's to be used to chop vegetables and another if it's to be used to trim fat from steaks is absurd. You buy the knife at the lowest price it's offered and use it however you like. Software licensing does include the ability to charge different prices for diffe…

This is the same reason why the idea that you can't bequeath your iTunes purchases on death seems like lunacy to most people. Purchased goods are purchased goods, and the idea that something is licensed with restrictions seems ridiculous to most people unless it's something upfront like a subscription that you are paying monthly fees to access.

Because it is ridiculous.

Re: Windows 8 Arrives

#214

Post by alexsb92 »

nonane wrote: post #90
luma wrote: post #22

I've been running Windows 8 since they release the RTM version to TechNet subscribers on my primary laptop (about a month now). Short version - outside of Metro it's basically Win7SP3 and it works great. Metro is every bit the usability disaster that people have claimed when not running on a touch screen. The good news is that you really don't have to interface much with Metro at all. It replaces the start menu, but…

Plug: If you're running Windows 8 Pro and have an iPad you can try out the Win 8 Metro's multitouch features using my app ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWUEAx4dqP4&hd=1 ). Send me an email: support at jumpdesktop.com and I'll send you a free coupon.

That looks quite amazing! Thanks!

As an aside, I've actually been meaning to learn about writing drivers for a while, especially in preparation for a uni course. So with windows 8 here and all of it's cool touch gestures, it would be even cooler. So I'm not sure if you would know this, but can you point me towards any resources for essentially simulating touches? I was thinking of building a battle Etch-a-sketch app for a school project, that would actually have two players use two etch-a-sketch systems in drawing stuff. If it was only one user, I could use the mouse pointer, but being two, I probably need touches. I hope I made myself clear enough. If it's better for you, just email me at alexsb92 [at] gmail [dot] com. Thanks.

Re: Windows 8 Arrives

#215

Post by fady »

freehunter wrote: post #172
fady wrote: post #130

i like how the kids look super into the new surface (pic 4).. i bet those peeps were either "paid" to be there, or set up so that they would all look so interested in that device.. srsly, why would someone buy a surface?

Wow, a big surprise that actors are employed in marketing material. Next thing you're going to tell me is that Justin Long and John Hodgman got paid for the Mac vs PC commercials or that the guys in the Samsung Galaxy ads weren't actually real people happening to stumble upon a crowd at an Apple store. Unless by putting "paid" in scare quotes, you were implying something slightly less scrupulous...

yeah i was.. i was just saying that those kids look waaay to interested in what that guy is doing, and his facial expression also seems a little off.. i may have miss-communicated my intention, for that, i apologize

Re: Windows 8 Arrives

#216

Post by nonane »

alexsb92 wrote: post #214
nonane wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Plug: If you're running Windows 8 Pro and have an iPad you can try out the Win 8 Metro's multitouch features using my app ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWUEAx4dqP4&hd=1 ). Send me an email: support at jumpdesktop.com and I'll send you a free coupon.

That looks quite amazing! Thanks! As an aside, I've actually been meaning to learn about writing drivers for a while, especially in preparation for a uni course. So with windows 8 here and all of it's cool touch gestures, it would be even cooler. So I'm not sure if you would know this, but can you point me towards any resources for essentially simulating touches? I was thinking of building a battle Etch-a-sketch app…

I'm not exactly sure what you want to do. If you just want to handle touch input in Windows 8 then take a look at this: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/xaml/hh... .

If you want to simulate touches programatically then take a look at this api: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/hh80...

Edit: I don't think you'll need to write a driver either way.

Re: Windows 8 Arrives

#217

Post by jasomill »

MichaelGG wrote: post #150
mikeknoop wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always assumed Service Packs were a way of "resetting" the version of Windows. Instead of installing Windows 7 then needing to immediately endure 2 hours of updates/restarts, you could simply install Windows 7 SP1 with all the relevant updates and patches already applied.

No, Service Packs sometimes even introduced significant new functionality. Mostly, any non-critical fixes would wait for a SP, to make testing easier. I imagine that Microsoft will do for Windows what they do for other products like IE: Offer periodic "rollup" updates that apply several updates at once.

While I can't find a link, I seem to recall Microsoft moving to a "no new features" policy for Service Packs at (enterprise) customer request. This seems sensible, as Service Packs aren't merely "security rollups", but also product lifecycle checkpoints:

When a new service pack is released, Microsoft will provide either 12 or 24 months of support for the previous service pack, varying according to the product family (for example, Windows, Office, Servers, or Developer tools). When support for a service pack ends, Microsoft will no longer provide new security updates, DST updates, hotfixes or other updates for that service pack.[1]

[1] http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?LN=en-us

Re: Windows 8 Arrives

#218

Post by jasomill »

freehunter wrote: post #167
briffle wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Question is, can I downgrade it to 7pro... I have some machines I want 7 pro on, but not 8... The upgrade from Vista Business to 7 Pro is $200

No, you can't downgrade Windows licenses.

While not exactly true, the exceptions don't apply to upgrade copies. Though from reading the Windows 7 Pro license agreement and the material on Microsoft's Web site, you could presumably get a full- or part-time student to buy a $65 copy[1] for you "while supplies last".

[1] http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/en_US/pd/Windows...

Re: Windows 8 Arrives

#219

Post by jasomill »

jiggy2011 wrote: post #72
ajross wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pretty sure the pure "retail" version of the OS disappeared with XP->Vista. Everything on a store shelf today is an upgrade copy, and the version sold from people like Newegg (which is what I meant) is titled something like "OEM version for system builders".

I have a Windows 7 Retail copy sitting on my shelf.

Me too. And unlike the new "personal use license", it doesn't include new, ambiguous changes to the license text, like the prohibition against "licensing more than five copies of the software for commercial use in total" (concurrent or consecutive?) and the restriction that it may only be used on computers that "you are building for your own use". Given any reasonable interpretation of "build", this should exclude, say, a MacBook, and it leaves open questions about computers that I own but am "building" for the use of others.

I suspect the real reason for this train wreck of an EULA is that "no retail copies" is yet another stick to force volume license users to purchase software assurance, as it does mean that the only current-version Windows base license available to companies with more than five seats is the restricted, nontransferable OEM EULA. Or, oddly enough in the case of most volume license agreements, Mac OS X.

Re: Windows 8 Arrives

#220

Post by PommeDeTerre »

gtirloni wrote: post #204
ExpiredLink wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Metro is every bit the usability disaster that people have claimed when not running on a touch screen Is there a way to switch to 'Classic Desktop'?

The classic destkop is always there a click again in the start screen.

That's one click too many.
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